of beliefe And the Formall motiue or meanes that is reuelation of God is the formall finall and last resolution why we belieue infallibly such verityes to be true So that if one aske by what we are before prepared and disposed to belieue the truth it is by the credible testimonies if by what we are directed guided to know the truth it is by the Churches propositiō if by what we are assisted and enabled to assent infallibly to this truth it is by the habit of Faith if for what and why we doe actually formally and finally assent belieue the same truth it is for the reuelation of God As therefore the Samaritans at the first were prepared by the womans relation who told them that surely it was the Messias who had told her all that she had done to thinke it probable that he might be the Messias and the woman was as it were a proponent or propounding cause to them of him Many of the Samaritans belieued in him for the word of the woman giuing testimony that he told me all thinges whatsoeuer I haue done But afterwards hauing heard and conuersed with our Sauiour himselfe for two dayes they now sayd Not for thy saying O woman do we belieue for our selues haue heard and do know that this is the Sauiour of the world indeed So all Christians are first prepared by credible testimonies directed by Church authority to the knowledge and certainty of that truth but afterwards when the diuine reuelation it selfe as the word of our Sauiour is made knowne to them then do they now formally and finally not for the testimonies of credibility or Church proposition but for the diuine reuelation it self giue firme and infallible assent and beliefe to the verityes or articles of fayth And thus Catholike fayth is that which is for probable testimonies accepted as credible by Church proposed as infallible by an infused habit effected as supernaturall by diuine verity reuealed as truth infallible and necessary to be belieued This fayth is that which is the beginning and ground of iustification the way and gate to saluation vpō which the Church of Christ is founded and is as the life and soule of it which maketh vs members and partes of Christs Church we being by it and Baptisme inserted into his mystical body which maketh vs certainly infallibly belieue either expresly or implicitè all whatsoeuer articles of sayth God hath reuealed to his Church by his Apostles which is a necessary meane instrument or dispositiō to our iustification and saluation without which none are iustified and by which informed with charity all are iustifyed which is one entire fayth in all faithfull who for one motiue and by one proponent cause do belieue all one doctrine which being one and entire belieue as they ought eyther all articles of fayth explicitè or implicitè or none at all which by refusing to assent to any one article in which is questioned the ground of all is by infidelity lost to all and to conclude which distinguisheth a Catholike from an Heretike in that whosoeuer hath this fayth is a Catholike and whosoeuer wants it or looses it is an Infidell or Heretike and so out of state of grace and saluation And thus much for the order and manner of Gods working of fayth by these meanes in vs. Secondly for the necessity and efficacy of these meanes though all and euery one in particuler be ordinarily necessary to true and diuine supernaturall faith the credible testimonies as exteriour motiues to conuince our Vnderstanding that it may prudently accept of this faith as credible and worthy of beliefe the motion of grace and habit of fayth as interiour assistants that the Will may not resist but piously incline to consent determine the Vnderstāding to assent and that the Vnderstanding may obediently yeild assent to the misteries of fayth the materiall obiects as those which we are to belieue and the formall as that why we are to belieue all which are absolutly necessary to make fayth credible free and supernaturall and without them all faith is but humane false or fained yet in respect of vs and of our certainty of beliefe a proponent cause and that infallible which can be no other but the Churches authority is most important and necessary And first that a proponent cause is needfull all grant because faith being by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ some preacher or teacher is necessary to propose and teach vs what is to be belieued by vs for as fayth depends not vpon reason but vpon authority that of God affirming this or that to be true and commanding it to be belieued so this authority thus affirming this verity must be made knowne to vs by some directing or proponent meanes or els we cannot come to the knowledge of it 2. That this directing and proponent cause must be infallible so that it cannot erre it selfe nor propose to vs an errour or falshood to be belieued for a truth is proued for since God requires of vs a certainty infallibility of fayth and this our certainty must be had by some direction and proposition by which it is proposed made knowne to vs what we are certainly to belieue it must needes follow that this Proponent cause must be certaine and infallible or els our fayth directed and guided by it cannot be certaine Thence it followes that they who admit a proponent cause as the Protestants do their church and yet do admit it to be fallible and subiect to errour as all of them do their Church cannot haue any certaine and infallible fayth at all as wanting a necessary certaine and infallible meanes to propose and teach them this certaine and infallible fayth which is confirmed by S. Augustine who sayth That if Gods prouidence rule and gouerne humane matters we may not despaire but that there is a certaine authority appointed by the same God vpon which staying our selues as vpon a sure step we may be lifted vp to God Thirdly this certaine infallible proponent or directing cause is Church-authority which Church that it may infallibly direct vs we securely rely vpon it first Iesus Christ selected and made it not only his inheritance Which he hath chosen Or his house which he builded and gouerned Or his Temple of which himselfe is Priest but also his dearest spouse VVhich he espoused to himselfe alone in fayth and truth As a Virgin pure and vnspotted without corruption Yea as his owne body And one body with him VVhich as head he nourisheth cherisheth and sanctifieth making her glorious without spot And which he hath purchased with his pretious bloud Secondly he priuiledged it first with his owne presence promising to be with it all dayes euen to the consūmation of the world Next with the presence of the Holy Ghost The spirit of truth
who receaue both the old and new Testament but interpreted according to Mahomets Alcaron and also by all Heretiks who seek to fill their books not oÌ„ly with words of Scripture but sayth Vincent Lyrin with thousands of testimonies thousands of examples thousands of authorityes out of the Law the Psalmes the Prophets the Apostles which expounded after a new and ill manner would thereby throw downe soules from the tower of Catholike fayth to the pit of wicked heresy being as our Sauiour sayth of them false Prophets or teachers who vnder the garments of sheep that is sayth Vincent Lyrin the wordes of the Prophets and Apostles are rauenous VVolues infesting the fold of the Church and deuouring the flocke of Christ and saying Christ is heere or there that is as Origen expounded it in this or that text of Scripture who thus transfiguring themselues into the shew of Apostles or preachers of Christ do labour to transfer the people into another Ghospell who depraue the Scripture to their owne and others destruction And by the wordes of the Law sayth S. Ambrose impugne the Law and do frame a false sense of the wordes of the Law that they may confirme their owne peruerse opinions by the authority of the Law Against al whome we may note the wordes of S. Hilary saying That Heresy is about the vnderstanding not the text of Scripture the sense not the words is the sinne And of S. Hierome That the Ghospell is not in the wordes but the sense of scripture not in the outward rine but in the inward marrow not in the leaues of wordes but in the root of the sense SVBDIV. 2. Who haue authority to make the Interpretation of Scripture SEcondly this sense and meaning of scripture because it is not facil and easy to be knowne to all by reason of the great obscurity in the wordes the great fecundity in the sense and the great profundity in the mysteries or articles belieued which cannot by euery one nor by any one without the assistance of the same spirit which penned it be vnderstood therfore is necessary some authentical certain and infallible authority for the true vnderstanding of this authenticall certaine and infallible sense of scripture This authority because it is in the Catholike Church chiefly in the Pastours and Prelates of the same for the better gouernement of it in true doctrine vpon whom God hath bestowed the infallible assistance of his holy spirit as is afterward proued therfore their authority is necessary for the finding out the true and certaine sense of scripture Whensoeuer therfore the chiefe Pastour or Pastours of the Church vsing the meanes for it appointed of which in the next proposition do either ex Cathedra or in a Councell confirmed approued or by a generall consent propose deliuer and declare any sense or exposition of scripture as true and to be belieued as an article of faith in any controuersy against heretikes then is that sense to be receaued for their authority as authenticall certaine and infallible From whence ensues that though in matters of Philosophy and reason we must rather attend what is said theÌ„ by whome it is said and respect rather the force then the authority of the person who sayes it yet in matters of faith we must first respect them who preach and the authority and commission of their person and by it iudge of their doctrine preached For if the person be lawfully sent if he haue lawfull commission if he be a lawfull pastour not deuided by heresy or schisme from the whole body then the people are to attend to him and for his commission to receaue his doctrine but if he want mission commissioÌ„ if he teach of himselfe and his owne authority if he produce the doctrine not of the Church-proposition but of his owne inuention let him teach what he wil proue it how he wil he is not to be heard nor belieued by the common and vulgar people to whom it belonges to be obedient subiect to the authority of their Pastour not to iudge of the verity of his doctrine more then in generall whether it be consonant or dissonant from the vniuersally receaued doctrine of the Church for they are to obey their Pastours to remaine in the same rule in the faith first deliuered in that which they heard from the beginning to auoid profane nouelties of words not to receiue any other Ghospel or doctrine but that which they learned and receaued from the beginning leauing the particulars to the testimony of others either equal to their pastour in function or superiour to him in authority Which point is to be noted against the Manichees of old and the Protestants of late who respect not the authority of the Preacher but the force of his reason attend not to the commission of the Pastour who he is that teacheth but to the plausibility of his doctrine what it is and how far it is pleasing to their priuat spirit disposition or iudgment SVBDIV. 3. What meanes are to be vsed to make this Interpretation and of foure Rules of infallible interpreting of scripture Thirdly The meanes which are to be obserued vsed and followed by these Pastours or Prelats for the securing vs of this true sense of scripture are these 1. The rule of faith that is the Catholike and vniuersally receiued doctrine of faith and piety which was deliuered by the Apostles receiued by posterity 2. The generall practise or obseruatioÌ„ custome or tradition of the whole Church in pointes where the doctrine is not certaine 3. The auncient exposition or consent of the holy fathers and doctours of the primitiue Church where the former do not appeare 4. The decrees and definitions of the Councels either generall or prouincial approued by generall and the conformity to them in all expositions doubtfull Thâ—se are as so many rules or conducts according to which the certaine and authenticall sense of scripture is by the Pastours of gods Church to be squared and guided First that the rule of fayth is to be presupposed obserued and followed in the finding out the true sense of scripture is proued 1. This rule of Fayth is by S. Paul who often doth mention it called sometymes a rule which bringeth peace VVho haue followed this rule peace be on them Sometimes a rule in which they are to remaine to auoid dissentions Let vs remaine in the same rule that we may iudge the same Sometymes his rule which he deliuered to them and by which they are to increase in fayth Your fayth increasing according to our rule Sometymes a reason of Fayth according to which is giuen the guift of prophesy or interpretation of scripture Donations or prophesy according to the rule of Fayth And in effect it is no other but the doctrine they receaued the fayth preached through the whole world the disposition
and found and that by industry and reading of the words and text the spirit is to be found Whereupon they make the words of scripture as they are heard or read not only the organ or instrument of faith as much as wee make the Sacrament instrument of grace but also the sole instrument which with diligence read or heard they prescribe as the only meanes to receiue faith and saluation For first as a man consists of body and soule and the body of it selfe being senslesse dead is the inferiour â—â—rt the soule being life and giuing life is the principal part without which he is not man So the Scripture consists of the words or text which is read or heard and is only the body barke or couering of Gods word and of the sense and meaning which is vnderstood belieued and is the life soule and substance of the scripture Now the words as they are written or spoken consisting of letters syllables words are dead without life and common to Gentils Iewes and hereticks with the faithfull yea in the same manner as the law is called a law of sinne so are they by S. Paul said to Kill to be ministration of death Because according to S. August the letter read and not truly vnderstood or not performed is occasion of heresy and sinne some gathering out of it as out of the flower poison of heresy like the spider others hony of faith like the bee The sense and meaning as it is truly vnderstood belieued which is properly the word of God is an effectuall meanes more piercing theÌ„ any two-edged sword an operatiue vertue to saluation but to whome to all that belieue And to whom it is so proper that it is by faith only conceaued and attained and by faith only belieued vnderstood Secondly As the bare letter words and text of scripture without true sense are not the word of God so they do not containe the spirit of God or the holy ghost in them neither is the holy ghost thus inherent resident or to be sought found in the scripture but in the hart and soule of the writers of scripture that is the Prophets or Apostles in whom as it did remaine and dictate to them what they writ so did it reueale and manifest to them the true sense meaning of the same though perhaps not alwayes the whole complete meaning and all senses of the scripture for by reason of the fecundity of senses in Gods word many or al of them were not according to S. Augustine alwayes reuealed to the same Apostles or prophets but some reserued to the authour of it the holy ghost it selfe And as the spirit of God is not inherent or resident in the bare words sillables or text of scripture so the spirit or spiritual true sense of scripture is not to be sought or found only in or out of the bare words and their grammaticall signification but out of the rule of faith expounded according to the Ecclesiasticall and Catholike doctrine of beliefe Not by humane labour and industry of study but by the meane of faith and diuine reuelation For the words are translated into other languages different from that in which they were originally written and haue diuers and various significations and senses as litterall moral allegoricall and anagogicall and are by seuerall expositions drawne to suport diuers seuerall yea contrary faithes and religions Also great labour diligence and study haue beene vsed by many men of great wit learning and knowledge in the expounding seeking out the true sense of scripture who yet haue beene so far from finding it as that they haue inuented many false and heretical meanings and therupon grounded many wicked and damned heresies Out of al which it doth follow that the words of scripture and the diligent and frequent reading or hearing of it are so far from being a necessary meanes of faith much lesse the sole whole meanes to it that faith is a meanes necessary presupposed to the vnderstanding of scripture For if the scripture consist not in the words and letter only but in the sense vnderstanding principally and if the sense depend not vpon the bare words but vpoÌ„ the Ecclesiastical catholicke rule tradition of faith as is proued then must faith be prerequired as a help and meanes to find out the true sense of scripture And they who will read scripture must bring faith with them as a help and meanes to vnderstand the scripture and not ground their faith vpon their reading of scripture which being diligently read though it may serue to coÌ„firme and nourish faith in ones selfe or to illustrate and defend it to others and in both being according to the rule of faith interpreted a light to direct them in the way of piety and to enflame them with the heat of Charity yet it can neither be a first and firme ground to cause and produce first and certaine faith in any for a man must bring faith to belieue it nor a sufficient meanes to resolue all points of faith necessary to saluation as besids other reasons the practise of so many heresies diuided pretended to be grounded all vpon it doth conuince and the experience made for example of three persons Iews Turks or Pagans all ignorant of Christian religion all turned to a bare text of the bible all willed to seeke out and resolue in particular articles formerly or presently controuerted in Christian religion will no doubt by their seuerall contrary resolutions confirme the same And thus much of the rule of faith as a necessary meanes of expounding scripture The second meanes of expounding the holy scriprure is the generall practise or obseruation the publike Custome or tradition of the whole Church in the exercise of any religious seruice or worship or in the practise of any sacrifice sacrament or ceremony in which as the Church it selfe cannot erre so it may be a guide in expounding the scripture to keep others from errour that where the doctrine of the Church is not euident there the practise and obseruation of the same may serue This practise we will proue by the practise of the chiefe Doctours in Gods Church for by this did the ancient Fathers expound many places and conuince many Heretikes By this practise admitting the lapsed to pennaÌ„ce did Epiphanius conuince the Nouatians who reiected them By this practise of saying Glory be to the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost did S. Basil conuince Origen about the deity of the holy Ghost vrging his owne practise with the rest against Origens owne doctrine against the rest By this practise of baptizing in the name of the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost did Theodoret conuince Arius who denyed the equality of the Sonne with the Father By this practise of exorcising breathing vpon Infants in the SacrameÌ„t of Baptisme did
their owne priuate spirit iudgement and opinion for matters of fayth religion preferring it before the sentence of the whole Church and Pastours of it are Heretikes sinnefull subuerted to be auoided according to S. Paul but such are all those who make their priuate spirit the rule and iudge of their fayth religion and exposition of Scripture as is apparent because neglecting the direction of the spirit of God which directs his whole Church they preferre before it their own priuate spirit which directs themselues therefore are iustly condemned and so to be auoided as Heretikes Out of diuers places of Scripture condemning the relying vpon our owne iudgement SECT VII THE last proofe which I will vse is out of these places of Scripture which as in generall they exhort vs not to be wise in our owne conceit nor to trust in our owne opinion iudgement so in particuler they do condemne this relying of euery man vpon his priuate spirit which is nothing els but his conceit and opinion First the Wiseman sayth Leane not vpon thy owne prudence be not wise in thy owne conceit The way of a foole is right in his owne eyes but he that is wise heareth counsaile There is a way that seemeth to a man iust but the later end thereof leades to death◠I say sayth VVoe to you that are wise in your owne eyes and prudent before your selues Moyses sayth You shall not doe there the thinges that we do heere this day euery man that which seemeth good to himselfe Of all which S. Paul giues a reason and denounceth a punishment because hauing not glorified God they are become vaine in their imaginations and their foolish hart hath beene hardened for saying of themselues that they be wise they are become fooles And to them that are of contention obey not the truth wrath and indignation In the flame of fire giuing reuenge to thē that know not God and that obey not the Ghospell Out of which places I argue thus They who leane on their owne prudence are wise in their owne conceit are vpright in their owne eyes are wise and prudent before themselues doe that which seemes good to themselues say themselues are wise these become vaine foolish contentious hard-harted know not God obey not truth resist the Ghospell and are cursed according to holy Scripture But such are all they who in mysteries of fayth in matters of religion and in expositions of Scripture forsake the direction of the spirit of God promised and giuen to his Church and rely and depend vpon their own spirit or self seeming conceit who by it choose their fayth and vpon it ground their saluation as all Protestants do who are guided by this priuate spirit therefore in this miserable and desperate case of ignorance vanity folly obstinacy and cursednes are all those who in their fayth religion and exposition of Scripture are thus guided directed and instructed by their priuate spirit And if these sayinges of Scripture be verified in affaires morall or domesticall publique or politique which are in the compasse of our naturall iudgement reason of which they are properly vnderstood and in which experience also teaches that they who in any arte science or negotiation most rely vpon their owne iudgement and follow their owne wayes do often commit the greatest errours and fall into the deepest dangers wheras they who are aduised by others and goe the ordinary way doe for the most part proceed more securely and succeed more prosperously Then much more is the verity of them confirmed in mysteries of fayth which are aboue our capacity in verities of religion which are not measured by reason and in explication of Scripture which is a booke sealed and that with seauen seales which none in heauen or earth could open or looke vpon but the Lambe nor any spirit interprete it but that which did make it In all which euery mans proper iudgement must needes be weake and euery ones priuate spirit doubtfull whether it can attaine to the true and proper vnderstanding of them All which is confirmed by the authority of that famous Doctour S. Augustine who sayth Quis mediocriter intelligens non plané viderit c. VVho though of meane capacity doth not plainely see that it is more profitable and secure for the simple to obey the wise then to liue according to ones owne direction and if this course be safer in small matters as in tilling of ground marrying of wiues education of children and ordering of ones family much more it is in religion for humane thinges are more easy to be knowne and in diuine things there is more danger of sinne and offence And againe No science or trade though meane and easy is learned without a Maister what therefore can be more audacious and temerarious then to seeke to vnderstand bookes of diuine mysteries without Interpreters And againe Men to vnderstand a Poet do seeke for a maister Asper Cornutus Donatus and others and darest thou without a guide aduenture vpon the diuine bookes which be full of diuine mysteries as all confesse and darest thou giue thy iudgement or interpretation of them And thus is this priuate spirit defining of fayth decyding of controuersies and determining of religion confuted by authority of holy Scripture expresly confuting and condemning it and the aforesayd function assigned to it He who wil see more testimonies to proue the right Iudge of controuersies and the infallible interpreter of Scripture which are the authority of Gods holy Church and the chiefe Pastours of it let him read Bellarmine where he shall see the practise and testimony of antiquity and the euidence of reason all at large cited for the same THE PRIVATE SPIRITS INTERPRETING OF HOLY SCRIPTVRE AND Iudging of Mysteries and Controuersies of Fayth confuted by the testimony of holy Fathers CHAP. III. WE haue confuted this pretended power and authority of the priuate spirit by the authority of Gods holy Word it remaines that we do the same by the testimony of ancient holy Fathers For which we may note that as S. Augustin alleadging the Fathers before him against the Pelagians sayd That he would not assume to himselfe to alleadge the sentences of all Fathers nor yet all the sentences of them whome he alleadged but some sayings of some few which yet are such as will cause our aduersaries to blush and yield if eyther feare of God or shame of man will ouercome so great an obstinacy in them So we will not vndertake to alleadge either all the Fathers or al the testimonies of those whom we alleadge no more then we haue done al the Prophets or Apostles or all the authorities of them whome we haue cyted which labour in both we leaue to thē who are more expert in both yet I hope we haue collected some and those in euery age such as being wel pondered
and subornes his owne Ministers as Ministers of iustice affirming night to be day damnation to be saluation and shadowing desperation vnder pretence of hope perfidiousnes vnder pretence of Faith Antichrist vnder the name of Christ Againe shewing how heresies and schismes arise out of disobedience of the people to one Pastour and Iudge in place of Christ he sayth No man should make any stirre against the colledge of Priests no man after diuine iudgement after the suffrage of the people after the consent of fellow-Bishops should make himselfe iudge not now of the Bishop but of God No man should deuide the vnity of Christs Church by discord being proud should by himselfe coyne and set abroad a new heresy Againe The beginning and endeauour of Heretikes and Schismatikes is to please themselues and to contemne their Superiour with swelling pride they goe out of the Church and set vp a new Altar breake peace and vnity Againe In doctrine as well diuine as philosophicall it is neyther safe nor fit that persons vnlearned and ignorant of that which belonges to those sciences should venture to discusse that they know not and to be maisters of what they are ignorant In all which the effect of the priuate spirit is described to be to question examine that which is determined by Bishops and Councels to make it selfe iudge of all to diuide the vnity of the Church to broach new heresies and in conceit and respect of it selfe to contemne all superiority to teach that they know not and to be maisters of what they vnderstand not In the fourth age S. Ambrose a man so worthy that S. Augustine reuerenced him as his Father who begot him in Christ so praysed him that he not only calles him happy the flower of latin writers but all the Roman world sayth he with me admire him his grace constancy labours perils both in workes and wordes Yea sayth he Pelagius the Heretike so extolled him that he durst not reprehend him his exposition of Scripture but acknowledged that in his bookes aboue others did shine the brightnesse of the Roman fayth This holy Saint and Doctour sayth Those are Heretikes who by the wordes of the law impugne the law for they set a proper sense vpon the wordes that they may commend the wickednesse of their owne opinion by the authority of the law Againe It is a very dangerous thing if after so many prophesies of the Prophets after the testimonies of the Apostles after the bloud of Martyrs thou darest presume to discusse the ancient faith as new after so many guides dost remaine in errour and after the toiles of so many departed this life darest contend in idle disputation let vs reuerence therefore our owne Fayth in the glory of Martyrs Heere is this priuate spirit and two effects of it the one to interprete Scripture according to euery mans owne liking the other to examine and question againe that which hath beene iudged by the Pastours of Gods Church and to censure them and their iudgement both condemned by S. Ambrose S. Hierome one whome Prosper calles Vitae exemplum mundi magistrum An example of life and the maister of the world whome S. Augustine calles One most learned skillfull in three tongues desires to conferre with him to adhere to him and to be instructed by him sent his books to be censured of him and commended others as Orosius who trauelled for that end from Spaine to Palestine to learn of him And whome Damasus the Pope and many from all the partes of the world consulted with about obscure places of Scripture This great lampe of Gods Church sayth Heretikes whatsoeuer they speake they thinke it to be the word or the law neither doe they vouchsafe to know what the Apostles or Prophets thought but doe apply certaine incongruous testimonies to their owne sense and meaning as though it were not a great most wicked manner of teaching to depraue the sentences of Scripture and to draw them contrary to their sense vnto their owne will A deuise proper to this spirit to thinke all it sayes to be Scripture and to wrest all scripture to its owne liking Againe he sayth That Heretikes of the guifts of Nature haue made to themselues Idols not which they receaued of God but which they made out of their owne braine That they haue turned the holy speaches and senses of Scripture into Idols which they haue framed out of their owne heart That hauing lost their iudgement they worship the Idols which they haue framed of their owne hart and are possessed with the spirit of spirituall fornication That of the sense of Scripture they haue made Idols of diuers opinions and abominations of offences That they vse the diuine wordes and testimonies to their owne sense and do giue them to drinke to those whome they deceaue and with whome they haue fornicated That in all questions they follow not the authority of Scripture but the opinion of human reason That they snatch certaine sentences out of Scripture and sowing them togeather doe set them to that matter to which they cannot agree and so do set them as pillowes vnder euery ones elbow to delude them Thus doe sayth he all heresies deceaue and draw to death by faire promises all sortes of ages and sexes giuing them not solid bread of Scripture but broken and cut peeces of crummes Thus did the Manichees Gnostikes Marcion take testimonyes out of the pure fountaine of Scripture but did not interpret them as they were written but cōuerted the simple meaning of Gods word to signify that which themselues would haue All this they did bragging of their receauing the spirit of God which yet they had not but the spirit of the Diuell by which they were carryed into diuers factions Such an Angell and diabolicall spirit did possesse and fill Philomela Apelles his virgin Cōcerning which spirit he concludes that It is called Heresy ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of election by choosing euery one that doctrine which seemes to him better vnderstanding the Scripture otherwise then the Holy Ghost meant it by which he is an Heretike The sūme of which gathered out of these dispersed places is that all Heretikes being deceaued by the spirit by their owne opinion and their owne selfe seeming conceit do choose to themselues what sense of Scripture seemes most pleasing to them and therby make it an Idoll of their owne inuention by which they deceaue themselues and delude others Eusebius confirmes the same saying of the Seuerians That they interpret the sense of Scripture according to their owne liking In the fifth age S. Augustine one so highly commended both by ancient Fathers and late Protestants that as before is at full cyted they both count him as a maister of all learning as
or forme of true doctrine which they had learned and is committed to them The doctrine which they receaued froÌ„ the beginning VVhich was first euangelized to them Or the precepts of the Apostles and ancients Or rather of our Sauiour deliuered by the holy Prophets and Apostles And the word of God which remaines for euer That the knowledge of this rule or doctrine of fayth is presupposed to the true knowledge and vnderstanding of scripture is proued both by scripture and reason By scripture the Prophet Isay sayth as S. Cyprian and S. Augustine do both of them read and vnderstand it Except you belieue you cannot vnderstand that is sayth S. Cyprian the Iewes cannot vnderstand the scripture except they first belieue in Christ S. Augustine sayth There be some of you who vnderstand not and therefore they vnderstand not because they belieue not let vs first adhere by Fayth that we may be reuiued by vnderstanding And in another place Fayth must go before Vnderstanding that the vnderstanding may be the reward of Fayth Therefore Fayth and the rule of fayth is necessary before the vnderstanding of Scripture Secondly the Scripture for the sense is a Booke sealed with seauen seales these seales none can open but he who hath the key of Dauid This key of Dauid is giuen only to them who are faythfull with Dauid therfore the key of faith is requisit to the opening the sense of the booke of scripture which is confirmed by S. Hierome who alleadging the same words sayth The Law is spirituall and requires reuelation that it be vnderstood For proofe of which he produceth the example of the Eunuch who read but vnderstood not the scripture till Philip did expound it to him made him faythfull and so became of a scholler a Maister Thirdly Euery learned Scribe in the Kingdome of Heauen is like to a man the maister of a family who bringeth out of his treasure new and old The Scribes were the Maisters and Interpreters of scripture but they were in the kingdome of heauen that is in the Church by Fayth and so did interprete the new and old Testament which S. Augustine alleadging to the same purpose against the Manichees sayth You vnderstand not because you belieue not as sayth I say for you are not instructed in the kingdome of heauen that is in the true Catholike Church of Christ for if you were you would produce old and new out of the scriptures Therfore one must be a scholler in the Church by fayth before he can come to vnderstand the scripture as a Maister Fourthly S. Paul sayth to Timothy Thou hast learned holy scriptures from thy infancy which are able to instruct thee to saluation by fayth which is in Christ. If the scriptures instruct by Fayth then Fayth is prerequired before we can be instructed by them or vnderstand them Fifthly the holy Fathers and Doctours of the Church haue by the breach of this rule as a signe discerned Heretikes and by the authority of it as a strong argument confuted the same Thus were discerned Marcion Valentinus Câ—rinthus and Basilides by their deprauing the rule of truth witnesse Irenaeus Thus Paulus Samosatenus by his forsaking the Canon of the Church and flying to strange and adulterous doctrine Thus Montanus by his vttering strange words contrary to the custome of the Church deriued by tradition and succession from the Apostles witnes of both Eusebius Thus Nestorius by forsaking the ancient doctrine and introducing of new witnes Socrates And thus all Heretikes by their forsaking the rule of Christianity witnesse S. Augustine They being all esteemed to haue truth on their side who walke according to the rule which the Church receaued from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ witnes Tertullian Thus did S. Hierome confute and confound the heresy of the Luciferians by the light of the Sunne of the Church Gregorius Nazianzen the same by the doctrine abhorring the same S. Basil the Eunomians by the vnwritteÌ„ tradition of the Church Athanasius the Arians by the authority of the Orthodoxe Church and his ancestors opposite to them and abhorring their doctrine S. Epiphanius the Melchisidechians by the tradition of the Apostles and succession of doctrine The Millenarians by their transgressing the limits of the holy Church of God and the hope of Propheticall and Apostolicall tradition in fayth and doctrine And the Demerâ—s and other Heretikes by the style of Christianisme and the phrase of the Apostles receaued from the Fathers S. Augustine the Pelagians by the grounded custome of the Church hastening to baptisme infants By the most ancient knowne and vndoubted rule of Fayth truth And by the authority of the Church so commended in scrâ—pture The Donatists by the authority of the Church and by apostolicall Tradition And both Irenaeus Origen and S. Augustine did confute all Heretikes by the tradition of the Apostles manifest to the whole world in the Church sayth Irenaeus By the Ecclesiasticall tradition dissented off by none sayth Origen By the Catholike Church whose not receauing any opinion is sufficient sayth S. Augustine to confound any heresy Therfore the doctrine and practise of the ancient Fathers was to discerne and confute all Heretikes by this rule of Fayth Sixthly the same is proued by Reason because the scripture is the booke of the faythfull not the faithlesse therefore as it was writ to the faythfull as the conuerted Iewes Romans Corinthians c. so it is vnderstood truely only by the faythfull as the Christians not by the Infidels as the Iewes Turkes and Heretikes who haue and read the wordes but vnderstand not the sense meaning because the veile is yet ouer their eyes in the reading of it for want of fayth therefore the letter that is the words and reading of it doth kill them and is to them a ministration of death and only the spirit that is the vnderstanding of it doth giue life to them who haue fayth Of which necessity of Fayth prerequired to the vnderstanding of Scripture see Stapleton de principijs Doctrinalibus where the same is further proued out of the ancient Fathers testimonyes to wit S. Augustine Irenaeus Origen Athanasius Cyrill of Alexandria Theodoret and Vincentius Lyrin who sayth that the holy and learned men did interprete the holy Scripture according to the traditions of the Catholike Church and the rule of Catholike fayth And againe That the line of propheticall and Apostolicall interpretation must be directed according to the rule of the Catholike and Ecclesiasticall sense Which and much more he alleadges against the custome of Heretikes who haue alwayes the Scripture in their mouth and out of it do confirme their errours Out of which may be inferred how vntruly and fraudulently the Protestants do generally auerre that in the scripture the spirit of God is and is to be sought
S. Augustine affirme the Bishops of Palestine to haue expounded that of Rom. 5. in whome all sinned of originall sinne deriued from Adam by propagation not imitation only By this same practise of the Church praying for the conuersion of Infidels and perseuerance of the faythfull did he proue against the same Pelagians grace of predestination and perseuerance By the same practise did he reconcile those places of Scripture of eating all that is set before vs and of not eating with sinners And to omit many other by the same practise of the Church not rebaptizing them baptized by Heretikes did he refuse to adhere to S. Cyprian and his opinion and confuted him and all the Bishops of Africa Cappadocia Bythinia and the rest who maintained the contrary And to conclude by this practise which he had learned publikly Eusebius did also alleadge Iustinus Miltiades Tatian Clemens Irenaeus Meliton and others against Artemon The same that did these Fathers did also the generall Councels The first Councell of Nice by the testimonyes which they had from the Fathers witnes Athanasius did decree against Arius The Councell of Ephesus following the confessions of the Fathers sayth it selfe and alleadging sayth Vincent Lyr. in particuler Most of the East and VVest Doctours as Maisters Confessours witnesses Iudges held their doctrine followed their counsell belieued their testimony obeyed their iudgment and so pronounced their sentence of fayth against Nestorius The Councell of Calcedon following sayth it selfe the holy Fathers the faith of the Fathers the exposition of the Fathers doth determine what is pious and Catholike fayth against Eutiches The sixth generall Councell witnesse both the letters of Pope Agatho and the Synode it selfe doth produce the testimonyes of Fathers for the exposition of scripture and thereby condemned the Monothelites The seauenth generall Councell and the second of Nice doth the same witnesse the letters of Pope Adrian against the Image-breakers And the Councell of Vienna witnesse the letters of Pope Clement in their definitions So that all antiquity whether in priuate disputations or in publike definitions hath alwayes vsed the testimony of Fathers as a meane in declaring the authenticall sense of scripture against Heretikes The fourth and most infallible meane of expounding the Scripture is a Councell either generall or prouinciall confirmed by a generall in which whatsoeuer is not obiter by the way nor as a proofe only but on set purose and as a conclusion or definition deliuered and defined that is without all question or examination to be receaued as a certaine infallible and authenticall sense of scripture Which to omit all testimonies before cyted for the authority of Councels is proued by the practise of the faythfull in all Councels for in the Nicen Councell were many places of scriptures for proofe of the consubstantiality of Christ produced and discussed and the Orthodoxe Fathers vrged and pressed diuers Texts of the same The Arians answered and interpreted them and vrged likwise many against the same The conclusion was the Fathers of the Councell preuailed and concluded both the doctrine of Christs diuinity the sense of the places of Scripture alleadged for it This definition was to all posterity so forcible that though the Arians vsed all force of temporall power which afterward was wholy for them though they summoned as Athanasius saith aboue ten Coūcels or Conuenticles against that one though they sought in a Councell at Hierusalem to restore their Bishops deposed and in a Councell at Antioch to bring in a new forme of faith couched in words not vnlike to the Nicene forme and in a Councell at Smirna did affirme craftily the Sonne to haue beene before his mother and before all times and not a creature like to others though in the Councell at Ariminum they deceaued many Catholicke Bishops and cunningly obtruded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like substance for the same substance which in greek differed only in a letter though they sent Legates into Italy France and al places with faire shewes and promises of vnion of subscribing and of submitting themselues but cunningly and disemblingly as the Protestants did at the first and chiefly Melanchton Bucer about Transubstantiation yet to all posterity and succeeding ages those places of scripture haue euer beene receaued and beleiued in that sense which the Councell then interpreted and vrged them so that that Councel hath beene a rule euer since for the exposition of them to all faithfull and true belieuers in Christ In like manner in the Councell of Ephesus hauing discussed diuers places before controuerted whether they were spoken of the natures or persons of Christ resolued that they were to be vnderstood of plurality of natures not persons in Christ And though Nestorius the eloquent Patriarch of Constantinople and many Bishops with him withstood the Councell and though Theodoret the most learned Catholicke Bishop of that age long opposed S. Cyrill about the same yet the authority of the Councell so far preuailed both then and euer since that all faithfull euer after haue alwayes receaued expounded them in the same sense as true and condemned the contrary as false And the like might be produced of other places for the humanity of Christ against the Manichees and Apollinarists For his two natures against the Eutichians and Monothelites For the holy Ghost against the Macedonians Eunomians And so for transubstantiation against Berengarius and the Sacramentaries which for breuity are omitted And thus much of these foure rules or meanes to wit 1. The rule of Faith 2. The practise of the Church 3. The consent of Fathers and 4. The decrees of Councels by which the Pastours and Prelates of Gods Church are to be directed and vpon which we may infallibly rely for any true certaine authenticall infallible sense of scripture There be other helps which are good and profitable as the consideration of the antecedents and consequences of places the conference of one place with another the obseruation of Scripture-phrases and the skill examination of the originall texts but because they are neither certaine nor infallible but only probable yea often doubtfull and somtimes deceitfull nor yet proper and peculiar to Christians but cōmon to Iewes Pagans Heretiks and all sortes and also not to our purpose for the present therfore we will omit them and shew that the priuate spirit which the Protestants most insist vpon and which we vndertake to confute neither is nor can be any certaine and infallible meanes of interpreting scripture as they do both in doctrine and pactise mantaine That the priuate spirit cannot haue this infallible authority and be this infallible meanes SECT II. THESE being supposed for the finding out the authority certaine and meanes necessary for true interpretation of holy scripture it remaines to be proued that the priuate spirit of euery particular man neither hath in it any certainty or authority nor yet
from the departure till the diuision of the land and also 40. of Samuel and Sauls raigne 40. of Dauids togeather with 4. of Salomons raigne which in all make 134. as they are collected out of Scripture there remaines from the departure out of Aegypt till the building of the Temple not 450. years as S. Luke relats but only 345. 3. About the raigne of Ioram King of Iuda and Ochozias his sonne after him for Ioram began to raigne when he was 32. years old raigned 8. years which for his whole life is 40. yet Ochozias his sonne who succeeded him is sayd to haue beene 42. yeares old when he began to raigne 2. Para. 22.2 by which he being 42. yeares old when his Father dyed being but 40. should be two years elder then his Father who begat him a question to S. Hierome inexplicable 4. About the raigne of Ioachim or Iechonias King of Iuda who is sayd 2. Paral. 36.9 to haue beene but eight yeares old and 4. Reg. 24.8 to haue beene eighteen years old both of them when he began to raigne 5. About Ioram King of Israel who is sayd to haue begun his raigne 4. Reg. 1.17 in the second yeare of Ioram King of Iuda and yet 4. Reg. 3.1 to haue begun the same in the eighteen yeare of Iosaphat who was Iorams Father and raigned 25. yeares 6. About the supputation of tyme as it is counted by the raigne of the Kings of Iuda and of Israel for from the beginning of the kingdome of Israel in the first of Roboam King of Iuda till the end of the same in the sixth of Ezechias when Samaria was taken are 260. yeares according to the raigne of the Kinges of Iuda and yet in the same tyme according to the raigne of the Kinges of Israel are only 240. yeares To all which if we adde the difficult places which according to S. Peter are in the Epistles of S. Paul as for example how are to be interpreted that of 1. Cor. 3.11 Gold siluer hay stubble the day of our Lord fire and to be saued by the fire That of 1. Cor. 15.29 How to be baptized for the dead That of Hebr. 6.4 It is impossible for those that fall to repent If we adde the difficult places which in the Euangelists are hard as for example in S. Marke who cites the Prophet Esay for Malachy In S. Matthew who cites Ieremy for Zachary In S. Luke who adds a generation of Cainam to the same cyted by Moyses and makes 40. Generations from Dauid to Christ where S. Matthew makes but 28. In S. Iohn who maks the day of Christs Passion the day before the festiuall day the rest of the Euangelists the day of the feast If we add the difficult places of which many holy and learned men of ancient time doubted sent for explication some to S. August as Marcellinus a Noble man and Martyr Volusianus gouernour of Rome and Paulinus Simplicianus Euodius and Honoratus all Bishops Some to S. Hierome as Marcella and Principia Suna and Fratella Hebidia and Algasia noble and religious women as Vitalis Dardanus Euagrius Damasus holy and learned Bishops And lastly if we adde all those places which all ancient and moderne Heretikes haue in so many articles of fayth abused and corrupted for the establishing of their new inuented heresies If I say we adde all these to the former it will by them appeare that the priuate spirit in euery man can be neither a competent nor yet a sufficient meanes to expound and interprete the true certaine sense of Scripture neither in places difficult to be vnderstood nor in points necessary to be belieued And this is the first kind of reason drawne from the nature of scripture against the priuate spirits interpretation of it SVBDIV. 2. By reasons drawne from the priuate spirit which should expound Scripture SEcondly other reasons are drawne from the nature and condition of the priuate spirit which whether it be in a priuate person who wants lawfull ordination and authority or in publike Doctour Pastour or Bishop who diuided by heresy or schisme doth not conforme his spirit to the comon spirit of Gods Church and generall rule of Fayth yet that it cannot be a competent Iudge of fayth and decider of controuersies is proued by these reasons First because this priuate spirit is excluded as vnable and vnfit to interprete the scripture and that by scripture it selfe for S. Peter hauing commended the propheticall word or the wordes of Scripture made by the Prophets as being a candle shining in a darke place doth giue this Caueat as principally to be vnderstood that the sense of it is not to be made by any priuate interpretation that is though the scripture be a light yet as it is a light not to Gentils Iewes or Infidels who vnderstand it not so it is not a light to Heretikes who by the priuate spirit make a priuate interpretatiō of it why Because by mans will Prophesy was not at any tyme brought but the holy men of God spake inspired by the holy Ghost that is as the holy men of God the Apostles inspired by the holy Ghost spake and dictated the word of God when it was made so the interpreters of the same word ought not to bring in any exposition of the same word of God vpon their owne will and sense but vpon the inspiration of the same holy Ghost when by them it is interpreted so that we should receaue the sense of scripture from the same spirit from which we receaued the text of Scripture As therefore no priuate spirit but one and the same spirit of the Prophets and Apostles of Christ made the scripture so no priuate spirit but the common spirit of Pastours and Prelates of Christs Church should determine and iudge of the sense of Scripture Of which place and others see more in the first Chapter Secondly because as truth and faith is not priuate to one nor singular in any but common to all and generally receaued by all the faithfull for so saith S. Augustine Thy truth O Lord is neither myne nor this mans or that mans but all mens whom thou callest publickly to the Communion of it terribly admonishing vs not to haue it priuate least we be depriued of it for whosoeuer will challenge that as proper to himselfe which is giuen as common to all and will haue that only to himselfe which is for all men that man is driuen from the common to his owne that is from truth to falshood so also the spirit of truth is not priuate to any one but common to all the faithfull for if the spirit of the teacher be not common with the spirit of all teachers it is not a spirit as it ought to be which is one keeping an vnity of spirit in the bond of peace making mē of one mind in one spirit labouring together
for the faith of the ghospel but it is a spirit of dissentiō which comes in his owne name speaketh lies of it selfe leadeth disciples after it selfe and seeketh as a thiefe to kill and destroy And if the spirit of the hearer be not conformable to the teacher then it is not a spirit of God nor of truth because he who is borne of God heareth the voice of the spirit and to heare the voice of vs saith S. Iohn that is of the Pastour is a signe to discerne who knows God and who hath the spirit of truth not falshood But if he on the contrary do follow a stranger do heare the voice of strangers do harken to a Prophet who ariseth and saith let vs follow strang Gods whom thou knowest not that is new Pastours vnknowne who they are or whence they come it is a signe of a spirit which followes not God nor is directed in truth Therfore the spirit of God is not a spirit priuate and singular by it selfe but a spirit common and generall to all the faithfull vniting the sheepheard with the flocke and the flocke with the sheepheard both in the fold of Iesus Christ in vnity of one spirit and faith Thirdly Because this priuate spirit is not only euill but also most vncertaine and fallible for it is vncertaine in whom it is whether in Luther Caluin Seruetus or Rotmā and why not as well in Bellarmine as in any of them It is vncertaine to him who imagines he hath it whether it be the spirit of God of nature or of Sathan and most vncertaine altogeather vnknowne to any but him who challengeth it It is vncertaine whether that sense it suggests be the certaine meaning of the holy Ghost or the inuention of ones owne braine It is vncertaine whether those interpreters of scriptures which follow it and others who follow them as Caluin Luther Osiander Beza or others do expound the scripture in the sense of the holy Ghost or of their owne It could not accord the Lutheran Deuines of Saxony in the Conference at Altemburge 1568. whether the scripture was to be receiued as interpreted by Luther only as the Duks Deuines of Iene Lipsia prescribed or as by Luther and Melācthon also as the Electours Deuines of Wittemberge resolued It could not agree Luther Melancthon with Zwinglius Oecolampadius at Marspurge 1529. about the sense of these words Hoc est corpus meum whether they are meant properly or figuratiuely It could not combine in vnity at Wormes 1557. the twelue Catholicke Doctours with the twelue Lutheran about many points of controuersy nor the Lutheran Doctours among themselues of whom seauen the maior part excluded fiue the lesser that is Amsdorpius Gallus and others the rigid Lutherans It cannot pacify to this day the dissentions about the sense of scripture betweene the Lutherans Swinglians Caluinists Vbiquitaries Osiandrians Swenk feldians Trinitarians Puritans Familists Anabaptists and others in number infinite and in contention vnplacable So vncertaine it is in all so vncertaine it leaues all Fourthly Because it is not only false and vncertaine in expounding the scripture but also it is opposit to the spirit and iudgement of the whole Church of all generall Councels and of all auncient Fathers reiecting and condemning them and preferring it selfe in euery preacher or Parochian before them It will in euery vnlearned Protestant with Caluin examine all the spirits of all men according to the rule of the word of God it selfe I say will examine and iudge them It will with Luther affirme and stand to it also that it will permit none to be iudges but all to be obedient to it It will with Whitaker resolue that all iudgment of Fathers Councels and Church is only humane and only its owne is diuine of which contempt of Fathers and Councels see the first Part Chap. 5. Fifthly Because it is not only false fallible opposite to the spirit of Gods Church but is the very author and supporter of all heresies as Stapleton well notes saying Out of this priuate spirit to which they stand stifly for the exposition of scripture haue issued and flowed all the stincke of heresies and new opinions which haue infected the whole world And indeed as euery hereticke diuided himselfe from the Church and forsooke the spirit of it so by his new spirit he inuented a new heresy of his owne and sought to draw people after him All which both concerning heresies rebellions shal in the third Part at large be demonstrated Sixtly Because all the partes and properties of an infallible Iudge are wanting in this spirit as shall appeare in the next Chapter And thus much against the priuat spirits authority of expounding scriptures by reasons drawne from the obscurity fecundity and profundity of scripture and from the falsity fallibility and vncertainty of this spirit Out of which it doth follow first that since the Protestants build their saluation only vpon faith and their faith only vpon the scripture and the scripture and the sense of it only vpon the spirit which is so vncertaine fallible and doubtfull therefore their whole faith and state of saluation is very vncertaine fallible and doubtfull as builded vpon a ground so vncertaine fallible and doubtfull 2. It followes that they who in shew rely so much vpon scripture who extoll it so much read it so diligently seeme to be so cunning in it and to build so much on it do not indeed rely build vpon the scripture but vpon their owne spirit or conceit by which they set vpon the scripture what sense they please and draw the sense to what doctrine they please and make the doctrine to serue to what times and turns to what ends and vses they please 3. It followes that the Catholikes whom the Protestantes so much accuse of neglect of scripture do more solidly safely rely on it then the Protestants do and do with more security and certainty ground their faith vpon it then they do for the Catholikes receiue the scripture as the word of God as much as they more parts of it then they they reuerence it as much as they and haue kept it from corruption longer then they They ground their faith and beliefe vpon it as strongly as they did the same before it was knowne to them yea deliuered it to them and to many mo besides them For the true sense and right vnderstanding of it they do not rely vpon euery mans priuate spirit or conceit as they do but vpon the iudgement of the Church infallibly assisted by the holy ghost vpon the testimony of the catholike and apostolicke rule of faith vpon the conformity of the auncient practise and obseruation of the Church vpon the generall consent of the holy and learned Fathers and doctors of auncient time vpon the infallible decrees of general and
not only of Infants but also of Nations that they should teach all Nations As he was light of men so they should be the light of the world As he gaue testimony to the truth so they should giue testimony and be witnesses of him to the end of the earth That as the Father did sanctify him so he prayed to his Father to sanctify them As he was sent by his Father into the world so he sent them As by a voice from heauen it was sayd of him heare him so by his owne mouth he sayd of them he that heareth you heareth me The Apostles therefore were appointed for Maisters specially sanctifyed made the light of the world ordained witnesses of his truth sent with authority and commission as himselfe was for that end that they should be heard and obeyed as himselfe was and the same power they receaued from him not only themselues challenged and practised after him and with him but also their Successours after them and with them For as Christ was giuen a light of the Nations so they sayth S. Luke were also the light of the nations As the spirit of God was on him to euangelize to the poore so God chose them sayth S. Luke that the Gentils by their mouth should heare the word of the Ghospell and belieue As he did reconcile the world to himselfe so he sayth S. Paul placed in them the word of reconciliation As he came an Embassadour from his Father to be a messenger of iudgment to the world so sayth S. Paul we are Legates for Christ. As our Sauiour sayd of himselfe He that is God doth heare the wordes of God therefore you heare not because you are not of God so doth S. Iohn say of them He that knoweth God heareth vs and he that is not of God heareth vs not Therefore as Christ thought it no robbery to be equal to his Father in diuinity so they thought it no iniury to him to be in some sort participant with him in his power and authority And that Christ gaue this authority to the Apostles not only for themselues and their owne time but also for their successors and for all ages so that it is to reside and remaine in the Pastours and prelates of holy Church their successors continually till the end of the world is euident for if he haue this authority as necessary for the peace and gouernement of his Church and if the Church stand as great need of it in all ages as in that time of the Apostles as it is certaine it doth then without doubt it was as well giuen to the Pastours of the future tymes of the Church as to them of the present for which end Christ sayth S. Paul gaue some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastours and Doctours and for what end For the consummation or perfection of Saints that is of all faythfull for the worke of the ministery to teach his truth for the edification and propagation of his body to conserue and increase his Church for the vnity of fayth vntill all concurre in one least men be wauering and vncertaine in faith like little ones least they be carryed with euery wind of doctrine least they be circumuented by craftines in errour All which dangers as they remaine in all tymes so the remedy prepared against them must remaine for all tymes Whereupon S. Peter did not only himselfe exercise this authority but at his departure gaue the same to the Pastours of Pontus Galatia and Bythinia to whome he writ his Epistles willing them to feed the flocke of God which is among them S. Paul did not only practise it himselfe but also left it to the Pastors of Ephesus to rule the Church of God To Titus to ordaine Priests through all Citties in Creet as he had disposed To Timothy to commend to faithfull men what he had heard of him and willed the conuerted Iewes to obey their Gouernours and be subiect to them because they watch as being to giue an account of their soules Whereupon not of the Apostles only but of all Pastours and only of Pastours it is sayd My spirit which is in thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed frō this present for euer What is this word my spirit which is in thee but to compare the prophesy and the performance the Paraclete the spirit of truth which the Father will giue to you What are the wordes in thy mouth but the wordes and vnderstanding which thou Father gauest to me I gaue to them and they receaued of me What is thy seed and seeds seed but those who are to belieue by their word in me What is from this tyme for euer but that I will be with you euen to the consummation of the world And so doth the prediction of the Prophet concurre with the performance of our Sauiour To all Pastours and only of Pastours it is sayd Sonnes are borne to thee for thy fathers and thou shalt make them Princes ouer all the earth that is according to S. Augustine for Apostles thou shalt haue Prelates To al Pastours and only to Pastours it is sayd He that heares you heares me And He that knowes God heares vs and he that is not of God heares vs not That is sayth S. Cyprian all Gouernours who by subordination succeed the Apostles Because sayth S. Augustin In the chaire of vnity he hath placed the doctrine of verity Of al and to all Pastours it is sayd How shall they preach except they be sent No man assumes to himself honour but he that is called of God as Aaron To all and only of Pastours it is sayd If he heare not the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and Publican that is sayth Chrysostome and Theophilact if he heare not the Pastours of the Church And if he be worthy to be esteemed so who despises them that admonish him of his fault much more worthy is he to be deemed so who despises him who instructs him in fayth To all and only Pastours it is sayd That the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church In so much that all the promises of Church-stability and perpetuity in fayth cōsists chiefly in this infallible authority of the Pastours who are to instruct in fayth direct in fayth and to iudge of fayth and what promises are made to the Church are made chiefly to the Pastours as the principall partes of it and by thē to the rest as inferiour To them therefore is giuen the word of reconciliation the dispensation of the mysteries the function of Embassages the
the same motiue nor yet combining them in any vnity either of one and the same Church or of one and the same discipline or gouernment or of one and the same scripture and sense of it is apparent and proued First Because this spirit is priuate proper and peculiar in euery one without subordination to any without connexion with any or without dependance vpon any It is singular and seuerall in euery one hauing a kind of operation which is for the manner singular for the motiue different and for the effect opposit in euery one It wanteth one and the same either authority of God for warrant or reuelation from God for motiue or proposition by Church for surety or direction of one visible head for gouernment as a linke and combination of all the spirits in one vnity either of Sacraments seruice or ceremonies or of faith discipline and exposition of scripture Wherupon it withdraweth al men from the high way of vnity diuerts them into by-pathes of diuision conducts them into the downfall of schisme and heresy and so precipitates them headlong into a gulfe of infidelity and perdition 2. Because as experience teaches vs it hath hatched all the viperous sects schismes and heresies which this last age in such aboundance brought forth into the world It vpon the first breathing of the new Ghospell deuided the followers of it into Lutherans Sacramentarians Anabaptists and subdeuided the Lutherans againe into the Zealous the Ciuill and the disorderly Lutherans and subdeuided yet againe the zealous into 14. the ciuill into 20. and the disorderly into 7. subfactions and petty heresies It subdeuided the Anabaptists into 13. seuerall factions and the Sacramentaries into so many new opinions in seuerall Countries inuented by so many seuerall new maisters as that within the space of an 100. years fewer some as Gualter reckon vp 117. others as Rescius 170. others as Hedio a Protestāt within 30. yeares after Luther 130. all inuented and nourished by this spirit And for multiplicity of scripture senses it deuised as one 50. yeares ago collected no fewer then 80. and as another since hath obserued no fewer then 200. seuerall expositions all out of foure wordes Hoc est corpus meum Which dissention and diuision was euen in Caluins time so memorable and markable that he himselfe confesses that this age hath brought forth horrible monstrous sects so that many staggering and no◠knowing which to follow haue cast away all care of any religion at all By which is apparent that this Scripture neither doth nor can beget any vnity or concord in fayth and religion and so cannot be a fit instrument to beget and conserue fayth That it cannot be a meanes of certainty of Fayth SECT III. SECONDLY Fayth must be certaine and infallible to vs more certaine sayth S. Chrysostome are we of things we see not then of thinges we see Yea so certaine as that it admits no deliberate and voluntary doubt not only actuall but not so much as possible For as Fayth is an inward assent of the mind which we giue to that which God who is the prime verity and can neither deceaue nor be deceaued hath reuealed to vs by meanes of the preaching and teaching of the true Church so our assent must be as certaine as is the verity of God vpon which it dependes that is so certaine that it admit no more deliberate doubt incertainty or fallibility then doth the word of God vpon which it depends Which certainty of fayth because Luther Caluin and Zuinglius extend to euery mans particuler saluation they consequently affirme that euery man must be as certaine of his saluation as he is certaine there is a God that he can no more loose his saluation then Christ can loose it But that no such certainty can be in this priuate spirit I proue besides that which is in the former Chapter shewed by these reasons First because no certaine and infallible rule or ground can be giuen certainly and infallibly to know that this spirit in any man is a spirit of truth not of errour of light not of darknes of God not of Sathan or not humane therfore there is no reason why any should build vpon it as certaine Secondly because that they who admit a certainty of it admit it only in the persons who haue it not in others who follow them who haue it wherupon all who follow the spirit and doctrine of any other whosoeuer as the cōmon both people and preachers do follow that which to them is fallible and vncertaine and so build vpon a ground fallible and vncertaine Thirdly because experience conuinces that this spirit hath deceaued doth daily deceaue many for whatsoeuer either sense of Scripture or doctrine of faith or certainty of saluation the spirit of one man doth certainly assure him as true the spirit of another man doth as certainly assure him that the same is false as for example the spirit of Zuinglius Oecolampadius Caluin and other Sacramentaries assures them that the sense of Hoc est corpus meum is figuratiue that the body of Christ is not really and corporally present in the Sacrament and that they in this faith are infallibly sure of their saluation but the spirit of Luther assures him that the sense of the words is literall that Christs substance is really and corporally present with the substance of bread and that the Sacramentaries are heretiks and damned who hould the contrary The like doth the spirit of the Anabaptists Libertines and others assure them of other such places against both Lutherans and Caluinists And the spirit of the Arians assures them of the like against all the former And all this is wrought by this spirit all conceauing a certainty in it yet all opposit and condemning one another by it What certainty therfore can there be in any of these spirits what infallibility more in Luther then in Caluin what in Caluin more then in Rotman what in Rotman more then in Seruetus or what in any one of them more then in any other Sectary What can any one claime or challenge for the certainty of his spirit which the other cannot as infallibly claime and challenge for the certainty of his Euery one of these assure themselues that their spirit is of God Euery one of them all are certaine of their sense of scripture of their faith and of their saluation by it yet euery one defends a contrary faith inuents a contrary sense of scripture condemns the contrary part of heresy is certaine by his spirit of the others damnation as the other conceaue themselues certaine of their owne saluatiō What certainty therfore can there be amongst so opposit certainties Surely none but to be certaine that all of these spirits are most vncertaine and fallible yea wicked and damnable that the state of all who depend of them is pittifull and
this preaching is deriued frō Mission according to that of S. Paul How shal they belieue him whom they haue not heard how shall they heare without a preacher how shall they preach except they be sent So that faith it by hearing hearing is by preaching of Pastours and preaching is by mission from the authority of Superiours Of which the reason is because faith is an argumēt or proofe of things that do not appeare either to our sense or reason but are aboue our vnderstanding and capacity therfore we cannot attaine to it by euidence of reason but by credit of authority To this authority that we may giue credit we must conceaue and heare it this hearing that we may be obliged to accept it must by Church-Pastors be proposed and preached to vs and this preaching that it may the better secure vs of it must be from lawfull mission by ordinary succession deriued and so lawfull mission from apostolical authority infallible preaching or proposition of Pastours and a pious disposition in vs to heare and belieue what is thus proposed are the meanes by which according to S. Paul true faith is attained But this priuat spirit quite ouerthrowes all this excellēt order and subordination ordayned by Christ Iesus proposed to vs by the holy Ghost For first it alone without any disposition of hearing without any proposition or preaching of Church Pastours without any authority of apostolicall mission and ordination teaches and directs in particuler euery one man woman or child which is true Scripture which is true sense of it and which is true doctrine collected out of it therfore euery one thus made faithfull by this spirit stands need neither of disposition to heare what is to be belieued nor of preaching to belieue what they heare nor of mission and ordination to secure them of what is preached because this spirit supplies the effect of all both ordination proposition and disposition of hearing therfore all order and discipline all subordination and subiection all sacraments or preaching are needlesse yea fruitlesse in Gods Church As this spirit secures alone so without Sacraments it sanctifies alone As it instructs all in faith so it corrects all in errours against faith And as it is directed by none but God so it is subordinate to none but God alone obliged to none obedient to none it is immediate as they which haue it imagine from God it wil be subiect only to God it will be directed only by God it alone inspires all what they are to belieue alone works all what they are to do and alone secures all that they cannot faile of their end and saluation and so alone to all is all in all that is the beginning progresse and end of all grace and goodnesse Thus is the spirit to them if you will credit them Secondly It alone hath warrant and commission power and authority in whomsoeuer it is whether he be yonge or old simple or wise vnlearned or learned secular or spirituall to examine censure to giue sentence and iudgment in any cause or Controuersy ouer any Pastour or Prelate vpon any Councell or Church particuler or generall present or past late or auncient For as Caluin and Kemnitius for example by the prerogatiue of this their spirit tooke vpon them to censure and correct by their Examine and Antidote not only the late generall Councel of Trent but also the auncient generall Councels of Nice Constantinople Chalcedon and Ephesus yea the whole Church of God and all Doctours in it for many ages togeather as is before shewed so euery bible-bearing Ghospeller who hath got but a tast of this spirit and can but read the Scripture in English will by the same prerogatiue of this spirit assume to himselfe the same authority to examine the same examiners to censure the same censurers and to iudge the spirit of the former iudges yea to examine censure and iudge all Pastours Doctours Fathers Councells and Churches and to determine which of them haue erred what sense of Scripture is to be preferred and what Fayth and Religion is to be imbraced All which as these new Protestant Maisters first practised vpon the ancient Fathers so these their new discipls haue learned to practise the same vpon them their maisters and do as well censure them as they did their Predecessours and that worthily for what they taught and practised against their Fathers is a iust punishment that their children should learne and practise the same against them That it cannot be a meanes of fayth which requirs credible testimonies SECT VI. FIFTHLY this fayth as it is obtained by piously hearing the infallible preaching of Pastours lawfully ordained and sent so also it requires besides diuine reuelation reasons and motiues of credibility forcible to moue the Vnderstanding to accept as probable this doctrine of Fayth thus by preaching proposed and by God reuealed for as before He that giueth credit quickly is light of hart And reasons of credibility such as are miracles sanctity vnity conuersions of Nations and such like before mentioned doe make a true fayth more credible according to that of Dauid Thy testimonies are made too credible But that this priuate spirit cannot giue any such credible testimonies or produce any probable motiue to conuince any one that it is a true spirit of God or a certaine meanes of faith is proued Because it cannot alledge any consent of people and nations nor any authority of miracles to vse S. Augustines words nourished by hope increased by charity and confirmed by antiquity such as confirmed S. Augustine in his faith it cannot alleadge any vnity which it causeth either with the head Christ or with his body the Church not any sanctity which it worketh by works memorable for piety or miraculous for power and vertue not any consent of vniuersality by which it hath been imbraced in all places at all times by all nations and persons no not in ancient time by any persons renowned for holinesse and learning not any succession of Pastours prelates doctours or saints who haue relied themselues their faith saluation vpon it it cannot produce any one euident either authority of holy scripture or any one tradition of apostolicall time or any one practise of auncient Church or any one decree of generall Councels or any one testimony of learned Doctours or any one probable much lesse conuincing argument of reason that either all or any one man must or may settle his beliefe in it interprete the Scripture by it rely his saluation vpon it deduce all resolutions of fayth all questions of Controuersies all doubts of Religion from it and giue peremptory iudgment and sentence of all Pastours and Prelates of all Saints and Doctours of all Churches and Councells of all doctrine and religion according to the suggestion of it which yet the precise Protestāts do both in doctrine professe and in practise performe That it cannot be a
reuelation thus proposed we settle our last resolution of fayth and the certainty of it as vpon the former credible motiues or humane fayth we setled our preparation or acceptation of fayth and the credibility of it Now if we compare or apply these togeather it will euidently appeare that in neither is committed any Circle because the former that is the acceptation depends vpon credible motiues which are as the Samaritan womans word making it seeme probable that Christ was the Messias and the later that is the assent to Fayth dependes â—pon diuine reuelation which is as our Sauiours word reuealing to them that he is the true Messias and so both haue seuerall grounds and principles on which they depend the one credible testimonies the other diuine reuelation wherby comparing them togeather no appearance of any circular proofe can be found betweene them For the actuall assent and beliefe it selfe whereby we infallibly belieue the mysteries reuealed though we belieue the verity of Scripture reuelations by the authority of Church proposition and Church proposition for the authority of Scripture reuelation whereby Scripture reuelation doth giue vs testimony of Church proposition and againe Church proposition of Scripture reuelation Yet that this reciprocall testimony and proofe is not any proper and vitious Circle is proued First because it is in diuerso genere causa in diuers kinds of causes which before out of Aristotle is admitted for good and lawfull for the testimonyes of Scripture reuelation to the infallibility of Church proposition is causall as a cause and that formall why we belieue and assent to Church proposition But Church proposition is only conditionall as conditio sine quae non to know Scripture reuelation and so they are reciprocall in a different manner of proofe the one that is Scripture à priori as including diuine reuelation the other that is Church à posteriori required only as a condition The former as a formall precedent cause the latter as a subsequent annexed condition Both of them not much vnlike to our Sauiours testimony of S. Iohn Baptist and to S. Iohns testimony of our Sauiour the one as of God and infallible the other as of an holy man credible or to the testimony of our B. Sauiour the woman to the Samaritans the one as giuing certainty the other as proposing credibility of his being the Messias Or to the former example of rationale and risibile of the Sun-shine and the Day of the Vapours and Raine of the opening the Window and the entring of the Wind. All which reciprocally proue one another as the cause and the effect or as seuerall causes And all which doe much resemble the testimony of Scripture to the Church and of the Church to the Scripture which is likewise in a seuerall kind of causality and a different manner of probation Secondly because this reciprocall proofe is not ad omnino idem as Aristotle requires to a proper Circle that is the one is not the totall and sole cause of knowing the other For Church proposition is not knowne only by Scripture reuelation and no other way but also by other proofes signes and credible testimonies conuincing that Church authority is necessary and infallible to distinguish true sense of Scripture from false and to end Controuersies about Scripture And therefore as Aristotle admits that though the premises haue proued the conclusion yet the conclusion may againe proue the premises that in eodem genere causae so that the conclusion be proued by another medium then by the premises So though the Scripture reuelation proue Church proposition yet Church proposition may againe reciprocally proue Scripture reuelation so it be knowne by another meanes as we see it is then only by Scripture reuelation for this according to Aristotle is only an improper Circle and not a bad and vnlawfull Circle Thirdly because this reciprocall proofe is not to one the same person who is ignorant or doubtful of both but to diuers persons and such as suppose the one For to a Catholike who admits as belieued Church propositioÌ„ we proue by it Scripture-sense or reuelation and so an vnknowne thing to him by another thing supposed and knowne to him but to a Protestant who admits as by him belieued Scripture reuelation we proue by it Church proposition so to him a thing vnknowne by another more knowne But to a Pagan who admits neither Scripture reuelation nor Church proposition we proue neither of them one by another but both the one and the other by other probable motiues and credible testimonies more agreeable to his natural capacity and by them persuade him first to accept as credible Church proposition and by it Scripture reuelation by which Scripture and Church or scripture expounded by Church we persuade him to assent and belieue the articles reuealed In all which we proue ignotum per notius the vnknowne by the more knowne to him and so preparing him to giue credit to one do by that induce him to belieue the other By which meanes we still proceed from a thing knowne to an vnknowne to that person and so auoyd the Circle and begging of the question into which the Protestants runne and there sticke fast In which note the difference betweene them and vs for they proue reciprocally and circularly the Scripture by the spirit and the spirit againe by scripture in the same kind of proofe to wit formally as shal be shewed We proue scripture by Church and Church by scripture in diuers kindes of cause to wit the one causall and the other conditionall as is shewed 2. They proue the one by the other no otherwise knowne then by the other as the scripture by the spirit which spirit is only and by no other meanes knowne then by scripture and é contra as shal be shewed But we haue more means to know the Church then by scripture as is shewed 3. They proue one by the other to the same person to wit the Protestant doubtfull of both we to diuers persons who suppose belieue the one so ad hominem by that we proue the other Al which as it is true as presently shal be shewed so it shewes an apparent difference between the Protestant circular maÌ„ner of proofe of scripture by spirit and of spirit by scripture and of our Catholike improper Circle and lawfull manner of proofe of scripture by Church and of Church by scripture And thus much to cleare the imputation layd vpon Catholikes for their circular manner of proceeding in their proofe of scripture by the Church and of Church by scripture The Protestants diuers manners of Circles SECT III. SVBDIV. â— The Circle betweene the Scripture and the Spirit IT remaynes to shew that the Protestants doe seuerall wayes fall into this vnlawfull Circular manner of probation for which we may note how the Protestants for their doctrine of fayth iustification and saluation do make this gradation concatenation
of one point with another The first ground of all they make Gods free and irrespectiue election or predestination of some to his grace and saluation his like reiection condemnation of others to damnation 2. To these elect and only to them God giues true fayth and certaine assurance of their saluation 3. To these faythfull only to them he giues the infallible assistance of this his priuate spirit 4. To this spirit and only to it he giues the true and certaine vnderstanding of the holy Scipture the sense of it So that 1. Election 2. Fayth 3. The spirit 4. Vnderstanding of Scripture is as a chaine of many lincks whereof all are so connected euery one with another as he that hath one hath all and he that wantes one wantes all For say they the vnderstanding of scripture is giuen only to them and to all them who haue the spirit the spirit is giuen only to them and to all them who haue fayth Fayth is giuen only to them and to all them who are elect and so all and only the elect are faithfull all and only the faithfull haue the spirit all and only they that haue the spirit vnderstand Scripture And so à primo ad vltimum all ōly the elect must haue true fayth spirit and vnderstanding of Scripture In which election is the mother and foundation the vnderstāding of Scripture the fruit top of al their perfection This is the connexion of their doctrine concerning their faith and saluation Now as cōcerning the knowledge infallible assurance of all these which according to their groundes euery one of them must haue of himselfe to wit that he is elect faithfull and hath the true spirit of God the right vnderstanding of scripture As concerning I say the assurance of all these and the meanes of this assurance whereupon depends their saluation if any shall demand of them whereupon they ground this their certainty and assurance of all these that is their election fayth spirit scripture-sense which are inseparable and infallibly according to them ensuing one vpon another it will appeare by their answere that they haue no groundes at all but that they runne in a round and Circle rowling and wheeling from one ground or principle to another and from that to the former backe againe without any firme or setled groūd and resolution whereon to stay themselues and their fayth whereupon they skip forward and backward from one to another that is from the scripture to the spirit and from the spirit to the scripture againe from the spirit to fayth from faith to the spirit againe from faith to election and from election to fayth againe and so from election to scripture againe and from scripture to election backe againe For aske a Protestant how and by what meanes he vnderstands the Scripture He answers by the spirit And aske him how and by what meanes he knowes that he hath the true spirit He answers by Scripture And so knowes the scripture by the spirit and the spirit by scripture Againe aske him how and by what meanes he is assured of his faith He answers by his spirit and scripture but how is he sure of his spirit and scripture by his fayth backe againe Further aske him how and by what meanes he is assured of his election He answers by his fayth his spirit or the scripture and yet his election is the ground of his fayth spirit and vnderstanding of scripture So that 1. The scripture proues the spirit and the spirit the scripture 2. The spirit proues his fayth and his fayth the spirit 3. His faith proues his election and his election is the ground of his fayth with it of his spirit and knowledge of scripture also So that as many linckes as are in their chaine so many Circles and circular proofes are made by them and all in vaine and to no purpose at all as shall be shewed And first of their first circular proofe betweene the scripture and the spirit it shal be plainely proued that they fall directly and headlong into Aristotles proper and so much condemned Circle prouing the scripture by the spirit and the spirit by the scripture againe in one and the same kind of cause to one and the same person and by one sole and whole manner of proofe In all which we haue before cleared our selues and our doctrine from the obiected Circle against vs. For which we may obserue two principles of Protestant doctrine the one that the scripture only is the rule and meanes to come to the knowledge of the certainty of all thinges to be belieued wherupon they reiect all Tradition vnwritten word of God and rely only vpon the written word for the sole and complete rule of fayth The other that this written word is to be interpreted and vnderstood only by the spirit of the Lord which as it is particuler and priuate in euery man so euery man must be directed by his priuate spirit in the vnderstanding and interpreting of the scripture and in the collecting out of it what he is to belieue wherupō they reiect all authority of Church Councels or Fathers and make only the priuate spirit the Rule and Iudge of interpreting scripture as in the first part is at large proued Which being supposed it will euidently appeare how the Protestants runne this Circle betweene this priuate spirit and scripture For aske a Protestant how he knowes infallibly which is scripture and which is true sense of it He answeres by the internal testimony of the priuate spirit assuring him it is so Aske him how he infallibly knowes this his internall testimony of his spirit is the testimony of the holy Ghost He answers by the scripture assuring him it is so for my sheep heare my voice Aske him againe how he knowes infallibly this is scripture and this the true meaning of this scripture He runnes backe to the testimony of his spirit And againe how he knowes that this his testimony of his spirit is the spirit of God He returnes to the scripture againe Thus he wheeles in a round betweene scripture and spirit prouing the scripture by the spirit and the spirit by the scripture an vnknowne spirit by an vnknowne scripture and an vnknowne scripture by an vnknowne spirit one vnknowne by another as vnknowne And if Aristotle did hould it an absurd demonstration proof to proue the Conclusion by the premises and the premises againe by the conclusion in the same manner of proofe which was as he reasons as much as to proue A by B and againe B by A. which is either idem per seipsum or ignotum per aequè ig notum And if S. Augustine did count it absurd for the Manichees to proue their Fundamental Epistle to be Canonicall because Manes held it to be so and Manes to be a Prophet or Apostle because his Fundamētall Epistle did affirme him to be so wherein he
second betweene the spirit and fayth SVBDIV. 2. The Circle betweene the Spirit and Fayth SECONDLY that they commit another the like Circle betweene their spirit and fayth is likewise proued if first we consider and compare two of their pointes of doctrine generally receaued The one that they are iustified only by fayth and that vpon it doth depend their spirit by which they interprete scripture so that fayth is the root and origen of the spirit and presupposed to it The other that the scripture interpreted by the spirit of God or the spirit of God interpreting scripture is the only whole meanes to attaine to fayth and so is the ground and meanes of fayth and therefore presupposed to faith Which supposed aske a Protestant how and by what meanes he assures himselfe that he hath true and certaine fayth He answers by his spirit interpreting the scripture or by the scipture interpreted by his spirit which is all one for so they answere but I reply that that cannot be because his fayth and the knowledge of it as the mother and origen of his spirit which interprets scripture is according to the former principles precedent and presupposed before the spirit and the knowledge of it therefore the spirit cannot be a ground meanes of fayth which is precedent and presupposed as the cause of this spirit Againe aske him how and by what meanes he assures himselfe that his spirit thus interpreting scripture is the true spirit of God He answers by his faith but I reply that cannot be because the scripture interpreted by this spirit or this spirit interpreting scripture is according to the latter principle the sole and whole meanes of fayth therefore it cannot be knowne by fayth sith it is the meanes of fayth presupposed to it Either therefore must their principles be false that a man is iustifyed by Fayth which is the origen of the spirit and that the scripture is the sole meanes of Fayth or els if they stand to this their doctrine this Circle and absurdity must follow that fayth is first presupposed and knowne before the spirit as the cause of it the spirit is likewise first presupposed and knowne before faith as the meanes to it and so fayth is before the spirit and the spirit before fayth and fayth is knowne before the spirit and the spirit knowne before fayth And so both fayth and spirit are prius posterius ech of them both first and last knowne in respect of the other which is to incurre the former Circle and also the absurdities by which Aristotle confutes it SVBDIV. 3. The Circle betweene Election Vnderstanding of Scripture THIRDLY that a third Circle is committed to omit a fourth betweene Election and Fayth of which the same may be inferred as was betweene faith and the spirit betweene the first and last lincke of this chaine that is betweene Election and the certainty of it and the Scripture and the vnderstanding of it shal out of two other principles compared appeare The first that only the elect and predestinate are endewed with fayth and all the reprobate excluded from it Wherupon also followes that only the elect haue the true spirit of God and right vnderstanding of scripture which according to them are the effects and fruit of fayth and that election is the ground of all fayth spirit and vnderstanding of scripture The second that they haue certainty by fayth of their election and that by the word of God which doth assure and secure them that they are predestinate so the word of the Lord is the meanes of their knowledge and certainty of their election Out of which two positions I reason thus Election is the ground of fayth of the spirit and of the vnderstanding of scripture according to the former principle because only the Elect haue fayth the spirit and true sense of Scripture therefore it is presupposed as knowne before fayth the spirit and sense of scripture and is the ground of them all which once supposed the rest do necessarily follow vpon it and fayling the rest must also faile with it On the contrary scripture and the true vnderstanding of it is their meanes and only meanes to know the spirit fayth and election according to the latter principle because all their fayth and assurance both of fayth and election is grounded vpon scripture therfore true vnderstanding of scripture must be precedent and presupposed as foreknowne before the knowledge and assurance of Election which is to be knowne only by scripture as the only meanes to know it Now according to these principles aske a Protestant how he knowes his election He must and doth answere by scripture which is his only meanes to secure him of his fayth and election therefore the true meaning of scripture must be first knowne before either spirit fayth or election can be knowne and assured because it is the only meanes to know them and the last resolution whereon to setle them On the contrary aske him how he comes to know and be certaine of his true vnderstanding of scripture He must returne backe againe doth answere by the spirit which assures him which is scripture and true sense of it Aske further how he is certaine of his hauing the true spirit He answers by fayth by which he belieues that he hath the true spirit Aske yet lastly how he knowes and is certaine of his fayth He answers because he is elect and chosen and therefore must needes haue faith Heere then is Election which was before the thing in question now made the last ground of resolution vpon which all the rest as fayth spirit and scripture are to be grounded by which they are resolued knowne as before scripture was made the first meanes and last resolution vpon which spirit faith and election are grounded and by which they are knowne Hence then appeares the Circle betweene election and scripture whether shal be first knowne and be as the meanes to know the other Shall Election That cannot be because it must be knowne by fayth fayth by the spirit and the spirit by scripture then scripture should be first knowne Shall scripture be first knowne That it cannot be because the vnderstanding of scripture depends vpon the spirit the spirit vpon fayth and fayth vpon election therfore election must be first known Scripture therefore must be first knowne as the meanes to know the spirit fayth and election and election must be first knowne as the ground of all fayth spirit and scripture Scripture therefore must proue election as the meanes to know it and election must proue scripture as the ground of the true vnderstanding of it as the premisses must proue the conclusion and the conclusion the premisses as Maximilla did proue Montanus Montanus Maximilla to be Prophets as Manes did proue his fundamentall Epistle to be Apostolicall and the Epistle him to be an Apostle Scripture therefore must be first knowne before
same absurd doctrine Secondly the same absurdity is inferred out of another of the Protestants vsually receaued position of doctrine which is That euery man shall be saued by only Fayth and that by a speciall Fayth by which he is bound infallibly to belieue that he shal be saued if he wil be saued out of which their receaued doctrine I reason thus Whatsoeuer euery man in particuler is bound to belieue as an article of Fayth necessary to his saluation that is true certaine whether he do belieue it or no. But euery man in particular is bound to belieue as an article of his faith necessary to his saluation according to the Protestants that he shal be saued Ergo That euery man in particuler shal be saued is true certaine according to the Protestants doctrine whether he belieue it or no. The Maior proposition is true and not deniable in any diuinity because all articles or points of Fayth which all are bound to belieue as necessary to saluation and vnder paine of damnation are most certainly true aeternae veritatis antecedenter and before they be actually belieued whether they be belieued or not by them who ought to belieue them For so that there is a blessed Trinity of three persons one God an Incarnation of the Sonne of God a Resurrection of the body and the like is certainely true in it selfe though the Arians Nestorians and other Heretikes doe not belieue it which yet they are bound to belieue as necessary to saluation Therefore if euery man be bound in like manner to belieue his owne saluation as certainly and as neccessarily as he is bound to belieue the B. Trinity Incarnation Resurrection that as an article of his fayth it followeth that his saluation is as certainly true as his Resurrection whether soeuer he do belieue or not belieue either or both of them and so it is inferred that he shal be saued as well as ryse againe though he do not belieue it which is confirmed because the obiect of Fayth or thing to be belieued hath in it eternall verity before the act of mans Fayth doe conceaue or belieue it and therefore is belieued because it is and before was true but is not made true because it is now belieued fayth not making but supposing his obiect which as it houlds true in the verity of the Resurrection Incarnatiō Trinity and others point of fayth which are belieued because they are true are true whether they be belieued or not so it must hould true in the verity of euery mans saluation if it be a point of euery mans fayth For if the certainty of his owne saluation be the obiect of euery mans fayth which he ought to belieue then the same certainty or obiect is true before it be belieued and so it is true that he shal be saued before he do belieue and true it is whether he so belieue or no. The Minor Proposition or subsumption that according to the Protestants euery mā is to belieue his owne Iustificatiō and Saluation is so certaine that it is their common receaued doctrine that Only Fayth doth iustify that this Only Fayth is a Speciall Faith that this Speciall Fayth hath for his only obiect which it belieues remission of his sins his Iustificatiō saluation by Christ that this beliefe is a diuine fayth a sauing fayth as certaine a fayth as that by which we belieue that there is a God a Iesus Christ a heauen or hel so certaine that it admits no doubt or vncertainty but includes an infallible assured confidence of the promises of God to vs of our saluation Thus sayth Caluin that Iustifying Faith is a certaine knowledge of Gods fauour to vs that euery one must vndoubtedly be sure that God is mercifull vnto him Beza that Fayth is not to belieue in God or in the word of God which Fayth the Diuells haue but a firme perswasion of our election in Christ A certainty by which we are more certaine then of any thing that life euerlasting is due to vs. Luther that Fayth is a constant firme perswasion without doubt or wauering of Gods grace good will due to vs so certaine that it is aboue all other certainty Bucer that Fayth is nothing but a certaine perswasion of our saluation of Christ The Confession of Auspurge of Saxony Luther Lobecius Pareus Whitaker Reynoldes Perkins That a man is iustifyed by belieuing and that without wauering or feare of his owne infirmity that his sinnes ere forgiuen that he is iust and shal be saued Yea sayth Iewell he must be so certaine as if Christ was present and so told him sayth Pareus as certaine as that Christ dyed for the remission of our sinnes sayth Luther and Zuinglius as certaine as he is of Christs saluatiō yea so certaine that except Christ be damned he cannot be damned Whereupon they all hould that the obiect of Iustifying Fayth is not to belieue that Christ is God and Man was borne dyed and rose for vs nor to belieue the Scripture and the word of God in it which is a generall or historicall Fayth and common to the reprobate the Diuells but to belieue that himselfe hath his sinnes pardoned him is iust and shal be saued and that God is mercifull to him doth account him iust and will saue him the certainty assurance of which doth iustify him before God All which may be seene in the Authors owne wordes in D. Smiths Collation This is that speciall Fayth by which alone Protestants hould that euery man is iustifyed saued and without which euery one is damned Therefore this Faith is necessary to saluation necessitate medij and as a thing so necessary doth oblige euery one in particuler vnder paine of damnation to haue it because by it all are saued and without it all are damned Therefore true is the Minor Proposition that as according to the Protestants this faith alone is necessary for euery one to saluation so euery one is bound to haue and so to beleeue it vpon paine of the losse of his saluation Vpon which premises which in the first moode and figure inferre the Conclusion followes that according to this protestant position of Iustification Saluation by only speciall Faith that euery one whethersoeuer he belieue or no whether he be faithful or infidel elect or reprobate must be saued Which absurdityas it is most absurd so is the same more fully illustrated and deduced out of the same principle after this manner Speciall Faith or infallible assurance of saluation is necessary to saluatiō as well to Iudas a reprobat as to Iames an elect and as Iames is saued by it so is Iudas damned for want of it according to the Protestants therefore vnder paine of his damnation Iudas is as well bound to haue it as Iames is because it being a necessary meane to saluation the want of
persons and the sinners themselues being only as instruments to effect this sinne himselfe only being the chiefe worker of sinne wherby man hath no power but to sinne no meanes of Christs merits to helpe him out of sinne no benefit of vocation faith or grace possible to cure his sinne and so vpon necessity do what he will he must sinne be damned and go to hell for his sins Out of this doctrine which in expresse wordes is Caluins his fellowes follow many absurdityes both in respect of man who sins and is damned also in respect of God who makes him sinne damnes him In regard of man two absurdities follow the one whereby some are made meere polititians and of no Religion at all but libertines of any another wherby others are made desperate without any hope or care of saluation by any meanes in any Religion at all The first absurdity of Politicians is this God from all eternity hath appointed and determined of vs without any respect of vs or our workes whether we shal be saued or damned If we shall be saued he will saue vs if damned he will damne vs both which as he hath decreed without vs so both he will effect without vs. Infallibly therfore as God hath decreed without vs so shal we be saued or damned do what we can What therefore haue we to do with eternity of saluation or damnation VVhat with fayth or Christ the meanes thereunto but leaue that to God and his ordination let vs follow our temporall commodities and imbrace our sensuall pleasures which are in our power let vs cast off all consideration of heauen or hell and leaue that to God as he ordained disposed and reserued to his owne will and power Thus may they reason that consequently out of the former principle and thus haue both Libertins Politicians reasoned and thereupon inferred that with Catholikes they may be a Catholike with Lutherans a Lutheran with Caluinists a Caluinist with Iewes a Iew with Turkes a Turke and so with any may be of any Religion Vpon this ground sprung Atheisme which acknowledges neither any God nor any religion Paganisme which worships many Gods and is of any Religion Samaritans who made a religion mixt of Iewes Gentills Turcisme which obserues a Religion mixt of Iewes Gentills and Christians Libertines in S. Augustines tyme who made no important difference betweene the Religion of Catholikes and Donatists and many both Libertins and Politicians in this tyme who admit saluation in any Religion and profession and thereby inferre and practise a contempt of all piety and religion a liberty of all sinne and dissolution of life and a carelesnesse of heauen all heauenly cogitations All which as fruit of one tree do by necessary sequell follow out of this doctrine of predestination which the priuate spirit inuented Caluin diuulged Machiauell confirmed and the Diuell by all liberty of sinne and rebellion hath increased and propagated The second absurdity which is of men made desperate by this doctrine which is the mother of desperation is this reason and consequence by which they infer thus I am either predestinate or reprobate if predestinate it auails nothing to liue wel or ill because necessarily I shal be saued if reprobate it auailes as litle to liue well or ill because certainly I must be damned necessarily therefore liue I well or ill I must be saued or damned VVhat therefore need I care or do but enioy my lust and liberty sith neither good life can hinder hell or help to heauen if I be reprobate nor bad life hinder heauen or further hell if I be elect if therefore I be reprobate necessarily shall I be damned what hope therefore can I haue of saluation Thus out of this ground did a Religious man of S. Augustines Monastery in his tyme reason by the force therof foorsooke his Cloister returned to the world liued wickedly and dyed desperatly Out of the same motiue did Lewis a Lands-graue in Caesarius tyme liue wickedly and reason thus desperatly If I be predestinate no sinnes can barre me of Heauen if reprobate no good workes can help me to heauen if I be appointed at a certaine day to dy I can neither by good life make longer my life nor by bad life preuent my death And he was in danger to haue dyed thus if a wise Phisitian had not in his sicknesse by this reason cured his soule If your day be come certainly you must dye if not you need not my help Vpon which the Landsgraue yet pressing him for help of phisicke he further inferred If you can preserue your life by phisicke though your day be appointed why can you not saue your soule by Contrition though your end be predestinate By which reason the Landsgraue saw his errour and was brought to Contrition and confession and that perhaps with better successe then if he had answered as a Diuine might and should thus That if you be predestinate to saluation by meanes appointed by God then certainly you shall be saued if you vse and apply those meanes as by Gods grace you may and if you be reprobate and appointed to be damned it is for your sins freely committed then certainly you shal be damned if you commit these sinnes which you may auoid if you will By which solution as a iust man cannot presume so a sinner needes not despaire but both with feâ—re and trembling ought to worke their saluation howsoeuer by God they be predestinate Thirdly It followes because a man is thus by the decree and hand of God necessitated to do what God hath by his immutable and ineuitable will determined and appointed that he hâ—th no freedome of will freedome I say not of grace as iust by which he is freed from the seruitude of all sin nor of glory as blessed by which he is freed from the miseries of this life both which are in the next not in this life but no freedome of nature by which his wil hauing al things prerequired to do may yet freely do or not do No freedome either in things naturall as to speake or to be silent to walke or stand or in things morall as to giue or not giue almes or in things supernaturall as by grace to loue God or not loue him to sinne or not sinne against God No freedome either of contradictioÌ„ or quoad exercitium by which he may do or not do any action as to moue or not moue or of contrariety and quoad specificationem by which he may prosecute any obiect good as to loue his neighbour or bad as to hate him It followes I say that a man hath no freedome or liberty either of contradiction or of contrariety either in things naturall morall or supernaturall And as man hath no freewill at all in any action which both followes from their positions and they grant so it followes that in vaine is all labour in man either to
writinges let him peruse the foresaid Collation where he shall find at large Gods expresse wordes that God wills not iniquity their expresse wordes that God wills iniquity Gods words that God doth not worke iniquity their wordes that God doth worke iniquity Gods words that he doth not coÌ„mand man to sinne their words that God doth command a man to sinne Gods words that God doth not tempt to euill their wordes that he doth tempt to euill Gods wordes that God doth hate all who worke iniquity and their wordes that he dâ—tâ— noâ— haâ—e them Gods wordes that he doth not â—ustify a wicked man remaining wicked their wordes that he doth iustify such a one Gods word that he is angry with the faythfull when they sinne their word that he is not angry with them Gods word thâ—t God is delighted with good workes their wordes that he is not delighted with good workes Gods words that God is worshipped with good works their wordes that he is not worshipped with them Gods wordes that God is pacifyed pleased with good workes their wordes that he is not pacifyed nor pleased with them Gods words that God will haue his Commandments kept their wordes that he will not haue them kept Gods words that God will haue mercy vpon all men their wordes that he will not haue mercy on all men Gods wordes that God doth loue all men their wordes that he doth not loue all men Gods words that he will haue all men to be saued their wordes that he will not haue all men to be saued Gods wordes that God wills not the death of a sinner their words that God wils the death of a sinner Gods wordes that God made not death their wordes that he made death Gods wordes that God hath no need of sinners their wordes that God hath need of sinners Gods wordes that God damnes men for their sinnes their wordes that he doth not damne them for their sinnes Gods wordes that God can do all thinges their wordes that God cannot do all thinges All which contradictions being in the forecited booke place expressed in the wordes of God in Scripture in the wordes of the authours themselues out of their owne writings and that only in one article concerning God to omit many other such like contradictions concerning Christ Scripture Church Sacraments Fayth good Workes in generall and particuler Sinnes Iustification Free-will the Commandements Heauen Hell and others in particuler to the nuÌ„ber of 250. in the same authour expressed in the wordes of Scripture and the Protestant authours themselues do euidently conuince that in most points of controuersies expresse Scripture is against them of which also some particuler instances are giuen in the former part of this Treatise and that they doe make God who is truth it selfe a false lying or dissembling God in his holy word holy Scripture which they would seeme so much to esteeme and honour SVBDIV. 6 Protestant Doctrine of Predestination makes God a most cruell Tyrant THAT this Protestant doctrine doth make God cruel most cruell and more cruell then any Tyrant in this world shall by these their positions and doctrine before proued appeare 1. In that they affirme God to haue imposed vpon man lawes impossible by him to be performed as the ten Commandements and for the breach of them to haue inflicted paines intollerable as hell-fier 2. In that they affirme God to haue ordeined appointed and created that vpon his owne meere will and pleasure without any demerit so much as in them foreseene the greater part of mankind to be damned for euer in the torments of hell 3. In that he hath taken from these men freedome of will and ordained decreed forced and necessitated these men to sinne that for this siâ—ne he might damne them and for the same hath damned and doth still damne many By which doctrine is taken away from God his chiefest attribute of mercy which is aboue all his workes and is attributed to him the chiefest property of the Diuell which is extreme cruelty For first if God do make lawes which are impossible to be kept and inflict punishment which is intollerable to be endured for the breach of them then are Gods lawes more seuere then were the laws of Draco the Athenian who made lawes so cruell that he inflicted death equally vpon all offences as well lesse as greater as well for taking a bunch of grapes as for stealing a great treasure as well vpon those who were only idle as vpon those who were murderous because sayd he the least offence deserued death a great offence could not haue a greater punishment then death for which Demades sayd such lawes were to be writ not with inke but with bloud and Solon did after seauenteene yeares abrogate them all and made new but according to this doctrine Gods lawes inflict a death not temporall but eternall and paines not for an hower but for euer as well for euery idle word as for an horrible murder as well for stealing a penny as a thousand pounds as well for an vnuoluntary suggestion to sinne as a voluntary consent act or custome of sinne and which is more for not doing that which was impossible for them to do or for committing that which God himselfe forced them to commit Memorable are the tyrannies of the Herods in holy Scripture Of Herod the King who to kill one most innoceÌ„t kild all the innocent children about Bethleem Of Herod the Tetrarch who to please a dancing Wench cut off the head of a holy S. Iohn Baptist And of Herod â—grippa who to please the people kild S. Iames would haue kild S. Peter if the Angell had not freed him out of prison Memorable are the crueltyes of Adonibezec who cut off the fingars and toes of 70. Kinges and fed them with scraps vnder his table Of Abimelec who kild vpon one stone the seauenty sonnes of Ieroboall Of Amman who would haue kild all the Iewes in all the kingdome of assuerus in one day Memorable were the cruelties of Hannibal who of dead bodies of the Romans made a bridge and of his wife who said that a Ditch full of bloud was a gratefull spectacle Of Mythridates who with one letter caused foure score thousand Roman Merchants to be kild at one tyme in Asia Of the Hetrurians who tyed the bodies of the liuing Romans to the dead that the one might dye by corruptioÌ„ of the other Of Atrius who kild cut in peeces boiled and set before his brother Thyestas his owne children to eate Of Ptolomy of Aegypt who kild his owne sonne Memphis borne of his owne sister and wife Cleopatra and sent the head handes and feet to his mother for a present Of the Emperour Nerâ— who set Rome on fire desired to see all the world on the like fire and wished that all the Cittizens had but one head that he might cut it off at
all the Commandements or any of them is impossible 10. That no humane lawes do oblige in conscience to their performance 11. That the Sacraments chiefly Baptisme are seales and signes of predestination to glory of remission of sinnes and perseuerance in Gods fauour and that in Baptisme are forgiuen sinnes past and to come 12. That man by reason of Gods decree and originall sinne hath no liberty or freedome of will to do or auoid bad workes 13. That God hath ordained and predestinated vpon his meere will and pleasure without any cause giuen or so much as forseene all who are damned both to damnation and to sinne All which positions as they are auerred by the learned Protestants and preached to the people so they do ouerthrow all the articles of the Creed all the petitions of the Pater noster and all the precepts of the Ten Commandments and leade to all loosenesse and dissolution of life as shal be shewed SVBDIV. 1. In generall dectroying all fayth AND first that these Positions do quite ouerthrow take away all diuine and supernaturall fayth which is the first foundation and corner-stone of our spirituall building the first preparation to life and iustification the first root of all true vertue and good workes the first gate by which God enters into our soule the first light which shines in our vnderstanding the first true seruice which we offer to God and the first step by which we beginne to walke our iourney to heauen that this doctrine doth quite ouerthrow this fayth and all the articles of the Creed proposed in it is proued 1. Because they distinguish three sortes of fayth 1. Historicall of thinges reuealed and related in scripture and proposed by the Apostles in the Creed such as are the Trinity Incarnation Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Christ with all other articles which all Christians vsually belieue 2. Generall of promises in generall and all graces promised by Christ to all as the sending of the Holy Ghost the coming to iudgment the raysing of the dead and the like which are generall for all 3. Speciall of the promise made to euery man in particuler of his predestination iustification and saluation by which euery one is made infallibly certaine that his sinnes are forgiuen him and that he shal be saued Whereas I say they make these three sortes of Fayth the first and second of these Faithes to wit Historicall and Generall by which they belieue the articles of the Creed promises of God in general they affirme to be faigned not true fayth a shadow of Fayth not a real iustifying faith a Fayth which is common to the reprobate and damned euen to the Diuels themselues and only the third or Special fayth they assigne to be the true diuine and supernaturall iustifying fayth which hath for his obiect the speciall mercy of God to them in particuler applyed the certainty of remission of their sinnes assuredly past and security of their saluation infallibly to come by which they doe as much or more assuredly belieue their iustification and saluation then they do the B. Trinity Incarnation or the rest of the articles of Fayth Now if this speciall fayth be the only true diuine supernaturall and sauing fayth by it is belieued only one article of the Creed that not truly as shall appeare to wit Remission of sinnes and the Historicall and Generall fayth by which the rest of the articles are belieued be only a shadow of Fayth a fayth of the damned and Diuells then we haue no diuine and supernaturall fayth of the rest of the articles but belieue them only by a Faith which is a fained faith a shadow and no more a guift of God then the fayth of the damned and the Diuells in hell Therefore all true â—nd diuine beliefe of the articles of the Creed is by this special doctrine of speciall Fayth quite abolished and taken away from all Christians and nothing but a shadow of Fayth a fained and diabolicall faith left to them and so by one position of theirs is cut off all diuine fayth or beliefe of all the articles of the Creed Secondly whiles they deny all authority of Tradition Church Councels and Fathers and will belieue nothing but what they themselues find in Scripture and that as their priuate spirit interprets it While they make their spirit the iudge of all fayth all controuersies of fayth what is to be receaued or reiected belieued or condemned While I say they doe thus they may by the vertue of this spirit call in question the authority and credit of the Creed it selfe with the authours of it as not to be found in Scripture and the particuler articles they may either reiect as counterfeit intruded or els expound and interpret them as their spirit shal lead them Thus Luther and Caluin following Erasmus for Erasmus is sayd to haue layd the egge which Luther hatched to haue insinuated that which Luther assured to haue doubted of that which Luther downe right denyed made doubt of the authority of the Creed whether it was made by the Apostles or not And the Seruetians in Transiluania witnesse Canisius admit it but so farre as it agrees with the word of God interpreted no doubt by their spirit Thus did Beza by his spirit affirme that part of the sixt article he descended into hell to haue been thrust into the Creed Thus Caluin and Zuinglius following likewise Erasmus by their spirit affirmed that part of the tenth article the Communion of Saints to haue beene intruded into this Creed out of some other Creed and not to haue beene found in the ancient Creeds Thus Luther by his spirit changed in his Germane Creed the word Catholike Church into Christian Church And Beza reiected the same word Catholike as most vaine and wicked And thus by their Glosses and expositions vpon many articles as not pleasing their tast they wrest diuers as shall appeare from their natiue proper sense for example he descended into hell that is he descended into the graue so make a new Creed in sense and meaning agreable to their spirit and the doctrine of it Of which who will haue a full view let him read Andr. Iur. his Nullus and Nemo and Fitzsimons vpon the Masse where their many absurd glosses and expositions are at large discouered and confuted SVBDIV. 2. In particuler against all the twelue Articles of the Creed THIRDL Y because by this doctrine and these Doctours are oppugned in particuler all the mysteries of fayth in euery article of the Creed which by this briefe enumeration of euery one shal be made manifest And first in the first article attributed to S. Peter I follow the diuision of S. S. Augustine and Doctour Kellison is oppugned 1. The faith and beliefe of all the articles in generall in the word Credo by all who hould that it is
a proper fruit and effect naturally issuing from the substance of their doctrine and conformable to the principles of it being borne nourished and increasing together with it and by vertue of it gaining breath strength and ability And first concerning the vulgar and common people For Germany where the Ghospel began 1. Luther confesseth that the world groweth dayly worse that men are now more reuengfull couetous licentious then they were euer before in the Papacy That Before time when we were seduced by the Pope euery man did willingly follow good works and now euery man neither faith nor knoweth any thing but how to get all to himselfe by exactions pillage theft lying vsury c. That It is a wonderfull thing and full of scandall that from the time in which the pure doctrine of the Ghospell was first recalled to light the world should dayly grow worse That no History of the Gentils made mention of so diabolicall malice hatred as is found among those to whom the word is preached The nobility Husbandmen and all are growne so wicked that whereas before in Papistry they had some shew of modesty now they are growne so mad and furious as though they were all full of diuels That Men who bragge now of the Gospell and faith in their words are if they be inwardly examined nothing at all therfore the greatest of those who heare the Gospell do deceiue themselues and with their false faith go to hell That In this only we now shew our selues professours of the Ghospell in that we will communicate vnder both kinds throw downe Images eat flesh and neither fast nor pray This is the witchery of Sathan that he will draw men from the Pope but not to Christ. This Luther of his new conuertites the first fruit of his Ghospell Melancthon Luthers great friend and the glory of the first Protestants saith that The case is cleare that in these Countries all time and care is spent in drinking banqueting and cups that the people are come to that barbarousnesse that they thinke if they fast but one day they cannot liue till the next night Erasmus Sarcerius a prime Lutheran acknowledges that It cannot be otherwise but that lust must preuaile sith fornication adultery are accounted among vs for no sins for old and yong do nothing but drinke and dance And wheras among the ancient Germans an adulterer was not so much as heard off now that sinne is growne so common that it is counted but a sporte and iest and often Adulterers are more esteemed then honest and shamfast men Smidelinus as famous as the rest saith That Since we haue heard that to fast is neither a good worke nor pleasing to God we haue left all manner of fasting and betaken our selues only to bankets and drinkings so that if a man mention but fasting he is suspected that he is turned papist That Our Ghospellers are so far from mending their manners that nothing but bestiality Epicurâ—sme gluttony vsury pride blasphemy and prophanation of Gods holy name is among them And That the whole world may see that they are no Papists nor put any trust in good works they do not any good worke at all insteed of fasting they drinck day and night insteed of praying they banne and curse others And do so horrible blaspheme the name of God that the like is not heard among the Turks And yet this must be so Euangelicall that they notwithstanding dare assure themselues that they haue faith in God haue God propitious to them and are better then Idolatrous Papists Brentius saith that Such is the corruption of manners in these times and such the desire to do wrong that there is no occasion of confiding in good works for why shall they confide in them which they haue not Ioan. Spangenberge saith that It is a true word and often repeated by many Doctors that after the reuelation of Antichrist men wil be so wild that they will neither acknowledge nor haue any care of God but will do as they will what the diuell and the flesh shal suggest This is now fulfilled for since the lies and deceits of Antichrist and the Pope haue beene reuealed men begin to belieue nothing and seing they are free from the bands of popery they wil be free from the Ghospell and all precepts of God and make that right and iust which euery one will Caluin saith that Men of his sect are the most wicked and flagitious of all mortall men yea so wicked that words cannot be found to expresse their wickednesse They are horrible monsters and diuels in mens forme Wolphangus Musculus a prime Protestant confesseth that To tell the truth they are become so vnlike themselues that wheras in the Papacy they were religious in their errour and superstition now in the light of the knowne truth they are more prophane then the very sonnes of this world Andreas Musculus another famous Lutheran also saith The case thus standeth at this present with vs Lutherans that if any be desirous to see a great rable of knaues of persons turbulent deceitfull coseners vsurers let him go to any citty where the Ghospell is purely preached and he shall find them there by multituds It is more manifest then day-light that there neuer among the Ethnickes Turkes and other Infidels were more vnbridled and vnruly persons with whome all vertue honesty is quite extinct then are among the Professours of the Ghospell at this day That to speake of fasting is but to loose paper and tyme the Germans care not now for fasting but for bibbing and banquetting if any shall but mention fasting though he alleadge neuer so much Scripture for it he shall presently be counted a Papist or an Heretike Bucer one of the first and most prime reformers confesseth that the thing which the greatest part do seeme chiefly to haue aymed at by the Ghospell is to cast off the yoake of all whatsoeuer manner of discipline pennance and Religion which remayned in Papistry and to do all thinges according to the will and lust of their flesh For which it is not vngratefull to them to heare that a man is iustifyed by only Fayth and not by good workes to which they haue no desire at all Paulus Eberus a prime reformer with Luther confesseth That our whole Euangelicall congregation is so full of Schismes and offences that it is nothing lesse then that it makes shew to be which while all see with their owne eyes not without cause they doubt whether our euangelicall company be the true Church in which so many and so enormous vices are seene Iacobus Andreas a great promotour of Lutheranisme confesses that Christian and serious discipline commanded by Christ and required of Christians is esteemed among vs new popery monkery for since we learned to be saued by only faith in Christ good works haue been left of sith without them we may
heare him alwayes loue him alwayes assist him alwayes comfort him that no feare doubt wauering or perturbation did or could euer enter into his will or vnderstanding yea that all that time of his passion his soule had the perfect vision and fruition of God and only his sensible partes endured those paines and torments of the crosse Tenthly As for his descending into hell they derogate from it and dishonour him in that they affirme he descended either only to the graue in body or also to the lower hell in soule to suffer the paines of it either before his death on the crosse or after it in hell but not to haue freed the Patriarchs from Limbus by the presence of his soule there We honour it in belieuing that he descended in soule further then to the graue to which he only descended in body but not so far as to suffer the paines of hell in soule but only to the Limbus patrum where he gaue the Patriarches there detained present liberty fruition of eternall hapinesse afterwards carried them with him to the place of glory and so triumphed ouer hell led aptiuity Ccaptiue Eleuenthly From his resurrection and ascension they derogate and dishonour him both by denying him the subtility or penetration of his body wherby he was able to passe through either the stone of the sepulcher at his resurrection or the dores of the house at his entrance to his disciples or the hardnesse of the heauens at his ascension all which they wil haue either dissolued or opened or diuided We honour attribut more dignity to the same belieuing that by the gift of subtility or penetratioÌ„ his body did pierce passe through the stone the dores and the heauens at his resurrection and ascension as it did also his Mothers wombe at his natiuity with out any diuision dissolution or detriment to the nature of either the one or the other in which also he shewed his subtility and consequently his impassibility or immortality Twefthly From his adoration and inuocation by vs as he is now in heauen they derogate and dishonour him in affirming that as man he is not to be adored or inuocated by vs. We honour him as man so far that we bow downe at the name of Iesus praying to him with the blind man the Cananean saying Sonne of Dauid haue mercy on vs And fall down with the Sages the womeÌ„ adore him In al which and many more as they by their priuate spirit the doctrine of it do derogate take from Christ his honour his power his goodnesse his beatitude his knowledge his sanctity his certainty of saluation his adoration and the vertue and power of his passion redemption resurrection ascension so do we in our Catholike doctrine attribute to same due honour and dignity so both in our doctrine practise giue more honour praise power and glory to God and to Iesus Christ then they do either in doctrine or practise Thirdly For the Saints and blessed soules in heauen they dishonour them and take from them 1. Their state of beatitude affirming as Luther and Caluin do that they yet sleepe and neither know what we do nor yet enioy any present glory and beatitude till the day of Iudgment 2. Their perfection of Sanctity in affirming as Caluin doth both of Angels and Saints that their obedience is imperfect that their iustice is defectiue and doth not satisfy God that their works require pardon and that in them is folly vanity and frailty 3. Their power of doing miracles by the gift of God which Beza Piscator Vrsinus and Perkins â—hould to be a vertue proper only to God not communicated to any creature man or Saint 4. Their difference and degree or honour affirming that all are equall in glory beatitude and reward and that no lawrels or crownes of accidentall beatitude are due to Martyrs Confessours or Virgins 5. Their respect and esteeme with God denying that God doth either apply in any sort their merits to vs or doth help and respect vs for their prayers 6. Their knowledge of vs and our affaires on earth denying that they heare vnderstand or know vs or any thing we do heere on earth 7. Their charity towardes vs affirming they neither at our intercessious sollicite or pray to God for vs nor offer vp any petitions and miseries of ours to God 8. Their honour and inuocation by vs denying it to be lawfull to worship them to honour theÌ„ to inuocate them or so much as saith Luther to imitate and follow their example 9. The custody and â—uition of Angels ouer vs and their hierarchies and orders in heauen denying or at least doubting of the custody of our Angell guardian the difference of al Hierarchies and orders among Angels In al which we and our doctrine on the contrary do attribute to them perfect and present beatitude in their soules complete obedience in their performing the will of God vpright Sanctity in all their actions extraordinary power in working miracles notable difference of degrees of glory eminent knowledge in vnderstanding our prayers excellent charity in making intercession for vs and due honour and veneration in giuing them adoration inuocation and imitation befitting both the Saints for their prayers for vs and the Angels for their custody of vs. Fourthly For the word of God they abuse it take 1. From iâ— one first and principall part of it to wit all the vnwritten word or which is diuine vnwritten tradition 2. From the written word they chop and cut off from the old Testament fourteene peeces or partes and some of them from the new Testament seauen whole bookes from the Canon of scripture 3. For the translation of scripture they reiect the ancient and follow euery nation euery congregation and euery person a new translation which best pleases them therby leaue no certainty of the verity of any 4. For the sense of scripture they contemne that which the spirit of God did inspire to the ancient Fathers Councels Church and follow that which euery mans priuate spirit suggests and therby follow not the meaning of the spirit of God but that of their owne spirit 5. For their faith grounded vpon scripture they belieue only those points which their spirit finds in that part translation and sense which they chose and therby make an vncertaine imperfect mained kind of faith and religion 6. For their Iudge and meanes to try which is scripture and which is true sense of it they admit not any infallible Iudgment either of Church or of CouÌ„cels or of Pastours but leaue to euery man to choose himself what he will belieue to iudge and follow whom he pleases in his beliefe wherby they can haue neither any vnity in faith not any certainty of scripture of scripture sense We in our doctrine do admit for the word of
profundity of holy scriptures that though his wit was better his leasure more and his diligence greater yet he might from his child-hood tiâ—l his old age profit in the vnderstanding of them not for that so much of them as is necessary to saluation is so hardly to be atteined but for that when once ones faith is grounded vpon them so many and manifold misteries remaine for the more intelligent proficients inuolued in the words and the maâ—ter that the moâ—t aged witty and industrious may say when he is become perfect then he begins For which elswhere he professes that he is ignorant of more things in scripture then he knowes Therfore only prayer meditation and study will not surfice for euery one to find out the true and certaine sense of euery place of Scripture which for euery one to assume to himselfe would not be a certainty of faith but presumption of pride And the same which is sayd of Prayer Meditation and study may be sayd of skill of tongues conference of originall texts and other places and of consideration of antecedents and consequents of phrases and the like Of which see Stapleton Which supposed the answere to all the former obiections is facile First Dauid did read and study the Scripture but he did it for his priuate consolation and meditation not for his foundation in fayth in which he was before grounded 2. Timothy did read and study them from his childhood but to learne the sense and meaning of them of his Maisters and teachers not to be iudge and censurer of them and that for his instruction in manners not for his doctrine of fayth which he receaued from his Ancestours not from his owne reading of Scripture 3. S. Peter did will them to attend to the propheticall doctrine but not to interprete it according to euery ones priuate spirit and proper interpretation which he forbids saying No prophesy of Scripture is made by priuate interpretation much lesse with a neglect of the rules and grounds of fayth or with a contempt of the Pastours and Superiours of the Church of God preferring its owne before their exposition 4. S. Paul affirmes that we must be built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles that is not only vpon the written word of the Apostles or Prophets for many had fayth and were Cittizens of Saints and Domesticals of God before any scripture or writing of the Apostles was extant and many built their fayth vpon the Apostles who writ nothing at all but vpon the doctrine and fayth reueiled to the Apostles and by them left by preaching or writing to posterity and as such by the Church proposed to vs. Out of which nothing can be inferred for making the scripture much lesse the priuate spirit interpreting it the sole or sufficient ground of Fayth Againe taking the foundation either for the doctrine or writinges of the Apostles and they who are built vpon it or for principall partes or for the body of the Church we may consider first the foundation of doctrine either in it selfe and so as being the truth reuealed it is the ground of fayth or in respect of vs as by vs it is accepted and so it relyes vpon the Pastours and Prelates of the Church by whome it is proposed to vs as reuealed and for whose authority we receaue it as reuealed Secondly we may consider the Church either as it is the whole body of all faythfull in all tymes especially after the Apostles and so it is built vpon the doctrine preached and written or as it signifies the first heads and directours of it to wit the Apostles and so it is built immediatly vpon Christ and the holy Ghost reuealing to them that doctrin and scripture which they haue left to posterity and which they preach and propose to vs and in this sense the Church that is the Apostles and first Pastours were before the doctrine was either preached or written by them so were the foundation of their doctrine and preaching of it to vs though to the rest of the faythfull the doctrine preached and written by them is the foundation vpoÌ„ which their fayth is built Which answere doth not only cleare the Scripture for hauing any priuate spirit as Iudge ouer it but also declares how the Church is built vpon the doctrine of the Apostles or Prophets taking the Prophets eyther for the writings of the Prophets in the old Testament or for the Interpreters of the Apostles writing in the new and also how the Church in the sense before declared is the ground of the Apostolical and propheticall doctrine reuealed to the Church and the first Pastours of it and by them left to vs who receaue it from them and their authority and so from the Church 5. They of Beörea did search the scriptures whether those thinges were so as Paul declared that is not so that by searching the scripture they did make themselues and their spirit iudge of the Apostolicall doctrine preached out of scripture but so that either being nor yet fully conuerted and satisfyed they would with diligence and in humility enquire further of the doctrine preached which is alwayes permitted and aduised to all for otherwise he that giueth credit quickly is light of hart or that being satisfyed they would as Catholicke Doctours do search out conferre and vnderstand those places of scripture which Paul did alleadge and thereby the more strongly confirme themselues and better satisfy others in Fayth In which as they did proceed prudently and piously and we permit and aduise euery learned Catholike to do the like so they did no more make either their spirit or the Scripture interpreted by their spirit iudge of the Apostles doctrine then if one for searching the testimonyes of S. Augustine which are cyted by Bellarmine should therby be sayd to make himselfe iudge of Bellarmine his doctrine or as one searching the places cited by Caluin to see if they be as they are by him cited should thereby make himselfe iudge of Caluin and his doctrine Which to inferre out of their actions as it is absurd so is it to inferre that the Beröeans made themselues iudges of S. Pauls doctrine out of the Beröeans seeking out the places which S. Paul alleadged 6. Our Sauiour willed the Iewes to search the Scripture it is true but which Iewes to wit those who were learned and how Not so that he would make them and their priuate spirits iudges of Scriptures or the truth found in them but that he would haue them being yet incredulous studiously to informe themselues of him being the true Messias out of those Scriptures which they belieued already to be true and to beare true witnesse of the true Messias which is no more then to persuade any Protestant to read Scriptures Fathers and Catholike authours and out of them to informe himselfe of the verity of Catholike Religion which is to search out
the truth and not to make himselfe and his priuate spirit iudge of the grounds of truth or of the truth which is to be found in theÌ„ And this is all that can be inferred out of these places this may suffice for the solution of all such argumnets or obiections as are made out of Scripture by the Protestants for the establishing of this priuate spirits power and authority to interprete Scripture and to iudge of al controuersies of Fayth FINIS A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL MATTERS handled in this Booke A S. Ambrose his commendations pag. 58. His authority against the priuate Spirit pag. 59. Angells apparitions pag. 74. Difficulties about them pag. 81. Apostles their authority to iudge of Fayth pag. 166. Their power deriued from Christ pag. 167. Their successors power to iudge of Faith pag. 168. The foundation of Fayth pag. 390. Apparitions of God or Angells in what places to what persons pag. 75. ApparitioÌ„s of Diuels in diuers shaps of beastes of men of Angells of Christ of the B. Trinity ibid. 140. Of soules in Limbo Purgatory Hell and Heauen pag. 77.78 Difficulties to know which be apparitions of God Angells Diuells soules pag. 79. ApparitioÌ„s of SathaÌ„ inward by suggestions pag. 98. By imaginary illusions pag. 102. By exteriour visions pag. 104. S. Augustine commeÌ„ded against the priuate spirit pag. 61. For the profundity of holy Scripture and authority of Fathers pag. 64. For necessity of Fayth pag. 182. agaynst Circles pag. 210. B BIshops and Priests their office pag. 153. Their authority to iudge of Religion pag. 162. Their Tribunal power in the old Law the beginning progres end pag. 162. In the law of Christ pag. 165. What their authority is pag. 166. Their authority proued by scripture pag. 168. How for it extends ibid. Their authority for euer pag. 168. In all Councells pag. 170. C CAluin his saying against the priuate spirit pag. 36.64 His Circle between the spirit of euery man a Councell pag. 215. His doctrine of the doctrine of saluation pag. 234.239 Of saluation of Infants without Baptisme pag. 235. Of Christs sinne and despaire on the Crosse pag. 257. Of the B. Trinity pag. 304 Of Christs Diuinity pag. 305. Of Christs descent into Hell pag. 308. Of his AscensioÌ„ pag. 3â—0 Of beatitude before the day of Iudgment pag. 311. Cases of Conscience for feare of sinne in vaine according to Protestant doctrine pag. 26â— Catholikes aduaÌ„tage aboue Protestants pag. 24. In the habit of faith p. 15. In the credible testimonies of Vnity Sanctity Vniuersality Succession Miracles Examples pag. 27. In the infallible Church-authority pag. 28. Catholikes belieue all Reuelations ancient generall infallible pag. 25. Catholikes may challenge all which the Protestants may pag. 28. Yea the priuate spirit pag 29. DiffereÌ„ce between iust Catholikes Protestants pag. 266. Good life-confessed in the auncient and late Catholikes in the people and the Clergy pag. 347. Catholike and Protestant doctrine compared in giuing more honour to God to Christ to Saints Angells Scripture Sacraments to Church Fayth Good workes c. pag. 350. Christ by Protestant doctrine no generall Redeemer pag. 248. No perfect Redeemer from sin his suffering of Hell paynes due to sin pag. 249. No Sauiour from sinne Sathan sensuality the curse of the Law or from Hell pag. 250. No perfect Phisitian pag. 251. No law giuer 252. An vniust iudge 253. No Priest or offerer of Sacrifice 254. Made ignorant 256. Sinfull suffering hell paines pag 257. Christian AsseÌ„blies in the Primitiue Church in what manner they were for that tyme. pag. 382. Church-authority necessary to fayth pag. 10. infallible 11. proued by Scripture pag. 16. Church selected priuiledged armed established c. obligeth p. 12. It consists of Pastors Ibid. Is proued by Fathers reason Ibid. Necessary to expound Scripture pag. 125. Church-practice A rule to confute heretikes pag. 125. Church-prâ—position and scripture-authority no circle pag. â—02 Vpon Church falling failing froÌ„ faith what absurdities do follow vz. That all ancieÌ„t Concels Doctors were AntichristiaÌ„ That Prophesies are false pag. 231. That Turkes Iewes Gentils haue a more credible Church then Christians pag. 230. Church-practice a meanes to interpret Scripture iudge of Doctrine pag. 125. Church of Christ a Congregation of great sinners pag. 26â— Circle what it is pag. 198. Difference betweene a lawfull vnlawfull Circle pag. 199. And betweene a Circle as obiected against Catholikes and Protestants pag. 200 Catholikes Circle cleared as being partiall in diuers kinds of causes and to diuers sorts of persons pag. 202. Protestants Circle between the Scripture and the Spirit pag. 206. Betweene the Spirit Fayth 210. Betweene Election and Scripture 212. Betweene the Spirit of euery person and of a Councell pag. 215. ProtestaÌ„ts Circle vnto the same kind of cause and that totally pag. 208. Absurdities that follow vpon it pag. 212. Councells 3. of the Iewes in Christs tyme. pag. 164. How the holy Ghost assisted or fayled in them pag. 164. Councells a meanes to interpret Scripture 128. Councells haue byn a meanes to iudge of Fayth pag. 171. Concupiscence made originall sinne and what followes thereon pag. 227. D DIuells Apparitions of them pag. 75. Difficulties to know them pag. 80. Signes to know the motions of them 83. Their subtility 95.97 Their deluding of Heretickes auncient moderne pag. 95. Their tempting to sin to vertue 99. Examples of their apparitions to Heretickes pag. 100. By imagination visibility pag. 10â— F FAyth Six meanes to Fayth pag. 3. Materiall formall obiect proposition Ibid. Credible Testimonies pious disposition habit pag. 4. Reuelation to the Apostles Ibid. Necessity of a proponent cause Ibid. Credible Testimonies pag 4.7 192. Fayth requires a pious disposition supernaturall frees an infused habit permanent not perpetuall pag. 6 The order of these helpes vz. credible Testimony Church-proposition grace actuall infused habit reuelation pag. 7.8 The Resolution of Faith dispositiuè deriuatiué effâ—ctiuè formaliter pag. 8. Shewed by the Samaritan womaÌ„ and Christ pag. 9. The helpes to Fayth external eternall internall pa. 14. Wanting in Protestants 15. Fayth depends vpon authority pag. 117. Faith required to know scripture the sense of it p. 118.120 The rule of Fayth pag. 146. Fayth one pag. 183. Certaine 187. By preachinâ— and hearing 190. By credible testimonies 192. Obligeth to acceptance 194. Speciall Fayth how certaine in Protestants 185. Fayth is of eternall verity and presupposeth the obiect pag. 228. Cannot staÌ„d with certainty of saluatioÌ„ 233.240 vide Sole fayth Fayth by hearing preaching and mission pag. 190. Sole Fayth a Protestant Principle the effect of it pag. 227. Sequells of Iustification by sole Fayth p. 222. makes Protestants more certaine of their saluation then was Christ 233 Makes Protestants as iust as Christ 234. makes all men to be saued 235. Is not grounded vpon Gods word 233. Is false contradictory sinnfull rash presumptuous preiudicious to Hope Charity and Good
testimony of truth to all Nations They are the Fathers who beget spirituall children by the preaching of the word who nourish them with the food of the Sacraments who rule them by good lawes and discipline and who defend them with their spirituall power authority They only haue the Keyes of the house of Dauid which they shall open and none shut The keyes of the Kingdome of heauen against which hell-gates shall not preuaile and the kingly Priesthood All because in and by their priestly function and authority Christ doth forgiue sinnes doth reconcile to him the world doth make lawes doth exercise his power and establish his kingdome of heauen and doth raigne in the house of Iacob for euer And thus is the iudiciary authority of the Church in the Pastours and Prelates of it lawfully ordained and peaceably vnited proued by the testimony of holy Scripture The same is further proued by the practise of the Church in all tymes and ages for when any Controuersy did arise any new opinion did start vp or any practise was doubtful and questioned the decision and iudgment was referred neither to the whole body of all belieuers nor to the Princes Kinges and Emperours the chiefe Protectours of the Church not to the Lay-people the greatest number in the Church not to the Scripture written word only which is a rule not properly a Iudge in the Church but to the chiefe Pastours and Prelates the Directours Gouernours of the Church who collected togeather in some Councell either prouinciall which sufficed in cases where the cause was either not important or other could not be collected or generall which was gathered when the cause was great the aduersaries potent and the assembling conuenient had the hearing examining and iudging of the cause referred to them and did censure the persons and put a finall determination to the cause question Thus we read that the question about the obseruation of Legall Ceremonies was determined in the Councell of the Apostles at Hierusalem The Controuersy about the obseruation of Easter on the 14. day as the Iewes vsed or the Sunday after as is now by Christians vsed was by diuers Councels decided as at Rome vnder Pope Victor at Hierusalem vnder Narcissus in France vnder Irenaeus in Pontus vnder Palma at Corinth vnder Bachillus and lastly at Nice vnder Pope Syluester Thus was the Nouatians and their sect denying pennance and absolution to them who failed in persecution condemned by the Prelates and Bishops of Italy at Rome of France at Arles and of Africke at Carthage Thus was Sabellius and his heresy denying the Trinity of persons condemned by the Prelates of Aegypt at Alexandria The Donatists and their schisme denying the validity of Baptisme ministred by Heretikes cōdemned at Rome Arles and Carthage and other places by the Bishops of the same Countryes Paulus Samosetanus and his errour affirming Christ to be pure man was condemned by the Bishops of Asia in two Synodes at Antioch Thus were the Manicheans condemned at Ancyra the Archontickes at Neocaesaria Eustachius at Gangra in Armenia Priscillianus at Toledo in Spaine Pelagius in Palestina Melitum Carthage Constantinople And Macedonius Apollinaris Photinus Sabellius Eunomius at Rome Berengarius at Vercells and Rome Luther and his fellowes at Ments Treuers and Colen in Germany and Macline Cambray and other places in the low-Countryes All which and many more were censured and iudged by the Bishops called in Synodes Prouinciall In like manner by the Prelates collected in generall Councells were censured and iudged the causes of greater heresies and contentions As that of Arius in the first Coūcell of Nice and the diuinity of Christ defended That of Macedonius in the second generall at Constantinople and the deity of the Holy Ghost confirmed That of Nestorius in the third generall at Ephesus and the vnity of one diuine person in Christ decreed That of Eutiches in the fourth generall Councell of Chalcedon and the verity of two natures in Christ concluded That of Peter and Seuerus of Antioch Petrus of Apamea Cyrus of Edessa Anthymius Acatius of Constātinople in the fifth generall at Constantinople and their persons with Origens errours condemned That of Cyrus of Alexandria Sergius Pyrrhus and Paulus of Constantinople and their Monothelite heresy of one will in Christ in the sixth generall at Constantinople condemned and the two wills in Christ determined That of Leo and Copronymus Emperours and the Image-breakers with them in the seauenth at Nice censured and the worship of Images defended That of Photius and the deniers of the procession of the holy Ghost from the Sonne in the eight generall at Constantinople reiected and Ignatius the Patriarch confirmed All which were in the Greeke Church In the latin and West Church Bishops also proceeded and iudged in the generall Councels as in the ninth and tenth generall at Lateran against the Sarazens and Anti-popes vnder Calixtus II. and Innocent II. In the eleuenth and twelfth also of Lateran against the Waldenses and Ioachim the Abbot vnder Alexander the III. and Innocent III. In the thirtenth fourtenth of Lyons against Fredericke the Emperour and the errour of the Greeks vnder Innocent IV. and Gregory the X. In the fifteenth at Vienna against the Begards and others vnder Clement the V. In the sixteenth at Florence against the Greeks vnder Eugenius the IV. In the seauenteenth at Lateran vnder Leo the X. against Schismatikes And lastly in the last at Trent vnder Paul III. Iulius the III. and Pius the IV. against the Lutherans all Heretikes of late In all which and others examination was made and iudgment giuen not by Princes Lay-people or the whole body of the Cleargy but only by Bishops and Prelates the chiefe Pastours of the Church who only and not the former were as appeares by authority of Scripture and the continued practise of the Church the true authenticall and infallible Iudges of controuersies of Fayth and Religion The priuate spirit cannot be this Iudge SECT VII IT remaynes to proue that this infallible and authenticall authority to iudge of controuersies of Fayth neither doth nor can reside in euery particuler faythfull person nor that the priuate spirit of euery one which is heer intended can be a competent Iudge of all controuersies of Religion This is conuinced by diuers proofes drawne from diuers heades The first proofe is drawne from the former reasons which disproue this authority to reside either in Princes or in the lay-people or the whole community of all faythfull belieuers for all the reasons which proue against them and their spirit proue much more against euery priuate person and this spirit in particuler The second proofe is drawne from the former reasons which proue this authority to be communicated only to the Prelates and chiefe Pastours of the Church for if the spirit of God