reason as ever auy Sect for if these plaintiffes that accuse the Roman Church of Error superstition Noveltye and Idolatrie be vrged to produce any playne place of holy writt to proue their accusation for example sake wher in holy writt it is syad That Gods Commaundements are impossible to be kept or where in holy writt ther is any prohibition to craue the assistance of the heavenly Saints to ioyne their prayers with ours to our Lorde Iesus Christ that wee may be made worthie of this promises c. the whole pack of them are not able to produce not soe much as one expresse text to that purpose but givinge slipp to the demaund in question they fly to bye difficultyes fabulous or impertinent narrations relatinge many tales of Cockes and Bulles of this Pope and that Pope of this Bissopp or that Fryer Soe destitute are they of the ayde of holy writt which vaynely and frequently they pretend soe that the sayeinge of the holy Prophet is well verifyed in them The vngodly haue tould me their fables but not as thy Lawe Ps. 118. But wheter haue these frivolous impertinences of Protestants wrested my discourse To retorne then to the Byble on which solye they pretend to build all their fayth although it be not controuerted betuene Catholiques and Protestants or any other nomynated Christians whether God hath any worde written which is infallable vsually called the holy Scripture As it is one thinge to question whether ther be à Kinge of Spayne and another thing wether Phillip or Ferdinando be the Kinge therof For that though the first to witt that ther is à Kinge of Spayne be most Certayne yet the latter may be debated which is the Lawfull true Kinge vzt Ferdinando or Phillip Soe though it be most Certayne that there is à written worde of God infallable yet iustly may it be questioned whether that booke which Protestants haue and call the Byble be the holy Scripture or noe For as the Learned doe obserue in the Scriptures three thinges are to be consydered First the Cannon or Catologue of divyne bookes Secondly the translation And thirdly the sence which is the soule of the Letter Now then I demaund of Protestants what Infallible assurance they haue that the bookes which be in their Cannon be onely divyne And those which they reiect as Apocripha be really such Will yow saye with Luther and with other Protestants as Whitakre and Doue that yow received them from the Roman Catholique Church Then it followeth if her authoritye who yow Credit therin be infallible yow are allsoe bound to stande to her worde in other poynts of Religion For if she be infallible as she must if yow haue any infallible assurance that the Scriptures yow received from her be really divyne in à matter soe fundamentell much more is she to be Credited in other poynts as namely concerninge the true interpretation therof c. Secondly out of this answer it followeth that the Roman Church cannot be Antichristian as some Protestants vaynly pretend For it cannot stand that they should preserue the Scriptures for soe many ages wherin yow pretend your Church was vnknowne and latent For then may Israell be fownd in Babilon and participation bebetwene Christ and Belial And she who is falsehood it selfe be by your owne inference the pillar and foundation of truth To be shorte then must the whore of the Apochalips Thus is Antichrist become Christ Servante and best supporter Keep safe those Recordes wherby those many hundred Thowsonds of Christ virgins make their Clayme to the inestimable reward alloted for their vowe of Chastitye As easily wee may beleiue that the Arke and the Idoll Dagon may be placed together But indeed though yow haue the Roman Churches warrant that those bookes that yow admitt as Canonicall to be divyne yet never did the Roman Church warrant or assure yow that onely those bookes placed in your Cannon be divyne and the rest which yow reiect to be Apochripha It resteth then that the greatest assurance yow haue is the authority of your owne Church which Confessedly is lyable to Error what infallible assurance haue Protestants of the purity and incorruption of their translation especially seeinge many of their brethren hardly Censure it How shall I approue sayth M. Burges vnder my hand à translation which hath many omissions many additions which sometymes obscureth sometymes perverteth the sence beinge sometymes senceles sometymes Contrarye M. Bronghton the great Hebritian thus sayth The publique translation of the Scripture in English is such as it perverteth the Text of the old Testament in eight hundred forty and eight places and it causeth Millions of Millions to reiect the new Testament and to runne into eternall flames And to omitt how Bishopp Tunstall noated two thowsand Corruptions of the Bible in Tindalls translation And allsoe how the Remists noated two hundred and tenn corruptions of the new Testament out of Greeke which Protestants pretended to translate not Chardginge them with an infynite number of their Corruptiōs repugnant to the auncyent authenticke Lattin To omitt I saye these and many other Catholique observations for which they Iustly except against the English Bybles I add this Cōfessiō of the famous Protestant D. Whitakre who though favouringe the Englishe trāslation of the Bible as much as possible he might yet thus he confesseth I haue not sayd otherwise but that somethings in the Englishe translation might be amended Now what infallible assurance I saye haue they to warrant their translation as incorrupt seeinge the greatest warrant they haue for it is the authority of their Church which by their confession may erre And with what Conscience can they Commend vnto the people their English Byble thus Corrupted for the pure word of God Note Againe what infallible assurance haue they of the sence which is the life of the Letter to witt that their expositions be the true meaninge of the holy Ghost but the authority of their Church which by their owne Confession is subiect to Erre On the contrarye what infallible assurance haue they that the Catholiques Cannon translation and exposition of the Byble are not Orthodoxe but the authority of their errable Church Note Now thē if fayth be an infallible Knowledge for by falliable and errable doctrine it is impossible to be saued can anye one with à safe Conscience build all his fayth vpon such à Byble whose Cannon translation and interpretation hath noe infallible assurance And in this I was infinitely confirmed when afterward I read in M. r Shillinghworths booke approued by three Oxford Doctors as conformable to the Doctrine of the Church of England vzt that ther was noe infallible Certaynety to be assured That the Scriptures were really Gods worde Which in effect is to suye That Protestants who pretend to beleiue nothinge but that which is contayned in Scriptures haue noe infallible assurance whether their Congregation be truely faythfull Christiains or no Moreover I demaund what certayne warrant
grosse survay of Poperie is soe bould to nickname antiquitie the alleagtion of the holie Councell vnder S. Silvester aboue thirtene hundred yeares agoe hestilles Thevaine shew of Moath worme Antiquitie and wheras Bellarmin thinketh it à probable opinion that Antichrist shal be of the Tribe of Dan For that manie of the Auncient Fathers probablie soe held namely S. Ireneus Hippolitus Ambrus Augustine Prosper Theodorett S. Gregory c. M. Willett without ever strayninge of Curtesie calleth them playne Hereticks It is à verie fable and Couseninge device of Heretickes quoth he to make men beleive that Antichrist shall come of the Tribe of Dan. Surly D. Parkes in his rejoinder pa. 7. pa. 365. had good reason to tell him lyke à brother of his yow haue committed such faults even in that great worke wherof yow bragg soe much as yow can neyther defend with honestie nor with modestie excuse yea the same D. Parkes his fellow Minister as Willett himselfe recounts in his Lodoromast Chardgeth him with folly Hipocrisie falshood lyeinge Infidelitie Impudencie Machivilisme Athisme c. And iudeed who but à Machauilian Athist if really he had thought that there had been à God after this life to haue punished durst haue made such à protestation And to omitt the lyke vaine cracks of M. Vsher copiously discouered by Mallone in his replie to his answere It is most true that which Zantius à great Protestant ingeniously confesseth of Protestant writers viz Scriptures at our pleasures wee detorte to our dreames wee boast of Fathers when wee will followe nothinge lesse then their doctrine soe he in his Epist. 10. to Sturmius But is not Luther then the author of the Protestant reformation with his brethren to be esteemed for havinge endeavoured to reforme the Church in diverse manie points of Fayth wherin they affirme for manie ages she hath erred Surlie noe except wee should honnor and esteeme those who renew Auncient condemned heresies and hereticall manners wherof Luther and his sectaries are in à heigh degree guiltie But as for reformation in matters of fayth wherin they pretend the Church hath erred They are rather to be avoyded who glories in any such title Note Seinge that herein they destroy the Godhead of Christ and make him an imposture for if the Church of Christ which he promised soe firmely to build on à Rocke as that Hell gates should never prevaile against her and vnto the Pastors wherof he promised that he would assist to the Consummation of the world and give them the spiritt of Truth to abyde with them forever for the teachinge of them all truth If I saye the Church of Christ could or had erred in matters of fayth as the pretended reformers affirme Then doth it follow that they make Christ not ominipotent able to vphold his Church against her enemies and soe destroy his Godhead or an imposteur in not fullfillinge what he promised because the Church for Errors of fayth and want of truth is as much destroyed as à man if he wanteth or is deficient in any one of his essentiall parts to witt if he be not à livinge or à reasonable Creture The defect of any of these destroyes him Soe in lyke manner if the true Church of Christ could Erre in fayth or fayle in truth which is essentiall to the Church it could not subsist possiblie For accordinge to themselues the Church essentiallie is à Congregation of faythfull where truely the worde of God and the Sacraments are administred wherfore if the worde and Sacraments haue erroniously been administred for soe many ages as they pretend then Consequentlie of necessitie hath the Church of Christ perisht and Hell gates prevayled against her And soe by this doctrine it followeth that Christ is not God and that the Iewes may well reiect him and the Gospells anounceinge and speakinge of him as à grande impostour which is most blasphemous And this doctrine of the Churches error in fayth by which Protestants pretend to iustifie their revolte and speration of there reformed congregation from the Catholique Church is the maine motive why I ame averted from their societie and relinquish their Communion And soe much in proffe that the Protestant Congregation wants the insepable marke of Christ his true Church and in confutation of there shufling evasions Secondly the Iewes haue not inioyed in all ages Pastors and Doctors to administer truely the word and Sacraments for their Church at this present is not Christian nor the Arians Pelagians Manicheans Donatists Wicklifians c. for they haue all perished and that in such serte as had not Catholique Doctors impugned them in their wrightings and that these present reformers haue here and there renewed some of their heresies ther had scarcely remained any memory of them Neither also the Graecians for they were in Communion with the Roman Church of and on about one thowsand yeares Soe that for such à space since the Apostles tyme they cannot be sayd to haue bin à distinct Church from the Roman Church from whom the Patriarke of Constantinople was Confirmed and the Bishopp of Rome by himselfe or his legate presided in all lawfull generall Councells Celebrated formerly in Greece although now vnfortunatelie as all knowes they be sepated by reason of the heresie touchinge the Holie Ghost c. Mereouer their successiō hath bin interrupted by the intrusion of maine hereticall and not lawfully ordayned Bishopps as confessedlie is auerred by all Catholiques and cannot be denied by Protestants Neyther the Turkishe Mahometans for they haue not had existance in the world ever since Christ his tyme and soe cannot glorie of their Antiquitie professinge Christian fayth as indeed also not beinge Christians and soe consequentlie comes not into question For here wee treat of the perpetuall existence and Antiquitie of à Church professinge Christian Doctrine accordinge to the Markes which insepablie accōpaine Christ his Church as in the begininge was established Finally the lyke may be demonstrated of any other Christian Church that may be assigned to witt that they want the insepable Marke of Christ his Church that is the enioyinge of à continuall succession of Pastors in all ages to administer the worde and Sacraments On the contrarie by the confession of the Protestants the Romaine Church many hundred yeares was the true Church of Christ and noe Protestant is able by evidence of any Authenticke Ecclesiasticall historie to shew any Christian Companie or Church In rerum natura more Auncient of different fayth from whence the Romane Church departed Therfore as yet she is and ought to be esteemed and consequentlie must enioye in all ages Pastors and Teachers for the administration of the worde and Sacraments beinge the true Church cannot fubsist without them Heer then I vrge that if the Romane Church whose fayth as testifieth the Apostle Ep. ad Rom. c. 1. was published and renowned throughout all the world that is with whom all the Christian world had Communion of fayth here I
wee must be vnited if wee will be saued she onely beinge infallable and secure in her doctrine For if she onely beareth the cognissance and inseperable marke of Christ his Church as hath bin demōstrated then necessarily to her only are agreable those prerogatiues which by holy writt are conferred and confirmed on Christ his Church to witt that she is the foundation and pillar of Truth 2. ad Tim. 3. That she hath the spirit of truth ever to abyde with her Pastors to teach her all truth Io. 14. c. and 16. c. That she is the spowse of Christ without wrinkle or blemish which he hath espoused to himselfe by à continuall assistance vnto the consummation of the world Eph. 5. And finally that she is the Church to whose Iugment in Controversies of Religion wee are to referre our selues and to whose determination without further appeale wee ought to obey vnder the penalty of beinge reputed Heathers and publicans Math. 28. Math. 18. Wherfore I thus resolue that seeinge the Romane Church is Christ his true Church if he hath any on earth as most certainly he hath and that in no age or season Christ his true Church can erre in matters of fayth I ame resolued I saye to receive for à verity of fayth that which the Romane Church hath or shall declare to be such and on the contrary reiect and disclayme from whatsoever doctrine she hath or shall disapproue or condemne as repugnant to Gods worde written or vnwritten Let then her Athistical aduersaries presse never soe much to receive nothinge but that which by their naturall reason they can be convinced of I ame prepared accordinge to the advice of the Apostle to Captiuite my vnderstandinge obsequiously to the mysteries of fayth as beinge supernaturall and transeendinge naturall reason And therfore will I rest in the Iudgment of the Church which is ever directed by à supernaturall Agent that teacheth her all Truth Hee that seeketh fayth seeketh not reasō Sayth Tertullian and Chrisologus Athens hath nothing to intermeddle with Hierusalem nor the Academy with the Church our schoole is the porch of Solomon which teacheth vs that wee must search for God with simplicity of Hart and not with frivolous curiositie of naturall reason what wronge doth the Creator to vs if he would haue vs beleiue more then wee are able to comprehend It is not for the iron to aske of the Adamant from whence those charmes and secret influences come wherwith he attracteth and captiuats him It is enough that he followe when God proposeth à verity to vs by the voyce and generall consent of the Church wee are not to appeale to humaine reason and to sence which haue winges tooshort to vndertake such à flight while one proceedeth in this Manner fayth wil be noe true fayth but à fantesy or opinion If S. Peter would not haue beleiued Christ to haue bin the sonne of God except naturall reason and carnall sence had convinced him therof Our Saviour had not pronounced Blessed art thou Simon Bariona for that fleshe and blood hath not revealed it vnto yow c. vpon this Rock will I build my Church For in the comprehension of the verities and the misteries of fayth It is the spirit that quickeneth and the fleshe profitteth nothinge as our blessed Saviour avoucheth against those which were incredulous that the bread which he would giue to eate was his fleshe for the liffe of the world For according to S. Gregoire Fides non habet meritum vbi ratio praebet experimentum and therefore blessed ore those who beleeue and doe not see viz by the evidence of natural reason or sense Lett also Heretickes obiect against any Article of our fayth any Texte of Scriptures perversly or malitiously interpretted and to theire owne perdition misvnderstood according to the dictamen of their owne private vnwarranted spiritt Lett them I saye with noe lesse pryde then madmes proclayme the Churches authority lyable to Error in declaringe what is truly Cōformable or repugnant to the worde I value not their erronious Iudgments knowinge full well that she is ever assisted by the spirit of all teachinge truth accordinge to the infallible promise of Christ and cānot teach any thinge repugnant to the worde of God noe more then God can teach contrary to himselfe who is her director And therfore whosoever harkenneth vnto her voyce that is to the generall Iudgment of the Pastors and teachers heareth the voyce and word of Christ soe that the worde of the Church is the worde of Christ Whence S. Augustin who dilligently observed this rule sayeth The truth of Scripture is holden by vs when wee doe that which know hath pleased the vniversall Church which the authority of the same Scripture doth commend that seeinge the Holy Scripture cannot deceive whosoever feareth to be deceived by the obscurity of this question lett him take Counsell therof from the Church which without any ambiguitie the Scriptures doth demonstrate And in another place he sayth it is most insolent madnes what she professes and practices to call in question Epist. 118. ad Ianuarium cap. 5. And why I pray is this most insolent madnesse to question what the Church professes and practiseth but because this in effect is to denie or dispute against the Canonicall Scriptures aknowledged on both sides For if in the aknowledged worde of God by most cleare testimonies the authority of Christ his Church is soe highly magnified as that she is styled the pillar and foundation of Truth the vnspotted Spouse without wrinkle his body his Lott his Inheritance and kingdome given him in this world in which he hath placed Apostles Doctors and Pastors to the Consummation of the Electe which Doctors are ever assisted by the spirit that teacheth them all truth and accompanied by our Saviour to the Consummation of the world who Comaunds vs to harken to his Spouse the Church Sub poena of beinge reputed Heathens or Publicans Tell me then is not this most insolent madnesse to call her profession and practice in question Note To be soe Antichristianly proud as to preferr our owne Iudgments and expositions of the worde before the Church which is directed by the Spirit of Truth Is not this in words to boast much of Scriptures and indeed not to follow them for if yow search the Scriptures that is profoundly and not superficiasly or malitiously consider them yow shall finde that the same are they that give testimony of her and how she is to be obeyed and as eagerly followed Wherfore to draw to à Conclusion seeinge the true Church of Christ which is but one cannot Erre in matters of Fayth and onely the Romane Church beareth the vnseperable marke of it To vse the Apostle S. Paules words From hence foward lett noe man trouble me for I beare the markes of my Lorde Iesus in my bodie ad Gal. 5. from hence forth let noe man goe about to molest my conscience for being incorporated in the bodie of