concerning the Sacrament Other thinges will I set in order when I come 16 Granting what is not necessarie hee spake of ordering matters concerning this Sacrament to receiue the wine aswell as the bread was no part of their present disorder whose misbehauiour at the Lords Table did minister mere iust occasions to Saint Paul then long beardes did to the Councell of Constance to denie the vse of the cup might Christs bloud and bodie which he had iointly rendered to all be vpon any occasion iustly seuered by man in the administration of his last Will and Testament Whatsoeuer the number or qualitie of the guests bee the great Lords Table must be alwaies so furnished as it was at the first institution for he hath no respect of persons If a rich stately Prelate come in with a gold ring in goodly vestiments a poore honest Layicke in vileraiments he saith not to him in Pontificiall roabes come sit you here at my messe where you may drinke of my wine aswell as eate of my bread nor to the poore Layicke stand thou there a part or sit downe here vnder my footstoole where thou maist bee partaker of the crummes which fall from my table though not of my cup which must be kept for thy betters High and low rich and poore all were redeemed with one price all at this offering equal all alike free to tast of euery dish so they come with wedding garments without which euen the best must be cast out as vnworthie to tast of any part if not of all That part which the Counsels of Constance and Trent vpon pretences of reuerence to the LORDS Supper haue detained from Moderne Christians the Corinthians had receiued vnworthily yet was not the Cuppe for this reason held superfluous by Saint Paul who onely sought to represse the abuse as knowing the vse of it to bee most necessarie The matters then hee meant to order when he came was to set out this Heauenly banquet with greater decencie and solemnitie not to abridge them of any substantiall or materiall part thereof 17 Nor doe the Trent Fathers if wee may trust them vpon their words For they desirous as it seemes to make the whole Christian World as sottish as themselues were impious would make men beleeue they could iuggle away the Cuppe and neuer touch the very substance of the Sacrament as if the wine were not as substantiall a part of the Lords Supper as was his bloud of his bodie or humanitie An integrall or materiall part they cannot denie it to bee and such if it bee there Apologie is as shamelesse as if a man should let out most of anothers bloud cut of his arme or legge or maime him in some principall part and plead for himselfe I did not meddle with his substance meaning as the Councell I take it heere doth his essence seeing he is yet as truly a reasonable Creature as before 18 But to debarre them of that refuge it may be they sought or their followers may yet hope to finde in the equiuocation of this word substance importing as much sometimes as a material or integral sometimes as an essential part If the cup be an essential and substantiall part of this Sacrament the Councell by their owne confession did souly erre in prohibiting Communion vnder both kindes If no such part it bee they might by their owne rule haue altogether denied the vse of it so much as to the sacrificer or consicient but so the verie vse and end on which the essence of the Sacrament as of all other matters of moral practise immediatly depends and by whose expiration instantly must determine should vtterly haue perished The end and vse of this sacred institution as our Sauiour expressely teacheth and the Councell grants was to represent the testators death yea so to represent it as we migh be partakers of his bodie and bloud not spiritually onely but withall as the Trent Fathers contend sacramentally Admitting then all they can pretend against the necessitie of the Cuppe That whole Christ were in the bread alone yet this will not preserue the true and fruitfull vse of the Sacrament nor salue that deadly wound the essence of it must perforce receiue from frustration of the end necessarily ensuing the cuppes absence For this Sacrament was ordained as to represent so to exhibit Christs bodie vnto all faithfull Communicants not as intire and whole his bloud not as it was inclosed in the vaines but the one as torne and rent the other as shedde and powred out vpon the crosse This is my bloud of the new Testament saith our Sauiour which is shed for many for all that receiue it faithfully for the remission of sinnes His bloud then as shed and powred out is as the loadstarre of penitent and contrite hearts whereon the eyes of their faith that seeke remission of sinnes in this Sacrament must bee fastened for as the Apostle saith without sheding of bloud is no remission This was the complement of that inestimable all-sufficient Sacrifice that which represents his precious bloud thus powred out the principall part of this Sacrament aswell in respect of representing his death as in applying remission of sinnes thereby in generall purchased and by this Sacramentall Type sealed to euery one in particular especially if the Trent Councels Doctrine be true that Christs verie bloud which was shed vpon the crosse is really present in the Chalice and might be as immediately sprinkled at least vpon the lips or dores of euerie faithfull receiuers heart as the bloud of the Paschal Lambe was vpon the doore-posts of the Israelites Thus as Sathan the Father of lies so false opinion suggested by him draw men with pleasure into those euils for whose practise in the end they become their chiefe accusers That opinion which first brought in neglect of the Chalice and as the Trent Councell presumed would haue warranted them in making this decree doth most condemne them for the measure of their iniquitie could not haue beene so fully accomplished vnlesse they had held a transubstantiation of the wine into Christs bloud 19 What part of Scripture can wee presume they will spare that dare thus countermand the most principal of all Gods Commandements what reckoning may wee thinke they make of our Sauiour Christ that aduenture thus shamefully to disanull and cancell his last will and testament defrauding almost the whole Christian World of halfe their Lord and Maisters royall allowance partly without any shew of Scriptures either to restraine or otherwise interpret these Soueraigne precepts partly vpon such idle and friuolous allegations as may further witnesse their sleight estimate of Gods Word saue onely so farre as it may bee wrested to serue their turnes 20 But grant the places there alleaged by the Councell did so mitigate either the forme of the institution or the peremptorie manner of our Sauiours speeches in the sixth of Iohn as to make it disputable in vnpartiall iudgements whether
and nasus simus is al one so in their language is the Church and the Church of Rome This Church tels him he may not take vpon him to trie of what spirit the Pope is not examine his determinations decisions or interpretations of any Scripture by other known places of Scripture or the analogie of faith acknowledged by all Vnto this decree or sentence of the Church although hee haue it but at the second hand or after it haue passed through as many Priests and Iesuites mouthes as are Post Townes from London to Edenburgh hee yeeldes absolute obedience without acknowledgement of farther appeale either vnto Scriptures or other authoritie whatsoeuer further manifestation of Gods will hee expects none Let all the reformed Churches in the World or all the Christian World besides exhort threaten or adiure him as he tenders the good of his owne soule as hee will answere his Redeemer in that dreadfull day of finall iudgement to examine the Church or Popes decrees by Gods written Lawes his answere is he may not he cannot doe it without open disobedience to the Church which to disobey is damnation of soule and bodie But O fooles and slow of heart to beleeue and obey from the heart that doctrine whereunto yee were deliuered Know ye not that to whomsoeuer yee giue your selues as seruants to obey his seruants ye are to whom yee obey whether it bee the man of sinne vnto death or obedience vnto righteousnesse Ofall Mankinde are onely Roman Catholiques not bought with a price that they may thus alienate their soules from Christ and become seruants of men that they may consecrate themselues by solemne vow to the perpetuall slauerie of most wicked and sinfull men euen monsters of Mankind CHAP. IIII. That in obeying the Romish Churches decrees wee doe not obey Gods Word as well as them but them alone in contempt of Gods principall Lawes 1 BVt the simple I know are borne in hand by the more subtile ort of this generation That thus obeying sinfull men they obey Christ who hath enioyned them this obedience vnto such That thus beleeuing that sence of Scripture which the Church their mother tenders vnto them they doe not beleeue her better then Scriptures because these two beleefes are not opposite but subordinate that they preferre not her decrees before Christs written Lawes but her interpretation of them before all priuate expositions This is the onely Citie of refuge left them wherein prosecuted by the former arguments they can hope for anie succour but most of whose gates alreadie haue beene all shortly shall bee shut vpon them 2 That they neither beleeue nor obey Gods Word whilest they absolutely beleeue and obey the Church without appeale is euident in that this Church vsually bindes men not vnto positiue points of Religion gathered so much as from any pretended sence of Scripture expounded by it but to beleeue bare negatiues as that this or that place of Scripture either brought by their aduersaries or conceiued by such amongst themselues as desire the knowledge of truth and right information of conscience haue no such meaning as the Spirit of God not flesh and bloud as farre as they can iudge of their owne thoughts hath reuealed vnto them 3 But the Spirit may deceiue priuate men or at least they may deceiue themselues in their triall of Spirits They may indeed and so may men in publique place more grieuously erre in peremptorie iudging priuate men because obnoxious to errour in the generall erroneous in this particular wherein they ground their opinions vpon Gods Word plentifull to euince it at least very probable reasons they bring manie and strong whereunto no reasonable answere is brought by their aduersaries whose vsuall course is to presse them onely with the Churches authoritie which appeares to be of farre greater waight then Gods word vnto all such as yeeld obedience to her negatiue decrees without any euidence or probabilitie either of Scripture or naturall reason to set against that sence and meaning of Gods Lawes wherevnto strength of arguments vnrefuted and probable pledges of Gods Spirit vndisproued haue long tied their soules Doe wee obey God or beleeue his word whilest we yeeld obedience to the Church in such Commandements as to our consciences vpon vnpartiall examination seeme condemned ere made by the very fundamentall Lawes of Religion and all this oftimes without any shew or pretence of Scripture to warrant vs that we doe not disobey God in obeying them 4 But doth the Romish exact absolute obedience in such pointes as if it were possible they could bee false may endanger the very foundation of true Religion without euident demonstration that their daily practise neither doth nor can endanger it Yes For what can more concerne the maine foundation which Christians Iewes and Mahumetans most firmely hold then those precepts in number many all plainely and peremptorily forbiding vs to worship any Gods but One or any thing in the Heauen or Earth but him onely The Romanists themselues grant that cultu latriae God alone is to bee adored that so to adore any other is Idolatrie and Idolatrie by their confession a most grieuous sinne O how much better were it for them to hold it none or Gods Word forbidding it of no authoritie then so lightly to aduenture the hourely practise of it in contempt of such fearefull threatnings as they themselues out of Gods Lawes pronounce against it vpon such broken disioincted surmises as are the best they can pretend for their warrant 5 To beleeue Christs flesh and bloud should bee there present where it cannot be seene or felt yea where we see and feele another bodie as perfectly as wee can doe ought is to reason without warrant of Scripture but a sencelesse blinde beleefe But grant his bodie and bloud were in the Sacrament rightly administred yet that out of the Sacrament either should bee in the consecrated host whilest carried from Towne to Towne for solemne shew more then for Sacramentall vse is to reason ruled by Scripture to say no worse more improbable Now to worship that as God which to our vnerring sences is a Creature vpon such blind supposals that Christs bodie by one miracle may be there by another vnseene is worse then Idolatrie committed vpon delusion of sence So to adore a wayfer onely a wayfer in all appearance without strict examination nay without infallible euidence of Scriptures vrged for the reall presence is more abhominable then to worship euerie appearance of an Angell of light without triall what spirit it were Sathan or some other that so appeared And if we consider the olde Serpents vsuall slight to insinuate himselfe into euery place wherein inveterate custome or corrupt affection may suggest some likelihood of a diuine presence vnto dreaming fancies as he did delude the old World in Oracles and Idols the probabilitie is farre greater his inuisible substance by nature not incompatible with any corporeall quantitie should be annexed to the
in what subiect soeuer will bee acknowledged in them by these men that dare thus deny a necessity of communicating Christ in both kindes imposed vpon all in these wordes Verely verely I say vnto you except yee eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke hisâ— bloud you haue no life in you onely because it is said in the words going before If any man eat of this bread he shall liue for euer Of how much better insight in Scriptures then these graund seers of Rome would blind Homer had he liued in their time haue proued For he neuer denied his fained Gods their Nectar because Ambrosia was an immortall meate And would hee or any man not more blinde in heart and minde then he was of bodily sence collect against Christs expresse wordes that his bloud the true heauenly Nectar was not necessary because his flesh doth strengthen to eternall life especially if hee considered their captious interpollation against whom in that place hee disputes which caused him not to expresse his minde so fully there as elsewhere hee had done albeit afterwards he ingeminates the necessitie of drinking his bloud aswell as eating his flesh in such precise and formall tearmes as if he had euen then bethought himselfe that such Antichristian Spirits as these Trent Fathes might happily dare to elude his most sacred precept by such Satanicall glosses as in that decree they haue done 12 He had told the Iewes asmuch as was pertinent to their obiection that hee was the liuing bread which came downe from Heauen much better then Manna which their Fathers had eaten Bread he called himselfe in opposition vnto Manna not restrayning this to his bodie or flesh onely albeit what he meant by bread he expounds partly by his flesh And the bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the World Besides that bread in the Hebrew Dialect containes all sorts of food the manner of giuing this An brosia was such as did affoord Heauenly visible Nectar too For whilest hee gaue his flesh vpon the crosse hee powred out his bloud withall But the Iewes catch at this speech ere he had expounded his full meaning How can this man giue vs flesh to eate Then Iesus said vnto them verely verely I say vnto you except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you Which wordes considered with the former circumstances to any mans capacitie not infatuation import thus much Doe yee murmur that I should profer you my flesh verily I say vnto you and yee may beleeue me Vnlesse ye drinke my bloud as well as eate my flesh yee haue no life in you For so hee addes my flesh is meate indeede and my bloud is drinke indeed that is both are as necessarie to eternall as meat and drinke to corporall life 13 For these and many like reasons necessarily arising from the text some aswell of their greatest Schollers as best interpretors denie the former places to be meant of Sacramentall eating otherwise vnable to conceiue any possibilitie either of auoiding the inconueniences vrged by vs or of defending their infallible Church from errour in this decree Yet saith the Councell howsoeuer they be vnderstood according to the diuerse interpretations of Fathers they inferre no such necessitie No not if most Fathers as Maldonate contends did hold them to be directly meant of Sacramentall eating Why then did Iansenius and Hesselius renounce the Fathers in this surely to defend their mother whose credit they haue much better saued vpon supposition that these wordes are meant onely of spirituall manducation then Maldonate otherwise acute but most peruersely sottish in his Apologie for this decree hath done And yet to speake the truth the same inconuenience will follow as necessarily though not so perspicuously at first sight albeit we grant them to be meant of spirituall eating primarily For * in that they are meant primarily of spirituall they cannot but be meant of Sacramental eating also seeing these two as elsewhere I haue obserued are not opposite but subordinate Whence if we grant that Christs bloud aswell as his flesh must bee communicated to vs by faith or spirituall manducation the consequence will bee Therefore the cuppe as well as the bread must bee administred in the Sacrament because Christ saith in the institution that the cup is his bloud and the bread his bodie or flesh that is the one is the sure pledge oâ— instrument whereby his flesh the other whereby his bloud which wee must spiritually eate as well in the Sacrament as out of it must bee communicated vnto vs. For as the auncient Fathers haue obserued our Sauiour Christ did in his institution exhibit that vnto vs sensibly which before hee had promised as inuisible so that the precept of eating Christs bodie and drinking his bloud sacramentally doth binde all capable of this Sacrament as strictly as that other of eating his bodie and drinking his bloud Spiritually seeing this latter is the seale and assurance of the other And as our aduersaries acknowledge an absolute necessitie of preâ—pt for eating Christ Sacramentally and Spiritually though that precept concerne not infants so in all reason they should grant an equall necessitie of precept for eating his flesh and bloud distinctly in the Sacrament though this bee not necessarie to all men at all times if without negligence or contempt they cannot be partakers of both For impossibilitie vpon what occasion soeuer not caused through their one default exempts them from that generall precept of eating Christ vnder both kindes as want of yeares or discretion doth children from any iniunction diuine or humane of communicating so much as in one kind For notwithstanding the former precept except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee haue no life in you as peremptorie as any can be for communicating aswell sacramentally as spiritually in both kindes it were vncharitble to mistrust Gods mercie towardes such poore soules as long for the cup of saluation which no man giueth them yea which the Romish Church hath by decree as peremptorie as she could make denied to all the Laitie without exception to al the Cleargie except such as may by a peculiar right challenge his bloud as their owne by way of exchange because they haue made him a bodie which hee had not before 14 Yet is it a small thing with this great whore to depriue the Christian World of the Lords vnlesse shee vrge it instead thereof to pledge her in the cup of Deuils full of the wine of fornication coloured with her adulterate Scriptures authorized no doubt for such purposes Where our Apostle Saint Paul saith that he and his fellow Ministers were stewards of the mysteries of God the vulgar Romane edition renders the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Latine dispensatores and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly rendred in this place
elsewhere vpon carelesnesse rather then any intention of harme as I am perswaded by the Latine sacramentum Whether vpon set purpose of some more learned in that Councell presuming to gull the simple and illitterate by their cunning as Chemnitius probably thinkes or whether the mysterie of iniquitie as is more probable wrought vnawares in the braines of the ignorant which were the maior part and as some haue related did ouersway the learned vncapable of such impudency as should giue countenance to this ignominious decree partly from the equiuocation of the Latine dispensatores partly from the synominall signification which the vulgar hath made of mysterium and sacramentum the beetle-heads haue hammered out an interpretation of Saint Pauls words before cited so scurrilously contrarie to his meaning that the blacke Dogge which is said to haue appeared vnto Cardinall Crescentius might hee haue spoken in the Councell could scarce haue vttered it without blushing For the Apostle meant such dispensatores or Stewards as our Sauiour speakes of in the foure and twentieth of Saint Matthew such as should giue their fellow seruants their inst portions without purloyning such as daily expected their Masters returne to cal them vnto a strict account of their stewardship For so it is expressely added Moreouer or as much as belongs vnto our office it is required of Stewards that they be all sound faithfull Not to dispute of the Churches authoritie in disposing of Sacraments nor to exagitate the impietie of this decree be the one for the present supposed as great the other as little as they list to make it onely this I would demaund of any that is so himselfe whether he can imagine any men sober or in their right mindes would not assoone haue vrged that text The foole hath said in his heart there is no God for establishing Atheisme or Saint Peters checke vnto Simon Magus to prooue Simonie lawfull as deriue the Churches authoritie for detayning the least part of the word of life much lesse the cup of saluation from these wordes Let a man so thinke of vs as of the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of God What secrets of the Gospell before hid but now to be published to all the World of which the same Apostle elsewhere had said Anccessitie is laid vpon me and wee vnto mee if I preach it not Of the vse or necessitie of the Lords cup not a word in this place not a syllable for the Lord had sent him not to administer this Sacrament but to preach the Gospell of which the Doctrine of the Lords Supper was a part indeed but where expressely and directly he deliuers that doth hee intimate by any circumstance that either it had beene was or might bee otherwise administred then according to the patterne prescribed by our Sauiour at the first institution Rather his often repetition of these coniunctiues This bread and this cuppe eating and drinking the bodie and bloud c. Argue he neuer thought the one should be receiued without the other that this prohibition of the cup was a particular branch of the Mysterie of iniquitie not to breake out till latter ages hid from his eyes that had seene the Mysterie it selfe begin to worke As often as yee shall eat this bread saith the Apostle and drinke this cup yee shew the Lords death till hee come Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cuppe of the Lord vnworthily shall bee guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because hee discerneth not the Lords bodie Yet vnto the Trent Councell Saint Paul in the former place where hee had no such occasion as not speaking one word either of the Doctrine necessitie or vse of the Sacraments seemes to intimate and that not obscurely the Churches authoritie in dispensing them as the Trent Fathers haue done What then might euery Minister of Christ euerie distributer of Gods secrets haue vsed the like authoritie before the Church representatiue did at least by tacite consent approue the practise This place doubtlesse proues either altogether nothing or thus much for the Apostles wordes are indefinite for their litterall sence equally appliable to euerie faithfull Minister or priuate dispenser of such secrets not appropriate to the intire publique bodie Ecclesiastique or the capitall or Cardinall partes thereof Of the Corinthians to whom he wrote one said I am Pauls another I am Apollos the third I am of Cephas all boasting in the personal excellencies of their first Parents in Christ as the Papists now doe in Saint Peters and his successours Catholique Primacie To asswage these carnall humours in his children their Father that great Doctour of the Gentiles seekes more in this then in any other place of all his Epistles to debase himselfe and diminish others high esteeme either of his owne worth or of his calling Who is Paul then and who is Apollos but the Ministers by whom ye beleeued and as the Lord gaue to euerie man I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the increase So then neither is he that planteth any thing neither hee that watereth but God that giueth the encrease And he that planteth and hee that watereth are one and euery man shall receiue his wages according to his labour For wee together are Gods labourers ye are Gods husbandrie and Gods building And after a serious incitement of master builders to fidelitie with the like admonition to Gods husbandrie or building not to reioyce in men he concludes as he had begun Let euery man esteeme vs such as I haue said Ministers of Christ and disposers of the mysteries of God Of whom were they so to esteeme Of Saint Paul himselfe and euery faithfull Minister Doth he then intimate here any such prerogatiue aboue the meanest of his brethren as the Romish Cleargie vsurpes ouer the whole Christian World any authoritie to prohibit either the dispensors of Gods mysteries from administring or men so carnally minded as were these to whom he wrote from communicating Christs bloud aswell as his bodie So the Trent Fathers thinke and as if for their wilfull deniall of the Lords cup vnto the people the Lord had giuen them the cup of giddinesse to cast them into a Babilonish slumber whilest they consulted about this decree and their Scribes through retchlessenesse had written what their rauing Masters in their sickly or drunken dreames had vttered wee finde in the same Decree another place of Saint Paul immediately annexed though as disproportionable to the former as it is placed in their discourse as a mans head to an horses necke both as vnsutable to their intended conclusion as a super addition of finnes or feathers would be to such a monstrous Hippocentaurique combination The place is Saint Pauls conclusion of that discourse
doe First their prerogatiues they giue to Peter are blasphemous Secondly their allegations to proue that their Popes succeede as full heires to all Peters prerogatiues are ridiculous Whence it must needes follow that their faith is but a compost of folly blasphemy This pretended perpetuity of tradition or suspitious tale of succession from Peter is the best warrant they haue the Church doth not erre in expounding the places alleadged for her infallability and their beliefe of their infallibility in such expositions the onely security their soules can haue that obeying the former decree of worshipping the consecrate host of cōmunicating vnder one kind they doe not contemptuously disobey Gods principall lawes mangle Christs last Will and Testament vilifie his pretious body and bloud Seeing then they themselues confesse the places brought by vs against their decrees to be diuine and we haue demonstrated that mens beliefe of that infallible authority in making such decrees to bee merely humane the former conclusion is most firme that whilest men obey these decrees against that naturall sense and meaning which the former passages of scripture suggest so plainly to euery mans conscience that the Churches pretended authority set aside none would euer question whether they could admit any restraint they obey men more then God humane lawes more then diuine and much better belieue the traditions of humane fancy of whose forgery for others worldly gaine there bee strong presumptions then the expresse written testimony of the holy spirit in the especiall points of their owne saluation 12 Or if vnto the testimony of Gods spirit recorded in Scriptures wee adde history tradition Councels or former Popes decrees or whatsoeuer possibly may be pretended to proue the present Popes authority it must still bee supposed greater better knowne then all that can be brought for it or against it as will appeare if we apply our argument vsed before That authority is alwayes greater which may trie all others and must bee tried by none but such is the Popes declaration or determination of all points in controuersie whether about the canon or sence of Scriptures ouer those which are brought for it whether about the truth true meaning or authority or vnwrittē traditions whether about the lawfulnes of councels or their authentique interpretations in one word his determinations are monarchical may not be examined as S. Austen or others of the ancient fathers writings may by any law written or vnwritten So Bellarmine suteable to the Trent Councell expresly auoucheth The Fathers were onely Doctors or expositors the Pope is a iudge What then is the difference betweene a Iudge and an expositor To explane as a Iudge there is required authority to explane as a Doctor or expositor onely learning is requisite For a Doctor doth not propose his sentence as necessary to bee followed but onely so farre as reason shal councell vs but a Iudge proposeth his sentence to bee followed of necessity Whereof then will the Pope bee Iudge Of expounding Scriptures these places of Scripture which make for his pretended authority Must his sentence herein of necessity be followed By Bellarmine it must albeit wee see no reason for it either out of Scripture or nature It is for Doctors to bring reasons for their expositions but the Pope needs not except hee will nor may wee exact it of a Iudge So hee addes more expresly We admit not of Bartolus or Baldus glosses as wee doe of Empecours declarations Austine and other Fathers in their Commentaries supply the places of Teachers but the Councell and Popes exercise the function of Iudges whereunto God hath designed them But how shall we know that God hath committed all iudgement vnto them seeing wee haue beene taught by his word that hee hath committed all iudgement vnto his sonne Because all men should honour the sonne as they honour the father We reade not of any other to whom the like authority is giuen by God or his sonne yet of one whose very name shall import the vsurpation of like authority that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christs Vicar generall vnto whom the Sonne as must bee supposed doth deligate the same iudiciary power the Father deligated vnto him 13. But may a Princes declaration in no case be examined by his subiects Yes though in ciuill matters it may so farre as it concernes their consciences as whether it be consonant to Gods word or no whether it make more for the health of their soules to suffer what it inflicts vpon the refusers or to act what it commands To controle contermaund or hinder the execution of it by opposition of violence or contrary ciuill power subiects may not But for any but man to vsurpe such dominion ouer his fellow creatures soules as earthly Princes haue ouer their subiects goods lands or bodies is more then Monarchicall more then tyrannical the very Idea of Antichristianisme And what I would commend vnto the Reader as a point of especiall consideration this assertion of Bellarmine concerning the Popes absolute authoritie directly proues him as was auouched before to be a supreame head or foundation of the selfe same ranke and order with Christ no way inferiour to him in the intensiue perfection but onely in the extent of absolute soueraigntie For greater soueraignty cannot be conceiued then this That no man may examine the truth or equity of commands or consequences immediately deriued from it though immediatly concerning their eternall ioy or miserie No Prince did euer deligate such soueraigne power to his Vice gerent or deputy nor could he vnlesse for the time being at least he did vtterly relinquish his owne supreame authority or admit a full compere in his kingdome Bellarmines distinctions of a primary and secondary foundation of a ministeriall and principall head of the Church may hence he described to be but meere stales set to catch guls Their conceit of the Popes copartnership with Christ is much better resembled and more truly expressed by the Poets imaginations of Iupiter and Augustus Caesars fraternity Diuisum imperium cum Iove Caesar habet Ioue and Caesar are Kings and Gods But Ioue of heauen that 's the onely ods That Christ should retaine the title of the supreame head ouer the Church militant and the realitie of supremacie ouer the Church triumphant ouer aduersaries are not offended Because there is small hope of raising any new tribute from the Angels and Saints in heauen to the Romish churches vse and as little feare that Christ should take any secular commodity from it which aunciently it hath enioyed 14. But though it were true that we were absolutely bound to obey an absolute Monarchie of whose right none doubts yet may we examine whether euery Potentate that challengeth Monarchicall iurisdiction ouer others or giues forth such insolent edicts in ciuill matters as the Pope doth in spirituall do not goe beyond his authority in these particulars albeit his lawfull prerogatiues in respect of others be
without controuersie many and great yet limited both for number and magnitude For suppose King Henry the eight after hee had done what he could against the Pope should still haue professed his good liking of Romish religion opposing only this to all his Popish Cleargie that had challenged him of reuolt Am not I defender of the faith The Pope whom I trow you take for no false Prophet hath giuen me this prerogatiue amongst Christian Princes as expresly as euer Saint Peter bequeathed him his supremacy aboue other Bishops It is as impossible for me to defend as for his Holinesse to teach any other besides the true Catholique faith Let the proudest amongst my Prelates examine my expositions of his decrees and by S. George he shall fry a fagot for an heretick Would this or the like pretence though countenanced by royall authority haue been accepted for a iust defence that this boisterous King had not contradicted the Pope but the tatling Monkes or other priuate expositors of his decrees would this haue satisfied the Popes agents vntill the King and his Holinesse had come to personall conference for finall debatement of the case yet for Christs seruants thus to neglect their masters cause is no sinne in the Romanists iudgement yea an heresie is it not to deale so negligently in it For a sinne of no lower ranke they make it not to submit our hearts minds and affections vnto the Popes negatiue decrees though against that sence of scripture which conscience and experience giue vs. Vnto all the doubts feares or scruples these can minister it must suffice That the Pope sayth he expounds scripture no otherwise then Christ would were hee in earth but onely controls all priuate glosses or expositors of them But can any Christian heart content it selfe with such delusions and defer all examinations of doctrine vntill that dreadfull day come vpon him wherein the great Shepheard shal plead his owne cause face to face with this pretended Vicar and his associates Do we beleeue that Christ hath giuen vs a written law that he shall come to be our Iudge and call vs to a strict accompt wherein we haue transgressed or kept it yet may we not try by examination whether these Romish guides lead vs aright or awry Whether some better or clearer exposition may not be hoped for then the Pope or Councell for the present tenders to vs What if the Pope should prohibite all disputations about this point in hand whether obeying him against the true sence of scripture as we are perswaded wee yeeld greater obedience vnto him then vnto Scriptures may we not examine the equity of this decree or his exposition of that Scripture which happely he would pretend for this authority his amplius fili mi ne requiras No by their generall tenent and Valentians expresse assertion it were extreame impiety to trauerse this sence or exposition vnder pretence of obscurity c. By the same reason for ought I can see it would follow that if the question were whether obeying the Pope more then God we did obey man more then God we might not examine at least not determine whether the Pope were man or God or a middle nature betwixt both which came not within the compasse of that comparison CHAP. IX In what sence the Iesuites may truly deny they beleeue the words of man better then the words of God In what sence againe our writers truly charge them with this blasphemy 1. IF we reuiew the former discourse we may find that equiuocation which Bellarmine sought as a knot in a bulrush in our writers obiections to be directly contained in their Churches deniall of what was obiected Whilest they deny that they exalt the Churches authority aboue scriptures or mans word aboue Gods this deniall may haue a double sence They may deny a plaine and open profession or challenge of greater authority in their Church then in Scriptures Or they may denie that in effect and substance they ouerthrow all authority of Scripture saue onely so farre as it makes for their purpose 2. That the Pope should openly professe himselfe competitor with God or in expresse tearmes challenge greater authority then Scriptures haue was neuer obiected by any of our writers For all of vs know the man of sinne must be no open or outward enemy to the Church but Iudas like a disciple by profession his doctrine indeed must bee a doctrine of diuels yet counterfeiting the voice of Angels as he himselfe though by internall disposition of minde a slaue to all manner of filthinesse and impurity must bee enstiled sanctissimus Dominus the most holy Lord. If the poison of his iniquity were not wrapt vp in the titles of diuine mysteries it would forth-with be disliked by many silly superstitious soules which daily suck their bane from it because perswaded that the scriptures which they neuer haue examined whose true sence they neuer tasted but from some reliques of heathenish zeale idolatrously worship in grosse do fully warrant it When our Writers therefore obiect that the Papists exalt the Popes lawes aboue Gods had not these holy Catholicks an especiall grace to grow deafe as often as wee charge their mother with such notorious and knowne whoredomes as they see might euidently be proued vnto the world if they should stand to contest with vs their meaning is plaine that the Pope in deed and issue makes the Scriptures which in shew he seemes to reuerence of no authority but onely with reference to his owne That he and his followers should in words much magnifie Gods word written or vnwritten we do not maruell because the higher esteeme men make of it the higher still hee may exalt his throne being absolutely enabled by this deuise to make all that belongs to God his Word his Lawes his Sacraments the pretious Body and Bloud of his Sonne blessed for euer meere foot-stooles to his ambition For if the authority of Scriptures or such traditions as he pretends be established as diuine and he admitted sole absolute infallible Iudge of their meaning it would argue either Antichristian blindnesse not to see or impudency of no meaner stocke not to acknowledge that the Pope by this meane might appropriate vnto himselfe the honour due vnto God and play vpon his Creator in such sort as if a corrupt Lawyer hauing euidences committed to his trust should by vertue of them take vp rents and let leases to the Landlords dammage and Tennants ouerthrow And what is most villanous vnto whatsoeuer prerogatiues though most preiudiciall to the diuine maiesty his Parasiticall Canonists shall blasphemously entitle this most holy Father the sonne of God and his faithfullest seruants Apostles or Prophets must be brought forth to abette the forgery as if euidence giuen in Court by infamous Knights of the Post should in the finall day of hearing bee produced vnder the hands and seales of free Barons or other chiefe Peeres of the Land for as was intimated
populus minor venenum in calice illo posuit de quo mater communicatura erat Quo illa hausto protinus mortua est non enim dubium est tale maleficium esse de parte Diaboli Quid contra misere Haeretici respondebunt vt in sancta eorum locum habeat minacus Nos vero Trinitatem in vna aequalitate pariter omnipotentia consilentes etiamsi mortiferum bibamus in nomine patris filij spiritus sancti veri incorruptibilis Dei nihil nos nocebit Greg. Turon Hist Lib. 3. Num. 31. * Concil Trid. Sess 21. Cap. 1. Itaque sancta ipsa Synodus à Spiritu sancto qui spiritus est sapientiae intellectus spiritus consily pietatis edocta atque ipsius Ecclesiae iudicium consuetudinem secuta declarat ac docet nullo diuino praecept Laicos Clericos non consicientes obligari ad Eucharistiae sacramentum sub vtraque specâ—e sumendum neque vllo pacto salua side dubitari posse quin illis alterius speciei communio ad salutem sufficiat Nam etsi Christus Dominus in vltima caena venerabile hoc Sacramentum in panis vini speciebus instituit Apostolis tradidit non tamen illa institutio traditio â—o tendunt vt omnes Christi sideles statuto Domini ad vtramque speciem accipiendam asâ—ringaÌ„tur Sed neque ex sermone illo apâ—d Iohan. 6. recte colligitur vtriusque speciei Communionem a Domino praeceptam esse vtrumque iuxta varias sanctorum Patrum Doctorum interpretationes intelligatur Namque qui dixit Nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis biberitis eius sanguinem non habebitis vitam in vobis dixit queque Siquis manducauerit ex hoc pane viuet in aeternum Et qui dixit Qui manducat meam carnem bibit meum surguinem habet vitam aeternam dixit etiam Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est c. mundi vita Et denique qui dixit Qui manducat meam carnem bibit meum sanguinem in me manet ego in illo dixit nihilominus Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum And in the second Canon of the same Session it is expressed sub paena Anathematis Si quis dixerit Sancta Ecclesiam Catholicam non iustis causis rationibus adductam fuisse vt laicos atque etiam Clericos non consicientes sub panis tantummodo specie communicaret aut in co errassè anathema sit Ista distinctioÌ„ saith Bellarmine tam frequens carnis sanguinis â—ibi ac potus apertè indicat Christum loqui de communicatione sui sub speciebus panis viâ—i talioqui enim quorsum ista distinctio toties praesertim repetâ—ta Spiritualis enim perceptio Christi per sidem non eget ista distinone cum vno modo siat idem enim est manducare bâ—bere in sumptione per solam sidem Bellar. Lib. 5. de Sacrament Euch. Cap. 5. in haec verba Iohan. Now if wee assume But the Romish Church will not suffer Christians to receiue CHRISTS bodie and bloud sub 〈◊〉 panis vini the conclusion is ineuitable therefore the Romish Church directly contradicts Christ and as much as in her lies depriues the Laitie of eternall life Our Sauiour in the sixth of Iohn speakes indefinitly both of Sacramentall and Spirituall eating not peculiarly of either Vide Bezae annotationes in vers 63. cap. 6. Iohannis Quoniam res ipsa id est corporis sanguinis Christi spiritualis manducatio potus ibi luculeÌ„ter traditur ad quam postea Euangelistae ad sinem histor ae suae declarant Christum adiunxisse symbola externa panis vini idcirco nos caput illud à SacrameÌ„to Eucharistiae putamus esse alienum Peter Martyr Lib. coÌ„tra Gardinerum pag. 1. ad solutionem 32. obiecti The strange interpretation of Saint Paule wordes whereby the Trent Councell deluded by Sathan seekes to delude the Christian World * Ephe. 5. verse 32. The improper vse of which word in that place made Matrimonie a Sacrament amongst the Papists yet Bellarmine defends the translation Idem est Mysterium Graecis Latinis Sacramentum GraeciÌ„ enim cum de Sacramentis aegunt semper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocant Bellar. Lib. 2. de verbo Dei Cap. 14. Parag. Septimus So oftentimes wee call an Asse a beast but to translate bestia by the English Asse would argue either rudenesse or negligence in the translator or the approuer partialitie in the Apologizer * 1. Cor. Cap. 4. Vers 2. a 1. Cor. 11. vers 26. 27. 28. 29. * Praeterea declarat hanc potestatem perpetuo in Ecclesia fuisse vt in Sacramentorum dispensatione salua illorum substantiâ ea statueret vel mutaret quae suscipientium vtilitati seu ipsorum Sacramentorum venerationi pro rerum temporum locorum varietate magis expedire iudicaret Id autem Apostolus non obscure visus est insinuasse cum ait Sic nos existimet homo vt ministros Christi dispensatores mysteriorum Dei atque ipsum quidem hac potestate vsum esse satis consâ—at cum in multis alijs tum in hoc ipso Sacramento cum ordinatis nonnullis circa eius vsum 1. Corinth 11. vers 34. Caetera inquit cum venero disponam Concil Trident. Sess 2. Cap. 2. * 1. Cor. 3. vers 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. * 1. Corinth 11. vers 34. * Cited in the precedent annotation Parag 15. That the Cup is an essentiall and substantial part of the Eucharist a Heb. 9. 22. That the TreÌ„t Fathers had preferred their own authoritie aboue the Scriptures albeit the Scriptures they alleage for this decree were as probable as these we bring against it * Sess 2â— Cap. 2. * 2. Cor. 8. ve 13. Mat. 26. ver 27. Sacrosancta oecumenica generalis Tridentina Synodus in spiritu sancto legitimè congregata praesidentibus in ea eisdem Apostolicae sedis legatis cum de tremendo sanctissimo Eucharistiae sacramento varia diuersis in locis errorum moÌ„stra nequissimi damonis artibus circumferantur ab quae in nonnullis prouintijs multi a Catholicae Ecclesiae â—ide atque obedientia uideantur discessisse Censuit ea quae ad communionem sub vtraque specie parâ—ulorum pertinent hoc loco exponenda esse qua propter cunctis Christi fidelibê° interdicit ne posthac de ijs aliter vel credere vel docere vel praedicare audeant quam est his decretis explicatum atque definitum Concil Trid. Sess 21. in Proaemio * 2. Cor. 8. ve 13. Mat. 26. ver 27. Sacrosancta oecumenica generalis Tridentina Synodus in spiritu sancto legitimè congregata praesidentibus in ea eisdem Apostolicae sedis legatis cum de tremendo sanctissimo Eucharistiae sacramento varia diuersis in locis errorum moÌ„stra nequissimi damonis artibus circumferantur ab quae in nonnullis prouintijs