indeterminate sence seeing this is a Maxim vnquestionable amongst al such as haue any notion of a Dietie Whatsoeuer God hath spoken is most true in that sense wherein he meant it But if we descend to any determinate speeches written or vnwritten either acknowledged or supposed for Gods Word or such as can but ground any possible question whether they are Gods Words or no the present Romish Church doth take vpon her absolutely to iudge of all and euerie part of them For this is the very abstract or abridgement of that infinite prerogatiue which she challengeth all men must infallibly beleeue that to be Gods Word which she commends that not to be his Word which she disclaimes for such So as onely the former transcendent and indeterminate truth Whatsoeuer God saith is true is exempt from the Popes vnlimited transcendent roiall sentence no other word or syllable of truth which wee can imagine God hath or might haue spoken since the World began either by his owne or his sonnes mouth by the Ministery of his Angels Prophets Apostles or Euangelists but is euery way absolutely subiect to the Popes Monarchichall censure 5 And heere let not the Reader mistake it as any argument of our aduersaries ingenuity that they will for their owne aduantage vouchsafe to grant what no heathen Idolater did euer deny Whatsoeuer God saith is true For vnlesse this were granted by all the Pope could haue no possible grounds of pretence or claime to his absolute infallibility or infinite supremacie ouer all And that which his hirelings seeke to build vpon the former foundation is Whatsoeuer the Pope hath said or shall say ex cathedra is most true because if we descend to any determinate truthes wee must beleeue that God hath spoken all and onely that which the Pope hath alreadie testified or when any question ariseth shall testifie he hath spoken In fine the present Pope by their positions is Gods onely liuing mouth onely alsufficient to iustifie or authentically witnesse all his wordes past all which without him are vnto vs as dead Whence they must of necessitie admit the same proportion betwixt the present Popes and Gods acknowledged written word or supposed vnwritten veritie which in ciuill matters we make betwixt acredible mans personall auouchment or liuing testimonie of what he hath seene heard or knowne by vndoubted experience and another mans heresay report either of the matters he spake of his speeches themselues or their true sence and meaning after his death For the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists to vse their words are dead and Christ is absent so as we can neither be certaine what they haue spoken or what they meant in their supposed speeches but per viuam vocem Ecclesiae by the liuing voice of the present visible Church whose words are altogether as vnfallible as Gods owne words were And for this reason must bee acknowledged a most absolute Iudge of Gods written and vnwritten words aswell of their Spirituall sence and meaning as of their outward frame or visible character This is the height of their iniquitie and will inferre more then our purposed conclusion in this Section That euen of such places as are acknowledged by them for Gods Word we mus not beleeue any determinate sence or meaning but what the Pope shall expressely giue or may be presumed to allow of 6 This Doctrine as I would request the Reader to obserue brings the second and third person in Trinitie on the one partie and the Pope on the other to as plaine and euident competition for Rule or Soueraigntie ouer professed Christians faith as God and Baal were at in Elias time This ther Doctrine thus in shew grounded vpon indeed and issue most opposite to Scriptures is the true Spirituall Inquisition house whereof that materiall or bodily one is but a Tipe These following are the ioynts or limmes of that racke of conscience whereunto all such as are or would bee true members of Christ but willing withall to hold their Vnion with the Pope as Visible head of the Church are daily and howerly subiect First their soules are tied by surest bondes of faith and nature vnto this principle Whatsoeuer God hath said is most true the Iesuites againe seeke to fasten their faith and conscience as strongly vnto this God speakes whatsoeuer the Pope speakes ex cathedra This third likewise must be beleeued as an Oracle of God euen by Papists for the Pope hath spoken it ex cathedra The Bookes of Moses the Prophets the foure Euangelists are Gods Wordes VVhatsoeuer these haue spoken we contend all should beleeue for Gods own Word vpon such groundes as Saint Peter did from experience of their life-working sence communicate vnto them by hearing reading meditating or practize But the Pope vpon some controuersies arising propounds a sence of these writings or of some part of them quite contrarie to that which brought the former comfort to our soules a sence to all vnpartiall sences contradictorie to the places iointly acknowledged for Gods Word A sence the more wee thinke on in sobrietie the more wee dislike a sence the more earnestly we pray to God for his Spirits assistance and other good meanes for the right vnderstanding of his Word and encrease of faith the more stil we distaste and loath Here vnlesse we let goe some one or more of the mentioned holdfasts of faith either the first Whatsoeuer God saith is true or the second Whatsoeuer the Pope saith God saith or the third The Mosaicall Euangelicall and Apostolicall writings or those particular places about whose sence the controuersie is were spoken by God our soules are put to more violent torture then Rauilaicks bodie was But the true Papists are wise enough to slippe the third or last so as it shall not pinch them and haue a tricke withal to make the First yeeld what way they please who are resolued to follow what way soeuer it shall please the Popes authoritie whereunto their soules indeede are onely tied to lead them But of such as euer had or hope to haue any tast or relish of Gods Spirit should resolue absolutely to beleeue his interpretation of any place of Scripture contrarie to that life-working sence which must bee in euery heart endued with hope of seeing God that mans disloialtie towards God and his Holy Spirit is as impudent as if a poore subiect should reply vnto his Prince commanding him in expresse termes to doe thus or so I will not beleeue your wordes haue any such meaning as they naturally import but a contrarie such as one of my fellow seruants hath alreadie acquainted mee withall whatsoeuer you say I know your meaning is I should beleeue him in al things concerning your will and pleasure and whatsoeuer he shall enioyne that will doe 8 thâ—â— neither the Church can prooue the Scriptures nor the Scriptures the Churches authoritie was proued in the fourth SectioÌ„ of the former Book that such as hold this damnable doctrine
and the Churches not all in all For vnto that which men cannot know whether it bee true or false they cannot be bound to yeeld absolute or immediate obedience vnto that authoritie which they absolutely beleeue as infallible they are bound to yeeld infallible assent and absolute obedience directly in it selfe and for it selfe But by this supposition men cannot know Scriptures infallibly without the Churches authoritie and yet they must infallibly beleeue the Churches authoritie without Scriptures The Scriptures authoritie therefore is either lesse then the Churches or none at all 6 But be it supposed that priuate mens infallible beleefe of the Churches publike spirit is grouÌ„ded vpon Scriptures acknowledged by vs and vrged by them to this purpose as vpon these it seemeth good to the Holy Ghost vs I haue prayed for thee thy faith should not faile The question whereunto wee demaund an answere is whether this infallible beleefe of the Churches authoritie grounded vpon these places must be wrought in mens heartes by a priuate or publique spirit If by a priuate spirit onely Bellarmine beleeued the Churches publique spirit or those Scriptures truth or true meaning whereon he grounds it Hee and all other Papists such as hee was when hee deliuered this Doctrine neither Bishops nor Cardinals are subiect to the same inconueniences which he hath condemned vs for as Heretiques For all priuate spirits by his positions are obnoxious to errour vnsufficient to plant any infallible perswasion in matters of faith yet such is this article of the Churches authentique spirit of which vnlesse men be so perswaded infallibly perswaded they cannot bee of the minor proposition in any Syllogisme wherein a point of faith is concluded and vncertaine of the minor they cannot be certaine of the conclusion which as Bellarmine rightly obserues alwayes followes the weaker part The infallible conclusion therefore of Bellarmines resolution is vnlesse priuate men may haue publique spirits to warrant the truth of Scriptures and the Churches infallibilitie thereon grounded they cannot truly beleeue any conclusion of faith It remaines then we inquire what inconuenience wil follow if they admit priuate men to be partakers of publike spirits 7 Diuersitie of such spirits they acknowledge not If therefore priuate mens infallible assent vnto the truth or true sence of those particular Scriptures whence they seeke to prooue their Churches infallibilitie must be planted by a publique spirit planted it must be by the same spirit which guides and guiding makes the Church and Pope authentique and infallible both in their proposall of Scriptures and declaration of Scriptures sence Seeing this spirit is one and the same if it can make the Church or Pope infallible in all why may it not make all priuate men by this supposition partakers of it alike infallible at the least in the right vnderstanding of those places which warraÌ„t the Churches infallibilitie or publique spirit For our aduersaries I hope will easily grant that the Churches publique and authentique spirit must be most infallibly beleeued because so expressely taught in those Scriptures cited by Bellarmine to this purpose If this publike or authentique spirit can worke such infallible apprehension of those places true meaning in priuate heartes why not in all others as necessarie for them to know that is in all necessarie to saluation And if thus it doe why are wee bound to beleeue the Pope more then the Pope vs wee being partakers of a publique and infallible spirit aswel as he 8 Or if they hold it no absurditie to say wee must beleeue two or three places It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and vs Peter feed my sheepe by a pubâ—ique and authentique spirit teaching vs from these to relie vpon the Pope in all other parts of Gods Word because as it must be supposed we haue but a priuate spirit for their assurance by this supposition the Popes authoritie in respect of vs must haue the same excesse of superioritie vnto Scriptures that publike spirit hath vnto a priuate or the Pope who beleeueth all Scriptures by a publike spirit hath vnto a priuate man This publike spirit wherof they vauÌ„t is the same which did inspire the scriptures to Moses the Prophets and Apostles and must by this position be the Pope or Churches immediate ageÌ„t for establishing this inuiolable league of absolute alleagance with mens soules vnto them but of none so absolute to their Creator and Redeemer and the rest of whose written lawes and eternal decrees must be communicated vnto them by a priuate spirit and subscribed vnto with this condition If the Pope shall witnesse them to be his lawes or to haue this or that meaning 9 Nor can our aduersaries dense the truth of this subsequent collection If it were possible for the Pope in matters controuersed to teach contrarie to Gods Word wee were bound to follow him For they themselues argue thus If the Pope could erre in matters of faith faith might perish from the Earth all Christians bound to erre because bound to obey him This prooues that our assent to any Scriptures besides those which teach the Popes authoritie cannot in it selfe be perfect and absolute but subiect to this condition if the Pope be infallible And euen of those places which as they pretend witnesse him to be such there yet remaines a farther difficultie These the Pope beleeues not because they are confirmed to him by his predecessor but directly and immediatly by his publique spirit But may priuate men beleeue them so too No. For these especially and the Churches infallibilitie contained in them are by all our aduesaries consent propositions of faith in respect of vs need by their doctrine the proposall or testimonie of the Church whereon all priuate mens faith must be immediately grounded beleeuing this we shall from it at least conioyned with Scripture beleeue all other parts of Gods Word necessarie to saluation aswell as the Pope doth these former from the testimonie of his publique spirit Wherefore his authoritie must be vnto vs altogether as great as the authoritie of the Godhead is vnto him which is farre greater vnto him then it is or can be to any others for euen that which is acknowledged for Gods Word both by him and vs must be lesse authentique vnto vs then the wordes of this mortall man 10 For though we pardon our aduersaries their former absurdities in seeking to prooue the Churches authoritie by the Scripture and the Scriptures by the Churches though we grant them all they can desire euen what shall appeare in due place to be most false That whiles they beleeue the Popes particular iniunctions or decisions from a presupposal of his vniuersal transcendent authoritie they doe not onely beleeue him or his wordes but those partes of Gods Word vpon which they seeme to ground his infallibilitie yet our former argument holdes still most firme because that absolute assent which priuate men must giue vnto these supposed grounds of their Religion before
other portions of Scripture is not grounded vpon any preheminencie incident to these words as they are Gods as if they were more his then the rest in some such peculiar sort as the Tenne Commaundements are in respect of other Mosaicall Lawes nor from any internall proprietie flowing from the wordes themselues as if their secret character did vnto faithfull mindes bewray them to be more Diuine then others nor from any precedent consequent or comitant circumstance probably arguing that sence the Romish Church giues of them to be of it selfe more perspicuous or credible then the naturall meaning of most other Scriptures all inspired by one and the same spirit all for their forme of equall authoritie and perspicuitie All the prerogatiue then which these passages can haue before others must be from the matter contained in them and that by our aduersaries position is the Churches infallibilitie Wherefore not because they are Gods word or were giuen by his Spirit in more extraordinarie sort then others but because they haue more affinitie with the Roman Lord in late yeares exalted aboue all that is called God Father Sonne or Holy Ghost these places aboue cited must bee more authentikely beleeued then all the wordes of God besides As I haue read of pictures though not more artificiall in themselues yet helde in greater estimation amongst the Heathen and freer from contemptuous censure then any other of the same Painters doing onely because they represented their great God Iupiter 11 Another difficultie whereunto we demand an answere is whether whiles they assent as they professe not onely to the infallibilitie taught as they suppose in the fore cited places but also vnto the infallibilite of Scriptures which teach it they acknowledge two distinct assents or but one If but one let them shew vs how possibly the Church can bee said to confirme the Scriptures if two let them assigne the seuerall properties of either whether is more strong whether must bee to the other as Peter to his brethren or if neither of them can confirme the other let them declare how the one can be imagined as a meane or condition of beleeuing the other 12 An Heretikes beleefe of the minor proposition in the former Syllogisme saith Bellarmine is but weake A Romanists beleefe of the same most strong Let this bee the Minor Peter feed my sheepe or Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faile what reason can be imagined why a Romanists beleefe of these propositions should bee so strong and ours so weake The one hath the Churches authoritie to confirme his faith the other hath not What is it then to haue the Churches authoritie onely to know her decrees concerning those portions of Scriptures If this were all we know the Romish Churches decrees aswel as the Romanists but it is nothing to know them if we doe not acknowledge them To haue Churches authoritie then is to beleeue it as infallible and for this reason is a Romane Catholikes beleefe of any portion of Scripture more certaine and strong because hee hath the testimonie of the Church which he beleeues to be most infallible and beleeuing it most infallibly he must of necessitie beleeue that to be Scripture that in euery place to be the meaning of the Holy Ghost which this Church commends vnto him for such Let the most learned of our aduersaries here resolue the doubt proposed whether there bee two distinct assents in the beleefe of the forementioned propositions one vnto the truth of the proposition it selfe and another vnto the Churches infallibilitie It is euident by Bellarmines opinion that all the certaintie a Roman Catholique hath aboue a Sectarie is from the Churches infallibilite For the proposition it selfe he can beleeue no better then an Heretique may vnlesse hee better beleeue the Church i. he beleues the Churches exposition of it or the Churches infallibilitie concerning it better then the proposition it selfe in it selfe and for it selfe And so it is euident that the Churches authoritie is greater because it must be better beleeued 13 Suppose then one of our Church which beleeues these propositions to be the word of God should turne of Roman Catholique his former beleefe is by this meanes become more strong and certaine This granted the next question is what should be the obiect of this his strong beleefe the propositions beleeued Peter feed my sheepe I haue prayed for thee or any other part of Gods written word or the Churches authoritie not the propositions themselues but onely by accident in as much as the Church confirmes them to him For suppose the same man should estsoones either altogether reuolt from the Church or doubt of her authoritie his beleefe of the former propositions becomes hereby as weake as it was before which plainely cuinceth that his beleefe of the Church and this proposition were two distinct beleefes and that this strong beleefe was fastened vnto the Churches authoritie not vnto the proposition it selfe immediately but onely by accident in as much as the Church which he beleeueth so firmely did teach it for his beleefe if fastened vpon the proposition it selfe after doubt mooued of the Churches authoritie would haue continued the same but now by Bellarmines assertion assoone as hee begins to disclaime his beleefe of the Churches infallibilitie his former strong beleefe of the supposed proposition begins to faile and of this failing no other reason then alreadie is can be assigned The reason was because the true direct and proper obiect of his stronge beleefe was the Churches authoritie on which the beleefe of the proposition did intirely depend as the conclusion doth vpon the premisses or rather as euery particular doth on the vniuersall whereunto it is essentially subordinate CHAP. III. Containing a further Resolution of Romish faith necessarily inferring the authoritie of the Romish Church to bee of greater authoritie then Gods Word absolutely not only in respect of vs. IF we racke the former syllogisme a little farther and stretch it out in euerie ioynt to it full length wee may quickly make it confesse our proposed conclusion and somewhat more The Syllogisme was thus Whatsoeuer God hath spoken is most true But God hath spoken and caused to be written all those wordes contained in the Canon of Scriptures acknowledged by opposite religions of these times Therefore these wordes are most true The certaintie of the Minor depends as our aduersaries will haue it vpon the present Romish Churches infallibilitie which hath commended vnto vs these Bookes for Gods Word Bee it then granted for disputations sake that we cannot know any part of Gods Word much lesse the iust bounds extent or limits of all his words supposed to be reuealed for our good but by the Romish Church The Spirituall sence or true meaning of all most or many parts of these determinate Volumes and visible Characters as yet is vndeterminate and vncertaine whereas all points of beleefe must bee grounded on the determinate and certaine sence of
Christ and them For it only stands by faith and confidence immediatly fastened vpon the foundation or supporters If then we may not so fasten our faith either vpon Peter or his successors we can receiue no other strength from them then wee doe from Christs other Apostles and that is only from their Ministeriall function in squaring and fastening vs vnto this liuing stone To this purpose sayth Saint Paul Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ. Whosoeuer was himselfe builded on him albeit he neuer heard of Saint Peter albeit the doctrines hee heaped vpon this foundation were but hay and stubble or matter alike apt to take fire yet the flame wherein these idle speculations of his braine were to perish should but singe his cloathes not deuoure his substance because by faith vnited vnto that liuing stone which without any other intermediate sconce or fence doth quench the flames of hell and keepe them from scorching any euen the last and vppermost that shall bee built vpon him vnto the worlds end For the same Apostles rule is vniuersall both in respect of time and persons If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt belieue in thine heart that God raised him vp from the dead thou shalt be saued 8. But did Saint Paul by speciall reuelation vtter this as a mystery altogether vnknowne before vnto the faithfull Rather by participation of the same spirit which spake in the Prophet he onely vnfolds the Oracle late expounded I must confesse without distinct apprehension of so good warrant them as is now suggested For the Apostle to proue his former assertion vrgeth that place of the Prophet Whosoeuer belieues in him shall not bee ashamed So then with Saint Paul it is all one to belieue in Christ raised from the dead or in the corner stone reiected of men allowed of God And it seemes the declaration made vnto Saint Peter that Christ whom he confessed howsoeuer a Rocke to fall vpon to both the houses of Israel was the sure foundation of the fathfull which the Prophet foretold should bee laid in Sion made his ignorance to say no worse in disswading his master from suffering such disgrace and ignominy of the Elders high Priests and Scribes more inexcusable because it had beene so plainely foretold that the corner stone was to bee basely esteemed of them ere aduanced of God Hence our Sauiour reproues him so sharpely Then hee turned backe and said vnto Peter Get thee behind me Sathan thou art an offence vnto me because thou vnderstandest not the things that are of God but the things that are of men As if hee had said shall this Rocke become a stumbling stone vnto thee also vnto whom it was first reuealed What I now tolde thee the Prophet long since foretold It was the Lords doing and should haue beene maruellous not offensiue in thy sight Hast thou neuer read how the builders must first refuse that stone which the Lord will afterwards appoint chiefe in the corners From remembrance of this checke Saint Peter it may be whiles hee paraphrased vpon this place vsed not the Psalmists but our Sauiours wordes Yee come saith he as vnto a liuing stone disallowed not by the builders but of men chosen not of the Lord but of God howsoeuer elsewhere hee more fully paralels these two as Saint Paul had done Christ crucified and raised againe the stone cast aside and constituted as hâ—ad of the corner Be it knowne vnto you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazaret whom yee haue crucified whom God raised againe from the dead euen by him doth this man stand here before you whole This is the stone cast aside of you builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there saluation in any other for among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby wee must be saued Then is there no other whose name imported as much as a Rocke or stone to support men against all commotions the powers of hell could raise against them 9 So our Sauiour takes the husbandmen killing of the Lord of the Vineyeards sonne and the builders reiecting the head stone of the corner as equiualent First hee demaunds When therefore the Lord of the Vineyeard shall come what will hee doe to those husbandmen that had slaine his sonne they reply hee will cruelly destroy those wicked men and will let out his Vineyeard vnto other husbandmen which shall deliuer him the fruits in their seasons And this iudgement they had giuen against themselues hee ratifies by the like expresse sentence which the Lord already had past vpon them Read yee neuer in the Scriptures the stone which the builders refused the same is made the head of the corner This was the Lords doing and it is maruellous in our eyes Therefore say I vnto you the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and shall bee giuen to a nation which shall bring forth the fruits thereof and whosoeuer shall fall on this stone shall be broken but on whomsoener it shall fall it wil grinde him to powder 10 This may suffice for proofe that Saint Peters confessing the sonne of man to be the Christ the sonne of the liuing God was all one with our Sauiours declaration Vpon this Rocke will I builde my Church c. because Christ and the liuing stone which God had promised to found in Sion are vnto sacred Writers and all participants of that spirit by which they wrote the selfe same Nor is there any thing more vsuall with the holy Ghost then to referre like speeches of our Sauiour vnto places of Scripture more different in words then the two former alleadged albeit there bee no such identity of persons time and place or continuation of diâ—course to manifest their mutuall coherence but onely equiualency of their inward meaning This Method the holy Spirit vseth the rather I thinke because hee would accustome vs â—o investigate his sense and meaning not so much by the like forme or character of words as by the analogy of faith For as the Apostle saith the letter killeth because it vsually leadeth such as rely vpon it to strange and vnholesome senses as the identity of our Sauiours and Saint Peters name in the Syriacke or their vicinity in the Greeke and Latine made the Rocke of saluation become a Rocke of fence vnto the Romanist who by his stumbling at the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 falles vpon the stone laid in Sion and shall bee broken yea for this disobedience to this eternall word and seeking to lay another foundation then what was laid already that stone shall fall vpon him and grind him at least his doctrine to powder as will more fully appeare if wee compare their exposition of that donatiue they suppose he did bestow vpon Saint Peter with that Disciples doctrine whom
Pope ouer his own family then why the Pope of Rome should bee a father of all christian congregations an absolute Iudge of Scripture or master ouer mens faith Saint Paul commands children to obey their fathers in all things for that is well pleasing vnto the Lord which is as much as if he had said in obeying them you obey the Lord. Again he commands seruants to bee obedient vnto them that are their masters according to the flesh in all things not with eye-seruice as men pleasers but with singlenesse of heart fearing God Both these precepts are conceiued in tearms as generall as any precept for obedience to spirituall gouernours In the precept concerning wiues obedience to their husbands the note of vniuersality is omitted for he saith wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands as it is comely in the Lord not in all things had the Apostle made any mention of obedience vnto spirituall gouernours or were there any hope to comprehend Pastors vnder the name of fathers or masters it would quickely bee inferred the note of vniuersality was purposely added by our Apostle in these latter precepts that men might know absolute obedience without limitation or examination was due vnto the Pope 17 But the holy men of God whose mouthes alwayes spake out of the abundance of their hearts as the spirit gaue them vtterance and were not curious to cast their words in such exact scholastique mouldes as men addicted to artificiall meditations hauing their braines more exercised then their hearts in Gods word vsually doe euen where they seeme to speake most vniuersally for the former are to bee vniuersally vnderstood onely in that subiect or matter which for the present they mind most As when our Apostle commands seruants and children to obey the one their masters the other their parents in all thinges the meaning is as if hee had said yee that are christian seruants be ye most willing to yeeld all obedience that is due vnto masters yee that are Christian children to yeeld all obedience vnto your parents which is conuenient for any children to yeelde to theirs So that the vniuersall note doth rather inioine a totality of heartinesse and cheerefulnesse a perfection of sincerity in performing that obedience which other children ought to their fathers or seruants to their masters then any way extend the obiect of christian childrens or seruants obedience to more particulars then others were bound vnto at the least hee doth not extend the obiect of their obedience to any particulars which might preiudice the sincerity of their obedience due vnto other commanders whilest hee enioyneth seruants to obey their masters in all things he reserues their allegiance intire vnto Princes and higher powers Such must bee obeyed both by masters and seruants by fathers and sonnes Much more doth God when hee inioynes obedience in most ample forme vnto Kings or spirituall gouernors reserue obedience due to himselfe most intire and absolute 18 Yet intire and absolute it cannot be vnlesse it depend immediatly absolutely vpon his lawes vnlesse it be exempt from the vncontrolleable disposall or infallible direction of other authorities Nor can Christ be said our supreme Lord vnlesse our obedience to him and those lawes which hee hath left vs doe limit and restrain all other obedience due vnto any authority deriued from him or his lawes more then a Prince could bee said to bee that seruants supreame Lord or Soueraigne which were bound absolutely to obey his Master in all points without examination whether his designements were not contrary to the publike lawes and statutes of his Prince and Country Wherfore as the oath of Allegeance vnto Princes doth restraine the former precepts Seruants obey your Masters in all things that is in all things that are not repugnant to publike lawes nor preiudiciall to the Crowne and dignity of your Soueraigne so must that solemne vow of fidelity made vnto Christ in Baptisme and our dayly acknowledgement of him for our Soueraigne Lord restraine all precepts in ioyning performance of obedience to any power on earth and set these immoueable bounds and limits to them Obey thy King and Gouernour in all things that is in all things that are not repugnant to the lawes and ordinances of the Great King thy supreame Lord and Gouernour Whilest thou obeyest him thou doest well in disobeying them as well as that seruant that takes Armes against his Master in the Kings defence whilest thou disobeyest him all other obedience is rebellion Yee are bought with a price saith our Apostle bee not yee the seruants of men Seruice according to the flesh hee elsewhere approues he strictly inioynes for that is freedome in respect of this seruitude of minde and conscience in being wholly at any other mans disposition 19 Nor is it more difficult for Christs seruants to discern when gouernours sollicite them to disloyalty against him then for seruants according to the flesh to know when their masters seduce them vnto rebellion so Christian men would feare God as much as naturall men doe earthly Princes Such as feare God are sure of a better expositor of his lawes for fundamental points then seruants can haue for their Princes The transgression of both are easie to discern in the beginning of reuolts or apostasies but the latter more difficult when traitors or vsurpers are grown strong and can pretend faire titles vnto soueraigneties or coine false pedegrees yet is it not impossible for sober and obseruant spirits in such a case to foresee what party to follow vnto such the signes of the time and carriage of the seuerall causes will bewray who haue the true title But this difficulty is none in our spirituall obedience challenged by the Church of Rome for that Church in words confesseth Christ to be the true King and supreame Lord no vsurper which is as much as to say the Pope is an vsurper and a rebell that dares in deeds and substance chalenge the soueraignety from him as you heard in the former dispute by making claime to this vnlimited vnreserued obedience Vpon what grounds especially wee are now to examine by these rules hitherto discussed CHAP. II. The authority of the Sanhedrim not so vniuersall or absolute amongst the Iewes as the Papists make it but was to bee limited by the former Rules 1 ONe especiall place on which they stand is from that Law in Deuteronomy If there arise a matter too hard for thee in iudgement betweene bloud bloud betweene plea and plea betweene plague and plague in the matters of controuersie within thy gates then shalt thou arise and goe vp vnto the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse And thou shalt come vnto the Priestes of the Leuites and to the Iudge that shall be in those daies and aske and they shall shew thee the sentence of iudgement and thou shalt do according to that thing which they of that place which the Lord hath chosen shew thee and thou shalt obserue
to performe what hee had constantly spoken But what was the chiefe matter of their iust reproofe That they had not beleeued his wordes nor giuen due credence to his workes Dull no doubt they had beene in not esteeming better of both vnwise in not learning more of him that taught as neuer man taught but as in them hee teacheth vs most dull and most vnwise euen fooles and slowe of heart in not beleeuing all that the Prophets had spoken Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things as if hee had said Is it possible your ignorance in them should be so grosse as not to knowe that Christ was thus to suffer and so to enter into his glory 2. You will say perchance they did not well in giuing so little attention and credite to the Prophets whose light should haue led them vnto Christ but now that they haue light on him in person without their helpe onely by his seeking them shall not hee who was the end and scope of all propheticall writings teach them all He will but not by relying onely vpon his infallible authoritie This aedifice of faith must bee framed vpon the foundation laide by the Prophets For this reason happily our Sauiour would not bewray himselfe to be their infallible teacher vntill he had made them by euidence of Scripture by true sence and feeling of his spirit beleeue and knowe the truth which he taught to be infallible Hee had opened their hearts by opening the Scriptures vnto them before their eyes were open to discerne his person for he began at Moses and at all the Prophets and interpreted vnto them in all the Scriptures the things which were written of him Stedfast beliefe then of any mans authoritie must spring out of the solide experience of his skill and trueth of his doctrine These two disciples might now resolue their hearts that this was he who Iohn said should baptize with the holy Ghost and with fire when by the working of his spirit their hearts did burne within them whiles hee talked with them and opened the Scriptures vnto them Though before they had receiued Iohn Baptists witnesse of the trueth as a tie or fest to stay their fleeting faith yet now they would not receiue the record of man there is another that beareth witnesse of him the spirit of trueth which hath imprinted his doctrine in their hearts 3. Would the Pope who challengeth Christs place on earth amongst his liuing members and requires we should beleeue his wordes as well as these Disciples did Christs but expound those Scriptures vnto vs which Christ did to them with like euidence and efficacie could hee make our hearts thus burne within by opening the secret mysteries of our saluation wee would take him for Christs Vicar and beleeue indeede hee were infallibly assisted by the holy spirit But seeing hee and his followers inuert our Sauiours methode by calling the certaintie of both Testaments in question telling vs we cannot knowe them to be Gods word vnlesse it shall please this Romane God to giue his word for them or confirme their trueth seeing this his pretended confirmation is not by manifesting the mysteries of our saluation so distinctly and clearely as Christ did vnto these Disciples nor by affoording vs the true sence and feeling of the spirit in such ardent manner as they enioyed it and yet accurseth vs if we beleeue not his words as well as they did their Redeemers wee may hence take a perfect measure of that mouth of blasphemies spoken of by Saint Iohn according to all the three dimensions contained in the three assertions prefixed to the beginning of this Section Nor can the reader imagine either any other forepassed like vnto it or yet to come likely to proue more abominable if it shall but please him to suruay the length and breadth of it but especially the profunditie 4. The length of it I make that assertion The Pope must bee as well beleeued as either Christ was whilest hee liued on earth or his Apostles after his glorification The breadth His absolute authoritie must be for extent as large and ample as Christs should be were he on earth againe or that commission he gaue to his Disciples Goe Preach the Gospell to euery creature his directions must goe foorth throughout all the earth and his wordes vnto the endes of the world The depth is much greater then the space betweene heauen and hell For if you would drawe a line from the Zenith to the Nadir through the Center it would scarce be a gag long enough for this monstrous mouth so wide as hell cannot conceiue a greater The depth I gather partly from the excesse of Christs worth either arising from his personall vnion with the Godhead his sanctitie of life and conuersation or from his hyperpropheticall spirit and aboundant miracles For looke how much he exceedes any but meere man in al these by so much doth the Pope though supposed as not obnoxious to any crime make his authoritie and fauour with God greater then Christs which is the semidiameter of this mouth of blasphemies The other part equall herevnto in quantitie but for the qualitie more tainted with the dregges of Hell ariseth from that opposition the Popes spirit hath vnto Christ or from the luxury and beastly manners of the Papacie erected by Satan as it were of purpose to pollute the world with monstrous sinnes and to derogate as much from mankinde as true Christianitie doth aduance it finally to make the Christian world as much more wicked as Christs Disciples Apostles and faithfull followers are better then the heathen Nor doth the Pope exact beliefe onely without miracles or manifestation of a propheticall spirit but contrary to all notions of good and euill common to Christians and Heathens and as it were in despite of the prophecies that haue deciphered him for Antichrist What heathen Philosopher could with patience haue endured to heare that a dissolute luxurious tyrāt could not though in matters of this life giue wrong sentence out of the seate of Iustice The Iesuites teach it as an Article of faith that the Pope albeit a dissolute and vngracious tyrant Mankinds reproach the disgrace of Christianity cannot possibly giue an erroneous sentence ex cathedra no not in mysteries of religion But as if it were a small thing thus impudently to contradict nature and grieue the soules of ingenuous men vnlesse they also grieue their God seeking as it were to crosse his spirit by holding opiniōs not onely contradictory but most cōtrary to his sacred rules they importune the Christian world with tumultuous clamours to take that which the spirit hath giuen as the demonstratiue character of great Antichrist the olde serpents chiefe confederate for the infallible cognisance of Christs Vicar the very signet of his beloued Spouse Nor will they I know though friendly admonished cease henceforth to vrge their outworn arguments drawne from antiquity vniuersality from that reuerence
recordes and declarations written or vnwritten to be most authentique they cannot be certaine whether euer there had beene such an Emperour as they plead succession from or at least how farre his Dominions extended or where they lay This manner of plea in secular controuersies would be a meane to defeate him that made it For albeit the Christian World did acknowledge there had beene such an Emperour and that many parts of Europe of right belonged vnto his lawfull heire Yet if it were otherwise vnknowne what parts these were or who this heire should bee no Iudge would be so mad as finally to determine of eyther vpon such motiues Or if the Plaintiffe could by such courses as the World knowes oft preuaile in iudgement or other gracious respects effect his purpose hee were worse then madde that could thinke the finall resolution of his right were into the Emperours last will and testament which by his owne confession no man knowes besides himselfe and not rather into his owne presumed fidelitie or the Iudges apparant partialitie So in this controuersie whatsoeuer the Pope may pretend from Christ all in the end comes to his owne authority which wee may safely beleeue herein to bee most infallible that it will neuer prooue partiall against it selfe or define ought to his Holinesse disaduantage 10 Here againe it shall not be amisse to admonish yonger Students of another gull which the Iesuite would put vpon vs to make their Churches doctrine seeme lesse abominable in this point lest you should thinke they did aequalize the authority of the Church with diuine reuelations Valentian would perswade you it were no part of the formall obiect of faith It is true indeed that the Churches authority by their doctrine is not comprehended in the obiect of belieefe whilest it onely proposeth other Articles to bee beleeued No more is the Sunne comprehended vnder the obiects of our actuall sight whilest we behold colours or other visibles by the vertue of it But yet as it could not make colours or other things become more visible vnto vs vnlesse it selfe were the first and principall visible that is vnlesse it might bee seene more clearely then those things which wee see by it so wee would direct our sight vnto it so would it bee impossible the Churches infallible proposal could make a Romane Catholikes beliefe of Scriptures or their orthodoxal sense the stronger vnlesse it were the first and principall credible or primary obiect of his beliefe or that which must bee most clearely most certainely and most sted fastly belieued so as all other Articles besides must be belieued by the beliefe or credibility of it This is most euident out of Sacroboscus and Bellarmines resolution or explication of that point how the Churches proposall confirmes a Roman Catholiques beliefe To giue this doctrine of their Churches infallibility the right title according to the truth it is not an Article of Catholike beleefe but a Catholike Axiome of Antichristian vnbeliefe which from the necessary consequences of their assertions more strictly to be examined will easily appeare CHAP. IIII. What maner of causall dependance Romish beleefe hath on the Church that the Romanist truly and properly beleeues the Church onely not God or his word 1 THe 2. main assertions of our aduersaries whence our intended conclusion must be proued are these often mentioned heretofore First that wee cannot be infallibly perswaded of the truth of Scriptures but by the Churches proposall Secondly that without the same wee cannot bee infallibly perswaded of the true sense or meaning of these scriptures which that Church and we both belieue to be Gods word How wee should know the Scriptures to be Gods word is a probleme in Diuinity which in their iudgement cannot be assoiled without admission of Traditions or diuine vnwritten verities of whose extent and meaning the Church must be infallible Iudge It is necessary to saluation saith Bellarmine that wee know there bee some bookes diuine which questionlesse cannot by any meanes be knowne by Scriptures For albeit the Scriptures say that the Books of the Prophets or Apostles are diuine yet this I shall not certainely belieue vnlesse I first belieue that Scripture which saith thus is diuine For so wee may read euery where in Mahomets Alcoran that the Alcoran it selfe was sent from heauen but wee belieue it not Therefore this necessary point that some Scripture is diuine cannot sufficiently be gathered out of Scriptures alone Consequently seeing faith must rely vpon Gods word vnlesse wee haue God word vnwritten we can haue no faith His meaning is wee cannot know the Scriptures to be diuine but by Traditions and what Traditions are diuine what not wee cannot know but by the present visible Church as was expresly taught by the same Author before And the finall resolution of our belieuing what God hath said or not said must bee the Churches authority To this collection Sacroboseus thus farre accords Some Catholiques reiected diuers Canonicall Books without any danger and if they had wanted the Churches proposall for others as well as them they might without sinne haue doubted of the whole Canon This he thinks consonant to that of Saint Austin I would not belieue the Gospell vnlesse the Churches authority did thereto moue me He addes that we of reformed Churches making the visible Churches authority in defining points of faith vnsufficient might disclaime all without any greater sinne or danger to our soules then wee incurre by disobeying some parts of Scripture to wit the Apocryphall books canonized by the Romish church The Reader I hope obserues by these passages How Bellarmine ascribes that to Tradition which is peculiar to Gods prouidence Sacroboscus that to blind beliefe which belongs vnto the holy Spirit working faith vnto the former points by the ordinary obseruation of Gods prouidence and experiments answerable to the rules of Scriptures 2 Consequently to the Trent Councels decree concerning the second assertion Bellarmine thus collects It is necessary not onely to bee able to read Scriptures but to vnderstand them but the Scripture is often so ambiguous and intricate that it cannot bee vnderstood without the exposition of some that cannot erre therefore it alone is not sufficient Examples there be many For the equality of the diuine persons the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne as from one ioint originall Originall sinne Christes descension into Hell nd many like may indeed be deduced out of scriptures but not so plainely as to end controuersies with contentious spirits if we should produce onely testimonies of Scriptures And wee are to note there bee two things in Scripture the Characters or the written words and the sense included in them The Character is as the sheath but the sense is the very sword of the spirite Of the first of these two all are partakers for whosoeuer knowes the Character may reade the Scripture but of the sense all men are not capable nor can wee in
or dissent from Reason Conscience and Religion For these so hee will but vouchsafe his silence or attention ioyntly proclaime aloude that nothing amisse either in matter of doctrine or manners can be so detestable with out this presumptuous groundlesse warrant of absolute infallibilitie as with it that albeit a man would set himselfe to practize all particulars directly contrarie to what God hath commanded or to contradict God and his goodnesse yet his iniquitie without this absolute beliefe of full authoritie deriued from him so to doe would be but as a bodie without a soule in respect of the Romish Churches impieties which makes the holy Ghost the principall Author of Gods written word the abettor of all her fraude vntruths or villanies Briefly as it is not the doing of those materials God commands vs to doe but faithfull submission of our wils to his in doing them which as S. Iames instructs vs makes vs true Christians so is it not the doing or maintayning of what God forbids or hates but the doing of it vpon absolute submission of our soules and consciences to other lawes then he hath left which makes men liue members of Antichrist as being animated informed and moued by the spirit of errour Now this perswasion of absolute infallibilitie and vniuersall warrant from the holy spirit without condition or restraint being peculiar to the Romish Church admitting it to be as faultie in practises and as obnoxious to errours as any other none can be reputed so truly Antichristian as it For albeit Mahomet pretended diuine reuelations yet his Priests challenge no such absolute infallibilitie as doth the Pope they make no second Rocks or foundations no ordinarie Pastor equiualent to their great Prophet Whence although the Turkes hold opinions in themselues or materially considered more grosse and maintayne some practices not much lesse villanous then Iesuites doe yet the grounds or motiues of their beliefe which are as the soule or spirit of Religion are nothing so pestiferous nothing so directly opposite to the holy spirit as is this Iesuiticall rule of faith Nor doe they either professe such beliefe in Christ or acknowledge him for a foundation so elect and precious as brings them within the Temple of God within which vnlesse Antichrist sit his contrarietie vnto Christ could not bee so essentiall so immediate or direct as by the rules of sacred Philosophie we are taught it must be Yet I know not whether the indignitie of this doctrine is more apt to affect Diuines or Men rightly religious and fearing God then the sottishnesse of their arguments to perswade it to prouoke the iust indignation of ingenuous Artists which cannot endure though in matters of indifferencie to captiuate their vnderstandings to positions deuoide of sense To require some probabilitie of reason ciuill or naturall is on their part no insolent demand for exchange of Christian faith or aduenturing their inassurance of life eternall in the seruice of meere forrainers whom they neuer saw Yet vnto peremptorie resolutions no lesse dangerous doe Iesuites solicite vs not only without any tollerable shew of probabilitie but quite contrarie to Gods principall lawes and our naturall notions of good and euill as by these labours euery Academique may in part perceiue but more fully if he would vouchsafe to sift more of their arguments then in these short transcursiue disputes I could Nor would I disswade any Artist well grounded in Aristotle from pervsing the most learned workes any Romanist hath written in this argument In most other controuersies betwixt vs and them it is dangerous I must confesse euen for well grounded Artists to beginne with their writings not so in this for I protest in the sight of God and his holy Angels that as farre as I can remember the inclinations of my youth or by them prognosticate how afterwards I might haue beene affected I neuer was I neuer should haue beene so throughly possessed with such great dislike of Romish Antichristianisme in this point by hearing the most famous Preachers in this Land or reading all the learned Writers in reformed Churches as I was by examining the labours of Bellarmine Valentian and others of best nore amongst them seriously addressed to this purpose comparing them only with the known principles of Christianitie and such passages of sacred Writ as euery Christian Artist should be acquainted with For the principles whereon I proceede I haue beene only beholden to the Canon of Scriptures for deducing of such blasphemous consequences from them as I charge the Aduersarie with only to that small measure of knowledge in Aristotelian Philosophie wherewith my God had blessed mee whiles I was bound by locall statutes to the studie of Artes purposely abstaining from other writings which with their informations of my vnderstanding might haue bred preiudice in my affection Since that time although the yeares of my Ministrie hardly exceede the space of ordinarie apprentiships yet haue I often wished the discussion of these points had beene then imposed vpon mee by some experienced Diuine that would only haue giuen me right hold of their assertions Vpon this consideration I would beseech the flourishing Artists of this famous Academie whom God hath furnished with all store of munition necessarie for this seruice not to neglect opportunities present Let them deferre if so they please the fruits of their labours in other points though this be the fault of our English vntill the Autumne of their age But the marke I now propose vnto them being the euident resolution of Iesuiticall positions into those grosse and palpable blasphemies whereto they tend which they only seeke to hide by Sophismes and artificiall tricks of wit Academicall wits might displume them of these figge-tree leaues and manifest their nakednes to the world much better in the spring whiles their skill in artes were fresh and flourishing whiles the strength and vigour of their inuention would more easily bend this way then in the Autumne when their leaues begin to fade and their sap retire to the root as their pleasant grapes grow ripe Many towardly plants in this nurcerie now able to match the stoutest Iesuite liuing at his owne weapon whilest in his mature age multo iam fractus membra labore more fit to be a Leader then a combatant in these encounters he shall looke back on his former labours or cals to minde his wonted dexteritie in Schoole disputes may take vp old Nestors complaint Tunc ego debueram capienda ad Pergama mitti Tunc poteram magni si non superare morari Hectoris arma meis sed in illo tempore nullus Aut puer Hector erat nunc me mea deficit aetas The schoole Iesuite in these studies is like the Iuy alwaies greene because not set to bring forth fruit vnto saluation but rather to choake and strangle the plants of life And for such instruments of the Romish Church as this Land vsually yeelds this wrangling facultie is all the skill they care for or for the
some part of Gods Word reuealed for our aduersaries acknowledge all points of faith should bee resolued into the first truth Hence if wee descend to any particular or determinate conclusion of faith it must be gathered in his Syllogisme Whatsoeuer the Church teacheth concerning the determinate and true sence of Scriptures whereon points of Faith are grounded is most true But the Church teacheth thus and thus for example her owne authoritie is infallibly taught by the Holy Ghost in these wordes Peter feede my sheepe Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faile goe this sence and meaning of these wordes is most true And as true as it is must the sence likewise of euery proposition or part of Scripture by this Church expounded or declared be accounted 2 The Maior proposition of this Syllogisme is as vndoubted amongst the Roman Catholiques as the maior of the former was vnto all Christians but as yet the minor The Church doth giue this or that sence of this or that determinate place may be as vncertaine indeed as they would make our beleefe vnto the minor proposition in the generall Syllogisme before it bee confirmed by the Churches authoritie For how can we be certain that the Church doth teach all those particulars which the Iesuites propose vnto vs wee haue Bookes indeede which goe vnder the name of the Trent Counsell but how shall wee know that this Counsell was lawfully assembled that some Canons haue not beene foisted in by priuate Spirits that the Councell left not some vnwritten tradition for explicating their decrees after another fashion then the Iesuites doe who shall assure vs in these or like doubtes The present Church All of vs cannot repaire to Rome such as can when they come thither cannot bee sure to heare the true Church speake ex Cathedra If the Pope send his Writs to assure vs what Critcicke so cunning as to assure vs whether they be authentike or counterfeite Finally for all that can bee imagined in this case onely the Maior of the Catholicke syllogisme indefinitely taken is certaine and consequently no particular or definite conclusion of faith can be certaine to a Romanist because there are no possible meanes of ascertaining the Minor What the true Church doth infallibly define vnto his Conscience 3 Or if they wil hold such conclusions as are ordinarily gathered from the Trent Councell or the Popes decisions as infallible points of faith they make their authoritie to be farre greater then the infallibilitie of Gods written word yea more infallible then the Deitie This Collection they would denie vnlesse it followed from their owne premisses These for example That a conclusion of faith cannot be gathered vnlesse the minor God did say this or that determinately be first made certaine But from the Pope or Churches infallibilitie conclusions of faith may be gathered albeit the minor be not certaine de fide For who can make a Iesuites report of the Popes Decrees or an Historicall relation of the Trent Councell certaine de fide as certaine as an Article of faith And yet the Doctrine of the Trent Councell and Popes Decrees must bee held de fide vpon paine of damnation albeit men take them onely from a Priests mouth or vpon a Iesuites faith and credit 4 This is the madnesse of that Antichristian Synagogue that acknowledgeth Gods Word for most infallible and the Scriptures which wee haue for his word if it selfe bee infallible For it tels vs they are such yet will not haue collections or conclusions with equall probabillitie deduced thence so firmely beleeued by priuate men as the collections or conclusions which are gathered from the Churches infallibilitie An implicit faith of particulars grounded vpon the Churches generall infallibilitie so men stedfastly beleeue it may suffice But implicit faith of particulars grounded onely vpon our generall beleefe of Gods infallibilitie prouidence or written word sufficeth not This prooues the authoritie of the Church to be aboue the authoritie of Scriptures or the Deitie absolutely considered not only in respect of vs that is all besides the Pope and his Cardinals For that is of more authoritie absolutely not onely in respect of vs which vpon equall notice or knowledge is to be better beleeued more esteemed or obeyed but such is the authoritie of the Church in respect of the diuine authoritie such is the authoritie of the Popes Decrees in respect of Gods Word For the Minor proposition in both the former Syllogismes being alike vncertaine the conclusion must bee more certaine in that Syllogisme whose maior relies vpon the Popes infallibilitie then in the other whose Maior was grounded vpon the infallibilitie of the Deitie 5 Briefly to collect the summe of all The authoritie of the Church is greater then the authoritie of Scriptures both in respect of faith and Christian obedience In respect of faith because we are bound to beleeue the Churches decisions read or explicated vnto vs by the Popes messenger though à Sir Iohn Lack-lattin without any appeale but no part of Scripture acknowledged by vs and them we may beleeue without appeale or submission of our interpretation to the Church albeit the true sence and meaning of it seeme neuer so plain vnto priuate consciences in whom Gods Spirit worketh faith The same argument is most firme and euident in respect of obedience 6 That authoritie ouer vs is alwayes greatest vnto which wee are to yeeld most immediate most strict and absolute obedience but by the Romish Churches Doctrine wee are to yeelde supreme and most absolute obedience to the Church more supreme and absolute then vnto Gods word therefore the authoritie of the Church is greater ouer vs. The Maior is out of controuersie seeing greatnesse of authoritie is alwayes measured by the manner of obedience due vnto it The Minor is as euident from the former reason Our obedience is more absolute and strict vnto that authoritie from which in no case we may appeale then vnto that from which wee may in many safely appeale but by the Romish Churches doctrine there lies alwayes an appeale from that sence and meaning of Scriptures which Gods spirit and our owne conscience giues vs vnto the Churches authoritie none from the Churches authoritie or meaning vnto the Scriptures or our owne consciences 7 Our Sauiour Christ bids vs search the Scriptures Saint Paul trie all retaine that which is good Saint Iohn trie the Spirits whether they bee of God or no Suppose a Minister of our Church should charge a Romanist vpon his allegiance to our Sauiour Christ and that obedience which he owes vnto Gods Word to search Scriptures trie spirits and examine Doctrines for the ratifying of his faith he will not acknowledge this to be a Commandemēt of Scripture or at least not to be vnderstood in such asense as may bind him to this practise What followes if our Clergie charge him to admit it he appeales vnto the Church And as in Schooles simus
did acknowledge him Supreme Lord of all the Kingdomes of the Earth for that were as much lesse preiudiciall to Christs prerogatiue royall as a damage in possession or goods would bee to a personall disgrace or some foule maime or deformitie wrought vpon a Princes bodie CHAP. V. Propounding what possibly can bee said on our aduersaries behalfe for auoiding the force of the former arguments and shewing withall the speciall points that lie vpon them to prooue as principally whether their beliefe of the Churches authoritie can bee resolued into any diuine testimonie 1 VNto all the difficulties hitherto proposed I can rather wish some learned Priest or Iesuit would then hope any such euer will directly answere point by point For the Readers better satisfaction I will first briefly set downe what possibly can be said on their behalfe and after a disclosure of their last secret refuge draw forth thence the dead putrified carkasse of Romish faith which vnto the ignorant and superstitious that cannot vncouer the holes and clefts wherein these impostors vpon euery search are wont to hide it may yet seeme to liue and breath as the fable went of Saint Iohn the Euangelists bodie after many yeares reposall in the graue or as the blinded Iewes to this day bragge the scepter of Iudah yet flourisheth beyond Babilon in Media or some vnknowne part of India whither no European is likely to resort for a disprouall of his relation 2 Vnto the demonstratiue euidences aswell of their errour in expounding Scriptures pretended for as of other Scriptures rightly alleaged by vs against their former or like decrees they will be readie to oppose what Bellarmine hath * done That the Church must iudge of Scriptures euidence and priuate errours in expounding it not priuate men of the Churches expositions Vnto the obiected dreadfull consequences of their decrees could these possibly be erroneous they would regest disobedience to the Church that to disobey it is to disobey God Father Sonne and Holy Ghost a sinne as hanious as mangling of Christs last will and Testament as Idolatrie On the contrarie to obey the Church euen in her negatiue decrees and naked decisions vngarded with any pretence of Scripture much more where this louing Mother for the education of her children will vouchsafe what shee need not to alleage some clause or sentence of Holy writ we obey not the Church onely but Gods Word also though not in those particular places which in our iudgements either contradict the former or like decrees or else make nothing at all for them yet in textes produced for the Churches transcendent generall authoritie As he that adores the consecrated hoste in procession because his holy Mother commands him so to doe or accoūts wāt of Christs bloud no losse because denied him by her authoritie although vnto priuate spirits he may seeme to contradict that Law Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue doth yet sincerely obey the Holy Ghost and rightly obserue the true sence and meaning of these his dictates Peter I haue prayed for thee that faith should not faile Peter feed my sheep Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church From these places once firmely beleeuing the Church possibly cannot erre hee must not question whether the practises by it inioyned contradict the former lawes both being deliuered by the holy spirit who can not contradict himelfe This I take it is the summe of all the most learned of our aduersaries can or would reply vnto the former difficulties Not to draw faster but rather remitting the former bonds wherein they haue inextricably intangled themselues by their circular progresse in their resolution of faith admit their late doctrine lest any possibilitie of knowing Scriptures acknowledged by both to bee Gods word or of distinguishing humane testimonies written or vnwritten from diuine The present question we may draw with their free consent vnto this issue whether their beleef of the Churches infallible authoritie vndoubtedly established as they pretend in the fore cited places can bee truly resolued into any branch of the first truth or into humane testimonies onely If into the latter onely the case is cleare that absolutely obeying the Romish Church in the former or like decrees which her authoritie set aside to all or most mens consciences would seeme to contradict Gods principall lawes wee beleeue and in beleeuing obey men more then God humane authorities lawes or testimonies more then diuine 4 The strength or feeblenesse of Romane faith will best appeare if wee trie it in any one of these ioynts Whether by Diuine testimonie it can bee proued that Saint Peter had such an vniuersall infallibe absolute authoritie as these men attribute vnto the Pope Whether by like infallible testimonie it can bee proued the Popes from time to time without exception were Peters vndoubted successors heires apparant to all the preheminencies or prerogatiues he inioyed Whether either the soueraigntie or vniuersalitie of their authoritie supposed probable in it selfe or to themselues or particular iniunctions deriued from it can bee so fully notified to all Christians as they neede not question whether in yeelding obedience to such decrees of like consequences as were the former they doe not grieuously disobey Gods Word For though the Popes themselues might know this truth by Diuine reuelation or otherwise their internall assurance vnlesse generally communicable by diuine testimonies could be no warrant vnto others for vndertaking matters of feareful consequences whereof they doubt not onely out of secret instinct or grudging of their consciences but from an apprehension of opposition betwixt the very formes of lawes papall and diuine 5. First it is improbable that he to whom our Sauiour said If thy brother trespasse against thee di◠Ecclesiae was the Church vnto which all must from which none may appeale Or if Peter the Pope if he will be Peters successor must in causes of controuersie appeale vnto the Church How is he then as our aduersaries contend the Church or such a part of it vnto whom all euen Peter himselfe were he aliue must appeale Must others appeale to him as Iudge in his owne cause or he vnto himselfe alone Not as alone but so a late Papist to my remembrance answeres Gerson as accompanied with his fellow Consull his Chaire which is to him as Caesar was to Iulius and so shall Gods word be to both as Bibulus was to Iulius Caesar a meere pretence or bare name of authority nothing else Yet if that word auouch that neither S. Peters or his successors faith could euer faile in determining controuersies we contradict it not the Popes decisions only if we doe not in all doubtfull doctrines fully rely vpon them CHAP. VI. That neither our Sauiours prayers for the not fayling of Peters faith Luke 22 ver 32. nor his commending his sheepe vnto his feeding Ioh. 21. ver 15 proue any supremacy in Peter ouer the Church from
Saint Peters loue to truth that hee would haue so fastned it to all faithfull hearts as none should euer haue failed to follow it in following which hee could not erre Doubtlesse had any such conceit lodged in his breast this discourse had drawne it out his vsuall form of exhortation had been too mild his ordinarie stile too low This doctrine had beene proclaimed to all the world with Anathemaes as loud and terrible as the Canons of any Papisticall Councell report 2 But hee followed no such deceitfull fables when hee opened vnto them the power and comming of Christ whose Maiesty as hee had seene with his owne eyes so would hee haue others to see him too But by what light By Scriptures What Scriptures Peter feede my sheepe Nay but by the light of Prophesie That is a light indeed in it selfe but vnto priuate spirites it is no better saith Valentian then a light put vnder a bushel vnlesse the visible Church doe hold it out Where did the visible Church keep residence in those dayes In Saint Peter I trow How chances it then hee saith not fixe your eyes on mine that haue seene the glory of the Lord and the Prophets light shall shine vnto you If by his commendation and proposall it were to shine hee had said better thus Ye do well in that you giue heede vnto me as to your onely infallible teacher that must confirme you in the truth of Propheticall Writings and cause them shine in your hearts but now he saith Yee doe well in that yee take heede vnto the Prophets as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day-starre arise in your hearts This light of Prophets illuminated the eyes of Peters faith albeit with his bodily eyes hee had seene Christs glory For speaking comparatiuely of that testimony which he had heard in the Mount hee addes Wee haue also asurer word of the Prophets That the Lord had beene glorified in the Mount his Auditors were to take vpon his credite and authority nor could hee make them to see this particular as hee himselfe had done but that Christ Iesus whom he saw glorified in the Mount was the Lord of Glory he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a surer testimony then his bodily sense the light of Prophets This then was the commendations of his flocke that they looked vpon it which shined as well vnto them as him to all without respect of persons that take heed vnto it able to bring them not to acknowledge Peters infallibility but to the day-starre it selfe whose light would further ascertaine them euen of the truth the Prophets and the Apostles taught For Christ is in a peculiar manner the first and the last in the edifice of faith the lowest the highest stone in the corner refused by the master builders or visible pillars of the Iewish Church their faith was not grounded vpon the Prophets whose words they knew not and not knowing them they knew not him but vnto such as rayse their faith by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the true square and line Christ is both the fundamentall Rocke which supporteth and the chiefe corner stone that bindes the whole house of God and preserues it from clifts and ruptures 3. But least his followers might looke amisse vpon this prophetical light rightly esteemed in the general Saint Peter thought it necessarie to advertise them not to content themselues with euerie interpretation or accustomarie acknowledgement of their truth grounded on others relations reports or skill in expounding them or multitude of voyces that way swaying This had beene as if a man that hath eyes of his owne should belieue there was a Moone or starres because a great many of his honest neighbours had tolde him so A thousand witnesses in such a case as this were but priuate testimonies in respect of that distinct knowledge which euery one may haue that list That the Lord should preserue light in Goshen when darkenesse had couered the whole face of Egypt besides seems vnto me lesse strange but more sensibly true then before whilest I consider how in this age wherein the light of his countenance hath so clearely shined throughout those parts of Europe whence the Gospell came to vs Ingolstade should still sit in darknesse enuironed with the shadow of death That her great professor Valentian borne I take it within these fourescore yeeres should grope at noone day as if he had been brought forth in the very midnight of Popery or died well nigh three hundred yeeres ago Scarse Scotus himselfe not Ockam questionlesse though shut vp in a prison where no light of any expositor had euer come could haue made a more dunsticall collection of the Apostles wordes then he hath done Saint Peter meant one of these Three First that there can bee no certaine or probable way of expounding Scriptures by our proper wit or industry or Secondly that one or other place of Scripture cannot be rightly expounded by humane wit or industry but so compared they rightly may or Thirdly that the Scriptures cannot certainely and infallibly be expounded euery where without the sentence of some other common infallible authority which in this respect is to be held as iudge of faith in the Church The Apostle hee inferres did not meane the first or second ergò the third So as the force and wisdome of the Apostolicall admonition is this No man by his priuate industry or study howsoeuer imployed eyther hee thougt not of the holy Ghosts direction or assistance or did not except it no not by any search of Scripture it selfe can certainely and infallibly vnderstand the doctrine of Scriptures in controuersies of which Saint Peter in that place speakes not one word but it is necessary he learne this of some other publike authority in the church by which the Holy Ghost speakes publikely and teacheth all His reason followes more duncticall then the collection it selfe For the Apostle straight subions As the holy men of God did speake in Scriptures not by humane authority but diuine so likewise cannot the Scriptures bee possibly vnderstood by any humane or priuate industry of this or that man but by some other authority likewise diuine by which the holy spirite which is the Author of Scriptures may be likewise the most certain interpreter of Scriptures 4 Had another read thus much vnto me and bid me read the Author or his workes wherein it was found I should presently haue named eyther Erasmus Moriae Encomium Frishlins Priscianus Vapulans or some such like Comedian disposed in meriment to pen some olde Dunces part Cannot the Sun of righteousnesse infuse his heauenly influence by the immediate operation of his spirit or doth his influence want force without coniunction with this blasing Comet or falling starre Was it not the authority of this spirit which made Saint Peter himselfe to be so authentique in his doctrine Is it not the pretended priuiledge of the same
visible then colours seeing by it alone colours become actually visible so will it necessarily follow that the churches declaration that is the Popes priuiledge for not erring is more stedfastly to be beleeued as more credible in it selfe then eyther the Canon of Scriptures or any thing therein contayned because these become actually credible vnto vs onely by the churches declaration which cannot possibly ought auaile for their beleefe vnlesse it were better beleeued 6 Perhaps the Reader will here challenge mee that this last instance proues not al that I proposed in the title of this chapter For it onely proues the Popes supremacie is better to bee beleeued then that Christ is come in the flesh that God did euer speake to men in former ages by his Prophets and in later by his sonne But this inferres no absolute alienation of our beleefe from Christ seeing euen in this respect that wee beleeue the Church or Pope so wel we must needs beleeue that Christ is come in the flesh and that God hath spoken to vs sundrie wayes for thus much the Pope auoucheth Yea but what if the church teach vs that Christ is our Lord and Redeemer and yet vrge vs to doe that which is contumelious to his Maiestie What if it teach vs that these Scriptures are Gods Word and yet binde vs by her infallible decrees to breake his Lawes and giue his spirit the lie Should we make profession of beleeuing as the Pope teacheth and yet take his meaning to be onely such as Marnixius whom we better beleeue would make it His Holinesse would quickly pronounces vs Apostataes from the Catholike faith Or if this suffice not the indifferent Reader for satisfying my former promise let him haue patience but for a while and I will pay him all 7 Their first maine position That no priuate man can certainely know the Canon of Scriptures to bee Gods word but by relying vpon the present Church inferres as much as hath beene said much more will follow from their second That no man can certainely bee perswaded of the true sense and meaning of particular propositions contained in the general Canon without the same Churches testimony vnto whom the authentique interpretation or dijudication of Scriptures wholly belongs Imagine the former parties now fully perswaded of the Scriptures diuine truth in generall should by the Consistory which late catechized them be questioned about the meaning of some particular places Cons. Wee hope you adore the consecrated host with diuine worship as oft as you meete it in procession Cat. Desirous wee are to doe any thing that becomes good Christians and obedient sons vnto our holy mother the Church but wee cannot satisfie out conscionces how this may stand with the principles of Christianity Your Holinesses for which we rest yours vnto death haue assured vs these sacred volumes are the very words of God and his words we know must bee obeyed Now since wee know these to be his wordes wee haue found it written in them Thou shalt worshippe the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue It is wee doubt our simplicity that will not suffer vs to conceiue how the consecrated Host can be adored as God without open breach of his commandement For to our shallow vnderstanding there is no necessity to perswade vs Christ God and man should bee hid in it These words Hoc est corpus meum mny beare many interpretations no way pregnant to this purpose And it is doubtfull whether Christs body though really present in the Sacrament should retaine the same presence in procession whereas the former commandement is plaine Wee must worshippe the Lord our God and him onely must we serue Consist Yee thinke this Text is plaine to your late purpose wee thinke otherwise Whether is more meet yee to submit your priuate opinions to our publike spirits or vs that are Pastors to learne of you seely sheepe Cat. Therefore are your seruants come vnto you that they may learne how to obey you in this decree without idolatry well hoping that as ye enioyne vs absolutely to obey you in it so yee can giue vs full assurance wee shall not disobey the spirit of God in the former great commandement whose exposition we most desire 8 Would these or like supplications though conceiued in Christian modesty though proposed with religious feare and awfull regard of their persons though presented with teares and sighes or other more euident signes of inward sorrow finde any entrance into Romish Prelates eares or moue the Masters of the Inquisition house to forbeare exaction of obedience to the former or other decree of the Trent Councel Were the forme of the decree it selfe vnto priuate iudgements neuer so contradictory to Gods expresse written lawes or the consequence of practizing as it prescribes neuer so dreadfull to the doubtfull conscience How much better then were it for such silly soules had they neuer knowne the Bookes of Moses to haue been from God for so committing idolatry with stocks and stones or other creatures they had done what was displeasing to their Master iustly punishable yet with fewer stripes because his will was not made known vnto them But now they know it and acknowledge the truth of this commandement To what end That they may bee left without all excuse for not doing it They see the generall truth of Gods Oracles that they may bee more desperately blinded in wilfull peruerting the particulars For what glory could the allurement of silly ignorant men to simple idolatry be vnto great Antichrist Let them first subscribe to the written Lawes of the euerliuing God and afterwardes wholly submit themselues to his determinations for their practise and so the opposition betwixt him and the Deity betwixt his iniunctions and the decrees of the Almighty may bee more positiue more directly contrary The Heathen or others not acknowledging Gods word at all are rightly tearmed vnbeleeuers men thus beleeuing the Scriptures in generall to be Gods word from the testimony of the Church and yet absolutely relying vpon her iudgement for the meaning of particular places are transported from vnbeliefe to misbeliefe from grosse ignorance to wilfull defiance of God his lawes Finally they are brought to know Gods word that they may doubt in this and like fearefull practises enioyned that so first doubting and afterwards desperately resoluing absolutely to follow the Churches iniunction against that sense and meaning of the diuine decrees which the holy spirit doth dictate to their priuate consciences they may without doubt be damned for not abiding in the truth Like their first parents they heare Gods sentence but preferre the interpretations of Sathans first borne before their owne because it must bee presumed hee is more subtle then they Or to referre the two maine streames of this iniquity to their proper heads The first That we cannot know the olde or new Testament to be Gods word but by relying vpon the Church makes all subscribers to