hath ben alwayes since the times of Christ so visible as the Romanists hould it to haue ben that is with visible Pastors teachers and a visible flock or congregation of people assignable in all ages and times therefore I will proue it first by plaine texts of Scripture then by authoritie of ancient Fathers first that the true Church is absolutely visible then that it is perpetually visible The absolute visibilitie of the Church is â—aught in all those places of Scripture which speake of the Church as of a knowne congregation or companie of people as S. Math. Die Ecclesiâ— coÌ„firma fratrâ—t tues Pasce oues meas Pascite qui in vobis est gregeÌ„ Dei the â—8 tell the Church S. Luc. 22. confirme thy brothers â—ohn 20. feede my sheepe 1. Pet. 5. feed the flocke 〈◊〉 God which is among you S. Paul 1. Cor. 15. Affirâ—nes that he himselfe did persecute the Church And most commonly his Epistles are directed â—o the Churches as to the Church of Rome Corinth Ephesus And finally ther is scarce â—nie mention of the Church in the whole Bible wher the visibilitie of the same is not plainely signified therefore it is compared to a citie vpon a mountaine Math. 5. In illo moÌ„te est qui impleuit orbeÌ„ terrarum nunquid sic ostend mus Ecclesiaâ— fratres noÌ„ne aperta estâ— nonnâ— manifesta c. Aug. trac 1. in r. ep loan according to the exposition of that place made by S. Augustin in his booke of the vnitie of the Church the â—4 20. Chapter Of which inuisibilitie ther are likewise plaine texts in the second chapter of Isaias the fourth of Micheas where conformable to the cited wordes of S. Math. the â— woe Prophets affirme that ther will be in the latter Dayes a mount aine prepared the house of God Which wordes Sainct Augustin most perspicuously interprets of the Church of Christ Also ther is a verie pregnant place to this putpose the 61. of Isai where speaking of the people of God the Prophet saith all that shall see them shall know them to be the seed which God hath blessed Euangelizare pauperibus mi sit me c. Luc. 18. Which wordes Christ himselfe in the fourth of S. Luke doth plainely insinuate to be meant of his Church in regarde he applies some of the precedent words of the same chapter of Isaie to himselfe the propagatior of the same Church by his preaching And according to these the like phrase of Scripture the ancient Fathers doe commonly speake of the Christian Church S. Augustin in his second Booke against Cresconius Saith thus Extat Ecclesia cuncta clara atque perspicua Cap. 36. quippe ciuitas quae abscondi non potest supra montem constituta The Church is all cleare perspicuous as being a citie which cannot hiden be placed vpon a mountaine And S. Chrysostome in hiâ— fourth homilie vpon the 6. chap. of Isaias hath that memorable sentence Facilius est solem extingui quam Ecclesiam obscurari The sunne mâ— more easily be extinguished then the Church obscured I could alledge most plaine words to thâ— same purpose out of the rest of the ancient Doctors but because those twoe alone are of segreat authoritie that they ought to satisfie aniâ— vnpartiall iudgement in matter of testification of the sense doctrine of ancient time touching this point therefore I esteemed 〈◊〉 supersluous to produce their seuerall sentences Perhaps some of our aduersaries will say the doe not denie but both scriptures and Father doe teach in generall that the Church is visible yet they denie that scriptures Fathers reach that it must necessarily be visible in all ages times but rather that like vnto the noone it suffers Eclypses and defects by perseeution or by other meanes To this which is a miere voluntarie euasion as anie one of iudgement may easily perceiue I answer first that supposing both the sentences of scriptures Fathers of the visibilitie of the Church are generall absolute without limitation it is manifestly conuinced that their meaning could not be that the Church is visible onely for a time or at certaine times and not perpetually by reason that according to â—he common rule of interpretation generall wordes are to be vnderstood properly with â—ll their extension as long as noe inconuenieÌ„ce followes thereof as certaine it is apparent that none can followe of the continuall visibiâ—tie of the Church wheras on the contrarie both manie great in conueniences insue of the want of the same as after shall be declaâ—ed Neither can anie one place either of scripture or Fathers be produced by the opposers of this doctrine in which anie such limitation of the sentences of the Fathers is contained either â—n wordes or sense or in anie other sorte so â—lainely as by the generalitie of the foresaid Phrases of Scripture ancient Doctors all reâ—riction is excluded Secondly I impugne the same euasion for that if it be once graunted that the Church is not alwayes visible then it followes that in the times of the inuisibilitie of the same there are no visible Pastors nor preachers to minister the true word Sacraments to the people yea that there are no such people in the world consequently that thereis noe Church either visible or inuisible by reason that a Church whether we feigne it to be visible or inuisible essentially consists of people which people are in like manner essentially visible as muchas corporall nor can they if they would be visible except it be either by miracle or else by arte magique or some such vnlawfull meanes Nay more if they were once inuisible either by miracles arte or nature how can it be knowne but by ther owne testimonie that they euer were truely extant to which neuerthelesse noe man can prudently giue credit especially in a matter of such importance And thus we see that out of this one absurâ—itie of the want of visibilitie in the Church a thousand others doe followe as that ther are vivisible Pastors vet inuisible that ther are visible people yet inuisible that ther is a Church yet noe Church And if our aduersaâ—ies say ther are true Pastors true faithfull people a true Church that ther wants onely a true profession of faith in the Pastors people Church Then I replie first it is manifest that if ther be no prefession of faith in neither Pastors people nor anie parte of the Church then can it not possible be a true Church or the Church of the Predestinate as they will haue it but a Congregation onely or companie of timerous cowardly people which dare not professe their faith Ore autem confessio fit ad salutim consequently not the Church of Christ in which not faith onely but also profession of faith is necessarie to saluation according to the doctrine of the Apostle saying that with the hart we beleeue
Doctors c. To the consummation of the Saints till we meet all into the vnitie of faith into aperfect man That is vntill the day of iudgement Vpon which place sainct Augustin in his 12 booke of the Citie hath large discourses to this purpose in the 16.17 18. chapters And the trueth is that Christ himselfe hauing in this speciall manner designed such persons for gouernors teachers in his Church till the end of the world doubtlesse his meaning was not that they should be such dumme dogs as the establishers of the inuisibilitie doe affirme them to haue ben in their imaginarie Church for a long time together But his diuine will pleasure was they should be custodes Ierusalem qui tota die tota nocte non tacebunt in perpetuum That is Christ would haue them such watchmen or keepers of Ierusalem that is to say the Church as shall not be silent till the end of the world in no time nor vpon anie occasion Which perpetuitie of the visible gouernement of the Church is grounded in the perfection of Christs diuine prouidence mercie towardes the members thereof for whome of his infinitie goodnes he pleased to haue the way to saluation continuallie open Which otherwise if the true Church had ben at anie time hidden or inuisible as at the least some of those against whome I nowe dispute will haue it then it could not possible haue ben so Yea manie thousands or rather millions of men had liued dyed out of the state of saluation as being impossible for them to finde enter into the true Church all that space of time in which it is feigned by them to haue remained inuisible or out of knowledge And thus much for the impugnation of that parte of our aduersaries which defeds that the true Church is not perpetuallie or in all differences of times visible the absurditie of which doctrine diuers of the defenders of the English Church of later standing aduertiseing also because they find it not so plausible to their auditors as they could wish they haue ventured vpon another course indeuoring to shewo that the same Church Religion which is now established in England hath ben alwayes visible in the world from the time of Christ his Apostles euen till this present Which manner of proceeding of theirs altho' it is much more difficult hard to be defended then the other now confuted that by this meanes the maintainers of it doe but incidere in syllam that is by auoyding of one incouenience they fall in to a greater Yet because they persuade themselues they come nearer to the marke of prouing their Church to be Catholike in this respect as well as the Roman Church hath euer ben which indeed they might performe if they were able truelie to proue their visibilitie therfore I will breefelie demonstrate that they haue no such visibilitie as is necessarie to the constirution of the true Catholike Church as they pretend Wherefore to come to the purpose the more clearelie to conuince my intent I frame this Sylogisme against the visibilitie of their Church That Church wantes perpetuall visibilitie which cannot produce some visible professors of their doctrine in all points in all ages since the time of the Apostles till this present But the Church of England cannot produce some visible professors of their doctrine in all points ages since the tyme of the Apostles to this present Therfore the Church of England wantes perpetuall visibilitie The maior is not denyed by our aduersaries the minor hath all the difficultie that I proue And inprimis that the defenders of the English faith can produce no scripture for this point is most certaine and euident for that this is onelie a matter of fact which succeeded since the scriptures were published By occasion of which the reader may note that those professors of the English religion who in this manner defende the visibilitie of their Church doe not proceed consequenter to that other negatiue principle of theirs to wit that nothing is to be beleeued by faith but which is either expressely or by necessarie illation contained in the scriptures which generall rule of theirs in this case is manifestlie defectiue for that in it neither scripture nor deduction or consequence of scripture can seruo their turne in this particular And if they replie that they can proue their visibilitie a priori by scriptures by those places which teach perpetuallâ— visibilitie in the Church then I say that this is not the matter now in question but a subtiltie to delude the reader for the controuersie is whether they can proue their visibilitie a posteriori that is whether they can yealde vs anie authenticall profe or testimonie whenby it may certainelie appeare that the Religion now professed in England hath ben in deed perpetually visible in in all ages as the scripture Fathers aboue alledged affirme the true Church ought to bee otherwise they doe onely suppose their Church is the same which is described in the scripture but proue it not Neither doe we aske them to she we vs that such a Church in generall ther is in the world as the scriptures doe mention but we vrge them to demonstrate that their Church in particular hath the propertie or attribute of perpetuall visibilitie as the scriptures requires to be founde in the onely indiuiduall true Church of Christ till they can performe this they neither speake according to the sense of scriptures nor satisfie vs in our demaunde Wherfore I proue the minor proposition of of the argument aboue framed because no authenticall historie can beproduced in which it is related that this Religion of England now commonly ther professed beleeuing maintaining that ther ar but 22. bookes of Canonicall scripture onely That they ar to be expounded by the spirit of euerie priuat person That man is iustified by faith onely That ther ar onely two sacraments instituted by Christ That the bodie of Christ is giuen receiued eaten in the Sacrament in a spirituall manner that is by faith onely finally I say that for testimonie of that these diuers others of the 39. articles of the English Religion haue ben taught or preached in all ages since the tyme of Christ his Apostles in anie Kingdome prouince towne or yet in anie one corner of the whole world tho' neuer so abscure ther is not extant anie kinde of recorde And therfore it is incredible in the highest degree that anie professors of it can be produced in euerie seuerall age since the foundation of the true Church of Christ for that if anie such had ben in anie tyme or place for so long a space together it is as certaine as it is certaine ther hath ben in all that successe of tyme sunne moone starres in the firmament or fishes in the sea that some writer or other would haue made mention of the same And if Historiographers
be so curious exact in this nature that ther was neuer anie conuenticle of sectaries so smale or obscure but it hath ben noted related by some of them much lesse could such a Church as our English Nouellists pretend theirs to be haue lurked so closse as that no mention of it should be founde in histories or recordes of former ages before the daies of Luther It is not absolutely impossible to coÌ„ceiue that Christ might haue established an inuisible Church in this world at the least for a tyme but that he should haue ordained his church with pertetuitie of visible pastors yet that neither their names seates parishes or any other monument of them either dead or aliue can be produced to make it visibly appeare that they were professors in all points of the same Religion which now is professed in England this I say is aboue all admiration neither can it possible seeme credible to anie sounde vndestanding on mature iudgment Secondly I proue the same minor for that diuers of our English aluersaries hauing of late vsed the vttermost of their power industrie in this particular yet haue they not come neare the performance of their purposes but in lieu of produceing professors of their Religion in the seuerall ages of the Church they cast in to their Catalogue either such as haue ben flatly against them in diuers points in which they differ from the Roman Church or such as haue ben condemned for heretikes in tymes past that partely euen for doctrine coÌ„trarie to some of the articles of the English faith as appeares for example in wiclef Hus Maledicta ergo doctrina Wiclef quo considere iubet c. Wald. p 3. c. sep seq of which the first defended that more confidence is to be placed in mans owne proper merites then in humble prayer that a preist in mortall sinne caÌ„not validly baptize that for Ecclesiasticall persons to haue possessiones is contrarie to scripture The second neueâ—idenyed the reall presence nor merit Or els those whom the defeÌ„ders of the English faith dusigne for members of the same were such as because they speake some thing doubtfully in onely some one point of the Roman doctrine of which rake is Presbiter Bertrame they putiâ—hem in their list as if they were wholely intyrely theirs Notobstanding they are knowne to be quite apposite vnto them in all the rest of their faith profession The which how pore inconsiderate a shifte it is the iudicious reader will presently perceiue condeme their weake false proceeding Lastely for confirmation of the impossibiâ—itie of euer prouing the perpetuall visibilitie of â—he Church of England it may be added that King Iames who was the greatest most â—amous defender of the newe Religion that â—uer writ as it seemes considering better this â—oint then others that follow him was so warie 〈◊〉 circumspect that he would neuer cast himâ—elfe into this most dangerous gulfe as apâ—eares by his Monitorie in which altho' his whole drift was to proue his owne Church to â—e the true Church of Christ yet did he make â—o expresse mentioÌ„ of the visible Church more â—hen of the inuisible but onely proceedes 〈◊〉 generall termes without distinction as â—oulding it impossible to maintaine the visibiâ—â—tie of it in all former tymes ages for which â—â—ason he prudently declined that controâ—ersie And in deed the trueth is that who soeuer he 〈◊〉 that shall vndertake the taske of prouing â—erpetuall visibilitie in anie of the pretensiue â—â—formed Churches will be no more able to â—rforme it then an infant were able to rowle â—siphus stone or accomplish the labors of Hercules whence it is consequent that 〈◊〉 aduersaries what soeuer they pretend trueâ— want vniuersalitie of tyme in their Church whether they defend it to be visible or inâ—â—sible which is that same which the maior minor of my second sylogisme aboue proposed doe affirme which may suffice for thiâ— parte of the discourse I here prosecute Now touching the other twoe Kyndes oâ— vniuersallitie to wit of place persons they ar so annexed one to the other that they aâ— morally speaking either all one or at the lease out of the negation of the one is necessarity inferred the nagation of the other For example if it be true that the religion of England neither is nor was in euerie place of the world it thence infallibly falloweth that it neither iâ— nor was in all persons of the world as in like manner it also followes that if it was not for manie ages together in anie place of the world it is also manifest it was not for the same spacâ— of tyme in anie person in the world by reason of this connexion betwixt the vniuersallitie of place persons I will treate of theâ— both vnder the name of place supposing for certaine that whatsoeuer defect of vniuersallitie of place shall be discouered in the English Religion the same defect is found to be iâ— they muersallitie of persons professors of it And here also I giue the reader notice by thâ— way that when the Romanists exact of their â—duersaries onely to produce some professors â—f their Religion in euerie seuerall age they â—se no smale fauor towardes them in that manâ—er of proceeding in regarde that to conuince â—heir Church to haue ben perpetually visible â—roperly speaking they ought not onely to â—nde out some few persons of anie sorte of â—eople what soeuer but they ar obledged in â—eason to shew a perfect order or Ierarchie of â—cclesiasticall persons to haue ben continually 〈◊〉 their Church for that both the visible Church of Christ was so planted in the world â—y him selfe also progated by his Apostles 〈◊〉 more ouer because the Romanists defacto â—an shewe the same to haue ben perpetually in â—â—e Church Religion which they professe â—hat is in that Church of which haue euer ben â—eades or Cheefe Pastors the Popes of Rome â—y continuall ininterrupted succession from 〈◊〉 Peter who was the first Bishop Pope of â—hat most famous seat Now this being supposed I proue ther is no â—niuersallitie of place in the Church of Enâ—land by this silogisme following Ther wants vniuersallitie of place in that Religion which in all points of it doctrine neiâ—her is nor euer hath ben preached or profesâ—ed in all or most places of the world But the Religion of England in all points of it doctrine neither is nor euer hath beâ— preached or professed in all or most places 〈◊〉 the world Ergo the Religion of England hath no vâ—uersallitie of place I proue the Maior first by the etymologâ— or prime signification of the word vniuersaâ— which as I haue alreadie aboue declared importeth one in manie or rather one in all aâ— appeareth in humane nature abstracted which is not onely one the same in manie bâ—â— also participated in euerie particular or indiuiduall person And altho' it is true that vniuersallitie
dayes might with farre greater reason haue affirmed the same of the RomaÌ„ church in which then owne bookes manifeste them to haue liued as partes members being nowe much more extended then at that time it was And certainely for the defenders of the Church of England to imagin that althoâ— their Religion hiâ—herto hath not ben vniuersall in the world yet that hereafter it will be vniuersall before the end of the world is both voyde of probabilitie ridiculous First because it is the nature of true Religion to bring zeale feruor with it especially in the begining as appeareth in the Apostles their successors in the first ages who not obstanding all the impediments that the deuill by humane wit malice could contriue yet dâ—d they extend propagate the faith of Christ in diuers nations kingdomes both remote barbarous Wherefore if the Religion of England had ben the true faith of Christ doubtlesse it would by the professors of it haue ben long since so extended dilated that it should not need to be brought to those streits as to fetch their vniuersalitie from the verie end of the world Secondly because the nature of the Religion of England is such that it hath no conuenient meanes for propagation of itselfe in the whole world inregard that those to whome the charge of preaching teach the same is committed are meÌ„ that are all either actually tyed to wiues children posteritie or els liue in expection desire of those temporall or transitorie commodities scarce euer dreame of extending their Religion farther then their owne seuerall Parishes yea their doctrine it selfe teaches them that either they must all marie of necessitie as some of them maintaine or at the least that it is more expedient secure for them to marie then to lead a single life supposing which particulars it is morally vnpossible for them euer to preach their faith to all nations as Christ commaundeth with such clogges at their heeles as are wife children posteritie Thirdlie it is certainelie knowne that since the Religion of England was established in the forme manner that now it is in the professors of it neuer went to ante foren nation purposely to preach their faith much lesse haue they euer taken anie generall course for the conuersion of infidels by anie mission of Ministers or by other meanes Or if anie of them haue trauelled into strange countries which are knowne to be verie fewe in number it hath ben onelie or cheefely for temporall respects as for that they haue ben silenced in their owne countrie for preaching some extrauagant errours or els for some other crime or publike offence committed or perhaps some pore vnbenificed ignorant threedbare fellowes who for want of meanes to maintaine themselues resolue desperatelie to trye their fortune in an other place onelie for that respect not for charitie or zeale of reduceing people to Christian Religion And if perhaps they finde anie pore blackamore or other barbarian that heareing the name of Christians desires to be of their Religion yet these false Apostles proceed so superficiallie with them giue them so smale ill instruction that it is to be feared that after they haue baptized them on their fashion they still remaine as black as they were before both in bodie soule Nay their deuotion is so could in this nature that they themselues are ashamed either to write or to brag of it as experience doth teach for that there is not anie booke extant that eâ—er I could heare of in which it may appeare that they haue performed anie notable matter in this particular The discalced Carmelits at this present hane obtained Bishops for their mission in Persia euen by the Kings permission as I am informed Whereas yet on the contrarie histories are full of the infinit number of Infidels which the professors of the Roman Church haue conuerted dayly conuert to the Christian faith both in the Oriental Occidental Indies other places that with losse of their liues whatsoeuer other comodities they haue in this world as is manifest especiallie in the foure Orders of Mendicants the Iesuits who not obstanding innumerable difficulties still continue their annuall Missions ordained to that same end purpose of propagating Catholike Religion in all countries nations Lastelie I say that for the professors of the English faith to say that their Religion will be extended thro' the whole world before the day of Iudgement is mierlie their owne prediction to which no man of mature iudgement ought to giue credit except they first proue themselues to be true Prophets which in my opinion they can no more performe then they can proue the descent of their pedegree from sainct Michael the Archangell And thus wesee plainelie that the English Religion as now it is professed being destitute of all meanes to propagate it self as hitherto it neither is nor euer was vniuersall in the world so neither can it be imagined with anie probable coulour of reason that euer it can possible in future times come to be spred ouer all the nations of the whole world as according to scriptures Fathers the true Church ought to be the mator of my former Sylogisme doth affirme And not to insiste anie longer in this matter I in like manner proue the minor proposition of the same argument by the same reasons which I haue vsed for the proofe of the foresaid mator which if they be duelie applied to the English Religion they will plainelie demonstrate that the Religion of England neither hath ben is nor euer will be preached published in all partes of the world consequentlie that it hath not vniuersallitie of place which is that which the conclusion of the argument doth containe It is true I further conceiue that the professors of the English faith as men disposed to cauille may yet once againe replie say that in regarde their Religion is the same with the Religion of the Apostles therefore it hath the same vniuersallitie which the Apostolicall Religion hath But to this I reioyne anser firste that I haue shewed before that the Religion now prosessed in England doth differ in diuers points from the faith of the Apostles the particulars of which difference I haue before specified as is that of iustification by faith onelie the deny all of the reall presence the rest Secondlie I say that this replie is that kinde of absurditie in disputation which the LogitiaÌ„s call petitio Principij that is when that is assumed by the disputant for a true certaine Principle which ought to be proued as being the verie matter in question so this is onelie an euasion of the aduersarie which hath no more force them his owne authoritie giues it which is none at all And now by this that more which hath ben sayd touching the vniuersallitie of place persons it is most
Religion euerie one according to their seuerall manner And to this declaration of the text I adde the expesitions of all those ancient Fathers who haue applyed this place of malachie to the Eucharist as to the onely proper sacrifice of the newe Testament ther being not one extant in all antiquitie who hath deliuered anie contrarie sense of it or that hath explicated it of prayers or workes alone S. Iustin martyr who liued within the compasse of the second age speaketh plainely to this purpose citing the wordes of the prophet Dialogo c◠Tryphone in which he affirmes that malachie foretels a newe oblation to succeed the sacrifice of the Iewes saying De hostijs quae ipsi deo à nobis Gentibus vbique offeruntur id est Eucharistiae tum predicit cum ait à nobis nomen suum gloria affici vobis autem pollui Which is this in English God by Malachye the Prophet for in this māner Iustin speaketh in his precedent wordes doth prophesie of the hoastes or sacrifices which are in euerie place offered by vs Gentils meaning conuerted Gentils that is of the bread of the Eucharist likewise of the cup of the Encharist when he saith that his name is glorified by vs but polluted by you meaning the Preists of the old Testament Now since this renowned martyr both particularly declares that the Prophet Malachies prediction is meante of the Eucharist supposing he further affirmes the same Eucharist to haue ben offered by the Christian Preists of his tyme in all places yea that therby the name of God is glorified it is extreame want of iudgement or rather plaine madnes in our aduersaries to denie that the Prophet speaketh of a true proper sacrifice And althou the same Father in his precedent lines doth insinuate that the Eucharist is a gratiarumaction or rendering of thankes for diuers benefits receiued by Christians at the handes of God as the creation of the worlde the memorie of their Redemption other of that nature yet those or the like causes of the offering of the Eucharist doe no more diminish the nature of a true sacrifice included in the same then hostia pacifica the hoaste of pacification did cease to be a true oblation or sacrifice because it was offered by way of thankes giuing for benefits receiued or els to obtaine new fauors graces of God almightie By which also the friuolous euasion of kemntitius other Nouellists appeares to be voyde of force while they endeuoure to illude the streingth of this most pregnant testimonie for the proofe of the Euchariticall sacrifice of the lawe of Christ for that reason to wit because the author of the same testimonie in the same place affirmes our sauior to haue comaunded the Eucharist to be celebrated in remembrance of his death an passion as if the one the other could not be included in the same action either according to diuine scripture or naturall reason neither of which is founde repugnant but rather most conformable agreeing Lib. 4. cap. 32. Eum qui est ex creatura pa nem accepit gratias egit dicens Hoc est corpus meum salicem similiter qui est ex ca crentura qua est secundum nos suum sanguinem confessus est noui Testamenti nouam docuit oblationem Quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens offert Deo in vniuerso mundo ei quialimenta nobis prastat primitias suorum munerum de quo in duodectm Prophetis sic Malachias prasignauit Lib. 4. cap. 32. S. Irenaeus in like manner being one of the same standing testifies that the Prophet Malachie did presignifie the Eucharist in those same wordes which he cites saith That bread which is made of a creature he that is Christ tooke gaue thankes saying this is my bodie And likewise the chalis which is of a creature which is according to vs confessed it to be his owne bloud taught vs a newe oblation of the newe Testament which the Church receiuing from the Apostles offers to God in the vniuersall world to him who giues vs for nourishment the primicies of first frutes of his giftes of which Malachie one of the twelue Prophets did so presignifie Lhaue no pleasure in you And that sainct Irenaeus speaketh not of an vnproper Sacrifice as Kemnitius some other sectaries doe cauille is most euident by other wordes of his towardes the end of the same chapter where he addeth that the former people that is the Iewes shall cease to offer to God Yet neuerthelesse that in euerie place a pure Sacrifice is offerred vnto him his name glorified among the Gentils More ouer in his 24. chapter he saith that one kinde of sacrifice is reproued by God meaning the sacrifice of the Iewes to which the sacrifice the of Church succeedes By which discourse particularlie by those wordes which he saith of Christ noui Testamenti nouam docuit oblatiouem that is he taught a newe oblation of the newe Testament it is clearelie conuinced that this holie Father by the worde oblation could not possible vnderstand almes as our aduersaries contendes because altho' it be in some sorte an oblation to God yet is it neither newe nor proper to the newe Testament onelie but common to both old newe as the scripture it self doth most frequently teach inculcate More ouer this place of sainct Irenaeus did so farre conuince the iudgement of Caluin in this particular that like the deuils which according to the relation of the Euangelist acknowledged Christ against their wils he confesseth him to haue expounded it of the Masse iuste as the Romanists of later times vse to interpret applie it hath no other refuge then plainelie to contradict the foresaid ancient Fathers exposition in this impudent audatious manner sayeing of the Roman diuines When they obiect the place of Malachie to be vnderstood so of the Sacrifice of the Masse by Irenaeus the offering of Melchisedech in like manner by Athanasius Ambrose Augustin Arnobius it is breefelie ansered that the same writers doe in other places also interpret bread the bodie of Christ but so ridiculouslie that reason trueth constreineth vs to dissent from them thus this saucie Nouellist speakes of his betters whose pride bouldnes the Centurists imitate treating this same point in their third Centurie as if they were the onelie men in the world borne for reason not those rather who immediatelie succeeding the Apostles did infinitlie surpasse them both in virtue knowledge of Christian doctrine true sense of Gods diuine worde institution Tertullian declaring the sacrifice prophecied by Malachie against Marcion Sacrificium purum gloria scilicet relatio benedictio laus hymni c. Lib. 3. Contra Marc. alluding to his wordes saith thus In euerie place sacrifice is offerred to my name pure sacrifice viz. of glorie relation benediction prayse hymnes
THE CONVICTION OF NOVELTIE AND DEfense of antiquitie OR DEMONSTRATIVE ARGVMENTS of the falsitie of the newe Religion of England And trueth of the Catholike Roman faith DELIVERED IN TWELVE PRINCIPAL Sylogismes and directed to the more scholasticall wits of the Realme of great Britanie especially to the ingenious students of the two most renowned vniuersities of Oxford Cambrige AVTHOR R. B. Roman Catholike and one of the English Clergie and Mission GRATIAS AGO 〈◊〉 MEO PERIESVM CHRIstum pro omnibus 〈…〉 vestra annuntiatur in vniuersa 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.6 QVISQVIS ES ASSERTOR NOVORVM Dogmatum quaeso te vt parcas Romanis auribus parcas fidei quae ab Apostolico ore laudata est S. Hier. op ad â—amachium Oceanum CATVAPOLI Apud viduam MARCI WYONIS Anno M.DC.XXXII THE PREFACE AND DEDICATION of the worke ONe none of the smalest differences betwixt trueth falsitie is that trueth is able to defend it selfe onely by trueth neither doth it euer appeare so decent either in publique or priuate as in it owne naturall habit wheras on the contrarie falsitie as being of an imperfect base qualitie can not possible subsiste maintaine it selfe except it be apparelled with the furtiue robes of trueth And therfore our diuine Sauiour knowing preuiding how easilie his seruants might be deceiued by taking the one for the other that is false doctrine for true as a most prudent circumspect louing master he giues vs a speciall warning to beware of those who come vnto vs in the garments of sheepe insinuating herby that it is the common practice of teachers preachers of false doctrine to vse false colors Attendite à falsis Prophetis qui 〈◊〉 ad â—â—s in ve sâ—ementis â—uium intriniecus autem sant lupâ— rapaces Matth. 7.15 to carie the badge of trueth tho' they haue no trueth in them or at the least none but such as is mingled with much falsitie deceipt for the same cause he addeth of such false Prophets that inwardly they ar rauenous wolues that is what soeuer out warde shew they make how soeuer they colore the matter they are not true Pastors Perdere volebant mactare ocâ—idere Videamus illos si forâ—e ipsi intrant per ostium in ouile qui ipsius Christi nomine gloriantur Innumerabiles enim sunt qui se videntes non solum iactant sed à Christo illuminator videri voluÌ„t Sunt aute haretici tract 45. in IoaÌ„ they come not truely to feed the flock of Christs but as S. Augustin saith of the gentilicall Philosophers heretiks they come to kill destroye Iuste in this manner doth it passe with the teachers establishers of the new Religion in England They veste themselues with sheeps skins in that they make profession of reformers of the Church but vnder the specious pleasant color of reformation they deforme all true Religion faith virtue King Henry the 8. altho' he was not of this Religion which is at this present professed practiced in England yet was hee the first that opened the way vnto it this vnder the color of reformation an yet what monster was euer more deformed then hee he was vniformiter deformiter deformis deformed I meane both with in without both in bodie soule What a rauenous wolfe was hee Howe manie religious conuents monsteries did he deforme deface destroye What a number of religious persons did he turne to the wyde world to lead an irreligious life exposing them to the breach of their solemne vowes to God Finally what a generall libertye did he introduce both in faith manners in all sortes of people he him selfe being the master of misrule ringleader to all licentiousnes And according to this begining his sonne successor did continue who altho' his tender yeares weaknes of bodie did not permit him to imitate the vices of his Father yet had he tutors protectors that were not farre behynde their old master neither in corruption of faith nor manners Whoe seeking for new Euangelists in forraine countries fouÌ„de Bucer Martir others whoe 's fingers tickled to be working in the newe haruest who coming in to the countrye finding the people generally inclined to libertie easily made their entrance into change of Religion so in a shorte tyme vnder the plausible title of reforming abuses in the Church they introduced a forme of Religion neuer heard of in England as neither in the rest of the Christian world in all particulars thus promissing Christian libertie they intruded an vnchristian corruption both in doctrine lyfe making by that meanes of an ill begining in the Father a worse continuation in the sonne Which ill begining continuatioÌ„ excepting that religious interruption of Queene Maries tyme had a yet more vnchristian progresse in the Reigne of Queene Elisabeth who not content with the proceedings eithers of her Father or brother in that nature but adding euill to euill for politique ends as not houlding her selfe Crowne safe except she did first extinguish the ancient Religion of the Realme by reason of the knowne flawe of her title she inacted those seuere lawes against both Catholike Clergie laytie which haue ben still executed by her successors iltho ' throu ' the naturall clemencie of our present soueraine not in that sanguinarie manner that then they were put in practice execution And thus I haue signified in breefe the origine continuation progresse of the new professed faith in England which notobstanding it carieth with it neuer so glorious a resemblance of reformation yet is it but a new fashion framed mierly for the profit conueniencie of the inuentors to please phantasticall curious itching wits myndes inclined to libertie And so daylie altering as newe fashions in apparell vse to alter by diuine prouidence it will at leingth vanish away turne to the old fashion againe I meane to the ancient Religion most vniuersally euer professed both ther in the rest of the Christian world For the furtherance adnauncement of which that which here I intende to proue is that the Religion whose begining successe I haue nowe compendiously declared as publiquely commonly professed at this day in England is no true ReligioÌ„ but a false erroneous doctrine practice deceitfully masked disquised with the apparell of trueth on the contrarie that the present Roman faith is the onely true Religion as with Gods assistance by my arguments against the one in fauor of the other it will appeare to the learned louers of trueth to whome cheefely I consecrate these my labors as to the most ingenious ingenuous myndes A breefe prelocution to the readers PEraduenture at the first sight of this treatise you will expect an other Campian coming to chalenge you to disputation It is true I professe I am a Campion in Religion but not a Champion to prouoke
you neither doe I intend to persuade you in a Rhetoricall manner but onely to propose vnto your ingenuous myndes mature iudgements pure trueth pure falsitie in their owne seuerall natiue habits colors as good an euill to the end that by your free election you may stretch your handes to the one leaue the other according as you shall finde your selues moued by diuineinspiration force of reason Yet not so remissely but that if anie one should require further satisfaction let him but obtaine me a safe conduct graunted by competent authoritie I will not refuse to decipher the Gyrogliffe of my name as euer most readie according to Apostolicall aduise to render reason of the faith I professe And althou ' perhaps it will be iudged more sutable to my manner of proceeding deliuerie of my doctrine to haue put it in the latin tongue yet because I coÌ„sidered ther are in our countrye manie pregnant actiue wits which neuerthelesse haue smale knowledge in that language I resolued rather to publish it in the vulgar tongue to the end that all those who ar studious of trueth may be free from impediments in their search of reason Neither is it intended for euerie pedanticall bibleist but for such as in some sorte are instructed in scholastical discipline qui potest caperecapiat And if by the grace assistance of God my arguments shall but make so much impression in the readers as onely to reduce some passionate partiall myndes in matters of Religion to such a point of temper as they shall come to iudge it a thing repugnant to reason conscience that those who haue so much reason so forcible arguments for their cause should be esteemed worthy of contumelie persecution for their profession defence of the same I shall neuer accounte my paines tyme ill employed And thus I comit commende you to the grace protection of Christ our Sauior THE FIRST PARTE OF THE CONVICTION CONTAINING THE IMPVGNATIVE ARGVMENTS THE FIRST PRINCIPAL ARGVMENT AND for confutation of the English Religion which I assume for the firste parte of my disputation beginning with the name Catholike I argue in this manner All Religions which are not Catholike are false Religions But the Religion now publiklie professed in England is not Catholike Ergo the religion nowe publiklie professed in England is a false Religion In the Maior conclusion of this Sylogisme there is no difficultie neither can the aduersaâ—ies denie them The minor onelie is in controuersie it I proue with another Sylogisme in the manner following All Religions which are not vniuersall geâ—erall or common are not Catholike But the Religion now professed in England is not vniuersall generall or common Ergo the Religion now professed in England is not Catholike That the Religion is not Catholike which â—s not vniuersall generall or common is cleaâ—elie demonstrated by the signification of the worde Catholike which importeth vniuersallitie or generallitie according to the vse which euen our aduersaries themselues make of it Who in their Bibles for the Latin wordes â—pistola Catholica translate put in English the generall epistle of Iames Iude c. Not to stand vpon the ancient authoritie of sainct Augustin other Fathers Councels who when they speake of the true Church or faith â—se the name Catholike in that same seÌ„se as after shall appeare And by this the maior propoâ—ition of the second Sylogisme is sufficientlie â—roued to be true Now touching the minor â—o wit that the Religion publiklie professed in England is not generall vniuersall or common 〈◊〉 likewise proue by distinguishing all the diuers kindes of vniuersallitie which according either to Philosophie or moral doctrine can be imagined by conuincing that none of them agree to the Religion of England which I prosecute in this manner All vniuersallitie in Religion is either in the matter or material obiect of faith or in the time place persons that professe it or els in the rule or reason which directs them in the faith profession of it For proofe declaration of all which particulars that none of them be founde in the Religion of England it is to be supposed as certaine that the worde vniuersall signifieth not onelie generallitie but also vnitie so that the thing which is vniuersall must be one in itselfe as well as common to others that which not onelie the vsuall acception of the worde doth shewe which by Aristotle the rest of the Philosophers both ancient moderne is commonly taken for vnum in multis that is one thing in manie or one common to manie but also the verie etymologie sounde of the same word doth plainely declare Yea the ancient Fathers also affirme the same in those places where speaking of the vniuersallitie of the Church in place they say the Church is one and yet dispersed ouer the whole world Lib. 2. c 2. As doth Sâ— Augustin against the epistle of Gaudentius Where vsing the testimonie of sainct Cyprian among â—other words of his he relates these Vnum caâ—ut est origo vna vnamater foecundis successibus copiosa She meaning the Church â—s one head one origen Maieres nâ—stri Catholicam nominarnus vt ex ipso nomine â—stenderent quia per tâ—tum est De vnit Eccl. cap. 2. one mother replemished with frutefull successes And in the second chapter of his booke of the vnitie of the Church he saith that our ancetors called the Church Catholike to the end they might shewe by the name it selfe that she is in whole In like manner Vincentius Lyrinensis in the third ch of his booke to the vniuersallity of the Church ioyneth consent or vnion And Venerable Bede vpon the 6. chap. of the Canticles affirmes that the Church is called Catholike quia per omnes mundi partes in vnapace in vno Domini timore aedificatur That is because it is planted or built in all partes of the world in one peace one feare of God And thus it plainely appeares that the worde Catholike or vniuersall whatsoeuer els it includes yet it must of necessitie haue vnitie in that generallitie which it signifies This being supposed as a trueth which euen our aduersaries cannot resist I proue against them first that there is no vniuersallitie in the matter or obiect of their Religion with this argumentation following All religions which are not one the same in matter or obiect which Christ his Apostles preached waÌ„te vniuersallity in obiect or matter But the Religion professed in England at this present is not one the same in obiect or matter which Christ his Apostles preached Ergo the Religion professed in England at this present wantes vniuersalitie in obiect or matter The maior of this Sylogisme is iucluded in the supposition before declared at the least in parte graunted euen by our aduersaries as I suppose it being nothing else in sense but
vniuersalitie of â—atter but also perpetuall continuation of time supposing it was vnnecessarie for Christ to haue promised his contiuual assistance to his Apostles except the Religion which he deliuered vnto them had ben necessarily to be perpetuallie preached in all times without interruption euen till the day of Iudgement in which respect it implyes that relation of vniâ—ersalitie which my former argument conâ—udes And to this I ioyne Secondlie that the other â—rte of the maintainers of the English faith â—ho enterprise the defence of the visibilitie of there Religion in all ages are yet farther out â—f square then the other In regarde by this â—â—eanes they enter in to a taske which as the â—ustration of their tryall in that particular â—ath alreadie giuen experience they will neâ—er be able to performe By all which it is euidentlie appeares that the English Religion hath no such relation or respect vnto all future times intrinsecallie included in it obiect or matter or if anie reference it had it was of such temporarie smale continuance that it quite lost it by the way in all that vaste space of time which passed betweene the Popedome of sainct Gregorie the Apostacie of Martin Luther Thirdly I yet farther adde that the defenders of the English faith assume false abuse their hearers when they so commonly affirme that their Religion is the same which was taught preached by Christ his Apostles which I proue because it doth not indeed agree in all particulars with the obiect matter of the faith doctrine which Christ his Apostles published to the world as manifestly appeares by comparing some seuerall points of them both conferring the one with the other For where can the nouelistis finde either in the scripture Fathers or authenticall historie that Christ his Apostles taught that those onely bookes of scripture ar Canonicall which the Church of England holdes for such or that Christians ar iustified by that faith onely by which they beleeue their sinnes are remitted the iustice of Christ applyed vnto them by the faith same that euerie one in particular is bounde so to beleeue that this faith onely is necessarie sufficient to saluation or wher doe they finde that Christ his Apostles preached that the onely written worde is necessarie sufficient to saluation where doe they reade in scripture or Fathers that the visible Church planted by Christ increased by the preaching of the Apostles continuated by a disinterrupted succession of Pastors can erre in faith that ther is no Purgatorie nor place of satisfaction either in this world or the next for lesser sinnes or the paine due to greater or that in the Sacrament of Eucharist the bodie bloud of Christ at not contained receiued other wise then figuratiuely by faith a lone I knowe they can shewe vs none of these seuerall propositions either in scriptures or doctors of the Church or by anie authenticall historie or relation that the same haue ben taught by Christ or his Apostles I am assured that all they can performe in this case is to produce certaine textes of scripture which to the ignorant sorte of people may seeme to haue resemblance with those their positions but none soe plaine that without detortion of either sense or wordes or both or without their owne fallatious illations consequences can possible containe anie such doctrine For example for their solifidian iustification or their iustification by faith onely they alledge diuers passages out of the epistles of S. Paule as that man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe but by faith that faith is reputed to iustice yet none of those shewe that faith onely iustifies much lesse doe they mention or insinuate that peculiar faith of remission of their sinnes by which the professors of the English Religion beleeue they ar iustified that which is euidently convinced by the tenor of the texts then selues in which neither of the partes of the former position is contained but added by the expesitions glosses of those who violently drawe the scripturs to their peruerse purpose And the like practice of the Nouellists may easily be discouered to be vsed in the rest of the seuerall propositions aboue rehearsed in Bellarmin other Catholike Controuertists who professedly confute the newe doctrine of the sectaries of this present age to whom I remit the reader for more exact discussion of the same supposing this place is vncapable of more large proceeding And hence it appeares that the professors of the English faith must needes confesse that according to the premisses here breefely declared confirmed the matter obiect of their Religion doth not agree with that doctrine which Christ his Apostles planted published which is the Minor proposition of my second silogisme aboue propunded the verie same I here intend to conuince And now to the confirmation of the instance I responde I graunt the multitude of beleeuers doth not cause formally constitute vniuersallitie in theobiect of Religion neuerthelesse if comparing one Religion wit an other it is discouered to be apparently certaine that the one hath euer had a greater multitude of professors in all tymes places since the first fondation of the true faith then the other yea that the one hath had a greater number of faithfull persons for manie ages together when as the one had none at all In this case I say it is manifest that the multitude of beleeuers doth euidently argue the Religion so beleeued professed to be no other but that same Religion which was first founded by Christ our Sauior with his promisse of perpetuall visibilitie cantinuation with multiplicitie of faithfull people consequently that it onely hath vniuersallitie in matter obiect that on the contrarie the other Religion which can shew no such multitude of professors but is notoriously defectiue in this particular hath not anie vniuersallitie at all in the seuerall points of doctrine which it teacheth them to beleeue And now this may suffice to demonstrate that ther is no vniuersallitie to be founde in the obiect or matter of the English ReligioÌ„ The second kinde of vniuersallitie of Religion is in tyme which I proue not to be had in the English Religion in the forme following That Religion wantes true vniuersallitie of tyme which hath not ben visibly extant in all tymes since the true Religion was first founded But the Religion of England hath not ben visibly extant in all tymes since the first foundation of true Religion Therfore the Religion of England wantes true vniuersallitie of time The maior is most certaine maintained by many of the professors of the English faith if not by all Yet because they are not wholely vnited in this point as farre as I can perceiue by their doctrine because of those whoe maintaine the visibilitie of the Church fewe or none of them graunt that the Church
vnto iustice Rom. 10. but with the mouth coufesion is made to saluation And howbeit I conceiue that the defenders of the inuisibilitie may instance say that profession of faith is not required to the essence of the true Church by consequence that it may subsist with internall faith onelie neuerthelesse I reioyne to this that althou ' I should grant profession of faith in metaphisical rigor to be no essentiall parte of the true Church yet is it so necessarilie annexed to the true Church as it neither is nor euer will be founde without professors neither is there anie authority either of scriptures or Fathers whereby it can be proued that anie such true Church euer were or euer will be coÌ„sisting of internall faith onelie But all those places which I haue aboue alledged both of the absolute visibilitie of the Church necessitie of profession of faith to saluation required by the ordinance commaundement of Christ manifestlie convince the contrarie Well may our aduersaries out of their accustomed temeritie spirit of contradiction against the Roman Church because they haue no other meanes to maintaine the subsistance of their owne new Congregation affirme teach that internall faith alone without profession makes a true Church yet no iudicious man will euer be persuaded but that position is assumed by them mierlie for the aduantage of their owne ill cause which without the vse of it or some such other of like nature cannot possible be defended in the controuersie whether the true Church be ours or theirs To omit that if no externall profession of faith be required to the true Church it is impossible to conceiue how anie man could euer come to knowe that such a Church as consisteth of internall faith onely was euer extant in the world any in parte of time since it was once planted established by our Sauior his Apostles And yet admit that it is not wholely impossible to conceiue the possibilitie of a true Church without the attribute of externall profession yet this is but a Metaphisicall case grounded onelie in the discourse of him who so conceiueth it by consequence it is not secure for anie man to venture his saluation vpon it as being either plainelie false in it selfe or at the least verie subiect to error fallibiliâ—itie but euerie prudent man ought rather to followe the tenor of speach of the scripture Fathers in the places before alledged particularlie the sentence of sainct Augustin in the â—1 chapter of his 19. booke against Faustus In nullum nomen religionis seu verum seu falsuuâ— coagulari homines possunt nisi aliquo signaculorum vel Sacramentorum visibilium consortio colligentur Where he affirmes that men cannot be congregated or assembled together vnder one name of Religion vnlesse they be tyed together with some consorte or socictie of visible signes or Sacraments In which wordes althou ' he makes no expresse mention of profession of faith as required to a Church yet doth he in effect affirme the same in other wordes teaching the communication of Sacraments to be necessarie to the constitution of a Church Which communication of Sacraments is profession of faith in one of the highest degrees as no man can denie And now hauing sufficientlie confuted the foresaid euasion of our aduersaties touching the visibilitie I will yet further adde positiue proofes of the perpetuitie of the visible Church First therefore I proue it by those places of scripture which affirme that the Church of Christ shall neuer perish as math the 16. Porta insert non praualibuut aduersunam The Portes of hell shall not preuaile against it Where we see the Prophecie promisse of our Sauior touching the perpetuitie of his Church is generall without limitation of time he speakes here of the same Church of which those places of scripture speach which declare it to be visible which I haue alreadie cited to that purpose for the aduersarie to limit these wordes to the inuisible Church as if Christ had meant that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against his inuisible Church onelie is a miere voluntarie explication of their owne inuention repugnant both to the text itselfe reason to the text in regarde that all the words circumstances of it demonstrate that Christ speakes of his visible Church either onelie or cheefelie as is the gouernement of the Church by sainct Peter which Church was to consist of men whose sinnes the same Peter had power promised him to binde loose that vpon earth all which particularâ— sounde nothing but things visible Now the foresaid explication of our aduerfaries is also contrarie to reason First for that supposing Christ planted such a Church vpon earth in which there were to be alwayes visible pastors preachers to administere the Sacraments Ephes 4. 1. Cor. 12. Act. 20. Luc. 12. teach publish the Gospell as the scriptures testifie And supposing he did not onelie commande vs to haue his faith but also to professe his name before men it is most absurde to imagin that he would or did not vse his prouidence in the conseruation of the same visible Church in all times occasions as well as the inuisible Church if anie such he had established in the world Secondlie the same exposition is against reason in respect that by that limitation of our Sauiors wordes which our aduersaries vse they giue vs to vnderstand that Christ promissed much but performed little or nothing of importance in this particular For if he assisted his Church so weakelie that for the space of manie yeares together the members of it were driuen to conceile their faith which neuerthelesse he himselfe obledgeth them to professe in all occasions surelie he did not onelie come farre shorte of his promisse but also in a certaine manner contradicted himselfe deceiued them And if for the gates of hell to haue so fare much vrged vexed the Church as to haue leâ— all the members thereof with a bare secret dissembling faith onely without anie professing or vse of Sacraments for the space of manie succeeding ages is not absolutelie to haue preuailed against it consequentlie that Christs wordes are falsified then certainelie neither had they ben falsified in case hell gates had so farre preuailed as quite to extinguish euen the professors themselues yea by an impossibilitie to haueleft faith alone hanging vpon the hedges for want of other subiect all which sequels being most absurde yet consequent to our aduersaries glosse vpon the wordes of scriptures aboue cited they euidentlie argue the falsitie of that their construction An other pregnant place for the perpetuall continuation of the visible Church is that of the 4. to the Ephesians where the Apostle saith that Christ appointed Pastors c. Ad consummationem Sanctorum donecâ— occurramus omnes in virum perfectum That is he appointed some Bishops other pastors others
of Religion as being onely a morall matter can not be vnderstood with so much metaphisicall rigor as in naturall things it vseth to be taken yet for the verification of such generall sentences as we finde both in scripture 〈◊〉 Fathers it must of necessitie be accepted with as great latitude as morally can be imagined For example if ther be anie doctrine in the world which for the space of almost 16. hundreth yeares neither is nor hath ben preached taught or professed in either all or at the least in most places of the world then doubtlesse can that vniuersall proposition of the Apostleâ— into all the earth hath the souÌ„de of them gone forth that of S. Augustin She the Church is like vnto a vine diffused or spred in euerâ—â— place neuer be truely verified of it consequently such a doctrine can not be truely said 〈◊〉 haue such vniuersalitie in it as scripture â—athers require to the onely true Religion â—hich in reason can not be iudged lesse then â—at in all the for said great number of yeares â—either is at thâ—s present or hath ben in times â—ast preached professed generally at the least 〈◊〉 the greater parte of the world if not in euerie â—arte therof And touching the vniuersalitie of persons â—hich as I declared before is either included or â—ecessarily connected to the vniuersalitie of â—ace it is a matter so cleare apparent that 〈◊〉 is not to be founde in the English Religion â—ther for the time paste or present that euen â—â—e cheefe of the professors of it dare not auerâ—e it to be vniuersal in that nature as is maniâ—est by the authoritie of King Iames himselfe â—he Salomon of their sect Whoe althou ' he laâ—oreth much in his booke to Christian Princes 〈◊〉 persuade them he defendes no other then â—he Catholike faith yet in the end of the same â—e is forced to confesse that notobstanding he â—â—cludes in the number all the professors of the â—retended reformation euen in other countries â—â—gge ragge yet they doe nor by much aâ—ounte to so manie as professe the contrarie â—hat is the Catholike Roman doctrine Reâ—gion preached practised in so manie seueâ—all nations places of the of the vniuersal orbe In so much that if anie of our aduersariâ—â— were so impudent as to conteste or repugnâ— to so plaine a trueth Regina Austri I meane euen the Infidels Iewes will be readie to rise proteste against him in the day of Iudgement By which and the rest I haue deliuered it is clearely consequent that the English Religion especially if it be intended as it is singular different in diuers points from the rest of the pretensiue reformed congregations cannot possible with anie coulor of trueth be named Catholike or vniuersal in number of persons supposing that according to the doctrine of Fathers the common acception of the worde among Christians this appellation or sacred surname agrees onely to that Christian Religion which hath generalitie of persons as well as of tyme place obiect or matter which generalitie caÌ„not possibly be conceiued but in order or with relation to the greater nuÌ„ber of beleeuing professing ChristiaÌ„s as being quite repugnant to reason that the lesser parte of a anie multitude or total number should be named either general or common much lesse reason ther is it should obtaine the most ample and vaste denomination of vniuersal especially where both parties are extant remaine in the same present time But perhaps our aduersaries will say that to â—he verifying of those the like generall senâ—ences of scripture Fathers it is not necessarie â—hat the true Religion either is or hath ben alreadie diffused ouer all or most partes of the world but it is sufficient that it will be preached in all or most places before the end of the world so altho' this hath not ben verified in the English Religion as yet neuer the lesse it will be so extended in the tyme to come To this I replie that altho' ther is some varietie among diuines aboutâ— the sense of the place cited some other places of scripture to the same purpose to wit whether they be vnderstood of the Apostles onely or of them their successors In omnem terram exiuit sonus corum c. Rom. 10. as also whether they signifie the tyme present or future finally whether they be verified in all rigor or onely in a common morall manner neuerthelesse I finde they all agree in that the Church of Christ hath ben alreadie so farre extended either by the Apostles them selues or at least by them their successors that it may be truely affirmed to haue ben loÌ„g since diuulged planted in the whole world defacto not in power or virtually onely euen according to the sense of the foresaid wordes other places of scripture which speake in the future tense as appeareth plainely by the wordes of S. Paule in his first chapter to the Colossians wher he affirmes that euen in his tyme the Gospell was come vnto hem also it is saith he in the vniuersall world doth fructifie increasens it doth in them Which words I say are so cleare that ther is no place of tergiuersation or replie in this particular but that according to them it must of necessitie be graunted by our aduersaries except they will plainely contradict S. Paul the scriptures that the foresaid extention of the faith of Christ doth not expect the time to come but is alreadie made as much as serueth for explicating verifying of the same S. Paul to the Romans before related whose words in my iudgment are manifestly couÌ„â—nced at the least in a cheefe parte to be vnderstood in the present tense by those otherwords of himselfe in the epistle to the Collossenses eueÌ„ now by me related which doubtlesse coÌ„taine a plaine expositioÌ„ of the former as appeares by the comentarie of S. Chrysostome vpon them saying of the Church of Christ Adest vbique suporat obâ—inet vbique praestat vbique And altho' I am not ignoraÌ„t that both ancient Fathers moderne diuines teach that as S. Hierome speakes vpon those wordes Prâ—â—â—â— dicabitur Euangelium hoc in vniuerso mundo the complement or conclusion of the preaching of the Gospell in euerie place shall not be performed before the consummation of the world as being a precedent signe therof neuerthelesse as this is true in it selfe so it in no respect speaking absolutely contrarie to the vniuersalitie of the Church which at this present is in times past hath euer ben as is euidently conuinced by the writings of the same ancient Fathers moderne diuines who most frequently teach that the true Church of Christ was sufficiently spred in the world to make it vniuersall eueÌ„ in their owne primatiue ages as their wordes by me rehearsed in diuers places of this treatise clearely testifie who also if they had liued in these present
is certaine for that if it were the same it would be founde conformable subordinate to the spirit of the greater parte of the Christian Churches the Religion of England would be agreable to the Religion of the same Churches both in doctrine practice gouernement which neuer thelesse we see to be contrarie repugnant vnto them Thirdly the spirit of the maintainers of the present Religion of England is not conformable to the spirit of their antecessors for aboue nine huÌ„dreth yeares together at the least therfore it is not vniuersall That the spirit of the maintainers of the present Religion of England is not conformable to the spirit of thir ancestors I proue by the authoritie of all historiographers wirters euen the pretended reformers them selues who haue either expressely testified or at the least not denyed but that in all this space of tyme euen vntill the dayes of King Edward the Sixt which is not yet a hundreth yeares the Masse reall presence was generally approued the communion vnder one Kynde practiced Altars pictures vsed in Churches with honor reuerence Purgatorie prayer to saints taught allowed finally all the points of doctrine manners betweene the Romanists Anglicans now controuersed were publikly professed all which neuerthelesse is at this time condemned quite renounced abandoned by the professors of the present English faith Of which both they we are eye witnesses at this day Which two things can not possible be done by one the same spirit of God in regarde they ar quite apposite coÌ„tradictorie in them selues consequently the spirit of those who professe to tepugne to that same doctrine which they know acknowled their predecessors to haue imbraced as sound pious conformable to the worlde of God so manie former ages successiuely cannot be conceiued to be an vniuersall spirit but priuate proper to them selues Fourtly the spirit of the preachers teachers of the English Religion is quite different from the spirit of the doctors writers that haue adhered abeyed the Roman Church in euerie seuerall age as is manifest to those who read them compare their workes with the writings of the pretensiue reforming doctors of our tymes the doctrine of those that haue writ euen from the first Centurie of yeares imediately following the Apostles being sprinckled with pietie deuotion towardes the saints in heauen especially the virgin Marie as their sermons Homilies vpon their feasts other their workes doe testifie of which matter good store is to be founde especially in S. Basil Cyprian Chrysostome Hierome Ambrose Augustin Gregorie Damacene Bernard the rest of the RomaÌ„ diuines which haue writ euer since euen till this present tyme in whome also ther is frequent mention comendation of miracles operated by the saints their reliques none of which particulars appeare in anie of the Writings of the professors of the English Religion but rather in their bookes ordinarie sermons they indeuore most ernestly to persuade the people that they ought not to hearken after anie such matters but hould them either for false superstitious or at the least for idle superfluous impertinent so we clearely see by this that the spirit of the English professors is contrarie to the spirit of the whole torrent of the most learned renowned men of all ages past euen to this present day consequently it can not be generall common or vniuersall nor a true spirit except the owners of it will condemne the contrarie spirit of the most learned iudicious pious men of all ages since the tyme of Christ his Apostles to haue ben false erroneous theirs onely the reight spirit of God Which is the highest degree of temeritie that can be imagined Lastely In practice of virtue exercise of good life the spirit of the preachers teachers of the English Religion now professed is disagreeable to the practice exercise of virtue of the doctors pastors of the Roman Church in all succeding tymes since the first foundation of the same a great parte of whose writings ar replenished with rules driections for prayer contemplation mortification of the bodie inordinate passions of the soule by fasting vse of hereclothes disciplines prostrations acts of obedience resignation of their willes to the commaunde of superiors vowes of obedience chastitie pouertie monasticall institutions solitarie life of monkes Anachorites Ermites other Religious conuentuall men women finally with all other meames which possible could be imagined as either necessarie or conuenient for the exercise of a religious virtuous course of life None of all which or at the least verie little is to be founde in the bookes of the teachers of the English Religion or heard in their publike sermons or priuate exhortations And altho' it is true that some of them as it seemes moued with emulation of the Romanists who euen in this present age labore much in that kinde as our aduersaries cannot denie haue published some thing in the nature of prayer or deuotion yet is it in such a manner as they reduce the exercise of a Christian life either to the exercise of faith onely or cheefly excluding or at the least not inducing to externall workes of Pennance and mortification of the bodie Or els they proceed in such a newe fashion as being onely sutable to their owne newe Principles of faith manners as neuer was heard in anie age of the world before the dayes of Luther That which doth particularly appeare in a certaine newe worke lately published intitled The handmaid of pietie which neuerthelesse hath not one dramme of true pietie or one sparke of that spirit which hath reigned in the visible Church since the the first plantation of Christian Religion which booke not obstansting it hath the name of a Mannuall yet is it not conforme either to the Mannuall of S. Augustin or anie other euer vsed hitherto among Christian people but forged in the anthors owne proper braine consisting of such froathie spitle as fell beside the pulpit when he made his preachâ—ngs full of pedantik termes affectation as the worde supparte others as the verie first words of the title plainely testifie which are in Latin to make it more admired dedicated to a falsely supposed Patronesse of his religion whome altho' the world did winne for a smale time yet it neuer peruerted her noble constant iudgement whoe now hath returned to her ancient home with farre greater glorie vnto it then it lost by her absence And that which is more vntolerable the profane minister with his feruor deuotion he now then mingleth a lye or a paradox As page 617. where speaking of the fast of lent he affirmes That those of his profession place not Religion or the substance of Gods worship in fasting or feasting as saith she the Papist doe And
in the page following he saith in his owne name in the name of his brother Puritās We hold not fasting to be a worke pleasing to God And yet in his page 609. he grautes that to fast religiously at some time is Gods cōmaundemēt And pag. 611. that lent fast is partely religious ordered by the Church for religious endes bindeth the cōscience mediately which larring positions of this grand Doctor I am not able to recōcile And yet for a parte of twelfe dayes deuotiō he putteth the paymēt of tithes which indeed is a deuotiō far more profitable to himself then pleasing to others All which particulars doe manifestly declare that whatsoeuer apish imitation these fellowes vse in writing some fewe bookes of deuotion prayer yet is their spirit quite contrarie to the common spirit of the vniuersall Church wholely vertigenous extrauagant peculiar to themselues And to this the like may be added of their Church seruice forme of administration of Sacraments as may be seeme in their booke of common prayer which as it manifest to them that read it doth notably differ from all the Lyturgies publike formes of prayers pastorals that euer were vsed in the Church before the preachings of Luther not onely in the manner of administrating the Sacraments and seruice but also in some substantiall points of them both Their being not anie mentiō in the booke of common prayer of either annointing with Chrisme in Baptisme or of extreme vnctiō of the sicke nor of consecrariō of the Eucharist or absolute commaunde to receiue it but onely with condition or rather with expresse order or precept that ther be a whole congregation that is some persons more disposed to communicate with the infirme partie besides himselfe that otherwise he must haue patiēce take his iourney to an other world without his Viaticum Neither is it ther ordained directly that that the Communicants shall vse the homologesis or Sacramēt of Pennance cōsisting of contrition confession satisfaction as a necessarie preparation to the communion except onely in in case they finde their cōsciences troubled with anie weightie matter that when they are at the point of death contenting themselues at all other times of their receiuing the Lords supper with a generall confession onely made either by one of the communicants or by the ministerin the name of the rest The contrarie of all which particulars are neuerthelesse found in all Lythurgies Missals Directories of former times in all places of the Christian world as may be seene in the Ierarchie of Sainct Denis the Roman Order of which euen the newer of the twoe was practiced in the Church at the least 80◠yeares agoe But now to conclude hauing passed throu all the seuerall kindes of vniuersalitie that can be imagined with an exact discussion of the nature properties of the same finding none of them in the Religion now publikely professed in England besides this it being certaine both according to the doctrine of the ancient Doctors of the Church moderne diuines that the worde Catholike is the same that vniuersall Lib. 2. c. 38. generall or cōmon as is apparent by S. Augustins responsion to Petilianus wher he saith that the name Caetholicū signifies secundū totum Lib. 2. c. 2. as also against the epistle of Gaudentius Teacing that the Church therfore is called Catholike of the Greeke worde because it is extēded throu ' the whole world This I say being infallibly true it doth by necessarie conclusion follow of the premisses that the English Relilion is not Catholike but a priuate conuenticle or Congregation in which true faith is not founde in which by consequence no saluation can be hoped or expected for such as obstinately seperating themselues from the vnitie and vniuersalitie of the most vniuersally receiued Religion liue and die in it And this may suffice for the declaration confirmation of my first ptincipall argument or demonstration THE SECOND PRINCIPAL ARGVMENT MY second principal argument which proueth the falsitie of the English Religion is this That Religion is false which hath a false or at the least an vncertaine Canon of scripture But the Religion of England hath a false or at the least an vncertaine Canon of scripture Ergo the Religion of England is a false Religion The Maior doubtlesse is graunted by our aduersaries The minor which they denie I proue And for the proofe of it I suppose that the true Canon of scripture can not be knowne but by some externall authoritie or meanes distinct from it selfe whether it be the iudgement of euerie faithfull person assisted by the diuine spirit as manie of our aduersaries affirme or whether it be the declaration of the Church assisted by diuine inspiration of which it shall be disputed in an other place More ouer these meanes or this authoritie must be infallible otherwise it can ingender no such certainetie in the myndes of the beleeuers touching the matter in question but they would remaine still doubtfull of the same And the reasō for which this externall authoritie is thus required to the knowledge of the iuste quantitie of the written worde of God for the distinguishing of the true partes of the same from the Apochrypha doubtfull is because that as the scriptures doe in no places affirme declare them selues either in totallitie 〈◊〉 parte reflectiuely to be the true worde of God deliuered by Christ his Apostles so they much lesse auerre these determinate bookes or partes of the Bible no other to be the onely true authenticall scriptures This being now supposed as certaine on both sides I proue the foresaie minor to wit that the Church of England hath a false or at least an vncertaine Canon of scripture by an other silogisme in this manner That Canon of scripture is false or at the least vncertaine which disagreeth from all other Canons that euer were in anie Christian Church before the dayes of Luther But the Canon of scripture vsed nowe in England is disagreeable to all other Canons that euer were in anie Christian Church before the dayes of Luther Ergo the Canon of scripture vsed nowe in the Church of England is a false or at the least an vncertaine Canon In the Maior of this silogisme ther is no doubt The minor I proue by comparing the Canon of England with those seuerall Canons which according to the diuersitie of opinions in that point among some of the ancient Fathers in former tymes ar founde to be three in number howbeit of those three ther was one which was euer more commonly receiued then the rest to wit that Canon which in the Councels of Florence Trent was defined to be infallible is that same which at this present the Roman Church vseth reiecting all other for Apochryphall inauthenticall Now the first of those three Canons or Orders of diuine volumes consisteth of those bookes of which
true rule of faith is of it owne nature certaine common knowne to all beleeuers not priuate vnknowne certaine to him onely who hath it Otherwise no man can certainely infallibly knowe what it is except himselfe consequētly none but he onely can followe it wheras the true rule of faith is such as euerie one is bounde to knowe imbrace vpon perill of his saluation Secondly I proue that this English rule is false because it is subiect to error the maintainers of themselues confessing that no man can infallibly interpreter the scriptures so that his expositions euen in the greatest matters of faith be vndoubtedly true certaine in such sorte as he can infallibly persuade others that they are according to that sense which the holye Gost intended when he dictated them to the diuine writers For confirmation of which I further adde that our aduersaries commonly teach that not onely euerie particular priuate person may erre in faith but also the whole number of Bishops 〈◊〉 Prelates of their Church assembled in a Synod or Councell Out of which it is infallibly consequent that their rule of faith is not certaine either in it selfe or at the least not to others neither can others lawfully follow it for the same reason that it is vnknowne vnto them subiect to error deceipte Besides altho ' the professors of the English Religion should denie this same 1. Cor. 2. yet is it conuinced concluded by scripture it selfe saying for what man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of man which is in him Thirdly if the English rule of faith were not false to wit scriptures expounded by euerie member of the Church it would thence necessarily followe that ther were no need of prechers teachers in the Church of England to propose declare the worde of God vn the people because euerie particular man woman that can read the Bible can sufficiently vnderstand expounde it them selues at the least for as much as concernes their saluation And for the ignorant sorte which can not read it were also in vaine for them to haue preachers in regarde they can propose vnto them no other rule of faith then scriptures expounded by their owne particular spirit which neuerthelesse euē according to their owne doctrine is fallible subiect to error by consequence obledgeth no man to followe it but rather to auoy de it by all meanes possible Fourthly I proue the same because this rule of our aduersaries serues no mans turne but his owne who hath it that but vnto wardely neither doth it obledge others to beleeue it neither is it one the same but as manie as ther be people in the whole Church of England all which is most absurde repugnant to the nature of true faith which ought to be one in all the Christian world certaine in fallible binding all persons to embrace it by diuine precept commaund which neuerthelesse could not be such if the rule which it followeth were not one without all multipllcation diuision And to this may be ioy ned for conclusion of the proofe of this argument that which I haue deliuered touching our aduersaries false translation erroneous manner of interpretation of diuine scriptures THE FIFT PRINCIPAL ARGVMENT MY fift principall argument in order to proue the falsitie of the English Religion is this That Religion is false which hath not a perpetuall disinterrupted succession of Bishops Preists deriued from the Apostles But the English Religion hath not a perpetuall disinterrupted succession of Bishops Preists deriued from the Apostles Ergo the English Religion is a false Religiō The maior proposition is so certaine and cleare that our aduersaries a the least all or most of those of the Protestant faith can not denie it And if perpaps anie of them or anie other Sectaries should be so frontlesse imprudent as to denie it they ar manifestly conuinced by those places of scripture which proue the perpetuitie of the gouernement of the Church of Christ in generall As in the fourth to the Ephesians where it is affirmed that Christ gaue to his Church Pastors doctors that is Bishops Preists to the consummation of the saints vnto the word of the ministerit that to rule gouerne feed the flock of the Church vntill the cōsummation of the world And the Prophet Dauid in his 47. psalme faith that God founded his citie that is the Church as S. Augustin expoundes it for euer And surely if God established his Church for euer as truely according to this he did it can neuer wāt Bishops Preists for that if it should wāt them then it were no more a true Church according to the saying S. Hierome Wher ther is no Preist ther is no Church In which word sacerdos Preist Contra Luciferianos he includeth also Bishops as being cheefely Preists those without whome no Preists can be made of ordained sainct Cyprian also in the second epistle of his fourth booke towardes the end teaches that the true Church cannot stand without Bishops Preists And sainct Augustin saith plainelie that it is the succession of Preists by Preists he meaneth also Bishops which keepes him in the Church Contra part Donat. And in his epistle 165. vpon the psalme against Donatus he chalengeth his aduersaries the Donatists to number the Preists which haue ben euen from the seat of sainct Peter see who hath succeeded each other in that Order of Fathers in which Order of Fathers meaning the Popes whose names he specifiech in his epistle to Generosus euen from S. Peter to Anastasius who was Pope in his time because he findeth not one Donatist therefore he concludes that their Religion is false not to be followed So that the reader may plainelie perceiue by these authorities of which kinde manie more might be alledged if need were the place did admit anie larger discourse that the ancient Fathers held the want of succession of Bishops Preists for a common infallible argument of the falsitie of that Religion which not obstanding whatsoeuer other colores of truth it might seeme to haue by pretext of scripture or otherwise was destitute of the same That which is sufficient for the proofe of the mator of my Sylogisme in case anie of the defenders of the English Religion should haue the face to denie it Wherefore hence I passe to the minor to wit that the English Religion hath not a continuall disinterrupted succession of Preists Bishops derined from the Apostles which I proue first Because it is certaine by the testimonie of all writers of those ages that frome the time of sainct Gregorie Pope of Rome who sent sainct Augustin the Monke into England to plant the then professed Roman faith ther were no other Preists or Bishops but such as had their authority deriued from the Roman seat such Bishops onelie as were
founders began to broach their owne pretended reformation For first I say that if for either Phocas to giue or Bonifacius to take the title of vniuersall Bishop were to reuolt or make a defection from the true faith or Church then should the whole Generall Councell of Calcedon haue reuolted from the true faith by offering to attribute it to Pope Leo Lib. 47. Epist 32. as sainct Gregorie doth testifie if this had ben so hainous a busines as our aduersaries contend it is temeritie to affirme or imagine that so famous a Councell consisting of so manie graue learned Bishops both Grecians Latin which our aduersaries themselues admit for legitimate would euer haue as much as mentioned such a matter Secondlie This being a matter of fact which can not be decided by either scriptures or ancient Fathers or the Primatiue ages in regarde it is knowne to haue happened after them both our onelie iudges must be those historians who haue made relation of this passage Now those relators which are Anastasius Bibliothecarius Pulus Diaconus Ado venerable Beda none of them affirme either that Phocas did giue Boniface anie authoritie of Primacie which he had not afore nor yet doe they or laye anie censure vpon the one or the other for that action whatsouer it was Thirdlie Certaine it is that neither Boniface nor anie of his successors euer either claimed or vsed in their publike acts or writings thetitle of vniuersall Bishop but rather all of them humble themselues so farre as they ordinarilie stile themselues no other then seruants of the seruants of God howsoeuer that title stile might be offered them or vsed by others for their greater honor authoritie Fourthly Suppose Pope Boniface others his successors had accepted vsed the title of vniuersall Bishop I meane in a true sense that is so as vniuersall Bishop signifies onelie Bishop or pastor of the vniuersall Church what great odious crime had this ben therefore to deserue the name of Antichrist or vsurper of the supremicie in the vniuersall Church since that both the title of head of the vniuersall Church the authoritie also of the head was attributed vnto precedent Popes long before the time of Phocas Iustinianus senior in epist ad Io. 2. Valentinianus epist ad Theod. of Prima sedes a nemine iudicatur Vid. Concil chal in Epist ad Leonem Papam Vid. Act. 1. 3. as doth appeare not onelie by the testimonies of two famous Emperours Iustinian valentinian but also by the acts of the Chalcedon Councels that title is acknowledged in plaine termes In so much that euen in those prime ages it was turned in to a common prouerbe that the first seat that is the Roman seat was to beiudged by noman Fiftlie If Pope Boniface is to be accounted Antichrist by the professors of the English Religion because they feigne him to haue vsurped the title power of vniuersall Bishop how I pray will their Kings escape the same censure who haue receiued the title power of the head of the English Church from their predecessor King Henrie the 8. who neuerthelesse had no more power nay much lesse to conferre it vpon them then the Emperour Phocas had to declare the same or the like to be due to the Pope Lastelie The truth is that it is not founde in anie of the foresaid historiographers or anie others of the Roman Religion that Phocas gaue to the Pope eyther the power or yet the title of vniuersall Bishop but they relate onelie that Phocas by his imperial edict did declare against the presumption of Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople that this title of head or Bishop of the vniuersall Church was proper to the Bishop of Rome but not to him or anie other moreouer that it was no way due to the Bishops of the Constantinopolitan seat or Church And this onelie the cited authors relate without anie mention of the wordes vniuersall Bishop but onelie they mention the wordes primate prime seat head of the Churches or the like phrases as may be seene in their bookes So that this is a grosse imposture of the Nouellists of our time in vsing the testimonies of these graue authors against the Popes of Rome by miere cheating cousinage by this meanes in steed of prouing their intent they proue nothing els but themselues to be miere Sycophants deceiuers to whome supposing they publish to the world the forsaid supposititious change of Religion made by Pope Boniface in the RomaÌ„ Church without either diuine or humane testimonie more then their owne presumed presumptious authoritie no prudent Christian ought to giue anie more credit then he giues to the incredulous impious Iewes who calumniate Christ as a peruerter of the lawe of God because he established his owne most perfect Church Religion in lieu of their Ceremoniall Synogog And by this it is cleare that the minor proposition of this my first argument standes still firme vnanserable to wit that the Roman Religion onelie is euer was truelie Catholike which is that I here intend to demonstrate THE SECOND PRINCIPAL ARGVMENT THIS my second argument I reduce to this forme of Sylogisme That onelie Religion is true which hath the true Canon of scripture But the Roman Religion onelie hath the true Canon of scripture Therefore the Roman Religion onelie is the true Religion The maior doubtlesse is graunted as certaine by our aduersaries wherefore it needes no further proofe The minor which I knowe they denie I proue because the Roman Church onelie hath that same Canon of scripture which hath ben generallie receiued in the Church both before since the time of sainct Augustin who in his second booke of Christian doctrine hath the verie same number names of diuineâ— volumes which at this present the Roman Church vseth in formor ages vsed since the time of the Apostles Cap. 8. which Canonical bookes sainct Augustin receiued from the Councell of Carthage this Councell from Pope Innocentâ—us the first of that name who also had them as descending by tradition of all or at the least of the cheefe greater parte of the Church since they were deliuered to it by the Apostles as I haue more largelie declared in the confutation of the English Canon in which point I need not insiste anie longer because the same arguments which I vsed for disproofe of it abundantelie serue for the proofe of the minor proposition of this my positiue argument to wit that the Roman Church onelie hath that same Canon of scripture completly intirely which hath ben euer most generallie receiued in the Christian world THE THIRD PRINCIPAL ARGVMENT MY third reason for demonstration of the trueth of the Roman Religion is this That Religion onely is true which hath the true interpretation sense of scripture But the Roman Religion onely hath the true interpretation sense of scripture Therfore the Roman Religion
onely is the true Religion The maior of this silogisme is allowed for true questionlesse by both parties The minor onely is in contronersie for the more cleare proofe of which it is to be supposed that both parties agree in this point to wit that that Church onely hath the true infallible interpretation sense of scripture which hath the infallible assistance of the holie Cost in that action altho' in deed this argreement well considered is onely in wordes for not obstanding this it yet further remaineth Controuersed betwixt vs our aduersaries in whome this speciall assistance of the diuine spirit resides whether in thâ— Prelates Pastors of the Church duely 〈◊〉 â—â—bled or in eâ—â—â—e particular person of the Church In which controuersie neuerthelesse both parties yet further accorde that whersoeuer the foresaid true inspuration of God doth assist ther onely is the true interpretation of the diuine worde Besides this it is to be supposed that ther ar two manners or two sortes of meanes or wayes by which people attaine to the true vnderstanding sense of the scriptures The one is by a sole conference of one place of scripture with another by euerie priuat ChristiaÌ„ man or womaÌ„ learned or vnlearned by reading the bare text of the scripture iudging of the sense according to the spirit which guides them good or bad The other way or manner of exposition is performed not by a miere solitarie or priuate conference comparison of places of scripture one with another but both by comparing or collating them in that maner also by an exacte viewe of the expositions of the holie learned Fathers or doctors of all former tymes succeeding ages euen to the present tyme in which the expounders liue which forme of proceeding as it is most mainfest neither is to be performed by euerie priuate person autheÌ„tically with infallible certainelie but by the publike Prelateâ— Pastors of the Church especially by the cheefe pastor of it Now this being noted aduertised I proue the minâ— of my argumeÌ„t wâ—th anâ— her silogisme in 〈◊〉 manner That oâ—ely Church hath the true interpretation sense of scripture which receiueth it from the Preists Prelates Pastors especially the cheefe Pastor of the Church succeeding linially froÌ„ the Apostles by conference of places viewe of expositions of the holie Fathers doctors of all successiue ages from the Apostles to the end of he world not by euerie priuat man or woman But the Roman Church onely receines the interpretation sense of scripture frome the Preists Prelates Pastors especially the cheese pastor of the Church in the forsaid manner Ergo the Roman Church onely hath the true interpretation sense of scripture The major of this silogisme in which the difficulte coÌ„sistes I could proue first by scriptures which both in the old newe Testament assigne this facultie power to Preists Bishops Pastors as gouerners rules of the Church with a strict commaunde for the people to obey them But because I dâ—e not here professe to make aâ—ie exact large discourse vpon that point but onely intend breefely to make good iustifie my former argumentation therfore I remit the rest of the places of scripture which I could alledge to be seâ—â— as they at cited declared by Bellarmin other diuines will vrge onely that one text of S. Paule in his epistle to the Ephesians which is most cleare pregnant for this purpose Wherfore in his 4. Bell. lib. 3. de verbo Dei c. 4 sequent chapter of this Epistle speaking of the institution of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie by Christ he saith thus And he gaue some Apostles some Prophets other some Euangelists others pastors doctors to the consummatior of the saints vnto the worke of the ministrie vnto the edification of the bodie of Christ vntill we meet all into the vnitie of faith knowledge of the sonne of God into a perfect man into the mâ—sure of the age of the fulnes of Christ that now we be not children wauering with euerie winde of doctrine in the wickednes of men in craftines of the circumuention of error By which wordes it is manifest that our sauior among the rest appointed Pastors doctors them not onely for the Ecclesiasticall gouernement of the Church but also to deliuer the true doctrine of Christ to the people least if they were left to them selues in that particular of the knowledge of the true faith they should fall into errors this was thus ordained by Christ not for anie limited tyme but eueÌ„ vnto the consummation of the world in all ages By which it is euident that since Christ our sauior as the Apostle relates 〈◊〉 â—â—point this order subordination of the Câ—â—gie in his Church for the gouernement instruction of the members therof in true faith perfection of virtuous life as superiors to whome he commaunded them to obey according to that of the Apostle Obedite prepositis subiacete eis It is I say by necessarie consequence most manifest that Christs diuine pleasure also was that the common people should not be their owne caruers but should receiue the interpretation sense of his diuine worde from those whome he himselfe designed for their rulers superiors in all matters concerning the safetie of their soules supposing as a certaine euident trueth that the whole structure perfection of a Christian faith life doth necessarily depened vpon the orthodoxe sense meaning of the worde of God That which the generall perpetuall practice of the Church from tyme to tyme doth manifestly conuince which in all occasions of controuersie in matters of faith manners hath vsed no other proceeding then by assembling of Councels consisting of the Prelates Pastors cheefely of the cheefe supreme Pastors the Bishops of Rome according to their seuerall tymes standings for deciding of doubdts questions broached by erroneous teachers that by declaration of the true seÌ„se of those places of scripture aboute which the controuersie was begun For so did the Generall Councell of Nyce vnder Pope Siluester expounde declare to the whole Church euerie particular member therof the true sense of those wordes Pater maâ—or me est And in the first Councell of Constantinople vnder Pope Damasus those Ioan. Amos. 4. Rom. 8. Ego Dominus formans tonitru creans spiritum And those spiritus postulaâ— pronobis In the Councell of Ephesus vnder Pope Celestin against Nestorius those Math. 26. Philip. 2. Deus Deus meus quare me dereliquisti And those habitu inuentus vt homo In the Councell of Chalcedon vnder Pope leo against Entyches those Ioa. 1. verhum carofactum est To this I adde consent of Fathers who write of this matter generally teaching this same doctrine Lib. 3. c. 4. S. Irenaeus in his booke against heresies saith thus