rather to hide themselues in solitude and obscurity and to liue vnder the hatches of a priuate state then to be placed vpon this glorious yet most dangerous Theater or Stage of supreme soueraignty and domination 14. To this former may be adioyned their doctrine of Parity of Ministers in the Church by the which they teach that there ought not to be any Bishops but that euery Minister should haue equall authority and Iurisdiction All the Puritanes are so precipitate and headlong in this doctrine as that it would be needles to set downe their many sentences thereof Therefore I will content my selfe with the wordes of our English Puritanes who thus write (a) This is to be seene in the booke entituled Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiasticall printed 1604. The gouernment of the Church of England by Archbishops Bishops and Deanes is Antichristian and repugnant to the word of God Now if all Ministers should haue one and the same authority and that there should be no subordination amongst them what a distraction and confusion would follow to be in the Church And how ready would euery illiterate Minister be to veÌ„t out new doctrines and Heresies without all controule such Heresies as would not only infect the vnderstanding with falshood and errour but also the will with Sinne and wicked conuersation Againe who then would there be to chastise the Ministers theÌ„selues for their great dissolution of life touching drinking fornication adultery too much vsed by many of theÌ„ at this day in England to the great disedifiing of many more sober and temperate ProtestaÌ„ts 15. To the former I may range their doctrine of extraordinary calling by the which they teach that there is extraordinary of calling Ministers immediatly froÌ„ God himselfe without the concurrency therto of maÌ„ or imposition of any Bishops hand And accordingly we find Caluin thus to writ of himselfe and other first Preachers of the Protestant Religion (b) The Protestant Lascitius reciteth this saying of Caluin l. de Russor Muscouit c. c. 23. Quia Papae Tyrannide c. Because through the tyranny of the Pope true Succession and Ordination was broken of therefore we stood in need of a new Course heerin and this function or calling was altogether extraordinary To which accord the wordes of M. Perkins saying (c) In his workes printed 1605. fol. 916. The calling of Wickliffe Hus Luther Oecolampadius Peter Martyr c. were extraordinary As also those of D. Fulkâ— (d) Against Stapleton Martiall c. pag. 2. The ProtestaÌ„ts who first preached in these dayes had extraordinary Calling But how repugnant is this their calling to the calling of the ministery mentioned in holy Scripture (e) Hebr. 5. No man taketh the honour vz. of Priesthood to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was And agayne (f) Rom. 10. How shall they preach except they be sent But now heer I vrge that as Caluin and the rest by challenging to themselues an extraordinary Calling broached the former new doctrines touching liberty and licentiousnes of life neuer before heard of so why may not others in like maÌ„ner heerafter as of late the Libertins the family of loue and other sectaries haue done aryse and assuming to themselues the like priuiledge of Extraordinary Calling from God alone dogmatize other new doctrines as pernicious to manners vertue and good life as these former wicked doctrines are 16. In this place I wil touch the string of the most wicked doctrine of Swinglius other his fellow-Ministers who teach plainly That Heathens not belieuing in Christ and so euer continuing may yet be saued For first Swinglius doth thus gentilize (g) Swingl in l. epist. Oecolamp Swingl l. 1. pag. 39. Ethnicus si piam mentem domi foueat Christianus est etsi Christum ignoret A Heathen leading a good life is a Christian though he know not Christ. And Swinglius further particularly writeth that (h) Swingl tom 2 fol. 118. Hercules Theseus Socrates c. are now in the same Heauen with Adam Abel Enoch Finally Swinglius proceedeth also further teaching thus (i) L. epist Oecolamp Swingl l. 2. p. 513. Gentilium liberos nulla lex damnat No law damneth the Children of Gentils This Opinion of Swinglius is also defended and himselfe for teaching the same highly extolled by (k) Vid. Swingl tom 2. fol. 550. Bullinger as also by (l) â—n vita Bullingeri Symlerus the Protestant and others This doctrine is so resolutely maintained by Swinglius and others that Echarius a learned Protestant thus by way of complayning therof writeth (m) Echarius in his fasciculus Controuersiarum printed Lipsiae anno 1609. cap. 19. Quòd Socrates Aristides Numa Camillus Hercules c. Swinglius writeth to the King of France that Socrates Aristides Numa Camillus Hercules the Scipions the Catoes and other Gentills are partakers of eternall life And Swinglius is defended for teaching this doctrine by the Tygurine Diuines Bullinger Gualterus Hardenburgius c. Thus farre the foresayd Echarius O what Scholia or Paraphrase can Swinglius and his compartners cast vpon those choaking wordes of diuine Scriture (n) Acts. 4. There is not any other name vnder heauen giuen to men then that of IESVS wherein we must be saued And (o) Iohn 4. Christ is the Sauiour of the world (p) 1. Ioan. â— The reconciliation for our sinnes and not onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world But now what indignity to the Redeemer of the world and to all ChristiaÌ„ Religîon doth this former most blasphemous doctrine of Swinglius and his fellowes exhale and breath forth Are they Christians who teach thus Were the many Prayers watchinges whipping his most sacred body crowning his reuerend head with thornes buffeting of him by the Iewes and finally his most painfull and pretious death and passion of all which paines euery litle touch in regard of the impretiable and infinite worth of the person so tormented was able to redeeme thousands of worlds so needles and superfluous as that Prophane Heathens who only belieue in generall if so much that there is a God or a Diuine Prouidence though wholly disclayming in the beliefe of Christ and treading all Christian fayth and Religion vnder their feete can neuertheles be saued (q) Hier. c. 2. O you Heauens be astonished at this be afrayd and vtterly confounded 17. Here may occurre the Aduersaries doctrine touching their deniall of all Miracles since the Apostles tymes A doctrine which secretly leadeth the way to Atheisme For the greatest reason that the Atheists alledge in defence of their blasphemous Atheisme is that they hould Nature that is the connexions of Physicall causes with the effects to be the supreme cause of all thinges and therefore these incredulous persons desire nothing more in tryall of this their misbeliefe then to see any thing performed aboue the ordinary and vsuall course of nature which they absolutely deny
of others much deterreth and withdraweth vs from sinning considering that shame is a great hinderance of sinnes and how vngratefull and vnpleasing it is to mans nature to reueale euery secret sinne euen in expresse and particuler wordes or els not to haue theÌ„ remitted to him to another man But we must rest contented with the Institution of Christ (b) Ioaâ— 20. Whose sinnes you shall forgiue they are forgiuen and whose you shall retayne they are retayned But how shall it be knowne what sinnes are to be forgiuen and what sinnes to be retayned except it be first knowne what the particular sinnes are 11. Our Aduersaries deniall of the necessity of Baptisme causeth no doubt that many Children borne of Puritaine Parents are not baptized at all but remaine during all their life in that Heathenish estate subiect to eternall damnation That the necessity of this Sacrament is not required is taught by Luther who thus teacheth (c) Lib. de captiu Babylon Yf thou hast receaued Baptisme it is well if thou wantest it no losse Belieue and thou art saued before thou be baptized That Baptisme of Children borne of the faythfull is not necessary is further taught as appeareth from the (d) Pag. 105. Suruey of the booke of Common Prayer by (e) In his meditation vpon the 122. Psalme pag 92. M. Willet and most resolutely by Caluin and Beza in many places ouerlong to recite But we fynd Gods Holy Word to teach the contrary (f) Ioan. 3. Vnles a man be borne agayne of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God 12. Touching the licentious doctrine of diuorce in case of any impotency or otherwise Luther thus teacheth (g) Serm. de Matrimonio If the wyfe will not or cannot to wit performe the act due to Mariage let the mayde come Of which sentence D. Whitak was so ashamed as that he thus writeth (h) Contra Camp rat 8. Luthers iudgment in this kind of diuorce I do not defend Yet Luther further teacheth thus (i) Luth. in Proposit de Bigâ—mâ—a edit 1528. propos 62. 65. 66. Poligamy or hauing many wyues at once is no more abrogated then is the rest of Moyses Law and it is free as being neither commanded nor forbidden Bucer is as indulgent and full herein as Luther for Bucer teacheth diuorce and marying agayne with another in case that (k) Bucer in Script Anglic de regno Christi l. 2. c. 26. c 37. c. c. 42. one depart from the other in case of Homicide or theft or but in repayring to the Company or banquets of immodest persons or in case of incurable infirmity by Childbirth or of the mans falling into Lunacy or otherwise And further it is taught expresly by (l) Beza lib. de repudijs diuortijs p. 1â—3 Beza (m) In Synops of the yeare 1600. pag. 685. M. Willet (n) In partition Theolog. pag. 739. Amandus Polanus and others that in case but of the husbands departure he might becaused by his wyfe to be proclaimed if he did not returne within the time appointed that thereupon the Minister might giue the wyfe licence to marry agayne I assure my selfe there are many hundred wiues in England who would be glad of their husbands long absence and not returne and of the execution of this doctrine therby to satisfy the flesh by marying agayne So dangerous is this Position of diuorce if full practise thereof were made as in part it is to the state of wedlocke to the inuiolable bond of chastity which the one party in mariage oweth to the other But let vs remember that we read (o) Math. 19. Which God hath ioyned togeather let no man separate 13. Touching the authority of Princes and all Magistrates our Aduersaries do strangely dictate And first Luther thus teacheth (p) Luth de secular potest in tom 9 German Among Christians none can or ought to be a Magistrate (q) Luth. vbi suprà ech one is to other equally subiect And yet more (r) In seâ—mons Englished printed 1579. p. 97. As Christ cannot suffer himselfe to be tyed by lawes c. so ought not the conscience of a Christian to suffer them With Luther agreeth Swinglius in thus betrampling all soueraignty (s) Tom. 1. in explana Art 42. When Princes do euill and contrary to the rule of Christ they may be deposed Caluin is no lesse sparing in censuring Princes for thus he writeth (t) â—n Daniel c. 6. Earthly Princes depriue themselues of authority when they erect themselues against God c. and we are rather to spit vpon their faces then to obey them I will close this Scene with Beza who did write a booke entituled de iure Magistratuum in subditos A booke so destroying all obedience to the Prince and Magistrate that D. Sutcliffe thus censureth thereof (u) In his answere to a certaine Libel supplicatory p 75. Beza in his booke of the power of Magistrates doth arme the Subiects against their Prince in these cases c. And further saith thereof (x) Vbi sup p. 98. It is a booke which ouerthroweth in effect all authority of Christian Magistrates But here I would demaund of these men how do they answere those diuine Testimonies (y) Rom. c. 13. Who resisteth the Power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist purchase to theÌ„selues daÌ„nation And agayne (z) Rom. vbi supr We ought to be subiect euen of necessity for conscience sake But now let vs contemplate a little vpon the dangerous effects ordinarily ensuing of this doctrine of deniall of the authority of Princes and Magistrates And first if Luthers doctrine be true that ech one is equall to another and that there ought to be no Magistrates This being I say once granted what an insufferable confusion and Anarchy would there be in the society of Christians seeing from hence it would follow that there should be no lawes to keepe men in duty no Magistrates to punish the delinquents no rewards for well-deseruing men no chastisement for malefactors Would there not be in such a State daily perpetrated all homicide theft rapine incest Adultery fornication and all other most flagitious crimes whatsoeuer and all this with all impunity and without the least feare of any castigation Were not this a Common wealth fitting to be instituted rather by mans Ghostly Enemy as being the high way to lead soules to Hell then by Christ who suffred death for our sinnes Agayne admit that the subiects might rise at their pleasure in armes against their King as the former sentences of Swinglius Caluin Beza do warrant what tumults what intestine seditions and simulties what insurrections would there be in euery Monarchy and absolute State finally what vtter euisceration and disbowelling as it were would be made in euery such nation euen by it owne borne subiects And were it not far better for such Princes
dissemble his Religion through the temporall Motiues of Wyfe Children Riches honour and the lyke And why should not I be thus perwaded seeing it is most certayne that all Authorities both diuine and humane if they be truly weighed make wholy for the Catholike Religion and against the Protestants The Bishop seeing him in feruour of speach began to take leaue with him The Doctour in most humble words did prostrate his loyalty seruice to his Maiesty with all gratefull acknowledgment of this so high a fauour And thus good friend you haue the Relation of this Protestant Catholike Doctors happy departure out of this vale of misery In discoursing whereof if I erre in any Circumstance for I will not iustify the certainty of each of them though of the mayne point of his dying Catholike no man doubteth I am to be pardoned seeing I deliuer it as neere as I can in that manner in which I did heare it But now my friend to reflect vpon the death of this learned Doctour Whether he was euer in his hart or but onely for some short tyme before his death Catholikely affected I know not neither do I know what were the Motiues first inducing him to make this Catholike end Neuertheles I did heare it frō the mouth of one of his inward acquaintance who at one tyme being in the Doctours company did heare Doctour Price much commend a Book lately written by a Priest of the Society of IESVS styled The conuerted Iew and did say that the Doctour himselfe had read it and finally giuing his iudgement of it in these wordes If the Protestants authorities alledged in that Booke be truly and faithfully alledged as he had no reason to thinke the contrary and the rather considering sayth he the Booke is with great confidence dedicated to both our Vniuersities who would instantly discouer and diuulge any impostures if such were vsed that of necessity it must then follow that eyther the Papists Theoremes and Tenets for that was the Doctours phrase are most true or that all the chiefe and most eminent Protestants without exception of any euen from Luthers dayes downe to vs were most simple indiscreete and wholy vnlearned but this said he I haue no reason to think for their voluntary Confessions and acknowledgmēts some in on point some in another are cleere in behalfe of the Papists Religion to which acknowledgments supposing the matter of them to be false they had no reason so vnaduisedly to yield Now whether his perusing of that Booke might alter his iudgment or it was altered afore I know not But whatsoeuer the Motiues of his dying Catholike were among other of his inducements thereto this following perhaps though I in no sort do absolutely affirme it might be one His owne Reading could not but tell him that as on the one syde the Protestants among themselues maintayne such irreconciliable disagreements in matters of fayth that therefore they account one another for Heretikes ech one depriuing another of all hope of Saluation so on the other part many of the most iudicious and learned Protestants do freely teach that Papists as they are called dying Papists may be saued But it is not to be found that the Papists do so teach of Protestants dying Protestants This then being thus the Doctour might well thus reason with himselfe though as afore I euer graunt I do not knowe articulately any one of his particular motiues The Protestants do deny to one another all hope of Saluation dying without recalling their presumed Protestanticall Errours The Catholikes in like sort will not grant that Protestants dying Protestants can be saued But both the Protestants and the Papists teach that Papists dying in state of Papistry may be saued Therefore it is a more secure course for me now lying vpon my death-bed to dye in that Religion which by the acknowledgment of all sydes promiseth hope of Saluation then to dye in that fayth to which but only some few Professours thereof affoard a sauing expectation That the Protestants do nourish among themselues such disagreements in fayth as that they consequently deny their Protestant Aduersaries dying in that state can be saued I will here briefly proue from their owne reciprocall and mutuall recriminations and from the very Titles of their Bookes written in great acerbity of style against other Protestants their discording Brethren Now in the discouery hereof I am content my pen shall for the time pertinently digresse withall transgresse the bounds of an ordinary Letter chiefly deare friend to the end that my words might gayne some ground vpon your iudgement for I grieue to obserue with what a strong bent of dislike you are violently carried against our Catholike fayth and glad I should be to see that as you are learned so you would employ your learning as a Hand-mayde to your soules saluation Well then to come vnto the point and to omit for breuity most of what might be alleaged to this purpose and but to gather here and there some few Testimonies out of such great store aboundance Do we not fynd Luther thus to conuitiate the Sacramentaries Luther thes 21. contra Louaniens We seriously iudge the Swinglians and Sacramentaries to be Heretikes and Aliens from the Church of God But Oecolampadius the Swinglian retaliates Luthers kindnes in these wordes Dialog contra Melancth The Lutheranes only bring forth a colour and shadow of the word of God as Heretikes commonly are accustomed to do They bring not the word of God and yet they will seeme to build vpon the word of God It is certayne that the Lutheranes cannot agree among themselues And according hereto we fynd In catal haeret nostri temporis Conradus Schlussenburge a Lutherane to place sixe sorts of his owne Lutheranes in the Catalogue of Heretiks The Caluinists do thus charge one another Castalio a learned Sacramentary thus writeth of Caluin for his teaching God to be the Authour of Sinne In his medit vpon 112. Psalm By this meanes not the Diuell but the God of Caluin is the Father of lyes But that God which the holy Scripture teacheth is contrary to this God of Caluin And then after The true God came to destroy the works of the Caluinian God And these two Gods as they are by nature contrary one to another so they beget and bring forth Children of contrary disposition to wit that God of Caluin children without mercy proud c. Now touching our English Protestants forbearing to shew their disagreements about the Communion Booke and the Translation of the Scripture we find the Puritanes thus to anathematize the Bishops All this is related as spoken by the Puritanes in the Booke of Constit and Canons Eccles printed anno 1604. The worship in the Church of England is corrupt superstitious vnlawful the Articles of the Bishops Religion are erroneous their rytes Antichristian c. And more The gouernment of the Church of England vnder his Maiesty by Archbishops Bishops and Deanes is
drawne out by vs in proofe of our Catholike Religion Our Aduersaries most scornefully traduce all such Miracles For Osiand Cent. 10. 11. 12. Osiander and the Cent. 4. Col. 144â— Cent. 5. Col. 1486. Centurists obserue heer the humility of this Priuate Spirit terme all such Miracles Antichristian wonders and flying signes But D. Whitakers more strangely answereth to all such Miracles for thus he writeth D. Whitak l. de Eccles p. 349. God doth giue power of working true Miracles to false Teachers not to confirme their false opinions but to tempt those to whome they are sent Thus he Galat. c. 3. O insensati Galatae quis vos fascinauit Thus my Deare Friend you see how your Protestants in matter of Fayth and Religion endeauour to waue all proofes and to breake with all Authority both Diuine and Humane and seeke to reduce all finally to the triall and touch-stone of the Priuate Spirit which Spirit is with them the Oedipus which must resolue all Enigmaticall doubts And thus the Protestants being but parties will eyther finally iudge all QuestioÌ„s of faith or els they will suffer no iudgement to passe on the at all Is there any candour ingenuity or vpright meaning in this their proceedings Or is it hard to defend any Religion how false wicked soeuer if so the maintayners of it could iustly reiect all sorts of Arguments and Authorities produced for the impugning of the sayd false Religion aduancing their owne priuate iudgements aboue all proofs whatsoeuer But seeing our Aduersaries will admit no Authorities but their owne I will therefore in this next place and in proofe of my secoÌ„d Reason which shal be to euict that The Protestant Church is not the true Church of God tye my selfe only to the Testimonyes and authorities of the learned Protestants themselues forbearing purposely all other kinds of proofes whatsoeuer so ready my good friend I am for the tyme to humour our Aduersaries in their owne Methode and this chiefly for your more full satisfaction My Media or Premises for the proofe of this foresaid Position which potentially inuolues all other Controuersies within it selfe shall rest in two points both clearly and abundantly taught by the most learned Protestants that euer with their pens endeauoured to honor their Religion My first Medium shal be that the Protestants teach that the true Church of Christ must at all tymes without the least interruption be visible and enioy her Pastours and administration of the word and Sacraments For proofe of this vndenyable verity I produce these following Testimonies from the Protestants own penns And first D. Field thus writeth Li. of the church â— 10. p. 190. The persons of whome the Church consisteth are visible their Profession known euen to the Prophane And againe thus he sayth Vbi supra pag. 21. Bellarmine in vayne laboureth to proue that there is and alwayes hath beene a visible Church and that not consisting of some few scattered Christians without Order of Ministery or vse of Sacraments for all this we doe most willingly yield vnto M. Hooker thus writeth Ecclesiast Policy p. 126. God hath had and euer shall haue some visible Church vpon earth Hunnius the great Protestant thus acknowledgeth In his Treatise of Free-will p. 91. God in all tymes hath placed his Church in a high place and hath exalted it in the sight of all Nations Iacobus Andreas In his booke against Hosius pa. â—10 we are not ignorant that the Church must be a visible Company of teachers and hearers Melancthon is most strong in this point for thus he discourseth Loc. com edit 2561. c. de Eccles whensoeuer we thinke of the Church let vs behold the company of such men as are gathered together which is the visible Church neither let vs dreame that the elect of God are to be found any other place theÌ„ in this visible Society neyther let vs imagine any other visible Church And againe the said Melancthon Melancth in Concil Theolog. part 2. It is necessary to confesse that the Church is visible c. Whither tendeth then haec portentosa oratio this monstruous speach which denyeth the Church to be visible Peter Martyr In his Epist annexed to his common places printed in English pag. â—53 We doe not appoint an inuisible Church but do define the Church to be a Congregation which the faythfull may know that they may adioyne themselues thereto D. Humfrey thus teacheth In Ieisuitism part 2. c. 1. Non clancularij secessus CoÌ„uocationes sunt Christianae c. The Societies of Christians are not secret meetings And he thus endeth Oportet Ecclesiam esse conspicuam Conclusio est clarissima The same D. Humfrey also giueth a reason why the Church must euer be visible thus writing D. Humf. in Iesuitism part 2. tract â— rat 3. Dum Ministri docent alij discunt c. Whiles the Ministers do teach others do learne whiles these Men do Minister the Sacraments those do communicate of them whiles all do call vpon God and professe their fayth He that doth not see these things is more blynd then a Moale Instit c. 1. parag 10. Caluin In his defence of the censure pag. 81. D. Whitgifâ— Contra Camp rat 8. D. Whitakers Art 7. The Confession of Augusta almost with all other ProtestaÌ„ts do teach that the Preaching of the word c. administration of the SacrameÌ„ts are essentiall Notes of the Church that the preaching of the word doth constitute a Church as Contra Duraeum l. 3. pag. 249. D. Whitakers words are the want of it doth subuert it But how can eyther the Word be preached or the Sacraments ministred but to such men as are visible according to the former iudgement of D. Humfrey And thus farre in proofe of my first ground or PositioÌ„ to wit that the True Church of Christ must euer be visible Now I come to the second Proposition or grouÌ„d which is That the Protestant Church euen by the doctrine acknowledgment of the most remarkable Protestants hath beene wholly latent and inuisible for more then a thousand yeares togeather To proue this first I produce M. Perkins His wordes are these In his exposition of the creed pa. 400. we say that before the dayes of Luther for the space of many hundred yeares an vniuersall Apostasy ouerspred the whole face of the earth and that our Church was not then visible to the World Caelius Secundus Curio a Protestant of extraordinary Note acknowledgeth no lesse thus writing De amplitud regnî Dei pag. 12. Factum est vt per multos iam annos Ecclesia latuerit c. It is fallen out that the Church for many yeares hath beene latent and that the Cittizens of this Kingdome could scarcely ac ne vix quidem and indeed not at all be knowne of others D. Fulke setteth downe in his iudgment the tyme of the Inuisibility of the Protestant Church he thus saying In his answer to a Counterfeit catholike p. 16. The Church in