Via tuta THE SAFE WAY Leading all Christians by the testimonies and confessions of our best learned Aduersaries to the true ancient and Catholique faith now professed in the Church of England By HVMFREY LYNDE Knight IEREMIAH 6.16 Stand ye in the wayes and see and aske for the old pathes where is the good way and walke therein and you shall find rest for your soules but they said we will not walke therein LONDON Printed by G. M. for Robert Milbourne and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Gray-hound 1628. To the Religious and well affected Gentrie of this Kingdome IF for no other cause yet for this alone that the world may know it is no difficult matter for a meane Lay-man to prooue the ancient visibilitie of the Protestant profession I haue attempted to send foorth this Essay of my poore endeuours in this cause being thereunto prouoked by a challenge heretofore sent vnto me by a Iesuite in these words viz. That Sir Humfrey or his friends should prooue out of some good Authors that the Protestant Church was in all ages visible especially in the ages before Luther It is not my profession I must confesse to returne challenges or publish works of this nature yet knowing that Truth is iustified of her children I haue presumed as a child of that Mother to vindicat her cause and maintaine my owne reputation and in answer hereunto I shall present such proofes as are warranted by Certificat and confession not onely of the most orthodox Fathers but of the Romish Bishops and Cardinals and other moderne Writers in the Romane Church It is an vndoubted truth subscribed by both parties that the faith which Christ and his Apostles taught in the first age had visible professors in al ages It were therefore sufficient without any further recital of succeeding witnesses to proue that the now Faith of the Church of England is that Faith which was once deliuered to the Saints by Christ and his Apostles but I rather condescend to meete the Aduersarie vpon his owne ground and to deale with him at the same weapon which himselfe hath chosen wherein on our part the Ancient Fathers shall be my Champions and his owne Romish Bishops and Cardinals and Schoolemen shall be my Seconds as being Testes veritatis witnesses of Gods truth professed in our Church Of what strength and force is Truth shal appeare 〈◊〉 his that shee extorts a full and ample testimonie from her sworne enemies to make good the visibility of our Church nor that only but she denyes antiquity and vniuersalitie to the principall Articles of the new Romane Creed wherin she points forth that old and true way and this is acknowledged on both sides to be Via tuta The safe Way vpon which ground it is likewise lawfull for me to frame a counterchallenge by demanding By what authoritie of Scriptures ancient Fathers they haue imposed new Articles of Christian beliefe vpon Priests people sure I am those twelue new coined Articles declared by their grād Councel of Trent and published by Pope Pius the fourth are so far short from the knowledge of antiquitie that as yet they are scarce vnderstood amongst their own Disciples for Articles of Faith And their best learned Romanists professe openly that most of them were vnknowne to former ages It is no wonder that a blind obedience and an implicit faith is so much obtruded to the ignorant of the Romane Church when their best learned Doctors are forced to confesse touching the chiefe Articles wherein they differ from vs that they can neither subsist by Antiquitie nor stand with the safety of the beleeuer Neither may it seeme strange that these mē should create new Articles of faith when as they dare alter and detract from the Commandements of God witnesse their Decalogue so often published by the Church of Rome here now prefixed wherein not only the second Commandement is left out as it is vsually in all their Psalters but the fourth Cōmandement touching the Sabbath day is changed into these words Remember thou sanctifie Holy-dayes But as for these peccadillos the recitall of them I account a sufficient refutation In the meane time those men who call for a Catalogue of names of such Protestants as taught and professed the 39. Articles of Religion of our Church in all ages let them in euery age produce one Ancient and orthodox Father who did teach and maintaine their twelue new Articles de Fide which they command vnder a curse to be beleeued of all men I say let them produce but one in euery age or but anyone in all the ages for 1500. yeares after Christ till the dayes of Luther that taught and beleeued all their twelue new Articles de Fide as points of faith and for that one good Authors sake I will be so liberal as to acknowledge their professors visible in al ages I will say their Bishops and Cardinals and Schoolemen which haue witnessed the Antiquitie of our doctrine were mistaken and ought to bee reformed by an Index Expurgatorius I will testifie the Reformed Churches are guiltie of Noueltie and submit my obedience with an implicit faith to the Romane Church And as touching my owne particular I professe through the prouocation of a Iesuite I haue vnwillingly thrust my sickle into other mens haruest yet I witnesse a true confession before God and man that I haue neither willingly nor wilfully falsified any one Author either in citation or translation in this Treatise If any slips haue hapned which I doe confesse for want of helpe and opportunitie may befall me let it be shewed mee by answer moderately plainely and faithfully and I will ingeniously confesse the weaknesse not of our doctrine but of my own handling So for this time vntill it please God to giue opportunitie to publish some further fruits of my labours in this kind I heartily desire good interpretation and fauourable acceptance of the beginnings and endeuours of him who is At your seruice in Christ and for his Truth H.L. THE NEW Creed of the Church of Rome Bulla Pij Quarti pro forma Iuramenti professionis fidei Datum Romae Anno 1564. 1. This new Creed is added to the Nicene Creed and prescribed by Pope Pius the fourth to be receiued with an oath as the true Catholique faith and that it might resemble the Apostles Creed they haue set it in an Apostolique forme in twelue Articles I Admit and embrace the Apostolicall Ecclesiasticall Traditions and the other obseruations and constitutions of the Church 2. I admit the holy Scriptures according to that sence which the holy Mother Church hath and doth hold whose right is to iudge of the true sence and interpretation of holy Scriptures neither will I euer receiue and expound it but according to the Vniforme Consent of the Fathers 3. I professe that there are truly and properly seuen Sacramēts of the new Law instituted by
obscure assemblies but in open Churches and generall Congregations of our owne Countrie in the darkest ages long before Luthers daies But obserue the comming of our aduersarie That book which was published in Anselmes daies for instruction and visitation of the sicke the same booke I say both for matter and substance hath of late yeares beene printed at Paris at Collen Ordo Baptizandi cum modo visitandi infirmos Paris anno 1575. Colon. anno 1556. Ven. anno 1575. at Venice whereby not onely the doctrine of merits is ecclipsed but the now Romane faith is discouered to differ from the ancient what therefore can bee expected how these men should iustifie their owne printed Authors Behold the Romane Inquisitors haue carefully prouided by two Expurgatory Indices Quiroga p. 149. Sandoual Roxas anno 1612. that the words of comfort which the Priest was enioyned to pronounce to the sicke person should be all blotted out and although the Inquisitors haue not as yet passed their sentence vpon Aelfricks Homilie Aelfricks Sermon on Easter day printed at London 1623. pag. 7. yet in that Homilie they haue suggested Transubstantiation by two feined miracles contrary to the doctrine of the Eucharist then publiquely taught and farre different from the whole Scope of the Author and the Latine Epistle written by Aelfricke to the Arch-bishop of Yorke is to be seene mangled and razed in a Manuscript in Bennets Colledge in Cambridge as is well obserued by a learned Diuine D. Iames in his corruption of Fathers pag. 55 and I cannot conceiue but it was done by some Romanist because it doth plainely confute the doctrine of Transubstantiation Thus wee see what time and errors hath brought to passe That Protestant faith which in Aelfricks daies was generally receiued in England for Catholique doctrine is now condemned as hereticall by a preuailing faction in the Romane Church and that word of truth which was published in Anselmes daies for the saluation of Priests and people in the English Church is now condemned by an Index Expurgatorius with a Deleatur vpon those sauing words but I say of them as Saint Ambrose sometimes pronounced of the Arrians Ambros orat 1. contr Arrian Transubstātiation They may well blot out our letters but our faith they shall neuer abolish Againe looke vpon their doctrine of Transubstantiation and you shall see how miserably their Church is deuided touching the antiquity and vniuersality of that point of faith some deriue it from the words of Christ others from Christs Benediction before the words were vttered some from the exposition of the Fathers others from the councel of Lateran some from the authoritie of the Scriptures others from the determination of the Church and whereas many other points of the Romish doctrine are pretended to be Apostolicall Traditions as hauing no foundation in the written word it is obserued by learned Du Plessis that the Papists generally maintaine that their Masse is prooued from the Scripture insomuch as in the 28. of Matthew and other places where there is mention made of the Sacrament the ordinarie Glosse doth note with capital letters in the Margent Moru de Miss lib. 1. c. 1. in initio Here is the Institution of the Masse It was the great vaunt of Campian the Iesuite Camp Rat. If the Protestants name the Gospell we ioyne with them the verie words are for vs This is my body this is my bloud and Bellarmine his fellow Iesuite professeth confidently that the words Bellar. de Euch. l. 1. c. 11. This is my bodie are of the essence of the Sacrament and they are operatiue If wee shall further question at what time whether before or after the wordes spoken there is a conuersion of the elements into the bodie and bloud of Christ Aquinas tels vs Vltimum instans prolationis verborum est primum instant in quo est in Sà cramento corpus Christi in toto autemtempore praecedenti est item substantia panis Aqu. par 3. q. 75. art 7. ad 1. that the verie last instance of the deliuerie of those words is the first instance of Christs bodie in the Sacrament but in all the time before there is the substance of bread remaining If these men therfore haue spoken the truth let them beare witnesse of the truth onely let mee tell you they want that vnitie in this point of faith which they appropriate as a speciall marke to their Church and for proofe of this I will proceed to publication of witnesses wherein I will produce no other testimonies but their owne learned Authors and I presume a better proofe then their owne confessions none of them can expect whereby it shall appeare that their grand point of Transubstantiation hath neither foundation in our Scriptures nor certaintie in the Fathers nor vnitie among themselues to conclude it for an Article of beleefe Touching the words of Consecration Salmeron the Iesuite speaking in the person of the Grecians deliuers their opinion in this manner Cham. lib. 6. de Euch. c. 7. When the Benediction of the Lord is not superfluous or vaine neither gaue hee simply bread it followeth when he gaue it the transmutation was made and those wordes This is my body did demonstrate what was contained in the bread Ex Catholicis solus Caietanus in Commentario huius Articuli qui iussu Pij Quinti in Romanâ editione expunctus est docuit seclusa Ecclesiae authoritate verba illa Hoc est corpus meum ad veritatem hanc confirmandā non sufficere Suar. Tom. 3. disp 46. not what was made by them And Swarez the Iesuite ingeniously professeth that Cardinall Caietan in his Commentarie vpon this Article did affirme that those words of Christ This is my body do not of themselues sufficiently prooue Transubstantiation without the supposed authoritie of the Church and therefore by the commandement of Pius Quintus that part of his Commentarie is left out of the Romish Edition Habemus confitentem wee haue a faire confession for a Cardinall and a friendly caueat touching the spunging of his authoritie And that the world may know these men are better friends to our cause then many yet conceiue them I will produce both Cardinals and Bishops and Schoolemen who will testifie with vs that there are no words in Scripture to proue Transubstantiation that those words This is my body are not of the essence of the Sacrament that the ancient Fathers did not beleeue the substance of the Sacramentall bread to be conuerted into Christs reall flesh and lastly that Transubstantiation was not beleeued de Fide as a matter of faith aboue 1000 yeares after Christ And first I will giue you their owne confessions touching the place and proofe of Transubstantiation deriued from the Scriptures Quomodò fit corpus Christi vtrum per cōuersionem alicuius c. Biel in Con. Missae Lect. 40. Gabriel Biel How the body of Christ is in the Sacrament Non
may be thought a strange saying Si tollamus authoritatem praesentis Ecclesiae praesentis Concilij in dubium reuocari poteruÌ„t omnium aliorum Conciliorum decreta tota fides Christiana Idem ibid. that one testimonie of a late Councell might suffice for an Article of faith which by his owne Tenet requires Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Consent yet this Cardinall proceeds further and tells vs the authoritie of this Councell is so auaileable for this point yea for all Articles of faith that if wee should take away the credit of the Roman Church and Councell of Trent the decrees of other Councels nay euen Christian faith it selfe might be called in question If by Christian faith the Cardinal vnderstand the present Romane faith without doubt this saying is most true See D. Fearly in his writ of Error against the Appealer p. 54. 55 c. for if we consider their misinterpreting the Ancient Creed and there creating of a New it cannot possibly be defended but by the Romane Church the Trent Councel but if he mean the generall sauing faith of all true beleeuers I may truly say this Tenet is a foundation of Atheisme for who can truly say that the word of Christ is not alone sufficient for the faith of all beleeuing Christians It is the voice of the blessed Apostle I haue not shunned to declare vnto you all the counsell of God Acts 20.27 And Bellarmine himselfe is forced to confesse That all those things are written by the Apostles which are necessarie for all men and which the Apostles preached generally to all Besides how can the saith of Christians depend vpon a Church which is fallen from the faith or how can a generall beleefe of Christianitie relye safely vpon a Councel that is disclaimed by the greatest part of the Christian world viz. by England by France by Germanie c. But to let passe the Heluetian the Scottish the Germane and the English Churches what will become of the ancient Church of Rome nay what will become of their owne Schoolemen in the latter ages did they all beleeue and teach that there were neither more nor lesse then seuen Sacraments did they maintaine they were all instituted by Christ did they professe they were all truly and properly Sacraments of the new Law If any learned man or if all the learned men aliue shall prooue that the seuen Trent Sacraments were instituted by Christ that all the Fathers or any one Father in the Primitiue Church or any knowne Author for aboue a thousand yeares after Christ did teach that there were neither more nor lesse then seuen truely and properly so called and to be beleeued of all for an Article of faith all which is the constant doctrine of the Church of Rome let the Anathema fall vpon my head First it is agreed on both sides that the Sacraments of the new Law were instituted by Christ for he onely hath authoritie to seale the Charter in whose authority onely it is to grant it Now as Princes seales confirme and warrant their deeds and charters so doe the Sacraments witnesse vnto our consciences that Gods promises are true and shall continue for euer Thus doth God make knowne his secret purpose to his Church first he declareth his mercies by his word then he sealeth it and assureth it by his Sacraments In the word we heare his promises in the Sacraments wee see them The difference then betwixt the Church of Rome and vs stands in this In the two proper Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper wee haue the element and the institution in the other fiue there wanteth either of these and therefore in a right meaning are not be taken for Sacraments In Baptisme the element is water in the Lords Supper bread wine Baptisme hath the words of Institution Mat. 28.19 Teach all Nations baptizing in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost The Lords Supper likewise hath the wordes of Institution Luk. 22.19 Do this in remembrance of mee and therefore we say these two are properly and truly called Sacraments because in them the element is ioyned to the word and they take their ordinance from Christ and be visible signes of an inuisible sauing grace The other fiue we call them not Sacraments because they haue not the like institution Confirmation was ordained by the Apostles but the Trent Councell confesseth the Sacraments must bee ordained by Christ Pennance and Orders haue not any outward element ioyned to the Word and Matrimonie was not ordained by Christ in the new Testament but by God himselfe in Paradise Besides the grants and seales of Christ viz. the Sacraments are the peculiar and proper possession of the Church of Christ insomuch as Turks and Infidels may haue the benefit of marriage out of the Church yet cannot haue the benefit of Christs SacrameÌ„ts which belong onely to his Church And lastly how Marriage should bee a Sacrament which containeth not grace in it selfe nor power to sanctifie and how it should bee an holy thing as euery Sacrament is termed and yet must be forbidden or rather fornication in the Priests case must bee preferred be fore it Durus sermo This is an hard saâ—ing who can heare it If therefore a generall Councell shall accuse not onely those that denie the number but si quis dixerit If any shall say there are either more or lesse then seuen then woe be to all the ancient Fathers for if they be conuented before the Councel they will all stand guiltie of this curse De latere in cruce pendentis lancea percuffo Sacramenta Ecclesiae pro fluxerunt Aug. in Ioh. Tract 15. Accursed be Ambrose and Austin and Chrysostome and Bede for they taught that out of the side of Christ came the two Sacraments of the Church Bloud and Water but that there were neither more nor lesse then seuen they taught not they beleeued not Jsid OriginuÌ„ siue Etimolog lib. 6. Accursed be Isidore for he accounteth but of three Sacraments viz. Baptisme and Chrysme and the body and bloud of Christ. Part. 4. q. 5. membr 2. art 1. qu. 5. c. Accursed be Alexander ab Hales for hee saith there are onely foure which are in any sort properly to be said Sacraments of the new Law and the other three supposed Sacraments had their being before Cypr. Ablutio pedum Accursed bee the Author bearing the name of Cyprian for he mentioneth onely fiue Sacraments and one of them is Ablutio pedum washing of the Apostles feet which is none of the seuen Sacraments Accursed be Durand MatrimoniuÌ„ noÌ„ est SacramentuÌ„ stricteÌ„ proprie dictuÌ„ sicut alia Sacramenta nouae legis sed est c. In lib. 4. Dist 26. quaest 3. for he alloweth but sixe proper Sacraments for Matrimony saith he is not a Sacrament strictly and properly so called as other Sacraments are Accursed bee Cardinall Bessarion Haec