this Apostasie of the Iesuites is the most abhominable and contumelious against the blessed Trinitie pag. 300. THE TRIPLICITIE OF ROMISH BLASPHEMIE OR THE THREE DEGREES OF ANTICHRISTS EXALTATION Against all that is called GOD. THE THIRD BOOKE SECT I. Contayning the assertions of the Romish Church whence her threefold blasphemie springs HAuing in the former dispute clearly acquitted as well Gods word from breeding as our Church from nursing contentions schismes and heresies wee may in this by course of common equitie more freely accuse their iniurious calumniators And because our purpose is not to charge them with forgerie of any particular though grossest heresies or blasphemies though most hideous but for erecting an intire frame capacioâ—s of all villanies imaginable farre surpassing the hugest mathematicall forme humane fancie could haue conceiued of such matters but only from inspection of this reall and materiall patterne which by degrees insensible hath growne vp with the mysterie of iniquitie as the barke doth with the tree such inconsiderate passionate speeches as heat of contention in personall quarrells hath exstracted from some one or few of their priuate Writers shall not be produced to giue euidence against the Church their Mother whose triall shall be as farre as may be by her Peeres either by her owne publike determinations in this controuersie or ioynt consent of her authorized best approued Advocates in opening the title or vnfolding the contents of that prerogatiue which they challenge for her 2 Our accusations are grounded vpon their Positions before set downe when wee explicated the differences betwixt vs. The position in briefe is this That the infallible authoritie of the present Church is the most sure most safe vndoubted rule in all doubts or controuersies of faith or in all points concerning the Oracles of God by which we may certainely know both without which wee cannot possibly know either which are the Oracles of God which not or what is the true sense and meaning of such as are receiued for his Oracles whether written or vnwritten 3 The extent of diuine Oracles or number of Canonicall bookes hath beene as our Aduersaries pretend very questionable amongst the ancient though such of the Fathers as for their skill in antiquitie were in all vnpartiall iudgements most competent Iudges in this cause were altogether for vs against the Romanists and such as were for their opinion were but for it vpon an error as thinking the Iewes had acknowledged all those bookes of the old Testament for Canonicall Scripture which the Churches wherin they liued receiued for such or that the Christian Church did acknowledge all for Canonical which they allowed to be publikely read Safe it was our aduersaries cannot denie for the Ancient to dissent one from an other in this question or to suspend their assent till new probabilities might sway them one way or other No reasons haue beene produced since sufficient to moue any ingenious mind vnto more peremptorie resolutions yet doth the Councell of Trent binde all to an absolute acknowledgement of those Bookes for Canonicall which by their owne confession were reiected by S. Hierome and other Fathers If any shall not receiue the whole Bookes with all their parts vsually read in the Church and as they are extent in the old vulgar for sacred and Canonicall let him be accuâ—sed So are all by the same decree that will not acknowledge such vnwritten traditions as the Romish Church pretends to haue come from Christ and his Apostles for diuine and of authoritie equall with the written word 4 So generally is this opinion receiued so fully beleeued in that Church That many of her Sonnes euen whilest they write against vs forgetting with whom they haue to deale take it as granted That the Scriptures cannot be known to be Gods word but by the infallible authoritie of the present Church And from this supposition as from a truth sufficiently knowne though neuer proued they labour in the next place to inferre That without submission of our faith to the Churches publike spirit wee cannot infallibly distinguish the orthodoxall or diuine sense of Gods Oracles whether written or vnwritten from hereticall or humane 5 Should we admit vnwritten Traditions and the Church withall as absolute Iudge to determine which were Apostolicall which not little would it boote vs to question with them about their meaning For when the point should come to triall wee might be sure to haue the very words framed to whatsoeuer sense should bee most fauourable for iustifying Romish practises And euen of Gods written Oracles whose words or characters as hee in his wisedome hath prouided cannot now be altered by an Index Expurgatorius at their pleasure That such a sense as shall bee most seruiceable for their turne may as time shall minister occasion bee more commodiously gathered the Trent Fathers immediately after the former decree for establishing vnwritten Traditions and amplifying the extent of diuine written Oracles haue in great wisedome authorized the old and vulgar translation of the whole Canon Which though it were not purposely framed to maintayne Poperie as some of our writers say they haue as friuolously as maliciously obiected yet certainely aswell the escapes and errors of those vnskilfull or ill-furnished interpretors as the negligence of transcribers or other defects incident to that worke from the simplicitie of most ancient the iniuries or calamities of insuing times were amongst others as the first heads or pettie springs of that raging floud of impietie which had well nigh drowned the whole Christian world in perdition by continually receiuing into it channell once thus wrought the dregs and filth of euery other error vnder heauen with the corrupt remainder of former heresies for these thousand yeares and more And vnto many grosse errors in Romish religion which this imperfect translation did not first occasion it yet affords that countenance which the pure Fountaines of the Greeke and Hebrew doe not but rather would scoure and wipe away were they current in that Church Finally though it yeld not nutriment to enlarge or feed yet it serues as a cloake to hide or couer most parts of the great mysterie of iniquitie 6 Yet besides the fauourable construction that may be made for that religion out of the plaine and literall sense of this erroneous translation the Church will bee absolute Iudge of all controuersies concerning the right interpretation thereof So as not what our consciences vpon diligent search and iust examination shall witnesse to vs but what the Church shall declare to them must be absolutely acknowledged for the true intent and meaning of Gods word as it is rendred by the vulgar interpretor To this purpose is the very next decree 7 Moreouer for brideling petulant dispositions it is decreed That no man in confidence of his owne wisdome or skill in matters of faith and manners making for the edification of Christian doctrine shall dare to interpret Scriptures wresting them to his
was shall proue true and profitable vnto Christians as instituted by God for the peoples good yea â—hey shall proceed from the holy Ghost for the reason which wee haue learned of the Euangelist to wit because such as giue them are Prelates of Christs Church And this is all I haue to say vnto the second argument 12 It is easie indeed for them thus to answere to whom it is most easie and most vsuall to blaspheme That the Popes aswell as Caiaphas prophecies may in the euent proue true and profitable to Christs Church wee doe not doubt because vnto such as loue God or are beloued of him all things euen Sathans malice that had suborned Caiaphas and his brethren against Christ and his members turne to the best But hee that had taken this High-Priest whilest hee vttered this sentence for an infallible Prophet of the Lord had been bound in conscience to haue done so to our Sauiour at his as the people did to Baals Priests at Elias instigation If our aduersaries will permit vs to interprete the Trent Councels decrees as the faithfull of those times did Caiaphas prophecie wee will subscribe vnto them without delay It is expedient wee grant and profitable withall vnto the Church that there should bee such decrees whereby the faith of others might bee tried But as it was not lawfull for the people to imbrue their hands in Christs bloud though the greatest benefite that euer befell the world was by his death so neither is it safe to admit the Trent Canons though a wonderfull blessing of God they should be set forth because they so clearely testifie the truth of his word concerning Antichrist Canus said more in this then was needfull according to his supposed principles in his answere to the next argument But God who ruled the mouth of Caiaphas and made him speake the trueth when hee intended nothing lesse did also direct Canus penne to vent what vpon better consideration hee would haue concealed Yet herein hee wrote but out of the abundance of his owne and most of his fellowes hearts who hold that the Priests and Pharises did erre onely in a matter of fact not in any point of faith when they condemned Christ Of which in the next Chapter For conclusion of this consider with me Christian Reader how great cause we haue to thanke our gracious God that the sect of Iesuites or rabble of Predicants were not founded in our Sauiours dayes for then doubtlesse the Diuell had picked a traitor out of that crue whose impudent sophisticall Apologies for open blasphemie and vnrelenting perseuerance in traiterous plots might haue outfaced the world that the deliuering of Christ into his enemies hands had beene no such sinne as Iudas testified it was both by his penitent speech and desperate end CHAP. IIII. What it would disaduantage the Romish Church to deny the infallibility of the Synagogue 1. THat any visible company of men before our Sauiour Christs time did challenge such absolute authority ouer mens faith as the Pope doth would bee very hard for them to proue no question but the High-Priest and Rulers amongst the Iewes did oftentimes challenge more then they had If the Romanist should say that they had no such infallible authority in deciding all controuersies as their Church now challengeth the assertion would be as improbable in it selfe as incongruous to their positioâ—s For vnto any indifferent man such infallibility in the Watch-Tower of Sion must needes seem more requisite during the time of the law then since the promulgation of the Gospell Bee it granted the points to be expresly beleeued of the ancient people were but few yet euen such of them as were most necessary to saluation were more enigmatically and mystically set downe then any in the new Testament are and the measure of Gods spirit vpon euery sort of men the vulgar especially in those times much lesse For this cause God raised vp Prophets to instruct them whose authority though it was not such as the Romane Church now challengeth but giuen to supply the ignorance and negligence of the church representatiue in those dayes yet much greater then is ordinarily required in the light of the Gospell by which as the doctrine of saluation is become most conspicuous in it selfe so is the illumination of Gods spirit more plentifull then before it had beene And since the Prophets haue beene so clearely expounded by the Apostles and the harmony of the two Testaments so distinctly heard the ordinary testimony of Iesus is become equiualent to the spirit of Prophesie Allowing then these infinite ods on our parts that enioy the labours of formers ages with the ordinary preaching of the Gospell an infallible oecumenicall authority is much lesse needfull now then it was in the law 2 Or if our aduersaries will bee so wayward as to deny the like infallibility to haue beene requisite in the ancient Iewish Church they shall hereby thwart euidently themselues disanull their chiefe title and vtterly disclaime the maine plea hitherto vsed for their owne infallibility For most of them doe vrge Gods promises made vnto that Church to proue a necessity of admitting a like authority in theirs And if these promises made to the Iewes admit any distinction condition or limitation whereby this most absolute infallibility as they suppose it may bee empaired then may all the promises made or supposed to bee made vnto their Church admit the same or like But besides the weakning of their title by debarring themselues of this plea drawne from the example of the ancient Iewish Church no man that reades their writings can bee ignorant that all their chiefe and principall arguments wherewith they carry away most simple soules and importune such as almost neither feare God nor man to giue sentence for them and their Church against vs are drawn from these or the like tropicks vnlesse God had ordained one supreme Iudge or infallible authority that might decide all controuersies in matters of faith viua voce he had not sufficienly proued for his Church yea which were most absurd hee had left it in worse estate then ciuill Estates are for ordinary matters for they besides their written lawes haue Iudges to determine all cases or controuersies arising And seeing that Monarchicall gouernment is of all others the best and in any wise mans iudgement most auaileable for auoiding all dissention and keeping the vnity of faith there should bee no question but God hath ordained such an authenticall manner of deciding all controuersies If hee haue not it must needes bee either because hee could not establish such an infallible authority and vncontroleable power or else because he would not To say he could not were to deny his omnipotency open blasphemie to say he would not were little better for this were to deny his goodnesse and loue to his Church both which the Scriptures testifie to bee great nay infinite 3 But how great soeuer his loue to his
to performe what hee had constantly spoken But what was the chiefe matter of their iust reproofe That they had not beleeued his wordes nor giuen due credence to his workes Dull no doubt they had beene in not esteeming better of both vnwise in not learning more of him that taught as neuer man taught but as in them hee teacheth vs most dull and most vnwise euen fooles and slowe of heart in not beleeuing all that the Prophets had spoken Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things as if hee had said Is it possible your ignorance in them should be so grosse as not to knowe that Christ was thus to suffer and so to enter into his glory 2. You will say perchance they did not well in giuing so little attention and credite to the Prophets whose light should haue led them vnto Christ but now that they haue light on him in person without their helpe onely by his seeking them shall not hee who was the end and scope of all propheticall writings teach them all He will but not by relying onely vpon his infallible authoritie This aedifice of faith must bee framed vpon the foundation laide by the Prophets For this reason happily our Sauiour would not bewray himselfe to be their infallible teacher vntill he had made them by euidence of Scripture by true sence and feeling of his spirit beleeue and knowe the truth which he taught to be infallible Hee had opened their hearts by opening the Scriptures vnto them before their eyes were open to discerne his person for he began at Moses and at all the Prophets and interpreted vnto them in all the Scriptures the things which were written of him Stedfast beliefe then of any mans authoritie must spring out of the solide experience of his skill and trueth of his doctrine These two disciples might now resolue their hearts that this was he who Iohn said should baptize with the holy Ghost and with fire when by the working of his spirit their hearts did burne within them whiles hee talked with them and opened the Scriptures vnto them Though before they had receiued Iohn Baptists witnesse of the trueth as a tie or fest to stay their fleeting faith yet now they would not receiue the record of man there is another that beareth witnesse of him the spirit of trueth which hath imprinted his doctrine in their hearts 3. Would the Pope who challengeth Christs place on earth amongst his liuing members and requires we should beleeue his wordes as well as these Disciples did Christs but expound those Scriptures vnto vs which Christ did to them with like euidence and efficacie could hee make our hearts thus burne within by opening the secret mysteries of our saluation wee would take him for Christs Vicar and beleeue indeede hee were infallibly assisted by the holy spirit But seeing hee and his followers inuert our Sauiours methode by calling the certaintie of both Testaments in question telling vs we cannot knowe them to be Gods word vnlesse it shall please this Romane God to giue his word for them or confirme their trueth seeing this his pretended confirmation is not by manifesting the mysteries of our saluation so distinctly and clearely as Christ did vnto these Disciples nor by affoording vs the true sence and feeling of the spirit in such ardent manner as they enioyed it and yet accurseth vs if we beleeue not his words as well as they did their Redeemers wee may hence take a perfect measure of that mouth of blasphemies spoken of by Saint Iohn according to all the three dimensions contained in the three assertions prefixed to the beginning of this Section Nor can the reader imagine either any other forepassed like vnto it or yet to come likely to proue more abominable if it shall but please him to suruay the length and breadth of it but especially the profunditie 4. The length of it I make that assertion The Pope must bee as well beleeued as either Christ was whilest hee liued on earth or his Apostles after his glorification The breadth His absolute authoritie must be for extent as large and ample as Christs should be were he on earth againe or that commission he gaue to his Disciples Goe Preach the Gospell to euery creature his directions must goe foorth throughout all the earth and his wordes vnto the endes of the world The depth is much greater then the space betweene heauen and hell For if you would drawe a line from the Zenith to the Nadir through the Center it would scarce be a gag long enough for this monstrous mouth so wide as hell cannot conceiue a greater The depth I gather partly from the excesse of Christs worth either arising from his personall vnion with the Godhead his sanctitie of life and conuersation or from his hyperpropheticall spirit and aboundant miracles For looke how much he exceedes any but meere man in al these by so much doth the Pope though supposed as not obnoxious to any crime make his authoritie and fauour with God greater then Christs which is the semidiameter of this mouth of blasphemies The other part equall herevnto in quantitie but for the qualitie more tainted with the dregges of Hell ariseth from that opposition the Popes spirit hath vnto Christ or from the luxury and beastly manners of the Papacie erected by Satan as it were of purpose to pollute the world with monstrous sinnes and to derogate as much from mankinde as true Christianitie doth aduance it finally to make the Christian world as much more wicked as Christs Disciples Apostles and faithfull followers are better then the heathen Nor doth the Pope exact beliefe onely without miracles or manifestation of a propheticall spirit but contrary to all notions of good and euill common to Christians and Heathens and as it were in despite of the prophecies that haue deciphered him for Antichrist What heathen Philosopher could with patience haue endured to heare that a dissolute luxurious tyrāt could not though in matters of this life giue wrong sentence out of the seate of Iustice The Iesuites teach it as an Article of faith that the Pope albeit a dissolute and vngracious tyrant Mankinds reproach the disgrace of Christianity cannot possibly giue an erroneous sentence ex cathedra no not in mysteries of religion But as if it were a small thing thus impudently to contradict nature and grieue the soules of ingenuous men vnlesse they also grieue their God seeking as it were to crosse his spirit by holding opiniōs not onely contradictory but most cōtrary to his sacred rules they importune the Christian world with tumultuous clamours to take that which the spirit hath giuen as the demonstratiue character of great Antichrist the olde serpents chiefe confederate for the infallible cognisance of Christs Vicar the very signet of his beloued Spouse Nor will they I know though friendly admonished cease henceforth to vrge their outworn arguments drawne from antiquity vniuersality from that reuerence
spirit which exempts the Pope from priuatenesse makes his authority oecumenical and infallible Whosoeuer then by participation of this spirit vnderstands the Prophesies eyther immediately or expounded by others whomsoeuer his conceit of them or their right interpretation is not priuate but authentique And Canus though a Papist expresly teacheth that the immediate ground or formall reason of ours and the Apostles beliefe must be the same both so immediately and infallibly depending vpon the testimony of the spirit as if the whole world beside should teach the contrary yet were euery Christian bound to sticke vnto that inward testimony which the spirit hath giuen him Though the Church or Pope should expound them to vs wee could not infallibly belieue his expositions but by that spirit by which hee is supposed to teach so belieuing wee could not infallibly teach others the same for it is the spirit onely that so teacheth all The inference then is as euident as strong that priuate in the forecited place is opposed to that which wants authority not vnto publike or coÌ„mon The Kings promise made to me in priuate is no priuate promise but will warrant mee if I come to pleade before his Maiesty albeit others make question whether I haue it or no. In this sense that interpretation of scriptures which the spirit affordes vs that are priuate men is not priuate but authentique though not for extent or publication of it vnto others yet for the perfection of our warrant in matters of saluation or concerning God For where the spirite is there is perfect liberty yea free accesse of pleading our cause against whomsoeuer before the Tribunall seate of iustice especially being wronged in matters of the life to come To this purpose saith our Apostle But hee that is spirituall discerneth all things yet hee himselfe is iudged of no man In those things wherein hee cannot be iudged by any hee is no priuate man but a Prince and Monarch for the freedome of his conscience But if any man falsly pretend this freedome to nurse contentions or to withdraw his necke from that yoke whereto hee is subject hee must answere before his supreme Iudge and his holy Angels for framing vnto himselfe a counterfeit licence without the assured warrant of his spirit And so shall they likewise that seeke to command mens consciences in those matters wherein the spirite hath set them free This is the height of iniquity that hath no temporall punishment in this life but must bee reserued as the obiect of fiercest wrath in that fearefull day the very Idea of Antichristianisme CHAP. XIIII That Saint Paul submitted his doctrine to examination by the Words before written That his doctrine disposition and practise were quite contrary to the Romanists in this argument 1 SAint Paul as well as other Apostles had the gift of miracles which amongst Barbarians or distressed soules destitute of other comfort likely to bee wonne to grace by wonders hee did not neglect to practise but sought not to enforce beliefe vpon the Iewes by fearefull signes or sudden destruction of the obstinate albeit hee had power to anathematize not onely in word but in deed euen to deliuer men aliue vnto Sathan When hee came to Thessalonica hee went as his maner was into the Synagogue three Sabboth daies disputed with his countrimen by the Scriptures opening and alleadging that Christ must haue suffered and risen againe from the dead and this is Iesus Christ whom I preach to you These Iewes had Moses and the Prophets and if they would not heare them neither would they belieue for any miracles which to haue wrought amongst such had been as the casting of pearles before swine What was the reason they did not belieue because the Scriptures which hee vrged were obscure but Saint Paul did open them Rather they saw the truth as Papists doe but would not see it They rightly belieued whatsoeuer God had said was most true that hee had said what Moses and the Prophetes wrote and yet Saint Paul taught nothing which they had not foretold But that was all one these Iewes had rather belieue Moses and the Prophets meant as the Scribes and Pharisees or other chiefe Rulers of their Synagogues taught then as Paul expounded them albeit his expositions would haue cleared themselues to such as without preiudice would haue examined them But the Beroeans were of a more ingenâ—ous disposition so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports they were not vassals to other mens interpretations or conceites but vsed their liberty to examine their truth They receiued the word with all readinesse and searched the Scriptures whether these things were so or no. If they beleeued in part before their practise confirms the truth of our assertion that they were not to belieue the infallibility of Paul but of his doctrine albeit they were well perswaded of his personall authority If they beleeued neither in part nor wholly before they see the truth of his doctrine confirmed by that scripture which they had formerly acknowledged their ingenuity herein likewise confirmes our doctrine and condemnes the Papists of insolent blasphemy for arrogating that authoritie vnto the Popes decrees which is onely due vnto Gods word already established 2 I would demand of any Papists whether the Beroeans did well or ill in examining Saint Pauls doctrine if ill why hath the spirit of God commended them if well why is it not lawfull and expedient for all true Christians to imitate them Vnlesse the Reader bite his lippe I will not promise for him hee shall not laugh at Bellarmines answere albeit I knew him for another Heraclitus or Crassus Agelastus who neuer laughed in all his life saue once when he saw an Asse feed on thistles Surely he must haue an Asses lippes that can taste and a swines belly that can digest this great Clerks Diuinity in this point I answere saith he albert Paul were an Apostle and could not preach false doctrine thus much notwithstanding was not euident to the Beroeans at the first nor were they bound forthwith to belieue vnlesse they had seene some miracles or other probable inducements to belieue Therefore when Paul proued Christ vnto them out of the Propheticall Oracles they did well to search the Scriptures whether those things were so If Saint Paul had thought miracles a more effectuall meanes then Scriptures for begetting faith in such as acknowledged Moses and the Prophets no doubt hee had vsed miracles rather then their authority Or if the Pope cannot expound the scriptures as effectually and perspicuously as S. Paul did why doth he not at the least work miracles are we bound absolutely to belieue him is he bound to doe neither of these without which the people of Beroea were not bound as Bellarmine acknowledgeth to belieue Saint Paul Wee are if his reason be worth beliefe Christians which know the Church cannot erre in explicating the doctrine of faith are bound to embrace
both meanes of accomplishing Natures or rather the God of Naturs purpose in whose will or pleasure the finall cause of any naturall effect alwayes consists And seeing nothing in Nature can preoccupate his will no cause can be precedent to the finall This consideration of natural effects tending as certainly to their proposed end as the arrowe flyes to the marke caused the irreligious Philosopher to acknowledge the direction of an intelligent supernaturall agent in their working the accomplishment of whose will and pleasure as I said must bee the finall cause of their motions as his will or pleasure which bestowes the charges not the Architect vnlesse he be the owner also is the finall cause why the house is built Finally euery end supposeth the last intention of an intelligent agent whereof to giue a reason by the efficient which onely produceth works or meanes thereto proportioned would be as impertinent as if to one demaunding why the bell rings out it should bee answered because a strong fellow puls the rope 7 Now that which in our aduersaries Doctrine answeres vnto the cause indemonstrable whereinto finall resolution of Natures workes or intentions of intelligent agents must be resolued is the churches authoritie Nor can that if wee speake properly be resolued into any branch of the first truth for this reason besids others alleadged before that all resolutions whether of our perswasiōs or intentions or of their obiects works of Art or Nature suppose a stability or certainty in the first links of the chaine which wee vnfolde the latter alwayes depending on the former not the former on the latter As in resolutions of the latter kinde lately mentioned imitating the order of composition actuall continuation of life depends on breathing not breathing on it breathing on the lunges not the lunges mutually on breathing so in resolutions of the other kind which invertes the order of composition the vse or necessitie of lunges dependes vpon the vse or necessitie of breathing the necessity or vse of breathing vpon the necessity or vse of life or vpon his will or pleasure that created one of these for another Thus againe the sensitiue facultie depends vpon the vital that vpon mixtion mixtion vpon the Elements not any of these mutually vpon the sensitiue faculty if wee respect the order of supportance or Natures progresse in their production Whence hee that questions whether some kinds of plants haue sense or some stones or mettals life supposeth as vnquestionable that the former haue life that the second are mixt bodies But if we respect the intent or purpose of him that sets nature a working all the former faculties dpend on the sensitiue the sensitiue not on any of them For God would not haue his creatures indued with sense that they might liue or liue that they might haue mixt bodies but rather to haue such bodies that they might liue to liue that they might enioy the benefit of sense or the more noble faculties 8 Can the Iesuite thus assigne any determinate branch of the first truth as stable and vnquestionable before it be ratified by the Churches authoritie Euident it is by his positions that he cannot and as euident that beliefe of the churches authority cannot depend vpon any determinate branch of the first truth much lesse can it distinctly be thereinto resolued But contrariwise presse him with what Diuine precept soeuer written or vnwritten though in all mens iudgements the churches authoritie set aside most contradictory to their approoued practises for example That the second Commaundement forbids worshipping Images or adoration of the consecrate host he straight inuerts your reason thus Rather the second commandement forbids neyther because the holy Church which I beleeue to bee infallible approueth both Lastly hee is fully resolued to beleeue nothing for true which the Church disproues nothing for false or erroneous which it allowes Or if he would answere directly to this demaund To what end did God cause the Scriptures to be written He could not consonant to his tenents say That wee might infallibly rely vpon them but rather vpon the Churches authoritie which it establisheth For Gods word whether written or vnwritten is by their Doctrine but as the testimonie of some men deceased indefinitely presumed for infallible but whose materiall extent the Church must first determine and after wards iudge without all appeale of their true meaning Thus are all parts of Diuine truthes supposed to be reuealed more essentially subordinate to the Churches authoritie then ordinary witnesses are to royall or supreme iudgment For they are supposed able to deliuer what they know in termes intelligible to other mens capacities without the Prince or Iudges ratification of their sayings or expositions of their meanings and iudgment is not ordained for producing witnesses but production of witnesses for establishing iudgement Thus by our aduersaries Doctrine Gods word must serue to establish the Churches authority not the Churches authority to confirme the immediate soueraigntie of it ouer our soules 9 Much more probably might the Iew or Turke resolue his faith vnto the first truth then the moderne Iesuited Papist can For though their deductions from it be much what alike all aequally sottish yet these admit a stabilitie or certainty of what the first Truth hath said no way dependant vpon their authority that first proposed or commended it vnto them The Turkes would storme to heare any Mufti professe he were as well to be beleeued as was Mahomet in his life time that without his proposall they could not know eyther the olde testament or the Alcoran to bee from God So would the Iewes if one of their Rabbines should make the like comparison betwxit himselfe and Moses as the Iesuite doth betwixt Christ and the Pope who besides that hee must bee as well beleeued as his Master leaues the authority of both testaments vncertaine to vs vnlesse confirmed by his infallibility But to speake properly the pretended deriuation of all three heresies from the first truth hath a liuely resemblance of false petigrees none at all of true doctrine and resolutions Of all the three the Romish is most ridiculous as may appeare by their seuerall representations As imagine there should be three Competitors for the Romane Empire all pleading it were to descend by inheritance not by election all pretending lineall succession from Charles the Great The first like to the Iew alleageth an authentique petigree making him the eldest The second resembling the Turke replyes that the other indeede was of the eldest line but long since disinherited often conquered and enforced to resigne whence the inheritance descended to him as the next in succession The third like the Romanist pleades it was bequeathed him by the Emperours last wil and testament from whose death his Ancestors haue beene intitled to it and produceth a petigree to this purpose without any other confirmation then his owne authority adding withal that vnlesse his competitors and others will beleeue his
existence necessary Whatsoeuer is besides is but a shadow or picture borrowed from his infinite being Amongst created entities all essentially depending on Him Accidents haue a kind of existence peculiar to themselues yet cannot so properly bee saide to exist as their subiects on whom they haue such double dependance Nor can the Moone so truely say my beauty is mine owne as may the Sunne which lends light and splendor to this his sister as it were vpon condtion shee neuer vse it but in his sight For the same reason that for which wee belieue another thing is alwayes more truely more really and more properly belieued then that which is belieued for it if the one beliefe necessarily depend vpon the other tam in facto esse quam in fieri from the first beginning to the latter end For of beliefes thus mutually affected the one is reall and radicall the other nominall or at the most by participation onely reall This consequence is vnsound Intellectiue knowledge depends on sensitiue therefore sensitiue is of these two the surer The reason is because intellectiue knowledge depends on sensitiue onely in the acquisition not after it is acquired But this inference is most vndoubted Wee belieue the conclusion for the premisses therefore we belieue the premisses the better because beliefe of the Conclusion absolutely depends vpon the premisses during the whole continuance of it This is the great Philosophers rule and a branch of the former Axiome And some iustly question whether in Scholastique propriety of speech wee can truely say there is a beliefe of the conclusion distinct from the beleefe of the premisses or rather the beliefe of the premisses is by extrinsical denomination attributed vnto the conclusion This latter opinion at least in many Syllogismes is the truer most necessarily true in all wherein the conclusion is a particulall essentialâ—y subordinate to an vniuersall of truth vnquestionable As hee that infallibly belieues euery man is a reasonable creature infallibly belieues Socrates is such Nor can wee say there be two dictint beliefes one of the vniversall another of this particular for he that sayeth All excepteth none If Socrates then make one in the Catalogue of men hee that formerly knew all knew him to bee a reasonable Creature all he had to learne was what was meant by this name Socrates a man or a beast After he knowes him to be a man in knowing him to bee a reasonable creature hee knowes no more then he did before in that vniuersall Euery man is a reasonable Creature The like consequence holdes as firme in our present argument He that beleeues this vniuersall Whatsoeuer the Church proposeth concerning Scriptures is most true hath no more to learne but onely what particulars the church proposeth These being knowne we cannot imagine there should bee two distinct beleefes one of the churches generall infallibility another of the particular Truthes or points of faith contained in the Scripture proposed by it For as in the former case so in this He that from the churches proposall beleeues or knowes this particular The Booke of Reuelations was from God receiues no increase of former beleefe for before hee beleeued all the church did propose and therefore this particular because one of all 4 The truth of this conclusion may againe from a maine pinciple of Romish faith be thus demonstrated Whatsoeuer vnwritten traditions the Church shall propose though yet vnheard of or vnpossible otherwise to be knowne then onely by the Churches asseueration all Romanists are bound as certainly to beleeue as deuoutly to embrace as any truths contayned in the written word acknowledged by vs the Iewes and them for diuine Now if eyther from their owne experience the ioynt consent of sincere antiquitie or testimonie of Gods spirit speaking to them in priuate or what meanes soeuer else possible or imaginable they gaue any absolute credence vnto the written word or matters contained in it besides that they giue vnto the churches generall veracitie the Scriptures by addition of this credence were it great or little arising from these grounds peculiar to them must needs be more firmely beleeued and embraced then such vnwritten traditions as are in themselues suspitious vncapable of other credit then what they borrow from the Church For in respect of the Churches proposall Which is one and the same alike peremptory in both Scriptures and traditions of what kinde soeuer must be equally beleeued And if such traditions as can haue no assurance besides the Churches testimony must be as well beleeued as Scriptures or diuine truthes contained in them the former conclusion is euidently necessary that they neyther beleeue the Scriptures nor the Truthes contained in them but the Churches proposall of them onely For the least beleefe of any Diuine truth added to beleefe of the Churches proposall which equally concernes written and vnwritten verities would dissolue the former equalitie But that by the Trent Councell may not bee dissolued Therefore our aduersaries in deede and verity beleeue no Scriptures nor Diuine written Truth but the Churches proposall onely concerning them And Sacroboscus bewrayes his readinesse to beleeue the Church as absolutely as any Christian can doe God or Christ though no title of the New-testament were extant For that the Church cannot erre was an Oracle reuealed by God proposed by the Church and beleiued by the faithfull before any part of the New testament was written Now hee that without the Gospel of Iesus Christ would beleeue the Doctrines of faith as firmely as with it beleeues not the Gospel which now he hath but their authorities onely vpon which though wee had it not he would as absolute rely for all matters of doctrine supposed to be contained in it 5 Or further to illustrate the truth of our conclusion with this Iesuits former comparison which hath best illustrated the Romish churches tenent That Church in respect of the Canon of Scriptures or any part thereof is as the light is to colours As no colour can be seene of vs but by the light so by his doctrine neyther the Canon of Scriptures or any part thereof can be known without the Churches testimonie Againe as remoueall of light presently makes vs loose the sight of colours so doubt oâ— deniall of the Churches authoritie depriues vs of all true and stedfast beleefe concerning Gods Word or any matter contained in it God as they plead hath reuealed his will obscurely and vnto a distinct or cleare apprehension of what is obscurely reuealed the visible churches declaration is no lesse necessary then light to discernment of colours The reason is one in both and is this As the actuall visibilitie of colours wholly depends vpon the light as well for existence as duration so by Iesuiticall Doctrine true beleefe of Scriptures wholly depends on the visible Churches declaration as well during the whole continuance as the first producing of it By the same reason as we gather that light in it selfe is more
of their vnderstanding changed the glorie of the incorruptible God into the similitude of corruptible things often taxed by meere Philosophers for their grossenesse These blasphemers though professing the worship of the euer-liuing true and only God though partakers of his written word and all the helps his gracious prouidence from time to time hath affoorded for manifestation of it right sense and meaning abuse philosophie wherein they excell with all other gifts of arte and nature to transforme the most essentiall attributes of the diuine nature to turne his truth into lyes his goodnesse into all abomination For hauing this naturall notion in their braine Whatsoeuer God saith is true whatsoeuer he approues most iust and good their next presumptuous assumption is But God saith whatsoeuer the Romish Church or Pope saith ex Cathedra whatsoeuer hee alloâ—es God allowes the same And this assertion which thus confounds the limits of Gods truth and the Popes that the Christian world cannot discerne one from another once wrought in mens hearts what vntruth or falshood what heresie can be hatched so dangerous what villanie conceiued so abominable but may be presently fathered vpon that holy One from whom proceedes nothing but good Thus may bloudy and prodigious massacres be inuested with the most glorious titles the best of Christs Saints euer enioyed for their best deedes Iust reward for matchlesse impieties that benefit them may bee set forth to the world as the crowne of Martyrdome Finally their gaine is hereby made the measure of goodnesse their pompe and glory the rule of piety and end of euery Christians faith vnto which he must not stick to sacrifice his soule as an Holocauslum euer burning neuer consuming in that brimstone lake If it shall please the Pope to authorize murther though of the Lords annointed God the Sonne must be the chiefe Assasinate to giue power and strength and heauen for the reward vnto the Actor If pleased hee bee to giue way to incest as for the Vnckle to marrie the Niece a fornication not named but with distaste amongst the ancient Heathens I would abhorre to speake it would they bee ashamed to giue iust occasion the holy Ghost must not disdaine to be his Bawd or Pander If disposed to dispense with periurie God the Father must be as his Vassall to suffer disgrace at his appointment to recall the sentence of vengeance which the partie swearing by his name did imprecate vpon his owne head if he relented Though this be the greatest iniurie that can be offered to so great a Maiestie vnto whom execution of iust vengeance properly belongs yet must the Almightie at the Popes appointment bee content to put it vp 6 It is a qualitie in Kings very commendable saith Paulus Quartus Legate and Nephew vnto Henrie of France Religiously to obserue their oathes but when the Popes dignitie comes into danger religion it selfe is in hazard and a preposterous course it were religiously to obserue an oath vnto the ouerthrow of Religion With these and the like suggestions impiously acute did this sweet Cardinal by commission from the Pope his Master authorize and animate this French King to violate the league lately confirmed by solemne oath betwixt him and Philip of Spaine Might hee not as iustly though not so politikely in plaine termes haue told him either you must dishonour God or suffer the Pope to be disgraced choose which you list Doubtlesse in the language of Gods spirit which searcheth the heart hee that dispenseth with an oath of this nature especially solemnely taken is greater then he by whom men sweare and is in heart and deede so esteemed by such as acknowledge his authoritie in thus dispensing or sue vnto him for like dispensations But as if wilfull and open periurie without deepe and hellish hypocrisie were a sinne too plaine and simple for the Man of sinne to countenance the Legate first inuests this besotted Prince with the glorious title of Defensor Ecclesiae Romanae and in witnesse hereof deliuers him a sword consecrated by his Holinesse owne hand ere he make him forsweare himselfe and forsake his God who hath now forsaken him and for his sinne scarce expiated vnto this day plagued the Realme of France For as the iudicious Historian who hath the Articles of this perfidious confederacie yet in his custodie well obserues this was the roote of all the miseries haue since befalne that flourishing Kingdome and by Gods iust iudgements exposed it to the insolencies of the Spaniard through their meanes especially that wrought the King to breach of his oath with Spaine for entring this new confederacie with the Pope 7 Whilest reading this storie I called to minde the perfidious and cruell vsage of that renowned Admirall in the Parisian massacre the treacherous impietie of his politique enemies seemed highly to extoll the wisdome and iustice of his God calling him to suffer his chasticement in this life that hee might not perish with the wicked or such as were impenitent for their former grieuous sinne wherein this worthy Counsellor had in some sort though with griefe yet for the good of others I must vtter it communicated with the Pope and his periured Soueraigne For knowing the breach of peace was fully resolued vpon by the State of France he thought it a point of warlike wisedome to begin with the enemie in his owne Land rather then expect his onset vpon notice of warre proclaimed and faire opportunity as he apprehends it being offered from an insinuating Heremites discouering of the situation and readiest way of expugning Doway he attempts the surprisall of it but preuented of his purpose by an old woman that awaked the Garrison he deemed it a shame to return home with emptie hands though fill them he could not but with iust imputation of being the first that had actually broken the league as afterwards his venerable person was the first vpon whom those perfidious Assasinates and Actors in the Parisian massacre did practice their intended butcherie contrary to the oath and faith which they had giuen him God grant such as in reformed Churches doe most detest be neuer tempted by like opportunities to imitate the wordly policies of the Papacie that all our consultations to preuent their malice may alwayes rellish more of the Doues innocencie and integritie then of the Serpents subtlety 8 He that would accurately obserue the weake supportance of the Roman See at that time when the French could not relieue it how since that time the Popes haue shuffled themselues into the Spaniards fauour to the great preiudice of France who in loue to them had brought it selfe so low may by these moderne stories easily discerne the Papacies aduancement in times past to haue beene wrought by such meanes as our Writers out of ancient records haue deciphered Especially by sowing enmitie betwixt Christian Princes by seeking supportance now from one then from another as seuerall Popes for the most part by-standers
indeterminate sence seeing this is a Maxim vnquestionable amongst al such as haue any notion of a Dietie Whatsoeuer God hath spoken is most true in that sense wherein he meant it But if we descend to any determinate speeches written or vnwritten either acknowledged or supposed for Gods Word or such as can but ground any possible question whether they are Gods Words or no the present Romish Church doth take vpon her absolutely to iudge of all and euerie part of them For this is the very abstract or abridgement of that infinite prerogatiue which she challengeth all men must infallibly beleeue that to be Gods Word which she commends that not to be his Word which she disclaimes for such So as onely the former transcendent and indeterminate truth Whatsoeuer God saith is true is exempt from the Popes vnlimited transcendent roiall sentence no other word or syllable of truth which wee can imagine God hath or might haue spoken since the World began either by his owne or his sonnes mouth by the Ministery of his Angels Prophets Apostles or Euangelists but is euery way absolutely subiect to the Popes Monarchichall censure 5 And heere let not the Reader mistake it as any argument of our aduersaries ingenuity that they will for their owne aduantage vouchsafe to grant what no heathen Idolater did euer deny Whatsoeuer God saith is true For vnlesse this were granted by all the Pope could haue no possible grounds of pretence or claime to his absolute infallibility or infinite supremacie ouer all And that which his hirelings seeke to build vpon the former foundation is Whatsoeuer the Pope hath said or shall say ex cathedra is most true because if we descend to any determinate truthes wee must beleeue that God hath spoken all and onely that which the Pope hath alreadie testified or when any question ariseth shall testifie he hath spoken In fine the present Pope by their positions is Gods onely liuing mouth onely alsufficient to iustifie or authentically witnesse all his wordes past all which without him are vnto vs as dead Whence they must of necessitie admit the same proportion betwixt the present Popes and Gods acknowledged written word or supposed vnwritten veritie which in ciuill matters we make betwixt acredible mans personall auouchment or liuing testimonie of what he hath seene heard or knowne by vndoubted experience and another mans heresay report either of the matters he spake of his speeches themselues or their true sence and meaning after his death For the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists to vse their words are dead and Christ is absent so as we can neither be certaine what they haue spoken or what they meant in their supposed speeches but per viuam vocem Ecclesiae by the liuing voice of the present visible Church whose words are altogether as vnfallible as Gods owne words were And for this reason must bee acknowledged a most absolute Iudge of Gods written and vnwritten words aswell of their Spirituall sence and meaning as of their outward frame or visible character This is the height of their iniquitie and will inferre more then our purposed conclusion in this Section That euen of such places as are acknowledged by them for Gods Word we mus not beleeue any determinate sence or meaning but what the Pope shall expressely giue or may be presumed to allow of 6 This Doctrine as I would request the Reader to obserue brings the second and third person in Trinitie on the one partie and the Pope on the other to as plaine and euident competition for Rule or Soueraigntie ouer professed Christians faith as God and Baal were at in Elias time This ther Doctrine thus in shew grounded vpon indeed and issue most opposite to Scriptures is the true Spirituall Inquisition house whereof that materiall or bodily one is but a Tipe These following are the ioynts or limmes of that racke of conscience whereunto all such as are or would bee true members of Christ but willing withall to hold their Vnion with the Pope as Visible head of the Church are daily and howerly subiect First their soules are tied by surest bondes of faith and nature vnto this principle Whatsoeuer God hath said is most true the Iesuites againe seeke to fasten their faith and conscience as strongly vnto this God speakes whatsoeuer the Pope speakes ex cathedra This third likewise must be beleeued as an Oracle of God euen by Papists for the Pope hath spoken it ex cathedra The Bookes of Moses the Prophets the foure Euangelists are Gods Wordes VVhatsoeuer these haue spoken we contend all should beleeue for Gods own Word vpon such groundes as Saint Peter did from experience of their life-working sence communicate vnto them by hearing reading meditating or practize But the Pope vpon some controuersies arising propounds a sence of these writings or of some part of them quite contrarie to that which brought the former comfort to our soules a sence to all vnpartiall sences contradictorie to the places iointly acknowledged for Gods Word A sence the more wee thinke on in sobrietie the more wee dislike a sence the more earnestly we pray to God for his Spirits assistance and other good meanes for the right vnderstanding of his Word and encrease of faith the more stil we distaste and loath Here vnlesse we let goe some one or more of the mentioned holdfasts of faith either the first Whatsoeuer God saith is true or the second Whatsoeuer the Pope saith God saith or the third The Mosaicall Euangelicall and Apostolicall writings or those particular places about whose sence the controuersie is were spoken by God our soules are put to more violent torture then Rauilaicks bodie was But the true Papists are wise enough to slippe the third or last so as it shall not pinch them and haue a tricke withal to make the First yeeld what way they please who are resolued to follow what way soeuer it shall please the Popes authoritie whereunto their soules indeede are onely tied to lead them But of such as euer had or hope to haue any tast or relish of Gods Spirit should resolue absolutely to beleeue his interpretation of any place of Scripture contrarie to that life-working sence which must bee in euery heart endued with hope of seeing God that mans disloialtie towards God and his Holy Spirit is as impudent as if a poore subiect should reply vnto his Prince commanding him in expresse termes to doe thus or so I will not beleeue your wordes haue any such meaning as they naturally import but a contrarie such as one of my fellow seruants hath alreadie acquainted mee withall whatsoeuer you say I know your meaning is I should beleeue him in al things concerning your will and pleasure and whatsoeuer he shall enioyne that will doe 8 thâ—â— neither the Church can prooue the Scriptures nor the Scriptures the Churches authoritie was proued in the fourth SectioÌ„ of the former Book that such as hold this damnable doctrine
againâ—â— which wee dispute doe not at all beleeue God speaking in the Scriptures shal be euinced in the third Section of this The present inconuenience which now will they nill they we are to wrest from their resolutions of faith is that indeed and conscience they either acknowledge no authoritie in the Church or Scriptures or else greater in the Church then in Scriptures CHAP. II. Inferring the generall conclusion proposed in the title of this Section from Bellarmines Resolution of faith 1 ASwell to occasion the learned Readers further consideration of their ill-grounded and worse builded faith as for deducing thence the proposed inconuenience it wll not bee amisse to propose Bellarmines resolution of a Roman Catholikes faith One especiall obiection of our Writers as hee frameth it is That faith if depending on the Churches iudgement is grounded but vpon the word of man a weake foundation for such an edifiâ—e that the Scripture was giuen by the Spirit of God and must therefore bee vnderstood by the same not by the Churches Spirit Hereunto Bellarmine answereth The word of the Church i. of the Councell or the Pope speaking ex Cathedra is not the bare word of man He meanes no word obnoxious to errour but in some sort the word of God in as much as it is vttered by the asistance and gouernment of the Holy Ghost I adde saith hee that Heretiques are they which indeede doe leane vpon a broken reed For we must know that a proposition of faith must be concluded in this or the like Syllogisme Whatsoeuer God hath reuealed in Scripture is true but God hath reuealed thus or that in Scriptures Ergo this or that is true The first proposition in this Syllogisme is certaine amongst all the second likewise amongst Catholickes is â—ost firme as being supported by the testimonie of the Church Councell or Pope of whose immunitie from possibilitie of erring we haue expresse promises in the Scriptures as It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and vs I haue prayed for thee thy faith should not â—aile But amongst Heretikes the second or minor proposition is 〈…〉 onely on coniecture or iudgement of a priuate Spirit which vsually seemes but is not good Whence seeing the conclusion must follow the weaker part it necessarily followes that all the faith of Heretikes such in his language are all that will not relie vpon the Church is but coniecturall and vncertaine 2 A dreadfull imputation could it be as substanstially proued as it is confidently auouched And the consequence of his resolution generally helde by all his fellowes is of no lesse importance then this that no man can be infalliby assured either of the truth or true sence of any particular proposition in the whole Canon of Scriptures receiued by vs and them vnlesse he haue the Churches authoritie for confirmation of both For vnto vs that onely which the Church auoucheth is certaine and vnfallible that sence of it which the Church giues onely sound if we speake of any particular or determinate truthes 3 How certaine and vnfallible assent vnto all or any Scriptures may bee wrought in mens heartes without any infallible teacher alreadie hath beene and hereafter shall be God willing in more particular sort exemplified In this place it stood the Iesuit vpon to haue giuen a better solution to the doubt obiected which he is so farre from vnloosing that hee rather knits it faster as shall appeare if the Reader will first cal to minde That for the establishing of firme and vndoubted assent to any truth proposed it skils not how infallible the truth in it selfe or the proposer be vn-vnlesse vnlesse they whose beleefe or assent is demanded be as infallibly perswaded of this infallibilitie in the truth or the proposer In this respect our aduersaries pleade their immunitie from errour as an article necessarie to be infallibly beleeued for confirmation of Gods Word alwayes most infallible as all grant in it selfe but not so as they affirme to vs vntill it bee auouched by infallible authoritie 4 Herein they concurre with vs both with the truth That if we beleeue it onely as probable that God spake all those wordes which wee acknowledge to bee most infallible because his our beleefe notwithstanding is not infallible but probable or coniecturall For as a man may haue bad desires of things essentially good so may he haue vncertaine perswasions of truthes in themselues most certaine It is not therefore the supposed infallibilitie of the Church or Pope howsoeuer but infallibly apprehended and beleeued that must strengthen our faith which otherwise as is pretended would be but coniecturall And by the former principle acknowledged aswell by them as vs it necessarily followes that if we be only probably not infallibly perswaded the Pope or Church cannot erre our assent vnto the minor proposition i. vnto any determinate part of Gods Word is onely probable not infallible For by the Iesuites Doctrine we cannot bee certainly perswaded that God spake this or that but by the Churches testimonie The immediate consequence of which two assertions compared together is wee cannot bee more certaine that God hath spoken this or that then wee are of the Churches infallibilitie If then wee bee onely probably not infallibly perswaded that the Church is infallible our beleefe of the minor proposition that is of any determinate truth which men suppose God hath spoken must bee onely probable or coniecturall not infallible Consequently to these collections the learned Papists generally holde that the Churches infallibilitie must be absolutely and infallibly beleeued as you heard before out of Canus Bellarmine and Valentian otherwise as Bellarmine would inferre our beleefe of the minor in any Syllogisme wherein a proposition of faith is concluded can be but coniecturall 5 The proposed inconuenience wee may deriue from this difficultie How the Papists themselues can attaine to the infallible beleefe of the Churches infallible authoritie The Church they thinke hath a publique spirit and publique spirits they know are infallible hence they may perswade themselues the Church is infallible only vpon the same termes they beleeue it hath a publique spirit if their beleefe of this latter be but coniectural their assent vnto the former can be no better Seeing then they must of necessitie grant for this is the principall marke they aime at that all must infallibly beleeue the Church hath a publique spirit the difficultie remoues to this point how this infallible perswasion is or may bee wrought in them Either it must be grounded vpon Scriptures or not auouched vnto them and wrought in their hearts it must be either by a publique or priuate spirit Let vs examine all the parts of this diuision 6 First if priuate mens infallible perswasion of the Churches publike or authentike spirit be not grouÌ„ded vpon Scriptures acknowledged by vs and them the Churches authoritie without all controuersie is much greater then the authoritie of Scriptures if it by this assertion can be any
some part of Gods Word reuealed for our aduersaries acknowledge all points of faith should bee resolued into the first truth Hence if wee descend to any particular or determinate conclusion of faith it must be gathered in his Syllogisme Whatsoeuer the Church teacheth concerning the determinate and true sence of Scriptures whereon points of Faith are grounded is most true But the Church teacheth thus and thus for example her owne authoritie is infallibly taught by the Holy Ghost in these wordes Peter feede my sheepe Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faile goe this sence and meaning of these wordes is most true And as true as it is must the sence likewise of euery proposition or part of Scripture by this Church expounded or declared be accounted 2 The Maior proposition of this Syllogisme is as vndoubted amongst the Roman Catholiques as the maior of the former was vnto all Christians but as yet the minor The Church doth giue this or that sence of this or that determinate place may be as vncertaine indeed as they would make our beleefe vnto the minor proposition in the generall Syllogisme before it bee confirmed by the Churches authoritie For how can we be certain that the Church doth teach all those particulars which the Iesuites propose vnto vs wee haue Bookes indeede which goe vnder the name of the Trent Counsell but how shall wee know that this Counsell was lawfully assembled that some Canons haue not beene foisted in by priuate Spirits that the Councell left not some vnwritten tradition for explicating their decrees after another fashion then the Iesuites doe who shall assure vs in these or like doubtes The present Church All of vs cannot repaire to Rome such as can when they come thither cannot bee sure to heare the true Church speake ex Cathedra If the Pope send his Writs to assure vs what Critcicke so cunning as to assure vs whether they be authentike or counterfeite Finally for all that can bee imagined in this case onely the Maior of the Catholicke syllogisme indefinitely taken is certaine and consequently no particular or definite conclusion of faith can be certaine to a Romanist because there are no possible meanes of ascertaining the Minor What the true Church doth infallibly define vnto his Conscience 3 Or if they wil hold such conclusions as are ordinarily gathered from the Trent Councell or the Popes decisions as infallible points of faith they make their authoritie to be farre greater then the infallibilitie of Gods written word yea more infallible then the Deitie This Collection they would denie vnlesse it followed from their owne premisses These for example That a conclusion of faith cannot be gathered vnlesse the minor God did say this or that determinately be first made certaine But from the Pope or Churches infallibilitie conclusions of faith may be gathered albeit the minor be not certaine de fide For who can make a Iesuites report of the Popes Decrees or an Historicall relation of the Trent Councell certaine de fide as certaine as an Article of faith And yet the Doctrine of the Trent Councell and Popes Decrees must bee held de fide vpon paine of damnation albeit men take them onely from a Priests mouth or vpon a Iesuites faith and credit 4 This is the madnesse of that Antichristian Synagogue that acknowledgeth Gods Word for most infallible and the Scriptures which wee haue for his word if it selfe bee infallible For it tels vs they are such yet will not haue collections or conclusions with equall probabillitie deduced thence so firmely beleeued by priuate men as the collections or conclusions which are gathered from the Churches infallibilitie An implicit faith of particulars grounded vpon the Churches generall infallibilitie so men stedfastly beleeue it may suffice But implicit faith of particulars grounded onely vpon our generall beleefe of Gods infallibilitie prouidence or written word sufficeth not This prooues the authoritie of the Church to be aboue the authoritie of Scriptures or the Deitie absolutely considered not only in respect of vs that is all besides the Pope and his Cardinals For that is of more authoritie absolutely not onely in respect of vs which vpon equall notice or knowledge is to be better beleeued more esteemed or obeyed but such is the authoritie of the Church in respect of the diuine authoritie such is the authoritie of the Popes Decrees in respect of Gods Word For the Minor proposition in both the former Syllogismes being alike vncertaine the conclusion must bee more certaine in that Syllogisme whose maior relies vpon the Popes infallibilitie then in the other whose Maior was grounded vpon the infallibilitie of the Deitie 5 Briefly to collect the summe of all The authoritie of the Church is greater then the authoritie of Scriptures both in respect of faith and Christian obedience In respect of faith because we are bound to beleeue the Churches decisions read or explicated vnto vs by the Popes messenger though à Sir Iohn Lack-lattin without any appeale but no part of Scripture acknowledged by vs and them we may beleeue without appeale or submission of our interpretation to the Church albeit the true sence and meaning of it seeme neuer so plain vnto priuate consciences in whom Gods Spirit worketh faith The same argument is most firme and euident in respect of obedience 6 That authoritie ouer vs is alwayes greatest vnto which wee are to yeeld most immediate most strict and absolute obedience but by the Romish Churches Doctrine wee are to yeelde supreme and most absolute obedience to the Church more supreme and absolute then vnto Gods word therefore the authoritie of the Church is greater ouer vs. The Maior is out of controuersie seeing greatnesse of authoritie is alwayes measured by the manner of obedience due vnto it The Minor is as euident from the former reason Our obedience is more absolute and strict vnto that authoritie from which in no case we may appeale then vnto that from which wee may in many safely appeale but by the Romish Churches doctrine there lies alwayes an appeale from that sence and meaning of Scriptures which Gods spirit and our owne conscience giues vs vnto the Churches authoritie none from the Churches authoritie or meaning vnto the Scriptures or our owne consciences 7 Our Sauiour Christ bids vs search the Scriptures Saint Paul trie all retaine that which is good Saint Iohn trie the Spirits whether they bee of God or no Suppose a Minister of our Church should charge a Romanist vpon his allegiance to our Sauiour Christ and that obedience which he owes vnto Gods Word to search Scriptures trie spirits and examine Doctrines for the ratifying of his faith he will not acknowledge this to be a Commandemēt of Scripture or at least not to be vnderstood in such asense as may bind him to this practise What followes if our Clergie charge him to admit it he appeales vnto the Church And as in Schooles simus
in what subiect soeuer will bee acknowledged in them by these men that dare thus deny a necessity of communicating Christ in both kindes imposed vpon all in these wordes Verely verely I say vnto you except yee eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke hisâ— bloud you haue no life in you onely because it is said in the words going before If any man eat of this bread he shall liue for euer Of how much better insight in Scriptures then these graund seers of Rome would blind Homer had he liued in their time haue proued For he neuer denied his fained Gods their Nectar because Ambrosia was an immortall meate And would hee or any man not more blinde in heart and minde then he was of bodily sence collect against Christs expresse wordes that his bloud the true heauenly Nectar was not necessary because his flesh doth strengthen to eternall life especially if hee considered their captious interpollation against whom in that place hee disputes which caused him not to expresse his minde so fully there as elsewhere hee had done albeit afterwards he ingeminates the necessitie of drinking his bloud aswell as eating his flesh in such precise and formall tearmes as if he had euen then bethought himselfe that such Antichristian Spirits as these Trent Fathes might happily dare to elude his most sacred precept by such Satanicall glosses as in that decree they haue done 12 He had told the Iewes asmuch as was pertinent to their obiection that hee was the liuing bread which came downe from Heauen much better then Manna which their Fathers had eaten Bread he called himselfe in opposition vnto Manna not restrayning this to his bodie or flesh onely albeit what he meant by bread he expounds partly by his flesh And the bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the World Besides that bread in the Hebrew Dialect containes all sorts of food the manner of giuing this An brosia was such as did affoord Heauenly visible Nectar too For whilest hee gaue his flesh vpon the crosse hee powred out his bloud withall But the Iewes catch at this speech ere he had expounded his full meaning How can this man giue vs flesh to eate Then Iesus said vnto them verely verely I say vnto you except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you Which wordes considered with the former circumstances to any mans capacitie not infatuation import thus much Doe yee murmur that I should profer you my flesh verily I say vnto you and yee may beleeue me Vnlesse ye drinke my bloud as well as eate my flesh yee haue no life in you For so hee addes my flesh is meate indeede and my bloud is drinke indeed that is both are as necessarie to eternall as meat and drinke to corporall life 13 For these and many like reasons necessarily arising from the text some aswell of their greatest Schollers as best interpretors denie the former places to be meant of Sacramentall eating otherwise vnable to conceiue any possibilitie either of auoiding the inconueniences vrged by vs or of defending their infallible Church from errour in this decree Yet saith the Councell howsoeuer they be vnderstood according to the diuerse interpretations of Fathers they inferre no such necessitie No not if most Fathers as Maldonate contends did hold them to be directly meant of Sacramentall eating Why then did Iansenius and Hesselius renounce the Fathers in this surely to defend their mother whose credit they haue much better saued vpon supposition that these wordes are meant onely of spirituall manducation then Maldonate otherwise acute but most peruersely sottish in his Apologie for this decree hath done And yet to speake the truth the same inconuenience will follow as necessarily though not so perspicuously at first sight albeit we grant them to be meant of spirituall eating primarily For * in that they are meant primarily of spirituall they cannot but be meant of Sacramental eating also seeing these two as elsewhere I haue obserued are not opposite but subordinate Whence if we grant that Christs bloud aswell as his flesh must bee communicated to vs by faith or spirituall manducation the consequence will bee Therefore the cuppe as well as the bread must bee administred in the Sacrament because Christ saith in the institution that the cup is his bloud and the bread his bodie or flesh that is the one is the sure pledge oâ— instrument whereby his flesh the other whereby his bloud which wee must spiritually eate as well in the Sacrament as out of it must bee communicated vnto vs. For as the auncient Fathers haue obserued our Sauiour Christ did in his institution exhibit that vnto vs sensibly which before hee had promised as inuisible so that the precept of eating Christs bodie and drinking his bloud sacramentally doth binde all capable of this Sacrament as strictly as that other of eating his bodie and drinking his bloud Spiritually seeing this latter is the seale and assurance of the other And as our aduersaries acknowledge an absolute necessitie of preâ—pt for eating Christ Sacramentally and Spiritually though that precept concerne not infants so in all reason they should grant an equall necessitie of precept for eating his flesh and bloud distinctly in the Sacrament though this bee not necessarie to all men at all times if without negligence or contempt they cannot be partakers of both For impossibilitie vpon what occasion soeuer not caused through their one default exempts them from that generall precept of eating Christ vnder both kindes as want of yeares or discretion doth children from any iniunction diuine or humane of communicating so much as in one kind For notwithstanding the former precept except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee haue no life in you as peremptorie as any can be for communicating aswell sacramentally as spiritually in both kindes it were vncharitble to mistrust Gods mercie towardes such poore soules as long for the cup of saluation which no man giueth them yea which the Romish Church hath by decree as peremptorie as she could make denied to all the Laitie without exception to al the Cleargie except such as may by a peculiar right challenge his bloud as their owne by way of exchange because they haue made him a bodie which hee had not before 14 Yet is it a small thing with this great whore to depriue the Christian World of the Lords vnlesse shee vrge it instead thereof to pledge her in the cup of Deuils full of the wine of fornication coloured with her adulterate Scriptures authorized no doubt for such purposes Where our Apostle Saint Paul saith that he and his fellow Ministers were stewards of the mysteries of God the vulgar Romane edition renders the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Latine dispensatores and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly rendred in this place
they did plainely inioyne any necessitie of communicating vnder both kindes the former decree notwithstanding would manifestly inferre an vsurpation of Soueraigntie â—uer Gods word quite contrarie to the generall Analogie of faith reason and conscience by all which in cases doubtfull and for the speculatiue forme of truth disputable with eqall probabilitie affirmatiuely or negatiuely wee are taught to frame our choice when wee come to practise according to the difference of the matter or of consequences which may ensue more dreadfull one way then the other alwayes to preferre either a greater good before a lesse or a lesse euill before a greater though both equally probable Suppose then these two contradictorie propositions The deniall of the cup is a mutilation of Christs last will and testament the deniall of the cuppe is no mutilation of Christs last will and Testament were for their speculatiue probabilities in iust examination equipendent yet the doctrine of faith deliuered in Scripture reason and conscience without contradiction instruct vs that to alter abrogate or mutilate the sonne of Gods last will and testament is a most grieuous most horrible most dreadfull sinne but to permit the vse of the Chalice hath no suspition of any the least euill in it Had the Trent Fathers thus done they had done no worse then our Sauiour then his Apostles then the Primitiue Church by their owne confession did This excesse of euill without all hope of any the least compensatiue good to follow vpon the deniall should haue swaied them to that practise which was infinitely more safe as not accompanied with any possibilitie or shew of danger although the speculatiue probabilitie of anie diuine precept necessarily inioyning the vse of the cup had beene none Thus peremptorily to aduenture vpon consequences so fearefull whereto no contrarie feare could in reason impell nor hopes any way comparable allure them thus imperiously to depriue the whole Christian World of a good in their valuation testified by their humble supplications and frequent embassages to that Councell so inestimable without any other good possible to redound vnto the deniers saue onely vsurpation of Lordly Dominion ouer Christs heritage plainly euinceth that the Church is of farre greater authoritie with them then GOD Word either written in the Sacred Canon or their hearts then all his Lawes either ingrafted by nature or positiue and Supernaturall For 21 Admit this Church representatiue had beene fully perswaded in conscience rightly examined and immediatly ruled by Scripture that the former decree did not preiudice the institution vse or end of this Sacrament yet most Christians earnest desire of the Cuppe so publikely testified could not suffer them to sleep in ignorance of that great scandall the deniall of it needes must giue to most inferiour particular Churches Wherefore the rule of charitie that mooued the Father of the Gentiles to that serious protestation If meate offend my brother I will eate no flesh while the World standeth that I may not offend my brother should in all equitie diuine or humane haue wrought these Prelats hearts to like profession If want of their spirituall drinke offend so many Congregations and such a multitude of our brethren we will rather not vse our lawfull authoritie acknowledged by all then vsâ—rp any that may be offensiue or suspicious vnto others though apparantly iust vnto our selues for they could not be more fully perswaded this decree was iust then Saint Paul was that all meates were lawfull to him 22 But may we thinke these Prelates had no scruple of conscience whether the very forme of this decree were not against our Sauiours expresse command bibite ex hoc omnes drinke yee all of this For mine owne part whiles I call to minde what else where I haue obserued that the Iewes were neuer so peremptorie in their despitefull censures of our Sauiours doctrine nor so outragiously bent against his person as when their hearts were touched in part with his myracles or in some degree illuminated with the truth he taught The Councels extraordinary forwardnesse to terrifie all controuenaries of this decree makes mee suspect they were toe conscious of their own shallow pretended proofes to elude Gods word whose light and perspicuitie in this point had exasperated their hardned hearts and weake-sighted faith to be so outragious in the very beginning of that session as if they had meant to stiâ—fle their consciences and choake the truth lest these happily might crosse their proceedings or controule their purposes if this cause should once haue come to sober and deliberate debatement For as theeues oftentimes seeke to auoid apprehension by crying loudest turne the theefe so these wolues hoped well to smother their guilt and preuent all notice taking of their impietie by their grieuous exclamations against others monstrous impious opinions in this point interdicting all vpon penaltie of the causes following ere they had determined ought to teach preach or belieue otherwise then they meant to determine 23 Yet though the Councell accurse all that holde communication vnder both kindes as a necessarie Doctrine it doth not absolutely inhibit all vse of the Chalice but leaues it free vnto their Lord the Pope to grant it vpon what Conditions he please either vnto priuate men or whole Nations vpon what conditions then may wee presume will it please his Holinesse for to grant it vpon any better then Satan tendered all the Kingdomes of the Earth vnto our Sauiour for this fained seruant of Christ a true Gehazi repining at his Lord and Masters simplicitie that could refuse so faire a profer made after Sathan in all hast saying in his heart I will surely take somewhat of him though my Master spared him and pretending a message in his name to whom all power was giuen in Heauen and in earth hath got an interest in the chiefe Kingdomes of the World disposing such as hee can best spare or worst manage to any potent Prince that will fall downe and worship him and his copartner the Prince of darkenesse who of late yeares haue almost shared the whole World betwixt them the one ruling ouer infidels the other ouer professed Christians And seeing the Pope because his pompe and dignitie must bee maintained by Worldly wealth and reuenewes dares not part with the proprietie of so many Kingdomes at once as Sathan who onely lookes for honour profered hee hath found out a tricke to supply his wants for purchasing like honour and worship by his office of keeping Saint Peters keyes if earthly Prouinces or Dominions faile him Gods Word his sonnes bloud and bodie all shall be set to sale at this price Fall downe and worship him For no man we may rest assured no Nation or Kingdome whom hee can hinder shall euer tast of the Lords Cup vnlesse they will first acknowledge lawfull authoritie in him to grant denie or dispose of it at his pleasure which is an homage wherewith the Deuill is more delighted then if wee
did acknowledge him Supreme Lord of all the Kingdomes of the Earth for that were as much lesse preiudiciall to Christs prerogatiue royall as a damage in possession or goods would bee to a personall disgrace or some foule maime or deformitie wrought vpon a Princes bodie CHAP. V. Propounding what possibly can bee said on our aduersaries behalfe for auoiding the force of the former arguments and shewing withall the speciall points that lie vpon them to prooue as principally whether their beliefe of the Churches authoritie can bee resolued into any diuine testimonie 1 VNto all the difficulties hitherto proposed I can rather wish some learned Priest or Iesuit would then hope any such euer will directly answere point by point For the Readers better satisfaction I will first briefly set downe what possibly can be said on their behalfe and after a disclosure of their last secret refuge draw forth thence the dead putrified carkasse of Romish faith which vnto the ignorant and superstitious that cannot vncouer the holes and clefts wherein these impostors vpon euery search are wont to hide it may yet seeme to liue and breath as the fable went of Saint Iohn the Euangelists bodie after many yeares reposall in the graue or as the blinded Iewes to this day bragge the scepter of Iudah yet flourisheth beyond Babilon in Media or some vnknowne part of India whither no European is likely to resort for a disprouall of his relation 2 Vnto the demonstratiue euidences aswell of their errour in expounding Scriptures pretended for as of other Scriptures rightly alleaged by vs against their former or like decrees they will be readie to oppose what Bellarmine hath * done That the Church must iudge of Scriptures euidence and priuate errours in expounding it not priuate men of the Churches expositions Vnto the obiected dreadfull consequences of their decrees could these possibly be erroneous they would regest disobedience to the Church that to disobey it is to disobey God Father Sonne and Holy Ghost a sinne as hanious as mangling of Christs last will and Testament as Idolatrie On the contrarie to obey the Church euen in her negatiue decrees and naked decisions vngarded with any pretence of Scripture much more where this louing Mother for the education of her children will vouchsafe what shee need not to alleage some clause or sentence of Holy writ we obey not the Church onely but Gods Word also though not in those particular places which in our iudgements either contradict the former or like decrees or else make nothing at all for them yet in textes produced for the Churches transcendent generall authoritie As he that adores the consecrated hoste in procession because his holy Mother commands him so to doe or accoūts wāt of Christs bloud no losse because denied him by her authoritie although vnto priuate spirits he may seeme to contradict that Law Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue doth yet sincerely obey the Holy Ghost and rightly obserue the true sence and meaning of these his dictates Peter I haue prayed for thee that faith should not faile Peter feed my sheep Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church From these places once firmely beleeuing the Church possibly cannot erre hee must not question whether the practises by it inioyned contradict the former lawes both being deliuered by the holy spirit who can not contradict himelfe This I take it is the summe of all the most learned of our aduersaries can or would reply vnto the former difficulties Not to draw faster but rather remitting the former bonds wherein they haue inextricably intangled themselues by their circular progresse in their resolution of faith admit their late doctrine lest any possibilitie of knowing Scriptures acknowledged by both to bee Gods word or of distinguishing humane testimonies written or vnwritten from diuine The present question we may draw with their free consent vnto this issue whether their beleef of the Churches infallible authoritie vndoubtedly established as they pretend in the fore cited places can bee truly resolued into any branch of the first truth or into humane testimonies onely If into the latter onely the case is cleare that absolutely obeying the Romish Church in the former or like decrees which her authoritie set aside to all or most mens consciences would seeme to contradict Gods principall lawes wee beleeue and in beleeuing obey men more then God humane authorities lawes or testimonies more then diuine 4 The strength or feeblenesse of Romane faith will best appeare if wee trie it in any one of these ioynts Whether by Diuine testimonie it can bee proued that Saint Peter had such an vniuersall infallibe absolute authoritie as these men attribute vnto the Pope Whether by like infallible testimonie it can bee proued the Popes from time to time without exception were Peters vndoubted successors heires apparant to all the preheminencies or prerogatiues he inioyed Whether either the soueraigntie or vniuersalitie of their authoritie supposed probable in it selfe or to themselues or particular iniunctions deriued from it can bee so fully notified to all Christians as they neede not question whether in yeelding obedience to such decrees of like consequences as were the former they doe not grieuously disobey Gods Word For though the Popes themselues might know this truth by Diuine reuelation or otherwise their internall assurance vnlesse generally communicable by diuine testimonies could be no warrant vnto others for vndertaking matters of feareful consequences whereof they doubt not onely out of secret instinct or grudging of their consciences but from an apprehension of opposition betwixt the very formes of lawes papall and diuine 5. First it is improbable that he to whom our Sauiour said If thy brother trespasse against thee di◠Ecclesiae was the Church vnto which all must from which none may appeale Or if Peter the Pope if he will be Peters successor must in causes of controuersie appeale vnto the Church How is he then as our aduersaries contend the Church or such a part of it vnto whom all euen Peter himselfe were he aliue must appeale Must others appeale to him as Iudge in his owne cause or he vnto himselfe alone Not as alone but so a late Papist to my remembrance answeres Gerson as accompanied with his fellow Consull his Chaire which is to him as Caesar was to Iulius and so shall Gods word be to both as Bibulus was to Iulius Caesar a meere pretence or bare name of authority nothing else Yet if that word auouch that neither S. Peters or his successors faith could euer faile in determining controuersies we contradict it not the Popes decisions only if we doe not in all doubtfull doctrines fully rely vpon them CHAP. VI. That neither our Sauiours prayers for the not fayling of Peters faith Luke 22 ver 32. nor his commending his sheepe vnto his feeding Ioh. 21. ver 15 proue any supremacy in Peter ouer the Church from
doe First their prerogatiues they giue to Peter are blasphemous Secondly their allegations to proue that their Popes succeede as full heires to all Peters prerogatiues are ridiculous Whence it must needes follow that their faith is but a compost of folly blasphemy This pretended perpetuity of tradition or suspitious tale of succession from Peter is the best warrant they haue the Church doth not erre in expounding the places alleadged for her infallability and their beliefe of their infallibility in such expositions the onely security their soules can haue that obeying the former decree of worshipping the consecrate host of cōmunicating vnder one kind they doe not contemptuously disobey Gods principall lawes mangle Christs last Will and Testament vilifie his pretious body and bloud Seeing then they themselues confesse the places brought by vs against their decrees to be diuine and we haue demonstrated that mens beliefe of that infallible authority in making such decrees to bee merely humane the former conclusion is most firme that whilest men obey these decrees against that naturall sense and meaning which the former passages of scripture suggest so plainly to euery mans conscience that the Churches pretended authority set aside none would euer question whether they could admit any restraint they obey men more then God humane lawes more then diuine and much better belieue the traditions of humane fancy of whose forgery for others worldly gaine there bee strong presumptions then the expresse written testimony of the holy spirit in the especiall points of their owne saluation 12 Or if vnto the testimony of Gods spirit recorded in Scriptures wee adde history tradition Councels or former Popes decrees or whatsoeuer possibly may be pretended to proue the present Popes authority it must still bee supposed greater better knowne then all that can be brought for it or against it as will appeare if we apply our argument vsed before That authority is alwayes greater which may trie all others and must bee tried by none but such is the Popes declaration or determination of all points in controuersie whether about the canon or sence of Scriptures ouer those which are brought for it whether about the truth true meaning or authority or vnwrittē traditions whether about the lawfulnes of councels or their authentique interpretations in one word his determinations are monarchical may not be examined as S. Austen or others of the ancient fathers writings may by any law written or vnwritten So Bellarmine suteable to the Trent Councell expresly auoucheth The Fathers were onely Doctors or expositors the Pope is a iudge What then is the difference betweene a Iudge and an expositor To explane as a Iudge there is required authority to explane as a Doctor or expositor onely learning is requisite For a Doctor doth not propose his sentence as necessary to bee followed but onely so farre as reason shal councell vs but a Iudge proposeth his sentence to bee followed of necessity Whereof then will the Pope bee Iudge Of expounding Scriptures these places of Scripture which make for his pretended authority Must his sentence herein of necessity be followed By Bellarmine it must albeit wee see no reason for it either out of Scripture or nature It is for Doctors to bring reasons for their expositions but the Pope needs not except hee will nor may wee exact it of a Iudge So hee addes more expresly We admit not of Bartolus or Baldus glosses as wee doe of Empecours declarations Austine and other Fathers in their Commentaries supply the places of Teachers but the Councell and Popes exercise the function of Iudges whereunto God hath designed them But how shall we know that God hath committed all iudgement vnto them seeing wee haue beene taught by his word that hee hath committed all iudgement vnto his sonne Because all men should honour the sonne as they honour the father We reade not of any other to whom the like authority is giuen by God or his sonne yet of one whose very name shall import the vsurpation of like authority that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christs Vicar generall vnto whom the Sonne as must bee supposed doth deligate the same iudiciary power the Father deligated vnto him 13. But may a Princes declaration in no case be examined by his subiects Yes though in ciuill matters it may so farre as it concernes their consciences as whether it be consonant to Gods word or no whether it make more for the health of their soules to suffer what it inflicts vpon the refusers or to act what it commands To controle contermaund or hinder the execution of it by opposition of violence or contrary ciuill power subiects may not But for any but man to vsurpe such dominion ouer his fellow creatures soules as earthly Princes haue ouer their subiects goods lands or bodies is more then Monarchicall more then tyrannical the very Idea of Antichristianisme And what I would commend vnto the Reader as a point of especiall consideration this assertion of Bellarmine concerning the Popes absolute authoritie directly proues him as was auouched before to be a supreame head or foundation of the selfe same ranke and order with Christ no way inferiour to him in the intensiue perfection but onely in the extent of absolute soueraigntie For greater soueraignty cannot be conceiued then this That no man may examine the truth or equity of commands or consequences immediately deriued from it though immediatly concerning their eternall ioy or miserie No Prince did euer deligate such soueraigne power to his Vice gerent or deputy nor could he vnlesse for the time being at least he did vtterly relinquish his owne supreame authority or admit a full compere in his kingdome Bellarmines distinctions of a primary and secondary foundation of a ministeriall and principall head of the Church may hence he described to be but meere stales set to catch guls Their conceit of the Popes copartnership with Christ is much better resembled and more truly expressed by the Poets imaginations of Iupiter and Augustus Caesars fraternity Diuisum imperium cum Iove Caesar habet Ioue and Caesar are Kings and Gods But Ioue of heauen that 's the onely ods That Christ should retaine the title of the supreame head ouer the Church militant and the realitie of supremacie ouer the Church triumphant ouer aduersaries are not offended Because there is small hope of raising any new tribute from the Angels and Saints in heauen to the Romish churches vse and as little feare that Christ should take any secular commodity from it which aunciently it hath enioyed 14. But though it were true that we were absolutely bound to obey an absolute Monarchie of whose right none doubts yet may we examine whether euery Potentate that challengeth Monarchicall iurisdiction ouer others or giues forth such insolent edicts in ciuill matters as the Pope doth in spirituall do not goe beyond his authority in these particulars albeit his lawfull prerogatiues in respect of others be
had that Lycurgus lawes were from Apollo Yet is it here further to be considered that the Israelites might with farre lesse danger haue admitted Moses lawes then wee may the Popes without any examination for diuine seeing there was no written law of God extant before his time whereby his writings were to bee tryed No such charge had been giuen this people as he giues most expresly to this purpose Now therefore hearken O Israel vnto the ordinances and to the Lawes which I teach you to doe that yee may liue and goe in and possesse the land which the Lord God of your fathers giueth you Yee shall put nothing vnto the word which I command you neither shall yee take ought there from that yee may keepe the commandements of the Lord your God which I command you But was the motiue or argument by which hee sought to establish their beliefe or assent vnto these commandements his owne infallible authoritie no but their owne experience of their truth as it followeth Your eyes haue seene what the Lord did because of Baal-Peor For all the men that followed Baal Peor the Lord thy God hath destroyed euerie one from among you but yee that did cleaue vnto the Lord your God are aliue euery one of you this day so gracious and mercifull is our God vnto mankind and so farre from exacting this blind obedience which the Pope doth chalenge that hee would haue his written word established in the fresh memory of his mighty wonders wrought vpon Pharaoh and all his host The experiment of their deliuerance by Moses had beene a strong motiue to haue perswaded them to admit of his doctrine for infallible or at the least to haue beleeued him in his particular promises When the snares of death had compassed them about on euery side they see no way but one or rather two ineuitable wayes to present death and destruction the red sea before them and a mighty host of bloud behind them the one seruing as a glasse to represent the cruelty of the other they as who in their case would not cry out for feare He that could haue foretold their strange deliuerance from this eminent danger might haue gotten the opinion of a God amongst the Heathen yet Moses confidently promiseth them euen in the middest of this perplexity the vtter destruction of the destroyer whom they feared Feare yee not stand still and behold the saluation of the Lord which he will shew to you this day for the Egyptians whom you haue seene this day you shall neuer see againe The Lord shall fight for you therefore hold you your peace Notwithstanding all this Moses neuer enacts this absolute obedience to be belieued in all that euer he shall say or speake vnto them without farther examination or euident experiment of his doctrine For God requires not this of any man no not of those to whome hee spake face to face alwayes ready to feed such as call vpon him with infallible signes and pledges of the truth of his promises For this reason the waters of Marah are sweetned at Moses prayer And God vpon this new experiment of his power and goodnes takes occasion to reestablish his former couenant vsing this semblable euent as a further earnest of his sweet promises to them If thou wilt diligently hearken O Israel vnto the voice of the Lord thy God and wilt doe that which is right in his sight and wilt giue eare vnto his commandements and keepe all his ordinances then will I put none of these diseases vpon thee which I brought vpon the Egyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee As if hee had said This healing of the bitter waters shall bee a token to thee of my power in healing thee Yet for all this they distrust Gods promises for their foode as it followeth cap 16. Nor doth Moses seeke to force their assent by fearefull anathemaes or sudden destruction but of some principall offenders herein For God will not haue true faith thunderblasted in the tender blade but rather nourished by continuance of such sweet experiments for this reason he shewers down Manna from heauen I haue heard the murmuring of the children of Israel tell them therefore and say At euening ye shall eat flesh and in the morning you shall be filled with bread and yee shall know that I am the Lord your God For besides the miraculous manner of prouiding both Quailes and Manna for them the manner of nourishment by Manna did witnesse the truth of Gods word vnto them They had been vsed to grosse and solid meates such as did fil their stomackes and distend their bellies whereas Manna was in substance slender but gaue strength and vigour to their bodies and serued as an embleme of their spirituall food which being inuisible yet gaue life more excellently then these grosse and solid matters did So saith Moses Therefore hee humbled thee and made thee hungry and fed thee with Manna which thou knewest not neither did thy Fathers know it that he might teach thee that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord. 6 Yet in their distresse so fraile is our faith vntill it be strengthned by continuall experiments they doubt and tempt the Lord saying Is the Lord amongst vs or no Nor doth Moses interpose his infallible authority or charge them to belieue him against their experience of their present thirst vnder pain of eternall damnation or sufferance of greater thirst in hell such threates without better instruction in Gods word and the comfort of his spirit may bring distrusts or doubts to vtter despaire and cause faith to wither where it was wel nigh ripe they neuer ripen strengthē any true and liuely faith Moses himselfe is faine to crie vnto the Lord saying What shall I doe vnto this people for thy be almost readie to stone me As the Papists would doe to the Pope were hee to conduct them through the wildernesse in such extremity of thirst able to giue them no better assurance of his fauor with God then his Anathemaes or feed them onely with his Court-holy-water or blessings of mind But euen here againe God feedes Israels faith with waters issuing out of the rocke making themselues eye-witnesses of all his wonders that so they might belieue his wordes and promises nay himselfe from their owne sense and feeling of his goodnesse and truth of his word 7 Though no Law-giuer or Gouernour whether temporal or spirituall especially whose calling was but ordinary could possibly before or since so well deserue of the people committed to his guidance as this great General already had done of al the host of Israel were they vpon this consideration forthwith to belieue whatsoeuer hee should auouch without further examination signe or token of his fauour with God without assured experience or at the least more then probable presumptions of his
of Israel with a lowde voyce Nor was this rehearsall more strictly enioined by Moses then faithfully performed by Ioshuah And all Israel and their Elders and Officers and their Iudges stood on this side of the Arke and on that side before the Priests of the Leuits which beare the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord as well the stranger as hee that is borne in the Country halfe of them were ouer against Mount Gerizim and halfe of them ouer against Mount Eball as Moses the seruant of the Lord had commanded before that they should blesse the children of Israel Then afterward he read all the words of the Law the blessings and cursings according to all that is written in the book of the Law There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Iosuah read not before all the Congregation of Israel aswell before the women and children as the stranger that was conuersant among them The like solemnity was to be continued euery seuenth yeare as Moses commanded them saying euery seuenth yeere when the yeere of freedome shall bee in the feast of tabernacles when all Israel shall come to appeare before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall chuse thou shalt read this law before all Israel that they may heare it Gather the people together men and women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may heare and that they may learne and feare the Lord your God and keepe and obserue all the words of this law and that their children which haue not known it may heare it and learne to feare the Lord your God as long as yee liue in the land whether yee goe ouer Iorden to possesse it 5 Children were to bee instructed first priuately then publikely that the solemnity of the spectacle might worke in them a modest feare and reuerence without whose precedent impression true faith hardly findes entrance into the heart of man And without miracles it seldome takes but where the seedes of it haue been sowen in tender yeares nor doth it vsually sinke in yonger breastes vnlesse sucked in with admiration All that Moses all that Iosuah all that Priests and Leuites all that Parents or other Instructers priuate or publike could doe to such all they aimed at was to propose the infallible word in such sort as might stir vp their hearts to receiue it with attention and admiration afterwards to make sure triall of it alwayes sufficient to proue it selfe by their practise No instructer in that people euer taught his hearers either finally or iointly to relie vpon the infallibility of his proposals 6 But the Iesuites heart though his mouth will not vtter it thus indites Did all this stirre these Scripturians would seeme to make or tatling parents daily inuitation of their children to strict obseruance of this rule take such effect as Moses dreamed of in posterity No But the reason why it did not was because they sought not in time to supply the defect or rarity of miracles in latter with more frequent and solemne memoriall of such as had happened in former ages or with more abundant meditation vpon their written law and diligent obseruation of their ordinary successe alwayes correspondent thereunto Take heed to thy selfe sayeth Moses and keepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the things thine eyes haue seen and that they depart not out of thine heart all the dayes of thy life but reach them thy sonnes and thy sonnes sons forget not the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lord said vnto me Gather me the people together and I will cause them to heare my words that they may learne to feare me all the daies that they shall liue vpon the earth and that they may teach their children The necessity of this and like premonitions was too well manifested by the euent The people saith another Penman of the sacred Canon ha◠serued the Lord all the dayes of Iosuah and all the dayes of the Elders that outliued Iosuah which had seene all the great works of the Lord that he did for Israel Not the auouchment or presence of infallible teachers but their sure experience of Gods power and mercy did more surely fasten this peoples assent vnto the truth of that which Moses had left written then Moses liue personall proposall could doe their Fathers to his words vttered in their audience But after that generation with whom Iosuah had conuersed was gathered vnto their fathers and another generation arose after them which neither knew the Lord nor yet the works hee had done for Israel then the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and serued Baal Whence it came to passe that whither soeuer they went out the hand of the Lord was sore against them as the Lord had said and as the Lord had sworne vnto them so he punished them sore Notwithstanding the Lord raised vp Iudges which deliuered them out of the hands of their oppressors yet when the Iudge was dead they returned and did worse then their fathers in following other gods to serue them and worship them they ceased not from their owne inuentions nor from their rebellious way What rule then was left to reclaime them the infallible proposals of their Priests Though these or an Angell from heauen should haue proposed any other doctrine then what was consonant to their written law whose true meaning in this respect euery one of them should haue knowne Moses curse before mentioned had ouertaken them following it So much were they addicted vnto Baals Priests proposals that Angels could scarsly be heard though suggesting nothing but what their Lawgiuer had taught though assuring them by their presence of such assistance from their mighty God as he had promised Thus when the generall of these heauenly souldiers sought to encourage Gedeon The Lord is with thee thou valiant man Hee replies Ah my Lord if the Lord be with vs why then is all this come vpon vs and where be all his miracles which our fathers told vs of and said Did not the Lord bring vs out of Egypt but now the Lord hath forsaken vs and deliuered vs into the hand of Midianites As if hee had said I will not deny but the Lord hath done of old as our fathers haue declared vnto vs Moses story I distrust not but am sure he hath dealt farre otherwise with vs. 7 But doth this defect of faith in him conuince the law of imperfectiō rather the obiect of his distrust might haue taught him to haue belieued the perfection of Moses law which had so often forewarned them of such oppression by their enemies when they forsooke the God of their fathers These forwarnings had Gideon belieued aright hee had not distrusted the Angels exhortation What was the reason then of his misbelieuing or rather ouerseeing that part of the law Not ignorance of Gods
peeuishnesse or priuacy of spirit as the false Catholike bestowes on vs likely to befall him if he should vary from the rest The best answere I thinke a Romane Catechisme could afford would be to repeat the conclusion which Bellarmine would haue maintained All the rest besides were Baals Prophets They were indeede in such a sence as Iesuites and all seducers are but not by publike profession or solemne subscription to his rites as may partly appeare by Iehosaphats continuing his resolution to goe vp to battell against Micaiahs counsell which questionlesse hee would rather haue died at home then done had hee knowne Michaiah onely to haue belonged vnto the Lord and all his aduersaries vnto Baal partly by that reuerent conceit which euen the chiefe of these seducers entertained at that time of Elias whose vtter disgrace Baals seruants would by all meanes haue sought for his late designes acted vpon their fellowes Yet as Iosephus records the chiefe argument vsed by Zidkiah to diminish Micaiahs credite with both Kings was an appearance of contradiction betwixt his and Eliahs prediction of Ahabs death the accomplishment of both being apprehended as impossible lesse credit as he vrged was to be giuen to Micaâ—ah because so impudent as openly to contradict so great a Prophet of the Lord as Elias at whose threatnings Ahab King of Israel trembled humbling himselfe with fasting cloathed in sackcloth And it is likely hee would so shortly after entertaine the professed seruants of Baal for his Councellors yet seeing the euent hath openly condemned them for seducers and none are left to plead their cause it is an easie matter for the Iesuite or others to say they were Baals Prophets by profession But were not most Priests and Prophets in Iudah Beniamin vsually such yes and as afterward shall appeare did band as strongly with as ioint consent against Ieremy and Ezechiel as these did against Michaiah The point wherein wee desire resolution is by what rule of Romish Catholique Diuinity truth in those times might haue beene discerned from falshood before Gods iudgements did light vpon the City and Temple Hee is more blind then the blindest Iew that euer breathed who cannot see how such as professed themselues Priests and Prophets of the Lord aswell in Iudah as in Israel did bewitch the people with the selfe same spels the Papists boasts of to this day as the best prop of his Catholike faith Yet such is the hypocrisie of these proud Pharises that they can say in their hearts Oh had wee liued in the dayes of Iezabel we would not haue beene her inquisitors against such Prophets as Elias and Micaiah were When as in truth Iezabels impietie towards them was clemency in respect of Romish cruelty against Gods Saints her witchcrafts but as veniall sins if wee compare them with Iesuiticall sorceries But of this error more directly in the Chapter following of their sorceries and impieties hereafter 3 Vnto our former demand whether the society of Prophets were the Church representatiue whether the people were bound without examination to belieue whatsoeuer was by a maior part or such of that profession as were in highest or most publike place determined What answere a learned Papist would giue I cannot tell Then this following better cannot be imagined on their behalfe That this supreme authority which they contend for was in the true Prophets onely that they albeit inspired with diuine illuminations and endued with such authority as the Iesuite makes the Popes humana diuinitas inspirala did notwithstanding permit their declarations for the hardnesse of this peoples heart to be tried by the euent or examined by the law not that they wanted lawfull power would they haue stood vpon their authority to exact beliefe without delay seeing readinesse to belieue the truth proposed is alwayes commended in the sacred Story And no doubt but the people did well in admitting the true Prophets doctrine before the false at the first proposal the sooner the better But were they therefore to belieue the true Prophets absolutely without examination Why should they then belieue one of that profession before another seeing seducers could propose their conceits with as great speed and peremptorinesse as the best Nor did reason onely disswade but the law of God also expresly forbid that people alwayes and in all causes to trust such as vpon triall had beene found to diuine aright of strange euents Yet grant wee must that hardnesse of heart made this people more backeward then otherwise they would haue beene to belieue truthes proposed that oftimes they required signes from their Prophet when obedience was instantly due from them to him that oftimes they sinned in not assenting immediately without interposition of time for triall or respite to resolue vpon what termes beliefe might be tendered Thus much wee may grant with this limitation if we consider them absolutely or so well disposed as they should and might haue beene not as the Prophets found them For in men inwardly ill affected or vnqualified for true faith credulity comes neere the nature of vice then vertue a disposition of disloyalty a degree of heresie or infidelity rather then a preparation to sincere obedience or any sure foundation of true and liuely faith Assent perchance men so affected may more readily then others would vnto sundry diuine truthes yet not truely not as they are diuine and consonant to the rule of goodnesse but by accident in as much as they in part consort with some one or other of their affections And the more forward men are vpon such grounds to belieue some generalities of Christian dueties the more prone they proue when opportunity tempts them to oppugne others more principall and more specially concerning their saluation For credulity if it spring not out of an honest disposition vniformally inning vnto goodnesse as such but from some vnbrideled humor or predominant naturall affection will alwayes sway more vnto some mischiefe then vnto any thing that is good Many belieued in Iesus saith Saint Iohn when they saw his miracles It pleased them well hee had turned water into wine that hee had giuen other proofes of his power in driuing buyers and sellers out of the Temple did minister hope vnto proud hearts hee might proue such a Messias as they expected as elsewhere vpon the like occasion they said This is of a truth the Prophet that should come into the world The ground of this their aptnesse to belieue thus much as is intimated in the words following was their inordinate desire of hauing an earthly King that might rule the nation with an yron rod. When Iesus therefore perceiued by their forwardnesse to professe the former truth that they would come and take him to make him a King he departed againe into a mountaine himselfe alone for the same cause no doubt which the Euangelist specifies in the former place But Iesus did not commit himself vnto them because he knew them all
and had no need that any should testifie of man He knew such as vpon these glimpses of his glory were presently so stifly set to belieue in him vpon hopes of being fed with dainties or mighty protection against the Heathen would bee as violently bent against him euen to crucifie him for a seducer after they had discouered his constant endeuours to bring them both by life and doctrine vnto conformity with his crosse mortification humility contempt of the world patience in affliction with other like qualities despiseable in the worlds eyes yet maine principles in his schoole and elementary grounds of saluation so his countrimen of Nazareth sodainly admiring the gratious words which proceeded out of his mouth after hee begunne to vpbraid them with vnthankefulnes as speedily attempt to throw him headlong from the toppe of the hill wherein their City was built By this it may appeare that of the Iewish people in ancient times some did sinne in beeing backeward others in an immature forwardnesse to belieue propheticall doctrines But the fountaines or first heads whence these swift motions of life were depraued in the one was inordinate affection or intrinsique habitual corruption the roote whence such deadnesse was deriued into the actions of the other was hardnes of heart precedent neglect of Gods word and ignorance of his wayes thence ensuing Which presupposed the parties so affected did not amisse in not beleeuing the true Prophets without examination but in not abandoning such dispositions as disenabled them for belieuing all parts of truth proposed with constancy and vniformity making them fitte instruments to be wrought vpon by seducers Hence saith our Sauiour I come in my fathers name and ye receiue me not if another shall come in his owne name him will yee receiue How can yee belieue which receiue honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth of God alone Nor Propheticall nor Apostolicall nor Messiacall much lesse could Papall authority make them belieue the doctrine of life intirely and sincerely whilest their hearts were heardned whose hardnes though might easily haue been mollified by laying Moses law vnto them while they were young and tender 4 It is a rule as profitable for our owne information in many points as for refutation of the aduersarie that the commendation of necessary meanes is alwaies included in the commendation of the end which how good or excellent soeuer it bee our desires of it are preposterous all earnest endeauours to attaine it turbulent vnlesse first addressed with proportionable alacrity to follow the meanes that must produce it sober spirites alwayes bound their hopes of accomplishing the one by perfect suruey of their interest in the other as minds truly liberall determine future expences by exact calculation of their present reuenewes Euen in businesses of greatest importance though requiring speediest expedition a wise man will moderate his pace according to the quality of the ground whereon hee goes otherwise the more haste may cause worse speed The Iewes were as wee are bound to belieue truthes proposed without delay but both for this reason most strictly bound to a continuall vniformity of practising diuine precepts already knowne without dispensing with this or that particular though offensiue to our present disposition without indulgence to this or that special time without all priuiledge sought from the pleasure or displeasure of men both bound so to frame our liues and conuersations as to bee instantly able to discerne the truth proposed not by relying vpon their authority that propose it but for it selfe or from a full and liuely though a quicke and speedy apprehension of immediate homogeneall consonancie betweene the externall and the internall word For if any part of Gods word truly dwell in vs though secret it may bee and silent of it selfe yet will it Eccho in our hearts whilest the like reuerberates in our eares from the liue voice of the Ministery Thus had the Iewes hearts beene truely set to Moses law had their soules delighted in the practise of it as in their food they had resounded to the Prophets call as a string though vntouched and vnable to beginne motion of it selfe will yet raise it selfe to an vnison voice or as the soules of heauen answere with like language to others of their owne kind that haue better occasion to beginne the cry In this sense are Christs sheepe said to heare his voice and follow him not euery one that can counterfeit his or his Prophets call 5 The issue of all that hath beene said is that none within the precincts of these times whereof wee now treat from the Law giuen vnto the Gospell were bound to belieue Gods messengers without examination of their doctrine by the precedent written word Onely this difference there was such as had rightly framed their hearts to it did make this triall of Prophetical doctrines as it were by a present taste which others could not without interposition of time to worke an alteration in their distempered affections For this reason do the Prophets alwayes annex Mosaicall precepts of repentance to their predictions of future euents as knowing that if their hearts to whom they spake were turned to God their sight should forthwith bee restored clearely to discerne the truth For further manifestation of the same conclusion it appeares sufficiently from sundry discourses in the former booke that Israels incredulity vnto their Prophets was finally to bee resolued into their neglect their imperfect or partiall obseruance of Moses precepts Wherefore not the liue voice of them whose words in themselues were most infallible and are by the approbation of time with other conspicuous documents of Gods peculiar prouidence preseruing them in diuine estimation so long become an vndoubted rule of life vnto vs but the written word before confirmed by signes and wonders sealed by the euents of times present and precedent was the infallible rule whereby the propheticall admonitions of euery age were to bee tried and examined 6 The words of the best while they spake them were not of like authority as now written they are vnto vs nor were they admitted into the Canon but vpon iust proofe of their diuine authority That one speech which Esay vttered was an axiome so well knowne as might bring all the rest to bee examined before admission To the Law and to the Testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them For Gods will already knowne and manifested to the proples consciences was to ouersway the contrary proposals of knowne Prophets though neuer so peremptory Nor was it impossible for Prophets to auouch their owne conceites vnder the name of diuine Reuelations more immediatly sent from God then the Pope pretends witnesse the man of God that went from Iudah to Bethel seduced by his fellow Prophets fained reuelation from an Angell counselling him to diuert into his house contrary to the Lords commandement giuen before The
nor the Prophets did euer so much as once intimate such absolute power should be acknowledged in that great Prophet of whome they wrote wee suppose the imagination of the like in whomsoeuer cannot bee without reall blasphemie Yet suppose Christs infallibility and the Popes were in respect of the Church Militant the same the Popes authoritie would be greater or were their authoritie but equall his priuiledges with God would bee much more magnificent then Christs That which most condemned the Iewes of infidelity in not acknowledging Christ as sent with power full absolute from God his father were his mightie signes and wondâ—rs his admirable skill in Gods word alreadie established but chiefly his sacred life and conuersation as it were exhibiting vnto the world a visible patterne or coÌ„spicuous modell of that incomprehensible goodnesse which is infallible Now if we compare his powerfulnesse in words and workes with the Popes imperfections in both or his diuine vertues with the others monstrous vices to equalize their infallibilities were to imagine God to bee like man and Christ at the best but as his faithfull seruant the Pope his Minion his Darling or some of his age For such is our partialitie to our owne flesh that oftimes though the Wise man aduise to the contrarie a lewde and naughtie sonne in that hee is a sonne hath greater grace and priuiledges then the most faithfull seruant in the fathers house So would the Iesuites make God dote vpon the Pope whose authoritie bee his life neuer so vngracious if they should denie to bee lesse then Christs in respect of vs their practises enioyned ex Cathedra would confute them For much sooner shall any Christian though otherwise of life vnspotted be cut off from the congregation of the faithfull for denying the Popes authoritie or distrusting his decrees then the Iewes that saw Christs miracles for contradicting him in the dayes of his flesh or oppugning his Apostles after his glorification Nor bootes it ought to say they make the Popes authoritie lesse then Christs in respect they deriue it from his rather because they euidently make it greater then Christs was it cannot bee truly thence deriued or if it could this onely proues it to bee lesse then the other whilest onely compared with it not whilest wee consider both in respect of vs for Christs authoritie as the Sonne of Man in respect of vs is equall to his Fathers whence it is deriued For the Father iudgeth no man but hath committed all iudgement vnto the Sonne 2 But wherein doe they make the Popes authoritie greater then Christs First in not exempting it from triall by Christs and his Apostles doctrine neither of which were to be admitted without all examination of their truth for as you heard before Gods word was first vttered in their audience established by euident signes and wonders in their sight and presence of whom beliefe and obedience vnto particulars was exacted And it is a rule most euident and vnquestionable that Gods word once confirmed and sealed by experience was the only rule whereby all other spirits and doctrines were to bee examined that not Propheticall visions were to bee admitted into the Canon of Faith but vpon their apparent consonancie with the word alreadie written The first Prophets were to be tried by Moses the latter by Moses and their Predecessors Christs and his Apostles by Moses and all the Prophets for vnto him did all the Prophets giue testimonie The manifest experiments of his life and doctrine so fully consonant to their predictions did much confirme euen his Disciples beliefe vnto the former Canon of whose truth they neuer conceiued positue doubt 3 Againe there had beene no Prophet no signes no wonders for a long time in Iudah before our Sauiours birth yet hee neuer made that vse either of his miracles or more then Propheticall spirit which the papists make of their imaginary publike spirit he neuer vsed this or like argument to make the people relie vpon him How know yee the Scriptures are Gods word How know yee that God spake with Moses in the Wildernesse or with your Fathers in Mount Sinai Moses your Fathers and the Prophets are dead and their writings cannot speake Your present Teachers the Scribes and Pharises doe no wonders Must you not then belieue him whome daily you may behold doing such mightie workes as Moses said to haue done that Moses as your fathers haue told you was sent from God that Gods word is contayned in his writings otherwise you cannot infallibly beleeue that there was such a man indeed as you conceiue hee was much lesse that he wrote you this Law least of all can you certainely know the true meaning of what hee wrote Hee that is the onely sure foundation of faith knew that faith grounded vpon such doubts was but built vpon the sand vnable to abide the blasts of ordinarie temptations that thus to erect their hopes was but to prepare a rise to a grieuous downefall the ready way to atheisme presumption or despaire For this cause hee doth not so much as once question how they knew the Scriptures to be Gods word but supposing them knowne and fully acknowledged for such he exhorts his hearers to search them seeking to prepare their hearts by signes and wonders to embrace his admirable expositions of them And because the corruption of particular morall doctrines brought into the Church by humane tradition would not suffer the generality of Moses and the Prophets already belieued to fructifie in his hearers hearts and branch out vniformely into liuely working faith he laboured most to weede out Pharisaisme from among the heauenly seed as euery one may see that compares his sermon vpon the Mount with the Pharises glosses vpon Moses If the particular or principall parts of the law and Prophets had beene as purely taught or as clearely discerned as the generall and common principles His Doctrine that came not to destroy but to fulfill the law in words and works had shined as brightly in his hearers hearts at the first proposall as the sunne did to their eyes at the first rising For all the morall duties required by them were but as dispersed rayes or scattered beams of that diuine light and glory which was incorporate in him as splendor in the body of the sunne Nor was there any possibility the Iewes beliefe in him should prosper vnlesse it grew out of their generall assent vnto Moses doctrine thus pruned and purged at the very roote Had yee belieued Moses saith our Sauiour yee would haue belieued me for he wrote of me but if yee belieue not his writings how shall yee belieue my words For which cause they were in conscience bound to examine his doctrine by Moses and the Prophets otherwise they might haue belieued the sauing truth but falsly and vpon decitfull grounds The stronger or more absolute credence they had giuen vnto his words or workes without such examination the more
it without questioning whether the places alleadged bee to the purpose or no. Let such Christians as belieue the Pope cannot erre in the name of God belieue what soeuer he shall teach without examination yet remember withall that thus to belieue is to worship the dragon by giuing their names vnto the Beast But vnto what Christians is the Popes infallibility better known then S. Paules was to the Beroeans Not vnto vs whose fathers haue forsaken him for his Apostasie from God taught vs to eschew him as Antichrist to hold his doctrine as the very doctrine of diuels Vnto vs at least his Holines should seeke to manifest his infallibility by such means as S. Paul did his euen vnto such as had seen his miracles and had experience of his power in expounding scriptures Besides Pauls conuersatiō in al places was continually such as did witnes him to be a chosen vessell full of the spirit of grace He did not make marchandise of the word of God as most Popes doe but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God so he spake thorow Christ he did not walk in craftines yet who greater polititians then Popes Nor did he handle the word of God deceitfully but in declaration of the truth he did approue himself to euery mans conscience in the sight of God This one amongst others he acounts as an especiall motiue to perswade men of his heauenly calling in that he did not preach himselfe but Christ Iesus and himselfe their seruant for Iesus sake For so our Sauiour had said He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory The Pope that we might know him to be Christs opposite seekes almost nothing else nothing so much as to be absolute Lord ouer all other mens faith If this any Iesuite will deny let him define what Prince amongst the nations what Tyrant in the world did euer challenge greater soueraignty in affaires of this life then the Pope doth in all matters whatsoeuer concerning the life to come 3 But it may be Bellarmine was either afraid or ashamed of this answere wherefore he addes another as wise to keepe it from blushing I adde saith he albeit an Heretike sin in doubting of the Churches authority into which he hath beene regenerate by Baptisme nor is the case the same in an Heretike which hath once made profession of faith and in a Iew or Ethnique which neuer was Christian yet this doubt which is a sin being supposed he doth not amisse in searching and examining whether the places alleadged by the Trent Councell out of scriptures or fathers be true or pertinēt so he do this with an intent to finde the truth not to calumniate A man at the first sight wold deem Bellarmine for his own part at least had giuen vs leaue to examine the Popes doctrine by scripture but that as you heard before hee absolutely denies nor will he I am sure pawne his hat that hee which searcheth the Scriptures and Fathers alleadged cannot find any such meaning in eyther as the Trent Councell would thence infer shal be freed by their Church from heresie although he be not so vnciuill as to calumniate the Pope but onely saluâ reuerentiâ ingenuously professe that he thinks on his conscience the scripture meant no such matter as the Councell intended This none of their church dare promise for dubius infide by their doctrine est haereticus he that doubts after such an authentique determination is condēned for an heretike and yet without such assurance of beeing freed from heresie this permission of reading scriptures is not worth God a mercy seeing he must at length be constrained to belieue the scripture saith iust so as the Pope saith albeit his priuat conscience inform him to the contrary so that by reading them he must either wound his own conscience more then if the vse of thē had bin denied him or els vse thē but as a court fauor or grace bestowed vpō him by the Pope for which he must in good maners yeeld his full assent to his doctrine with infinit thanks for his bounty Howsoeuer if he be doubtful in their tenents he may not reade the Scriptures with Caluin Beza or any of our writers expositions or in any edition saue such as they approue or with the Rhemish animaduersions or gloses or according to the analogy of that faith wherein the Iesuites haue catechized him So that the reading of scriptures if their opinions be erroneous as wee hold the Popes decisions are serues to as good purpose for confirming one of their catechizing in the right faith as the ringing of belles doth to bring a melancholy man out of some foolish conceit which runnes in his mind both of them will belieue their former imaginations though neuer so bad the better because the one thinkes the belles ring the other that the scriptures speake iust so as hee imagines This Bellarmine cannot dissemble in his next words Bound hee is to receiue the Churches doctrine without examination but better hee were prepared vnto the truth by examining then by neglecting it to persist still in his blindnesse His meaning in plain English is this He and his fellowes could wish reformed Churches would all come off at once and belieue as Romanists doe without all examination whether they belieue as Christians or Magicians but if we will not be so forward as they could wish wee were they could in the second place be very wel content to admit vs into their Church again though after a yeere or twoes deliberation rather then loose our company for euer 4 The learned Doctor Whitakers of famous memory out of the former place gathered these two corollaries Euery doctrine is to bee tried by Scripture The Apostle taught nothing but what might haue beene confirmed out of Moses and the Prophets Sacroboscus reply to these Orthodoxall collections confirmes me in that conceit I entertained of Romish Schoolemen when I first began to reade them They seemed to me then much more now to handle matters of greatest moment in diuinity after the same fashion for all the world nimble Artists doe Philosophicall Theorems in the Schooles whiles they are coursed by such as would triumph in their disgrace Bee the argument brought in it selfe neuer so good or forcible to euince the contradictory to their tenents yet if the opponent in his inference of what was last denied chance but to omit some petty terme or clause impertinent to the maine question or make his propositions more improbable by framing them more vniuersall then he needs occasion will quickly be taken to interrupt his progresse and put him off especially if the Answerer bee so well prouided with some shew of instance to the contrary or absurditie likely to follow if all were true his Antagonist would seeme to prooue Nor doe I censure this as fault in youth or whilest we are in Aristotles forge so the fire be out of vs when wee come into
the sanctuary But iust in this manner doth the Mimicall Iesuite reply to the former truth I demaund saith he whether the Doctour would approue this consequence Paul preaching to the Athenians confirmed his Doctrine with the testimonie of the Poet Aratus and the Athenians had done well if they had sought whether Aratus had said so or no therefore all Doctrines must be iudged by Poets But what if the Beraeans practise considered alone or as Iesuites doe Scriptures onely Mathematically doe not necessarily inferre thus much The Learned Doctors charitable minde would not suffer him to suspect any publique professor of Diuinitie as Sacroboscus was could bee so ignorant in Scriptures as not to consider besides the different esteeme of Prophets and Poets amongst the Iewes what Saint Paul had else where expressely said I obtained helpe of God and continue vnto this day witnessing both vnto small and great saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come Vnlesse he could haue proued Christs resurrection other articles of Christian faith out of Moses and the Prophets the Iewes exceptions against him had beene iust For they were bound to resist al Doctrines dissonant to their ancient ordinances especially the abolishment of Rites and Ceremonies which Paul laboured most as knowing the Lawgiuer meant they should continue no longer then to the alteration of the Priesthood but in whose maintenance his adversaries should haue spent their bloud whiles ignorant they were without default of the Truth Paul taught as not sufficiently prooued from the same authority by which their lawes were established Nor was any Apostle either for his miracles or other pledges of the Spirit that hee could communicate vnto others to bee so absolutely beleeued in all things during his life time as Moses and the Prophets writings For seeing the gift of miracles was bestowed on hypocrites or such as might fall from any gifts or grace of the spirit they had though the spectators might beleeue the particular conclusions to whose confirmation the miracles were fitted yet was it not safe without examination absolutely to rely vpon him in all thinges that had spoken a diuine truth once or twice In that he might be an hypocrite or a dissembler for ought others without euidence of his vpright conuersation and perpetuall consonance to his former Doctrine could know he might abuse his purchased reputation to abet some dangerous errour Nor doe our aduersaries though too too credulous in this kinde thinke themselues bound to beleeue reuelations made to another much lesse to thinke that he which is once partaker of the Spirit should for euer bee infallible Vpon these supporters the forementioned Doctours reason which the Iesuite abuseth to establish the Churches authoritie stands firme and sound I absolutely belieue all to be true that God saith because hee saith it nor doe I seeke any other reason but I dare not ascribe so much vnto man least I make him equall to God for God alone and hee in whom the Godhead dwelleth bodily is immutably iust and holy Many others haue continued holy and righteous according to their measure vntill the end but who could be certaine of this besides themselues no not they themselues alwayes And albeit a man that neuer was in the state of grace may oft times deliuer that Doctrine which is infallible yet were it to say no worse a grieuous tempting of God to rely vpon his Doctrine as absolutely infallible vnlesse we know him besides his skill or learning to be alwayes in such a state Though both his life and death bee most religious his Doctrine must approue it selfe to the present age and Gods prouidence must cōmend it to posterity Nor did our Sauiour though in life immutably holy for doctrine most infallible assume so much vnto himselfe before his ascension as the Iesuits giue to the Pope For he submitted his doctrine to Moses the Prophets writings And seeing the Iesuits make lesse acount of Him then the Iewes did of Moses it is no maruell if they be more violently miscaried with enuious or contemptuous hatred of the Diuine truth it selfe then the Iewes were against our Sauiour or his doctrine These euen whē they could not answere his reasons drawn from scriptures receiued though most offēsiue to their distemperate humor were ashamed to cal Moses the prophets authority in questiō or to demand him how do ye know God spake by thē Must not the Churches infallibility herein assure you and if it teach you to discerne Gods word from mans must it not likewise teach you to distinguish the diuine sense of it from humā This is a straine of Atheisme which could neuer finde harbor in any professing the knowledge of the true God before the brood of Antichrist grew so flush as to seeke the recouery of that battaile against Gods Saints on Earth which Lucifer their Father and his followers lost against Michael and his holy Angels in Heauen CHAP. XV. A briefe taste of our aduersaries blasphemous and Atheisticall assertions in this argument from some instances of two of their greatest Doctours Bellarmine and Valentian That if faith cannot be perfect without the solemne testification of that Church the raritie of such testifications will cause infidelitie 1 FOR a further competent testimonie of blasphemies in this kinde wherewith wee charge the Church of Rome let the Reader iudge by these two instances following whether the Christian world haue not sucked the deadliest poyson that could euaporate from the infernall lake through Bellarmines and Valentians pennes Valentian as if he meant to outflout the Apostle for prohibiting all besides the great pastor Christ Iesus for being Lords ouer mens faith will haue an infallible authoritie which may sit as Iudge and mistresse of all controuersies of faith and this to be not the authoritie of one or two men deceased not peculiar to such as in times past haue vttered the diuine truth either by mouth or pen and commended it vnto posteritie but an authoritie continuing in force and strength amongst the faithfull throughout all ages able perspicuously and openly to giue sentence in all controuersies of faith Yet as these Embassadors of God deceased cannot bee Iudges shall they therefore haue no saye at all in deciding controuersies of faith You may not thinke a Iesuite would take Iesus name in vaine he will neuer for shame exclude his Master for hauing at least a finger in the gouernment of the Church Why what is his office or what is the vse of his authoritie registred by his Apostles and Euangelists Not so little as you would weene For his speeches amōgst others that in their life time haue infallibly taught diuine truthes by mouth or pen may be consulted as a witnesse or written law in cases of faith but after a certaine sort and manner eyther to speake the truth or somewhat thereto not impertinent as shal bee declared in due place The place he
beliefe of any particular or determinate proposition must finally bee resolued Euery conclusion of faith as is before obserued out of Bellarmine must bee gathered in this or like Syllogisme Whatsoeuer God or the first Truth sayeth is most true But God saide all those words which Moses the Prophets and the Euangelists wrote Therefore all these are most true The Maior in this Syllogisme is an Axiome of Nature acknowledged by Turkes and Infidels nor can Christian faith be resolued into it as into a Principle proper to it selfe The Minor say our aduersaries must bee ascertained vnto vs by the Churches authority and so ascertained becomes the first and maine principle of faith as Christian whence all other particular or determinate conclusions are thus gathered Whatsoeuer the Church proposeth to vs for a diuine Reuelation is most certainly such But the Church proposeth the bookes of Moses and the Prophets finally the whole volumes of the olde and new Testament with all their partes as they are extant in the vulgar Romane Edition for diuine reuelations Therefore we must infallibly belieue they are such So likewise must wee beleeue that to bee the true and proper meaning of euerie sentence in them contained which the Church to whom it belongs to iudge of their sense shall tender vnto vs. 2 For better manifestation of the Truth wee now teach the young Reader must here bee aduised of a twofolde resolution One of the things or matters beleeued or knowne into their first parts or Elements Another of our beliefe or perswasions concerning them into their first causes or motiues In the one the most generall or remotest cause In the other the most immediate or next cause alwayes terminates the resolution The one imitates the other inuerts the order of composition so as what is first in the one is last in the other because that which is first intended or resolued vpon by him that casteth the plotte is best effected by the executioner or manuall composer In the former sense wee say mixt bodies are lastly resolued into their first Elements houses into stones timber and other ingredients particular truthes into generall maximes conclusions into their immediate praemises all absurdities into some breach of the rule of contradiction Consonantly to this interpretation of finall resolution the first verity or diuine infallibility is that into which all faith is lastly resolued For as wee saide before this is the first steppe in the progresse of true beliefe the lowest foundation whereon any Religion Christian Iewish Mahometan or Ethnicke can be built And it is an vndoubted Axiome quod primum est in generatione est vltimum in resolutione when we resolue any thing into the parts whereof it is compounded we end in the vndoing or vnfolding it where nature begunne in the composition or making of it But he that would attempt to compose it againe or frame the like aright wold terminate all his thoghts or purposes by the end or vse which is farthest from actuall accomplishment Thus the Architect frames stones and timber and layes the first foundation according to the platforme he carries in his head that hee casts proportionably to the most commodious or pleasant habitation which though last effected determines all cogitations or resolutions precedent Hence if wee take this vltima resolutio as we alwayes take these termes when we resolue our owne perswasions that is for a resolution of all doubts or demands concerning the subiect whereof wee treat A Roman Catholiques faith must according to his Principles finally bee resolued into the Churches infallibility For this is the immediate ground or first cause of any particular or determinate point of Christian faith and the immediate cause is alwayes that into which our perswasions concerning the effect is finally resolued seeing it onely can fully satisfie all demandes doubts or questions concerning it As for example if you aske why men or other terrestriall Creatures breath when fishes doe not to say they haue lungs and fishes none doth not fully satisfie all demaunds or doubts concerning this Subiect For it may iustly further be demanded what necessity there was the one should haue lungs rather then the other If here it bee answered that men and other perfect terrestiall creatures are so full of feruent bloud that without a cooler their owne heare would quickly choake them and in this regard the God of nature who did not make them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or giue them life in vaine to bee presently extinct did with it giue them lungs by whose respiration their naturall temper should be continued This answere doth fully satisfie all demands concerning the former effect For no man of sense would further question why life should be preserued whose preseruation immediately depends vpon respiration or exercise of the lungs is therfore the immediate cause of both and that whereunto all our perswasions concerning the former subiect are lastly resolued Or if it should bee demanded why onely man of all other creatures hath power to laugh to say he were indued with reason doth not resolue vs for a Philosophical wit would further question Why should reasonable substances haue this foolish faculty rather then others A good Philosopher would perswade vs the spirites which serue for instruments to the rationall part are more nimble subtle and so more apt to produce this motion then the spirites of any other creatures are But this I must professe resolues not me for how nimble or subtle soeuer they be vnlesse man had other corporeall Organes for this motion the spirits alone could not produce it and all organicall parts are framed for the operation or exercise of the faculty as their proper end Whence hee that would finally resolue the former probleme must assigne the true finall cause why reasonable substances more then others should stand in need of this motion Now seeing vnto reason onely it is proper to forecast danger and procure sorrow and contristation of heart by preconceit of what yet is not but perhaps may bee it was requisite that our mortality through reason obnoxious to this inconuenience should bee able to correct this contristant motion by the contrary and haue a faculty to conceiue such pleasant obiects as might dilatate the heart and spirites that as man hurts his body by conceited sorrow whereto no other Creature is subiect so he might heale it againe by a kind of pleasance whereof hee alone is capable 3 Answerable to this latter acception of finall resolution if you demaund a Romane Catholike why hee beleeues there is a Trinity there shall bee a resurrection or life euerlasting his answere would be because God or the first verity hath said so but this doth not fully satisfie for wee might further question him as hee doth vs why doe you belieue that God did say so Here it sufficeth not to say This truth is expresly taught in Canonicall Scriptures for the doubt whereby hee hopes
recordes and declarations written or vnwritten to be most authentique they cannot be certaine whether euer there had beene such an Emperour as they plead succession from or at least how farre his Dominions extended or where they lay This manner of plea in secular controuersies would be a meane to defeate him that made it For albeit the Christian World did acknowledge there had beene such an Emperour and that many parts of Europe of right belonged vnto his lawfull heire Yet if it were otherwise vnknowne what parts these were or who this heire should bee no Iudge would be so mad as finally to determine of eyther vpon such motiues Or if the Plaintiffe could by such courses as the World knowes oft preuaile in iudgement or other gracious respects effect his purpose hee were worse then madde that could thinke the finall resolution of his right were into the Emperours last will and testament which by his owne confession no man knowes besides himselfe and not rather into his owne presumed fidelitie or the Iudges apparant partialitie So in this controuersie whatsoeuer the Pope may pretend from Christ all in the end comes to his owne authority which wee may safely beleeue herein to bee most infallible that it will neuer prooue partiall against it selfe or define ought to his Holinesse disaduantage 10 Here againe it shall not be amisse to admonish yonger Students of another gull which the Iesuite would put vpon vs to make their Churches doctrine seeme lesse abominable in this point lest you should thinke they did aequalize the authority of the Church with diuine reuelations Valentian would perswade you it were no part of the formall obiect of faith It is true indeed that the Churches authority by their doctrine is not comprehended in the obiect of belieefe whilest it onely proposeth other Articles to bee beleeued No more is the Sunne comprehended vnder the obiects of our actuall sight whilest we behold colours or other visibles by the vertue of it But yet as it could not make colours or other things become more visible vnto vs vnlesse it selfe were the first and principall visible that is vnlesse it might bee seene more clearely then those things which wee see by it so wee would direct our sight vnto it so would it bee impossible the Churches infallible proposal could make a Romane Catholikes beliefe of Scriptures or their orthodoxal sense the stronger vnlesse it were the first and principall credible or primary obiect of his beliefe or that which must bee most clearely most certainely and most sted fastly belieued so as all other Articles besides must be belieued by the beliefe or credibility of it This is most euident out of Sacroboscus and Bellarmines resolution or explication of that point how the Churches proposall confirmes a Roman Catholiques beliefe To giue this doctrine of their Churches infallibility the right title according to the truth it is not an Article of Catholike beleefe but a Catholike Axiome of Antichristian vnbeliefe which from the necessary consequences of their assertions more strictly to be examined will easily appeare CHAP. IIII. What maner of causall dependance Romish beleefe hath on the Church that the Romanist truly and properly beleeues the Church onely not God or his word 1 THe 2. main assertions of our aduersaries whence our intended conclusion must be proued are these often mentioned heretofore First that wee cannot be infallibly perswaded of the truth of Scriptures but by the Churches proposall Secondly that without the same wee cannot bee infallibly perswaded of the true sense or meaning of these scriptures which that Church and we both belieue to be Gods word How wee should know the Scriptures to be Gods word is a probleme in Diuinity which in their iudgement cannot be assoiled without admission of Traditions or diuine vnwritten verities of whose extent and meaning the Church must be infallible Iudge It is necessary to saluation saith Bellarmine that wee know there bee some bookes diuine which questionlesse cannot by any meanes be knowne by Scriptures For albeit the Scriptures say that the Books of the Prophets or Apostles are diuine yet this I shall not certainely belieue vnlesse I first belieue that Scripture which saith thus is diuine For so wee may read euery where in Mahomets Alcoran that the Alcoran it selfe was sent from heauen but wee belieue it not Therefore this necessary point that some Scripture is diuine cannot sufficiently be gathered out of Scriptures alone Consequently seeing faith must rely vpon Gods word vnlesse wee haue God word vnwritten we can haue no faith His meaning is wee cannot know the Scriptures to be diuine but by Traditions and what Traditions are diuine what not wee cannot know but by the present visible Church as was expresly taught by the same Author before And the finall resolution of our belieuing what God hath said or not said must bee the Churches authority To this collection Sacroboseus thus farre accords Some Catholiques reiected diuers Canonicall Books without any danger and if they had wanted the Churches proposall for others as well as them they might without sinne haue doubted of the whole Canon This he thinks consonant to that of Saint Austin I would not belieue the Gospell vnlesse the Churches authority did thereto moue me He addes that we of reformed Churches making the visible Churches authority in defining points of faith vnsufficient might disclaime all without any greater sinne or danger to our soules then wee incurre by disobeying some parts of Scripture to wit the Apocryphall books canonized by the Romish church The Reader I hope obserues by these passages How Bellarmine ascribes that to Tradition which is peculiar to Gods prouidence Sacroboscus that to blind beliefe which belongs vnto the holy Spirit working faith vnto the former points by the ordinary obseruation of Gods prouidence and experiments answerable to the rules of Scriptures 2 Consequently to the Trent Councels decree concerning the second assertion Bellarmine thus collects It is necessary not onely to bee able to read Scriptures but to vnderstand them but the Scripture is often so ambiguous and intricate that it cannot bee vnderstood without the exposition of some that cannot erre therefore it alone is not sufficient Examples there be many For the equality of the diuine persons the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne as from one ioint originall Originall sinne Christes descension into Hell nd many like may indeed be deduced out of scriptures but not so plainely as to end controuersies with contentious spirits if we should produce onely testimonies of Scriptures And wee are to note there bee two things in Scripture the Characters or the written words and the sense included in them The Character is as the sheath but the sense is the very sword of the spirite Of the first of these two all are partakers for whosoeuer knowes the Character may reade the Scripture but of the sense all men are not capable nor can wee in
many places bee certaine of it vnlesse Tradition be assistant It is an offer worth the taking that here he makes That the sense of Scriptures is the sword of the spirit This is as much as wee contend that the sense of the Scripture is the Scripture Whence the inference is immediately necessary That if the Romish Church binde vs to belieue or absolutely practise ought contrary to the true sense and meaning of Scriptures with the like deuotion we doe Gods expresse vndoubted commandements she preferres her owne authority aboue Gods word and makes vs acknowledge that allegiance vnto her which we owe vnto the spirit For suppose wee had as yet no full assurance of the spirit for the contradictory sense to that giuen by the Church we were in christian duty to expect Gods prouidence and inuoke the spirits assistance for manifestation of the truth from all possibility wherof wee desperately exclude our selues if wee belieue one mans testimony of the spirit as absolutely irreuoucably as we would do the manifest immediate testimony of the spirit yet Sacroboscus acknowledgeth hee beliues the mystery of the Trinity as it is taught by their Church onely for the Churches authority and yet this hee beleeues as absolutely as hee doth yea as hee could belieue any other diuine Reuelation though extraordinarily made vnto himselfe 3 In both parts of beliefe aboue mentioned the causall dependance of our faith vpon the Churches proposals may be imagined three wayes eyther whilest it is in planting or after it is planted or from the first beginning of it to it full growth or from it first entrance into our hearts vntill our departure out of this world How farre and in what sort the Ministery of men in the Church is auaileable for planting faith hath been declared heretofore Eyther for the planting or supporting it the skill or authority of the teachers reaches no further then to quicken or strengthen our internal taste or apprehension of the diuine truth reuealed in Scriptures or to raise or tune our spirites as Musicke did Elishahs the better to perceiue the efficacy of Gods spirit imprinting the stampe of those diuine Reuelations in our hearts whose Characters are in our braines The present Churches proposals in respect of our beliefe is but as the Samaritan womans report was vnto the men of Sichars Many sayth the Euangelist belieued in him for the saying of the woman which testified he hath told mee all things that euer I did But this beliefe was as none in respect of that which they conceiue immediately from his owne words For they saide vnto the woman Now wee belieue not because of thy saying for we haue heard him our selues and know that this is indeede the Christ. The eare sayeth Iob tryeth the words as the mouth tasteth meates Consonant hereto is our Churches doctrine that as our bodily mouthes taste and trie meates immediately without interposition of any other mans sense or iudgement of them so must the eares of our soules trie and discerne diuine truthes without relying on other mens proposals or reports of their rellish No externall meanes whatsoeuer can in eyther case haue any vse but onely eyther for working a right disposition in the Organ whereby triall is made or by occasioning the exercise of the faculty rightly disposed How essentially faith by our aduersaries doctrine dependes vpon the churches authority is euident out of the former discourses that this dependance is perpetuall is as manifest in that they make it the iudge and rule of faith such an indefectible rule and so authentique a Iudge as in all points must be followed and may not be so far examined eyther by Gods written law or rules of nature whether it contradict not it selfe or them 4 It remaines we examine the particular maner of this dependance or what the Churches infallibility doth or can performe eyther to him that belieues or to the obiect of his beleefe whēce a Romane Catholikes faith should become more firme or certaine then another mans It must enlighten eyther his soule that it may see or diuine reuelations that they may be seene more clearely otherwise he can exceed others onely in blinde beleefe The cunningest Sophister in that schoole strictly examined vpon these points will bewray that monstrous blasphemy which some shallow braines haue hitherto hoped to couer Wee haue the same Scriptures they haue and peruse them in all the languages they doe What is it then can hinder eyther them from manifesting or vs from discerning their Truth or true meaning manifested Doe we want the Churches proposall we demand how their present Church it selfe can better discerne them then ours may what testimonie of antiquity haue they which we haue not But it may be we want spectacles to read them our Church hath but the eyes of priuate men which cannot see without a publike light Their Churches eyes are Cat-like able so to illustrate the obiects of Christian faith as to make them cleare and perspicuous to it selfe though darke and inuisible vnto vs. Suppose they could Yet Cats-eyes benefit not by-standers a whit for seeing colours in darknes albeit able themselues to see them without any other light then their owne The visible Church saith the Iesuite is able to discerne all diuine truth by her infallible publique spirit How knowes he this certainly without an infallible publique spirit perhaps as men see Cats-eyes shine in the darke when their owne doe not Let him beleeue so But what doth this beleefe aduantage him or other priuate spirits for the cleare distinct or perfect sight of what the Church proposeth Doth the proposall make diuine Truthes more perspicuous in themselues Why then are they not alike perspicuous to all that heare reade or know the Churches testimonie of them Sacroboscus hath said al that possibly can be said on their behalfe in this difficultie The Sectaries albeit they should vse the authoritie of the true Church yet cannot haue any true beleefe of the truth reuealed If the vse of it be as free to them as to Catholikes what debarres them from this benefit They doe not acknowledge the sufficiencie of the Churches proposall And as a necessary proofe or medium is not sufficient to the attayning of science vnlesse a man vse and acknowledge it formally as necessary so for establishing true faith it sufficeth not that the Church sufficiently proposeth the points to be beleeued or auoweth them by that infallible authoritie wherewith Christ hath enabled her to declare both what bookes containe Doctrines Diuine and what is the true sense of places controuersed in them but it is further necessary that wee formally vse this proposall as sufficient and embrace it as infallible 5 The reason then why a Romane Catholique rightly beleeues the Truth or true meaning of Scriptures when a Protestant that knowes the Churches testimonie as well as he in both points vncertaine is because the Catholique infallibly beleeues the Churches authority to bee
it reall Atheists or Infidels and Christians onely in conceit or vpon condition If the Church whose authority they so highly esteeme be as infallible as is pretended Heretofore I haue much grieued at the Trent Councels impiety but now I wonder at these graue Fathers folly that would trouble themselues with prescribing so many Canons or ouerseeing so large a Catechisme when as the beginning of Protogoras booke one or two words altered might haue comprehended the entire confession of such mens faith as rely vpon their fatherhoods The Atheist thus beganne his booke De dijs non habeo quod dicam vtrum sint necne Concerning the Gods or their being I can say nothing A priuate Romane Catholike might render an entire account of his faith in termes as briefe De Christo Christiana fide non haebeo quod dicam vtrum sint necne Whether there bee a Christ or Christian Religion bee but a politike fable I haue nothing to say peremptorily yea or no the Church or Councell can determine whom in this and all other points wherein God is a party I will absolutely belieue whilest I liue if at my death I finde they teach amisse let the diuell and they if there be a diuell decide the controuersie Yet this conceit or conditionall beliefe of Christ and christianity conceiued from the former serues as a ground colour for disposing mens soules to take the sable dye of Hell wherewith the second maine streame of Romish impiety will deepely infect all such as drinke of it For once belieuing Gods word from the Churches testimony this absolute submission of their consciences to embrace that sense it shall suggest sublimates them from refined Heathenisme of Gentilisme to diabolisme or symbolizing with infernall spirits whose chiefest solace consists in acting greatest villanies or wresting the meaning of Gods written lawes to his dishonour For iust proofe of which imputation wee are to preuent what as wee late intimated might in fauour of their opinion bee replyed to our former instance of light and colours 9 Some perhaps well affected would be resolued why as hee that sees colours by the sunne sees not onely the sunne but colours with it so hee that belieues the Scriptures by relying vpon the Church should not belieue the Church onely but the Scriptures too commended by it The doubt could hardly bee resolued if according to our aduersaries tenent the Churches declarations did confirme our faith by illustrating the Canon of Scriptures or making particular truthes contained in it inherently more perspicuous as if they were in themselues but potentially credible and made actually such by the Churches testimony which is the first and principall credible in such sort as colours become actually visible by illumination of the principall and prime visible But herein the grounds of Romish doctrine and the instance brought by Sacroboscus to illustrate it are quite contrary For the light of the Sunne though most necessary vnto sight is yet necessary onely in respect of the obiect or for making colours actually visible which made such or sufficiently illuminated are instantly perceiued without further intermediation of any other light then the internall light of the Organe in discerning colours alwaies rather hindred then helped by circumfusion of light externall For this reason it is that men in a pitte or caue may at noone day see the starres which are inuisible to such as are in the open aire not that they are more illuminated to the one then the other but because plentie of light doth hinder the organ or eye-sight of the one Generally all obiects eyther actually visible in themselues or sufficiently illuminated are better perceiued in darkenesse then in the light But so our aduersaries will not grant that after the church hath sufficiently proposed the whole Canon to be Gods word the distinct meaning of euery part is more cleare and facile to all priuate spirits by how much they lesse participate of the visible Churches further illustration For quite contrary to the former instance the Churches testimony or declaration is onely necessary or auaileable to right beliefe in respect not of the obiect to be beleeued Scriptures but of the party beleeuing For as hath beene obserued no man in their iudgement can belieue Gods word or the right meaning of it but by beleeuing the Church and all beliefe is inherent in the belieuer Yea this vndoubted beliefe of the Churches authority is that which in Bellarmine and Sacroboscus iudgement makes a Roman Catholicks beleefe of Scriptures or diuine truthes taught by them much better then a Protestants If otherwise the churches declaration or testimony could without the beliefe of it infallibility which is inherent in the subiect belieuing make Scriptures credible as the light doth colours visible in themselues a Protestant that knew their churches meaning might as truely belieue them as a Romane Catholike albeit hee did not absolutely belieue the church but onely vse her helpe for their Orthodoxall interpretation as hee doth ordinary expositors or as many doe the benefite of the Sunne for seeing colours which neuer thinke whether colours may bee seene without it or no. For though it bee certaine that they cannot yet this opinion is meerely accidentall to their sight and if a man should be so wilfull as to maintaine the contrary it would argue onely blindnesse of mind none of his bodily sight Nor should distrust of the Romish churches authority ought diminish our beliefe of any diuine truth were her declarations requisite in respect of the obiect to bee beleeued not in respect of the subiect beleeuing 10 Hence ariseth that difference which plainely resolues the former doubt For seeing the Sunne makes colours actually visible by adding vertue or lustre to them wee may rightly say wee see colours as truely as the light by which wee see them For though without the benefite of it they cannot be seene yet are they not seene by seeing it or by relying vpon it testimony of them Againe because the vse of light is onelie necessary in respect of the obiect or for presenting colours to the eye after once they bee sufficiently illuminated or presented euery creature endued with sight can immediately discern each from other without any further helpe or benefite of externall light than the generall whereby they become all alike actually visible at the fame instant The Sunnes light then is the true cause why colours are seene out no cause of our distinguishing one from another beeing seene or made actually visible by it For of all sensible obiects sufficiently proposed the sensitiue faculty though seated in a priuate person is the sole immediate supreme Iudge and relies not vpon any others more publike verdite of them On the contrary because the Romanists supposed firme beliefe of Scriptures or their true meaning ariseth onely from his vndoubted beliefe of the churches veracity which is in the belieuer as in it subiect not from any increase of inherent credibility or perspicuity