Romes supremacy Ergo there is no such matter in all the scripture M. Abbot blushing at the vglie shape of this ilfavoured argument to botch it out doth adde that by those seaven churches are figured the whole church of Christ and yet there is not a word in thē of the supremacie of the church of Rome I thinke well nor of thundreth matters moe that belonge to the christian religiō for these seaven short letters which S. Iohn writes to the seaven churches are contained within the compasse of three pages of one little leafe in octauo in their owne bible and can anie man bee so simple as to dreame that all the points of our faith are comprehended within them S. Iohn com̄ends the vertues reprehends the vices of those churches but doth treat of verie few points of doctrine and therfore no strange case if hee spake not of the supremacie of the church of Rome M. Abbots third argument the church of Rome hath a speciall caution given her not to presume vpon her stabilitie in the faith lest she fall Rom. 11.20 S. Paul saying to her Be not high minded but feare for if God spared not the naturall branches take heed also lest hee spare not thee Behold the bountifulnes of God towards thee if thou continue in his boūtifulnes or els also thou shalt bee cut of Ergo what hee had neede to bee a cūning fletcher that could make either a bolt or a shaft of this fit for the purpose First here is nothing at all against the church of Romes supremacie nor yet anie certaine assertion against her stability in the received faith For here is aswell a promise of Gods bountifulnes towards them if they will do well as a threat against them if they do evill Againe all this is besides the cushion for though that Epistle bee to the Romanes yet S. Paul there doth expresly direct that discourse not to the Romanes in particuler but in generall to all the Gentiles beginning it thus for to you Gentils I say c. Ibid. v. 13 and goes on with a comparison betweene the Iewes and the Gentils so that nothing is more perspicuous then that the warning there given is not speciall to the Romans but generall to all Gentiles These loe bee the foregallāts shal I saie or rather the forlorne hope of M. Abbots terrible argumēts marshalled by himself in the forefrōt of his batlle to daūt the Enemy are wee not like thinke you to haue a hott skirmish of it where such drosse and refuse of arguments are thought worthie the first and best place but it were pittie that such a bad cause should bee burnished sett out with anie better M. Abbot having given such a mighty pushe at our position cometh to confute that I said to witt that it is deduced out of Gods word rightly vnderstood according to the interpretation of the ancient fathers that the church of Rome is that rock vpon which Christ built his church against which the gates of hell shall never prevaile To which M. Abbot as though he went about to choke dawes saies that I giue him chalke for cheese bicause I promised a deduction out of the word of God and in steed therof bring an exposition of the ancient fathers Marke gentle reader my words and then thou canst not but find M. Abbot to be an egregious wrangler for I performed that deduction which I promised out of Gods word naming the verie place out of which it is deduced but because I ioyned with it according vnto the exposition of ancient fathers hee like a man scarse well in his wits cries out that in steed of scriptures I bring in an exposition of the fathers when I do make mention of the fathers exposition not as the ground of my deduction but onlie for the true sense of those words of holy scripture out of which I do make the said collection The deduction in my former booke was verie briefe bicause I did there point onlie at the places of holie scriptures out of which it might bee gathered the question of the supremacy being there but touched by the way wherof M. Abbot takes advantage and saies that I am dumbe and can say no more because I will not bee like to him and out of season thrust forth long discourses of by questions I hauing also before written a whole chapter of the supremacy in my second part against M. Perkins where M. Abbot saw well enough that I could haue said here much more of the same matter if need had so required but such is his impudencie that he cares not what hee saie so hee maie make a shewe to his simple reader that hee hath canvased his aduersarie seeing that M. Abbot hath here hudled together verie much of that matter I will more at large sett downe these deductions and orderlie confirme each member therof The first fountaine out of which all the rest do flow as riuers is this The chief superiority in governmēt and authoritie of power over all the church was by our blessed Saviour given to S. Peter and to his successors vnto the end of the world but the Bishops of Rome are S. Peters successors therfore the Bishops of Rome have from our saviours grant and gift authority of power and superiority of goverment over all the church The maior of this argument is to bee deduced out of the word of God the minor being a matter of fact and that which hapned after S. Peters death to wit who was his successor shall haue sound proofe out of the most approved testimony of the best witnesses since that age All which being performed the conclusion that the Bishop of Rome hath supreme commaunding power over all the church must needs stand most assured That our blessed saviour gaue superiority of government to S. Peter vnder the metaphore of a rocke or foundation in building when he said Thou art Peter Math. 16 and vpon this rocke I will build my church Thus I proue Christ made Peter the rock or foundation of his church therfore he gaue to him the chiefest place of government in it for as the foundation is first placed and doth vphold all the rest of the building so he that is the foundation in the spirituall building of Christes church hath the chiefest place therin is to com̄and over all the rest To make this more perspicuous we must call to mind that amongest other titles and names of the church of God one is a house as the Apostle sheweth that thou maist knowe how to converse in the house of God 2. Tim. 3.15 which is the church and the faithfull are called by the same Apostle 1. Cor. 3.9 Ephes 4.12 the building of God Dei aedificatio estis Againe God gaue some Apostles some Doctors c. to the building vp of the bodie of Christ S. Paul as a wise Architect laid the foundation and others builded thervpon Now in that supernaturall and
and Latin church but also by diuers plaine texts of holie scriptures rightly vnderstood according vnto the same most holie and learned Prelates interpretation whom all good Christians are bound to beleeue as the Pastors and Doctors to whom our Saviour Christ committed both the preaching of his word and government of his church in the purer times therof To repeate the same here againe is needles and would bee ouer tedious The reader may if hee please but turne backe to the second section of the first chapter where he shall find them there M. Abbot himself attributeth to the church of Rome eminencie of place precedence of honour authoritie of estimation and accompt and yet here would seeme to deny the same church to bee the chief member of the Catholike church as though eminencie of place and precedence of honor could belong to any other then to the chief church how simple is that which foloweth that albeit in humane estimation the church of Rome may bee more eminent then any other yet with God there is no more respect of the church of Rome then of anie other For those men of which hee himself is one should bee much to blame if they would account that more eminent and honorable which they know God to esteeme but as equall and of the same degree because we are bound to conforme our iudgments to the straight rule of Gods vpright censure wherfore for that wee are fully perswaded that it hath pleased god to graunt that preeminence and priuiledge vnto the church of Rome wee do attribute the same vnto it If wee did thinck that god did not alowe of it neither would we condescend thervnto And who in his right senses can imagine that God doth not esteeme better of them whom it hath pleased his diuine bounty to make better As for the church of Ierusalem it had no such promises that hellgates should not prevaile against it or that their governors faith should not faile Nay rather it was by the prophets fortold that they should faile both in a Ezechielis 7.26 Lex peribit à Sacerdote Consilium à Sapientibus knowledg by not beleeving in their Messias and in b Hierem. 11.19 Ego quasi agnus mansuetus qui portatur ad victimam non cognoui quia cogitauerunt super me consilia dicentes mittamus lignum in panem eius eradicemus eum de terra viuentium practise also by compassing of his death Thus much for the church of the Iewes Touching the Rulers of seuerall churches since Christ his time others not having the like good assurance from our Saviour as the pastors of the church of Rome had wee haue more reason to relie vpon the perpetuall stabilitie of the church of Rome then vpon any other This I say having been proued already not onlie by the testimony of all antiquitie but also by the expresse word of God M. Abbots demaund is fully satisfied and therwith I hope hee will rest content Now to his answere vnto that place of S. Hierom. first whilst hee would seeme an over subtle sifter of S. Ieroms words hee ouerthroweth himself horse and foote For wheras hee affirmeth that Ierom would not haue said the same of ioyning with Liberius that hee said of Damasus it is very cleere that hee would and might also very well haue so done according as M. Abbot himself expounds S. Hieroms words For if S. Hierom said no more of Damasus then that hee would ioyne with him so farre forth as he sate in S Peters chaire that is so long as hee taught the same doctrine that saint Peter taught might he not haue said boldly as much of Liberius though hee tooke him to halt in some things hee needed not doubt I hope to follow him so farr forth as he followed S. Peter was he not sure enough if hee followed him no further neuer to faile M. Abbots answere then destroying it self needs no other confutation Yet for the readers further satiffaction concerning pope Liberius I add that there be many c Ruffin l. 10. eccl hist 17. Theodor. 2. hist eccl 16. Sozom 4. hist 14. Niceph. 9 hist 35 ancient good Authors who write that Liberius was not faultie in any matter of faith though hee yeelded vnto the condemnation of S. Athanasius because hee was by the Arrians accused not of his faith but of many pretended haynous crimes And albeit Liberius subscribed to the councell of Smirna yet hee could not bee condemned therfore of heresy for therin was not couched any one word contrary to the true faith though the word Consubstantiall were left out yet d Athanas Apol. de fuga Hieron in Catal. in fortunat others who for their greater iudgment and knowledg are to be more respected do blame Liberius as favoring the Arrian heresy not that hee beleeued any point of it but for that hee through tediousnes of exile and feare of torments yeelded to do that which redounded vnto the countenancing of the Arrian heresie And in like manner though there were nothing in that confession of faith to which hee subscribed that was not true yet in that time when there was so much ado about the word cōsubstātiall to cōsent vnto them that reiected that word was interpreted and taken of many for litle lesse thā to reiect the Catholike faith Briefly although his faith was sound yet his fact was preiudiciall vnto the Catholike faith and verie aduantagious for the Arrian heresy wherfore not to bee excused nevertheles albeit of humane frailty hee therin failed yet afterwards hee made good satisfaction therfore carried himself so vprightly and vertuously that he died a Saint as testifieth besides other a Ambr. de virg l. 3. in initio Soles mecum Beatae memoriae Liberij praecepta reuolue re quo virsāctio◠eo sermo accedat gratiosior S. Ambrose who citeth his testimony as a mans of holy and happie memorie And b Basil epist 74. Quae illia beatissimo Liberio proposita sunt S. Basil who stileth him a most blessed man This by the waie of pope Liberius Now to the true meaning of S. Hieroms words which cannot be drawen to that sense that M. Abbot would rack out of them to wit That hee would ioyne with Damasus so farforth only as he followed S. Peter for so might hee haue been bold to saie of Liberius and of his owne prelate Paulinus or of any man els but his true intent was to declare that in all doubtfull questions of faith every good Christian ought to make his recourse vnto the Bishop of Rome who sitteth in S. Peters chaire as his lawfull successor And therfore by vertue of our Saviours praier made for S. Peter and his successors shall never faile in question of faith whosoever therfore cleaveth fast vnto the popes resolution is assured never to faile This to haue been the true meaning of that famous doctor may most easily bee perceiued by the occasion and
Apollinarists did not swarue from the Catholiks in any other point of faith except that they maintained our saviour Christ to haue had no soule of man but that his Godhead did supplie the place of the soule Eutiches and his fellowes agreeing in the rest auouched the flesh of Christ to bee turned into the divine nature All these did professe to beleeue in Christ and to hold all the articles of the Creede So did the MacedoniaÌ„s that imagined the holy Ghost to be lesse then the sonne And the latter Grecians also that deny the same holie Ghost to proceed aswell from the sonne as from the father The Pelagians did not denie Christ or anie article of the Creed no more did the Novatians nor the Donatists at lest as they vnderstood the creed For albeit the Nouatians denied priests to haue power to forgiue some certen of the most grieuous sort of sins as the Protestants do now denie them to haue power to forgive any at all yet they denied no more then the protestants do that article of the creed I beleeue remission of sinnes For they beleeued that God could at all times forgiue all sort of sinnes though they denied priests to haue power to remit some of the most enormious So the Donatists though they taught the church to haue been decayed all the world ouer saving in Africa yet did they professe to beleeue the Catholike church But they expounded it to bee Catholike not for that it was spred ouer all but for that it reteyned all the seven sacraments or for that it professed to keepe all Gods commaundements as you haue heard before Out of these examples I frame this argument If it were sufficient to saluation to beleeue in God our Creator and in Iesus Christ our Redeemer withall other articles set downe expresly in the Apostles Creed Then were the Arrians Macedonians Pelagians and all those other aboue rehearsed heretiks notwithstanding their obstinate cleaving to their condemned heresies in the state of saluation because they refused not to beleeve any of the foresaid points But to hold that anie of the aboue named heretikes dying in their said heresies died in the state of saluation is to gainsay and reproue all pure antiquity it is to condemne the holy prelats and most learned Doctors of the primitiue church of want of learning want of Iudgment and want of charity who cast those erring men as heretikes out of their churches condemned them to the pit of hell as the profest enemies of Christ and the Devils champions Besids the best informed Christians of those times chose rather to suffer all kind of torments then to professe any one point of their condemned opinions which had been great folly if with the profession of them they might holding the other fundamentall points haue enioyed Christ his fauour and been inheritors of the kingdome of heauen Moreouer what necessity had there been for the most learned and renowmed ancient prelats to haue taken such paines either in writing so many learned volumes or in disputing or preaching against those heretikes if they might haue been all saued euery one in his owne religion Might not also the huge charges and exceeding great paines of assembling of generall councels haue been well spared if those men for whose right information they were called might haue obtâ—ined saluation though they had been let alone in their owne errours It must needs therfore bee graunted that the best Clerks and holiest personages in the purest times of Antiquity thought it enough to damnation to deny anie one article of the Catholike faith Matth. 7.15 after it was in anie generall councell declared for such Doth not our blessed Saviour when hee stileth heretikes by the name of false prophets and resembleth them to rauening wolues that devoure Christian soules cleerlie demonstrate that they haue no part in his good grace and favour but bee in his sight odious and hatefull creatures Againe when hee doth in another place compare theÌ„ to theeues and robbers Ioan. 10.1 that do breake into his fold of their owne authority and take vpon them to bee his ministers when hee sent them not scattering killing his flocke Doth hee not I say plainly intimate them to bee guiltie of death and eternall Damnation Tit. 3 11. S. Paul chargeth vs to auoide the companie of an hereticall man knowing that such bee subuerted do sinne and bee even by their owne iudgment condemned And elswhere amoÌ„g the workes of the flesh rangeth heresies sects diuisions forewarninge vs expresly that whosoeuer doth committ anie of them shall never enter into the kingdome of heauen what hope then can there bee of their saluation wherfore heretiks being by our Saviour likened vnto wolues Gallat 5.15 theeues and robbers and by his Apostles declared damnable creatures vncapable to enter into the kingdome of heauen who were also in all ancient councels held for accursed can any bodie bee either so ill aduised or so foolish hardie as to perswade them that there is any hope of saluation for them vnles they forsake their errors in season But because worldlings neuer waÌ„t false prophets to lay pillowes vnder their elbowes to vphold them in their errors some such may heere step forth and in their excuse saie for theÌ„ that seing they beleeue in Christ hold all the articles of the Apostles Creede though they erre in other points they caÌ„not bee heretiks therfore whatsoeuer is said against heretikes doth not touch theÌ„ that be not of that nuÌ„ber This excuse will not serue the turne for as I haue before shewed neither Arrians NestoriaÌ„s PelagiaÌ„s nor any other most notorious heretikes did plainly denie either Christ to bee Saviour of the world nor anie other expresse point of any article of the creed neuerthelesse they were by the true verdict of the ancient Catholike church denounced and declared for heretikes In a word if to beleeue in Christ and to hold the rest of the Apostles Creede were sufficient to preserue any Christian from the Canker of heresie then hee that would denie both the old and new Testament to bee Canonicall scriptures and the true word of God might bee no heretike because the Canon of holy scripture is not expressed in the creed So hee that would ouerthrow the whole Hierarchie of the church and send all the sacraments into banishment might escape the brand of heresie because of those points there is no particular mention in the said Creed wherfore it is most certaine that men may bee most wicked and damnable heretikes albeit they professe to beleeue in Christ and do not deny anie one substantiall point expressed in the Apostles Creed if they shall wilfully defend any other erronious doctrine contrary vnto the truth reuealed by God and so declared vnto vs by the pastors and doctors of the Catholike church For witnes wherof I will now cite only two leaving the rest for the vpshot of this question Aug l. q. in Math. q. 11.
without exception against any one of them for if I do beleeue her in one and not in another I am become such a chooser as the Latines following the Grecians call hereticus an heretike and do indeed shew that I do not assuredlie beleeue the church as Gods interpreter that cānot erre but onlie so farre forth as I thinke good And then it may bee asked mee why I do beleeue her at all if she do but now and then tell the truth for it may bee that then shee doth not say true when I do beleeue her To put vs out of all these doubts and difficulties the selected gouernours of the church the maisters of the world Christes hoy Apostles before they did depart to preach the Gospell to all nations set downe this for a most assured principle of the Christian faith I beleeue the holie Catholike church to teach all Christians that in those supernaturall misteries of the kingdome of heauen wee must not leane to the light of nature or trust to our owne Iudgments or follow the advise of everie one that will take vpon him to bee a maister but hold our selues preciselie to that which the holie Catholike church doth teach vs obeie her fullie and wholie in all things Out of the premises this argument may bee framed directly to our purpose No man can bee saued vnles hee follow the direction of the one holie Catholike church in all matters of faith but they that bee of opinion that euerie man may bee saued in his religion do not follow the direction of the Catholike church which doth teach all men to imbrace and follow one only faith and religion wherfore they that will not imbrace the said one only faith which the Catholike church teacheth cannot bee saued To make this more plaine and probable let vs in a word or two examine the speciall meanes that the protestants vse to attaine vnto the true vnderstanding of Gods word and therby vnto saluation where wee must obserue by the way that wee all agree in this that there is nothing to bee beleeued which is not by God reuealed vnto vs. The Protestants do hold all that to bee written either in the old or new Testament wherin wee dissent from them teaching all revealed verities not to bee written in the Bible but some of them to passe from father to sonne by word of mouth and by tradition Of which difference here I doe not dispute but wee all taking for our ground Gods owne and onely word revealed written or vnwritten do inquire how wee come to the true vnderstanding of it wee say by the explication and declaration of the Catholike church The Protestants approue not that meanes but vnder the colour of mans inuentions reiecting of it do either leane to their owne iudgment learning or follow the authoritie of their chiefe preachers or els runne to the revelation of the Spirit speaking inwardlie to their spirits Now if none of all these bee assured meanes to attaine vnto the true vnderstanding of Gods word then their faith that relieth principally theron cannot bee assured Some of them in great zeale simplicitie will say that they relie only on the word of God but good poore soules they know not well what they saie for the question being about the vnderstanding of the same word of God wee affirming the word to bee for vs they denying that and chalenging it to bee for them who shall iudge whether of our pretentions to the same word bee true they will conferre one texte with another so will wee and consider all circūstances too wee will repaire also to the originals haue respect vnto the Analogie of faith briefly wee will vse all humane diligēce pray also to God to assist vs supernaturally yet whē wee haue all done wee come to no agreemēt who shall thē agree vs If they would come with vs to the Catholike churches determination in some generall councell wee should quickly haue an end but they vpon one vaine pretext or other fly of and will finally follow no other then one of those three guids before named wherof the first which is their owne learning and Iudgment bee it neuer so great yet they maie mistake and fall into error Omnis enim homo mendax Rom. 3. For every man is subiect to bee deceiued specially when they bee in passion and striue to vphold and make good their owne conceites against others for then they do oftentimes run astray verie strangelie Secondly the Protestants that relie vpon the reputation and credit of their preachers how can they set vp their rest vpon them assuredlie for that first their masters being men may bee deceiued aswell as other men maie be and that they are in deed deceiued not only the Catholiks who are the farre greater and founder part of Christians do affirme but those also that they themselues hold for men of God do testify the same For example Martin Luther with his disciples repute Zuinglius Calvin and all the troupe of Sacramentaries to bee deceiuing masters and to erre damnablie in the matter of the blessed Sacrament On thother side the Sacramentarie protestants do all teach that Luther with all his followers erred as in many other points so principally in that matter of the reall presence which of these two to omit diuerse other their contradictions shall a poore protestant beleeue and follow both hee cannot because what the one affirmeth thother denieth and each of them saith that the other is deceiued Hee thē taking them both for true of their words must needs beleeue neither of them for that the one avoucheth the other to bee in error Hee maie leaning to his owne Iudgment and liking rather follow one of them then the other yet hee cannot do that without some feare of being deceiued himself because hee hath so many euen of his owne side to bee against him wherfore he can haue no faith at all in these points For faith is an assured perswasion of that to bee true which you do beleeue without anie doubt or feare of the contrarie Let vs now come to their last refuge and surest hold as some take it of the spirit which is indeed the most wauering and vncertaine guide of all the rest For doth not the Lutherans grosser spirit buzze into their braines that they haue found out the light of the Gospell yes I warrant you saies euery good Lutheran Not so saith the purer and nimblet spirit of the Calvinists it was but the dawning of the daie that appeared to M. Luther the light of the Gospell began then only to peepe vp but the bright beames therof brake not out till M Caluins doctrine glittered The more brisk spirite of the Brownists doth assure thē that the nooneday light of the same Gospell shineth onlie in their Horizon And what shall wee say to the Anabaptists who as they bee the most frantike of all other so they brag most of all of verie familiar
if they please to consider that such Priestes onlie bee touched therin whom Gregorie the great pope of Rome and a maine piller of the Romane faith doth condemne they shall discouer presently those to bee either runnagate Priestes such as were Luther Zuinglius Caluin Beza Iewell fox and the like turne-coates or els counterfeit and bastard priestes whom in England men call Ministers of which false and wicked priestes both sortes are in Gregories iudgement the sworne souldiers not of the Pope of Rome a feyned Antichrist but of that great and open Enemie of Iesus Christ that shall in the latter end of the world bee reuealed as for many other their enormous and blasphemous opinions so namelie for their inueterate malice and obstinate rebellion against the Church of Rome wherof S. Gregory was both an illustrious Doctor and chiefe Gouernor All which being most perspicuous and cleare the whole periode laying M. Abbots malice and fury aside runneth roundly for vs against him and his fellow Ministers To the second R. AB THey carie thēselues now towards vs more eagerly and angerly for that they see themselues deceiued of the prey vvhich they lōg hoped for imagining by this time out of the troubled waters of this state to haue fished some vvhat for aduantage to themselues W. B. THE former part of this sentence cā ill bee applied vnto poore and afflicted Catholikes who carie themselues neither angerly nor eagerly but with all submission by long patience and modest behavior seeking to mitigate the exasperate mindes of their persecutors to move cōpassiō in others more pittifull ouer the manifold vnspeakeable miseries which for so manie yeares they haue endured It toucheth indeed to the quicke some malitiouse restles Ministers and others ouer spitefull and busie Officers who yeare by yeare moneth by moneth nay day by day cary thēselues so eagerly and āgerlie towards all sortes of Catholikes mē womē and Childrē that euen many of the milder sorte of Protestāts thēselues are astonished at their barbarous in humanitie vnsatiable crueltie Albeit wee cannot but feele exceedinge great griefe through this long toedious and bitter persecution yet some comfort wee may pike even out of the extreame eagernes therof bicause it is one good signe that it will not last long for this is by the spirit of God noted of that peerles persecutor in the reuelations having great vvrath Apoc 12. v. 12. knowing that hee had but a litle time which is as much to saie as the greater and more eager their anger is the sooner shall it by gods sweet prouidence haue an end And surelie mee thinkes theire owne experiēce should assure them were they not wonderfullie transported with passion that how eagerlie or angerlie so euer they seeke the extirpation of the Catholike faith out of our countrey which is the prey they haue so manie yeeres greedilie hūted after and with all wit of man labored to catch yet they shall neuer bee able to compasse it let them trouble the waters of life as far forth as God will giue them leaue for they cannot but see to their small comforte that not withstanding all their seuere lawes and grieuous executions of them against Catholikes their number by Gods mightie hand doth dailie increase and multiplie And manie Priests are more readie to offer their liues in that holie quarrell then their persecutors willing to put them to death therfore That darke speech of M. Abbot of fishing for aduantage in troubled waters doth most properly appartaine vnto Protestants who haue taken the oportunitie of garboiles and ciuil warres to plant the Vngratious graft of their fruitlesse Gospell in most countries of Europe where it hath gotten anie roote see concerning this point the discourses of Florimond Reymond a verie noble french writer of this age Let vs returne to M. Abbots text turned against his owne partie R. AB Veuel 12.15 VVhich expectation being by the mercie of God vvholie frustrat they imitate the Dragon in the reuelation casting out of their mouthes calumniations and slaunders and all outrage and importunitie of malitious contradictions euen flouds of vvater to carie avvay violenly and to drowne if it were possible the woman euen the Church of Christ amongest vs that haue escaped their cruell and bloudie hands W. B. VVo seeth not how plainlie these words doe paint to the life M. Abbot and his pew fellowes who are the onlie men that by fraudulent perswasion and violent persecution do the vttermost that lieth in them if not by drowning yet by hanging and quartering and casting into darke and stinking dungeons to carie awaie violently those poore Priests and Catholikes that haue as yet escaped their cruell and bloudy hands for when M. Abbot or anie other Protestāt of our Countrie of his age were in the cruell and bloudie hāds of the Papistes neither hee nor they I trow do remember for if any such thing were it must needes bee before they were borne And if tart venimous speeches and most deadlie calumniations doe transforme men into Dragons who more sib to a serpent then M R. Abbot who poisoneth his papers with heapes of most noisome and lothsome corruption Take a tast of him in this verie Epistle which benig dedicated vnto soe high and mightie a Prince it imported him much to haue made some shew at least of a modest Diuines spirit but he seemes so full gorged of such cancred putrifaction that hee could not hold it in or dissemble it before you heard the malice and furie of Antichrist and his priests here we are resembled to a dragon casting vp calummations malitious contradictions floudes of vvaters all outrage their cruell and bloodie hāds afterward disgorg the veno and poison of his vvicked and corrupt heart his deceitfull and traiterous attempt his impostures drunkennes vvilfull railing he runnes on mee furiously like an vngratious theefe at the barr hee impudently crieth out desperately bent to peruert to forge to face vtter ruine and confusion of the great Capitolian priest wee beleeue that god will giue strength to your arme and giue Edge to your svvord to strike through the loines of all them that are the supporters of that Antichristian and vvicked state is it not time to staie heere doth not this Minister striue I will not saie to imitate but to outflie that fell Dragon wherof hee speaketh cometh there not out of his mouth rather flashes of fire thē flouds of water that feareth not to set downe in print that hee thirsteth after the bloud of all Catholikes and praieth to his God Mars I ween for vnto the God of mercies no Christian heart cā so praie that hee will giue strength to his princes sword to strike through the loines of all note that a few will not serue his turne that are supporters of the Catholike Roman faith for all them he reputeth to be conteyned within the state of Antichrist Virum sanguinum dolosum abominabitur Dominus a bloud thirstie and deceifull
Hee hath shewed his good will I confesse by giuing the essay but hath done litle more therby then bewrayed how vnable he is to performe it so that one may wonder at his simplicity shall I say or at his audacity or rather at both at his simplicitie for wanting wit to vnderstand when it was so plainlie told him how impertinentlie he dealeth in the matter At his audacity if seing his rash and raw Enterprise succeed no better he would neuertheles hold on still and proceed farther Let it bee by the waie obserued that M. Abbots intention was and is to describe the true Roman Catholike for that you shall heare him hereafter in the heate of disputation verie busie to proue that there is such an incompatible repugnance betwene the very tearmes RomaÌ„ Catholike that they can no more be coupled together theÌ„ particuler and vniuersall yet here more calme and better aduised he acknowledgeth that they may stand well ioyned together and be attributed to one particuler person and by the like reason to one particuler Church so that howsoeuer hee crie there against vs for couchnig together the Catholike Roman Church yet here he must needs approue it or els contradict himself and giue ouer his intended description of the true Roman Catholike well be it pardonable for a new ghospelling Minister to vnsaie that in one place which he saith in another yet that calumniation of my poore labors imployed in the seruice of the Catholike cause for my bellies sake as he writeth is not tolerable but the imputation is so grosse and palpable God be thanked that M. Abbot cannot chuse but receiue shame by it which I will declare by this briefe Antithesis between himself and mee hoping that the good Reader will giue me leaue being put to it to relate that of my self which is coÌ„monly knowen It is not vnknowen to manie that I did forsake the apparaÌ„t hope of a poore gentlemans estate to become a Roman Priest he to escape miserie crept into the Ministery I wittingly and willinglie made my self therby vncapable of all spirituall liuings and promotioÌ„s which our noble countrie doth afford in great plentie vnto men of the Church he contrarywise as it seemeth followed the studie of new diuinity to fill himself with fat benefices if the greedie apperite which his former penurie bred in him can be satisfied for hauing three or foure liuings already he is thought to gape still after some greater In a word I doe striue to walke in the narrow and hard path of fasting praier and contineÌ„cie from all corporall pleasures he liueth at large following the carnall libertie of Luthers Ghospell of wiuing eating fulfilling the desires of the flesh All which being dulie coÌ„sidered let the indifferent Reader iudge whether of vs two be likelier to contend about matters of religion for our bellies sake The same may be said for the point of honor and reputation he runing the full carriere of our countrie to highe dignities and promotions I treading in their foosteps who be they neuer so learned or vertuous may trulie saie with the Apostle I thinke that God hath shewed vs the last 1. Cor. 4. v. 9. as it were deputed to death and the drosse of all euen vntill this daie wherfore all wordly credit and belly commodities lying in M. Abbots way and against my profession were his wits at home thinke you when he vpbraided mee with them And if I would make deceiuing of soules my occupation as he for his credits sake and gaine seemeth to haue made it his I might perhaps haue been litle behind him in wordlie wealth and reputation But god forbid that to gaine all the good in the world I should once goe about so much as to endanger the saluation of myne owne soule so far of am I our blessed lord be praised therfore from being any whit disposed to follow M. Abbots trade and occupation in deceyuing of others R. AB VVHICH worke I most humbly desire may goe forth vnder the protection of your highnes who according vnto that eminent wisedome and knowledge wherwith God hath endued your tender yeeres I make the iudge of this quarrell and therfore the first part therof I do now tender at your highnes feete for a testimonie of my loyall and dutifull affection and for acknowledgment of my deuotions vnto Almightie God for the preseruation of your highnes and the continuance and increase of his graces and blessings towards you that your princelie name maie more and more grow great and be a terrour vnto the self exalting kingdome and Monarchie of the great Capitolian Priest at length to worke the vtter ruine and confusion therof which as we beleeue not to be far of so we hope that in that glorious reuenge of the cause of Almightie God your highnes shall haue a chief and honorable part and that God will strengthen your arme and giue edge to your sword to strike through the loynes of all them that are the supporters of that Antichristian and wâ—cked state which all other additions of honour and renowme both with God and men I wâ—ll neuer cease to further by my praiers vnto almighty God so I rest alwaies to your highnes seruice most humblie and affectionately deuoted R. Abbot W. B. AS wee do most freely confesse almightie Gods exceeding bouÌ„tifulnes towards that our gratious yong Prince Henry now deceased in powring out vpon him plentifully singuler naturall gifts of both valor and vnderstanding do dolefullie bewaile the great losse of such a glittering ornament and comfort of our infortunate country so we hartelie wish and do daily praie that it may please the immeÌ„se divine bountie to blesse that tender young prince Charles his deare and noble brother with the true knowledg of the Catholike and Apostolike faith that he may to God Almighties glory to the true honor and peace of our countrie and to his owne eternall saluation returne vnto the ancient and holie Religion of his best renowmed and most puissant progenitors that growing as in age so in vnderstanding and true pietie hee may become though no competent Iudge in matter of faith as M. Abbot too flatteringlie would make his royall brother in his nonage for the iudgment of those high supernaturall points of religion do belong rather to the vocation of godly and graue learned Bishops than to youthfull princes yet to be a deuout imbracer and à zealous mainteyner of that heaueÌ„ly ingraffed word which only can saue our soules for the defence wherof the glorious title of defender of the faith was annexed to the crowne of England In which and for which principally his most royall and gratious Grandmother was put to death which to haue been the now Roman faith and Religion no honest man can or will I thinke deny And who is such a stranger in the estate of our neighbour couÌ„tries that doth not clearlie behold the readie way to aduance his princely name and renowme and to
seruice and loue towards him Ioh. 15. â— maiorem Charitatem nemo habet quam vt animam suam ponat quis pro amico suo wherfore in the primitiue church it was the common opinion of all Christians that sanguis Martyrum semen sit ecclesiae the blood of Martirs is the seede of the church the sence wherof is recorded in these words of ancient Tertullian directed to the Heathen persecutors Tertul in fine Apolog Neither doth your ouer curious and diligent crueltie preuaile anie whit at all against vs but is rather an allurement to our religion we are multiplied and made more as often as wee are mowed and cut downe by you for the blood of Martirs is the seede of Christians Matth. 13 yea it is compared by diuers holie fathers to that seed which was sowed in the best ground and brought forth an hundreth fold encrease Iustin in Apolog. That glorious and learned Martir S. Iustin comparing Christians to a vine as in the scriptures they be often resembled saith Esai 5. Ioh. 15. that as a vine euerie yeare must be pruned and haue all superfluous branches cut of to make it yeeld more stoare and better fruite so some Christians now and then cut downe and put to death for the Christian religion doth both multiplie and make more perfect Christians To be short I will rehearse but one passage vttered by that golden mouth of S. Io Chrisostome wherin all the forsaid branches of losse of goods losse of libertie and life are couched together without anie feare of losse of their religion Chrisost quod Christus sit Deus Albeit saith hee the faithfull Christians were disgraced despised lost their goods and were cast into prison yea were butchered burned drowned and put to all kind of tortures with the greatest shame and spite that could be deuised like Traitors and publike enemies of the comon weale yet did they alwaies encrease and multiplie As well Maisters as schollers Preists as Lay men were fettered and suffered a thousand kind of euills yet the number of both Maisters and Schollers did grow dailie greater and greater Thus Saint Chrisostome and much more to the same purpose And if it would please our owne Magistrates who are of greater yeeres to call to mind how few priests and recusants were in the daies of Queene Elizabeth when they began first to put priests to death and to heape such heauie penalties vpon recusants in comparison of them that now be they must needes if passion do not much blind them cleerlie see that their persecution hath mightilie augmented our number I out of my small experience may be bold to auouch that since I can well remember for one Romane priest that then was in England there are now litle lesse then twentie And for one recusant then now more then a hundred Haue we not therfore iust cause following euen the light of humane reason and policie to thinke that the Protestants themselues who sit at the helme of government yeelding vnto that sensible argument of their owne manifest experience will shortlie cease the heat of the persecution and bridle those distempered restlesse spirits that seeme to feed vpon other mens sorrowes if it be for no other cause but for the preservation of their owne religion I meane not here to propound to them who are without all comparison exceedinglie far wiser then my selfe how manie great comodities both at home and abroad they might reape by holding a milder course in matter of religion bicause I find small disposition in them to accept of that seruice but for the comfort of afflicted Catholikes my most deere countrimen and brethrene and for the fuller confutation of the new article of M. Abbots false beliefe I haue briefly shewed that to stripp Catholikes of their goods for their religion is to put them though perhaps against their wills to purchase the redemption of that with their penurie which their Ancestors lost through ouer much superfluitie To cast and keepe them in prison is to sequester them from their worldly occupations and therby to make them much apter for heauenlie meditations To hange them like traitors is to prefer them to the glorious crowne of Martirs And all this put together cometh so far to short from rooting out the Romane Religion or from daunting of others from the liking of it that it worketh marvelous effects in many good soules and procureth multitudes to embrace it wherfore M. Abbots dreame of the vtter ruine therof to be at hand maie be aptlie compared to the diuination of those pagans which S. Austin recorded as most absurd when the Gentiles saith hee saw that the church of Christ could not be rooted out with soe manie greiuous persecutions as it had endured Aug. l. 18. de ciuit 54. but that it was therby wounderously enlarged they neuer theles were so blindly bent against it that they would needes appoint a certain time wâ—thin the which it should be vtterlie rooted out which was expired before S. Austen had written those his worthie Bookes of the cittie of God the christian Church much more florishing and enlarging it self then before The like successe will be no doubt vnto M. Abbots dreame who would needes counterfait those malitious Pagans in prognosticating the vtter decay of the Roman religion to approch if wee remaine constant and doe with patience after the example of those ancient noble Christians beare the losse of our goods lands libertie and life in the quarell of Gods cause and for his sacred religion I am not of their mind who looking vpon the helpe of men doe out of human probabilitie either appoint some time when this shall come to passe or on the other side not seing anie mans aide readie at hand do vtterlie despaire of the recouerie of it but do like maruelously well of them who huÌ„blie acknowledging our owne and our forefathers manifold grieuous iniquites to be such that we haue not yet suffred the hundreth part of that which they and wee haue iustlie deserued yet lifting their harts towardes heauen and maturelie pondering vpon God almighties incompreheÌ„sible mercie wisdome and power do conceiue good hope of our speedie redemption for noe Christian can saie his creede but he finds in the first article thereof that God is Almightie he can doe all things when hee will and assoone as he will with one word of his mouth one fiat of his by which he made heauen earth is more then a thousand times sufficient to alter the whole course of the protestants proceeding yea to worke such a strange alteration that they who now be most earnest persecutors of the Romane religion maie after the manner of Saint Paul become most zealous professors and planters of the same for most true is that which good Mardocheus in his deuoute praier confessed Hester 13 O Lord God the disposition of all things doth he in thy hands and there is no man that can resist thy will
It is long sithence it pleased God of his great goodnes to grant vs in forren nations some colledges and seminaries to breed and bring vp vertuous learned priestes And within these few yeeres since the persecution at home waxed hotter diuers houses both for religious men and womeÌ„ haue bin erected for our countrimen abroad and manie worthie persons inspired by God haue retired themselues into the same Behold then the foundation laid by the prouidence and mercie of God for the erecting and building vp of Christs Catholike church amongest vs againe Now I am well assured that no man dare saie that God is to be likened to that foolish builder repreheÌ„ded in the Gospell who having laid the foundation of a tower could not bring it to perfectioÌ„ and was therfore worthily mocked of the beholders saying Luc. 14. hic homo coepit aedificare non potuit consummare this man began ro build but could not bring his worke to an end Our saviour then having alreadie as we be verily perswaded planted the foundation of that most holie Edifice he will not faile in short time to bring it to perfection Manie goodlie great stones and faire tall timber trees with other necessary furniture to build vp the walles of Ierusalem are already prepared now to rough hew square and smooth them persecution is permitted And much blood of Martirs hath bin plentifully powred out to temper the lyme and sand that must vnite and ioyne fast togither all the parts of that spirituall building It may bee that some principall peeces or workmen do yet want whom when it shall please the great maister of the worke to convert assemble with ther est what let will there bee euen in maÌ„s iudgement for the accomplishement of this heauenlie worke wherfore with comfortable confidence let vs ride out the storme and with patient longanimitie persever faith full vnto the end with earnest devoute praiers craving the aide of our most mercifull father in heaven with humble obedient behauior towards our prince and his Magistrates seeke to asswage their wrath kindled as we knowe without cause so vehementlie against vs in earth then shall we both fulfill towards others and finallie by the grace of God shall see fulfilled towards vs that which the famous ancient Doctor Origen hath recorded of the best Christians in the primitiue Church in these memorable words with which I will conclude this Chapter Orig l 2. contracâ—â— summ responsione ad 2. Cal. Christians taught not to fight against their persecutors haue by obseruing dulie the mild temperate law of their sounder Christ Iesus more preuailed then if they had receiued commission from him to haue waged warr against their enimies God almightie defending them and fighting for them and at seasonable times restrayning the persecutors of the Christian name Some noble champions of his hee suffered for their greater approbation and glorie to bee put to death that the beholders of their constant valour and sweet mildnes in that bloodie agonie might therby bee the sooner induced to embrace their religion yet God so mitigated the matter that he permitted not all that holie kind of people to be cut downe for his diuine purpose was that they should grow and that all nations should bee replenished with their godlie and saving doctrine And sometimes he gaue calmes that the weaker sort and wearied might haue respite to breath to repaire their losses and to gather new forces vntill at length it pleased his diuine Maiestie of his infinite mercie and compassion towards his faithfull seruants so to defeate all their aduersaries plotts and deuises against them that neither the king nor the presidents and Iudges nor anie other Magistrates no not the common people could bee exasperated and stirred vp to persecute them anie longer which wonderfull grace the omnipotent that hath set boundes vnto the billoes of the roaring seas saying hitherto ye shall passe but go no further out of his most tender mercies grant vnto his much afflicted yet very faithfull servants in our poore countrie Amen AN ANSVVERE TO M. ABBOTS PREface to the Reader MR Abbot to make his reader vnderstand the manner of his proceding in this booke of his relateth what he had done before in this manner First saith hee I haue challenged the name Catholike from the popish vse and proued that the papists could no more take that title to them but by meere vsurpation Afterward I entred into a comparison consisting of three partes wherof the first was to declare that neither S. Pauls nor S. Peters Epistles conteine anie defence of the doctrine now taught at Rome the second that sundrie definitions of the ancient Roman faith were wholie agreeable to that which the protestants teach and is impugned by the church of Rome that now is the third and last was to proue that sundrie heresies condemned of old by the Roman church be now defended by the same church of Rome which pointes being as euerie man seeth all and euerie one of marvellous great moment yet M. Abbot doth here confesse and acknowledge that in his answere vnto my Epistle to his Maiestie he handled them onelie positiuelie that is to saie brieflie and superficiallie the occasion then as here he saies requiring no more purposing afterwards when oportunitie should serue a longer treatise therof in the meane time saith hee Doctor Bishop published a reproofe of my defence of the reformed Catholike setting vnder this title a Gorgons head to affright all men concerning mee as having abused Gods sacredword mangled misapplied and falsified the ancient fathers sentences so that whosoeuer hath anie care of his owne salvation can never hereafter credit mee in matter of faith religion Concerning which hideous out-cry of my falsifications I refer thee to the aduertisment which I haue added to the third part of that defence where I haue scourged him accordingly this is the effect of M. Abbots entrie into this his worke W. B. THIS being but a preparatioÌ„ to make waie to that which followeth I neede not stand long vpon it that vaine and vntrue vant of his that the hath woone the name and title of Catholike from vs I passe ouer here as a vanitie because it is elswhere to be handled more at large but I maie not omit to put the Reader in mind how contrarie M. Abbot is to himself in his owne iudgment about his owne worke here he saith as you haue heard that he did sett downe in his answere to my Epistle those three branches of comparison betweene the ancient and moderne church of Rome onlie positiuely yeelding also the reason bicause the occasion then required no more yet whosoeuer pleaseth to reade his preface of the same a defense of the reformed Catholike worke to the reader shall find him there to speake in an other keie I haue saith hee there had care to giue the reader satisfaction in the questions heere discussed of which these comparisons were a great part
order or bee it by disorder look you handle your weapons more handsomely then you haue done hitherto or els you are like enough to receiue the foile An answer vnto the second section of the first chapter MR Abbot to make a smoother waie to his doutie arguments by which hee striueth to proue the Roman church not to bee the Catholike church saith that hee entreth vnto them to note the absurdity implied in this comon stile of Catholiks the Catholike Roman church How now good sir have you so soone forgotten the errand wherabout you went did not you vndertake to demonstrate that his maiestie had alreadie imbraced the Catholike faith And if you will needs leave that which you professed to pursue in the suddes for a season and fall vpon the church of Rome do not stand triffling vpon tearmes and titles like an idle Caviller but as it beseemes a Doctor of the chaire prove soundly if you can that the now church of Rome doth not beleeve and professe all points of the Catholike faith whether the church of Rome may bee called absolutlie the Catholike church or no or in what sence it is so called are other by questions scarse incident at least nothing necessarie to that wee have now in hand for whether the church of Rome bee stiled the Catholike church or no so that it hold entirely the true Catholike faith then maie his maiestie lawfully and laudably receiue and defend the whole doctrine of the said church and to obtaine saluation must make himself a member therof which was all that I humblie craved of his most excellent Maiestie The issue then of this present question and the marke that M. Abbot should levell att is to shew that his maiestie embracing the faith of the church of Rome should not embrace the true Catholike faith if hee do not effect this hee doth nothing if leaving his issue hee fall to plucking of vizards as hee to excuse his vnseasonable digression doth write from I know not whose faces as though he going about this matter had mett by the waie with some maske or mummery may he not well bee resembled to a boy that sent on an errant falleth to blowing of feathers whither the wind will carrie them and lets his Masters busines alone till hee hath ended his owne sport but such is the mans humour hee must bee dispenced withall for observing anie good order well seing there is no remedy let him range at his pleasure let vs winke att the method so the matter bee tolerable thus then doth hee goe about to prove the Roman church not to bee Catholike No particuler church can bee the Catholike church but the Roman church is a particular church Ergo the Roman church is not the Catholike church Againe to the same effect No part can bee the whole but the Roman church is a part of the Catholike church therfore it cannot bee the whole Catholike church These be his arguments reviewed and put into the best frame that maie bee to avoide all disputes about the forme As I do verie willinglie also let passe his most idle bables of Balaams and Anianus Asses and his scarse sweet poem of horse balles singing in the poole Nos poma natamus bicause such scurrility becomes not divines yea is scarse tollerable in any sort of ciuil men to the Arguments then thus I answere If the conclusion were granted to M. Abbot he were no whitt the nearer to obtaine his intended purpose for what is there concluded aganist the church of Rome maie in the verie same forme bee concluded against the church of England for example no particular church can bee the Catholike church but the church of England is a particular church therfore it cannot bee the Catholike church which is soe apparant that M. Abbot cannot denie it whervpon it followeth most cleerly that this argument can serve no more for disswading his maiesty from admitting the doctrine of the church of Rome Page 13. then from entertayning the doctrine of the church of England therfore it is to be reiected as wholy impertinent to this purpose But M. Abbot saith that atleast it will serve to convince the absurditie of the papists stile who vse to coople together these two tearmes Catholike Roman which hangeth no better together saith hee here then vniuersall particular though afterward better aduised hee within the compasse of two leaves doth confesse that both these tearmes maie in good sence bee ioyned together these be his words Particular churches are called Catholike and particuler persons are Called Catholikes as a man would saie vniuersalists for maintayning communion and fellowship of the Catholike faith with the church of the whole world so that even after M. Abbots owne declaratioÌ„ a Roman Catholike is not as much to saie as a particular vniversall but a particuler man or church that holdeth coÌ„munion of faith with the vniversall church was it not then a great oversight in a man reputed to â—ee of some Iudgment to insist so vehementâ—â—e vpon trifling tearmes that were both besides the purpose and withall true in themselues as you shall heare afterwardes if they be evenlie and fairely taken Notwithstanding bicause the foresaid arguments bee as it were the coÌ„mon hackneys of protestants ever and anone in their mouthes and writings and haue not been formerly answered by any that I haue seen and for that the solution of them will serve to answere all that M. Abbot hath raked together against the church of Rome in fower paragraffes of this chapter I will more particularly and fully dissolue them I say then first the argument is mistaken and doth not conclude that which is in question the question is not whether the Roman church bee the Catholike church in vniuersall but whether the Roman church maie bee called the Catholike church or rather whether it maie bee couched togither in stile with the Catholike church M. Abbot saith no these bee his words For the pulling of this vizard from their faces I noted the absurditie that is emploied in that stile of the Catholike Roman church for the Catholike church I saie is the vniversall church the Roman church is a particular church therfore to saie the Catholike Roman church is all one as to saie the vniuersall particuler church This was M. Abbots first argument and the drift of it was to disprove that stile of ours the Catholike Roman church Now in his latter reformed argument hee is come to change the tearmes and in stead of that the particular Roman church cannot bee said called or stiled the Catholike church doth bring in his conclusion the Roman church is not the Catholike church wherin lieth a great fallacy for as the learned do well know tranfire a rebus ad voces vâ—lè contra à vocibus adres est agere sophistam hee plaies the part of a sophister that passeth either from thinges to words or from words to things which all protestants doe when they vse this kind of
argument for the question is about tearmes and a stile of speach wherfore the conclusion must bee so it may not bee tearmed or so it cannot bee stiled and not passing from the tearme or stile to conclude so it is not here one may well demaund how things can bee so tearmed if they bee not so in themselves I answere that it often falleth out that one thing is called by the name of another thing though it bee not fully out the same for example some part maie bee called by the name of whole though it bee not the whole as a part of the aire is called the aire anie part of the water is called water Against which if a man should reason as M. Abbot doth no part is the whole but this is a part of water therfore it is not the whole the conclusion might bee graunted him and yet had hee gotten nothing therby but the imputation of misarguing and not concluding that which was in question the question being whether a part might bee called by the name of the whole which hee toucheth not and not whether it were the whole or noe which only hee disputeth it fareth even so in the former argument for the questioÌ„ being whether with the Catholike church might bee linked in the same stile the church of Rome hee concludes onlie that the church of Rome is not the Catholike church which if wee grant him he were never the nearer for albeit the church of Rome were not the Catholike church taken in vniuerso or absolutely yet may it be called by the name of the whole and much more be in stile linked with the whole first bicause everie particular church that keepeth coÌ„munion of faith and religion with the vniuersall Catholike church may bee called and tearmed the Catholike church which M. Abbot himself confesseth Page 17. and citeth divers good auctours to prooue it as a Leo Epistola 12. Leo pope of the Catholike church of Rome b Collat. cuÌ„ donat cognitione 1. c. 16. Aurelius Bishop of the Catholike church of Carthage c August coÌ„â—rescon l. 3. c. 13. All the Africane Catholike churches and so forth where you see by the ancient stile of approved prelates and Doctors Catholike Roman and Catholike African and such like may verie well in stile bee ioyned togither without any feare of being scorned by the vnskilfull for a particular vniuersall The second reason why wee rather ioyne Roman to Catholike then the name of anie other church is for that the RomaÌ„ church in faith and religioÌ„ never hath been nor never shal bee separated from the vniversall Catholike church as shal bee here after declared whervpon as they shall ever hold togither in soundnes of faith so maie they bee alwaies linked togither in veritie of stile Thirdly for that wee beleeve as euery good Christian ought to do which in this sectioÌ„ shal beproued the Roman church to bee the chief and as it were the head of the vniuersall church and therfore the Roman maie rather in stile bee coopled with the vniversall Catholike then anie other This then is the first fault and that a very foule one which M. Abbot doth committ in this argument he doth not conclude that which is in question but flitteth away from it and quite changeth the tearmes wherefore having altered it he doth say vntruly that hee hath reduced it into moode and figure which if he would haue done rightly thus hee should have framed his argument No particuler church can bee ioyned in stile with the Catholike church or can bee called the Catholike church but the Roman church is a particuler church Ergo it cannot bee ioyned in stile or called the Catholike church If it had been thus reduced into moode and figure as true scholasticall and plaine dealing required it had not had in it anie one good proposition I haue proved already that the maior is false because anie particuler church sound in faith and religion may bee called the Catholike church and ioyned in stile with the Catholike even as well and as truly as any part of the aire may bee called the aire And more specially the churh of Rome for the priviledges it hath of continuing alwaies in the true faith and for her superiority in governement The minor also or second proposition is not vniversally true for albeit that church of Rome that is conteyned within the walls and Diocesse of Rome bee a particuler church yet the church of Rome in a larger signification maie bee taken for the whole Catholike church and designe aswell the true church of fraunce of England or anie other nation as that of Italy which I will demonstrate in the next paragraff wherfore the minor proposition which is but the church of Rome is a particuler church is not absolutely true bicause it may aswell bee taken for the vniversall as for a particuler church both the premisses then and former propositions being subiect to reprehension the conclusion must needes bee starke naught Briefly in that argument wherof the Protestants do make such account there bee three foule faults Two bee in it as they frame it the first in that it mistaketh or changeth the tearmes and in steed of coÌ„cluding the Roman church not to bee called or stiled the Catholike church they conclude that it is not the Catholike The second in that they take for granted that the Roman church is onlie a particuler church when as it may and is often taken for the vniversall The third fault will shew it self in the first proposition when the argument comes to bee rightly framed thus No particuler church can be called or stiled the Catholike church which is most false bicause every true particuler church may bee called the Catholike church or stiled with the Catholike M. Abbots secoÌ„d argument being not much vnlike the first may in like manner bee defeated yet more shal bee said of it in the fourth paragraff Nowe to make good the reasons that I have given why the church of Rome may bee more speciallie linked with the Catholike in stile namely for her superiority in governement this present paragraff must bee employed where M. Abbot doth what hee can to infringe the same in the next section it shal bee proued that the Roman church may well signifie the whole Catholike church in the last sectioÌ„ of this chapter wee shall speake a word or two of M. Abbots later argument Concerning the supremacie of the church of Rome M. Abbot acknowledgeth to beloÌ„g vnto that church as it then was eminency of place precedeÌ„ce of honour authoritie of estimation but no authoritie of power or superiority in government over any of the rest which to make good hee instituteth a long disorderly discourse now carping at that which I said before in defence of that superioritie of government then powring forth many arguments confusedly some heere some there to disprove the same so that I can scarse devise how to range them in
anie good order yet to make the matter as seÌ„sible and perspicuous as his perplexed proceeding will give mee leave I will gather into the first place what hee hath scatteringly disputed against the supremacy of the church of Rome and giue answere to that SecoÌ„dly I will confirme our part Lastly I will examine how sufficientlie hee hath answered my former argumeÌ„ts made to prove the same M. Abbots first argumeÌ„t against the primacye of the sea of Rome is taken ab authoritate negative as schollers do vse to speake from authoritie negatiuelie which kind of reasoning though among the protestants it bee holden for currant in matter of faith yet hee can not be ignoraÌ„t that wee allow not of it who hold some points of faith to bee deliuered by vnwritten tradition wherfore if hee had not wanted iudgment hee should not so confidentlie haue vsed such kind of arguments against vs. But let vs heare them such as they be S. Peter and S. Paul do make no mention of this superioritie of the churh of Rome in their Epistles therfore there is none such this is a verie vaine and insufficient argument even in the waie of protestants for albeit they would grant that if there were no warrant for it in all the old or new testament that then it were not to bee creditted yet they would not denie but that it might bee a matter of faith though there were no mention made of it in S. Peter or S. Pauls Epistles so that it bee recorded in anie other part of the scriptures for all parts of the holy scriptures are alike true wherfore anie thing written in anie parcell therof is as well to bee beleeved as if it were written in S. Peters or S. Pauls Epistles But M. Abbot vrgeth in this manner S. Paul writ an Epistle to the Romanes and therfore hee would not haue omitted that their priviledge if any such had been I answere that S. Paul writt to the Romans not of all matters but to instruct them in some importaÌ„t poiÌ„ts of doctrine and to coÌ„fort them in their tribulatioÌ„s which hee might well do without makiÌ„g any mentioÌ„ of the priviledges of their church besides neither M. Abbot not anie man els I thinke is able to shewe that S. Paul in all that Epistle doth so much as once treat of Bishops or church government wherfore he had no occasioÌ„ ministred to talke of the Roman churches supremacy Let it for this time suffice that S. Paul doth els where acknowledg S. Peter for a person of excellency and his superiour as the holie learned Doctors do gather out of these his words Then after three yeeres I came to Hierusalem to see Peter Gallat 1.18 and tarried with him fifteene daies That going vp of S. Paul to Hierusalem to visit S. Peter was not of curiosity but of dutie and by the law of faith as a Tertul. de praescrip cap. 23. Paulus sicut ipse narrat ascendit Hierosolymam cognoscendi Petri causa ex officio turc scilicet eiusdem fidei praedicationis Tertullian taketh it S. Chrysostome b Chrysostomus superillum locum Vi les quemad â—odum illis tribuit congruentem honorem neque solum non ducit scipsum illis meliorem verum ne parem quidem esse putat id quod ex ipsa profectione liquet non dixit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quomodo loqui solent quiinvisunt magnas vrbes vel viros sanctos out of the Energie of the greeke word collecteth that it was to see and to visit Peter as a person of excellency and maiestie And vpon S. Iohns c Chrysost hom 87. in Ioannem Petrus os erat Apostolorum Princeps vertex ipsius coetus propterea Paulus eum preter alios visùrus ascendit simul vt ei ostenderet tam ei fiduciam habendam Gospell addeth another cause of that visit to have been to certifie Saint Peter of his extraordinary coÌ„mission to preach the Gospell that he might bee creditted of the Christians which Saint Ambrose confirmeth in these words It was meete d Ambros in 1 cap. ad Galatas Dignum fuit vt cuperet videre Petrum qui primus erat inter Apostolos cui delegauerat Saluator curam ecclesiarum non vtique vt aliquid ab eo disceret quia iam ab auctore didicerit à quo et ipse Petrus fuerat instructus sed propter affectum Apostolatus vt sciret Petrus illi datam licentiam quam ipse acceperat meete that Saint Paul should covett to see S. Peter who was the chief amonge the Apostles to whom our Saviour had comÌ„itted the charge of the churches Not that hee should learne any thing of him who had before been instructed of the same maister that S. Peter was but for the qualitie of his Apostleshipp and that S. Peter might know the same comission to bee giuen to S. Paul of preaching which hee had before receiued e Hieronimi Epla 89. Denique tantae authoritatis Petrus fuit vt Paulus in Epistola sua scripserit deinde post annos tres veni Hierosoliman videre Petrum c. S. Hierome saith to the same effect S. Peter was of so great authoritie that S. Paul writeth hee went to Ierusalem to visit him f Theodoret in 1. ad Galatas Et hoc rursus Pauli virtutem ostendit etenim cum humana doctrina non indigeret vt qui ab vniuersorum deo eam ante accepisset Apostolorum principi quem par est honorem tribuit Theodoret thus when S. Paul needed no instruction of men having been taught by the Lord of all hee nevertheles deferred that honor to the ptince of the Apostles which was due g Theophilactus ibidem Paulus ad Petrum abijt non vtilitatis gratia sed solo visendi studio honoranseum maiorem se notat ibidem verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significare cum obseruatione intueri Theophilact S. Paul desired to see S. Peter as a personage greater then himself and went vp with reuerence to behold him By the record of all these ancient fathers S. Paul went vp to Ierusalem to visit S. Peter as the prince of the Apostles and as the chief governor of the church to acquaint him with his extraordinarie vocation that having gotten his approbation hee might without contradiction bee receiued of all others Now to M. Abbots second argument which is yet worse then the former S. Iohn did honour to the seaven churches of Asia Apoc. 2. 3. writing to them and yet hee would never speake of the seaven hills of Rome but as of the seate of the whore of Babylon Ergo what you please a messe of plumme pottage if you will for this pleasant Iester rather then disputer hath this sophisme so much as the shadow of a sorie argument S. Iohn in the 2. and 3. chapters of the reuelations makes no mention of the church of
subditos praelatos omniuÌ„ igitur pastor est quia praeter agnos oues in ecclesia nihil est Eucherius Archbishop of LyoÌ„s Christ sayd vnto peter feed my sheep first he committed to him his lambes then his sheep because he did not onely constitute him a pastor but the pastor of pastors therefore Peter doth feed the lambes and the sheep he feedeth the yonglinges and their dammes he doth gouerne the subiectes and the Prelates wherefore he is pastor of all because besides lambes and sheep there is nothing in the church h Gregorius lib. 4. Epist 32. Cunctis ergo Euangelium scientibus liquet quod voce dominica sancto omnium Apostolorum principi Petro Apostolo totius Ecclesiae cura coÌ„missa est ipsi quippe dicitur Petro amas me pasce oues meas ipsi dicitur ecce Satanas expetiuit cribarevos sicut triticum ego pro te rogavi Petre vt non deficiat fides tua c. Gregory the great it is manifest to all that know the Gospell that the charge of the whole church was by our lords voice coÌ„mitted to holy S. Peter prince of all the Apostles for to him it was said Peter dost thou loue mee feede my sheepe to him it was said behold Satan hath desired to sift you as wheate And I haue praied for thee Peter that thy faith shall not faile and thou once converted confirme thy brethren In which passage you see that other place of S. Luke emploied to establish the supremacie which H Leo ser 3. ass Commune erat omnibus Apostolis periculum de teÌ„tatione formidinis diuinae protectionis auxilio pariter indigebant c. tamen specialis a domino Petri cura suscipitur pro fide Patri proprie supplicatur tanquam aliorum status certior sit futurus si mens principis victa non fuerit S. Leo also doth in the forealleaged place in these words Our lord tooke speciall care of Peter and for the faith of Peter did hee praie peculiarly for the state of others should become more certaine if the mind of the Prince were not ouercome And after a litle Christ made Peter prince of the whole church S. Chrisostome vnderstood the supremacy to bee given to S. Peter in the same words when hee thus reasoneth I Chrisostom in 3. act Apostolorum Quam est feruidus quam agnoscit creditum a Christo gregom quam in choro princeps est obique primus onnium incipit loqui Behold the fervour of S. Peter how well did hee know the charge of the flocke to bee committed to him by Christ how well doth hee shew himself the prince of that company and doth alwaies speake first marke the reason for to him had Christ said And thou once conuerted confirme thy brethren In like manner k Ambros in Psalm 43. Denique Petrus ecclesia praeponituâ— postquam tentatus a diabolo est adeoque ante significat dominus quid est illud quod postea cum pastorem elegit dominici gregis nam huic dixit tu autem conuersus coÌ„firma fratres tuos c. S. Ambrose Peter is made President of the church Christ did signifie before what hee meant by that that hee chose him pastor of our Lords stocke for to him hee said thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren So doth l Theophil in c. 22. Luâ—ae Tu conuersus planus huius loci intellectus est quia te habeo vt principem discipulorum postquam me abnegato fleueris ad panitâ—ntiam veneris confirma cetâ—râ—â— hoc enim tedecet qui post 〈…〉 petra es et firmamentum Theophilact the plaine sense of this place is bicause I esteeme of thee as of the prince of my disciples after that thou having denied mee shalt wepe and come to repentance do thou confirme the rest for that becometh thee who after mee art the rock and foundation of the church These texts of holie Scriptures and testimonies of ancient fathers to omitt manie others I deliuer by the way in confirmation of S. Peters primacy to giue M. Abbot a proof that I could haue said more for that cause then I said in my former booke where I did passe over that point speedely as scarse belonging to the question then in hand 7 Now I returne to that text recorded in S. Mathew Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church vpon which wee must staÌ„d the longer bicause M. Abbot doth saie what hee could devise against the true sense of it by it therfore I will prove according to my former deduction first that the primacy was giueÌ„ to S. Peter and afterward shew that it is deriued to the popes of Rome his successors M. Abbot confesseth that the fathers sometimes take Peter to bee that rocke vpon which Christ built his church but avoucheth that none ever said that the church of Rome was the rocke yea addes very groslie that I belie the fathers and father that on them which they never meant when I saie that they out of that text gathered the Pope of Romes supremacie how audaciously and vntruly this is spoken shall appeare assoone as I haue dispatched the former part about S. Peter himself Let it therfore bee first duly considered what a worthie company of the auncient renowmed fathers both Greek and Latin do interprete S. Peter to bee that rocke vpon which our blessed saviour built his church and therwith gaue him power authority to gouern the same that no man maie doubt that to be the true literall sence first intended though secundarily it may admitt other constructions I will begin with that famous Clarke Origen who is one of the auncienst amongst the Greekes that hath written comentaries vpon the Testament he stileth 1 Origin homil 5. in Exodum Vide magno illi ecclesiae fundamento Petrae solidissimae super quam Christus fundauit ecclesiam quid dicatur a domino modicae inquit fides quaro dubitasti S. Peter the great foundation of the church and most sound rocke vpon which Christ built his church Hipolitus 2 Hipolit de constructione mundi Princeps Petrus fidei petra quem beatum iadicauit Christus deus nostâ—r ille doctor ecclesiae ille primus discipulorum qui regus claues habuit c. Peter the prince the rocke of faith the Doctour of the church the chief of the Apostles whom our lord pronouÌ„ced to bee blessed Eusebius 3 Eusebius lib. 6. historiae 19. resert ex Origine Petrus super quem Christi ecclesia contra quam â—nferorum pâ—rtae non praeualebunt aedificata est c. reciteth these words Peter vpon whom was built the church of Christ against which hel gates shall not prevaile 4 Epiphan in Ancorato non longe a principio Ipse dominus constituit Petrum primum Apostolorum petram firmam super quam ecclesia dei aedificata est portae inferorum non praepraeualebunt
assump suae Cum ego sim inuiolabilis Petrae ego lapis angularis qui facio vtraque vnum Tamen tu quoque Petra es quia mea virtute solidaris vt quae mihi potestate sâ—nt propria sint tibi mecum participatione communia yet thou Peter art also a rocke bicause that thou shalt bee made sound by my vertue these things which are proper to mee by power shall by participation bee comunicated to thee so that argument of M. Abbots is nothing worth for albeit our Saviour Christ bee the rocke in a farre more eminent and excellent manner as hee that vpholdeth all the church from the beginning of the world vnto the latter end and is by his owne merite and power vnmoueable yea hee is the builder of the same church and out of his side the same Church is builded as Eve was out of one of Adams ribbes yet it followeth not therof but that S. Peter maie bee the rocke chosen by Christ to bee his vicegerent chief governor of his Church vnder him by the soundnes of his faith made fitt to confirme all others that shall haue anie doubt ther about like as in the state of the old testament Notwithstanding Christ was the head corner stone therof yet there was one high priest that had vnder him supreme authoritie ouer all the rest and soveraigne power to determine all doubts arising about their lawe Albeit our Saviour bee the rocke vpon which the church is built in a most peereles manner yet that those words of his vpon this rocke I will build my church were not meant of himselfe but of S. Peter is most evident first by the vniforme consent of all the auncient fathers both Greeke and Latin before rehersed true it is that a Augustin l 1. retract c. 21 â—arum autem duarum sententiarum quae sit probabilior eligat lector S. Austin sometimes applies them both to Chr st and to S. Peter and leaues to the readers choise whether he will take which choise is easie to bee made when S. Augustin with all the rest before recited stand cleerly for S. Peter and hee alone maketh some doubt of it more ouer all the circumstances of the text bee on the other fathers side first the words next before are plainly addressed to S. Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church Againe in the language which our Saviour spake it is so cleere that there can bee no doubt of it for it is thou art Cephas that is a stone and vpon this stone I will build my church the verie same word without anie alteration being vsed in both places Besides these words contayne a reward bestowed vpon Saint Peter for the sincere confession of that high misterie of faith as the auncient fathers do testifie with S. Hierom vpon that place Hieron in c. 16. Math. Hilarius can 16. in Math. Confessio Petri praemium coÌ„secuta est Theophila in c. 16. Math. Maximus vbi supra Mercedem recepit vera confessio the true confession of S. Peter received due reward but it had been no recompense of Peters confession for Christ to haue built his church vpon himself doth it not in very coÌ„mon sense seeme verie harsh for our Saviour to pretend a great favour to Peter as to say to him Happy art thou Peter c And I saie to thee thou art Peter and in fine to fall from Peter to himself and saie vpon my self I will build my church Lastly the church being vnderstood to bee built vpon Peter the reason is declared why our Saviour changed the name Simon into Peter as if he had said I gave thee the name Peter that doth signifie a rocke because that vpon thee as vpon a rocke I will build my church As God said to Abraham thou shalt bee called Abraham that is say father of many people Quia patrem multarum Gentium constituite bicause I haue appointed thee the father of many nations All this by the waie to shew the true literall sence of that text to bee the verie same which the Orthodoxe fathers have vniformally deliuered M. Abbots second obiection against the fathers interpretation is this Christ built his church vpon the true faith and confession of Peter therfore not vpon Peter which doth not follow for the true faith and confession of Christ being in S. Peter if Christ built his church vpon them hee did withall ioinctly buile it vpon him in whom they were for the further explication of this difficultie it is to bee vnderstood that the church being a congregation of men it is to bee ruled by men who indeed are to be chosen rulers therof for the excellent qualities of faith constancy and charitie for example to rule the temporall state teÌ„porall Magistrates are chosen indued with wisdome Iustice fortitude and other vertues that make men fitt to governe but to speake properly not the vertues which bee accidentall qualities but the men so qualified bee governors A Iudge is chosen for his sound skill in the lawes for his vpright conscience in the administration of Iustice A Bishop for his deepe knowledg in Diuinitie for his wisdome in governing and holines of life yet not these vertues but those persons bee this the Iudge that the Bishop S. Peter for the soundnes of his faith and for the inuincible valour of his mind as a Basil ad cap. 2. 2. Esa S. Basil writeth and for the fervour of his charitie and devotion as b Ambr. serm 2. de sanctis S. Ambrose noteth was by our Saviour chosen to bee the supreme pastor of his church and chief Governor in Ecclesiasticall affaires which is the same in effect that c Chris hom 56. in Matth. S. Chrisostome and d Theod. in cant l. 2. Theodorete by M. Abbot alleaged do saie vpon this faith and confession that is in respect of those vertues which were eminent in S. Peter I build my church on him for they both do teach the church to be builded vpoÌ„ S. Peter but would haue vs to knowe that that great dignity was not bestowed on him vpon meere affection to his person but in regard of those his excellent and worthy qualities whence it doth not follow that whosoever hath the like qualities shall haue the same dignitie vnles they also bee thervnto lawfullie called and chosen as S. Peter was by our Saviour No more then it doth follow that all they shal be made Bishops or Iudges who haue the vertues requisite for Bishops and Iudges Now to that taken out of e Ambr. ad Ephes cap. 2. S. Ambrose vpon this rocke will I build my church that is in this confession of the Catholike faith will I establish the faithfull to life I answere first that M. Abbot hath clipped of the former part of S. Ambrose wordes in which hee saith that our Saviour did declare S. Peter to bee the foundation of his church in that he built his
church vpon him when he said to him Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church these wordes would haue marred M. Abbots market therefore he did wisely to ouerskip them now that which followeth may serve rather to confirme our opinion then make anie whit for theirs for thus it may bee vnderstood Saint Peter for that his confession of faith received power and vertue from Christ to confirme others in the faith thereby to establish them to life And so by that confession of faith made by Saint Peter the faithfull are established to life Againe Saint Ambrose who elswhere often and in that verie place teacheth S. Peter to bee that rocke vpon which the church was built might make a secondarie good morall construction of those wordes teaching every man to believe as Saint Peter did and to make the like confession of their faith that they might be setled in the right way to life everlasting which moralization of Christs words doth not crosse but suppose the true litterall sence to bee as before you haue heard out of Saint Ambrose with the vniforme consent of other fathers To that which followeth in the same Author these words of the Apostle in him all the building is coopled together c. are the sense and meaning of that which our lord said vpon this rocke I will build my church I answer there is a cunning tricke vsed in cutting of the Apostles wordes in the middest with an c and making that to be the exposition of the first part of the sentence which Sainct Ambrose makes the interpretation of the last as may appeare vnto him that will see the place for his reason is fideles enim sunt superficies templi dei c. for the faithfull of holy conversation bee the walls or over parts of that temple of God which suteth well with the latter end of Saint Pauls sentence which is in whom you also are built togither into an habitation of God in the holy Ghost in brief S. Ambrose meaning in that place is no other then that the Apostle vsed the same Metaphore of building which our Saviour did when he said Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church Of which spirituall building the faithfull are the over partes the Apostles the foundations amoÌ„g whom S. Peter is the rocke and Christ the head corner stone that closeth all togeather and beareth vp both peoples aswell those that went afore as those that came after his incarnation M. Abbots fourth obiection Epla Iuuenalis â—t Epist pal in Apendice Concil Cholced the whole number of the Bishops of Palaestina in the councell of Chalcedon vnderstood Christs words so vpon this confession the church of God is confirmed and strengthened ANSWERE THat whole number I find to bee but two or three and they not in the councell neither nor during the time of that councell but after they came home from the councel and their meaning is plaine for vs. They having been att the councell of Chalcedon and there heard and saw how Discorus patriarch of Alexandria was for his heresie and obstinacie censured and condemned by the sentence of Leo the great Bishop of Rome did certifie all them that were vnder their charge that the church of God was confirmed and strengthned by the confession and declaration of the Bishop of Rome S. Peters successor and how in him was verified that sentence of our Saviour vpon this rocke I will build my church and that other also Thou being conuerted confirme and strengthen thy brethren which is all as direct for vs as can bee besides what other pregnant proofe there is in that generall councell for S. Peters supremacy and that the Bishop of Rome is his successor in the same supreme authoritie shal bee heerafter declared more at large Out of these former arguments M. Abbot maketh this inference that by the exposition of the ancient fathers it maie appeare that Christ eueÌ„ the true faith of Christ for Christ is nothing to vâ— but by faith is the true rocke whervpon the church is builded to which S. Iohn accordeth This is the victorie that over cometh the world even our faith for who is hee that overcometh the world but hee that believeth that Iesus is the sonne of God what is this good Sir to the preseÌ„t purpose of the popes supremacie though faith in some good sense may bee called a rocke bicause it is the foundation and ground worke of all other Christian vertues yet how doth it follow therof that S. Peter is not that rocke vpon which it pleased Christ to build his church what because ther is an order in the frame of a vertuous life must it needes ther vpon ensue that there is no order in the government of Christs Church is not this a very strange inference For the clearer explication of this doubt â—â—t this distinction bee observed the building of Christs church as it is like to a kingdome differeth much from the building of a spirituall temple vnto the holie Ghost in our soules to the first kind of building beloÌ„g subiects and magistrates Bishops Archbishops and so forth the highest wherof vnder Christ was S. Peter To the other inward building concurre all such divine graces and qualities that serue for the reformation of our soule as faith hope Charitie humilitie and such like among which vertues faith in Christ Iesus is at it were the fundamentall stone to the argument then this is the answere that albeit faith in Christ be as it were the rocke and foundation of all Christian vertues yet that is no let but that in the order of Christian magistrates S. Peter may be the rock and haue the chief commaunding power giuen to him and to his successors the Bishops of Rome purity of faith boldnes of confession fervour of Charitie rare gifts of God bestowed on S. Peter were the principall dispositions in him to that other high dignitie and authoritie but the authoritie it self of government was not bestowed on those vertues but vpon the person of Saint Peter though in regard of the same divine qualities After these arguments M. Abbot inferreth that if Christ bee the rocke properly and truly Saint Peter cannot bee the rocke but accidently and vnproperly in respect of his doctrine and example of saith vttered in his confession As Abraham is the rocke from whâ—nce wee are hewed so is Peter the rock wheron wee are built not that either of them conferreth any thing to vs but only for that they staÌ„d before vs for patterns of imitation I answer that he should rather haue made this inference bicause Christ is the rocke of the Church most properly therfore S. Peter is the rocke therof also properly both for that Christ made him the rocke who maketh all things well and properly and also because the properties of a rocke do fitlie agree to S. Peter that is to bee constant and firme in the faith to strengthen and vphold
others as hath been before declared To imagine Saint Peter to bee called a rocke because hee is a patterne of imitation is as dull and blockish as to call a duske darke stone a cleere looking glasse Abraham was more properly by the prophet called though in another sense a rocke out of which the Iewes were hewen and a pitt out of which they were digged bicause all the Israëlites descended out of his loynes as stones are hewen or digged out of a rock 10 M. Abbot not being able to disprove S. Peter to bee the rocke bicause our Saviour Christ alone is the rocke turnes himself on the other side and will needes prove that all the Apostles were rockes and Peter therin not to haue beeÌ„ alone but that as hee spake in the person of all the Apostles so Christes wordes returned in answere to Peter should appertaine to them all for saies hee Saint Austin affirmeth that Peter answeâ—ed for all a Aug. in psal 8â— one for vnitie And Hierome by the words here spoken to Peter concludeth b Hieron in Amos l 3 c. 6. that Chrâ—st the rocke gave not to one only Apostle but to his Apostles that they also should bee called rockes And in like sort Origen conceiueth when he saith c Orig in Math. c. 16. If thou thinke that the church was built vpon Peter only what wilt thou saie to Iohâ— the sonne of thunder and to every of the Apostles c. wee must rather say that in all and evâ—rie one of thâ—m is verified vpon this rocke I will build my church and in a word hee reasoneth thus bicause that which followeth after I will giue to thâ—e the Keies of the knigdome of hâ—aven is coâ—â—on to them all therfore that going before is also coÌ„mon to them all and this the scripture confirmeth in that it saith d Ephes 2.20 the houshold of God are builded not vpon the foundatioÌ„ of Peter only but vpon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophets e Reuelâ—t 21.14 And not Peter onlie but the lambes twelve Apostles haue their names written in the twelue foundations of the Citie of God hitherto M. Abbot Doth not this great inconstancie in answering argue plainly that there is no setled soundnesse in the protestants doctrine but that they are caried about with the wind Before you heard that no other bodie saving Christ alone could bee that rock and to make that good M. Abbot was verie earnest there now the wind blowing in an other dore not only Peter is the rocke but all the Apostles aswell as hee yea and euerie Christian man too is a rock as you shall heare heereafter And all this to make men beleeve that it is but an ordinary matter to bee that rocke vpon which Christ built his Church wee that hold it to bee one of the greatest priviledges that could bee graÌ„ted to a mortall man do notwithstanding graunt that the Apostles may be called rockes as they are called foundations after a certaine proportion that is as S. Peter was the fundamentall rock placed next vnto our Saviour over the whole Church So the Apostles were constituted principall pillers or rockes of certaine countries laying the foundation of Christian religion in them by preaching the Gospell and by ruling the severall flockes coÌ„mitted to their charges As Metropolitans primates may bee said to bee the rockes and foundations of Christian religion in their provinces bicause they do principally commaund over all Ecclesiasticall persons therin and do keepe all vnder them in vnitie of faith In like manner to preserve all Christian countries in the said vnitie of faith and vniformitie of religion there ought to bee one supreme pastor over all the world who first was S. Peter and ever since have been his lawfull Successors the Bishops of Rome All this is good doctrine but to saie that these words in S. Mathew were spoken aswell to the rest of the Apostles as to S. Peter which M. Abbot would faine haue his reader believe is flatt against the evidence of the verie text For S. Peter is there severed from the rest by all circumstances that can bee devised in so few words first by his owne proper name for our Saviour said to him happie art thou Simon then by the name of his father the sonne of Ionas thirdly by mention of a speciall revelation made to him for flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee fourthly by expresse direction of this speech to him I say to thee not to all the Apostles thou art Peter none of the rest were so called Out of which it doth ensue most cleerly that the words immediatly following and vpon this rocke I will build my church were particulerly spoken to S. Peter and not to any other of the Apostles To the others afterward was given the power of binding and loosing remitting of sins and retayning yet with out any mention made of the keies of the kingdome of heaven which albeit they do signify there a supreme coÌ„maunding power yet they maie in a certaine sence bee said to bee given vnto the other Apostles as is the title of a rock though they bee not that principall rocke vpon which Christ built his church so they had not the prime vse of the keies which was appropriated to S. Peter I do also further grantâ— that the name of a rock maie bee in a good morall sence applied vnto everie constant Christian that doth confesse the true faith with S. Peter and is constant and vnmoveable in the same confession like vnto a rocke And this is all which Origen and S. Ambrose cited by M. Abbot do saie as may bee seene by him that pleaseth to read the circumstances of those places for Origen discourseth how all may bee called rockes that have this effect of a rocke And that the gates of hell cannot prevaile against them that is all that do perseuere constantly to the end in the true faith S. Ambrose exhorteth all men to endevour to bee roâ—kes that is to haue soundnes in constancie and stedfastnes of faith Origen addeth that which I before said that the Apostles and Prophets maie bee called rockes in a higher degree bicause they are the foundations of others that are builded vpon them but these expositions as M. Abbot saith bee Allegoricall or rather morall explications of these our Saviours wordes that do not destroie the prime litterall sence therof which according vnto the generall consent of the ancient fathers is that Christ built his church vpon S. Peter as the supreme governor therof as hath been alreadie proved Now to M. Abbots last evasion that the fathers in all this matter make Peter to beare the figure of the whole church and therfore that to bee applied to all and everie one in the church which was there spoken to Peter for these fathers hee alleageth only S. a August Epist 165 Idem de verb Domini ser 13. Austin and S. b Gregor expos in
1. Reg li. 6. cap. 3. Gregorie yea and S. Gregorie speaking of another matter thus that which never was said to them of the old testament is now said to the vniversall church whatsoever thou shalt bind vpon earth which sheweth some difference between the old and new testament but nothing coÌ„cerneth these wordes of Christ Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my church which is another kind of matter then that whatsoever thou shalt bind vpon earth c. Againe is M. Abbot so simple as to thinke that the power of binding loosing is giuen to every particuler member af the church can women and Children bind and loose all a like perhaps in the protestants church but it is not so with vs. yet that power maie bee said to bee given to the whole church because it is given to the benefitt of the whole though the charge and administration therof be not committed and giuen to all and everie person in the church But to returne to S. Austin he saith Aug de ver Dominiser 13. that the name Peter was given to him that by that figure hee might signifie the church bicause Christ is petra the rocke therfore Peter is the people of Christ So M. Abbot well let all this bee true what is this allegoricall interpretation of the name of Peter to our present purpose It cannot bee but a great honor to Saint Peter to haue had a name given him by our Saviour derived out of his owne name and that maie represent the people of Christ and further which followeth in that place of S. Austin though M. Abbot thought it policie to suppresse it Apostolorum principatum tenens S. Peter held the principalitie amoÌ„g the Apostles all this maketh much for S. Peters preheminence but doth it follow thervpon that nothing which Christ said to S. Peter doth properlie appertaine to him but all is to bee imparted to all Christian people how absurd were it to vnderstand so iudicious a Doctors words as S. Austin was after that childish manner thou art Peter that is after this new glosse all my people and vpon this rocke which containes also all Christes people I will build my church so that the sence after M. Abbots exposition must bee Christ did build all his people vpon all his people One might verie well bee chosen out of the rest as a foundation vpon whom Christ might lay all the rest but how all the people should bee built vpon all the people passeth I think all vnderstanding Epistola 165. But S. Austin elswhere saith M. Abbot hath these words to S. Peter bearing the figure of the whole church our lord said vpon this rocke c. bee it so that S. Peter bare the person of the church that doth not hinder the words to bee spoken to him effectuallie but rather argueth him to bee the chief governor of the church Aug. in Psal 108. câ—cione 1. as the same saint in the like places doth expresse in this manner Cuius Ecclesiae ille agnoscitur in figura gestasse personam propter primatum quem in discipulis habuit the person of which church Peter is acknowledged in figure to haue represented by reason of the primacie that hee had among the disciples And yet more plainly in another place thus Aug. Quaest ex nouo testam quaest 75 Saluator cum pro se Petro dari iubet pro omnibus â—xoluisse videtur quia sicut in domino erant omnes causa magisterij ita post Saluatorem in Petro omnes continentur Ipsum enim constituit esse caput eorum vt pastor esset gregis dominici when our Saviour commaunded tribute to bee paid for himself and for Peter hee seemeth to haue paid for all for like as in our Saviour there were all the partes of a maister so after him all were contained in Peter for hee coÌ„stituted Peter head of the rest that hee might bee the pastor of our lords flocke By which words of S. Austin wee gather that S. Peter sometimes did represent the whole church because he was head and chief pastor therof as a king doth in some cases represent a kingdome which is so for of from disproouing S. Peters supremacy that hence wee maie take a strong argument to prooue it and withall the propagation therof to his successors for we are taught out of these wordes of S. Austen to say that S. Peter maie bee considered either as a priuate person or as a publike magistrate that which pleased our Saviour to bestow vpon him as a private person was proper to himself and continued no longer then hee liued but that which Christ bestowed vpon S. Peter as a publike magistrate that was granted to the whole church and was to continue with the church to the worlds end like as that which is granted to a king as a publike person is holden as annexed to the Crowne and to descend alwaies after to all his successors now to our purpose S. Austin when hee said that that prerogatiue was giuen to S. Peter as representing the whole church doth not deny it to bee given him trulie and actually but doth signifie that it was given him not for his owne proper vse but for the benefitt of the whole church and therfore giuen in remainder for ever vnto his successors which was in the fullest and best sort that could bee Having thus answered all M. Abbots obiections and declared how S. Peter is the speciall rock vpoÌ„ which our Saviour built his church and how the other Apostles and everie constant ChristiaÌ„ may bee called rockes one truth not destroying but rather fortifieing the other I now come to cleere that imputation of dishonestie which M. Abbot would with no great honestie haue cast on mee I did affirme that it might bee deduced out of the ancient fathers that the Bishop or sea of Rome was that rocke vpon which the church was builded M. Abbot was bold to saie that I belied the fathers therin and doth avouch peremptorilie that never anie of them so vnderstood these words of our Saviour well let vs see whether of vs is like to prove the honester man of his word I do heere omitt the manifold deductions in this Chapter before mentioned and will add one more out of Saint Austins words by M. Abbot himself last before cited thus whatsoever was said to S. Peter as representing the person of the church is taken to bee said to all his successors as before hath been declared but those words of Christe vpon this rocke I will build my church were spoken to S. Perer as representing the person of the church by the verdit of S. Austin approved by M. Abbot himself therfore these verie words are to bee vnderstood as spoken vnto all S. Peters successors who being the Bishops of Rome as in due place shal bee proved it followeth evidentlie that the Bishops or church of Rome for I take both them for the same
thing in this matter is that rocke vpon which Christ built his church Is not this deduction plaine enough But what will you say if the same most Autentike Doctor do in expresse tearmes affirme the church of Rome to bee that self same rocke then all the world maie see that to bee most apparantly true which I said And M. Abbot must needes confesse that hee ouershot himself verie grosly These bee S. Austins owne words come my brethren if you please August in Psalco partem donati Venite fratres si vultis vt inseramini in vite dolor est cum vos videmus praecisos ita iacere Numerate Sacerdotes ab ipsa Petri sede in ordine illo patrum quiâ— cui successit videre ipsa est petra quaÌ„ non vincunt superba inferorum porta and bee graffed in the vine It grieveth vs to behold you lying so cutt of Recken the priests even from the seate of Peter and in that rew of fathers regard to whom who succeeded that seate is the rocke which the proud gates of hell do not overcome The seat of Peter and succession of Bishopâ— of Rome is that rock in S. Austins iudgment against which hell gates shall not prevaile was not that the verie same rocke vpon which Christ built his church S. Hierom was another most learned Doctor of the ancient church Hier. Epist 57. ad Damasum Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens beatitudini tua id est Cathedra Petri communione consocior super illam petram aedificatain ecclesiam scio as all the learned know hee testifieth the same most plainly in these words vnto Damasus then Bishop of Rome I following none as chief but Christ am in communion associated vnto your holines that is vnto the chaire of Peter vpon this rocke I know the church of Christ to bee builded Lo S. Hierom knew and confessed S. Peters chaire in which Damasus the pope then sate to bee the same rocke vpon which Christ built his church Pope Iulius the first was yet a more ancient and a verie holie and grave father hee teacheth the same plainlie in these words Ex Iulij increpatoria ad Orientales Ipsa Romana sedes omnibus maior praelata est ecclesijs quae non solum Canonum sanctorum patrum decretis sed D. Saluatoris nostri voce singularem obtinuit principatum Tu es inquit Petrus super hanc petram adificabo ecclesiam meam The sea of Rome is preferred before all churches which not only by decrees of Canons and holie fathers hath obtained that singuler principalitie but by the voice of our lord when hee said Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my church If the church of Rome by these words of our Saviour vpon this rock I will build my church were preferred before all others as that graue holie prelate teacheth then must it needes follow that the church of Rome was the rock vpon which Christ built his church Damasus was also a very ancient holy Ex Epistola 4. B Damasi ad Stephanum Epist Concilia Aftiâ—ae Scitis fratres dilectiss firmamentum à deo fixum immobile atque titulum lucidissimum suorum sacerdotum id est omnium Episcoporum Apostolicam sedem esse constitutam verticem Ecclesiarum Tu es enim sicut diuinum pronuntiat verbum Petrus super hanc petram adâ—ficabo Ecclesiam meam and learned Prelate he writeth in this sort you know most beloued brethren the Apostolik see of Rome to be constituted by God a fixed and vnmoueable firmament a most bright title of all byshops and topp of churches euen as the word of God doth pronunce saying thou art Peter and vpon this rock I will build my church he then also took and expounded those words of Christ to appertaine vnto the see of Rome The testimonie of these fewe ancient renowmed fathers is more then sufficient to iustifie what I said and to assure the vpright readers that some of the ancient fathers did interprete the church of Rome to bee that rock vpon which our Saviour built his church wherby they maie see how vnciuilly M. Abbot dealt with mee having no other ground for it then his owne ignorance coopled with audaciousnes Bicause M. Abbot doth in this paragraff thrust in here and there manie broken sentences out of the fathers against the supreme authoritie of the Bishop of Rome I hold it convenient to fortifie the same with some select testimonies of the best renowmed prelates of the Greeke and Easterne churches for if they whom it concerned most to stand for the dignitie and prerogatiues of their owne churches being the greatest personages in that part of the world which was farthest of from Rome do neuertheles acknowledg the Bishop of Rome to haue had in the time of pure antiquitie commanding authoritie and power over themselues and their churches then no vnpartiall and vpright mind can doubt but that the church of Rome alwaies hath had or should haue had authoritie of power and superioritie in goverment over all other churches of the world Athanasius one of the prime Doctors of the Greeke church both for holynes of life greatnes of learning soundnes of faith and by his place patriarch of Alexandria which was the highest seat in the easterne coasts This most reverend Archbishop and renowmed Champion of Christs church being grievously persecuted by the Arrian heretikes and verie iniuriously thrust out of his Bishoprike by their meanes made his recourse vnto Iulius then pope of Rome and besought him to call his aduersaries being also Easterne Bishops to Rome to answer there for those wrongs that they had done him by which fact of his he acknowledged most perspicuously the church of Rome to haue power and authoritie over Easterne Bishops to determine their ecclesiasticall causes Thus it standes of record in the Ecclesiasticall history Athanasius flying from AlexaÌ„dria went to Rome Zozomen lib. 3. histor cap. 7. Athanasius autem fugiens Alexandria Romam venit codem tempore Paulus etiam Constantinopolitanus Episcopus forte illuâ— accessit Marcellus quoque Episcopus Anciroe Azelopus Gazae c. Lucius Adrianopoli Quorum criminationes cum Episcopus Romanus intellexisset omnes fidei Concilij Nicenâ— consentientes reperisset in communionem recepit Ac cum propter sedu dignitatem cura omnium ad cum spectaret singulis suam Ecclesiam restituit scripsitque ad Episcopos Orientis cosque incusavit quod inconsulto de his viris iudicassent deditque mandatum vt quidam illorum nomine ad diem constitutum accederent qui etiam minatus est se de reliquo non passurum eos invltos nisi novis rebuâ— studere desisterent Paulus Bishop of Constantinople another great sea of the Greeke church was also fled thither for succour and diuers other Bishops of the said Easterne church whose accusations when the Bishop of Rome had heard
called into question by vntowardlie and degenerous Children that either wilfullie run out of her house to follow their owne pleasure and fancies or are for pure feare falne away from her and forsaken her ordinances M. Abbot admitting as it were that other churches should according to S. Irenaeus rule conforme themselues in matter of doctrine to the church of Rome yet to giue vs a tast of the subtility of his shifting witt addeth that ther is in that place of Irenaeus nothing for her superiority in goverment well that being once granted that all other churches should for matter of doctrine accord with the church of Rome it would theron necessarily follow that the church of England and consequently his maiestie ought to do the same which was all that I sued for yet over and besides Irenaeus words being well weighed do import also a superiority in goverment to be resident in that church which I proue bicause he saies that other churches must of necessity accord with the church of Rome for her more poteÌ„t principality Now if the church of Rome haue power and principality over other churches And do impose a necessitie vpon them of according vnto it it must needes haue superiority in goverment over them or els the other could not be bound of necessitie to follow it M. Abbot doth grammatically descant first vpon this word principalitie and saies that it may signâ—fie eminencie in estimation though not superioritie in goverment And that it maie bee potent also to move by example and perswasion only not by commaundement Be it so that these words maie be wrested into some such signification as what words be there that may not be diuerslie construed yet everie reasonable man will soone see that power and principalitie do properly import a commaunding superiority And will as easily graunt that the fathers words are rather to be fairly taken according to the more vsuall signification then in anie such forced sense and construction Againe seing that power and superioritie did even as S. Irenaeus expresseth impose a necessitie vpon others of conforming themselues to the church of Rome it could not bee that imagined superioritie of M. Abbots which imposeth no such necessitie wherfore it remaines evident that M. Abbot is driuen to flie from the vsuall signification true meaning of S. Irenaeus words In like manner M. Abbot to cast some better colour vpon his new devised principalitie or rather to shift over into another matter that seemes more plausible writeth thus 20 That M. Bishop may vnderstand I do not answere him by a deuise of mine Cypr. l. 1. Epist 3. but according to the truth hee shall find that Ciprian calleth the chuâ—ch of Rome the princ pall church and yet in the same place he denieth the authority of the Bishops in Africa to be inferiour vnto the Bishops of Rome M. Abbot and other Protestants cannot choose but stand in bodily feare so often as they appeale vnto the ancient fathers for support of their novelties for you shall scarse find any one of them that doth not in the verie place alledged by the Protestants giue them such a bob that everie beholder maie plainly see they do not favour their cause nor are content to be called in for their witnesses Let S. Cyprian now cited by M. Abbot serve for an example This is the sentence out of which M. Abbot picked the former words Cypr. l. 1. Epist 3. iuxta pamel Epist 55. Post ista adhuc insuper pseudo-Episcopo sibi ab haereticis constituto nauigare audent ad Petri cathedram atque ad EcclesiaÌ„ principalem vnde vnitas sacerdotalis â—rta est a schismaticis profanis litteras ferre nec cogitare eos esse Romanos quorum fides Apostolo praedicante laudata est ad quos perfidia habere non posset accessum After those things and more also after a false Bishop appointed them by Heretiks they dare saile to the chaire of Peter and vnto the principall church whence priestlie vnity hath its beginning and carrie letters from schismatikes and prophane fellowes not remembring that such are the Romanes whose faith is praised by the Apostles voice vnto whom perfidie can haue no accesse I set downe the whole passage because by and by we must treate of the later part therof as well as now of the former where is sufficientlie declared that S. Ciprian tooke the church of Rome to be principall not onlie in estimation but in order of goverment which I proue First because hee affirmes the church of Rome to be S. Peters chaire and consequently to be endued with like authoritie that S. Peter enioyed vpon whom as S. Ciprian in twentie places avoucheth the church of Christ was builded Secondly he describes it to be that principall church which is the fountaine of priestly and ecclesiasticall vnitie which could not be vnles it had power and authoritie to compell all other churches to stand to her order and therby to hold all in vnitie of faith and vniformity of religioÌ„ For as all the world now seeth there neither is nor can bee in mans iudgment any vnitie in faith or religious rites among Protestants bicause there is no one soveraigne coÌ„mauÌ„der over them all indued with authoritie to coÌ„pell the rest to agree in one And in the self same Epistle S. Cip. coÌ„firmeth this verie poiÌ„t in these memorable words Heresies haue not risen Cyprian ibidem Neque enim aliunde haereses orta sunt aut nata sunt schismata quam inde quod sacerdoti dei non obtemperatur nec vnus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos ad tempus iudex vico Christi cogitatur nor schismes sprong from any other roote then for that obedience is not yeelded to one priest and for that one priest for the time and one Iugde is not accepted of in Christs steed Do you see by S. Cyprians sentence that the only way to root out heresies and to accord schismes is to acknowledg one priest for soveraigne Iudge in ecclesiasticall cases and to obey him as Christs vicegerent on earth Such a soveraigne Iudge is hee that sits in S. Peters chaire and that principall church of Rome by S. Ciprians owne assertion in the former period or els Ecclesiasticall Discipline could not draw its originall vnitie thence Thus much here to prove that the principall church in that place of S. Ciprian is to be taken for the principall in authoritie and goverment Now to the other part S. CipriaÌ„ denieth not the Bishops in Africa to be inferior vnto the Bishop of Rome but blameth such troublesome fellowes that would not rest quiet and content with their owne Bishops iudgment but flie abroad to molest others with their brawles as though their owne Bishops had not sufficient authority or witt to compose and end their quarrells at home S. Ciprian supposeth that their churches in Afrike had no less authority then others churches to order such matters but neither names the
other reuerend Bishops not acquainting you with that matter wheras the iudgment of Bishops and finall determinatioÌ„ of their principall causes by the decrees of our fathers doth in honor of blessed S. Peter belong vnto your sea Is not this a most plaine aknowledgment of the Bishop of Romes commanding authoritie ouer the churches of Afrike And because no exception can be iustly taken either against pope Damasus learning and integritie or against his writings whose secretary somtimes was S. Hierome I will set downe his answer vnto the said African Bishop These bee his words Ex Epistola 4. damasi ad eundem Stephanum ad concilia Africae Nos qui supra domum eius hoc est vniuersalem ecclesiam Catholicam Episcopale suscepimus ministerium solicite vigilare de bemus etc scitis fatres dilectissimi firmamentum a deo fixum immobile atque titulum lucidissimum suorum sacerdotum id est omnium episcorum Apostolicam sedem esse constitutam verticem ecclesiarum Tu es enim sicut diuinum pronunciat verbum veraciter Petrus c cuius vice dei gratia hodie fungimur ideo omnia quae innotuistis non licere mandarem nisi vos tam plene instructos scirem quod cuncta super quibus consuluistis illicita esse non dubitetis discutere namque episcopos summas ecclesiasticorum negotiorum causas metrapolitano vna cum comprouincialibus licet sed definire ecclesiasticarum summas querelas causarum vel damnare episcopos absque huius sanctae sedis auctoritate minime licet ad quam omnes appellare si necesse fuerit eius fulcire auxilio oportet It behoveth vs that haue receiued Episcopall charge ouer the house of our lord that is the vniuersall church to watch carfully that nothing which belonges to that function be wanting c. you most beloued brother do know the sea Apostolike constituted of God an vnmoueable fortresse and the head of all churches which he proues by our Saviours words Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my church averring the Bishops of Rome to be S. Peters successors and Christs vicars and at length saith That it is lawfull for Metropolitans to heare and discuss the causes of Bishops their suffragans but vnlawfull to determin them finallie without the authoritie of the sea of Rome vnto which it was lawfull for all Bishops to appeale when need required and there to find reliefe I come now to some other councells that were held in Africk immediatly before that African in which were present most of the same prelates The councell holden at Mileuitan writeth to Innocentius the first who was pope next before Zozimus to whom succeeded Bonifacius and Celestinus in this manner Bicause our lord of his speciall grace hath placed you in the sea Apostolike and hath afforded you such a one in our times Ex Epist 92. inter ep D. Aug. Quia te Dominus gratiae suae precipuo munere in sede Apostolica collocauit talemque nostris teÌ„poribus praestitit vt nobis potius ad culpam negligentia valeat si apud tuam venerationem quae pro Ecclesia suggerenda sunt tacâ—erimus quam ea tu pos is vel fastidiose vel negligenter accipere magnis periculis infirmorum membrorum Christi pastoralem diligentiam quaesvmus aâ—hibere digneris c. Multo plures qui eius sensuo diligentius indagare potuerunt aduersus euÌ„ progratia Christi et Catholicae fidei veritate confliguÌ„t praecipue sanctus filius tuus frater compresbiter noster Hieronimus Sed arbitramur adiuuante misericordia Domini Dei nostri Iesu Christi qui te regere consulentem orantem exaudire dignatur autoritati sanctitatis tuae de sanctorum scripturarum autoritate de promptae facilius eos qui tam peruersa perniciosa sentiunt esse cessuros that it may be rather imputed to the blame of our negligence if we conceale from your holines those things that are to be referred to the church then that you can either disdainfully or carlesly heare vs. wee therfore beseech you that you will vouchsafe to applie your pastorall diligence vnto the weake members of Christ c. Many others that could trace out the errors of Pelagius haue entred the combat with him in defence of the grace of Christ of the truth of the Catholike faith namely your holie sonne our brother fellow priest Hierome but through the mercies of Christ who will vouchsafe to heare you praying direct you giuing counsell wee bee of opinioÌ„ that they will sooner yeeld vnto the authoritie of your holines being deriued from the authoritie of holie scriptures This epistle is recorded amoÌ„g S. Austins so is another of that councell held at Carthage about the same time wherin the Bishop of Africa wrote thus to the same pope Holy Lord and brother we haue thought good to relate to you what we haue done Ex epist xc inter D. Aug. epistolas Hoc itaque gestum Domine frater sancte charitati tuae intimandum duximus vt statutis nostra mediocritatis etiam Apostolicae sedis adhibeatur autoritas pro tuenda salute multorum quorundam peruersitate etiam corrigenda that vnto the decrees of our mediocrity may be adioyned the authoritie of the sea Apostolike aswell for the preserving of manie mens saluation as for the correcting of some persons deprauation By both which Epistles we may easily perceiue how the African Bishops esteemed the church of Rome to bee the sea Apostolike to be that head church vnto which the affaires of higher nature are to bee referred That it had pastorall charge ouer the Churches of Africke that it had authority warranted by the word of God for the defining of matter of faith vnto which even heretikes would yeeld sooner then vnto any other though esteemed never so learned And therfore they sent the decrees of their councell vp to Rome to be confirmed by the pope All this being of record in approved African councels holden about the same time and by the same persons that were at that other African councell what reason hath anie man to thinke that therin the Bishop of Rome was forbidden to intermeddle in their affaires of Afrike Ex Epist D. Aug. IOB Missae sunt itaque de hac re ex duobus conciliis Carthaginensi et Mileuitano relationes ad Apostolicam sedem c. scripsimus etiam ad beatae memoria papam Innocentium c. Ad omnia nobis ipse rescripsit eodem modo quofas erat atque oportebat Apostolica sedis Antistitem S. Austin himself relateth both that these two councells to witt of Carthage and of Mileuitane had written vnto pope Innocentius and further doth assure vs that the popes answer to them was sound such as did well beseeme the sea Apostolike I will therfore be bold to acquaint the Reader with the same his answer These be his words You do
directed a most graue and learned letter vnto the Bishops of Africa wherin he decreed some Bishops there to be deposed Leo episcopus vniuersis Episcopis per Caesariensem Mauritaniam in Africa constitutis Epistola 87. Cum de ordinationibus sacerdotum quaedam apud vos illicite vsurpata crebrior ad nos sermo perferret ratio pietatis exegit vt pro solicitudine quam vniuersae ecclesiae exdiuina institutione dependimus rerum fidem studeremus agnoscere c. Ibidem c 2. Causam quoque Lupicini episcopi illic iubemus audiri cui multum ac saepe postulenti coÌ„munioneÌ„ hac raiâ—one reddâ—mus quoniam ad nostrum iudicium prouocassâ— immerito cum pendente negotio a comunionâ— videbamus fuisse suspensum others to be continued in their office and restored one Lupicinus by name to his Bishoprick who being deposed by the Bishops of that prouince of Africa had appealed from their sentence vnto the same Leo Bishop of Rome which is a manifest evidence that the Bishops of Africk did aclwaies aknowledg the Bishop of Rome his superiority and coÌ„manding power over the Bishops of their countrie victor vticensis liued also verie shortlie after S. Austin and before Eulalius he writing in that interim in which M. Abbot doth beare vs in haÌ„d that the church of Africa was fallen out with the Church of Rome he I saie a verie godlie Bishop a grave and learned Historiographer rehearseth How Eugenius Archbishop of Carthage for conferring with the vandale Honoricus then by inuasion king of the greatest part of Africk and an Arrian heretike said vnto his deputie If the kingly power desire to know our faith Victor vticens de persecut vand l 2. Si nostram fidem quae vna vera est potestas Regis cognoscere desiderat mittat ad amicos suos scribam ego fatribus meis vt veniant coepiscopi qui coÌ„muneÌ„ fidem nostram valeant demonstrare praecipue Romana ecclesia quae caput est omnium ecclesiarum c. which is the only true faith you may consult with your councell And I will write vnto my brethren and especially vnto the church of Rome which is the head of all churches and we togeather will declare vnto your Maiestie that faith which is common to vs all Behold how even immediatly after that councell of Africk when M. Abbot dreamed the Bishops of Africa to be fallen awaie from the sea of Rome The primate of Carthage the chief citie in all Africk acknowledged the church of Rome to be the head of all the churches and that for the resolution of matter of faith that sea of Rome was principallie to bee consulted I need not descend anie Lower bicause M. Abbot himself doth relate how Eulalius Archbishop of Carthage who liued the next age after acknowledged the popes supremacie and made that countrie of Africk subiect vnto it Seing then that cleaven hundreth yeres agoe when Eulalius liued by M. Abbots owne confession the popes had soueraign commaund over the churches of Africk and before even vp to Saint Cyprian and Tertullians time which was within 200. yeeres after Christ the same church of Rome was by the principall pillars and lights of Africk esteemed the mother church of the world and roote of Christian vnity vnto which some of their Bishops in all ages did appeale for succour some others did referr the decrees of their councels to be confirmed acknowledging the Bishop of Rome to haue power to assemble councels in Africk and to condemne heretikes all the world over was not M. Abbot fowly over seen and did he not ouer-reach most grieuously when he said that the Bishops of Africke denied the Bishop of Rome to haue anie authority over them and forbad him to intermeddle with matters of their country I haue staid the longer vpon this fact of the African Bishops bicause the Protestants make such reckening of it I will with more speede dispatch that which followeth M. Abbot obiâ—cteth that Anicetus the pope could not perswade Policarpus to keepe the feast of Easter after the manner of Rome therby intimating that Policarpus was not acquainted with that potent principality of the church of Rome I answer that not withstanding the confessed acknowledgment of the popes supremacy no man is bound to follow all his opinions or to imbrace his aduises or perswasions onlie he is of dutie to obey his expresse commaundements wherfore Anicetus not binding Policarpus by anie mandate to alter his opinion thence cannot bee gathered anie disobedience of Policarpus though it be most certain that Anicetus was in the truth and thother in errour for that the feast of Easter should haue been kept of all churches according vnto the manner of Rome And so it was afterward defined in the first generall councell of Nice As do witnes a Athanas epistola de Ariminensi concilio Athanasius Eusebius b Euseb de vita constant l. 3. v. 17. Epiphanius heres 69. Socrates histor lib. 1. cap. 6. Theodoret. histor 1. cap. 10. Nicephorus histor lib. 8. cap. 19. Nevertheles Anicetus out of the spirit of lenity was content to beare with Policarpus being a holy reverend and Apostolicall man Pope victor afterward seing the same errour creeping further abroad and beginning to infect euen the westerne church thought it fitter to vse his authoritie to driue the churches of Asia from the custome of the Iewes vnto conformity with the church of Rome Neither is it apparent nor so certaine as M. Abbot would haue it seeme that Policrates did disobey his sentence of excommunication for those his words cited by M. Abbot are set downe in Eusebius Euseb l. 5. histor c. 22. 23. when the question was yet in examination and before the sentence pronounced So that he might verie well as his duty required after he saw the popes definitiue sentence conforme himself thervnto though before hee was of another mind And he being otherwise a verie godly and a learned prelate is to be presumed and taken to haue done that which he ought to do the contrary not being able to be prooued S. Ciprian whom M. Abbot citeth next as all the learned know erred in that point of rebaptizing them that were before baptized by heretikes and therin out of humane frailtie offended by not conforming his opinion vnto Stephen Bishop of Rome forgetting his owne iudgment giuen and often repeted when he was out of that distempered moode to witt that heresies and schismes do Cypr. Epistola 55. Neque alâ—unde haereses ortae sunt aut nata sunt schismata quam inde quod Sacerdoti Dei non obtemperatur c. grow out of no other roote then that the voice of one priest and iudge for the time in Christs steed is not harkened vnto and many such like M. Abbot to testify to the world that he is a blind guid and williÌ„g to lead his feollowers into the ditch is not ashamed to propound vnto them
for imitation the knowen and confessed faults and blemishes of men otherwise good How much more sincerly deale wee who desire all men to follow S. Ciprian in all other matters saving in that one wherin hee failed and not to lay hold of words then spoken in passion by him to make good his errour specially when they be coÌ„trary even vnto himself when he was his owne man and out of that distemper whence also we do gather this Christian observation worthie to be deepely printed in everie Christian mans hart If such great learned personages as were S. Ciprian and Policrates when they would not harken vnto the sentence of the Popes of Rome did fall into errour what a warning is that vnto men of meaner wits and much lesser learning to take heed that they swarne not one haires bredth from the popes definitions in matter of doctrine lest withall they decline from the truth as their betters by many degrees haue done before them when they would not be ruled 25 Out of Africke M. Abbot sailes into Asia taking over great paines to search out some poore relief for his bad cause and saies they did not imagine any such principality to appertain vnto the church of Rome And for proofe therof brings in that which rather proveth the contrarie to witt that Leo the great for the loue of peace yeelded to them in a faultie definitioÌ„ of theirs about the observation of Easter If that worthy pope should haue condescended vnto those Asians rather then to haue contended with them doth not that rather argue that he was their superior and might haue dealt more severly with them if he had taken it for the better course Leo Epistola 93. n. 4. But I reading over all that Epistle cited by M. Abbot do not find it so as he reportes but that these Asians were rather Priscilian heretikes whom that holy pope much blameth and condemneth for their evill observation of Easter without anie yeelding vnto them wherfore I cannot see to what other purpose that can serue than to shew that the bishope of Rome had commanding power in Asia M. Abbot recuils back to Hierome affirming him not to haue believed any such matter of the popes principality who of purpose as hee faineth did write in the derogation of the church of Rome saying Hieron Epist ad EvagriuÌ„ that if authority be required the whole world is greater then one City why dost thou bring mee the custome of one Citty why dost thou vphold a few who being proud vsurpe vpon the lawes of the church Saint Hierom was alwaies a most valiant Champion of the church of Romes authority Epist 57. and of her infallible definitions in matter of faith as every one may plainly see in his epistle to Pope Damasus and elswhere Epist 57. yet for matter of fact neither he nor any other I thinke will go about to excuse the church or rather the court of Rome wholy In the place that M. Abbot doth alleage Hieron Epist 77. he findâ— fault with some Deacons of the court of Rome that did take place before priests which seemed in that humble Doctors eie a great moate growing out of the presumption of some few vsurping against â—he lawes and coÌ„mon custome of the church And in such a case as that the custome of all the world besids was no doubt to bee preferred before the custome of that citie onely or rather as Saint Hierom himself interpreteth it of some few proud deacons of that citie But heerhence to inferr that S. Hierom did not acknowledg the primacy of that sea is too too simple and rather to be laughed at theÌ„ otherwise answered That which followeth out of S. Ambrose is of the same soary sute for that most grave holy father saith I desire in all things to follow the church of Rome Ambros de Sacramentis lib. 3. ca. 10. Cupio inâ— omnibus sequi Romanamâ— Ecclesiamâ— sed tamen nos homines sensum habemus ideò quod alibi rectius seruatur nos recte custodimus but we also are men that haue vnderstanding and therfore what is more rightly obserued elswhere we iustly observe the same S. Ambrose speakes there of rites and ceremonies vsed in the administration of the sacraments in which it was lawfull then for so excellent a prelate as saint Ambrose was to make his choise of the best Yea S. Gregorie the great would not so strictly tie S. Austin our English Apostle brought vp at Rome vnto the ceremonies of the church of Rome but willed him if he saw any ceremonies in the church of France Ex Bedae Histo l. 10. c. 27. Mihi placet vt siue in Romana siue in Galliarum siue in qu ilibet ecclesia aliquid inuenisti quod plus omnipotenti Deo possit placere solicite eligas c. that might better please God or more moue those new converted Christians vnto greater devotioÌ„ to make his choice of them rather then to retaine the rites of Rome whervpon if any man should be so simple as to collect that S. Gregory did not aknowledg the pope or church of Romes principality were he not to be begged for an innocent In the like tearmes stands M. Abbot that would out of Saint Ambrose choise of some ceremonies different from the church of Rome Inferr that S. Ambrose did not acknowledg the pope of Romes supremacy Let it be noted by the way that S. Ambroâ—e who was so graue and iudicious a Doctour and S. Austins father in Christ desired in all things to follow the church of Rome That their spirit and disposition who desire in all things to depart from the same church may be discovered and taken to bee quite contrarie to the holy spirit of the most approved ancient fathers 26 M. Abbot like vnto a man that is shooting at Rovers observing no certain method returnes back to the councell of Chalcedon avouching that it did not acknowledg that principality of the church of Rome Concil Chalced. Act. 15. can 28. These be his words drawen out of that councell The priviledges of the church of Rome were gâ—ven to it by the fathers before because that citie was the seat of the Empire and vpon the same consideration doth give the church of Constantinople equall priviledg with the church of Rome it being then the seat of the Empire W. B. HEre are two or three grosse faults First wheras this councell is cited as not acknowledging the principality of the church of Rome It doth cleane contrarie in the first words cited by M. Abbot acknowledg that priviledg to belong vnto the same church of Rome whether it had that by the institution of Christ or for that it was the seat of the Empire is not now materiall of it I haue said somthing before and haue much more to say when occasion shall serue But to M. Abbots condemnation his owne witnes doth depose that the church of Rome had
that priuiledg of principality and that in goverment as by manie circumstances of that councell I haue once alreadie proved to witt All the a Ibid. Act 3 bils preferred to that councell were directed to pope Leo and to the councell The b Ibid. Act. 16. in Epist Pascasini sentence was pronounced in the name of Pope Leo The councell is sent to c In epist Concilij ad LeoneÌ„ pope Leo to be confirmed And all the Bishops there assembled in their Epistle to pope Leo do declare that he was over them as the head is to the rest of the members And much more is there said to testify the church of Romes principality so that M. Abbot could not haue directed vs vnto a more sound and evident witnesse against this his position Thus much of the first fault Secondly he puts the sentence of 150. Bishops that were of the Constantinople councell for them of Chalcedon yet I am content to let that passe bicause it makes no great matter But I may not conceale how he to serve his owne purpose hath cut of the councels words in the middest For those fathers do saie that the Bishop of Constantinople Concil Chalced. cost 15. can 28. was to haue the like priviledges yet secundam post eam existentem to be second after the Bishop of Rome And as it is in the councell of Constantinople which they follow vt obtineret secundum gradum dâ—gnitatis post antiquam Romam Concil Constantinâ—p 1. Can. 3. That the sea of Constantinople should obtaine the second degree of dignity after old Rome Did he not warely pare of those words would they not haue displaid and laid open his cosenage what is like to become of this honest mans credit that durst cite this sentence to disprove the church of Romes principality which doth so plainly approve it But what meant the councell then to saie that the sea of Constantinople should haue like or equall priviledges with Rome Marie they were equall or like in some priviledges not in all They desired that the Bishoprick of Constantinople might be erected vnto the title and dignity of a patriarchall sea as Rome was secondly to haue spirituall Iurisdiction over all Thracia Asia minor and Pontica Further also that it might be placed immediatly after Rome and honored before the other Patriarchall seas of Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem even as Rome was Therfore in those two points specially of being a Patriarchall sea and of being preferred before the other patriarches they desired it should be like to Rome yet not Equall to Rome it self in dignity or principalitie but to obtaine the next place after it this was the highest point of their ambition then and the vttermost that was requested To witt That old Rome should enioy the primacie and that Constantinople should haue the next place of dignity after Rome and be inuested with patriarchall Iurisdiction over the Metropolitans of Pontica Asia and Thracia Against which grant made by manie of the councell Concil Chalced. Act. 16. in the absence of the popes legates being presidents publike exception was made by the same presidents in the behalf of the other patriarchall seas who were in the councell of Nice declared to haue next after Rome the highest seats of dignity Ex Epistola 54. Leonis ad Martian Augustum Privilogia enim ecclesiarum sanctorum Patrum canonibus instituta venerabilis Nicenae synodi fixa decretis nulla possunt improbitate conuelli nulla nouitate mutari Hanc impij desiderij conceptionem nunquam debuit intra cordis sui recipere secretum Abstineat ergo ab ecclesiasticarum iniuria regularum illicitos declinet excessus ne se ab vniuersali ecclesia dum inimica pacis tentat abscindat And Leo the great when he came to confirme that generall couÌ„cell approving all the rest protested against that ambition of the Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople as both derogatorie to the Decrees of the Nicene couÌ„cell and iniurious vnto the right honorable patriarchall seas of Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem well howsoever it were for the rest certain it is to M. Abbots great confusion that the Bishop of Constantinople did not in those daies so much as pretend anie higher preeminence then to be next after the Bishop of Rome and therfore it remaineth euident that he as well as all others did acknowledg the principalitie of the sea of Rome Thus much touching the testimonie of S. Irenaeus my first auctor who averreth all churches to be bouÌ„d to accord with the church of Rome for her more potent principalitie 27 Now I come to examine what M. Abbot can saie against the evidence which I produced out of S. Ciprian Cyprian Epist 55. iuxta Pameli my second witnesses de position in favour of the same church of Rome his words bee these which we touched before vpon another occasion After these things yea they having furthermore a false Bishop set over them by heretikes yet they presumed to saile vnto S. Peters chaire whence priestly vnity doth spring and cary with them letters from schismatikes and prophane persons not remembring the Romans whose faith is by the Apostle praised to be such men as perfidie can haue no accesse to them Ad quos perfidia non potest habere accessum Because perfidia is the contrarie to fides and here by S. Cyprian opposed to the faith of Romans commended by S. Paul I with perfidiousnes which hath also another signification did for explications sake ioyne falshood in matter of faith Against which M. Abbot excepteth as that which turneth S. Ciprians words from his true meaning for he saith that it made nothing for S. Ciprians purpose to say that error in faith could haue no entrie to the Romans because the question then was not about any point of faith but about matter of Iurisdiction and the bad demeanors of some perfidious Africans who hauing been iustly punished at home fled to Rome for reliefe and were like to abuse the pope with false tales if hee tooke not the better heed vnto their reports It was therfore impertinent saies M. Abbot to saie in such a case that error in faith could haue no accesse to Rome Yet he was not so blind but did see that on the other side it were much more impertinent yea vncredible that such a graue wise prelate as S. Ciprian was should affirme that perfidious and vntrue informations in matter of fact could find no entrie in the court of Rome He I say considering this absurdity is driven to a great exigent and hardly can with all his skill excuse that glorious martyr from colloging and glosing which no man did more abhorr then hee and from too excessiue commendation of the Roman courts integrity in ordering matters brought vnto it by appeale out of other countries For neuer any man of experience yet held as I weene that the court of Rome could not giue eare to false informations in matter
but M. Abbot saīth ouer lauishly and as it were dotingly that I do report them falsly for he himself as you shall presently see cannot denie but that I alleage them truly Let vs examin the particulers Ambros in oratione de obitu satyri fratris S. Ambrose say I tooke it to bee all one to saie the Catholike or the Roman church yea he putteth the Romā church as an explication of the Catholike church His good brother satyrus after a shipwrack arrived in Sardinia which was infected with the Luciferiā heresie being carefull not to cōmunicate with any heretikes demāded of that Bishop whom he had sent for to baptise him Aduocauit ad se Episcopum nec vllam veram putauit nisi vera fidei gratiam percontatusque ex eo est vtrumnam cum Episcopis Catholicis hoc est cum Romana Ecclesia conueniret sorte ad id locorum in schismate regionis illius ecclesiae erat whether he did accord with the Catholike Bishops that is with the church of Rome He feared lest the name Catholike was not sufficient to describe true beleevers in an hereticall countrie bicause heretikes do oftentimes call themselues Catholikes and therfore asked whether they were such Catholikes as accorded with the church of Rome that is whether he was a Roman Catholike or no giving vs to vnderstand that they onlie were true Catholikes and onlie to be communicated withall in holie rites who accorded with the church of Rome in faith and religion All this is so true and evident that M. Abbot cannot denie any one word of it Did he not then spitefully over-reach when hee said that I reported my authors falsly He hath no other shift then to saie that in those daies the church of Rome as the most famous and chief church was most fit to bee named in such a case But now the case is altered bicause the church of Rome is fallen from that eminent perfection and is it self now called into question This answere is nothing els then in plaine tearmes petere principium that is to giue that for the solution as a confessed truth which is the maine question is he so destitute of cōmon sence as to thinke that we will or ought to take that for currant coyne and good paiment which we hold for very refuse and drosse All the world knowes that we beleeve the church of Rome not to be changed in any one article of faith wherfore he ought not to returne to vs for a knowen truth that the church of Rome is changed yet the poore mans feeble forces being quite spent he is constrayned to giue the same vnreasonable answere againe againe for he maketh the same answer vnto the like testimony taken out of S. Hierom who demādeth of Ruffinus speaking of his faith which he calleth his faith Hieron Apol. 1. c. Ruff. Fidem suam quam vocat eamne qua Romana pollet Ecclesia an illam quae in Originis voluminibus continetur si Romanam responderit ergo Catholici sumus qui nihil de Originis errore transtulimus either that which the church of Rome professeth or that which is contayned in the books of Origen If he answere the Roman faith then are wee Catholikes c. which doth implie that it was all one with S. Hierom to saie the Roman faith and the true Catholike faith All which M. Abbot confesseth to be true and therby cleereth mee from that imputation of misreporting my authors Afterward he asketh what is here said of the Roman church that might not likewise haue bene said of any other church professing the true faith well let vs admitt that the same might haue been said of any other church vnder that conditiō that they had professed the true faith yet because the ancient Fathers were not so well assured of the perpetuall infallibilitie of any other church as they were of the church of Rome therfore they preferred the communion of the Roman Church before all other and therin ordinarilie made their instances And for that M. Abbot doth euer and anone come in with this answer that the church of Rome was then the true Church but now it is cleane changed and takes this to be as sharpe as the sword at Delphos and as fit to cut all knotts asonder that can not otherwise be loosed I will here set downe some reasons which did induce these holy Doctors and much more ought to persuade vs to beleeue that the church of Rome shall euer continue firme in the faith The ancients made no doubte but that Christes Church should continue to the worlds ende and retaine the same forme of government which he him self had established in it which most Protestants now are also come to confesse but as I haue before prooued the same most learned and blessed fathers both beleeued and taught the Bishops and Church of Rome to be as it were the rock and foundation of Christs church wherfore like as the house must needes fall to the grounde whose foundation faileth so the catholick church could not stand inuiolable to the later day if the Roman church which is the chiefest member support therof should perish It were needelesse to repeate here those sentences of the ancient Doctors once before produced in confirmation of this argument I wil be cōtent with one text of S. Austin that doth both directly crosse M. Abbots supposition and manifestly prooue this my assertion These be his wordes If the Pedegree of Bishops succeding one another be to be considered August epistola 165. Si enim ordo episcoporum sibi inuicem succedentium considerandus est quanto rectius vere salubriterab ipso Petro numeramus cui totius Ecclesiae figuram gerenti Dominus ait super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam how much more rightly and assuredly do we recken frō S. Peter him self vnto whom bearing the figure of the whole church our Lord said vpon this Rock I will build my church To Peter succeeded Linus c. Behold how fully S. Austin had 1200. yeares before hand confuted M. Abbots proposition M. Abbot saith that the fathers might as well haue alleaged their communion with any other church as with the church of Rome Not so saith S. Austin but if the successiō of Bishops be to be regarded as it is very highly to be esteemed and the cōmunion in faith and Religion with thē then that of the Bishops and church of Rome is more right and better assured then any other Obserue also the same reason giuē by that most renowmed Doctor which I before deliuered because vpon S. Peter who was the roote and stock of the Roman Pedegree as vpon a Rock Christ built his church against which the gates of Hell shall not preuaile wherfore in another place he is bold to tell the donatistes that the see or church of Rome is that rock against which the proud gates of hell shall not preuaile Againe doth not our
Romans that he should neuer afterward be able to lift vp his head against them in any matter of faith wherin S. Hierom seemes to bee so confident that he doubts not to write to Ruffinus that which M. Abbot may take as spoken to himself Notwithstanding know you that the Romane faith by the Apostles mouth praised S. Hieron Apol. 3. con Ruffinum Attamen scito Romanam fidem Apostolico ore laudatam eiusmodi praestigias non recipere Etiam si Angelus aliter annunciet quam semel praedicatum est Pauli auctoritate munitam non posse mâ—tari doth not admit anie such deceites and tromperies yea if an Angel should preach anie other thing besids that which hath been alreadie preached yet that faith being by the Apostles authoritie fortified could neuer bee changed will M. Abbot yet be so shameles as to stand vp and to giue this graue holie doctor the lie as he must needs do if hee will yet sing his old song and saie that the Roman faith notwithstanding all the Apostles praier and prophecie is foulie changed and that in verie manie great points with the forsaid testimonies may be linked for the antiquitie of it this that standeth on record in the third generall councell holden at Ephesus S. Peter the head of the Apostles and pillar of faith c. did receiue from Christ the keies of the kingdome of heauen c. and doth vnto this daie liue in his successors and determine causes And shall alwaies liue Behold S. Peter alwaies liueth in the Bishops of Rome his successors to determin causes and gouerne the church what then shall become of M. Abbots change will he make S. Peter also a changeling This point I will close vp with this memorable sentence of S. Leo. The soundnes of that faith praised in the prince of the Apostles is euerlasting Leo in serm 2. Assumptionis suae ad sumum Pontificem Soliditas enim illius fidei quae in Apostolorum Principe est laudata perpetua est Et sicut permanet quod in Christo Petrus credidit ita permanet quod in Petro Christus instituit c. Manet ergo dispositio veritatis beatus Petrus in accepta fortitudine petra perseuerans suscepta ecclesiae gâ—bernacula non reliquit and like as that which Peter beleeued of Christ continueth for euer so doth that which Christ did institute in Peter c. Therfore the ordinance of the truth standeth fast and blessed Peter perseuering by his successors in that strength of a rocke hath not forsaken the gouernment of the church Seing the faith and fortitude of Saint Peter shall continue for euer in his successors the bishops of Rome that cuckoes song of M. Abbots that the now church of Rome is in matter of faith degenerated from the old must needs be false And what more manifest signe can one demaund therof then that all the wits of the protestants hauing travailed after nothing more for this fiftie yeeres cannot yet find out any one errour in matter in faith wherin the church of Rome hath at any time dissented from her self in former ages I know right well that they avouch boldlie that it hath changed manie articles of faith but let him that will haue credit given to him so saying name the error it self in particuler and the time when it was first receiued and by what pope it was approued which if no learned Protestant be able to performe let them be well assured that repeat it neuer so often over and ouer that the church of Rome is not the same now as it was in S. Austins time they deserue not to be beleeued Neither am I ignorant that some more hardy then their fellowes haue gone about to designe the time when the church of Rome began her Apostacy But therin they agree no better then the false Elders that accused Susanna of adulterie did of the tree vnder which the fained fact was pretended to bee done And therfore be no more worthy of credit then they were 30 M. Abbot goeth on to proue that I racked and wronged my authors and saith that Tertullian whoÌ„ I alleaged as sending to the church of Rome to learne the true doctrine doth send also to other churches as well as to the church of Rome Be it so but if he appealed vnto the church of Rome as well as to others did I him any wrong in saying that he appealed vnto the church of Rome I did not saie that he excluded all or ane ony other Doth not M. Abbot rather rack my words and wrong himself in imposing that vpon mee which I said not Besids M. Abbot doth offer great wrong to Tertullian not so much by racking his words as by chopping them quite of in the middest for where Tertullian saith If thou border on Italy thou hast the church of Rome vnde nobis authoritas presto est whence authority comes to vs. M. Abbot cuts of the latter part of the sentence which imports that men in Africk for that was Tertullians countrie did acknowledg the church of Rome to haue authority ouer them M. Abbot then hauing so cunningly conueyed the matter by cutting of that which made for vs doth afterward aske mee what was there left to serve my turne if his conueiance be no cleanlier then so it were better for him to leaue those trickes ro them that haue more nimbles fingers The Cathalogue of the Bishops of Rome set downe by Epiphanius doth serue to shew that the Bishops of Rome are S. Peters true successors which M. Abbot and the protestants sometimes when they are at a stand do not stick to deny Optatus Bishop of Milevitane S. Austins auncient did proue as M. Abbot cannot deny his part to be Catholike in that it comunicated with the church of Rome yet M. Abbot to detract some what from the see of Rome addeth that Optatus did not proue his part Catholike by communicating simply with the church of Rome but for that communicating with the church of Rome it communicated with the church of the whole world which words of Optatus are so farr of from detracting any thing from the church of Rome that they do much magnifie the comodity of her communion for he saith not that he communicated with the church of Rome and with all other churches making them seuerall parts but that in communicating with the church of Rome he communicated with the churches of the whole world thereby declaring the comunion with the church of Rome to be the meanes of communicating with all others which is the very same that we do now go about to proove His words which containe manie memorable instructions are these spoken vnto Parmenianus a Donatist Thou canst not deny but that thou knowest an Episcopall chaire to haue been placed in the city of Rome Optatus mileuit l. 2. co parmenianum Igitur negare non potes scire te in vrbe Roma Petro primo Cathedram Episcopalem esse
collatam in qua sederit omnium Apostolorum caput Petrus in qua vna cathedra vnitas ab omnibus seruaretur ne caeteri Apostoli singulas sibi quisque defenderent vtiam schismaticus peccator esset qui contra singularem cathedram alteram collocaret ergo cathedra vnica quae est prima de dotibus sedit prior Petrus cui successit linus c. damaso Siricius hodie qui noster est socius Cum quo nobis totus orbis commercio formatarum in vna communionis societate concordat vestrae cathedrae vos originem reddite qui vobis vultis sanctam Ecclesiam vindicare wherin Peter the head of all the Apostles sate first in which one chaire vnity is preserued amoÌ„gst all c. That he is now to be taken for a sinner a schismatike that would against that singuler or only chaire oppose another Therfore in that one chaire which is the first in dowry sate Peter vnto whom succeeded Linus and so in â—ew downe vnto Siricius that then liued who is saith Optatus our companion with whom the whole world by entercourse of formed letters doth concord with vs in the same society of coÌ„munion Hitherto Optatus where you see by the iudgment of so great a Prelate who liued in the time of pure antiquity that the chaire of Rome is the only chaire of vnity with which if you ioyne you are in the vnitie of Christs church against which if you oppose your self you become a sinner and a schismatike further that by communicating in faith with it you do enter into the society of all Catholikes dispersed ouer the whole world I do now staÌ„d more particulerly vpon those holy fathers words bicause M. Abbot was so shamles as to write that I did before of set purpose omitt their words bicause if I had set them downe euerie one might haue seene as he saith that they said nothing for our purpose when as for breuities sake I was then content only to point at these testimonies not thinking that any man would haue been so careles of his credit as to haue denied them to be most effectuall to our purpose Now that Optatus did prove the Donatists to be a particuler stragling congregation like the Protestants not only for that they did not comunicate with the church of Rome but also for want of comunication with the churches of Asia that makes nothing against the singuler esteeme hee had of the church of Rome for learned writers do vse diuers sorts of arguments to make their partie the more strong and probable One argument not destroying but fortifying the other The Donatists were schismatikes saith that noble Author bicause they opposed themselues against the church of Rome They were also astraying company for that they held no communion with the churches of Asia or any other part of the world besides Africa From Optatus M. Abbot coms to answer that place I quoted out of S. Austin which I haue before set downe at large and confesseth August epist 165. That Austin setteth downe the succession of the Bishops of Rome and vpbraideth the Donatists that no Donatist euersate in that chaire But M. Abbot doth add that as well doth he obiect to them that wheras they read the Epistles of the Apostles they deuided themselues from the peace and fellowship of those churches to which the Apostles wrote the same Epistles Is not this a worthy answer trow you bicause S. Austin vsed as a second argument to confute the Donatists their seperation from the knowne fellowship of the world Therfore his former argument taken from the coÌ„munion of the sea of Rome was nothing worth wheras contrary wise acute disputantes like to wise warriours do coÌ„monly range the strongest arguments in the forefront Or is there nothing to our purpose in the former place of S. Austin as here M. Abbot having put on a brasen forhead doth avouch Turne to it good Reader and see First that profound Doctor teacheth that among all the successions of Bishops that of Rome is most to be regarded bicause the gats of hell shall never preuaile against it Secondly that there had sitten from Peter vnto Anastasius then pope about fortie popes and that not so much as one of them had been a Donatist wherfore the Donatists were to be reiected of all men Hee thirdly teacheth in the same place that if any traitor should by chance creepe into that chaire of Rome yet the wickednes of that man should not be preiudiciall vnto the innocent faithfull that do rely vpon Christs promise made to that chaire bicause our Saviours singuler care therof is and wil be alwaies such that they who put their trust therin shall neuer be confounded Is all this nothing to our purpose that the gats of hell cannot prevaile against the chaire of Rome That they who rely vpoÌ„ it cannot faile no not if there should be a naughty Bishop sitting in that chaire besides as S. Austin did then argue because not one of the Bishops of Rome had been a Donatist therfore the Donatists religion was to be reiected why may not we in like manner make a stronger argument against the Protestants and conclude that seing among all the Bishops of Rome that haue been froÌ„ Saint Peter vnto Paule the fift which are in number not 40. only but more then 200 yet not one of them hath been a protestant therfore the protestants religion must needs be starke naught and of all men to te vtterly reiected This I hope will serve to discouer M. Abbots over hardy audacitie who noteth here that the cause why I did set downe my authors names without their words was for that their names might get some credit to my cause but their words would haue shewed that they had said nothing for mee when as now every man may see that their words truly set downe do make much more for mee then a verie good frind would haue imagined vnlesse he had seen them himself M. Abbot proceedeth to another great priuiledg which I related in honor of the church of Rome to witt that there hath not been any generall councell of vndoubted and sound authority vnlesse it were by the same sea confirmed which is a point of such importance that whosoeuer doth maturely ponder it it is alone sufficient to perswade him in all controversies of religion to make his recourse vnto the church of Rome and to follow that full and wholy which he shall find to be resolued by it For if the wisest and most learned heads of the world assembled together in a generall councell after all their owne advises vpon long examination of all particulers given do yet hold it expedient to send to the pope of Rome to haue his approbation and confirmation therof how much more ought any particuler person be he of never so exquisite gifts for iudgment and literature to referr himself vnto the determination of the same seat whervnto what doth M. Abbot answere first as
to beleeve let him but proue that any one of the afore rehersed heresies were condemned in generall councell or that those popes of Rome by me named did not condemne them 32 It is to small purpose which M. Abbot saith that notwithstanding the opposition of the legates of the Bishop of Rome and the popes owne reclayming also yet it was decreed in the councell of Chalcedon that the Bishop of Constantinople should haue equall priuiledges with the Bishop of Rome saue only that the Bishop of Rome had the precedence bicause the opposition of the popes Legats with some others in that councell and the popes disclayming from that point when the councell was sent to him to be confirmed as most opposit vnto the first generall councell of Nice was sufficient to reverse and annihilate that decree which needs no other proofe then one argument which the same Legats vsed then and there to suppresse that ambition of the Bishops of Constantinople For the like decree had been made once before in the second generall councell holden at Constantinople and yet the pope not condescending thervnto it tooke no effect whervpon the presidents made this witty dilemma If the Bishops of Constantinople having the like Canon made in their favour fowrscore yeres before that time had euer sithence enioyed that prerogatiue and preeminence why did they nowe againe seeke after it And if notwithstanding that decree made in their fauour they could then not obtaine it why did they now seeke to haue the like Canon againe made for them which would no more prevaile for them then the other given before by the same authority For that this would be as well withstood by Leo the great as the other was reiected by Pope Damasus 33 M. Abbot following his accustomed humor of excepting against whatsoever I write doth say that an nother note of mine is fond and a vaine presumption I would haue it to be noted that all heresies lightly which sprung vp ever since the Apostles daies even to our time haue opposed themselues against the church of Rome and haue been by the same sea ouercome which argueth most cleerly that the church of Rome is the seat of Christ and fortresse of verity against which all of the band of Antichrist do continually and daily wage battell but all in vaine and with verie ill successe for they all vanishing away like smoke it continueth still and shall do for euer because it is an invincible rock which the gates of hell shall neuer over come M. Abbot crieth out against this as a fond presumption but doth not bring any one instance to the contrary so that his exception being without reason may well be passed ouer without answere wheras I countenanced my assertion with the authority S. Austin who writeth Aug. de vtili credendi ca. 17. Dubitabimus nos eius Ecclesiae condere gremio quae vsque ad confâ—ssionem generis humani ab Apostolica sede per successiones Episcoporum frustra haereticis circum latrantibus culmen auctoritatis obtiuuit that the sea Apostolike obtained the top of authority heretiks barking round about in vaine which did prove that all heretikes how soeuer they snarle one at another yet do commonly ioyne all in one to barke against the church of Rome And which is most to be noted all in vaine M. Abbot to shew the profundity of his skill doth saie that I take there sedes Apostolica wrong for the sea Apostolike of Rome when as it signifieth saith hee the Apostles time And albeit the natiue signification of the words be plaine for mee yet he avoucheth S. Austin to vse these words to signifie the time of the Apostles And for proofe therof he citeth two places out of S. Austin Aug. coÌ„t saustum mam li. 11. ca. 2. in neither of which Apostolica sedes is vsed at all in the singular number nor in the plurall neither to signifie any other thing then the seats and chaires of the Apostles Take one of those places of his owne alleaging for example Ibidem l 29. ca. 2. Vniuersa Ecclesia ab Apostolicis sedibus vsque ad presentes Episcopos certa successione perducta The vniuersall church deriued from the Apostolicall seats by certain succession vnto the Bishops that now are where mention being made of lineall descent of Bishops from the Apostles seats Great iniury should be done to those Bishops by him that would say they descended indeed from the Apostles times but not from the chaires of the Apostles For if they had descended from Simon Magus or some other Archheretike of the Apostles time they might bee said to haue descended ab Apostolicis sedibus from the Apostles times according to M. Abbots interpretation because their descent was from the time of the Apostles yet could not be said to haue descended from the Apostles chaires as their lawfull Successors according vnto S. Austins or any other approved auncient Authors true meaning therfore M. Abbots deprauation rather then interpretation of those words is too too absurd That S. Austin did commonly take sedes Apostolica for the Bishop or church of Rome is most evident to all that haue read his works let them that are not so conversant in him take these few places for a tast therof in his 106. Epistle Missae sunt literae ad Apostolicam sedem Letters were sent to the sea Apostolike that is to the Bishop of Rome And in the 157. Epistle Zozimus Apostolicae sedis Episcopus Zozimus Bishop of the Apostolike sea and Pope Innocent Bishop of the Apostolike sea And in his booke De peccato originali the sixt chapter to make profession before the sea Apostolike and the seaventh the letters of the sea Apostolike And that you may be well assured that in Africa at those daies sedes Apostolica was the common title of the church of Rome both that African councell cited by M. Abbot in the 35. Canon and the fore alleaged epistles of the councels of Carthage and Milevitan vnto Pope Innocentius do by it ordinarily designe the Bishop of Rome which maie suffice for a proof that sedes Apostolica in that place of saint Austin is to be taken for the sea of Rome And wheras M. Abbot saies that in all that booke of S. Austin there is no mention made of any particular church and therfore vnlike that those words should beare any speciall appliâ—ation to the church of Rome I in answer do say that sides Apostolica vsed there by S. Austin in the singular number is sufficient to giue vs biâ—h to vnderstand that hee spake of a particuler church also to lead vs to applie these his words vnto the church of Rome which he commonly through all his workes doth describe by those verie words which may also be much confirmed by the like sentence vsed by S. Austin to the same purpose in another place where hee saith Aug. co Epist fundam ca. 4. In Ecclesia gremio me
tenet ab ipsa sede Petri Apostoli cui pascendas ones suas dontinus commendauit vsque ad praesentem Episcopatum successio Sacerdotum The successioÌ„ of Bishops from the seat of S. Peter even to this present Bishop doth hold mee in the bosome of the Catholike church Are not these words plaine enough to expound the other Let vs repose our selues in the bosom of that church which by succession of Bishops from the Apostolike sea to wit of S. Peter hath obtayned the top of authoritie Compare the bosome with the bosome the succession of Bishops of the one with the other and they will easily lead vs to take the chaire of S. Peter to be the exposition of the Apostolike sea This is so sensible that M. Abbot himself after hee had a litle wrangled against it comes to admitt of it how litle care then had he of his owne honesty that before charged mee with dishonest falsifying of those words of S. Austin and yet in the end is forced to take them euen so as I did And that you may in him behold the picture of one that will neuer yeeld to any truth that wee say be it neuer so apparant He admitting that wee ought to repose our selues in the bosome of that sea Apostolike wherin S. Peter sate yet hee saies that it doth not heerby follow that we ought rather to repose our selues in the bosome of the church of Rome theÌ„ in the church of Antioch where Peter sate aswell as hee did at Rome and where there had been Bishops succeediÌ„g him vntill that time how now good sir had you leifer send your reader to Antioch to relie on some schismatik vnder the Turk then to Rome But this is a meere cavill for though S. Peter was for a season Bishop of Antioch and of some other cities also which he first converted to the Christian faith vntill he had provided them of some others Yet he finally making choice of the city of Rome for his residence and dying there coÌ„secrating that place to God by the shedding of his blood for the Christian faith The Bishops of Rome and not of Antioch haue by consent of all antiquity been ever taken for S. Peters successors I haue before produced sufficient testimonie for this matter so that it were needles heere againe to repeat the same when it will serve for this turne to proue that S. Austin of whose words wee now treat tooke the Bishops of Rome for S. Peters successors and never the Bishop of Antioch Let M. Abbot if hee can giue meâ— therof one instance but because I know hee cannot doe that I will giue him some to the contrary S. Austin taught the church of Rome to be S. Peters chaire Aug. co literas Peril l. 2. ca. 51. and the Bishops of Rome his successors in these words what hath the church of Rome done to thee in which S. Peter sate and now sitteth Anastasius who was then Bishop of Rome Againe Idem epist 1â—5 where he expresly enquireth after S. Peters Successors and by name affirmeth Linus Bishop of Rome to haue been his successor and consequently all other Bishops of Rome to his owne time He doth in like manner declare Rome to bee S. Peters chaire and the Bishops of Rome his successors In the Psalme hee made against the part of Donate In Psal co partem don and writing against the Donatists fundamentall Epistle Finally in the tenth question of the old and new testament Con. Epist fundamenti cap. 4. to omit many other places of his workes out of the which the same may bee evidently deduced well it being manifest by the verdict of S. Austin that wee must repose our selues in the bosome of the sea Apostolike and further that the same sea is the church of Rome M. Abbot will now surely at the length to his owne eternall rest repose himself in the same holy bosome of the church of Rome beware of that in any case He hath yet bethought himself of another sorie shift Let saies hee M. Bishop take those words as he will yet there is nothing therin concerning the church of Rome but that as the principall church and specially in the westerne parts it serued most conveniently for instance of the succession But as for the height and top of authoritie there spoken of it belongeth to the Catholike or vniuersall church And meere impudency it is by those or any other words of Austin to chalenge to that church any superiority in goverment ouer other churches when as wee see both Austin and the rest of the Bishops of Africa did with one consent vtterly disclaime the same Turtull co ValeÌ„t c. 2. vinci possunt suaderi non possunt O how true is that ancient saying of Turtullian heretikes may be overcome but they will neuer be perswaded to yeeld and acknowledge it M. Abbot granting that S. Austin hauing first resolued vs to repose our selues in the bosome of the sea Apostolike that is to embrace what that church should teach vs and wholy rely vpon her definitions Secondly that the church of Rome was that sea Apostolike which had obtayned the top of authority heretikes in vaine barking round about it yet presently as if he had wholy forgotten that which stood before his eies ot els not caring what hee said to avoid a dumbe blanck he falleth to his old byas and flieth back to that which he said in the beginning albeit it had been so often before confuted That forsooth the church of Rome is only the principall church and fittest to bee taken for instance in succession in westerne churches but it hath not saith hee any superiority in goverment when as S. Austin plainly teacheth that wee must repose our selues in that churches bosome and set vp our rest vpon her decrees that is be sure to ioyne in faith and religion with the Bishops of the same and that bicause that church hath obtayned the top of Authority and highest degree in goverment M. Abbot confessing the former part of the sentence to belong to the church of Rome hath left himself no shadow of reason to dismember from it that which S. Austin doth so expresly ioyne and linke with it Heare once againe his words shall we doubt to repose our selues in the bosome of that church which ever by the confession of mankind c hath obtayned the top of authority heretikes barking round about it Do you not see even by the cleere words of S. Austin that he must confesse himself not to be a member of mankind that will deny that church which he there spoke of to haue the top of authority what then shall become of M. Abbot that granteth the church there spoken of to be the church of Rome yet will not confesse it to haue that top of authoritie Either he must be rased out of the number of men or at the least be ranked in the rew of those hereticall men that did so vainly
barke against that so apparant truth which the sound corps of all true beleeving men do most constantly and gloriously confesse I hauing before shewed at large how neither S. Austin nor the African Bishops did deny anie one branch of the Bishop of Romes primacy no not so much as forbid their owne Bishops to appeale vnto the court of Rome And did otherwise in sundry sorts declare their dutifull obedience vnto the same sea of Rome M. Abbots inference out of his owne mistaking and error is wholy disappointed To conclude then this paragraff it doth remaine most assured and cleere that our blessed Saviour made S. Peter and his successors that rock vpon which he built his church therby giving them supreme power and authority to govern his whole church not for any limited nunber of yeares but for so long as his church should continue a church that is to the worlds end for against it the gats of hell shall never prevaile Secondly it is as certen that the Bishops of Rome be in that charge of government ouer all the church S. Peters lawfull successors with whom therfore whosoeuer ioyneth in matter of faith and religion shall never be deceiued nor fall in to schisme and against whoÌ„ whosoeuer barketh and opposeth himself hee not only barketh and laboreth in vaine as S. Austin speaketh but if he do obstinatly persever therin he therby to vse Optatus words before rehearsed becometh both a sinner and a schismatike From which most hainous crimes our sweet Saviour of his infinit mercie and goodnes deliuer all my most deere frinds and best beloued countrymen THE SVMME OF THE third paragraff or section W. B. ALBEIT the church of Rome strictly taken doth comprehend those Christians only that dwell within the citie and Diocese of Rome yet it is vsed by men of both sides to designe the faithfull of all countries that in religion do fully agree with the same and that specially because they do acknowledg the Bishop of Rome to bee vnder Christ the supreme governor therof As in times past the Roman Empire did not containe the territory of Rome alone or countrie of Italy but all lands and nations that professed obedience to the Emperor of Rome And like as in the primitiue church the title Catholike was added to Christian to distinguish true Christians from heretikes Even so now a daies when heretiks are growne so audacious as to arrogate vnto themselues the name of Catholiks though their religion bee nothing lesse theÌ„ Catholike the word RomaÌ„ is ioyned to Catholike to separate true Catholikes from counterfeit the Roman Catholike signifying those Catholiks that in faith and religion do perfectly agree with the church of Rome R. AB I Do confesse my self to bee one of those Doctors that know not this new found distinction of the Roman church to witt that it may bee taken either for the Diocesse of Rome or for all churches that in faith fully agree with the Roman M. Bishop can bring neither scripture nor any ancient writer for the warrant of it Secondly it being admitted that the churche of Rome may be taken for all churches agreing in faith with it yet it remaineth still a particular church bicause there be many other churches in Europe and Asia that do not agree with it in faith nor acknowledg her chiefty ouer their churches For example the churches of Luther Caluin and such like in Europe and certain other schismaticall churches in other parts of the world And as in the time of the Roman Empire there were many other kingdomes in the world so now besids the Roman church there be many other churches Moreouer the fathers haue told vs of the Latin and Greeke of the East and west churches Pighius Eccl. Hier. l 6. c. 3. but neuer specifie the Roman to signifie the whole church And Pighius asketh who did euer by the Roman church vnderstand the vniuersall church Albeit the Bishops of Rome wrote themselues Bishops of the Catholike church Yet they meant of that part of the Catholike church which was in Rome when the Catholike french man doth say we bee of the Catholike Roman church wee vnderstand them therby to take part with the church of Rome but the church of Rome is that of Rome only and is factiously called the Catholike church which is the whole and the Roman put to it is a tearme of diminution and abridgeth the whole to a part To them therfoee may be applied that of Optatus against the Donatists you would haue your selues Optat. l. 2. con Po rin only to be the whole who are not in all the whole And if in ancient times when there were so manie heresies it was thought a sufficient distinction to ioyne Catholike to Christian why is it not sufficient now a â—â—ies It is the Inuention of Antichrist and his badge to chalenge to himself and his only to bee the whole Catholike church That name Roman is a name of sect and schisme This is the summe of all which M. Abbot saith in this paragraff or section W. B. IN this section is discouered a second falacy of that false argument which they so often vse No particuler church can be the Catholike church but the Roman is a particuler church Ergo it cannot bee the Catholike church In the precedent section I haue laid open the manifold faults of this their argument shewing first the conclusion if it were granted not to bee to the purpose for the point in question was not whether the Roman church were the whole Catholike church or no but whether the word Roman in stile might bee couched with the Catholike church that is whether one might sensybly and trulie saie and write The Catholike Roman church they say yea we say no to make good their assertion they a vouch the church of Rome not to be the whole church we answere that the proof is not to the purpose albeit that were true for though it were not the whole church yet it might be called by the name of the whole not onely because euery part of that kind may be called by the name of the whole but also for that it is such a part as shall neuer be seperated from the whole and consequently as in existence it is alwaies close coupled with the whole so may it very well in stile be interlaced with it Secondly I affirmed that taking the church of Rome for a part yet it being the most eminent part it might very iustly giue name to the whole according to that axiome approued by all the learned A parte principaliore denominatur totum the whole is named after some principall part the whole land of Israël was called Iury of the principall tribe therof Iuda And our own country wherin dwelt both Saxons and Vites aswell as English men was named England when one of the English attained to the monarchy in like maner the church of Rome being the head of the rest as before I haue prooued though
it be not the whole yet may very well denominate the whole And so it hath done by the consent of both friends and foes for as we tearme all of our religion Roman Catholikes so the protestantes do nickname them Papists or Romanistes both taking the name from Rome or the bishop of Rome wherfore it is manifest that that common hackney of the protestants doth not conclude the point that was in question which no man doubteth to be one of the fowlest faults that cā be in arguing I laid in a second exception against the second proposition of that argument which is But the Roman church is a particular church For that the Roman church may bee either taken precisely for the Diocese of Rome or more largly for the faithfull dispersed through the whole world that do imbrace the same faith which they of Rome do professe The Roman church so taken say I is no particular church but extends it self vnto the vtmost bounds of the whole Catholike church to which M. Abbot doth make answere in this section And in the begining confesseth verie strangley that hee is one of those Doctors that do not vnderstand this new found distinction Hee might perhaps haue said truly that hee liked it not but for a Doctor to say that hee could not reach to that which a meanewitted scholler would make no difficultie to conceiue cannot bee but a great disparagement either to his witt or to his will or to both About the first acception of the Roman church there is no manner of doubt And touching the 2. what difficutie is it to vnderstand all those to bee members of the Roman church who take the Bishop of Rome to bee their chief pastor and besides are in all articles of faith and forme of government vnited with the Roman Do not the protestāts themselues in euery countrie by nicknaming vs Romanists and Papists giue all men to vnderstand that they take all such to be members of the Roman church If then both in England France Germany and other countries by the testimonie aswell of protestants as Catholikes all they that in faith and religion agree with the church of Rome bee taken for members of the same church would any man master of his owne wits make any difficultie to grant that all such may be said to bee of the church of Rome And that therfore the church of Rome may bee taken to cōprehend all them of what nation soeuer they bee what warrant I can bring for this out of the ancient writers shal bee shorrly after shewed though this matter be in it self so sensible and almost palpable that hee must needs confesse himself to be little better then a verie blockhead that cannot vnderstand it yea M. Abbot presently after shewes himself to perceiue that well enough for better aduised he admits it for true and disputs against it in this manner Be it so that the church of Rome is vsually taken to signifie other churches submitting themselues to the church of Rome yet it doth not comprehend other churches that do not submit themselues to the same nor acknowledg her chiefty As the protestant churches in Europe and some schismaticall churches in Asia Ah sir you shew cleerly enough that you vnderstood before that distinction of mine why then did you that wrong to your owne reputation as to confesse your self to be one of those Doctors that could not conceiue it You meant then belike to make some simple foole beleeue that I to vphold my part was forced to coyne a new found distinctiō neuer heard of before but the wind being presently changed it is but an ordinary and vsuall distinstion and may bee answered in the manner that you haue endeuored to answere it To which I replie briefly and roundly that those churches which acknowledg not the chiefty of the church of Rome or do obstinatlie denie any other article of the christian faith professed by the same church be no Orthodox nor true churches at all but either hereticall or schismaticall congregations members onlie of the malignant church And therfore though the church of Rome do not comprehend them yet it doth neuertheles comprehend all Orthodox and Catholike churches That all those malignant churches and euerie member of them that either err in matter of faith defined or are by schisme deuided from the church of Rome be no true churches at all To omit diuerse other arguments because this is not a place to handle at large that question let these few testimonies suffice Saint Austin saith He that beleeueth any false thing of God or of anie part of the doctrine that appertains vnto the edification of faith Aug. l. quest in Math. q. 11. Si enim falsa de deo credit vel de aliqua parte doctrinae quae ad fidei pertinet aedificationem ita vt non quaerentis cunctatione tentatus sit sed inconcusse credentis nec omnino scientis opinione atque errore discordans Haereticus est foris est animo quamuis corporaliter intus videatur that not doubtingly with a mind to bee better enstructed but resolutely obstinately hee is an heretike and in soule out of the church though in body hee seeme to liue in it which elswhere he repeats coupling schismatiks and heretiks together and declaring both their congregations to bee no part of the Catholik church in these words we beleeue the holie church that surelie which is Catholike Idem de fide Simbolo ca 10. Credimus sanctam Ecclesiam vtique Catholicam nam haeretici schismatici congregationes suas Ecclesias vocant Sed Haeretici de deo falsa sentiendo ipsam fidem violant schismatici autem discissionibus iniqùis a fraterna Charitate dissiliunt quamuis ea credunt quae credimus Quapropter nec haereticus pertinet ad ecclesiam Catholicam quae diligit deum nec schismatitus quoniam diligit proximum for heretikes and schismatikes do call their congregations churches but heretikes beleeuing false things of God do breake their faith and schismatiks by wilfull diuisions do leape from brotherly charitie wherfore neither doth the heretike belong to the Catholike church bicause shee loues god nor the schismatike for that shee loues heir neighbor which doctrine he might haue drawen out of Saint Ciprian who vnder the name of the Novatians doth teach That heretikes be like vnto Apes who though they bee no men Ciprian epistola 73. ad Iubaianum Nouatianus simiarum more quae cum homines non sint homines tamen imitantur vult ecclesiae Catholicae auctoritatem sibi veritatem vindicare quando ipse in Ecclesia non sit imo c. yet do counterfeit men so heretikes albeit they bee out of the church yet do chalenge to themselues the truth and authority of the church with them accordeth Saint Hierom saying when you shall heare of any Christians that take not their name from Iesus Christ Hieron co lucif in fine
beleeuers as may bee gathered by that godly Historiographer Victor Bishop of vtica in Africke who relateth how locundus to diswade the cruell Arrian Theodoricus Victor vti de pers vand l. 1. the kings sonne from putting a Christian to death vsed these words If you put him to the sword the Romans will honor him for a Martir By the word Romans signifying the true Catholikes And another worthy witnes heerof is Gregory that learned and Zealous Bishop of Toures who citing these words of the Arrians Greg de gloria MartyruÌ„ l. 1. c. 25. Quia ingenium est Romanorum doth enterlace this explication Romanos enim vocitant nostrae religionis homines they do coÌ„monly call men of our religion to wit the true Catholiks by the name of Romans These ancient graue and renowmed authors may serue to convince any reasonable man that the name Roman both anciently did and now verie well maie comprehend all the true beleeuers of the vniuersall world what shall we then say to M. Abbot that in all his reading as he confesseth to the reproch of his ignorance could never light vpon any one that by the Roman church did signify the whole Catholike church He must acknowledg either that there remaineth very much in antiquity which hee hath not yet read or that passing ouer much in post was not at leasure to marke that which made against himself Hee found the East and the west the Greeke and Latin churches but hee could neuer find that by the Roman church was signified the vniuersall church Be it so good Sir bicause you will needs haue it to be so that you through the dimnes of your sight could not discerne that which stands on record in Saint Ciprian Saint Ambrose Saint Hierome and diuers others well knowen and approued Authors doth it there vpon follow that no man els could do it or that I vpon the acknowledgment of your want of reading the fathers was presently blanked and had not a word to say Alas seely man haue you neuer heard of this triviall Adage Bernardus non vidit omnia If that enlightned and Eagle eied Abbot did not see all what maruell though a poore purr-blind Abbot ouersee mistake many things Learne gentle sir by this little not to beare your self to confidently vpon your owne reading be you well assured that there bee many worthy things in antiquitie that you haue not read manie also that you do not vnderstand and not a few if I do not greatly mistake that you having both read and vnderstood yet will not acknowledge for feare of hurting your owne cause Out of the premises it followeth most manifestly that the word Roman taken in that larger signification is no tearme of diminution nor abridgeth the whole vnto a part but is of as large extent and hath the same latitude with the whole Catholike and Orthodox church So that whosoeuer is of the Roman church is a true member of the Catholike church And on the other side whosoeuer will bee esteemed a meÌ„ber of the Catholike church must not refuse to be made a member of the Roman church It only seperateth Catholikes from heretikes Epist 73. who like Apes to vse S. Ciprians tearme counterfeit the Catholike would verie fayne bee so saluted but because they will not acknowledge Epist 45. radicem matricem as the said Doctor speaketh elswhere the originall mother church of Rome they cannot bee liuely branches true children of the same Optatus l. 2. co parmen The Donatists as Optatus wisely noteth because they seperated themselues from the coÌ„munion of the church of Rome avouching their particuler sect to bee the whole church were no part of the whole but lay like rotten boughes cut of from the body of the Catholike church In the same tearmes stand protestants all other sectaries of what sort soeuer they be that after the fashion of Donatists diuide themselues from the same church of Rome and make peculier seperations And if the particular church of Rome would and could forsake their Ancestors faith and divide it self from other Catholike churches as protestants do And neuertheles avouch it self alone to be the whole church then in deed it might well incurr that censure of Optatus But because it cannot so do being by the vertue of our Saviours prayer and continuall assistance of the holy Ghost alwaies preserued from all error in matter of faith therfore it cannot bee separated froÌ„ the rest of the Catholike church as the Donatists were but be perpetually so closelie vnited inseparably associated with it that whosoeuer ioyneth himself with the church of Rome doth euen therby enter in to societie of the whole catholike church which the same ancient prelate Optatus doth teach in these most expresse wordes which I haue cited before Siâ—icius that now sitteth S. Peters successâ—r in the chaire of Rome is our coÌ„panion with whoÌ„ the whole world by enter course of formed letters agreeth with vs in one vniforme societie of comunion Behold how by societie with the Bishop and church of Rome the Bishops of Afrike entred into coÌ„munion and kept correspoÌ„deÌ„ce with the vniuersall church dispersed ouerall the whole world 4 M. Abbot would gladly learne seing that in ancieÌ„t time wheÌ„ there were very manie heresies the additioÌ„ of Catholike was taken for sufficieÌ„t to distinguish the Orthodox from all kind of sectaries why it will not now serue the turne but that RomaÌ„ must bee added thervnto The answere is readie because sectaries bee waxen more audacious now theÌ„ they were of old for in S. Austins daies Aug 〈◊〉 til cred c. 7. albeit the heretikes c ueted to be called Catholikes and so did call themselues putting names of reproch vpon the true beleeuers as Protestants vse to do now yet as the same most trustie Doctor witnesseth when any stranger came to demaund of them which was the Catholike congregation Idem de vera rel c. 7. they alwaies directed and sent them to the true Catholike not to their owne well knowing that hee who enquired after the Catholikes meant not their sect neither could they otherwise bee well vnderstood vnles they called the true church by the same name as it was called all the world ouer But the heretikes of our times having put on more brasen faces then their predecessors though there be no vniuersality neither of time place or people in their congregations yet forsooth will needs bee called Catholiks by Antiphrasis or contraries belike vt Lucus dicitur a Lucendo quia minime lucet lucus that is Latin for a wood is deriued of lumen light because in it is litle light so Protestants may be named vniuersalists bicause there is among them litle or no kind of vniuersality To the purpose then to declare what manner of Catholiks we meane wee add Roman to signifie that we vnderstaÌ„d not a counterfeit or corner catholike that lay lurking in obscurity for a thousand yeres
together and whose faith was neuer spred one quarter of the world ouer But such Catholikes as ioyne with the church of Rome whose faith and religion was first coÌ„mended in the Apostles daies and hath continued ever since vnmoveable and besids hath florishedd in all christian nations of the world and therfore is indeed truly Catholike Our coniunction therfore with the Roman church associateth vs with the faithfull not only of all Europe Afrike and Asia but also with the faithfull of the East and west Indies and of all the world besides wherfore M. Abbot was fowly deceiued when he said that the word Roman was a tearme of diminution or that it abridgeth the whole vnto a part wheras the Roman is fully as large and ample and hath the very same and no narrower limits and borders then the Catholike faith and religion excluding none of any nation of the world out of that communion but heretiks only and schismatiks and such like counterfeit Catholikes And let him and his companions that blush not to lay that imputation of sect and schisme vpon the Roman church declare if they can from what church the Roman deuided it self in what popes daies it became schismatike And in what countrie was the vnity of the true church then preserued None of all which if they bee able to declare we must needs take their words for wind if not for passionat and womanish scolding without any colour of reason I maruell where M. Abbot hath read that it is the peculiar badg of Antichrist to chalenge to him his alone to be the whole church of Christ May not Christs lieutenant on earth chalenge that truly which Antichrist by intrusion will presume to do vniustly Or is there no whole church of Christ in the world out of Antichrists tents And may he not rather be thought to rove at random then to speake in his right senses that averreth Antichrist to bee willing to stand for Christ and to professe to fight vnder Christs banner against whom as the holy scripture and ancient fathers most manifestly teach hee will proclayme open warr and do the vttermost of his most wicked endeauor to coÌ„pell all Christians openly to forsake and forsweare Christ too and that not covertly and by consequencies but in plaine and formall tearmes and to acknowledg no other soueraigne lord besids himself wherfore to conclude this section let the indifferent reader duly consider whether I haue deliuered in sufficient premises to proue that the church of Rome may be vsed to signifie any church of the world that in faith and religion doth agree with it My promises are not the practise only of Catholiks but also of Protestants who in all countries giue vs a name taken from the church of Rome as Romanists or Papists to signifie that we all be members of the same church in what countrie soever we dwell And not only men of our dâ—â—es do so commonly speake but in ancient tymes also it is as well recorded of the Orthodox fathers as by heretiks that men of all countries who imbraced the true faith were called Romans as I haue once before proued at large wherfore it is no novelty to avouch the church of Rome to comprehend all the true Christians of the world Against which it maketh nothing that heretiks and schismatiks be no members of the church of Rome for they be no better then rotten boughes cutt of from the vine like scattered sheepe out of Christs fold wherfore no part nor parcell of Christs church THE FOVRTH Paragraffe w. B. NOw to M. Abbots second sophistication The Roman church by your rule is the head and all other churches are members to it but the Catholike comprehendeth all Ergo to say the Roman is the Catholike church is to say the head is the whole body To which I saye first as I said to the former argument that it is missshapen and by the like it maie bee proued that their English church is not the Catholike church which M. Abbot is content to grant Seâ—ondly I say that it is a fault in arguing when a word is vsed Metaphorically to take hold vpon anie other property of the Metaphore besides that wherin the resemblance lieth I gaue for example that our blessed Saviour is called a Lion for his invincible fortitude Now if anie man would out of that metaphore argue that our Saviour had foure feete bicause a Lion hath so he should be not only ridiculous but also blasphemous In like manner though the church of Rome be by vs called the head church bicause of her superiority Yet doth it not follow that anie other properties belonging to a head be of necessity attributed to the same church And to our present purpose though a head cannot be called by the name of the whole it being but one part of the whole called dissimilare that consisteth of diuers parts one vnlike to the other yet might the church of Rome not withstanding that it is the head be called by the name of the whole Catholike church For that the Catholike church is totum similare a whole consisting of parts that bee all a like as the aire is every part wherof is called by the name of the whole as euery part of the aire is called the aire euery part of water is called water so every particular church that is part of the Catholike church may truly be called the Catholike church though it be not the whole Catholike church To which M. Abbot after much idle speech mingled with scornfull scoffing answereth nothing els in effect but that hee had said before these be his wordes R. AB TAke a head in what sence you will it must needs bee a distinct part from the rest of the body and then repeats his goodly argument in these tearmes The church of Rome is by their learning the head of all other churches and all other churches are as the members and body of this head But the Catholike church comprehendeth all both head and body To say then that the Roman church is the Catholike church is all one as if a man should say the head is the whole bodie After which he addeth who can speake more cleerly then I haue done where if you wil be his favorable and fast frind you must applaud him and say that no man is able to do better nor to set it out more cleerly then hee hath done A high conceit of his owne writing vttered with vanity enough Now of mee his poore Antagonist hee saith who can answere more absurdly then he hath done I haue put him to his trumps I warrant him c to omit much such trumpery which followeth without any fortification of reason or temper of modestie W. B. I am so farr of from being troubled with his trumpes which are nothing els indeed then very frumpes besids that one old halting spurgald Iade of an argument so confusedly set downe by him even there where hee crakes most of cleernes
comparison which likeneth the Roman Catholikes to the Rogatists in that they bee both of them priuate and confined within the compasse of some particular places M. Abbot therfore full wisely goeth about to vphold his former resemblance by the quite ouerthrow of it for herein said he before stands the resemblance betwene the Papists and Rogatists that both of them do restraine the vniuersality of the Catholike church to one particular place or country And now confessing the Papists coÌ„munion and fellowship to be farre larger theÌ„ the Rogatists he flies to this silly shift that the Rogatists desire to haue their church as largly extended as the Romanists that is both of them all the world ouer So that the wind being come round about and sitting now in the cleane contrary corner the resemblance is to be turned the other way to wit that as the Roman church desireth to be spred all the world ouer so did the Rogatists But good Sir tell me I pray you is it sufficient to make a church Catholike to desire to be dilated all the world ouer Then without doubt not only Rogatists but all other sectaries too were also Catholiks for none of them suerly wanted that desire yet being bastard slips and destitute of that vertue which proceedeth by the trunck of true succession from the right roote they could neuer be generally receiued all the world ouer and therfore could not bee called Catholikes wheras the Roman church ingraffed by the Apostles in to the true Oliue Christ Iesus through the force of his blessed passion and by power of the holy Ghost hath not only desired to spred her branches into all nations but hath actually performed that her holy desire for truth is strong and doth prevaile wherfore it alone hath worthily archieued the name of Catholike which all other congregations haue in vaine gaped after and desired Obserue by the way M. Abbots grosse ignorance in two points of our doctrine the former when he imagineth vs to hold that no man can be baptised to saluation without hee meet with one of our priests wheras we teach the Baptisme even of Protestants be they men be they women to bee availeable to saluation The latter in that he affirmeth vs to hold the same of reconciliatioÌ„ we teaching that any person of discretion may by true contrition and repentance obtaine saluation albeit they cannot meete with any priest Let therfore these his assertions be scored vp for an after reckening Now to the second exception albeit the Rogatists were a Cantell or fragment broken out of the Donatists yet they by their division from them forsooke the name of Donatists and tooke their owne proper name of Rogatists and in that question of the true church were at open warr with the Donatists so that it was a grosse ouersight in M. Abbot to say the Donatists held the Catholike church to bee at Cartenna Because they esteemed no better of that church at Cartennna then of a den of theeues In like manner they of Cartenna reputed the Donatists for damned creatures wherfore albeit the Rogatists in some other matter wherin they did agree with the Donatists might haue passed vnder that generall name yet they could not in that point wherin they were at so great square It is then cleere that M. Abbots error therin cannot bee excused well if he hath hitherto behaued himself like one that being half a sleepe knew not well what he said yet now being awaked by his aduersary hee will no doubt spitt on his fingers and take better hold secundae enim cogitationes sunt prudentiores To it then Iollie Sir touch the Papists home and if you cannot force the Rogatists vpon them yet driue them at the least to be Donatists and you shall do somewhat That saith M. Abbot I will easely performe by this new framed resemblance like as the Donatists held the Catholike church to haue perished in all other countries and to haue remayned only with their part in Africa and desired that from thence it might be spred into all other nations Even so the papists tell vs that the churches in all the farr parts of the world haue failed that the patriarchall seas are all fallen away and only the Roman remayneth whence the rest are to be reduced to the obedience of the pope This loe seemes to be something True it is that the Donatists did in many things things counterfeit the true Catholiks and among the rest pretended as all other heretiks coÌ„monly do that their congregation was the only true reformed church and that the readie way to saluation was to enter into their society But this is so triviall and common aswell to the true Catholike as to all maner of disseÌ„bling coÌ„gregatioÌ„s that hee who delights to enlarge himself therin shall but loose his time abuse his reader and purchase to himself the reputation of a trifler yet let vs desceÌ„d to the particulars of this new coyned comparison and see whether it will abide the touch ar noe The Roman church and the Donatists did not agree in the first point of that resemblance for wheras the Donatists held the church to haue perished all the world ouer saving in some part of Africk the Roman Catholike doth not hold the true church to haue perished all the world over saving in Italy or in some parts of Europe but teacheth that it hath alwayes continued and even in this last hundreth yeeres to haue gained more both in the East and west Indies then it hath lost in these parts of the world Secondly it is not long sithence all the patriarchall seas did opeÌ„ly agree with the church of Rome to wit in the yeare of our Lord god 1439. as may be seen in the councell of Florence and by the profession of faith which Ioseph patriarch of Constantinople Concil florent sess 25. then and there made in these words whatsoeuer the Catholike church of our Lord Iesus Christ which is of old Rome doth beleeve and worship Ioseph miseratione diuina Constan Patriarcha Quoniam ad extremum vitae mea perueni idcirco pro meo munere dilectis filijs benignitate dei meam sententiam his literis palam facio Nam quae Iesu Christi catholica Apostolica Ecclesia Roma veteris sentiat ac celebrec omnia me quoque sentire credereque profiteor at ipsis plurimum acquiâ—sco Beatissimum autem Patrum Patrem ac Summum Pontificem Romaque veteris Papam domini nostri Iesu Christi vicarium esse concedo c. datum Florentiae 8. Iulij anno 1439. all the same do I confesse my self to beleeue and thinke and thervnto do yeeld my perfect consent And I do further confesse the most blessed father of fathers the chief Bishop and pope of Rome to bee the vicar of our lord Iesus Christ To these points of doctrine and to all other of the church of Rome did at the same time subscribe the legats and deputies of the other
vnrulie creatures bee brought to disgrace the good meaning godly endevors of others most godlie and religious persons who in true Apostolicall maÌ„ner haue through Gods inestimable mercy converted infinite multitudes of those heatheÌ„s vnto the Christian religion I haue staid the longer in this paragraff bicause M. Abbot by the way touched many great matters in it rather to giue the Reader reasonable satisfaction therin then that his resemblance deserued half the paines which holdeth no proportion at all in the mayne point The reader shall do well to note by the way how many vntruthes M. Abbot le ts slip in this section bicause he doth in the end of this chapter bragg that he hath not once lied in all this discourse hâ—re we haue these I. that we teach the Catholike church to be in closed within the wals of Rome and do tie the seat therof to one partâ—culer place secoÌ„dly that we hold no man can be baptised to saluation vnles he meet with a priest 3. That no man can obtaine saluation vnles hee repaire to Rome or meete with a Roman Priest wheras we hold millioÌ„â— to be saued that neuer saw Rome Againe that any true repentant soule that cannot meetâ— with a Roman priest to make his confession may nevertheles by true contrition obteyâ—e pardon of his sinnes and eternall saluation I omitt as fleabitings those other his peccadilia of taking Donatists for Rogatists and Cartenna for Africa bicause M. Abbot by coÌ„fessing that oversight hath made satisfactioÌ„ THE SECOND SECTION of the second chapter W. B. THE second branch of M. Abbots comparison between the Roman church and the Donatists is as faulty as the first Thus he proposeth it The Donatists would haue the church to be called Catholike Aug. in bre collatâ— diei 3. c. 2. not by reason of the communion therof throughout the whole world but for the perfection of doctrine and Sacraments which they falsly chalenged to theÌ„selues The same perfection doth the church of Rome arrogate to her self This halteth on both sides as the former did for the Donatists as S. Austin M. Abbots Authour relateth did not call their church Catholike for perfection of doctrine or Sacraments as M. Abbot fableth Epist 48. but for the fulnes of Sacraments and for observation of all gods commandements they were not so dull and blockish as S. Austin noteth to argue an vniuersality out of perfection which is seldome vniuersall but aymed alwaies at some kind of vniuersality On the other side there is no RomaÌ„ Catholike that would haue the church be called Catholike rather for her perfection in doctrine and Sacraments then for her communion over all the world R. ABBOT §. 2. IT is true that S. Austin chalenged vnicentius the Donatist for interpreting the word Catholike Aug. epistola 48. Idem in Breuic collat die 3. cap. 2. not for the communion of the whole church but for the obseruation of all Gods coÌ„maundements or for the fulnes of Sacraments yet I did not amisse to put perfection for fulnes because they do both signifie the same thing for is not fulnes of Sacraments the same with perfection of Sacraments and observation of all gods commaundements with perfection of observing them Collat 3. cuÌ„ donat cap. 102. like as perfection of doctrine is to teach all truth Besids Gaudentius a Donatist doth tell vs that by Catholike they vnderstood perfect when he said the word Catholike importeth Replito fulc c. 10. dem 6. that which is full in Sacraments which is perfect and which is vnspotted To the second member I say that Bristow a great Romanist granteth the church to bee called Catholike bicause she is vniuersally perfect halteth in nothing and is spred ouer all the world and Austin himself in his younger daies did so expound the same word though in his further experience and Iudgment hee abhorred from it and left it wholy to the Donatists So did Ciril of Ierusalem and also Pacianus wherfore M. Bishop sheweth himself scarce wise in denyall of it W. B. I haue M. Abbot guilty and confessing that hee changed his Authors words yet never without one idle excuse or other he hath forsooth given another word but which signifieth the same in effect If the words had been of the same signification yet it had been plainer dealing to haue kept the authors owne words but if there be great diuersity betweene them then there was litle shew of honest dealing to shift from the one to the other who but M. Abbot will say that perfection of Sacraments and fulnes of Sacraments bee all one where fulnes is referred to the compleat number of Sacraments and perfection may bee attributed to the right vse of them or to the vertue and efficacy of them For they bee two distinct controversies betweene the Protestants and vs. The one how many sacraments there bee the other of what perfection and efficacy they are That is whether they conferre grace or no. wherfore it was not well done to thrust in perfection for fulnes there being such ods betwene the nature and vse of those two words Againe betwene the obseruation of all Gods coÌ„maundements and perfection there is a notable difference in the way of our religion for it appertains to all the faithfull to obserue all Gods commaundements but the counsels of perfection are left to the free choice of them whose harts it shall please God to dispose that way wherfore if M. Abbot had had an honest good meaning he would not haue so changed his authors words but hee more like a Ioly wise politike protestant that beleeveth neither the full number of the sacraments nor thinketh it possible to keepe all Gods coÌ„maundements flieth from those tearms of fulnes of sacramentes and obseruation of all the coÌ„maundements as froÌ„ checks and reproues of their new belief and choppeth in perfection of doctrine bicause he can therin better wrangle And albeit Gaudentius did ioyne perfect and vnspotted with fulnes yet it followeth not therof that he tooke those words for all one but rather ioyned together many words of diuers significations to explicate more fully the force of the word Catholike Now to the second member albeit Doctor Bristow a man of singuler vertue and learning and some others haue taught the word Catholike to comprehend within the latitude of his signification that which is vniuersally perfect and halteth in nothing yet no one of them doth exclude the more vsuall and better allowed signification of the same which is to designe the communion and society of the whole world Nay Doctor Bristow in the very wordes cited by M. Abbot doth expresly include it and is spred over all the world and that after the example of Saint Austin euen by M. Abbots owne confession For albeiâ— that great Doctor in his youth vsed the worâ— Catholike to signifie perfection of doctrine yet growing to riper iudgment and being of better experience he abhorred that signification of the
word as Donatisticall left it wholy to the Donatists wherfore let the indifferent reader iudg who dealeth more soundly in the exposition of this word Catholike whether I that do follow S. Austin in his more advised and riper iudgment Or M. Abbot that would haue him followed in that he taught being yet young and which hee himself afterward vpon better consideration thought good to alter Is it not a signe of most wilfull blindnes to alledge that as imitable out of an Author which hee himself advisedly corrected and taught to bee abhorred THE THIRD SECTION W. B. THE third particle of the resemblance M. Abbot hath couched in these words That as from Cartenna the Donatists did send Bishops to other countries even to Rome it self so from Rome by the papists order Bishops be authorised to all other countries This is of small moment if it were true But I read not in S. Austin that the Rogatists sent any Bishops from Cartenna into other coasts but rather required men of all other places to come to their quarters if they would obteyne Saluation That then may passe for another ouersight Neither bee all Catholike Bishops consecrated at Rome and thence sent into other countries but they be ordinarily made in every Catholike countrie though to preserve vnity and good order their election bee approued by the Bishop of Rome Christs vicar generall on earth and supreme pastor of his church R. AB §. 3. PVT Africa in steed of Cartenna and then M. Bishop can say nothing against the resemblance August epist 48. I not weighing the matter so strictly did put Africa for the third part of the world and in that signification Cartenna is within Africa well let Cartenna be put out bicause Libia and Mauritania refused to be called by the name of Africa as Austin noteth and let it run thus The Donatists sent Bishops out of Africa to dwell at Rome or some Bishops out of Africa to create some other bishops of their faction at Rome So doth the church of Rome send Bishops into all other countries of their religion or if they do not send such bishops abroad yet in that Bishops made in other countries must haue the Bishop of Rome his confirmation it is all one as if hee had sent them from thence w. B. well seing the poore man acknowledgeth his error let him be pardoned Let Cartenna and the Rogatists who only raigned there bee changed into the Donatists of Africa That silly excuse that Africa contaynes the third part of the world might be to purpose if Africa had been sett for Cartenna Continens pro contento but Cartenna was set for Africa which being so obscure a part of Africa could not decently be put for the whole wherfore M. Abbot hath reason to wish Cartenna to be blotted out and so might hee haue done by all these resemblances had not his fingers itched to blase abroad his owne folly As for his reformation of it though he saw the disproportion yet could he not let it alone For he was not ignorant that most Catholike Bishops neither went to Rome to be there consecrated nor were consecrated by any Bishops that came from thence As all the Donatists were either consecrated in Africa or els by Bishops who were sent out of Africa to consecrate them what salve then hath hee for this sore Mary that it is all one to haue the popes confirmation and to be consecrated by Bishops sent from Rome Some what like hee might haue said but not all one for to approue the election of a Bishop and to elect a bishope or to consecrate him bee farr different things as every man that is acquainted with these matters can readily tell I admit Donatists would gladly haue had Bishops of their owne sect in every countrie that they might haue had no need to send Bishops out of Africa to consecrate them in other places And thervpon I do inferr that euen therby they were convinced not to bee Catholikes bicause their pastors preachers were not vniversally spred ouer all countries contrarywise the Roman church is proued to be Catholike because it had in everie country Bishops of their owne faith and communion So that M. Abbot winding and turning on both sides to get out of the briars doth still more and more intangle and fasten himself in the same §. 4. w. B. THe fourth point of M. Abbots comparison is this The Donatists would be taken to bee Catholiks for keeping communion with the church of Cartenna even so will the Papists for holding society with the church of Rome The former point of the resemblance is too too absurd for the Donatists abhorred the Conventicle of Cartenna as schismaticall as hath been often repeated And the secōd part taken as true proportion requireth is not perfect for wee should not esteeme men Catholiks for communicating with the church of Rome if that communion were closed vp within the wals of Rome or within her confines as the Rogatists were pinned vp in Cartenna but for that by communicating with the church of Rome wee do enter into communion with all other churches of the same religion which are spred over all the world R. AB I Said the Donatists I should haue said the Rogatists who expounding the word Catholike for integrity and perfection of faith as before wee haue seen and affirming themselues only to be Catholiks left it as a consequent that none could bee called Catholiks but by ioyning with them The Donatists were in the same error concerning their church in Africa The Papists are like vnto them both who plead the same for the church of Rome but M. Bishop tels vs that they do not call men Catholiks for communicating with the church of Rome if it bee taken for that particular church which is closed within the wals of Rome which is contrary to that hee taught himself a litle before For he taught before that men became Catholikes by holding the Roman faith and communicating with the church of Rome but to shift ouer this hee addeth that therfore they become Catholiks in communicating with the church of Rome bicause that by that communion they enter into societie with all other churches of the same religion which are dispersed all the world ouer But against this it may bee said that thē men do not now become Catholike as they did of old because of old it was enough to communicate with the church spred ouer the world but now it is to be added that by cōmunication with the church of Rome wee must communicate with the church spred ouer all the world what if the church of the whole word do not hold communion with the church of Rome as when Arrianisme had in a manner ouerflowed all the world and when the East and west churches were deuided from Rome and before the brood of Ignatius had converted the Indians whence was the name of Catholike to bee taken then Put the case that all other
the whole face of their church being as he raileth and writeth berayed with the filth of Idolatry if the church of Rome be such a monster as hee would make her I desire him to explicate in particular which be those fundamentall points that do constitute church a the true member of the Catholike church In the meane season it is pleasant to heare how roundly hee reckeneth vp without either staggering or blushing the Iolly agreement which hee takes to bee betweene their church and ours wee do not saith hee take vpon vs to bee any other church then that which they call the old but the same church reformed wee reteyne still the same scriptures which they acknowledge true saving that you haue cut of at one clap fiue books of the old testament wee retayne the same articles of faith which they professe you should for modesties sake haue added except some twentie or thirtie wee retayne the same sacraments of Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Iust if bread and wine bee the same with the blessed bodie and bloud of Christ Besids how do wee agree about the other five Sacraments which wee retayne and you haue cast away They finally retaine the same forme of service except that they haue cut of the best parts of it and as it were pulled out the hart and bowells of the sacrifice and consecration leaving to themselues and their miserable followers onely the paâ—ings and offals Behold the goodlie conformitie of the old and new English church of late devised and published by M. R. Abbot minister of the word and teacher of the reformed church of England Hee is so farr of as hee saies from Donatisme as that he doth teach the church never to haue perished no not in the City of Rome it self why then hath hee taken so much paines to proue the church of Rome to be turned Donatisticall vnles hee will now also in a very calme and pitifull humour allow even the Donatists church it self to haue been a part of the true Catholike church And so consequently like a good Atheisticall libertine allow all heretikes that professed Christs name to haue been true members of his church Hauing thus confuted that which M. Abbot had to obiect against their agreement in the maine point of the Donatists heresie I now come to the second resemblance that is betweene the Anabaptists an ofspring of the protestants and the Donatists who now do teach rebaptisation as the Donatists did then which M. Abbot granteth but saith my foolerie therin needeth no answere because the Anabaptists bee exploded out of all protestant churches And to that comparison which I made betweene the diuision of the protestants into Lutherans Sacramentaries and Anabaptists with the partition of the Donatists into Donatists Maximianists and Rogatists hee saith that I should rather haue devided Papists into Anabaptists secularists and Iesuists what voluntary light babling is this who ever before M. Abbot tooke the Anabaptists to bee papists when as they as stifly deny the popes authoritie the sacrifice of the Masse the reall presence the merites of good workes and most other articles of our religion as any other protestants And albeit they differ from the Sacramentaries in some few matters as the Sacramentaries do also from the Lutherans yet they bee descended from them and do agree with them in most points of religion wherfore they may bee aswell sorted and ranked with them as the Rogatists and Maximianists were with the Donatists neither will it helpe M. Abbot to say that they cast the Anabaptists out of their congregation For the Donatists did no lesse excommunicate and chace out of their churches the Maximianists and Rogatists then the Sacramentaries do the Anabaptists It was then rather a foolery of M. Abbots vpon so foolish a reason to deny the Anabaptists to belong vnto the common body of the protestants and more impudent folly is it to associate them to vs from whom they dissent further then the other protestaÌ„ts do And because wee bee now entred into degrees of comparison let it bee taken for a superlatiue folly in M. Abbot to divide all men of our religion into Anabaptists Secularists and Iesuists for to returne the Anabaptists to themselues as their owne sweet brood with whom they consent against vs in most controversies of religion Do the other names of Secularists and Iesuists comprehend all Romane Catholikes bee there no lay Catholiks at all nor any other religious persons in our church besids secularists and Iesuists what was become of M. Abbots senses when hee wrote this The Seminarists and Iesuists being compared vnto all other Catholiks both religious and lay do scarse amount as I gesse vnto the thousand part of that body So that here M. Abbot infabling fumbling and confounding rather then in diuiding surmounts the highest degree of comparison R. ABBOT THE third resemblance that M. Bishop mentioneth is this They held not the faith of the blessed Trinitie entire For some of them like the Arrians taught the sonne of God to bee lesser then the father Though as S. Austin noteth this was not marked of their followers This hee applieth to vs in this sort sundrie of their principall teachers as Melancthon Caluin and others do corrupt the sound doctrine of the holy Trinitie as I haue shewed in the preface of my second part of the reformatioÌ„ of a deformed Catholike though the common sort of their followers do not greatly obserue it In which third point hee verie wilfully belieth S. Augustin the Donatists and vs. For S. Austin doth not saie that of the Donatists but only of a second Donatus who was a follower of the first who had an vnsound opinion of the Trinity which the Donatists were so farre of from approuing that there was scarse one among them that knew that hee thought so to him only is that to bee referred which S. Austin saith If any of them haue said that the sonne is lesser theÌ„ the father yet they haue not denied him to bee of the same substance S. Austin never vpbraided the Donatists with this error Aug. Epistola 50 though Theodoret do But hee spake by hearsay How M. Bishop dealeth with Melancthon Caluin and others I haue fully declared in my answere to that preface W. B. HERE is a whot charge and a peremptory condemnation before due examinatioÌ„ as you shall heare that I haue at one clap belied S. Austin the Donatists and their good Maisters Melancthon Caluin and others But if M. Abbot can make good no one of those imputations then it must bee granted that hee hath at once let slip a leash of slanderous lies Let vs descend to the particulars I write that S. Austin reporteth some of the Donatists to haue had a bad opinion of the blessed Trinity M. Abbot taketh mee vp short auouching that hee affirmeth that of a second Donatus onely well was not that second Donatus a great famous Donatist and had hee not many followers but not
they saie that all their additions ioyned and sowdered to the rest bee inspired by the holie Ghost Or can that trulie bee called a psalme of Dauid that hath one sentence in it not dictated by the holy Ghost But in their meeters manie such sentences bee added which are not assured to bee of the holie Ghost wherfore they may well marre but cannot make vp any psalmes of Dauid Besids they haue some very hereticall sentences interlarded among the rest As for example this in the inuocation of the holy Ghost before the Sermon Keepe vs from all papistry Finally there bee some whole psalmes made by by Robin woodcocke I trow or some of his fellowes no lesse Dunsticall then hereticall Take for a tast therof the first staffe of the last song in their psalter composed by R. W. which I thought good to record here that the reader may see how elegant and pleasant they bee both for meeter and matter Preserve vs Lord by thy deere word From Turke and Pope defend vs Lord Which both would thrust out of his throne Our Lord Iesus Christ thy deare sonne These must needes bee verie noble verses that haue thrice Lord in them And as for word and Lord Throne and sonne though the words do end in the like syllables yet they agree not in sound If M. Abbot would haue the simple reader beleeve that S. Austin and S. Leo when they speake in the praise of singing of Psalmes did meane Davids psalmes in meeter let him produce but one good Author to testify that they were so turned within 900. yeares of those Doctors deathes and then hardely beleeue him If hee cannot then every man may see what credit is to bee given to his allegations That S. Austins words which I alleaged are to bee vnderstood of Psalmes which the Donatists sung in their churches rather then of songs in their drunken bankets may bee gathered out of the comparison that hee makes betweene them and the psalmes that were sung in the Catholike church And S. Austin might well by a Metaphore vsuall in the holy scripture call the Donatists new mad devises against the ancient custome of grave singing in the quire their drunkennes As for the worshipfull testimony of Cornelius Agrippa of our mingling holie things with prophane it being recorded in a booke of condemned memorie I hold it not worth the answering Sure I am that M. Abbot by producing of such Authors cracketh his owne credit for hee promised in his Epistle to the reader that hee would only vse the testimonie either of some learned Bishops of Rome or of some other famously approued author and commended in that church And this booke of Agrippa de vanitate scientiarum is by name condemned by the same church in the Cataloge of forbidden books wherfore M. Abbot is no man of his word Finally like to a tatling tennis plaier that comes well beaten out of the tennis court yet to comfort himself and to saue his poore credit with his friends brags that those mates with whom he plaid were no matches for him yea that no man that daie was able to stand in his hands Even so M. Abbot having behaued himself as simply as a man of either wit or learning could doe either for defending of his owne or for offendīg his aduerse party yet cōcludeth as though hee had gotten the field and cleane foiled his adversary saying that I did vnfortunatly enter into retorting of that comparison nothing serving my turne but that hee like a nimble tēnis player had returned my owne bals vpon mee that with very great advantage well bragge is a Iolly dog and leesers must sometimes bee suffred to haue their words Let the iudicious and indifferent reader but weigh well first what kind of resemblance M. Abbot endevored to make betweene the Donatists and the Papists to wit to chalenge to themselues to bee the Catholike church To bee or rather to desire to bee dilated all the world over that out of their church there was no salvation To spred ill rumors of their adversaries To discourage men from ioyning with them with a Ragmans roll of such rotten riff raffe common to all sects and to none more vsuall then to the protestantes themselues So triviall I say that any man of ordinarie discretiō would haue been ashamed to haue put them downe in print to the view of the world Afterward on the other side let him but call to mind what resemblances I haue proposed betweene the Protestants and the Donatists and weigh how substantiall they bee in themselues and how properly they fitt the protestants The first was that the spirit and soule of Donatisme cōsisted in affirming the church of Christ not to appeare in any other part of the world visibly but to haue cleā perished saving in some few places where men of their religion liued Of the same mind were the chief protestants for many yeares Secondly the Donatists were the first among Christians that appealed from the iudgment of Bishops vnto temporall Princes though they afterwards repented themselues thereof when they saw that the said princes would not helpe them Is not this one of the chiefe heads of the protestants Gospell yea doth not the whole frame of their new religion hang vpon the supreme ecclesiasticall authority of kings Thirdly they beate downe Altars abused the blessed Sacramēt of Christs body defiled holy oiles confiscated sacred chalices and sold them togither with the vestments and other holie ornaments of the church All which are so proper to the Protestants that they blush not daily to practise it and make open profession of the same 4. The protestāts like vnto the Donatists by putting innocēt priests to death make martirs whom we may worship Finally they pulled of the veiles of religious women which were signes of their professed virginity exposing them to the hazard of the wild world In which vngodlie and irreligious practise the protestāts haue gone farre beyond the Donatists But that they maie not take too great pride therin let them heare the vpright censure of the holy prelate Optatus passed 1200. yeares agone against them in the name of their deere brethren the Donatists In this kind you haue done as great damage to god Optat. l. 6. co Parm. In hoc genere tanta damna fecistis Deo quanta lucra diabolo procurastu Conflastis impie calices crudeliter fregistis inconsulte rasistis altaria Nudastis denuo capita iam velata de quibus professionis detraxistis indicia qua contra raptores aut petitores videntur inuenta Spiritale hoc nubendi genus est in nuptias Sponsi iam venerant voluntate professione sua vt secularibus nuptiijs se renuntiasse monstrarent spiritali sponso soluerant crinem iam caelestes celebrauerant nuptias as you haue procured gaine to the devill you haue impiously melted Chalices you haue barbarously broken downe Altars c. and a litle before you haue vncouered the
the one shal bee the great Doctor of the church S. Augustin who as I haue once before shewed doth teach in formall tearmes that person to bee no member of the Catholike church who doth beleeue obstinatly anie falshood in matter of faith knowing it to bee such And the second shal bee Martin Luther whom albeit wee take for an Apostate Augustine frier yet the protestants esteeme him as a great man of God Hee for want of one article of beliefe condemneth all the Sacramentaries to the pitt of hell these bee his words It shall nothing profit the Sacramentaries to speake of spirituall eating nor to beleeue in the father the sonne Luther lib. quod verba Christi Stent and the holy Ghost so long as with blasphemous mouth they denie this article of faith which Christ hath proposed to vs by his owne holy mouth This is my bodie that shal bee giuen for you Behold no saluation to be possible if you deny but that one article of faith Among manie other causes why such misbeleeuers are esteemed worthy of so grievous punishments there bee two principall the first is that they will not beleeue God himself revealing his diuine misteries vnto vs The second because they will not giue credit to the church proposing vnto them the same truth All Divines hold that there is no matter of faith which is not reuealed vnto vs by God himself whether the same veritie had need to bee put downe in writing as the protestantes seeme to require or that it sufficeth to bee deliuered by word of mouth as we hold is a question betweene vs But wee all consent that what soeuer is propounded vnto vs to bee beleeued must needs bee first reuealed by God whence it followeth evidentlie that hee who denieth to beleeue any one article of faith is conuinced not to beleeue God himselfe in that point for hee it is principally that tendreth it vnto vs to bee beleeued wherfore he that refuseth to beleeue it is forced to this exigent that hee must needes confesse himself to bee perswaded either that God teacheth not the truth alwaies or els that wee are not bound to beleeue him in all things either of which is most irreligious and a very blasphemous crime For as S. Iames disputeth Hee that hath kept the whole law besides and doth offend but in one point therof is made guiltie of the whole Euen so hee that beleeueth God in all other articles yet in some one refuseth to beleeue him is made guiltie of the whole That is as S. Iames expoundeth it offendeth against the Maiesty and veritie of the law giuer not reputing him worthy of credit in all matters what soeuer But to thinke God not worthie to bee credited in anie one word or title that shall proceed out of his diuine mouth is in truth to make him no God at all For hee is no God that either will or can bee vntrue of his word Here the poore Christian trembling at this consequeÌ„ce will crye out that hee doth beleeue God in all things and God forbid that hee should once imagine him not worthy to bee credited in whatsoeuer it shall please his diuine maiesty to reueale But hee will say that hee knowes not that God hath reuealed this vnto him or at least is not well assured that he would haue him to beleeue it This I grant is the lesser faut of the two yet not in any sort tollerable For if it hath pleased his diuine bounty to reueale vnto vs for his owne honor and our instructioÌ„ such heauenly verities and misteries how can hee take it well at our hands that wee either will not vouchsafe to take notice of them or which is worse will not beleeue them to bee true They that will not beleeue are in the holie scriptures worthely called rebells because they band themselues against Gods truth according to that of Iob Rebelles fuerunt Lumini Iob. 24. v 13. they were rebells against the Light and therfore as Rebels and traitors must looke to bee punished The others that will not take the paines to learne according vnto the small measure of their capacity all such matters as appertaine to their owne estate calling must needs acknowledg their extreme vndutifull carelesnes in the highest matter that can bee and that which doth also most concerne them to wit in the onely necessary busines of their owne euerlasting either saluation or damnation And withall confesse that they are vnworthy to bee knowne of God their Soueraigne Lord and maker at the latter daie for that they neglected to know their dutie towards him whiles they liued here on earth Of them the Apostle hâ—th alreadie pronounced this sentence 1. Cor. 14 38 If any man know not to wit the things belonging to his dutie towards God hee shall not bee knowne of God but shal bee shut out of the gate of heauen And if they stand knocking there thinking to get in by their ouerlate importunity they shal bee answered as the foolish virgins were Math. 25 12. with a Nesciovos I know you not the force of this discourse in brief is whosoeuer refuseth to beleeue God in any one article by him reuealed shall not be saued but they that think to be saued in any religion refuse to beleeue some articles of faith reuealed by God ergo they caÌ„not be saued The secoÌ„d cause why wilfull refusers to beleeue any one arttcle of faith do incurre that heauie iudgment is for that they do offer great wrong vnto the true church of God his deerly beloued spouse and our spirituall mistresse and mother It is agreed on by men of all sides that the holie Catholike church is the temple of the holie Ghost the mysticall bodie of Christ and the piller fortresse of truth wherfore to offer her that affront and disgrace as not to giue credit to her testimony speaking specially vnto vs in the behalf of Christ 2. Cor. 5.20 pro Christo legatione fungimur for Christ wee are legates and in the name of the holy Ghost visum spiritui sancto nobis It hath seemed good to the holie Ghost and vs it not onlie to contemne her Actor 15. but to despise Iesus Christ also that hath ordained her to bee our instructer and directer to set naught by the holie ghost that speaketh vnto vs by her wee caÌ„not bee ignoraÌ„t what our Saviour hath said of the governors principall rulers of the church you shal bee witnesses to mee in IerusaleÌ„ in all Iury Samaria Act 1.8 vnto the vttermost coasts of the earth If Christ hath made choice of theÌ„ as of substaÌ„tiall honest meÌ„ sit to bee his witnesses do not wee offer him a great indignity if wee refuse to beleeue them namelie when wee know him to haue said of them Luc. 10.16 Hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee and hee that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee Yea
acquaintance with the same whispering spirit with which they are so haunted that they haue almost hourely new illuminations and strange revelations See I pray you into what endles dissentions this doctrine of the spirit doth lead her folowers It being then most manifest that there is such variety and so great contradiction in the way of the private spirit everie man that hath a care of his salvation will I hope take heed therof and not suffer himself to bee abused therby Hee was inspired by the true spirit of God that gaue vs this faire warning 1. Iob. 4.1 My deerest beleeue not euerie spirit but prove the spirits if they hee of God because manie falâ—e prophets are gone into the world which deceiue many And Satan that trudgeth about so busily seeking whom hee maie deuoure finding so many readie to listen to the cursed councell of his wicked spirit transformeth himself often into an Angell of light that hee may the better beguile them that giue eare to such secret whisperings wherfore they that desire not to bee misled must follow Saint Iohns counsell try the spirits whether they bee of God or no. Ibidem If the priuate spirit do not agree with the publike spirit that conducteth the Catholike church in all trueth bee well assured that it is an erring spirit sent by Satan to deceiue you and to leade you into errour To recollect this point in briefe If no man may relie either vpon his owne learning or spirit not may safely trust anie priuate teacher or preacher then the protestants best meanes to obtaine salvation be very vncertaine and consequentlie they that wil bee assured never to erre in anie one article of faith must not relie vpon them but imbrace wholie and fully the doctrine of the Catholike Roman church and hold themselues close and fast thervnto Math. 16 That church is built vpon a rocke that alwaies hath and euer shall stand firme without flitting or tottering too and fro and Christ praied Luc. 22. for her governors faith that it should never faile Ioh. 16. The holie Ghost is alwaies with her to teach her all truth And in verie common sense when a controuersie riseth about any point in faith is it not much more probable that all the learned assembling together out of all coasts and countries of Christendome to conferre thervpon should boult out the truth of that question better then some few passionate and discontented men that oppose themselues against all the rest Thus verily stands the case betweene the Protestants and vs. for when Martin Luther Iohn Calvin and others discontented men and none of the best marke ranne out of our church and cried out that therein were manie errors taught and many foule abuses maintained a generall councell was called the best learned of all Christian countries were assembled to heare and determine those controuersies The ringleaders of the new Gospell were most courteously invited thither to shew what moved them to make that alteration but their consciences telling them that they were not able to iustifie their bad cause before so many learned men they durst not appeare in the councell wee then haue very great reason to follow the iudgment of the whole corps of Christendome but small probability haue the protestants to preferre the passionate opinions of a few malecontents flying from true triall before the calme and mature acts and definitions of all the rest that were ready to haue performed it God send them grace to see it in tyme least as they haue wilfully followed them in their errors so they bee not here after against their wills forced to folow them to eternall punishment I haue staid the longer to declare the commoditie and necessitie of submitting our vnderstaÌ„ding vnto the censure of the Catholike church because without that bee ioyned to Gods word to certifie vs both which is the word of God and what is the true sense and meaning thereof wee can haue no true faith at all for the declaration of the church is necessarilie required as a condition without which our faith cannot ordinarilie bee assured of that which it is to beleeue whervpon that great light of the world S. Austin was not ashamed to saie Evangelio non crederem August co Episâ— fundameÌ„tre 5. nisi me moveret Ecclâ—siae Catholicae authoritas I for my part would not beleeue the Gospell vnles the authoritie of the Catholike church did moue mee thervnto whence it is easie to gather that they who do not take their direction from the said church as all they do not who think euery Christian may be saued in his own religion haue no assurance in their faith and coÌ„sequently no true faith at all wherfore they cannot bee saued which I do thus confirme for the Apostle teacheth that Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo Hebr. 11.6 It is impossible to please God without faith which must needs bee vnderstood of the true faith because God is the God of truth and hateth all that is false but the true faith is but one onlie and of the same nature in all men which the said Apostle doth confirme when hee writeth that there is but one Lord one faith Ephes 4.5 one Baptisme but they that make account to bee saued in their owne religion bee not ordinarilie nor cannot bee all of one faith for one faith cannot teach vs to beleeue two coÌ„tradictory propositions to bee true by the same faith one may beleeue more and another lesse according to the measure of faith that it hath pleased God to bestow vpon them but one cannot beleeue cleane contrary to the other As for example That Saints are to bee praied vnto and that they are not to bee praied vnto That wee may praie for the dead and that wee may not praïe for the dead For one of those propositions must needs bee false wherfore they that beleeue men may bee saued in both these opinions haue no true faith at all because true faith cannot beleeue that which is false and one of these two must needs bee false This may bee yet further confirmed for that those men who thinke one may bee saued in any religion do want the aforesaid true and onlie meanes of vnitie and agreement in one faith for they rely not vpon the explication of the Catholike church which is the only way to hold all men in one faith no more then if they had neuer heard of that article of our Creede I beleeue the holâ—e Catholike church but take as it hath been before declared for their guides in matter of faith either their owne Iudgment skill or spirit or the advise of some of their friends which are much more like to leade them into a hundreth diverse opinions then to reduce them to vnity in faith and religion wherfore it is evident that the vniforme faith of the bodie of Christendome which alone is the true saving faith cannot dwell in one house with that