the presence of God whome I call to witnes in this behalfe and pray thee also to call vpon for the saluation and reduction of all those that walke astray that it is not in the power of any one no not of all our Aduersaries that are in England to find in their owne Bible one only expresse Text I say one only I say in their owne Bible by which they cā possibly proue one only point of their false Doctrine without their vsuall art of adding diminishing chopping or changing it by some interpretation or other which yet should be to alter the Text it selfe and to employ mans fancy insteed of the pure word a thing by their owne Confession flatly forbidden vnto them protesting that the Word of God doth in such sort containe all that which is necessary to saluation that it is not lawfull neither for men nor Angells to adde diminish or alter ought therof and commanding their followers and adherents vtterly to renounce all Antiquity Custome Multitude Humane Wisedome Iudgement Decrees Edicts Counsailes Visions yea and Miracles themselues to the contrary THE TOVCH-STONE of the Reformed Ghospell Protestants affirme I. That there is not in the Church one that an infaillible Rule for vnderstāding the holy Scriptures and conseruing of Vnity in matters of Faith COntrary to the expresse wordes of their owne Bible Rom. 12.6 Hauing then giftes differing according to the grace that is giuen to vs whether Prophecy that is interpretation according to the proportion or Rule of faith Whence we gather that Prophecy according to the Rule of faith is one of the giftes which God bestoweth on his Church Therefore there is in the Church one and that an infallible Rule for vnderstanding to the holy Scriptures Philip. 3.16 Neuertheles whereto we haue already attained let vs mind the same thing Loe how plainly the Apostle speaketh in this second place of a certaine Rule to be walked by cleerly presupposing that in matters of faith we can neuer be of the same mind vnles we walke by the same Rule Gal. 6.16 And as many as walke according to this Rule Peace be on them and mercy And 2. Cor. 10.15 Hauing hope when your faith is increased that we shall be enlarged by you according to our Rule aboundantly to preach the ghospell in the Regions beyond you and not to boast in another mans line Lo heere againe because that euery man is to direct and order his beliefe according to the doctrine of the Church therfore it is called by S. Paul both the Rule and Line of our holy Faith Againe 1. Cor. 11.16 But if any man seeme to be contentious we haue no such Custome nor the Churches of God Loe how S. Paul still pleadeth the Rule and Custome of the Church agaynst the contentious which if it could then by the sole prescription of twenty or thirty yeares and by the authority of so few Pastours stop the mouthes of new Sect-maysters what ought not the Custome of sixteene hundred yeares and the Decrees of so many hundred Pastours gayne of reasonable modest and humble men And heer I would haue it to be noted that this Analogy or Rule of Fayth besides the tytles already recited the holy Scripture in other places calleth by the name of Forme of Doctrine Rom. 6.17 A thing made ready to our hand 2. Cor. 10.16 The Depositum or Treasure committed to the Churches trust and euer most carefully to be kept by her 1. Tim. 6.20 And withall in the very selfe same places alwayes stileth that which is contrary to this Rule by the name of Disunion Discord Disobedience forsaking of our first vocation Diuision Contention Prophane and vayne babling Opposition of sciences c. Whence plainly appeareth how great the necessity is for euery Christian to keep this Rule the least breach wherof doth presently crack his Christian credit with the Church of God and with all good Christians See more Rom. 6.17 Gal. 1.6 Rom. 16.17 Actes 15.2 1. Tim. 6.20 Rom. 12.16 ¶ According to this very Rule the Ancient Fathers affirme the same S. Irenaeus l. 4. cap. 45. Tert. de praescrip And Vincent Lyr. in suo Commonitorio saith It is very needfull in regard of so many errors proceeding from the mis-interpretation of Scriptures that the Line of Propheticall and Apostolicall exposition should be directed according to the Rule of the Ecclesiasticall and Catholique sense Thus writeth this most worthy witnesse Tertul. praescrip adu haeres cap. 15. cap. 19. saith We do not admit our aduersaries to dispute out of Scripture till they can shew who their Ancestors were and from whom they receiued the Scriptures For the orderly course of doctrine requires that the first Question be whose the Scriptures are by right from whome and by whom and to whom the Forme of Christian Religion was deliuered Otherwise prescribe against him as a stranger c. Thus he Loe how these two last ancient Fathers lay hold off and vrge these two very termes Rule and Forme of Faith and Religion euen as before the Holy Scripture did from whēce doubtles they tooke the phrase And with very great reason for the knowledge of Tradition which is this Forme or Rule goes before the knowlege of the Scripture for the Rule must be first knowne before the thing ruled can be assuredly knowne as the Carpenter cannot knowe certainly that he hath measured his timber nor the Taylor that he hath measured his cloth aright except he first assuredly know that his measure be both true right but the Rule of Faith to wit the Summe of those points that euery Christian is bound expresly to know as deliuered to him from hand to hand is the knowledge of Tradition Protestants affirme II. That in matters of Fayth we must not rely vpon the Iudgment of the Church and of her Pastours but onely vpon the Written Word COntrary to the expres wordes of their owne Bible Mar. 23.2 The Scribes and the Pharises sit in Moyses seat all therfore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and do In which wordes Christ not onely commandeth vs in matters of Faith to haue recourse to somwhat else besides the only written word to wit to the Pastours of the Church but biddeth vs moreouer to obey them and that not only in some principall matters but in all whatsoeuer without distinction or limitation Therfore in matters of fayth we are not tyed to rely only vpon the written Word Luc. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Heere againe Christ our Lord honoureth and giueth as much authority to the Preachers of the Word as he can possibly do to the word it selfe saying He that heareth you c. Matt. 16.19 Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall he loosed in heauen Where it is to be noted that he doth not say whosoeuer but
knowen and belieued that the dead might be holpen by the piety of the liuing as Cardinall Allen learnedly concludeth in his Treatise of Purgatory Actes 2.14 Whom God hath raised vp loosing the sorrowes of hell In which wordes two things are to be noted which clearly make for the proofe of Purgatory The one that in this place where Christ was there were certaine sorrowes and paines The other that some there were inflicted for sinne vpon whome he bestowed that gratious benefit as to discharge and loose them of those paines For as the Rhemes Testament very well noteth Christ was not in paines himselfe but loosed other men of their paines 1. Cor. 15.29 Otherwise what shall they doe that are baptized for the dead From this place an euident proofe is drawen touching the help which the soules departed our of this world may receiue by the Church on earth and consequently 〈◊〉 â—urgatory vnderstanding the paines and afflictions which voluntarily we doe inflict vpon our selues to exempt those that are therin for to baptize signifieth to afflict ones selfe to do penance to suffer death c. as is euident in S Luc. 12.30 But I haue baptisme to be baptized with and Marc. 10.38 Luc. 16.9 And I say vnto you Make to your selues friendes of the mammon of vnrighteousnes that when yee faile they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations S. Ambrose vpon this place and S. Aug. lib. 21. de Ciuit. cap. 27. say that it is to receiue succour after death according as the word faile inforceth Luc. 23.42 Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome S. Aug saith in his fifth Booke against Iulian about the middest that the good thiefe in this prayer presupposed that according to the eommon opinion soules might be holpen after death 2. Mac. 12.44.45 For if he had not hoped that they that were slaine should haue risen againe it had bene superfluous and vaine to pray for the dead And in the next verse he concludeth That it was an holy and good thought c. This place of holy Scripture is most cleare for prayer for the dead for had it not beene the continuall doctrine and practise of the Church to pray for the dead neither could Iudas Machabaeus who was himselfe a Priest haue euer thought of any such remedy as to gather twelue thousand drachmes of siluer to send to Hierusalem to haue prayers made for the reliefe of the soules slaine in the warrs neither would the multitude of people haue either contributed or the Priests of the Temple receiued the same had they thought as these men doe that it had bene superstition to pray for the departed or that there had byn no other place then the Hell of the damned or the Heauen of the saued See more 2. Tim. 1.18.1 Iohn 5 16. Isa 4 4. Isa 9.18 Acts 2.24 Matt. 3.11 Mat. 12.32 Mat. 5.26 Micheas 7.8 Psal 66.12 Tobie 4.18 Phil. 2.10 Zachary 9.11 ¶ As also the Fathers that affirme the same S. Amb. vpon the 1. Cor. 3. and serm 20. in Psal 118. S. Hier. lib. 2. cap. 13. aduers Iouin S. Greg. lib. 4. Dialog cap. 39. Origen hom 6. in cap. 15. Exod. with many others XLVIII That it is not lawfull to make or haue Images COntrary to the expresse words of their owne Bible Exod. 25.18 And thou shalt make two Cherubims of gold of beaten worke shalt thou make them in the two endes of the Mercy seate These grauen Angells were Images of the highest order of Angells one excepted which is in heauen and were made with faces of beautifull young men and commanded to be set vp by God himselfe in the Holy of Holyes which S. Hierome witnesseth the Iewes to haue worshipped epist ad Marcellam Therefore it is lawfull to make Images 1. Kings 6.35 And he carued thereon Cherubims and Palme-trees and open Flowers and couered them with gold fitted vpon the carued worke Hence is to be gathered that the precept of not making grauen Idolls doth nothing at all concerne Images that is to say the true representation of thinges meerly imaginary and not subsisting for as S. Paul sayth 1. Cor. 8. An Idoll is nothing So that the Idoll representeth that which is not the Image that which is a most remarkable difference Agayne seeing an Idol is that properly which being nothing as S. Paul sayth is represented to be something or that which represents the thing that is not if our Reformers belieue the Images of Christ crucified to be an Idoll they then belieue that Christ was neuer crucifyed for so it would follow necessarily that the Image of Christ crucifyed being an Idoll therfore christ was neuer crucified Heb. 9.1.5 Then verily the first Couenant had also ordinances of diuine seruice and a worldly sanctuary c. and ouer it the Cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy-seate Loe S. Paul calleth the images of the Cherubims which Salomon made an ordinance of diuine seruice which our Reformers call the making of Idols whome shall we sooner belieue Blessed S. Paul or a Reformed Brother To conclude an Image is of such diuine and naturall right that all vnderstanding imagination and sense as well interiour as exteriour is made by way of Images called species sensibiles insensibiles The body cannot be in light without its shadow the Moone and the Starres imprint their image in the water a man cannot looke in a glasse without making his Image Therefore eyther God and Nature it selfe doth breake this commandement as well as we or else it is absurd to say that we do breake it in making of Images See more 1. Kinges 7.36.42.44 Num 21.8 Mat. 22.20 Exod. 31.2 Exod. 33.30 where painting and engrauing of Images is so far from being counted Idolatry that it is proued to be a scieÌ„ce diuinely infused into Beseleel by God himselfe and so the inuention of good Images came first from God ¶ The Fathers that affirme the same are Tert. lib. 2. de pudicitia S. Greg. Naz. ep 49. ad Olymp. S. Basil orat in S. Barlaam S. Aug. lib. 1. de consens euang cap. 10. witnesseth that in his time Christ was to be seene painted in many places between S. Peter and S. Paul XLIX That it is not lawfull to worship Images nor to giue any honour to dead or insensible thinges COntrary to the expresse words of their owne Bible Exod. 3.5 And he said Draw not nigh hither put off the shoes from off thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground Loe how cleare a place is heere produced against our Reformers wherin an insensible Creature was commanded by God himselfe to be honoured for the refrayning to tread vpon it was the doing of honour to it Therfore all dead Images representing vnto vs a holy thing may be honoured Psal 99.5 Adore yee the footestoole of his feete Which place is spoken litterally of the Arke of the Testament according to that of 1. Chron. 28.2 I had in my hart to build a
That no man hath seene God in any forme and that therefore his Picture or Image cannot be made COntrary to the expresse wordes of their owne Bible Gen. 3.8 where God appeared vnto Adam walking in the garden of Paradise in a corporall forme And Gen. 28.12.13 to Iacob standing aboue the ladder whereon the Angells ascended and descended For we must know that it is only the outward shape and forme of the thing which is expressed eyther in this or the like Image and not the inward substance thereof which is not possible for any Painter or Caruer to expresse which though it expresse not all that is therein yet that which it expresseth is a truth and thus may God be expressed to vs. Yea why may not God be expressed in the same forme manner wherein he hath manifested himselfe to mortall eyes Therfore his Picture or Image may be made Exod. 33.11 God appeared spake vnto Moyses face to face as one man speaketh to another To the Prophet Isay 6.1.5 Sitting vpon a throne To Daniel 7.9 Sitting wearing garments and hauing haire on his head like pure woll How then can any wise man doubt but that that thing may be lawfully set forth or expressed in an outward Image which necessarily must be conceiued by an inward 1. Kinges we 3. 22.19 I saw the Lord sitting on his throne and all the host of heauen standing by him on his right hand and on his left But perhaps they will say that God commandeth vs to heare his word and the Histories which speake of his apparitions but not to paint them I answere that seeing we learne by our eyes as well as by our eares there is no reason why that may not be painted before our eyes which may be preached to our eares Againe seeing we may find the aforesaid Visions and Histories in the Bible why may we not as well see them painted in pictures as written in a booke of white paper LI. That blessing or signing with the signe of the Crosse is not founded in holy Scripture COntrary to the expresse wordes of their owne Bible Reuelat 7.3 Where one Angell sayd to foure other Angels Hurt not the earth neither the sea nor the trees till we haue sealed we read signed the seruants of our God in their foreheads Againe Marc. 10.16 And he tooke them vp in his armes put his handes vpon them and blessed them Therefore signing and blessing is founded in holy Scripture Luc. 24.50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany and he lift vp his handes and blessed them Therfore c. ¶ See the Fathers that affirme the same Dionys Areopagita cap. 4.5.6 Eccles Hier. Tertul. lib. de corona milit Origen in Exod. cap. 5. hom 6.5 S. Cyril Cat. 1. S. Basil lib. de spir sanct cap. 37. S. Chrysost hom 55. in Mat. cap. 16. LII That Concupiscence remayning after Baptisme is truly and properly sinne though not imputed to the faithfull COntrary to the expresse words of their owne Bible Iames 1. 14.15 But euery one is tempted when he is drawne away of his owne lust and entised Then when lust hath conceaued it bringeth forth Sinne and Sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Heere 4. thinges are distinguished Concupiscence that is a power of couering prone to euill and her 3. motions Suggestion Delectation and Consent Now Concupiscence and her first motion S. Iames doth not call Synne but a Temptation to Sinne. Delight but not fully deliberate he calleth Sinne but not mortall the which only Consent causeth ¶ See in confirmation heerof S. Cyril l. 4. in Ioan. e. 51. S. Austine l. 5. cont Iulian. c. 3. 5. where he calleth Concupiscence not Sinne but the punishment of sinne besides the whole streame of Fathers LIII That Bishops and Priestes are not bound to liue a single life but may lawfully marry wiues COntrary to the words of their owne Bible Exod. 19.22 And let the Priests which come neere to the Lord sanctify themselues lest the Lord breake forth vpon them we read strike them Those also that were to eat the Paschal Lambe were commanded to haue their Loynes guirt Exod. 12.11 that is as S. Gregory expoundeth obseruing Continency hom 22. in Euangel In the New Testament S. Paul teacheth that a Bishop must be giuen to hospitality gentle sober iust Chast 1. Tim. 3. where insteed of the word Chast the Protestants in their later Editions translate of good behauiour therby to elude their state of liuing without wiues Also 2. Tim. 3.4 Thou therefore endure hardnes as a good souldier of Iesus-Christ No man that warreth intangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a souldier Which all the Fathers do vnderstand of liuing a single life and not to be entangled with wiues ¶ See Concil 2. Carthag can 2. Where it is expressely decreed that all Bishops Priests Deacons and those that handle the Sacraments be keepers of Chastity and to abstaine themselues euen from wiues S. Hieron l. 1. cont Iouin Apol. ad Pamach c. 3. Origen hom 23. in Num. Epiphan haer 59. Ambr. in 2. Tim. 3. and others LIIII That the publique seruice of the Church ought not to be said but in a language that all the people may vnderstand COntrary to the expresse wordes of their owne Bible Luc. 1.8 And it came to passe that while he executed the Priests office before God in the order of his course according to the custome of the Priests office his lot was to burne Incense in the Temple of the Lord and the whole multitude of people were praying without at the time of Incense Where it is to be noted 1. That this was then the common custome 2. All the people were without and the Priest within how then did they vnderstand him Therfore the publique seruice of the Church may be so said as all the people vnderstand it not Leuit. 16.17 And there shal be no man in the Tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an attonement in the holy place vntill he come out haue made an attonement for himselfe and for his househould and for all the Congregation of Israel Therefore c. I shal not need to produce the authorities of Fathers for this point when the as practise of the whole Christian world for these many hundred yeares together hath byn directly contrary to our Reformers heerin against which to dispute as S. Aug sayth were insolent madnes See to Rhe. Test. pag. 46. But against this they will obiect out of Scripture this their probablest place 1. Cor. 14.16 When thou shalt blesse with the spirit how shall he that occupyeth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing he vnderstandeth not what thou sayest For thou verily giuest thankes but the other is not edifyed Heer to I answere that there be two kindes of prayer or giuing of thankes in the Church The one