bases In this question touching the visibilitie of the Catholike Church three terms are to be explicated 1. Church 2. Catholike 3. Visible First church by church we understand not a particular congregation or company confined to one certain place parish city or country for such a particular Church is not always visible Where there have been visible professours in many famous cities and countries there are few or none now and where there were none before as in divers parts of America there are visible churches now The canâ—lesticks follow the light and when the light that is the preaching of the gospel is removed the congregations that is the candlesticks are also removed and from what câ—y or country soever both are translated there is darknesse and in darknesse no visibilitie Secondly catholike is taken in a double sense logicall and theologicall logicall for a generic all notion of a church which is predicated of every particular church tanquam genus de specie as when we say the Greek or the Latine is a christian church In this sense church is the object of the understanding not of the sense and catholike so taken is intelligible not sensible or visible For universalia qua talia non cadunt sub sensum Secondly theologicall for the whole companie of all that are called to the knowledge of the truth and outward means of salvation by Christ having Gods word and ordinances among them The catholike church so taken is spread over the face of the whole earth and though not in the whole lump yet in every part and parcel thereof is visible so long as that part and parcel continueth a member or portion of the catholike church and though some members like branches of the golden tree in the poet be cut off or wither yet others rise up in their places or upon some other boughs or arms of that great tree Thirdly visible when we say the catholike church in a theological notion is visible we mean in respect of outward profession of faith and publike use of sacraments common to all christians not in respect of the inward grace of the spirit and proper marks of the elect for so it is not object to sense Those marks are like the white-stone in the Apocalypse which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it and in this notion the whole companie of the elect is by our divines called the invisible church not that the elect in it are not seen but because this cannot be seene or known by sense that they are elect A child seeth a shining stone which is a diamond topaz or some precious gem but he knoweth it not to be a true jewell all men knew Nathaniel to be an Israelite but our Saviour only the beams of whose eyes pierced into the hidden corners of his heart could say behold a true Israelite in whom there is no guil That a man is a true Israelite that is hath true faith is a matter of faith and the catholike church taken for a companie of such as they are such is an article of our creed credo sanctam ecclesiam catholicam I beleeve there is such a holy catholike church but neither I nor any man else can discover it to be such by sense Yet to avoyd all mistaking the church we beleeve in the creed is not a distinct church from that which we see in the severall and particular members thereof For the elect which make the invisible church are in the visible as the soul is in the bodie or a diamond in a ring or the apple in the eye or gold in the oare and we may properly call them the church of the church as Demosthenes called Athens the Greece of Greece and Cicero Leontium the Sicilie of Sicilie Of the catholike church as it is invisible we dispute not now but as it is in the parts and members thereof visible and our question is rather de modo than de re not whether the church be always visible but how farre it is visible and whether such visibilitie be a proper and inseparable note thereof We acknowledge there hath been and ever will be a true church visible but not always eminent conspicuous but not always illustrious known but not always nutorioâ—s fair and specious but not always pompous and glorious For what shew could a church make when it consisted but in Abel and he was murdered and afterwards in Enoch and he was taken from the company of men to walk with God or at the death of our Saviour when as Alenâ—â—s reacheth the true faith remained onely in the blessed virgin and one candle alone left on Easter evening burning after all the other are put out in the Roman Church implyeth as much if we may believe the interpreters of that ceremonie Certainly the Church was brought to a low ebb when the deluge overflowed the whole world and only eight persons were preserved in the ark and it is a question whether all of them were eternally saved I am sure one of them namely Cham was cursed of God Shew me the glorious lustre of a visible church in the days of the Patriarks pilgrimage in Mesopotamia or their posterities bondage in AEgypt or captivitie in Babylon in which sad times they who lived and belonged to the true church sighed to God often in private but were not suffered to pray to him in publike they lifâ—ed up their hearts no doubt continually but not their hands they were so streightly manacled they often looked towards the holy city and the place where Gods honour dwelt but they could not stir their foot towards it for they were fettered All their sacrifices they could then offer were their broken and contrite hearts and their sweetest incense their burning desires and their drink offerings their tears which they powred out by the waters of Babylon and made them waters of Marah salt and bitter No marvail that the spouse of Christ hid her self in a strange land and then covered her face when it was swoln with grief and blubbered with tears but did she ever so in her own country and kingdom Did she ever wear a mask in Judah and Israel Did she ever there shut up her self in her closet and water her plants Certainly she did as we read 2 Chro. 15. 3. Now for a long season Israel had been without the true God and without a teaching priest and without the law but when they in their trouble did turn to the Lord God of Israel and sought him he was found of them v. 5. and in those times there was no peace to him that went out not to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries What face of a church was to be seen in the days of Elijah who maketh this grievous complaint against Israel 1 King 19. 10. The children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant thrown down thine altats and slain thy prophets with the sword and I even I only
Aug. l. 18. de civ. Dei c. 20. Roma est altera Babylon prioris filia Babylon was the first Rome and Rome is as it were the second Babylon Apoc. 18. 7. Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foule spirit and a cage of every uncleane and hatefull bird Roma Ruens Romes Ruine Being A SVCCINCT ANSWER To A POPISH CHALLENGE Concerning The antiquity unity universality succession and perpetuall visibility of the true Church even in the most obscure times when it seemed to be totally eclipsed in the immediate ages before LUTHER By DANIEL FEATLEY D. D. MIC 7. 8. Rejoyce not against me O mine enemie when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me Leo Seâ—m. in natal Petri Pauli Non â—inuitur persecutionibus ecclesia dei sed augetur magis Ager dominicus segete ditiore vestitur dum grana quae singula cadunt multiplicata nascuntur Theod. comment in epist ad Philippen {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} LONDON Printed by Thomas Purslow for Nicholas Bourne at the South entrance of the Royall Exchange 1644. PErlegi hunc polemicum tractatum cui titulus est Romes Ruine atque ut valde doctum nervosum dignum censeo qui prelo mandetur Iohannes Downame A Table of the speciall contents I. THe Popish Challenge II. The preface to the Reader wherin the main and principall question concerning the visibility of the Church is stated and determined according to scriptures III. The answer to the Challenge Paragraph I. Concerning the name catholike p. 1 Para. II. Concerning the attributes of our christian saith one true divine and infallible p. 3 III. That divine faith is confined to the written word of God and is unchangeable p. 5 IV. Touching the propagation of the christian Faith to all ages by pastors and teachers lawfully sent p. 8 V. Concerning the perpetuity of the true Church p. 7 VI That the true church was never simply invisible nor so obscure but that it had true professors known to the members therof though often invisible to the adversaries p. 12 VII That the Roman Church that is a Church holding the present Romish Trent-faith hath not bin alwayes visible p. 13 VIII That the Roman Church neither hath bin nor is at this day catholike viz. universall p. 16 IX That the Roman Church hath not had an uninterrupted succession of true bishops and pastors derived from the Apostles p. 17 X. That the Roman Church hath not the pretended mark of unity and that Papists differ among themselves in many substantiall points of faith particularly mentioned p. â—â— XI That the Roman Church is not truly an Apostolicall church much lesse the only Apostolicall church out of which there is no salvation p. 26 XII That amplitude and eminent visibility are no markes of the true Church and obiter of the large bounds of the greek church pa. 27 XIII Where the true Church was when the Roman fell from her first faith p. 30 XIV Where and who were the true professors of the reformed Religion in the immediate age before Luther p. 32 XV That Questions de fide cannot be determined by meer humane stories p. 37 XVI That all who make not open profession of faith in time of persecution are not to be condemned for hypocrites p. 39 XVII Of the first conversion of the english nation to the Christian faith p. 40 XVIII Of the faith of Gregory the great and that for substance it was the same that we professe at this day is proved by instance in 12 main points of difference between the reformed and the present Roman Church p. 43 XIX Of the faith of Constantine the great and that the church in his dayes maintained the same doctrine with us is proved by the testimonies of the doctors of the Church who flourished in that age p. 50 Indiculus authorum A. G. Abbot Abulensis Adrianus AEneas Sylvius Alfonsus a Castro Almaine Alvarez Ambrosius Med. Anastasius Andradius T. Aquinas Athanasius Augustinus B. Barclayus C. Baronius Basilius mag. Beda Bellarminus Benno Card. Berengarius Bertram Bilson Birbeck Bonaventura M. Bucerus C. Cajetanus Canus Capito Catharinus Chrysostomus I. Cocleus Constantinus Contarenus Curopalata Cyprianus Cyrillus Hieros D. Damasus Dicetus Dionysius Arâ—op Driedo E. Elfricus S. Ephrem Epiphanius Erasmus Eusebius F. Fabritius Ferus Field Fisherus Fox Fulgosus G R. Gallus Genebrardus Gerardus Gerson Gildas Glaber Rodolphus Gratianus Gregorius M. Gretserus Ies. H. M. Hart. Helvicus Hieronymus Hilarius P. Homerus Hugo de sanct. vict. L. Humphredus I. Huz I. Iacobus Christop. T. Iamesius Ignatius Illyricus Fl. Innocentiâ—s Ioachimus Ab. Ioachimus Ca. Ionas Aurel. Irenaus Invenalis L. Lactantius Lambertus Geasomb P. Lombardus Luitprandus Lucius Tudensis I. Lidius M. Macarius Aegy Mantuanus Marselius P. Martialis Martinus Luther Ph. Melancthon Minutius felix Metrophnes Crit. P. Molineus N. Nazianzenus G. Neâ—â—rionsis Nioephorus Nicetas Abbas O. G. Occaâ— Orthwinus Osiander P. Pacianus Parsonus Ies. Pellicanus Petrus de Alliacâ— Photius Al. Pighius Plichdorâ—ius M. Polonus Pontanus H. Pragensis S. Prosper Q. Quirâ—ga Card. R. Rainerius I. Raiâ—oldus Rhemist Roffenfis S. Salviaâ—â—s Scotus Dans Erigâ—â— Sigebertus Sigonius Sisselius Socrates hist. D. Seto Stella Suarez Sulpitius Severus T. R. Tapperus Tertullianus Theodoretus Theophilus Alex. C. Turrecremata V. Vasquez Vbertinus a Casaâ—s Vignierus Virgilius Vortleg Vsherus W. Wesselus Groning G. Whitakerus F. White Wiâ—â—lius Widdrinâ—â—nus Wimpina I. Wâ—lâ—ius THE CHALLENGE WE catholikes say that there is always one and but one true divine and infallible faith professed by the church of Christ without which none can please God nor attain to salvation this one true faith generally preached through the world was not to cease with the Apostles and their immediate hearers but was by Christs promise to continue unchanged to the worlds end For so 't is said Mat. ult. behold I am with you all dayes even to the consummation of the world and John 14. The holy Ghost whom my Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things This divine truth once established to the end it might continue was to be derived to posterity not by angels sent to teach particular persons nor by illuminated brethren of Amsterdam still pretending new light but by a continued succession of known visible pastours and bishops lawfully ordained and sent to preach it perpetually in despight of all new sectaries and novellers whatsoever Whence we say it followeth that not for six hundred years only as many protestants grant there was a true church free from spot of error but likewise in all ages following there ever was and must be such a church in the union wherof all sorts might be saved For to say as some protestants doe the church was long invisible besides that it is contrary to many clear prophesies and predictions of the old Testament it
am left and they seek my life to take it away I suppose a clearer evidence of the latencie and obscuritie of the church cannot be brought Yet our Rhemists and Romanists seek to avoyd it by laying the whole blame upon the ten tribes of Israel and clearing Judah But it is too manifest by the reformation of Ezekiah 2 King 18. 4. and Josiah 2. King 22. 23. and the judgement of God upon Manasses 2 King 24. 3. that Judah was partaker with Israel and therefore both are alike charged by the spirit of God 2 King 17. 13. Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Iudah by all the prophets and by all the seers saying turn you from your evill ways and keep my commandements and my statutes v. 14. notwithstanding they would not hear nor obey but hardned their necks like to the necks of their fathers v. 16. they made molten images and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal v. 19. also Iudah kept not the commandements of the Lord their God but walked in the staâ—…es of Israel which they made therefore the Lord cast away all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of spoylers and carried them into the land Ashur where according to the prophesie of Hosea c. 3. 4. the children of Israel abode many days without a king and without a prince and without a sacrifice and without an image without an Ephod and without a Teraphim A sad text to comment upon no king no priest no scepter no censer no throne of David no chayr of Moses no court no temple Where was now the glorious hierarchie our adversaries dream of where was the reverend assembly of prelates the numerous congregations of people the solemn feasts the stately processions the rich furniture and pompous ceremonies and glittering shews which make the lustre of such a church as they would have Where was now the citie set upon a hill that cannot be hid the tabernacle piched in the sun At this time and afterwards in the days of Jeremie and Ezekiel and likewise after the death of our Saviour during first the ten persecutions of the church by the heathen emperours and in the middle by the Arrian and last of all by antichristian princes and states the true church was more like to the moon than the sun which is ofttimes in the wane sometimes in a partiall and sometimes also in a totall eclipse and true beleevers are compared to the sands which are by the sea shore and appear innumerable in calm and fair weather but in trouble som times as it were in a rough sea tribulationum tentationum fluctibus operiuntur atque turbantur not a sand is to be seen Such times have been and we are to expect no better in the lees of time and latter days For then many false prophets shall arise and deceive many Mat. 24. 11. and because iniquitie shall abound the love of many shall wax cold there shall be a falling away or a generall apostasie from the christian faith and the man of sin shall be revealed the son of perdition and the tail of the dragon shall draw the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth and the divell shall rage the more by how much his time is shorter and the dragon shall give power unto the beast and he shall make war with the saints and overcome them and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life When iniquitie getteth the upper hand and antichrist shall be in his highest elevation shall the son of man then find faith upon the earth that is as the Romish commentators themselvs expound the word any publike outward profession of faith any beauty of holinesse or appearance of a christian church S. Augustine resolveth negatively by the sun moon and stars the church in regard of her clearest lights and eminent professors is understood when the sun shall be darkned and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven the church shall not appear wicked men persecuting her above measure Against which times the Lord arm and prepare his dearest servants that love the truth in sincerity Aldersgate London from prison in Peter-house August the first 1644. Thine in the Lord Iesus D. F. AN ANSWER TO A POPISH CHALLENGE Touching the antiquity and visibility of the true church and other questions depending thereon PARAGRAPH I. Concerning the name catholike CHALLENGE We catholikes say c. Answer IF I mistake not in my guesse you seem to be some mendicant fryer and according to that profession you begin with begging for in the very first words you beg the main point in question to wit that you are catholikes saying We catholikes prove your selvs to be so and then speak so win the name and bear it mean while say not we catholikes but we papists or if you have a months mind to the name catholike qualifie it and allay it with your distinctive term Roman and speak as your fellowes do we of the * catholike Roman church that is we of the universall particular church for if catholike be universall surely roman is particular Or rather say not we catholikes say but we say that we are catholikes for this hath been the say of all hereticks and schismaticks The Arrians saith Salvianus and all other mis-beleevers are hereticks in our account but not in their own nay they so farre over wâ—â—n themselvs catholikes that they stick not to defâ—… us who are truly catholikes with the title and brand of hereticks As Sâ—… Magus stiled himself the great power of God and Iezabel called her selfe a prophetesse and Nestorius a notorious heretick covered himself with a vail of an orthodox professour and the Turks though it appear out of all stories that they came from Hagar the bond-â—oâ—â—n and are truly Hagarâ—ns yet give themselves the names of 〈◊〉 so you papists generally though you are a medley or cento of many hereticks both ancient and latter yet you voyce your selvs catholikes and your own testimony is the best if not the onely plea you have to that title For if any other whom you hove not taught to speak give you that title it is out os ignorance or in derision as the Athenians made a decree to deine Alexander quia Alexander vult esse deus sit Deus because Alexander will be a god let him be a god The term catholike cannot be taken but in one of these two senses either properly for universall and so it is opposed to particular or improperly for orthodoxall and so it is opposed to hereticall or schismaticall When this epithere is applyed to the church it is taken in the first sense {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} supple {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but when it is applyed to faith it is for the
most part taken in the latter sense as in the creed of Athanasius whosoever will be saved must hold the catholike faith that is the orthodox faith which he there setteth down for at that time when he wrote that creed of his was not catholike in the first sense that is generally and uâ—â—versally received if that be true which Vincentius writeth the pâ—…son of the Arrians did not infect only a portion of the church but 〈◊〉 a manner â—ainâ—ed the whole world insomuch that almost all the laâ—â—n bishops being surprised by fraud or by force had a mist cast before their eys In neither of these two senses of the word can either your church or your faith or your persons be termed catholike Not your church for Dr. Reynolds hath long ago demonstrated in his second Thesis thaâ—… present Roman church is neither the catholike church of Christ nor a sound member thereof not your faith for that as I said before so farre as it differs from ours is patcht up of many heresies not your persons for they are singular or individuall and therefore cannot be catholikes that is â—â—iversall Here you use to alledge for your selvs a passage out of Pacianus christian is my name and catholike is my sirname But what is this to you unlesse you could prove that Pacianus held your Trent faith when you prove that I will immediatly turn Roman catholike till you shew some affinity between your faith and his you cannot challenge his sirname catholike As for his meaning in this his elegant motto christian is my name and catholike is my sirname he alludeth evidently to the manner of the Romans and some other nations who used to give their children two names at least one common as Marcus or Cneius or Caius the other proper as Cicero or Crassus or Anthony or Pompey and the sense his words carry is this christian is a name which I have in common with all that in any sort beleeve the gospel and are neither Jews not Paynims but catholike is my proper name whereby I am distinguished from divers sorts of christians to wit all those who professe christianity in generall yet not purely but with mixture of some heresie or schismatically sever themselvs from the communion of the catholike that is the universall church and truly the name catholike in his days as also in the days of S. Austin when the hereticks were but a handfull and lurked but in corners here and there was a distinctive term for then the hereticks in regard of their paucitie could not with any colour pretend to the name catholike but afterwards when heresies became catholike that is spread over the whole face of the church and the orthodox christians were far fewer in number the title catholike ceased to be a note of distinction and the word orthodox was used in stead thereof to distinguish true beleevers from all miscreants hereticall or schismaticall PARAG. II. Concerning the attributes of our christian faith true divine and infallible Challenge That there is always one and but one true divine and infallible faith professed by the church of Christ without which none can please God or attain to salvation c. Answer When I read your preface and compared it with that which followeth I could not but think of Oretes pots sent for a present to Polycrates in which there was a little gold laid on the top and under it nothing but trash for after these two golden assertions of the unity and immutability of the true divine and infallible faith laid as it were in the top of your discourse there is nothing to be found under them but lead and trash as shall appear hereafter in the gaging it I grant there is one and but one true divine and infallible faith but you should have explicated how but one and in what sense Divine and infallible faith hath been always and is one for substance though not for circumstance all beleevers even from Adam were though not in name yet in truth christians Christ and his meritorious actions and passions were the object of their faith as well as ours but they beleeved in Christ to come we in Christ that is come we and they resemble the spies that carried the bunch of grapes on their shoulders the former who went before looked backward the latter who went behind looked forward on the grapes they looked forward with the eys of their faith on the incarnation passion resurrection and ascension of Christ to come we look backward on these as past they saw Christ in foregoing types we in succeeding sacraments Yea but it may be objected that many new articles of faith are daily declared and many new theologicall conclusions found out else how should knowledge encrease How then is the faith of the church always one For answer hereunto I will borrow Vincentius his decision what saith he is there no profiting in Christs school no growth in faith and the knowledge of salvation Yes very great but provided always that this progresse be a going forward in the same way to heaven not a turning out of the way an improvement of faith no change that is holding the same principles of faith we may and ought daily by the studies of scriptures deduce new conclusions but such as are vertually contained in those principles not such as are any way repugnant to them so long as we mutilate not our creed by dis-beleeving or mis-beleeving any article of it and whatsoever we offer farther to be beleeved we cleerly and evidently conclude from scriptures or other prime and fundamentall articles of christian religion the faith of the church is still one Secondly this faith is said to be divine in a three-fold regard 1. Of the object which is God 2. The efficient which is the spirit of God 3. The motive which is the word of God or the authoritie of the speaker which is divine and because God cannot deceive nor be deceived hence it followeth that the faith which is grounded upon his word is infallible and such is the faith of the reformed church of England one divine and infallible whereas on the contrary your romish faith is neither one nor divine nor infallible Not one for you differ one from another in many substantiall points of faith as is proved Paragraph the X. Nor divine for the last resolution of your faith is unto the church a company of men subject to error Nor is it infallible for it is partly grounded upon unwritten traditions which vary partly upon the decrees of Popes and councels which contradict one the other the generall synod held at Ariminum contradicted the first of Nice in the point of Christs deity the councell at Frankeford contradicted the second councell of Nice in the point of images the generall councell held at Lateran contradicted the generall councell at Basil in the point of supremacie and I could with a wet finger produce divers decrees of Popes out