and being desirous to know the cause J found there had bin Popes And proceeding from this conceipt of the Popes prevailing against Christ in vtter overthrow of the whole visible Church he concludeth that he who founded and purchased the Church with such pains and at so deere a rate could not be Christ because he wanted power or providence to preserve it and therfore Ochin tourned Iew and taught circumsion and Polygamy Upon the same motives Adam Neuserus a most learned Protestant and chief Pastor of Heydelbergh turned Turk and was circumsised at Constantinople persuading many of his flock to become Mahometans Allemanus esteemed and beloved by Beza for his learning seing that the predictions of the Prophets were not fulfilled in the Protestant Churches and being resolved not to be a Papist held that the Messias was not come and so renouncing Christianity became a blasphemous Iew. Calvin the Oracle of Protestant learning and the most plausible Reformer of Popery is not only by Catholicks but by sundry Protestants charged with Judaism in so much that the famous Protestant Writer Egidius Hunnius Doctor and publick Professor in the University of Wittembergh and chief Disputant in the conference of Ratisbone against the Catholicks writ a Book intituled Calvinus Judaizans And another Protestant book was printed 1586 and reprinted 1592. the Author wherof is the learned Ioannes Modestinus and it's Title A Demonstration out of God's word that the Calvinists are not Christians but only baptized Jews and Mahometans and an other very learned Protestant John Scutz in lib. 50. causarum cap. 48. affirmeth Mahometism Arianism and Calvinism to be brothers and Sisters and three pair of hose made of one cloath The Calvinists do and may say the same of the Lutherans and of every other Sect of Protestants they are all made of one cloath and differ only in the fashion according to the diversity of their fancies They all agree in cloathing and covering their errors with Scripture but some like one mode some an other Calvin and his faction seem to approve most of the Arian to which also most Protestants incline by reason of difficulty they find in the Mystery of the Trinity explained after the Catholick manner But non of them will tye himself to an others fashion seing their Rule of faith is their own fancy Wherfore notwithstanding the Confessions of faith of their sundry Churches they do not hold them-selves obliged to Profess that or any faith longer then it agreeth with every on 's privat sense of Scripture which he changes as often as further study information or seeming reason moves him to the contrary So that not only Mahometism Arianism and Calvinism are three paire of hose made of one Cloath according to Scutz expression but his Lutheranism and all other Protestant Reformations are remnants of the same piece with different trimmings and patches and though they be hose this day to morrow they would perhaps be Turbants or Jews garments had not those formes and fashions bin so generally cry'd down as ridiculous in these parts of the world that the learned Protestants who think them more Religious then their own despaire of ever making them the mode So true it is that the bare letter of Scripture without Tradition the rule of faith makes men Hereticks Turcks Jews and the worst of Infidells The learned Protestants who are not Iews Turks or Arians become Atheists or meer Rationalists Because there is not any thing moves learned men so much either to Atheism or to have no Religion but naturall reason as the diversity of Religions and the confessed vncertainty of such as are professed The interpretation of Scripture and Fathers being left by their principles of the Reformation to every particular person's discretion maks Protestants differ as much in Christian belief as in human opinions concerning any ordinary and obscure matter and their supposition of the fall of the visible Church into errors of doctrin togeather with the acknowledged fallibility and vncertainty of their own Congregations takes away as we proved in the last Section all certainty and Christianity of belief What doubt therfore can be made but that such learned Protestants as turn not Jews Mahometans or Arians will either become Atheists Socinians or meer Rationalists such as observe that the Prophecies sett-down in Scripture concerning the spendor extent and propagation of Christ's Church vpon Earth are not accomplished in their own petty Reformations and withall are so peevish and maliciously bent against the Roman Catholick faith as not to examin it's truth turn Jews Mahometans or Atheists But such as are ashamed or afraid to renounce the name of Christians and yet are as obstinat against the Roman Catholick doctrin as the aforsaid Protestants fall from on reformed sect to an other and at length perceiving there is no reason to preferr on before an other renounce all and rely only vpon their own reason most of them follow Chillingworth Fauckland Stilling-fleet and become Socinians denying or doubting of Christ's Divinity and are driven to that impiety partly by the incoherency of the Protestant Tenets and partly by their contempt of Tradition but most of all by the foolish presumption of their own wit and judgment and by that secret pride so manifest in Protestants and proper to Hereticks There is not any one Protestant Writer in whose works you may not find this heretical Strain Neither is it to be admired that men whose Religion is occasioned by pride and grounded vpon singularity of judgment do betray and declare those passions in their discourses they being the chief ingredients of their Symbols and the Conclusions most cleerly deduced from their principles I will omit all others at present and only mention a passage of Socinus against Volanus pa. 2. wherin you may see to what a pass Protestants are brought by their own proud and privat spirit and by their contempt of Catholick Tradition Thus therfore he saith To what purpose should I answer that which thou borrowest from the Papists c. especially where thou opposest to vs the perpetuall consent of the Church very excellently doubtless in this behalf hath Hosius a Papist discours'd against you wounding you with your own sword And therfore you are no less fals in urging against us the Churches perpetual consent for the Divinity of Christ then are the Papists in their vrging therof against you and vs. And ibid. pag. 222. We propose to vs in this question concerning the Divinity of Christ non for Master or Interpreter but only the holy Ghost c. we do not think that we are to stand to the judgment of any men though never so learned of any Councels though in shew never so holy and lawfully assembled of any visible Church though never so perfect and vniversall Even Uolanus himself disputing against the Iesuits is inforced to reject the examples sayings and deeds of Athanasius Hierom Austin Theodoret and other Fathers whose authority he now opposeth against
the Canon of the Iews as if the Jews might not doubt and omitt to put some books divinely inspired into the Canon as wel as the primitive Christians or as if the Apostles might not supply that defect and declare some books of the old Testament wherof the generality of the Jews doubted to be Canonical SVBSECT I. Doctor Cozins exceptions and falsifications against the Councel of Trent's authority answered The difference between new definitions and new articles of faith explained THe Protestant obstinacy is not excusable by the exceptions made against the number of Bishops that voted in the Councel of Trent or against the pretended novelty of the Canon which they decreed As to their number the authority of defining matters of faith in a general Councel is no more limited or diminished by the absence of members legaly summoned and long expected then the authority of a lawful Parliament by the absence of many Lords and commons especialy if there be a necessity of applying present remedies to the distempers of Church or Common-weal Doctor Cozins doth confess that the Catholick Church stood in need of a reformation and that the Councel was too much diferr'd and delay'd After they had met at Trent Seing the Bishops were not as many as the Pope and his Legats expected and wished for the greater solemnity of so important a decision as that of the Canon of Scripture whervpon they were to ground their further definitions they put of that session for 8. months and at the end of them hearing that besids those who were at Trent many Bishops were setting forth and others in their Journey they differred the definition of Canonical Scripture for three months more to the end as many as could possibly come might be present If through neglect contempt age infirmity or other accidents wherof the Pope was not in fault many Bishops were absent that could no more prejudice the authority of the Councel at Trent then the like circumstances disanull the authority or make voyd the Acts of our Parliaments But sure the learned Protestant Pastors cannot but smile at the simplicity of their illiterat flocks when they consider the zeale and earnestnes wherwith they except against the smal number of Bishops and their presumption forsooth in the Councel of Trent For the declaring the Canon of Scripture and other Divine truths and yet them-selves accept the Canon of Scripture and doctrin of their own Churches vpon the bare word of one Luther Zuinglius Calvin or vpon the sole authority of the 12. or seven men appointed by Parliament in the reign of Edward 6. Besids our Canon of Scripture was confirmed by the whole Councel of Trent afterwards together with the other points of faith therin defined And though Doctor Cozins pag. 208. tels how the Princes and reformed Churches in Germany England Denmark c. immediatly set forth their Protestations and exceptions against the Councel aleadging that the caling of this Councel by the Pop's authority alone was contrary to the Rights of Kings and the ancient Customs of the Church That he had summond no other persons thither nor intended to admitt any either to debate or give their voice there but such only as had first sworn obedience to him that he took vpon him most injustly to be Judg in his own cause c. Yet it is sufficiently manifested to the world by the very Acts of the Councel that the Pope did nothing but what his Predecessors had don and the Catholick Princes and Church had approved in the like occasions and that though Protestants were not admitted to vote at Trent yet they were not only permitted but invited in a most secure and civil manner by the Councel to reason dispute and debate their controversies and answer for them-selves and their doctrin and this way of proceeding is no more vnreasonable in a general Councel then it is in a Parliament not to permit any to vote therin before he taks an oath of alegiance not to say any thing of the oath of Supremacy and much less to admit of Lords or Commons accused of treason or rebellion to sit in the House vntil they prove their innocency or acknowledg their fault and obtain their pardon by a dutiful submission and profession of repentance And granted that nothing had bin resolved in the Councel of Trent by the Fathers therof but what first was canvass't at Rome by the Pope and Conclave which is false yet we conceive that to be no more against the constitution or freedom of a Councel then it is against the constitution or freedom of a Parliament that no Bill pass vnto an Act vnless it be first signed by the King and approved by his Councel and yet we know that to have bin the constant custom in one of his Majesties Kingdoms since the reign of King Henry 7. As for the Pope or Church of Rome being Judg in their own cause it is a prerogative so absolutly necessary for the authority and govermnent of Magistracy and the quiet and peace of the people governed that no Monarchy or Commonwealth can want it without falling into great inconveniences and confusion A subject t' is true may sue the King but the sentence must be given in the King's Courts and by his authority notwithstanding any objected dependency or parciality of the Judg explaining the laws and customs in favor of his Soveraign And he who would not acquiesce in such a sentence but would needs have the cause decided by a foreign Prince or People is a rebel If this be reasonable and just in temporal Courts and fallible sentences how much more in spiritual controversies and infallible definitions of the Church which definitions of the Church if not acknowledged to be infallible the Church can not have any jurisdiction or authority in matters of faith as not being able to satisfie doubts and setle the inward peace of Christian souls either perplexed in them-selves or in daunger of being perverted by others whether hereticks or pagans neither of which can be indifferent Judges or competent Arbitrators between the Catholick Church and her Children And seing doubts and differences are vnavoidable in both Church and Commonwealth and that there can be no appeale to Infidels or Foreigners without doubt it is more agreable to Scripture to the law of nature and light of reason that Parents and Pastors be Judges in any cause of their Children and inferiors then the contrary or that there be no Judg at all nor jurisdiction either spiritual or temporal But that which Doctor Cozins and all Protestants most press against the judicature of Popes and the councel of Trent is that they do not judg according to Scripture and to the right sense therof wheras Kings and their Judges are regulated by the laws of the land even when the suit is against the King or his pretended prerogative To this we answer that Popes and Councels are as much regulated by Scripture in their definitions
as an essential requisit the vndoubted assurance of the truth of what is proposed by the Church as revealed by God and Protestancy necessarily supposing fallibility or possibility of error in that same Church and proposal Christian faith is ther by rendred impossible and the Protestant Doctrin demonstrated 〈◊〉 be inconsistent with the nature of Catholick Religion with the certainty of Divine faith and with the Authority of Christ's Church Neither is the Protestant doctrin in this particular less consistent with Christian charity and humility then with Catholick faith For what judgment can be more rash injurious and contrary to Christian charity then to assert that so many holy and learned Doctors as have bin and are confessed Papists and even the whole visible Church for the space at least of 1000. years could either ignorantly mistake or would wilfully forsake the true sence of God's word so cleerly shining in Scripture as every petty Protestant doth pretend or what is more repugnant 〈◊〉 Christian modesty and humility then that homely Doctors and half witted wits should preferr their own privat opinions in matters of faith before the common consent and belief of 〈◊〉 Fathers of the Church the Definitions of general Councels the Tradition and testimony of so many ages Jt is both a ridiculous and sad spectacle to see how every student of the University that hath learn'â— to conster 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 or to quibble or scribble some-what in Greek English or Latin takes vpon him to talk of Religion and to censure St. 〈◊〉 St. Austin St. Christom c. and contemn both ancient and modern Catholick Avthors preferring before the whole Church him-self and his Poâ—antick Tutors or Fellows of Oxford and Cambrige Collâ—gâ—s Nay the illiterat people even the women are grown to that height of spiritual pride an infallible 〈◊〉 of Heresy that they pitty our Popish ignorance and fancy they can 〈◊〉 with the Text of their English Bibles falsly translated and fondly interpreted the greatest Roman Divines So true is the saying of St. Hierom in Epist. ad Paulinum Scripture is the only art which all people teach before they have learn't The pratling woman the old doting man c. And therfore advers Lucifer bids men not flatter them-selves with quoting Scripture to confirm their opinions seing the Devill him-self made vse of God's word which consists more in the sense then in the letter How impossible is it to govern peaceably so pratling and presuming a Protestant multitude either in Church or state is too manifest by the last experiences in England wher the endeavours of reducing this Protestant arrogancy to some kind of reason was the occasion and object of the Rebellion King Charles I. and his Councel for attempting to make the inferiors subordinat to their superiors in doctrin and disciplin and the subjects obedient to the laws of the land were aspers'd as Papists and destroy'd as enemies to the Evangelical liberty of Protestancy and as subverters of the fundamental principles of the Reformation Popish rebellions happen because the Promotors therof fall from that fervor of their faith and devotion which they ought to practise but the English Protestant Rebellion was raised and continued by the most devout pure fervent and zealous sort of Protestants in persuance and maintenance of their Religion Other rebellions are commonly vnexpected chances springing from a sudain fury or feare of desperat people but the late Rebellion was and is to this day pretended by many to have bin a pious and sober proceeding the King's murther only excepted of the prudent and Religious men of the Nation assembl'd in Parliament and is so justifiable by the principles of Protestancy that he must be thought not only a wise but a fortunat King of England that can prevent or suppress the like revolution in his Reign so long as Protestancy doth reign with him The reason is as manifest as the experience and the cause as the effect For if a Common-wealth were so instituted that every privat person might pretend by his birth-right or Privilege to admit of no other Iudg or Interpreter of the laws but him-self or at least might lawfully and legaly appeale from all Courts of Judicature even from the highest which is the Parliament to his own privat Judgment what intollerable confusion would it breed what justice subordination peace propriety or prosperity could be expected in such a government The same laws and authority which ought to decide all differences would be the subject and occasion of perpetual quarrells This is the condition and constitution of Protestant Churches and States Every privat person is a supreme Iudg of Religion and sole Interpreter of Scripture he may appeale both from Soveraigns and Bishops from their temporal and Ecclesiastical laws to his own privat judgment or spirit and him-self must determin the difference and conclude whether the Decrees of Church and State be agreable to God's word that is to his own Interpretation therof which commonly is byassed by privat interest or some singular fancy of his own And though the Governors and Clergy of his Church and Country tell him he ought to suspend his judgment and submit the same to 〈◊〉 Parliament or to a general Councel not like that of Trent but to one composed of all Nations and Christian Congregations called by the joynt authorâ—â—y of all temporal Princes but in the mean time he must 〈◊〉 to the Decrees of the Church and state wherof he is a member when they inculcat this lesson vnto a zealous Protestant◠〈…〉 not so simple as to believe that they who read this 〈◊〉 speak as they think or that they believe any such general Councel is possible for that every 〈◊〉 knows temporal Princes will never agree about the President time place and other circumstances of such a Counceâ—â— and though they should and the Turck and other Infidels give way to such a sâ—spitious Assembly of Christians yet when they mâ—tâ— nothing could be resolu'd â—or want of their agrement in a 〈◊〉 of judging of controversies every sect â—â—icking to it 's own principles and proper sence of Scripture So thaâ— every Protestant vnderstands the design of this doctrin to be but a fetch of their own Clergy to make it-self in the mean time solâ— Judg of Religion contrary to the principles and privileges of Protestancy and therfore laugh at the folly of such a proposal and pretext We Roman Catholicks need no such Devices nor delays we are content to submit to such general Councels as may be had our Popes and Councels define according to the tradition and sense of Scripture of the true Church our Censures must suppose known causes and crimes and if with all these cautions the Pop's spiritual jurisdiction is thought to be so dangerous to the soveraignty of Kings and peace of subjects least forsooth it might be indirectly applyed to temporal matters that all Protestants vpon that score renounce the Papal authority with how much more reason
of Paris a secular Court would fain have pressed vpon the French Clergy king since and the Jansenists lately but now dare not mention any such thing the Pope having lately censured their presumption of intermedling with matters aboue their jurisdiction and the King not giving them thanks for their officiousness Protestants can not cleere their Religion from the doctrin and danger of deposing Soveraigns and disposing of their Kingdoms NOw that we have cleered 〈…〉 Roman Catholik Religion from the aspersions of our 〈…〉 and shewed how 〈◊〉 dangerous the Pope's spiâ—â—â—ual supremacy can be to the temporal Soveraignty even of protestant Princes I would willingly vnderstand how the protestant and prelatik Clergy can vindicat their own principles 〈…〉 from deposing of as many Monarchâ— and Magistrat◠〈◊〉 did not conform to their Reformations whersoever they pâ—â—vailed Let them name but one protestant Kingdom Principality Commonwealth or Citty wherin protestancy hath not bin promoted by rebellion and exclusion of the lawfull Soveraign or Magistrat let them read the Histories of Germany Geneva France England Holland Suethland Suitzerland Vallies of Saâ—â—y Scotland c. 〈◊〉 they will find that as we do not exaggegrat so they can 〈◊〉 excuse the crime or except any of this number from notorious guilt therof So vniversal a conspiracy against lawfull Sâ—â—eraigns in nations so distant and different agreeing almost 〈◊〉 nothing but in the fundamental grounds of protestancy 〈◊〉 particularly in their maxim of the lawfulness to rayse 〈◊〉 settle the reformation vpon the ruins of all superiority 〈◊〉 spiritual and temporal that will not submit to the arbiâ—â—â—â—â— interpretation of Scripture of every Protestant prevailing 〈◊〉 must needs be a convincing proof that nothing can 〈◊〉 allyed to rebellion then the Protestant Religion which 〈◊〉 content to depose only Catholik Kings for Popery doth 〈◊〉 the same authority against their own protestant Kings 〈…〉 they conform not even their reformed Tenets to the 〈…〉 fancies of an illiterat giddy multitude And even the Cavaleers the wisest and most faithfull 〈◊〉 have given sufficient ground for men to suspect 〈…〉 think it no discredit to their prelatick Religion nor 〈◊〉 to themselves to trouble and question their Kings 〈◊〉 he and his privy Councell should think fit to vse a 〈◊〉 moderation towards Papists their late speeches in the 〈◊〉 of Commons against his Majesties Declaration is too cleer 〈…〉 for this censure Let themselves now be Judges 〈◊〉 the Roman Catholik Religion notwithstanding its 〈◊〉 of the Popes spiritual supremacy be not more 〈◊〉 â—o Kings then the best Protestant Reformations and 〈◊〉 the Papal spiritual Iurisdiction over souls be not 〈◊〉 with a temporal Soveraignty in Kings over their 〈◊〉 They will find this difference between both Religions that the Roman Catholik admits of and submits to Soveraignty however so addicted the Soveraigns are to Protestancy even the most precise Papists allow not of resistance against the royal authority in any case but only in that of forcing conscience by persecution but both Presbyterian and Prelatik Protestants think it lawfull to depose their Soveraigns if the Soveraigns SECT X. That Protestants could never prove any of the wilfull falsifications wherwith they charge Roman Catholik writers but themselves are convicted of that Crime whersoever they attempted to make good their charge against vs. SOME Protestants either out of ignorance or malice confound our Index expurgatorius with wilfull falsifications of ancient Fathers aÌ„d modern Authors wheras the sayd Index is a professed correcting not of the Fathers but of modern Authors opinions and Comments no concealed corrupting of their writings It doth not change any thing in ancient Fathers works though Protestants themselves confess 〈◊〉 of them have ambiguous and erroneous sentences but such are either sufficiently explained or corrected by themselves in other â—â—â—ces or condemned by the ancient Church and the geneâ—â—â— concurrence and consent of the other Fathers teaching and â—â—â—â—ifying the contrary to be Catholick doctrin So that we 〈◊〉 excuse our Adversaries either ignorance or impudence when they say we make the Fathers speake what is most pleasing to vs by our Index Expurgatorius This you may see solidly proved against Bishop Taylors Calumnies and falsifications in his Dissuasive and the thing is evident by the Index it self and the rules therof Kemnitius and other Protestants object some few texts of Scripture in the vulgar latin which they pretend were changed by vs and corrupted But Cardinal Bellarmin answers to all the objections so well that nothing can be replyed and all the world must confess we Roman Catholiks translated not any thing in that version to favor our Religion against Protestants seing our Latin Vulgata hath his vsed in the Church 1â— hundred years before their pretended reformation was heard of Iewell Morton and others object that Zozimus Bonifacius and Celestinus three Popes that lived in Saint 〈◊〉 â—ime and are much commended by him for holy men forged a Canon of the first Councell of Nice in favor of their own supremacy but they are sufficiently cleered from that aspersion by all Catholick Writers who agree in this that the heretiks did corrupt and Conceal some Canons of that Councell which are now wanting But as for that of appeales to the Pope which was the 〈…〉 it is in the Canons of the Councâ—ll 〈…〉 wayes held especialy in the west Church for 〈…〉 of the 〈◊〉 Councell because the same 〈…〉 both And St. Austin himself did appeale to 〈…〉 those three Popes whom Protestants would 〈◊〉 make 〈◊〉 in the cause of 〈◊〉 Bishop of 〈…〉 in his own Epistle about that matter Bellarmin accused by Sutcliff of 〈◊〉 the general Councell of Calcedon 〈◊〉 favor of the Pope's sâ—â—remacy one of the foure first and received in England by act of a Protestant Parliament MR. Sutcliff in his Challenge and defence of the same chargeth Cardinal Bellarmin with many falsifications which you may see reâ—orted vpon himself in Walsingham's Search of Religion I will relate but one which is the third in Sutcliff's order In the same Book and Chapter saith Sutcliff Bellarmin falsifyeth the acts of the Councell of Calcedon And for proof of this falsification he sayes wheras Bellarmin 〈◊〉 that the Councell acknowldedged and called Pope Leo 〈◊〉 Ecclesias Head of the Church Which name saith Bellarâ—â—â— the Councell of Calcedon about 1200. years past doth 〈◊〉 an epistle to Pope Leo saying quibus tu velut membris 〈◊〉 praeras over whom you as head over the members do beare 〈◊〉 And in the first action of the Councell the Roman Church 〈◊〉 the Head of all Churches Sutcliff letting pass this last 〈◊〉 vpon the words quibus tu velut membris caput praeeras saying that this is referred to certain Priests of Leo his order in which Rank he shewed himself principal c. so as he saith that these words of the Councell do acknowledge only that Leo 〈◊〉 of certain Priests but not of the Bishops
Law of England our Kings may minister all ecclesiastical functions consecrat Bishops and their letters patents are sufficient to give any lay person man or woman power to consecrat Bishops and Priests Ten wilfull falsifications set down together by Bish Morton for proving that Catholicks hold the Pope cannot be deposed nor become an heretick Primat Bramhalls falsification to prove that Popes may and have decreed heretical doctrin SECT IX PRoved by reasons and examples that no Religion is so little dangerous to the soveraignty and safety of Kings or so advantagious to the peace and prosperity of subjects as the Roman Catholick notwithstanding the Popes spiritual supremacy Bellarmin the Author most excepted against in the opinion of deposing of Kings sayes that a King cannot be deposed for being an heretick vnlesse he forceth his subjects to heresy The Author of this Treatise doth not intend to promote Bellarmīs doctrin but only sheweth there can be no danger in it though it were allowed as true Not any thing more contrary to sound policy then to lay for the foundation of loyalty an Oath or engagement against opinions plausible popular and practised The best way to suppress them is to silence the Authors not censure their doctrin How litle the Popes power is feared by protestants though they make it the pretext of persecuting Catholicks How little his censures can disturb the government in regard of the notoriousness of the fact and the solemnity of his sentences required for their validity How Arch Laud and other protestants contradict them selves in this matter A fancied possibility without probability can bring no danger to the government How vnreasonable it is to exact a more strict profession of allegiance from catholick subjects to a protestant Soveraign then is given by any other Catholicks to their Catholick Soveraign That the french Kings exacts such engagements or Remonstrances from their subjects against the Popes authority as is required in England and Ireland from Catholiks against the same is a gross mistake All such disputes are prohibited in France as tending to sedition and no way profitable The Censure of the Parliament of Paris and some Doctors of the Sorbon against the Popes authority disanulled by the King and privy Councell in France Protestants cannot cleare their own principles in this particular from the aspersions they lay on the Catholick Tenets One of the fundamental principles of Protestancy is a power in the people to depose Soveraigns and dispose of their Kingdoms for the use of the Ghospel Proved by the examples of all Kingdoms and States that received the Reformation even the Prelatick of England SECT X. THat Protestants could never prove any of the wilfull falsifications wherwith they charged Roman Catholick writers but on the contrary themselves are convicted of that crime whensoever they attempted to make good their charge against us Of the Index Expurgatorius Bp. Taylors objections in the Dissuasive as also Bp. Mortons Bp. Jewells c. retorted vpon themselves Item Sutcliffs accusations against Bellarmin The Councell of Calcedon confirmed by Act of Parliament of Q. Elizabeth and by consequence the Popes spiritual supremacy which that Councell asserts SUBSECT I. PRotestants convicted by Belarmin of holding 20. ancient condemned heresies and how fourteen are admitted by them or at least vnanswered and the other six wherof they endeavor to cleere themselves are excused only by falsifying Fathers and Catholick Authors among which are two Pelagian heresies two Novatian one Manichean and one of the Arians Besides these Protestants maintain Iustification by only faith with the Simonians and Eunomians That God is the author of sin with the Florinians That women may be and are Priests with the Peputians That Concupiscency is a sin with Proclus That the true Church was invisible for many ages with the Donatists That men ought not to fast the Lent pray nor offer Sacrifice for the dead with the Aerians That Saints ought not to be prayed vnto nor their reliques or images worshipt with Vigilantius SVBSECT II. FAlsifications objected against Baronius by Dr. Sutcliff How ridiculous The difference between the falsifications objected by Catholicks and those that are objected by Protestants SECT XI CAlumnies and falsifications of Luther Clavin Arch-bishop Laud and Primat Vsher to discredit the Roman Catholick Religion and vphold Protestancy against their own conscience and knowledge What impudent impostors were Luther and Calvin Proved in many particulars Frauds and falsifications and calumnies of Primat Vsher called the Irish Saint by Protestants against the real presence and Transsubstantiation Against sacramental Confession Against absolution of sins by a Priest His cheat concerning Duli◠nd Latria No new invention of Jesuits but the ancient doctrin and distinction of the Fathers Against prayer to Saints His imposture of the Breviary of the Premonstratensian Order SVBSECT I◠OF Bp. Laud the English Protestant Martyr How fraudulently he would fain excuse the modern Greeks from being hereticks notwithstanding his 39. Prelatick articles condemn their doctrin of the holy Ghost as heresy He abuseth S. Austin to make Protestants believe that general Councells may err against scripture and evident reason He abuseth Vincentius Lyrinensis laying to that ancient Fathers charge his Graces own blasphemy and commits therin many frauds He falsifies Orcam and resolves the Prelatick Faith into the imaginary light of Scripture and the priva◠spirit and therin agrees with Presbiterians and Fanatiks And pretends that Prelaticks are not Schismaticks and Sectaries But to excuse them commits divers frauds His pretence of the lawfulness for privat Churches to reforme themselves confuted His doctrin doth justify all the sectaries proceeding against himself and the Church of England His vanity in pretending that the Church of Britain is independent of the Pope as also that the Pope can not be judge in his own cause His fraudulent and absurd explanation of S. Ireneus against the primacy of Rome item of the gallican libertys His abusing and corrupting S. Greg. Nazian because that Saint asserteth the infallibility of the Roman Church His falsifying of Gerson vpon the like accompt A faire offer to Protestants for the trial of falsifications SECT XII Whether it be piety or policy to give the Protestant Clergy of these 3. Kingdoms a million sterl per an for maintaining by such frauds and falsifications as hitherto have bin alledged the doctrin of the church of England which also they acknowledge to be fallible and by consequence for all they know fals And how the sayd million per an may be conscientiously applyed to the vse of the people without any dangerous disturbance to the Government It was policy in Q. Elizabeth to make such a clergy and Religion but not piety The case being now altered neither piety nor policy to preserve either No seditious or interessed persons can disturb the Government by pretending zeal for preserving a Religion and Clergy so prejudicial to the soul and state if liberty be granted to discover the cheat wherby the
direct men to the best Religion wherof depends the best Government the Conscience of some and the curiosity of others will furnish me with Readers Some Raylers I must expect to have because I endeavor to demonstrat that the Crown may lawfully seise on the Church Revenues but I am content to bâ—â—â—ld at so the commonwealth be not rallied out of so necessary a support And least J should be thought too partial â—o my own Religion I desire but a tolâ—ration for it as I do for all other Christian professionâ— albeit to obtain this toleration for the Catholick I am forc't to compare it with the protestant and to prove thâ—â— no Religion is so conscientious or so convenient as the Roman The truth of this may â—â—â—ily be discerned by a Comitâ—e of the layty if publik conferences of Religion be permittâ—d in English And truly 〈…〉 Scriptures are permitted to be read and interpreted by every English lay man J seâ— not why the layty may not judge of Controversies and conferâ—â—ces of Religion and according 〈◊〉 they find the interpretations of every Congregation consistent with the word of God grant or not grant liberty of Conscience There are few who 〈…〉 often heard how pressingly aâ—â—â—ertinently som of the wisest members of Parliament have spoke for Liberty of Conscience in the late sessions how they made it appear that our decay of trade and our fall of rents wherof Merchants and Land-lords do so much complain is wholy occasioned by the severity of our laws against Recusants and nonconformists for what credit or security can Merchants or Tradesmen have in England when their stock and substance may be legaly confiscated whensoever they refuse to take an oath or frequent a Church contrary to their conscience what commerce or correspondence can we expect from beyond the Seas when he that this day is an able Banquier amongst vs to morrow must turn Bankrupt if he will not contrefait himself a Conformist The Tenants Cattle and Corn may be seised vpon and by consequence the Landlord deprived of his Revenue whensoever a ceremonious Parson or an officious Church-warden or a malicious neigbor will inform that they come not to the common Prayer or Communion so that the Nonconformists being two parts of England in a few years two parts of the Kingdom will be destroyed If our penal statuts against Non-conformists did make this Monarchy as peaceable as they make it poor perhaps som Polititians might think it advisable to continue them But seing it is impossible to govern an empoverish't multitude without a standing Army which England will hardly brook and that Religion persecuted makes Rebellion plausible all disinteressed persons may with reason admire that the Bishops themselves do not Press and pray for liberty of conscience For though they should be so short-sighted as not to foresee future inconveniencies yet they cannot be so insensible as to forget the former effects of persecutioÌ„ And they will find great difficulty in persuading even the most devoted to their own calling that the same cause will not produce in 70. the same effects we have felt since 40. If they imagin that their spiritual censures will prevail against the temporal power of a discontented multitude they must maintain contrary to late experience that God will work Miracles to support the Church of England against Presbyterian sectaries § As for the Kings restauration I confess it looks like a Miracle but why our English Bishâ—ps should attribut so great a blessing rather to Gods will of countenancing their strange caracter then to his will of continuing lawful Monarchy or of manifesting the late Kings innocency or of rewarding the constancy and of relieving the indignity of the Cavaleer party can never be vnderstood by any that knows the grounds of our Protestant Episcopacy and how it was raised by Q. Elizabeth rather to exclude the succession of the Stevards from the Crown then to establish a succession of true Bishops in the Church There is much more reason to think that his Majesties restauration was decreed by God in order to the performance of his Declaration at Bredà for liberty of conscience then in order to the non-performance of so publick and solemn a promise And albeit I cannot say that our desired peace will be so absolutly secured by liberty of conscience in England as it is in other Countries by the Tenets and vniformity of the Roman Religion yet is it manifest that persecution for promoting Prelatick Protestancy will rather increas our confusions then work our conversion not only becaus the non-conformists are the more numerous party and by consequence can hardly be forc't to obey laws against their Consceince but also becaus it is confessed by the very Prelaticks that Christians may be saved though they do not conform to the Church of England nay they must grant that such as do conform to its doctrin and disciplin may be damned for so doing becaus it is a fallible and by consequence for ought they or any one knows a fals Church That a Church believed by the members therof to be infallible and the only way of salvation doth persecute such as revolt from its faith and obedience is thought by some a rational though by me a rigorous practise but that the Church of England wherof it is a fundamental Article that the whole visible Church or all Christian Congregations and by consequence it self hath erred or may err in doctrin should persecute such as revolt from it or men of a contrary persuasion for having a stronger faith grounded vpon Christs promis of never forsaking vs and a better opinion of Gods providence and of their own Churches doctrin seems not agreable to the rules of the Ghospel nor of human prudence For whether the Protestants sectaries persuasion of their own privat spirits infallibility or the Roman Catholicks belief of their general Councells infallibility be true or fals the Church of England will never be able to persuade or prove that any Christians ought to be persecuted by penal and sanguinary statuts for not exchanging that assurance of Divine faith which themselves are persuaded they have for a bare Prelatick probability of the same faith or for a confessed possibility of being mistaken in the doctrin of salvation Seing therfore of two evils the least ought to be chosen and that if liberty of conscience be an evil it is a less one then persecution becaus it will cause less dangers and disturbances in the Nations then laws which force the Prelatick probability and vniformity It seems to be against the rules as well of piety as of policy to continue the penal and sanguinary statuts in favor of the confessedly fallible Church of England And when I plead for liberty of conscience in England for Presbyterians and Fanaticks I hope it will not be ill taken that I beg the same freedom and favor for Roman Catholicks especially if I prove as I have vndertaken that our principles are not
since the Apostles then to take the bare word of Cranmer a man who married and vnmarried K. Henry 8. to as many women as his Majestie lik't or dislik't dissolving the holy Sacrament of Matrimony as often as the King seemed to be weary of a wife a man whose religion was nothing but his conveniency and incontinency and therfore did alter his faith as often as the tyms changed and factions prevailed and sided with every Rebel against his Prince and was so carnaly given that even in Henry 8. days when Priests were not permitted to have wives he kept a wench so constantly that he carried her about in his Visitations Let any Christian I say be judg whether this man together with Ochinus a Jew Bucer an Atheist Peter Martyr so indifferent for any doctrin that he framed his faith at Oxforâ— according to the news from London and the Parliament Diurnals Hooper Rogers and Latimer ambitious and discontented Presbiterians Bâ—le and Coverdale two lewd and runigad friars whether I say these men ought to be believed in this important point of salvation rather then the holy Fathers and Councels who as hath binâ— said hertofore cal the Mass the visible Sacrifice the true Sacrifice the dayly Sacrifice the Sacrifice according to the Order of Melchisadech the Sacrifice of the Body and Bloud of Christ the Sacrifice of the Altar the Sacrifice of the Church and the Sacrifice of the new Testament which succeeded all the Sacrifices of the old Testament Must the word of Cranmer and his fellows be a sufficient ground for prudent men to believe as an Article of Religion that the doctrin delivered as Catholick by the holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church are but fables and themselves but a company of Cheats The 32. Article was made by Cranmer and his Camerades to excuse their lewdness legitimat their bastards and make their wenches wives The second Parliament of King Edward 6. had bin so importuned by Apostata Priests and Friars who had coupled themselves with women that their petition having bin rejected by the first Parliament Edward 6. at lengh against the inclination and judgment of both houses they obtained now by meer importunity an Act to take away all positive Laws of man made against the marriage of Priests statut an 2. Edward 6. cap. 21. But then they are told in the very Act that it were not only better for Priests to live chast sole and separat from the company of women c. but that it were most to be wished that they would willingly and of themselves endeavour to keep a perpetual chastity and abstinence from the vse of women And 1400. years before that Origen Hom. 23. lib. 8. contra Celsum declared the doctrin even of the Greeck Church in these words Jt is certain the dayly Sacrifice is hindred in them who serve the necessities of mariage therfore it seemeth to me that it appertaineth only to him to offer the dayly Sacrifice who hath vowed himselfe to dayly and perpetual chastity with whomâ—agree the other Fathers S. Jerom in Apologia ad Pamachium cap. 3. desires them who like not of this doctrin not to be angry with him for telling them of it but with the holy Scriptures vvith all Bishops Priests c. vvho know they cannot offer Sacrifice if they vse the Act of mariage and said to Vigilantius c. 1. who in this point also was a Protestant and seemed to confess his owne frailty What do the Churches of the East of Egipt and of the Apostolick Sea vvho receive none but unmarried or continent Priests or if they have vviues they must cease to be Husbands And against Iovinian cap 19. 14. ad Pamachium Apol. cap. 8. Truly thou dost acknowledg that he cannot be a Bishop vvho in that state getts children if he be convicted therof he vvil not be taken for a Husband but condemned as an Adulterer But it seems out Protestant Bishops know the Scripture and the doctrin and disciplin of the primitive Church better then S. Hierom Origen and all the ancient Fathers and Councels both of the East and West Since the King 's most happy restauration they were not content to enjoy their wives and see the legitimacy of their children approved of but in the first Parliament wherin they were permitted to vote as I have bin credibly informed they atâ—empted the house of Lords should declare their spiritual peerage did communicat the same honours and privileges to their Ladys that the law doth give to Baron's wives but seing the house smile at the motion and one of the first Peers begin to rally according to his witty way vpon a subject so proper for his genius one of the Bishops not so much concerned in the suit because he was not married in the name of all the rest waved the pretention by saying there had bin a mistake in the motion Jn the two following articles they would fain prevent diversity of opinions and schisms among the Protestants of the Church of England and gain authority for the Prelats therof and reverence for their ceremonies and censures But this design is frustrated by maintaining the lawfulness of their own revolt and separation from the Church of Rome as also the Roman Catholick fallibility and fal from the true Apostolick Religion without any farther proofe or evidence of so great a fault or frailty then the fancy and privat interpretation of Scripture of some discontented and dissolute persons pretending divine inspirations and illuminations for the same and for their warant to depose their spiritual Superiours and to reform the doctrin of the whole visible Church which reformation they also introduced in so tumultuous and seditious a manner that none who considers the principles practises and circumstances of the chang can prudently commit his soule to the reformers charg or condescend to any spiritual jurisdiction and authority in their Successours For besids that they have nothing to shew for their presumption and intrusion but obscure texts of Scripture interpreted by them selves in a sense contrary to that of the whole visible ancient Church that hath bin confirmed by continual and vndeniable Miracles they can give no assurance or probability of them selves being or continuing in the right way of saluation because if all the Roman Catholick Churches did err in doctrin how can their reformations pretend not to be subject to the same mis-fortun or mistake And if the supposed frailty and fallibility of the Church of Rome be a sufficient cause to question and condemn it's authority how can the Church of England or any other Protestant congregation exact from their Sectaries greater respect and obedience then the first reformers gave to their Roman Superiours Presbiterians Independents Quakers Anabaptists c. pretend to as pure doctrin as Divine a Spirit and as much Scripture against Prelaticks as Prelaticks do against Papists and thinck there is as much reason for them to be Iudges of the truth of
evidently followeth that if it be lawful to deal thus with spiritual Superiours it must be as lawful a fortiori to deal after the same manner and vpon the same grounds of every privat man's interpretation of Scripture with temporal Superiours To imagin therfore that by a particular article of Religion or by an Act of Parliament against Presbiterians Quakers Anabaptists c. in favour of the subject's property to temporal goods or of the King's prerogatives and soveraignty such mens minds or mouths wil be stopt from raising tumults and runing into a rebellion so cleerly waranted by the fundamental principle of the Protestant Reformation is but a fancy not to be rely'd vpon by any discreet person Dudly Earl of Waâ—vvick and afterwards Duke of Northumberland observing that by this foundation of Protestancy the very ground of Alegiance and Obedience not only to the spiritual but also to the civil Magistrat is vndermin'd resolved to make his son King of England and in order therunto marryed him to the Lady Jane Grey a Protestant of the bloud royal not doubting but that they who had renounc'd all subordination unto their spiritual Superiours vnder the pretext of a reformation would vpon the same score preferr the lady Jane to the Crown before the Princess Mary a Constant Catholick Therfore after that he had beheaded the Protector and poyson'd the King he crown'd his son's wife with the concurrence and applause of the Prelatick Clergy Cranmer Ridly c. and with the consent of the Protestant Nobility and Citty of London But Protestancy not being at that tyme so deeply rooted nor so largly spread in the nation the Catholick Gentry and Commons togeather with Q. Maries great courage and resolution quash't this Polititian's design and brought him to due punishment Vpon the scaffold he declared that he never had bin a Protestant in his judgment and only made use of it's profession and principles for temporal ends as to raise his family c. he advertiss't the people of the new Religion's inconsistency with peace and quiet that it's Clergy were but Trumpets of sedition The substance of his speech is set down by D. r Heylin in these words He admonish'd the spectatours to stand to the Religion of their Ancestors rejecting that of later date which had occasion'd all the misery of the foregoing thurty years and that for prevention for the future if they desir'd to present their souls vnspotted in the sight of God and were truly affected to their Country they should expel those tempests of sedition the Preachers of the reform'd Religion that for himself what soever had otherwise bin pretended he profess'd no other Religion then that of his Fathers for testimony wherof he appeal'd to his good freind and ghostly Father the Lord Bishop of Worcester and finaly that being blinded with ambition he had bin contented to make rack of his conscience by temporising for which he profess'd himself sincerly repentant and so acknowledg'd the justice of his death A Declaration saith D. r Heylin very vnseasonable whether true or false as that which rendred him less pittied by the one side and more scorn'd by the other This is a more Politick then pious observation of D. r Heylin would he not have men confess their faults and profess their â—aith when they are dying and would he have them preferr the vanity of the pitty or scorn of the world when they are to bid the whole world adieu before the satisfaction and salvation of the soule I feare too many of D. r Heylins principles not only deferr until the last houre the profession of the truth but even then dissemble thinking a Declaration and recantation of their errors at that tymâ— either vnseasonable or vnpardonable and preferr the vanity of the world's opinion before the necessity of a conversion vnto the true faith Q. Marys daunger ended not with Dudlys death it lasted as long as ther was any man to head the Protestant party and to put the people in mind of it's principles First the Duke of Suffolck and others plotted the setting up once more of the Lady Jane Grey and began the execution therof by their Proclamations against Q. Marys intended mariage with Philip of Spain this occasioned the Lady Jan's death Other zealots of the Protestant Religion concluded a mariage between the Lord Courtny and the Lady Elizabeth their plot was discover'd as also Wyats Rebellion suppress'd all these things were don by the advice and assistance of the Protestant Clergy that remained in England and were commended by such of them as liv'd abroad D. r John Poinet the last Bishop of Winchester was not only of Wyat's Councel but continued in his camp vntil he perceiv'd the design would not take then he departed telling the Rebels he would pray for their good success Goodman and Knox rayled in their Books against the Queen and Calvin in his Coment vpon Amos termeth her Proserpine Goodman hath this expression Wyat did but his duty and it was but the duty of all others that profess the Ghospel to have risen with him for the maintenance of the same His cause was just and they were all Traytors that took not part with him O Noble Wyat thou art now with God and those worthy men that dyed in that happy enterprise This was the primitive spirit these the first effects of our English Protestancy Not only the Queen out of a zeal to the Roman Catholick Religion but the Privy Councel and Parliament moved with a desire of peace seing it was moraly impossible to govern people protestantly principl'd resolved to restore the ancient doctrin wherwith their Ancestours had so long prosper'd and to suppress the Protestant novelties by the rigour of the laws formerly made against heresies which had bin repeal'd at the instance of the reform'd Preachers and Prelats in K. Edward 6. raign And therfore as D. r Bancroft Arch-Bishop of Canterbury confesseth in his book of dangerous positions pag. 63. though Q. Mary was a Princess of nature and disposition very mild and inclined to pittie yet she and her government is taxed with too much severity by them that consider not the nature and consequences of Protestancy If Tinkers Taylors Tapsters Tanners and Spinsters would needs run into the fier for defending the fond inventions of Cranmer and of other known Temporisers who could help it neither patience nor pains was wanting in the Catholick Clergy to reduce them to the truth but their obstinacy and the vanity of dying Martyrs forsooth made them preferr their own privat sence of Scripture before that of the whole visible Church So charitable were the Catholicks that they delay'd the penalties of such as they could not convert and connived at them who endeavored to escape by absenting or concealing themselves And as for Cranmer Ridly Latimer and the other Ringleaders of Protestancy they had liberty given them to maintain their cause in publick disputations with the tyme books and notaries
had made or don by any person or persons in or about any consecration confirmation or investing of any person or Persons elected to the office or dignity of Archbishops or Bishops by vertue of the Queens letters patents or Commission since the beginning of her Reign So that to know whether D. r Parker and his Camerades were true Bishops none must have examined whether they had bin consecrated by other Bishops but only whether the person or persons that were the Consecrators whether lay men or Ecclesiastick it matter'd not performed that ceremony by virtue of the Queens letters patents or commission If they could shew her great seal they might vse what matter and form they pleased for by the Act 1. 8. Eliz. there was given to the Queens Highness her Heires c. full power and authority by letters patents vnder the great seal of England from tyme to tyme to assign name and authorise such person or persons as she and they shal thinck meet and convenient any lay man or woman would serve turn to exercise use enioy and execute vnder her Highness all manner of jurisdictions Priviledges preheminences and authorities in any wise touching or concerning any spiritual or ecclesiastical power or jurisdiction within this Realm or any other her Majesties Dominions or Countrys Now priesthood being nothing but a spiritual power to Consecrat Christ's Body and Bloud and forgive sins and Episcopacy including besids the same a spiritual power to consecrat and ordain other Priests and Bishops who can doubt but that by these words and Statut the Queen might and her Successours may by their sole letters patents and great seal make any lay man whether Carter or Catchpole a Protestant Bishop or Priest seing therby he receiveth ful power to exercise vse execute c. all manner of jurisdictions preheminencies and authorities in any wise touching or concerning any spiritual or ecclesiastical power c. And because ther might remain no ambiguity or scruple of Parker and the first Protestant Bishops valid and legal Consecration the same Statut 8. Elizabeth 1. assures us that the Queen in her letters patents for that purpose directed to any Archbishop Bishops Or Others mark the word Others for the confirming investing and consecrating of any person elected to the Office or dignity of any Archbishop or Bishop hath not only vsed such words and sentences as were accustomed to be vsed by the late King Henry and King Edward her Majesties Father and Brother in their like letters patents made for such causes but also hath vsed divers other general words and sentences wherby her Majestie by her supreme power and authority hath dispensed with all causes or doubts of any inperfection or disability that can or may in any wise be objected against the same as by her Majesties sayd letters patents remaining on record more plainly wil appeare Now Mr. Bramhal the late Primat would fain make the Parliament so sensless and his Readers so simple as to referr the words mentioning and comparing the records of the Queen and her Father and Brother's tyme in this Act to the Archbishop of Canterbury's Register and not to their Majesties letters patents wher as by the whole context and discourse it is evident that the Parliament's drift is to shew no such ceremonious solemnity as of late hath bin pretended and printed by Mr. Mason was necessary Had ther bin any such legal or formal Consecration at Lambeth as 50. years after was forged and foisted into the Archbishop's Register the Parliament 8. Eliz. 1. would have remitted us therunto named Lambeth and not insisted al-togeather vpon the Queen's dispensation for the validity and legality of her first Bishops Consecration and caracter Many ar the reasons lately printed and not like to be answered that persuade all prudent men who have not too great a passion for the Prelatick Clergy to believe that Mr. Mason's new found Register of Lambeth is forged 1. It was never produced nor mentioned by the first Bishops so much pressed by their Adversaries to shew some Register or any evidence for their Consecration 2. They were only desired to let the world know wher when and by whom they had bin made Bishops questions easily answered had they bin consecrated at Lambeth or any Register then extant when Dr. Harding Stapleton and others charged them with nulity and illegality of Episcopal caracter 3. It 's no more credible that such knowing and conscientious men as Stapleton Harding Fitzherbert c. then living in England and probably at London would question so publick and solemn an action then it is that a sober man would now cal in doubt King Charl's 2. coronation at Westminster or ask in print who set the Crown vpon his head pretending he neuer had bin crown'd And though Bishop Godwin and other Prelatick Writers abuse Dr. Harding Holiwood Fitzsimons c. for relating the meeting of the first Protestant Bishops with a design to be ordained at the Nagshead in Cheap-side yet all the world knows that albeit there could be no design to feign that story yet our Controversy with the Prelaticks is not whether their first Prelats were ordained there but whether they were ordained any wher We know Bishops might be as validly consecrated in a Tavern though not so decently as in a Church But t' is fit they also consider that if Dr. Parker and their first Bishops were so narrowly watch't by Mr. Neal and other Catholicks whom Primat Bramhal doth cal Spies that they could not be merry in a Tavern without their knowledg they could hardly perform so serious and solemn an Action in a Church as the first Consecration of a Protestant Archbishop without their observation it being a matter then so much sought after and controversed of so great curiosity in it self and of greatest concern to us the total credit and being of their new Reformation depending therupon And yet for aboue 50. years none of the Writers of either side Catholick or Protestant who mentioned all other particulars relating to the reformation writ or spoke a word of this solemnity at Lambeth The Puritans indeed upraided the Prelaticks with saying their Episcopal ordination in England had it's beginning and progress in a corner not in a Congregation but we can not imagin they could mistake the Archiepiscopal Chappel of Lambeth for a corner or deny that the great Assembly pretended to have had bin at Dr. Parker's Consecration deserved not to be caled a Congregation Queen Elizabeths Clergy thus created by her patents and Parliaments they endeavored to shew themselves gratful to her Majesty by making the people believe that Popery by the principles wherof she was vncapable of the Crown was Idolatry the Pope Antichrist c. And to that end corrupted Scriptures in their English Translations as shal be proved herafter And because their frauds and follies were discoverd by Catholick Priests the sanguinary and penal laws were enacted and executed
diximus tali lege vt quae hic damus anno aetatis nostrae quadragesimo secundo propendeant eis quae quadragesimo dederamus quando ut diximus tempori potius scripsimus quam rei sic jubente Domino vt tali ratione aedificemus ne inter initia Canes Porci nos rumpant He had no great opinion of the Apostles writings as is proved by his altering the very Text of Scripture contrary to all copies both Greek and Latin and by his saying that S. Paul did not attribut so much to his own Epistles as to think that all therin contained was sacred for that were to impute immoderat arrogancy to the Apostle tom 2. Elench contra Catabaptistas fol. 10. And because the other Cantons of the Suitzers would not accept of this Reformation he sticking to the principles therof endeavored by force of arms to bring them vnder subjection and to his own Ghospel and in this attempt Zuinglius was killed sealing with his bloud what he had writ tom 1. in explanat art 42. fol. 84. that Kings and Magistrats may be deposed when they resist the Ghospel that is any privat Protestant interpretation of Scripture As for the Reformers of the Protestant Church of England they were King Henry 8. Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Peter Martyr Hooper Rogers Ridley Bucer Okin The Revivers were Jewel Parker Horn c. of whose lives and conversations we have sayd somthing and enough to prove they were not fit men to reform christian Religion their doctrin they borrowed from Luther and Zwinglius the supremacy only excepted which King Henry 8. invented and therfore Bishop Iewel the chief maintainer both of the Protestant doctrin and Prelatick caracter of the Church of England in his defence of the Apology edit 1571. pag. 426. as also in the Apology part 4. c. 4. thought it necessary for the credit of the 39. Articles of the English Religion which had bin compiled out of Luther and Zwinglius writings to commend those two Pillars of Protestancy as most excellent men even sent by God to give light to the whole world in the midst of darkness when the truth was vnknown and vnheard of As for B. p Iewel him-self we remit the reader to Doctor Hardings Confutation of the Apology wherin he may cleerly discern the false lustre of this counterfeit Jewel and the value which men ought to set vpon this pretious stone layd for a foundation of the Prelatick Church and vpon the rotten stuff which he and his Successours have sould for Divine truth to English Protestants ever since he vndertook to maintaine their cause for as Doctor Heylin ingeniously acknowledgeth in his Ecclesia restaurata all the learned English Protestant Writers have borrowed from B. p Jewel what they have sayd in defense of the Protestant Religion and that is one reason why their works are so full of manifest vntruths and them-selves so frequently convicted of gross mistakes they rely too much vpon this reviver of their faith or at least would make the world believe that he may be relyed vpon in matters of faith But because Doctor Heylin makes it his busines to persuade the world that Ievel then did make good the caracter and ordinary vocation of the Church of England against Harding and that Doctor Bramhall late Protestant Primat of Ireland triumph'd over the supposed Jesuits who renewed Harding's quarrel I judged it necessary to cleer both these mistaks in few words As for Bishop Iewel we have sayd in the 1. part sect 7. of this Treatise how easily he might have stop't Harding's mouth by only naming the Bishop who consecrated Parker and his Camerades for Harding vsed no other Argument against the nullity of the English Protestant Clergy but this A Bishop must be ordained by an other Bishop but Parker and his Camerades were not ordained Bishops by any other Bishop Ergo. His proof that they were not ordain'd by any Bishop was this name the Bishop that ordained them name the place where they were consecrated This was a demand soon satisfied if ever Parker or his fellows had bin ordained Bishops especially with so much ceremony and solemnity as the new records of Lambeth report that matter Yet Jewel could never name Parker's and the first Protestant Bishops Consecrators he named indeed Parker for his own Consecrator but being press'd by Harding to name Parkers insteed of answering Harding's question whervpon depended the whole controversy the credit of his Clergy and the satisfaction of the Reader he maks an impertinent digression and long discours of the obligation which some pretended to have bin in ancient times of consulting the Bishop of Rome before they proceeded to the election and consecration of Bishops but never returned to the point of naming the first Protestant Bishop's Consecrator whom he would have named to Harding if ever they had bin consecrated And this is one part of the great victory which Doctor Heylin so much brags of The other part concerns Bramhall and the supposed Iesuits The true relation wherof is as followeth After that his Majesty and the Royal Family had bin driven out of England and France by the late vsurped powers and all Christian Princes thought it their conveniency to court the Rebells and not entertain in their Dominions the Person of our King much less embrace his quarrell it happen'd on day at Bruges that Doctor Crouder Chaplain to his Royal Highness the Duke of York in his Master's Chamber and presence without any provocation or occasion given by any of the Roman profession vtter'd very intemperat words against Doctor Goff Almoner to the Queen Mother for having taken orders in the Church of Rome after that he had received them in the Church of England To which a Catholick Gentleman answered he had don no more then what all other Protestant Ministers who became Roman Priests had continually practised and as he believed vpon good grounds Whervpon the Doctor notwithstanding the King was come to his Brother's chamber reassum'd his Argument and continued to dispute with such vehemency that being caled to read morning prayers he mistook the time of the day and in the morning read evening prayers to the congregation The cause of his mistake being known and many believing that his excess of choler argu'd a weakness in his cause Doctor Bramhall late Primat of Ireland Writ a Treatise in vindication of the English Clergys caracter which is the book so much applauded by the Prelaticks and by Doctor Heylin as vnanswerable wheras it was sudainly and so substantially answered that Primat Bramhall never durst reply notwithstanding the general concern of his Clergy and his own particular engagement and the Church of England perceiving the evidence of our arguments against the validity of their forms of ordination thought their best answer was to confess the force of our reasons and correct the errors of their Bishops by changing the forms they had composed of Priesthood and Episcopacy
and are as yet far short of that substantial and fundamental Reformation whervnto the principles of Protestancy and the Protestant rule of faith or an arbitrary interpretation of Scripture doth direct and incline all Churches of the Reformation As for our English Presbiterians and Fanaticks they agree with the Polonian Hungarian and Transilvanian protestant Arrians and Anti-Trinitarians in believing the Protestant Reformations can not be pious and perfect so long as they retain any on point of Popery and indeed there is as much reason and ground in Scripture to reject all as any on and the Protestant principles warant the deniall of the Trinity and Incarnation as well as of the Mass and Transubstantiation The prelaticks perceive this to be true and therfore in the 39. Articles to avoyd scandal and discredit profess the belief of many mysteries that according to the very foundation of their Reformation they ought to deny and though they seem not to be guilty of impiety in their resolution of retaining some yet are they convicted of incoherency in not rejecting all as we shall now manifestly prove SECT XI How the indifferency or rather inclination of Protestancy to all kind of infidelity is further demonstrated by the Prelatick doctrin and distinction of fundamental and not fundamental articles of faith The design of their fundamental distinction layd open The Roman Catholick the sole Catholick Church and how it hath the authority of iudging all controversies of Religion VNity of doctrin being a confessed mark of the true Church which is called One in relation to one and the same faith and Protestants perceiving they want this vnity and the means to bring them to it every particular Church and person challenging a right to interpret Scripture after his own manner as well as Luther and Calvin c. who could not assume to them-selves that liberty without granting it to others and that not only their sundry Churches and confessions differ extreamly in doctrin but even the members of one and the same Congregation agree not among them-selves in the explanation of their Articles nor in the Authority of their Church to command and determin what articles ought to be believed this I say considered by Protestants some of their chief writers and particularly the English Prelaticks have invented a distinction wherby they hope to foole their flocks and make them believe that there is not only an vnity but an vniversality of faith amongst all dissenting Protestants and by consequence that they are true Catholicks They divide therfore the articles of Christian Religion into fundamentall and not fundamentall Fundamentall they call those wherin all Christians do agree not fundamentall they make every article wherof them-selves or any other Christians doubt how ever so fundamentall it may be held by the rest By which doctrin they make Arians Nâ—â—torians and all ancient Hereticks good Catholicks and their errors not fundamentall or destructive to salvation because forsooth they are Christians though deny the consubstantiality of Christ. This is no wrested consequence of ours but their own confessed Tenet The great prelatick writer Doctor Morton late Bishop of Duresme in his approved and applauded book of the Kingdom of Jsrael and of the Church dedicated to Queen Elizabeth pag. 94 sayth The Churches of Arians are to be accounted the Church of God because they do hould the foundation of the Ghospell which is faith in JESUS Christ the son of God and Saviour of the world And pag. 91. He giveth this general rule Whersoever a company of men do joyntly and publickly by worshipping the true God in Christ profess the substance of Christian Religion which is faith in JESUS Christ the Son of God and Saviour of the world ther is a true Church notwithstanding any corruption what soever c. Thus they plead for the Arrians declaring in their favour that consubstantiality of the son or his being the natural son of God is not the substance of Christian belief A man would think that the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament is a substantial point of faith seing ther of dependeth the reality of our Sacrifice the feeding or famishing of our soules and the verifying or falsifying of Christ's plain and express words and yet Bishop Iewel the greatest piller of the Church of England in his Apology for the same pag. 101. edit 1600. obâ—erving that Protestants were divided in the belief of that mystery tells vs it is but a matter of indifferency The Lutherans and Zuinglians saith he are both sides Christians good friends and Brethren they vary not between them-selves vpon the principles and foundations of our Religions c. But vpon one only question the real presence neither weighty nor great Doctor Reynolds in his 5. Conclusion annexed to his conference pag 722. affirmeth the real presence to be but as it were the grudging of a litle ague if otherwise the party hould the Christian faith And all Protestants conspire in this heretical shift because their change and choyce of articles of faith can not be maintained by any other way but by denying that therby they touch the foundation of Christian Religion So Luther defended his Consubstantiation as may be seen in Amandus Polanus in his Synop. pag. 446. And Iacobus Acontius lib. 3. Stratagematum Sathanae pag. 135. saith It 's evident concerning as well those who hould the real presence of Christ's Body in the bread as those others which deny it that although of necessity one part do err yet both are in way of saluation if in other things they be obedient to God Jn this Protestant distinction we must distinguish two things 1. The design 2. The doctrin wherupon Protestants ground their design In this Section J will discover the design and declare the weakness therof In the next I will demonstrat the falshood of the doctrin wherby they intended to carry on their design Protestants proceed in this affair as weak Ministers of state when they find by experience they have bin mistaken in taking their measures and in the management of publick concerns they would fain be reconciled and make strict leagues with such Potentats as formerly they had disobliged and them-selves now stand in need of their friendship and fancy they can effect all by inculcating vnto them general notions of a common danger grounded vpon the power and pride of some neighbouring and emulous Prince So Prelaticks reflecting vpon the weackness of their cause occasion'd through the dissentions of the Reformed Religions and vpon the incoherency of their own 39. Articles with the foundation and liberty of Protestancy would fain by a generall notion of Christianity vnite all heretical Churches to them-selves against the Roman Catholicks pretended pride and power In which proceedings they commit two great indiscretions 1. They do not consider how they have disobliged the Greek and most of the Eastern Churches by declaring in their 39. Articles the doctrin of the Holy Ghost's procession from the Father and
not from the son to be heresy though now too late they would fain moderat the censure as also be reconciled to all Sects of Protestants in Europe 2. At the same time they endeavour to make this league offensive and defensive against the Roman Catholick Church their chief writers profess there is no cause to quarell with that Church because it is also a Christian Congregation and differs from Protestants only in things indifferent among which they place even the Worship of Images the Sacrifice of the Mass the communion under one kind the Pop's supremacy c. Wheâ—ce it must needs follow that their Protestant separation from the Roman Church can not be justifyed as confessedly not having sufficient ground to break the communion of the Church vpon the score of doctrin acknowledged by them-selves to be lawful and therfore their Protestant Reformations must be concluded schismatical This their Prelatick moderation towards our Roman Catholick doctrin is the effect of a necessary compliance with our Adversaries condemned hereticks not of any Christian charity that they bear to our principles or persons as appeareth by their quite contrary expressions in other occasions and by the severity of their statutes against Priests and Papists They can hardly excuse the errors of Arrians Nestorians c. And yet accuse vs of heresy nor can they maintain the Greek worshipping of Images to be lawfull and yet condemn the same in vs as idolatry But that which they most press against the Roman Catholick Church and wherin all sectaries dissenting from it are concerned to ioyn with Protestants is that we say ourselves are the sole Catholicks and the Pope and general Councels supreme Judges of hereticks Rather then admit our Church to be the Catholick they cantonize God's Church into dissenting congregations and canonize for Orthodox all sects of hereticks though they have no subordination connexion or communication among themselves much less that care of the common good that is among the Suitzers whose Commonwealth they would fain make a patern of Christ's Church To this end they sent their Agents to Ieremias Patriarch of Constantinople and in their printed books make honorable mention of Nestorius Dioscorus Eutiches and other hereticks brood and branches that are dispers'd in Egypt Ethiopia and East Jndies as if they had bin their Brethren wheras they do not know their Tenets and brag of their numbers in comparison wherof they say the Romanists are but few and at the best but a part of the vniversal Church and if a part they ought not to judg of the whole if they do their sentence must be slighted as invalid and partiall And though the Schismaticks and Hereticks of the Greek Church whom the Protestants so much courted have by a particular definitive sentence of Iâ—â—â—mias their Patriarch disown'd the doctrin and refused the communion of all Protestants yet are the so deserted and despised reformed Churches compell'd to maintain the indifferency of the eastern heresies even of those which the Greeks them-selves twelue times recanted having bin so many times reconciled to the Church of Rome though now again revolted and returned to some of their former errors but not without a visible marke of God's indignation and justice Protestants therfore are content to excuse the errors of the Greeks and of all other Christians though Hereticks hoping therby to obtain for them-selves the name of Catholiks and are so kind as not to exclude any that professeth Christ even after the Arrian manner from their Protestant communion not doubting but that for a return of civility them-selves will by virtue of that general appellation of Christians be countenanced by the enemies of the Church of Rome and protected from it's severity But the Greek Patriarch smelt their design and though a Rebell against the sea of Rome yet he condemned the Protestant doctrin and contemned their flattery giving them to vnderstand that the truth of Religion is never annexed to many dissenting Churches and that their agrement in Protestant fundamentalls can not be an argument of Catholick vnity or vniversality And to be rid of future importunities condemned their opinions as heresies declaring how different they are from those of the Greek Church as appeareth by his Sententia definitiva Jeremiae Patriarchae Constantinopolotani sententia definititiva de doctrina Religione Wittembergensium Theologorum edit an 1586. in this Book the Greeks detest the Protestant Religion wherof see further Hospinian in Histor. Sacram. part 2. and Responsio Basilii Magni Ducis Muscoviae c. an 1570. it appeareth by a Treatise set forth even by the Protestant Divines of Wittemberg intituled Acta Theologorum Wittembergensium Ieremiae Patriarchae Constantinop de Augustana Confessione c. That the Greek Church yet to this day professeth and teacheth invocation of Saints and Angells pag. 55. 102.128 Reliques pag. 244. 368. worshipping of Images pag. 243.244.247 251. Transsubstantiation pag. 86.96.100.240.318 Sacrifice pag. 102 104 The signifying ceremonies of the Mass pag. 97.99.100 Auricular Confession in praefat in lib. pag. 87 130. Confirmation with Chrisme pag. 78.238 extreme Vnction pag. 242.326 All the seaven Sacraments pag. 77.242 prayer for the dead pag. 93.102.109 Sacrifice for the dead pag. 95.104 Monachisme pag. 132.257 That Priests may not marry after orders taken pag. 129. See Sir Edward Sands also in his relation c. On the last leaf but five where he confirms all we have related here of the Greeks concurrence in Religion with the Roman Church As for the Protestant Doctors and Prelats exceptions against the Roman Church and Councells not being Catholick or Universall they can be of no force because their own Logicians may cleer the mistake â—y putting them in mind of the definition of Catholick or Universal which is vnum in multis one in many for â—nâ—â—â—rsality requireth two and but two conditions vnity or ideâ—â—ity of form and multitude of Subjects That a Church therfore be Universal or Catholick it is necessary and sufficient there be an vnity or identity of form which is faith and multitude of subjects which are the Professors of that faith Whether the subject of the form which is called universall be more or less so they be many is not material as to the nature and denomination of Universal or Catholick though there were but 200. men living homo say Logicians would be as much Universal as now it is with so many millions of men In like manâ—er we say though there were but 200. men in the world professing the true faith that faith would be still Universal or Catholick because it would be still one and the same in many and 200. are as properly many though not so many as 200. millions We grant that it hath bin prophecied the multitude of believers should be very numerous and spread over the whole world and accordingly it hath bin fulfill'd and now Roman Catholicks are every where multiplied yet there hath bin a time when the
Catholicks were but few and in the later days they will not be many in respect of Heretiks but still it was and will be the Catholick Church Therfore it can not be an argument that a Church in not Catholick or Universal because ther ar more Pagans and Professors of Heresies then of the true Religion Their being more hereticks in number is consistent with the being of many faithfull houlding the Apostolick faith and no more is requisit for a Catholick or Universal Church But sure Protestants forget the invisibility of their own when they except against the Universality of ours If theirs was Catholick or Universal when they were so few that for the space at least of 1000. years not one Protestant could be found in the whole world they have no reason to deny the denomination of Catholick to the Roman which always hath bin so conspicuous and numerous If they will proceed coherently and say that for those 1000. years before Luther ther was no Catholick Church then they must not only reform but alter and cut short the Apostles Creed and blot out at least for those 1000. years that article J believe in the Catholick Church And as Protestants have no reason to believe that the vniversality or Catholicism of the Church consists not so much in the number of persons as in the antiquity and identity of faith of the Professors with that of the Apostles so have they not any reason to object partiality and illegality against the testimony and judicature of the Roman Church and Councells when they censure Protestant opinions Not partiality because when a Iudg or wittness giveth sentence or evidence against his own natural inclination and interest there can be no suspition of partiality nor lawfull exception against his sentence or testimony as too much favoring himself or his relations And truly if Roman Catholicks did judge of controversies of faith according to their own natural inclination and interest and had not in their definitions and testimonies a greater regard to conscience then conveniency they would never witness or define that Priests ought not to marry or that Kings and Bishops ought to be subject to the Pope in spirituall affaires or that men ought to abstain from flesh so many days in the week or that ther is no bread or wine in the Sacrament notwithstanding the appearance of both neither would they part with their lands and mony vpon the score of Purgatory or maintain that privat men or Churches must not take the liberty to themselves of deciding controversies of Religion but on the contrary beleeve that generall Councells are infallible even when they define matters contrary to our sense and inclinations Roman Catholicks are made of flesh and bloud they are naturally as averse from these thoughts and submissions and find as great difficulty in conforming their judgments and testimonies thervnto as Protestants Therfore they cannot be partial in condemning Protestants for not believing these things vnless they be also partial against themselves and nothing but the evidence of their own obligation â—o believe these things strengthned by the grace of God could prevaile with so many learned and sober men as have bin and are known to be among Roman Catholicks to be partial against themselves or to judg and wittness contrary to their own natural inclinations and temporal interest for Popery against Protestancy SVBSECT II. Of the Iustice and legality of our Roman Censures against Protestancy NOw as to the legality of the proceedings and censures of the Roman Catholick Church against Protestancy it is as manifest as lawfull witnesses and cleer evidences can make any judgment either in law or equity In all controversieâ— both of law and Religion the Courts and Church must ground their sentences vpon matter of fact All disputes of faith must be reduced vnto and decided by this matter of fact Whether Christ our Saviour and his Apostles taught such doctrin Whether he revealed the reformed not the Roman sense of Scripture This being a thing don 1600. years since neither party can produce new eyes or eare witnesses pretending to an immediat knowledg of what then Christ and his Apostles preach't That immediat evidence ended with the begining of the second age and we must begin our proof with this last and proceed to examin our witnesses by a retrogradation from this present age to the first because the only proof of things which are beyond the reach of our knowledg and memory is the Tradition and testimonies of others vpon which we must rely or resolve not to believe any thing even of our-selves as our names families Countries or of this world and much less of the next Let us begin therfore with the Reformed Protestant Churches and ask them what witnesses have they in this 16. Century to prove that Christ and his Apostles were Protestants or taught their reformed sense of Scripture They will answer they have as many witnesses as ther are Protestants We demand their cause of knowledge such of them as in matters of Religion make any use of reason will not pretend that they know it by privat revelation or by their own proper interpretation of God's Law those are neither Court nor Church evidences but will answer that their Parents and Pastors tould them Christ and his Apostles were Protestants and these were tould so by others their Parents and Pastors vntill passing some few descents they come to Luther or Calvin or Cranmer c. There they must stop for Luther Calvin and Cranmer did not pretend that their Parents or Pastors testifyed to them that Protestancy was the true Religion them-selves having bin the first Inventors or Revivers therof after that it had bin by their own confessions at least 1000. years buried and their Church had bin invisible or enchanted Jt is a remarkable thing that never any ancient Heretick or modern Reformer of the Catholick doctrin could name an inmmediaâ— Preâ—â—cessor much less any Church from which he received his Religion and reformed interpretation of Scripture Optiâ—â—s that ancient Father â— 2. contra â—armeâ— says That Donatus was a son without a Father a Successor without a Predecessor filius sine Patre sequens sine Antecedenâ—e the same we may say of Luther Calvin Cranmer c. And seing ther must be a Succession of faith as well as of meâ— and that as one who can not prove his Father or family to be noble by the testimonies and tradition of others can not pretend to nobility of descent or to right of inheritance so can not Luther Calvin or Cranmer and their followers pretend to antiquity of faith or to be of the Catholick family of Christ without a legal testimony and tradition of their spiritual descent which tradition or testimony they confess to be wanting Mr. Napper in his Treatise vpon the Revelations pag. 43. The Pop's Kingdome hath had power over all Christians from the time of Pope Silvester and the Emperour Constantine for these
the Greek and Latin Church for the most part were spotted with the doctrin of free will oftner it of invocation of Saints c. And from thence infers that in no age since the Apostles time any company of Bishops held so perfect and so sound doctrin in all points as the Bishops of England at this day And Mr. Fulk in his reionder to Bristow pag. 7. I confess that Ambrose Austin Hierom all three Fathers to whom B. p Iewell appealed held invocation of Saints to be lawfull And B. p Bale acknowledgeth that St. Gregory the first of Iewell 's chosen Iudges by his indulgences established pilgrimages to Images and that St. Leo an other of Ievell's Fathers allowed the worship of Images And Doctor Humfrey Iesuitismi part 1. rat 5. pag. 626. cannot deny but that S. Gregory taught Transsubstantiation And Mr. 〈◊〉 in his Papisto mâ—t edit 1606. pag. 143. saith We are 〈◊〉 that the mystery of iniquity did work in Sâ— Paul's time and fell not a sleep so soon as Paul was dead c. And therfore no mermail though pervsing Councells and Fathers we find the print of the Popes feet And Mr. Napper in his Treatise vpon the Revelation dedicated to King Iames pag. 68. 145. affirmeth that Popery or the Anti-christian Kingdom did continue 1260. years vniversaly without any debatable contradiction The Pope and his Clergy during that time possessing the outward visible Church So that it was not one or two Fathers or Councells but all Christendom which professed the Roman Catholick saith for these 1â—00 years past And even Mr. Whitaker himself lib. 6. contra Duraeum pag. 123. notwithstanding his vndertaking to maintain Ievells challenge and bold assertion was forc'd at length to submit but by a profane expression saying that the Popish Religion is a patch't coverlet of the Fathers errors sowed together have them read their English falsified Scripture the subject of controversies and support of errors and will not permit them to pervse the true authentick translation and all this to the end nothing but fraud and fancy may be the rule of the Protestant faith These and all other the like observations which can not but occurr to them who frequent their Churches or company must needs induce men to suspect the weakness of their cause and the guilt of their conscience though there had bin no evidences that they are Falsifiers But seing their are as many evidences against them as there are Chapters in Catholick Books of controversies and that the Books are easily had and vnderstood I see not how any Protestant how ever so illiterat can be excused from eternall damnation by pretending the integrity of his Clergy or his own insufficiency to examin their sincerity When many accuse a man of high Treason and offer to prove it to his face not only by sundry honest and legal wittnesses but vnder his own hand writing it would be censured treachery or great carlesness in the Ministers of state to slight such an accusation and evidence though the person accused vntill then had bin trusted and reputed a loyal subject This is our case with the Protestant writers we have no quarrel against them but Religion we charge them in publick writing with the highest Treason the murthering of the soules of Soveraigns and subjects with corrupting God's word with rebelling against the Divine authority so authentickly appearing in the Roman Catholick Church And these Treasons we offer to prove face to face not only by legal witness but by their Bibles and Books We have no grudge to them but this only of damning soules by treacherous dealing and desire that so important an accusation may come to a publick hearing If their interest and industry can divert the layty from so great a concern that layty must be treacherous to themselves and censured very carless of their own salvation And to the end it may not be objected that these are are but 〈◊〉 words I have resolved to descend to particular crimes I 〈◊〉 the persons their Books I quote their own words I prove them to be no innocent mistakes but wilfull and wicked falsifications and fraudâ— not committed by one or few 〈…〉 of Religion against vs not in our time but alwayâ—◠〈…〉 but the whole body in their 〈…〉 only by connivance and permission but also by contrivanceâ— and positive approbation not only petty 〈◊〉 differences but of ancient condemned heresies which the Protestant writers maintain as orthodox doctrin notwithstanding that 〈…〉 S. Hierom and other Doctors of God's Church censure the opinions as notorious heresies and the Authors as hereticks This is the summe of the Accusations contained in this third part of our Treatise and if we be not mistaken deserues a Trial as well for the satisfaction of privat 〈◊〉 conscience as 〈◊〉 for the probability there is of publick conveniency it being very improbable that I or any man who pretends to the least degree of worth or witt would charge with so many particular grievous crimes so numerous and poweâ—â—ull a party as the Protestant Clergy is without 〈…〉 undeniable evidences If the Protestant Clergy be found guylty besides the salvation of soules which will be obtained by renouncing their errors and is that we all ought principaly to ayme at these Nations will be happy in this world by their revenues If they be not guilty they and their Religion will gain great credit and I nothing but the infamy of being a notorious Jmpostor I know not what others may think of me but I shall never think that any other can be so witless and wicked as to take so much paines as I have don in composing and be at so great charge of publishing this Treatise without manifest profeâ— of the truth therof for if my allegations be not true I can have no further design or hopes but of infamy to my self and of honor and credit to my Adversaries and an addition of strength to the cause I do impugne all which must follow and fall vpon me if the learned Protestant Clergy be not proved to be as great Cheats as I pretend they are But it s strange what deepe impressions education doth make in mens minds and how partial and passionat these Nations are tendred by Protestancy They will not believe that their Protestant Writers are wilfull Falsifiers as for example that Doctor Jeremy Taylor a man that hath writ so many spiritual Books foorsooth and rules of Morality is guilty of maintaining the Protestant Religion by aboue 150. shamefull vnexcusable corruptions and falsifications in his litle Dissuasive And when he the Author his Jrish Convocation and the English Protestant Church that Applauder of the work are challenged in print by sundry Catholick Writers to make good any one of those falsifications all the world besides Protestants observe they have not a word to answer and by consequence themselves must now confess that their Religion is damnable seing it can not be otherwise maintained then
by falshood notwithstanding J say there can be no hopes of salvation in such a Church no tollerable excuse for such imposturs yet the writers and writings are cryed vp and still in credit because they maintain that mistaken Reformation wherin Protestant have bin brought vp And though this particular case of Doctor Taylors one of the ablest Protestant Divines now living is sufficient to demonstrat the falshood of all Protestants and Protestancy in general yet for information and proofe that his â—rrors fell not by chance from his pen and that he hath not changed the arguments but is constant to the ancient falsifying Method the only way of all his Predecessours the Protestant Writers I will give particular instances of the most renowned from Luther to Taylor himself that is from the very first to the last But before I set down the particulars of Protestant falsifications I will prove in general that the Roman Catholicks can not be prudently suspected of the like practises and that Protestants are cleerly convicted therof SECT II. That there can be no reason to suspect the sincerity of the Roman Catholick Clergy in matters of Religion and that Protestancy can not be maintained otherwise then by impostures wherof there are such evidences that to give the Protestant Clergy any credit in matters of their Religion is a sufficient cause of damnation SVBSECT I. THE first part of this assertion 〈◊〉 easily proved because that which may prudently induce men to suspect the sincerity of any Clergy in proposing the Mysteries of Christian Religion and the true sense of Scripture is temporal interest viz when by changing and corrupting the ancient 〈◊〉 the Clergy 〈◊〉 obtain honours and conveniences wher of they might despaire if they are raised aboue the meaness or mediocrity of their birth and fortune such were the first Protestant-Bishops and Reformers not one of them that J can learn of was born a Gentleman neither could they expect to be raised to any great employment either in Church or state vnless they had embroyled both and fish't in troubled waters and such also were they who pretenâ—ed to reform the ancient doctrin in former ages If we search into the Ecclesiasticall history we shall find that Hereticks always devised novelties to make them-selves considerable by dividing the Church into schisms and factions according to the vulgar saying Divide impera after that they had bin disapointed of some dignity whervnto they pretended and therfore Saint Augustin lib de Pastoribus cap. 8. doth attribute all heresies to pride Theobutes one of the first hereticks having bin refused a Bishoprick saith Aegisippus began to corrupt and perturbe the Church After him Simon Magus broach't his damnable doctrines because the Apostles would not sell to him the spiritual caracter of Episcopacy Act. 8. Then followed Valentinus of whom Tertullian gives this testimony to those of his Sect Valentinus expected to be a Bishop for his wit and Eloquence but being postponed he broke from the rule of the Church as ambitious and revengefull minds vse to do The same saith St. Epiphanius haeres 42. of Marcion Theodoret of Montanus Novatian Arius and Aerius Socrates of Salbatius Waldensis of Wacleff the same we say of Luther Calvin Cranmer c. But the Roman Catholick Clergy are commonly persons of quality that are not put to the shifts of hereticks that is of inventing new doctrin their birth helps to raise them to the dignity of the Church and none can be made a secular Priest that hath not a patrimony wherwith to subsist Besides it is an acknowledged difference between the two controverted Religions that the Roman Catholick is so ancient that even they who charge it with novelty can not tell when it began and grant that it hath bin at least these 1000. years generaly embraced by the visible Church as the very same which Christ and his Apostles taught the Protestant Reformation on the contrary is so modern that they who brag of it's antiquity can go no further then Luther and Calvin or Cranmer Hence it must be concluded that as in temporal Common-wealths they can not be questioned as Usurpers or suspected as Cheats whose possession and succession is so ancient that no memory occurreth to the contrary and moreover shew publick records and sentences of the Courts of Judicature sign'd with the great seale of the Soveraing in confirmation of their Estates and Titles against divers pretenderâ— in sundry ages 〈◊〉 in the Roman Catholick Church the doctrin and dignity of our Bishops having bin derived 〈…〉 and tradition 〈…〉 the contrary and having bin confirmâ—◠〈…〉 of general Councels yet extant vpon recoâ—d 〈…〉 hereticks and signed with God's great sealâ— Miracles there can be no objection but obstinacy against the truth therof nor no prudent ground to suspect the integrity and sincerity of our Clergy in maintaining as well their doctrin as the revenues which were bestowed vpon them for supporting that doctrin and their Ministery Men who have such vndeniable and publick evidences to shew for the truth of their doctrin and for their right to the temporalities of the Church can not be presâ—â—ed to forge or falsify scripture records Councells or Fathers for maintaining their right or reverences they need no such practises which would rather prejudice then profit their cause To what end should Catholick Bishops forge records of their Consecration when their very Adversaries confess the validity and legality therof to be so authentik that their chief study is how to derive their own Caracter from ours To what purpose should we falsify the ancient Councells and Fathers when all the Protestant writers who have any conscience or knowledge grant they are for us And 〈◊〉 such of them as are vers'd in antiquity will not have their reformation tryed by Fathers and Councells but by Scripture alone Why should we corrupt the letter of Scripture when our Adversaries grant our latin vulgata to be the most true and authentik Translation therof as we have proved heretofore Why should we alter the Roman Catholik sense of Scripture that is as ancient as the letter and delivered to us by the same testimony and tradition as God's true meaning But the protestant Clergy who are but vpstarts by brith and doctrin can not be great in Church or state otherwise then by inventing and promoting new religions and to that end do corrupt the letter and change the sense of Scripture which was delivered to the primitive Church pretending that the true Church of Christ was invisible and that the protestant evidences and miracles perished by reason of the iniquity of the times and the persecution of Popes But let us come to the triall and to particular instances of their false dealing SVBSECT II. Of Edward 6. Protestant and prelatick Clergies frauds falsifications and formes of ordination their hypocrisy incontinency Atheism c And whether it be fit to terme them and others like them Cheats when they are convicted of willfull
learned adversary proves had continued the very same notwithstanding many temporal changes from our first conversion vntill K. Henry 8. and Q Elizabeths reigns and was that very faith which we papists now profess rather 〈◊〉 Fox would confess this truth he resolved to falsify and corrupt venerable Bede's Ecclesiastical History and a provincial Synod of the English Clergy held at Hartford by Theodoâ—â—â— Arch-bishop of Canterbury in the year 673. the decrees wherof he doth so alter that comparing them with themselves â—s they are in St. Bede whom Fox pretends to follow they do not seem to be the same and this he doth also to discredit the Catholick Church of England charging it with decreeing a condemned heresy about keeping of Easter The first decree of this synod was saith Fox that Easter day should be vnformally kept and observed throughout the whole realm vpon one certain day videlicet Prima 14. Luna mensis prioris That is to say vpon the first 14. moon or day of the moon of the first month to wit of March which is just as the Iewes do observe it contrary to the Councell of Nice Well then let vs see what the words of St. Bede himself are in this synodical Decree Primum Capitulum saith he relating it out of the words of the Canons themselves vt Sanctum diem Paschae in communi omnes servemus Dominica post 14. Lunam primi mensis The first article of our decrees saith the Councell is that we do all in common observe the holy day of Easter vpon the sunday next after the fourteenth moon of the first month This is quite contrary to that which Fox relateth he putting out Dominica which maketh or marreth all the matter and then for post decimam quartam lunam written at large in Bede he putteth in prima 14. luna short in numbers only to make it more obscure adding prima of his own and putting out post from the words of this Councell more over he addeth of his own these words vpon one certain day which the Decree hath not meaning therby that this 14. day must be observed with such certainty as it may not be altered or differred to any Sunday in which consisteth the heresy of the Quarta decimans and therby to make the ancient Church of England in St. Theodores time guilty of that heresy To favour the doctrin and practice of Protestants in putting away their wives for fornication and marrying an other he quotes the tenth Decree of the same synod and sets down such words only as seemed to authorise his error and then breaketh off as if the Decree ended there Thus he citeth the Canon Tenthly that no man put away his wife for any cause except for fornication 〈◊〉 the rule of the Ghospell and there stops wheras the Canon is Nullus conjugeâ—â— propriam nisi vt sanctum Evangelium docet fornicationis causa relinquat Quod si quisquam propriâ—m expulerit â—â—njugem legitiâ—o sibi matrimonio conjunctam si Christianus esse recte voluerit nulli 〈…〉 sed ita permaneatâ—aut propriae reconcilietur Conjugi Let no man leave his own wife but only as the holy Ghospell teacheth vs for the cause of fornication and if any man should put away his wife that is joyned to him by lawfull marriage if he will be a true Christian let him not marry another but either remain so in continency or be reconciled to his own wife again Hee wasteth much paper in discrediting Pope Gregory the 7. by Protestants called Pope Hildebrand whom notwithstanding the chief writers of his time exceedingly commend for a Saint and a learned man as you may see in Bellarmin But Fox saith Antoninus writeth that Hildebrand as he lay a dying desired one of his Cardinals to go to the Emperour and desire him forgâ—â—â—ness absolving both him and his partners from excommunication c. Which he relateth to the end his Reader might think that the Pope went against his conscience in excommunicating the Emperour and that St. Antoninus believed the same story to be true wheras St. Antoninus his words are that it was reported how Gregory 7. had sent a Cardinal to the Emperour and to all the Church to wish him Indulgence which yet for many causes saith Antoninus I do not believe to be true These words honest Fox omitteth And it is recorded by an Impartiall German Author that Pope Gregory 7. last words lying on his death-bed in Salerno were these Dilexi Iustitiam 〈…〉 iniquitatem propteria morior in exilio c. I have loved 〈◊〉 and hated iniquity and for this do I dy in banishment Being driven away from his Sea by the violence of the Emperour I read and find saith Fox that in a Councell holden â—t Rome by Pope Hildebrand and other Bishops they did 〈◊〉 three things 1. That no Priests hereafter should marry wives â— Thâ—â— all such as were marryed should be divorced 3. That none hâ—â—â—fter should be admitted to the order of Priesthood but should 〈◊〉 perpetual chastity But he quoteth not one Author for 〈◊〉 three lyes and in the lines immediatly following where 〈◊〉 down in English the Copy of Pope Gregory 7. Bull 〈◊〉 this matter he sufficiently proves his own sayings to be lyes for thus saith the Bull If there be any Priests Deacons or 〈◊〉 deacons that will still remain in the sin of fornication which 〈◊〉 is not applicable to marriage we forbid them the 〈…〉 till they amend and repent But if they persever in their sin we charge that none presume to hear their service And â—â—cordingly it 〈◊〉 the Canon Officium Symoniacorum in 〈…〉 scienter nullo modo recipiatis And Tritemius relateth the matter thus Pope Gregory forbad men to hear the mâ—st of such Priests as were known to have Concubines But Fox 〈◊〉 other Protestants would needs face vs down that Hildebrâ—â—d was the first who prohibited Priests marriage wheras Origen above 1400. years ago tells even of the Greek Church 〈◊〉 solius est offerre Sacrificium qui perpetuae se devoverit castitati To him only belongeth to offer sacrifice who hath vowed himself to pâ—â—petual chastity And Eusebius one of the first Councell of Nice 〈◊〉 of them who were made Priests being married that it becommeth them to contain themselves for the time to come from all dealing with wives And Marianus Scotus speaking of Gregory 7. and of that Roman Synod being in his own time saith Pope Gregory 7. having made a Synod did according to the decree of St. Peter and St. Clemâ—â—t his successor and of other holy fathers forbid vnto Clergy men c. to have wives or dwell with women And Pope Alexander 2. and Pope Nicholas 2. Predecessors to Gregory 7. made the same decree that Hildebrand did as appeareth in their Canons yet exâ—ant It were both endless and needless to set down all John Fox his willfull lyes the fraudulent and â—â—olish tricks and devices wherwith he and
confess a fault in the maintenance wherof their fortunes are concerned and by consequence how accomptable the protestant layty is to God for not mistrusting and examining the truth and sincerity of their own Clergy being so indigent and so interessed persons and so confidently charged and so frequently caught with falshoods what fraud can be more visible then to make men believe that so infamous and dissolute persons as Luther Zuinglius Calvin Cranmer and Beza c. were Saints sent by God to restore his Church vnto it's primitive doctrin and spirit or that they and all protestants do agree in all matters of faith against Papists Their dissentions vices and wickedness are so manifest that they can not be denyed without impudency and without giving the lye to the whole world and contradicting their own writings And yet the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and his Junta of Divines would face down Mr. Walsingham that there was no such matter and because the poore man humbly petitioned to have the matter decided by comparing their own books which were in the next roome with his notes he was censured and called a foolish bold Knave impudent fellow sâ—â—cy Companion c. and threatned with prison and pillary And for that they durst not betray the weakness of their cause by so publick and violent proceedings against a known protestant who desired to continue one of themselves if protestancy did not prove to be a mistake of Christianity the Arch-bishop to be shut of him sent him to the Commissary of St. Albans to be resolved forsooth whether Luther acknowledged in his Books that he began the protestant Reformation and impugned the Mass adoration of the Sacrament Invocation of Saints c. moved therunto by the devill 's arguments in a real conference between himself and sathan as if this passage and others of Luther's and Calvin's works were not to be found in London or in his Graces Library at Lambeth as well as at St. Albans And after that by his own importunity Mr. Walsingham had obtained of Doctor Covell to shew him Luther's book wherin he acknowledged this conference and conviction of the Devill 's arguments that the Doctor should interrupt him and divert the whole discourse with a rush you see I have this book and many such like 3. Reflexion By what particular indirect means cavills and Calumnies the Arch-bishop himself endeavored to maintain the protestant Religion and discredit the Catholick delivering to Mr. Walsingham Mr. Bell's libell against the Iesuits as an invincible fortress against the Roman faith and his other book full of corruptions and falsifications as a very sincere and solid piece which falsifications being shewed to them all sitting in their Junta and Iudgment about that affaire the Arch-bishop durst not send into his study for the Fathers works that were affirmed by Mr. Walsingham to have bin corrupted by Bell and Calvin c. His Lordship 's confessed practise also of burning Catholick Books argues the weaknes of the protestant cause and proves how much they are afraid their own false dealing and the impiety of their principles should be discovered 4. Reflexion That Mr. Walsingham's case hath bin and is revived and practised now every day when any conscientious protestant begins to doubt of the safety and sincerity of his Religion The protestant Clergy tells him that he is in a sure way of salvation and yet this assertion is against one of their articles of faith to wit that which acknowledgeth their Church is fallible in proposing Christ's doctrin and the true sense of Scripture and by consequence for all they know themselves may be in damnable errors Then they tell him the Papists are Jdolaters worship Anti-Christ c. that our Books of Controversyes are full of lyes and fables and to make good these their impostures they not only corrupt our Authors but translate into English all infamous libells though they treat not of controversies as the Jansenists Letters Palafox his relations and for the renegat Fr. Paulo his history of the Councell of Trent they swear it is the most exact and sincere work of this age wheras Cardinal Palavicino in his answer to the same and in the very begining hath set down 300. of Fr Paulo's vntruths in matter of fact so palpable that they seem inexcusable in him and render others guilty of vnpardonable rashness and obstinacy who credit so mistaken or malicious an Author and preferr his bare word before the vnanimous Testimony of all Christendom that hath accepted the definitions of the Councell as Catholick truths which they would never have don had they bin such as Fr Paulâ— describes Js it likely that the Bishops Embassadors and Prelats of so different nations and subjects to Princes of so contrary Interests who were present at the Councill and recommended to their flocks and friends the decrees of Trent as sacred would conspire to cheat and damne their Souveraigns relations and neighbors Or that they knew not better how matters went in the Councill or were not more impartial in relating them then one Apostâ—ta Friar or those persons from whom he pretends to have received his papers and intelligence with such pittifull frauds and fashoods are many poor protestant soules deluded and seduced into eternal damnation which they deserve for believing their own Clergy without any further examination of the scruples and doubts which common sense and natural reason doth raise in every one of them that converseth with Roman Catholicks or observeth the incoherency and inconstancy of protestancy together with it's singularity and pride of Spirit contemning the primitive true sense of Scripture declared by vniversal Tradition and the vnanimous consent of all orthodox Fathers and Councills Perditio tua ex te Jsrael 5. Reflexion One of my Lord of Canterburyes reasons to Mr. Walsingham against crediting the Popish book was do you not know when two men go to law together one will speak the worst he can by the other And though this ought not to be practised in law suites much less in controversies of Religion yet seeing my Lord would have protestants read our books with that prejudice reason doth dictat that theirs ought not to be read without caution especially Seeing every protestant â—eader makes himself supreme Judge of Controversies of Religion and no Judge ought to give sentence before both sides be heard Suppose therfore that the protestant and Catholick Clergy are engaged not only in a dispute of Religion but in a suit of Law to wit whether the revenues of the Church of the three Kingdoms belong of right rather to the present possessors then to the ancient proprietors neither party say you ought to be Iudge in his own cause who then must decide the business The Layty Content let my Lord Chancellor of England notwithstanding his known Jnclination to favor and promote protesâ—â—â—cy be named head of a Committee for examining and deciding the question Let it be tryed in publik Court which
consequences as prejudicial both to Church and state as our late distempers have manifested But now to Mr. Lauds falsifications To prove that the Tradition of the Church is not infallible and that the words of St. Augustin Ego vero Evangelio non crederem nisi me Catholicae Ecclesiae commoveret authoritas should be vnderstood of the Church in the time of the Apostles only the Bishop sayes Some of our own Authors will not endure it should be otherwise meant by St. Austin save of the Church in the time of the Apostles only and in proof of this he cites Occham in the Margent thus Occham Dial. part 1. l. 1. c. 4. and sets down these as his words Intelligitur solum de Ecclesia quae fuit tempore Apostolorum Jt is vnderstood only of the Church which was in the Apostles time Wheras Occham in the very place quoted holds the quite contrary and sayes expresly that the Church wherof St· Austin speaks in that sentence containes not only the Apostles but also the Church successively from the times of the Apostles to that very time wherin St. Austin wrote those words as every one may see by his sentence truly related in our margent And indeed St. Austin speaks of that Church which sayd to him noli credere Manichaeo and had succession of Bishops of Rome which the Church had not in the Apostles time Divers Frauds and Falsifications of Bishop Laud to defend that Protestants are not Schismaticks MR. Fisher having pressed Bishop Laud with that ordinary and vnanswerable argument proving Protestants to be Schismatiks because they separated themselves from the Roman Catholick Church obstinatly holding divers opinions contrary to the ancient and generaly received faith many wherof had bin condemned as heresies in former ages by General Councells and all orthodox Christians his Lordship answers 1. That the Roman Church is not the Catholick Church We reply that when Luther and Calvin began their pretended reformations such only as were in communion with the Church and Bishop of Rome were held to be Catholicks all others having bin declared Schismaticks or hereticks and for that reason the first Reformers did not claim to be members of the Greeks or of any other Christianâ—Church then extant but acknowledge they found no men of their reformed belief and therfore separated themselves from the whole world as Luther and Calvin expresly say and we have proved shewing they did not agree in all points with the Waldenses Wicklâ—ffians Greeks or any other visible Congregation of Christians Therfore they separated themselves by inventing and following contrary opinions from all visible Churches and by consequence from the true one if they will grant there is a true one vpon earth as the Bishop would seem to acknowledge Was it not lawfull saith he pag. 149. for Juda to reform her self when Israel would not joyn sure it was or els the Prophet deceives me that sayes expresly though Israel transgress let not Juda sin Here his Lordship supposeth two absurdities 1. That Juda reformed its doctrin which is the only question 2. That the Catholicks are to represent the ten tribes because forsooth they are more numerous and Protestants Juda wheras no paralel can be more pat then the Protestants compared with the ten tribes who left Jerusalem and the High Priest and rebelled with Jeroboam which King out of vngodly policy the better to secure his vsurped Crown just as Queen Elizabeth caused the people to desert the old and true Religion set vp new Priests Sacrifices c. But his Lordship reflecting vpon these and other things thought necessary because he saw that himself and his party would be driven to the ten tribes at length to defend they were a Church even after their schism or separation for that there were some true prophets among them as Elias Elizeus c. and thousands that had not bowed knees to Baal not observing that such Prophets and others who continued faithfull were of the true Church of Juda though they could not go to Jerusalem and were no more of the ten Tribes Religion then the Greek Roman Catholicks are of Mahomets or English Papists of the Protestant And wheras the Bishop's adversary tells him that particular Churches may not pretend to reform themselves and condemn others of error in faith especialy their acknowledged spiritual Superiors when the need of reformation is only questionable and this was so evident â— confutation of protestancy and so convincing a proof of all their Churches schisms that his Lordship thought fit to conceal those words When the need is questionable in his relation of his adversaries argument and after omitting and concealing the force therof endeavors to answer as well as he can That the first Protestant reformers were subject to the Roman Catholick Church and prelats in spiritual affaires is confessed by themselves and that without any sufficient cause or probable pretext they rebelled against that superiority and Iurisdiction is also evident vnless we should grant as the Bishop with all sectaries sayes pag. 86. that all Christendom Protestants only excepted are so blind or pervers that they can not or will not see the light of the Scripture and by consequence their own Idolatry and superstition And this his and other such mens sensless assertion must pass for good evidence and be a sufficient warrant for Jnferiors to renounce their obedience and reform the doctrin of their Superiors and of the whole visible Church without incurring the Censure or guilt of Schism and heresy Mr. Laud denyeth that in ancient times the Bishop of Rome was Superior to other Bishops out of his own Patriarchat which extended no further saith he then to Jtaly and the adjacent Islands And to make good this equality of Patriarchs with the Pope he quotes num 170. the law A patriarcha non datur appellatio Then he sayes pag. 171. that in those ancient times of the Church government Britanie was never subject to the Sea of Rome and that Pope Vrban the 2. accounted his worthy predecessor in the Sea of Canterbury St. Anselm as his own Com-peere and sayd he was as the Apostolick and Patriarch of the other world The greatest fraud committed in treating matters of Religion is to assert a notorious falshood so confidently that the truth can not be questioned or examined without doubting whether the relator have either soul or shame Who can Imagin that a man pretending not only to be an Arch-bishop but a Patriarch would endeavor to maintain Religion by such impostures Britain saith Mr. Laud was never subject to the Sea of Rome No! How then came Venerable Bede to tell us that an 673. St. Wilford Arch-bishop of York being vnjustly deprived of his Bishoprick appealed to the Sea Apostolick was heard by Pope Agatho and by virtue of his sentence restored to his Bishoprick How comes St. Gregory the great to write thus to St. Austin our English Apostle Seing by the goodnes of God
and our industry the new English Church is brought vnto the faith of Christ we grant to you the vse of the Pall the proper badge or sign of Archiepiscopal dignity to wear it when you say Mass and we condescend that you ordain twelve Bishops vnder your Jurisdiction yet so that the Bishop of London be consecrated hereafter by a Synod of his own Bishops and receive his Pall from this holy Apostolical Sea wherin I by the authority of God do now serve Our will likewise is that you send a Bishop to York to whom we intend also to give the Pall that is to make him Arch-bishop but to you shall be subject not only the Bishops you make and he of York but all the Bishops of Britain If Vrban the 2. sayd St. Anselm of Canterbury was a Patriarch none can deny but that he received that dignity and his Iurisdiction from Saint Gregory as the others of the East did from the Sea of Rome That the Patriarchs of the East were subject and did appeal to the Bishop of Rome is evident in the Ecclesiastical History and as for the law of not appealing from a Patriarch Mr. Laud could not be ignorant it was intended for the inferior Clergy who of ordinary cours were not to appeal further then to the primat of their province for so the Councell of Afrik determins His Lordship without doubt did see also how in that very Councell it is acknowledged that Bishops in their own causes might appeal to Rome Mr. Fisher askt the Bishop Quo Judice doth it appear that the Church of Rome hath erred in matters of faith as not thinking it equity that protestants in their own cause should be Accusers witnesses and Iudges of the Roman Church He answers there is as litle reason or equity that any man who is to be accused should be the accused and yet wittness and Judge in his own cause Fisher replyes that the Church of Rome is the principal and Mother Church and that therfore though it be against common equity that subjects and Children should be Accusers Witnesses Iudges and Executioners against their Prince and mother in any case yet is it not absurd that in some cases the Prince or mother may accuse witness Iudge and if need be execute Iustice against vnjust and rebellious or evil Children especialy if the prince or mother be infallible But the Controversy being at length reduced vnto this whether the Church might not err in doctrin as Princes and parents do in governing their subjects and Children Mr. Fisher sayes it can not and proves it by that of St. Mathew 16.18 That Hell gates shall never be able to prevail against the Church The Bishop sayes this is to be vnderstood that errors which are meant by Hell gates shall never be able to prevail against the Church in Fundamental Articles and confirms this his saying by one of St. Austin quoting his words thus pugnare potest expugnari non potest wheras if his Lordship had bin pleased to set down St. Austins words sincerly as he ought the case had bin cleerly decided St. Austins words are Ipsa est Ecclesia sancta Ecclesia vna Ecclesia vera Ecclesia Catholica contra omnes haereses pugnans And then come in pugnare potest expugnari tamen non potest The Church fights against all heresies contrary to every article and by consequence whether Fundamental or not and yet expugnari non potest she can not be overcome All heresies saith the Saint depart from her as vnprofitable branches cut of from the vine but she remains still in her root in her vines in her charity the gates of Hell shall not overcome her All this as not being for his Lordships purpose who challenged all our party to shew one Father for 1200. years after Christ that concluded the infallibility of the Church out of Mathew 16.18 is concealed by the Bishop from his Reader The like fraud is practised by this Lordship in answering to that Text of St. Irenaeus ad hanc Ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire Ecclesiam hoc est eos qui sunt vndique fideles in qua semper ab his qui sunt vndique conservata est ea quae est ab Apostolis Traditio These words he sets down in the Margent and doth English them thus To this Church he speaks of Rome fot the more powerfull principality of it t is necessary that every Church that is the faithfull vndique round about should have recours Laud pag. 182. First he translates vndique which signifies ordinarily from all places parts and every where round about to the end St. Irenaeus might be thought to make the Sea of Romes principality a bare primacy of order and precedency and then confine its Iurisdiction to Italy Sardinia and Corsica but hereby he would make the Saint speak non-sense for he vsed this argument against the Gnosticks in France and other hereticks and gives us this rule of Christianity that the doctrin or Tradition of the Roman Church is the touchstone of all Apostolical doctrin If therfore vndique in this place doth signify no more then round about Rome and therby the more powerfull principality Irenaeus speaks of be restrained to precedency and the Roman Iurisdiction to sole Italy and its Islands he must have argued thus T is necessary that Italy Sardinia and Corsica should have recours to Rome for its Bishops precedency of place or in regard of his Patriarchal power within Italy and the adjacent Islands Therfore the Gnosticks in France and all other hereticks of the world are convinced of heresy for not having recours to the Sea of Rome This would be a far fetcht consequence and as vnworthy St. Irenaeus found Iudgment as its necessary to defend Mr. Lauds false comment and Religion Yet to make this appear not so improbable an interpretation Mr. Laud pag. 181. tells us that Irenaeus was a Bishop of the Gallican Church and a very vnlikly man to captivat the liberty of that Church vnder the more powerfull principality of Rome as if forsooth the so much talkt of liberties of the Gallican Church which were not claimed or thought on vntill 1300. years after St. Irenaeus his time could move him to limit the Popes spiritual Iurisdiction to Italy or that the Gallican liberties did exclude it now from France These are too gross mistakes and can hardly be excused by ignorance in so knowing a person as Mr. Laud is thought to have bin After the same manner doth he abuse St. Gregory Nazianzen who speaking of the Roman Church saith Vetus Roma ab antiquis temporibus habet rectam fidem semper eam retinet sicut decet vrbem quae toti orbi praesidet semper de Deo integram fidem habere These words the good Bishop translates thus into English pag. 12. Ancient Rome from of old hath the right faith and alwayes holds it as becomes the
Sidon they had long since don pennance in sackcloth and ashes The works which I have don in my Fathers name beare witness of me And though you believe not me believe my works And again We know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no man could do these miracles thou dost except God were with him And the reason why miracles oblige vs in conscience to believe the doctrin by them confirmed is because they are a sufficient and moral evidence of Gods authority and as it were the great Seal wherwith he warrants his Ministers and the Church to preach and propose his doctrin and Commands Now if he could put this seal to any fals doctrin or therby authorize an erroneous Church men might prudently doubt whether he doth not do so now de facto and in every particular but with such a prudent doubt none is bound to obey any Church authority and by consequence there could be no obstinacy heresy or infidelity against Gods revelations and veracity how ever so authentickly and sufficiently proposed by miracles which are the signs and badges of divin authority and the most authentick marks of the true Church To that ordinary objection of Anti-Christs miracles which though fals and feigned yet will seem so true to many that most of the world will be seduced we answer 1. That there will be an apparent difference between Anti-christian and our Catholick miracles though for want of due reflexion prudence and piety men will not consider the difference nor compare his miracles with ours 2. Christs words and warning of Anti-Christs feigned miracles is a sufficient evidence of their falshood becaus we must not credit our selves or any outward appearances against the express words of Christ. This is the reason why in the Sacrament of the Altar we are not deceived by the Species or appearance of bread and wine Though there were no other argument that Anti-Christs miracles are fals but this that the miracles of the Church both in the old and new Testament are first and that we have a Caveat to beware of such miracles and miraculists as shall come afterwards to confirm contrary doctrin whosoever is moved by Anti-Christ or his fore-runners to forsake the ancient faith and signs of the Church for novelties how ever so plausibly or prodigiously confirmed deserve damnation For there are two qualities that oblige men in reason and conscience to preferr one thing before another how ever equall they both may seem to be in other respects 1. priority of time 2. present possession We see what priviledges and prerogatives are given by the law of nature and Nations to such as are antienter by birth or nobility then others and how possession is sayd to be eleven points of the law These qualities are most properly found in our Roman Catholick doctrin it is most antient and always hath had the precedency of all pretended Reformations both in time and in the possession of the hearts of the faithful The same we say of our Catholick miracles Therfore we ought to preferr them before any others that shall appear afterwards in opposition to them Besides those miracle so credibly reported that no man can deny them without being guilty of obstinacy and rashness and besides those others continualy visible as that of St. Januarius there is an other kind of true miracles seen but not observed by every Protestant vpon which if they did reflect as many of them as mean well would become Roman Catholicks The difference between true and fals miracles is that true miracles are works besides or against the order of nature and of secundary causes and therfore may be don only by the divin power as to receive the dead to cure diseases of the body and distempers of the mind without the application of any natural means or remedys And becaus the Devil hath less power over souls then over bodys the cure of a distemper of the mind wherof no natural cause appeareth is a greater and more authentick miracle then any cure of the body how ever so prodidious Fals miracles are only such as may be don by the application of natural causes and remedies as that of Vespasianus of whom Suetonius recounts that he restored sight to a blind man and the vse of his feet to a lame man But Cornelius Tacitus doth acknowledge lib. 4. Hist. that the Physitians being consulted did answer those diseases were not incurable and Tertullian in Apologetico cap. 22. saith that both the disease and the cure was a work of the Devil Anti-Christs miracles also will be such as as may be don by the cours and concurrence of natural causes That miracles don vpon mens minds are greater then any â—â—res or changes wrought vpon the body is granted by our Adversaries and St. Bernard recounts as one of the greatest miracles of St. Malacâ—ius that he converted an obstinat soul to recant his opinion against the real presence of Christs Body in the Sacrament And for the most remarkable miracle of St. Bernard himself it is recorded how with the blessed Sacrament in his hand he did so terrify William the prowd Duke of Aquitain that he fell prostrate at his feet and he whom the most powerfâ—ll Monarchs of Christendom could not rule submitted himself to the disposal of a poor Monk becaus he threatned him with that which in appearance seemed to be and Protestants hold to â—e no more in reality or in substance then a wafer cake These things supposed as vndeniable in Philosophy and Divinity it may be easily proved that every Protestant doth or at least may see true miracles in confirmation of our Roman Catholick â—aith For without question it is either a miracle of God or of the Devil that all the Roman Catholicks not only now but for so many ages past should contrary 〈◊〉 the evidence of sense and to our natural inclination of judging according to that evidence adore for our Savior JESUS Christ that which in appearance is but a wafer cake or a Cup of wine We are either abused and seduced by Sathan or inspired and enabled by the Holy Ghost to contradict our senses which contradiction being in a matter so long and so much controverted in publick schools and general Councells and a thing wherupon depends our Salvation we can not â—e presumed if we err that we err for want of examining and comparing the reasons of both sides Catholick and Protestant especialy if we consider the number learning and integrity of the Roman Catholick Examiners and the great difficulty which they as well as all other men find in believing or judging against the evidence of sense and in denying that to be bread or wine which doth smell look tast feel and feed like bread and wine Now if we prove that this marvellous and vnanimous contradiction of our senses can not be a miracle of the Devil protestants must grant it is a miracle of God and from thence may
in England conâ—â—der whether it bee Probable or possible that God would work 〈◊〉 undeniable miracles against his own word and the true sense â—f Scripture and whether it be not more likely that the Roâ—an Catholick sense therof so confirmed is that which the â—oly Ghost inspired and meant rather then the sense of Luâ—â—er Calvin Cranmer or of the Parliament an 3. 4. Ed. 6. â—hen all Jmages of Christ and his Saints were commanded by 〈◊〉 express statute to be pulled down Provided always that the â—ct or any thing therin contained should not extend to any â—mage or picture set or graven vpon any Tomb in any Church â—happel or Churchyard only for a monument of any King â—rince Nobleman or other dead person which hath not bin â—ommonly reputed and taken for a Saint So that by the Reliâ—ion and Laws of England there must not be any sign or moâ—ument of sanctity left or permitted in Churches as if God â—id intend profane persons should have greater respect shewed to them in his own house then his own Servants and that their having bin eminent in his Divin service and his testifying the same by evident miracles were a sufficient cause to break their monuments and blot their memories out of the hearts of Christians The Protestant Clergy delude their flochs with telling them that civil worship may be given to statues and Jmages of Kings Princes and Noblemen Religious worship may not be given to â—ny Creature however so holy it being peculiar to God But Christ teacheth contrary doctrin and says that whosoever receives a Prophet as a Prophet shall have the reward of a Prophet if by Religious worship they mean Latria or that supreme which is due to God alone we allow their doctrin but if they take it â—or that reverence which is due to any thing that is holy by sanctification spiritual grace caracter or application to the service of God we deny it What do they think not only of Prophets and Apostles whom the faithfull Religiously worshipped and adored in the old and new Testament but of inanimat things as the Temple the Tabernacle the Arck the Propitiatory the Cherubins the Altar the bread of proposition c. Nay what do they think of themselves Doth not every Protestant Bishop teach and inculcat to the people that he is their spiritual Father and vpon that score expects they should kneel down to him and ask his blessing Do they not commend as Religious and devout souls such as give them this respect Is not this a Religious worship There is not any of their Bishops can pretend that so much ceremony is a civility due to their birth but they attribute it to their spiritual dignity and to their supposed caracter of Episcopacy We desire no other Kind of worship be given to our Catholick canonized Bishops or to Images then that which the Protestant Bishops claim as due to themselves and to their pictures And yet these men will needs have Popery to be Idolatry becaus we worship real sanctity with the same ceremony and respect that they exact for mistaken Episcopacy SECT V. Miracles related by St Austin St. Ambrose St Gregory Nazianzen St. Epiphanius St. Chrysostom St. Hierom St. Optatus St Bede St Bernard St. Anselm and others in confirmation of praying to Saints and worshiping of their Reliques and of the vertue of Holy water of the Sacraments of Confirmation Confession and Extreme unction ST Hierom sayes the heretick Eunomius was the first that impugned the worshiping of Saints Reliques whose error Vigilantius followed and added an other against praying to Saints How ancient the worship of Saints Reliques is we see by the Epistle of the Church of Smirna concerning the Martyrdom of St. Polycarpus St. John Evangelists Disciple whose reliks the Christians gathered even after his body was burnt with most fervent devotion St. Ambrose gives many reasons why reliques ought to be honored If you ask me saith he what do you honor in flesh consumed and turned into dust I honor in the Martyrs flesh the scarres that he received for Christ I honor the memory of one that liveth by the perpetuity of his vertue I honor ashes sanctified by the confession of our Lord I honor in ashes the seeds of eternity J honor the body that taught me to love God and to contemn death for his sake And why should not Christians honor that body which the Devils fear c. Finaly I honor a body that honored Christ in thâ— sword and is to reign with him in heaven Thus St. Ambrose Now to our Miracles St. Austin de Civit. Dei l. 22. c. 8. telleth how that in the presence of him and others a devout woman called Palladia who being sore diseased and repairing for her health to the monument of St. Stephen as soon as she prayed to the Saint sana surrexit she received health And in the same Chapter a little before he relates the like miraculous example of one Florentius of Hippo and of Eucharius a Priest of Spain as also of Ten infirm persons in his presence miraculously cured and sundry dead restored to life In the ninth book of his Confessions cap. 7. he telleth how the dead bodyes of St. Gervasius and Protasius were after many years found vncorrupted and that at their dead bodies a blind man received his sight A miracle saith St. Austin don at Millan where the said bodys lay when I was there a great number of people being witnesses therof St. Hierom recounteth in the life of St. Hilarion how his dead body was after ten months found vncorrupted yeilding forth a fragrant smel And St. Bede testifieth the same of St. Cuthbert l. 4. hist. cap. 30. St. Ambrose having had a revelation where the bodys of the Martyrs St. Gervasius and Protasius lay placed them with great solemnity in the Church and they wrought many miracles which he recounts among others the Devils were tormented by the holy Reliques and were forced to confess that their torments proceeded from the intercession of the Saints but the Arrians vexed to see the Catholick faith confirmed by such miracles endeavored to discredit them by saying the Devils were not realy tormented and that these were no true miracles as Protestants say now of our Exorcisms for which folly and obstinacy they were reprehended by St. Ambrose as Vigilantius for the same reason is censured by St. Hierom. In like manner ought the Centurists and other Protestants be condemned for discrediting the miracles which St. Chrysostom Theodoret and Rufinus relate of St. Babylas which was that after bringing of the body of the holy Martyr into the Temple of an Idol the Jdol ceased to speak and therfore Iulian the Apostata commanded the body should be removed from thence The Centurists answer that the Devil was neither silenced nor frighted by the Saint and presence of his Reliques but feigned to bee overcome to the end that superstition might encreas St.
can divert the Layty from entertaining any thoughts of curiosity or scruples of conscience in order to the examination of this matter of so great importance and can make them believe that K. Henry 8. passion to Ann Bullen was a just cause to introduce the Reformation and to assume the Supremacy or that the Earle of Hartfords ambition of being absolutly Protector of England quite contrary to K. Henry 8. Testament and to his own Oath of not assuming any power above his Collegues and Tutors of K. Edward 6. was a divin inspiration to bring in Zuinglius his Sacramentarian Religion into the Realm or that the Duke of Northumberlands poysoning the yong King and excluding the next and lawfull heirs from the Crown to conferr it vpon his own own son and the Lady Iane Grey pretending therby to promote his new Zuinglian Ghospell was the work of the holy Ghost Or that Q. Elizabeths murther of the Q. of Scots and her Parliaments Decrees and endeavors to preferr any natural issue of her body to this Empire before the legitimat and immediat Heirs the Stevards and therby to continue her prelatick Protestancy were things lawfull according to the principles of Christianity and Catholick faith If the Protestant Clergy I say can persuade the layty that all this was lawfull and agreable to the doctrin which Christ and his Apostles did preach either they have an abundance of wit or they that believe them very litle judgment A great wit maintained that they may as well make Mahomets Alcoran a plausible Religion in England and gain therby as great revenues as they do by their Reformation and Protestant Scripture wherof neither the Canon letter or sense is that which God delivered to his Church as heretofore hath bin proved I do not speak in rallery sayd the gentlemen but seriously when I say that men who believe the Protestant Religion to be true may be induced by the same persons and the like reasons to believe that Mahometisme is the true Religion This hath also bin solidly proved by Doctor Reynolds in his Calvino-Turcismus and by others also when they demonstrat that Calvinism and Turcism agree in the principall points and every one knows that the doctrin of the 39. articles of the Church of England is the quintessence of Calvins doctrin and was by him applauded though he said that as to Point of disciplin there were many tolerable fooleries in in that Church and Lyturgy But let us pursue the Gentlemans parallel of Mahomet and his doctrin with our English Reformers and their doctrin and we shall plainly see that there is as much reason to believe Mahometism as prelatick Protestancy and that both these Religious were planted and propagated by the same means nay that it is more to be admired how our Countreymen became Protestants then the Arabians or Armenians became Turcks When Mahomet began to preach his doctrin in the East Christianity there was so discredited by being divided into sects and into so many heresies of Arians Manichees Nestorians c. that men were disposed by that diversity of opinions to follow any new Religion especialy that of Mahomet becaus he borrowed something from every Sect and as the 39. Articles of the Church of England agree in some fundamental points with Catholicks and also with hereticks so Mahomet agreeth in the worship of one God with Iews and Chriâ—tians and in the doctrin and worship of Christ he comes at â—eer to Christianity as most Arians and Nestorians or the Antitrinitarian Protestants of Hungary Poland c. nay as Bp. Morton and some other Prelaticks But when Luther in Germany and Cranmer in England began Protestancy all the west and Latin Church agreed in the Roman Catholick faith no other Religion was regarded and the â—emnants of Wickleff and Hus were hissed out of the world at least were nothing so considerable any where as the above mentioned heresies had bin in the East when Mahomet began there to preach his Alcoran So that if heresy or apostacy can have any excuse Mahometism in its begining was more excusable then Protestancy by reason of the more considerable divisions that then were among Christians in matters of doctrin then when Luther began his Reformation Now let us come to particular reflexions vpon both Mahomet retained some parts of Scripture as well as Protestants and had as good grounds to reject what he did not fancy of the letter and sense therof as Protestants have to be choosers of their own Canon and interpretation Mahomet gives as many rules of Morality as Protestants and though he allows of many wives Protestants do the same with this only difference that Mahomet says t is lawfull to keep many at once Protestants say you must keep but one at a time and that you cannot have the variety of wives men so much desire without the formality of a divorce how litle is requisit for the validity and legality of Protestant divorces we have proved heretofore by the authority and principles of the first Reformers and the dayly practises of their Successors In all other things Mahomets sect is more austere in fasting praying abstaining from wine c. then Protestancy And becaus both agree in the incoherency and absurdity of their principles both also agree in planting propagating and defending their doctrin not by miracles or rational arguments but by force and sanguinary statuts And this is the reason why Catholicks are as litle permitted to dispute or reason for the Roman Religion in these Kingdoms as Christians in Turky and Priests are as much perseeuted for writing books of Controversies as Printers and Stationers and severely punished Thus much as to the paralell of both doctrins But If we compare their persons or vertues we shall find that Mahomet was an honester man and deserved more credit then Luther Calvin Cranmer or any of the first Protestant Reformers He never was baptized at least never professed any Religion vntill he composed his own with the help of an Arian Monk but all the first Reformers had first professed the Catholick faith which afterwards they renounced pretending that God had forsaken his Church for many ages and presumed to say that he had authorised and inspired them to reform without shewing any warrant that doctrin vnto which their betters in learning vertue and judgment actualy submitted as vnto the true Catholick and themselves also had embraced as such vntill their pride and lust prevailed against their conscience Mahomet married a Widdow and had made no vows not to marry the first Reformers married Nuns and themselves also were votaries Calvin only excepted but his incontinency was no less scandalous and notorious then theirs having lived in adultery with a Gentlewoman of Mongis that left her husband at Lansanâ—â— to enjoy Calvins Company at Geneva who attempted also to commit the like sin with the Lady â—ollande of Bredrode wise to a sickly Nobleman called Iames Borgongue Lord of
to vote in Parliament or trusted with any employment in the state who professeth not the prelatick Protestant Religion and swears not the Supremacy and Alleigance And yet we see how litle this Religion and oaths wrought vpon the generality of these Kingdoms or availed the late King None that vnderstands the genius of the English Nation will believe that by nature they are so base and treacherous as of late the world hath observed Therfore what they have don amiss so contrary to the generosity and honesty of their dispositions and to the rules of Christianity must be attributed to their Religion Wherfore it must be concluded that any outward sign though it be but a red scarf or garniture of ribands of the King's colours doth engage and confirm more the subjects and souldiers in their duty and loyalty then the 39. Prelatick Articles and the oath of supremacy A Rebell or Roundhead may t' is true weare the King's colours but not with so great danger to his Majesty or dommage to the publick as when he professeth the King's Religion Very few Englishmen will fly from the King's colours they once weare and profess to esteem but many that profess the 39. Articles will fight against the Prelatick interpretation therof for their own privat sense and against that of the King and Church of England So applicable are the 39. Articles to all dissenting Reformations and so pliable to every Rebellion that is grounded vpon any pretence of Scripture SECT X. How the fundamental principles of the Protestant Reformations maturely examined and strictly followed have led the most learned Protestants of the world to Iudaisme Atheisme Arianisme Mahometanisme c. and their best modern wits and writers to admit of no other Rule of Religion but Natural Reason and the Protestants Churches of Poland Hungary and Transilvania to deny the Mystery of the Trinity SEbastian Castalio termed by Osiander in epitom pag. 753. Vir apprimè doctus linguarum peritissimus Ranked by Doctor Humfrey In vita Ivelli pag. 265. with Luther and Zuinglius and placed by Pantaleon in Chronographia pag. 123. amongst the Fathers and lights of the Church this great and learned Protestant having considered the Prophecies mentioned in Scripture of the conversion of Kings and Nations by the Christian Church and of it's happy state splendor and continuance and compared all with the very foundation and first principle of protestancy to wit with the protestant supposition of a generall apostacy and fall of the visible Church from the true faith and their remaining in superstition and idolatry for so many centuries of years together with the invisibility of the Protestant Church vntill Luther and by consequence it 's not converting any visible Kings or nations from Paganisme to Christianity having I say maturely considered these things was so perplex'd and doubtfull in point of God's providence and veracity that he came at length to believe nothing as may be seen in his Preface of the great latin Bible dedicated to K. Edward 6. where he saith verily we must confess eyther that these things shall be performed herafter or have bin already or that God is to be accused of lying If any may answer that they have bin performed I will demand of him when If he sayd in the Apostles time I will demand how it chanceth that neither then the knowledg of God was altogether perfect and after in so short space vanished away which was promised to be eternall and more abundant then the flouds of the sea And concludeth the more I peruse the Scriptures the less do I find the same performed howsoever you vnderstand the same prophecies Martin Bucer one of the primitive and prime Protestants And an Apostle of the English reformation of whom Sir Iohn Cheek K. Edward 6. Master says the world scarce had his fellow and whom Arch-bishop Whitgift in his defence c. pag. 522. termeth a Reverend learned painfull sound Father c. this great Bucer after his first Apostasy from his Dominican order and Catholik Religion became a Lutheran afterwards a Zvinglian as appaereth in his epistle 〈◊〉 Norimb ad Essâ—ingenses Then he returned again to be a Lutheran as may be seen in the Acts of the Synod holden at Luther's house in Wittemberg an 1539. and in Bucer's own Comentaries vpon the 6. John and 26. Mathew where he asketh pardon of God and the Church for that he deceived so many with the error of Zuinglius and the Sacramentarians And notwithstanding this open repentance he returned again to the same Zuinglianism in England and therfore is reprehended by Schlusselburg in Theol. Calv. lib. 2. fol. 70. At length seeing the incertainty of Christianity wherunto by protestancy he had driven him-self and others that stuck to it's principles at the houre of his death he embraced Judaisme as they who were present therat testify saith Prateolus pag. 107. He declared long before to Dudley Earle of Warwick that he doubted whether all was true that the Evangelists relate of Christ. wherof see hertofore part 1. David George who for many years had bin a pious and publik Professor of Protestancy at Basil and called a man of God for his notorious charity to the poore and sick considering and comparing the aforesaid doctrin of protestancy with the prophecies of Scripture concerning the visible Church became a blasphemous Apostata and affirming our Saviour to have bin a seducer drew many Protestants to his opinion convincing them by their own principles and this argument Jf the doctrin of Christ and his Apostles had bin true and perfect the Church which they planted should have continued c. But now it is manifest that Antichrist hath subverted the doctrin of the Apostles and the Church by them begun as is evident in the Papacy therfore the doctrin of the Apostles was falls and imperfect Bernardin Ochin one of them whose opinions were Oracles to the Composers of the 39. Articles of Religion and the liturgy of the Church of England so much celebrated for his learning and piety that the Protector Seamor and Arch-bishop Cranmer called him out of Germany to help them in their Protestant reformation termed by Bishop Bale a light of the Church and England happy whilst it had him miserable when it lost him highly commended for learning and virtue by Simlerus and Sleydan l. 9. fol. 297. and by Calvin l. de scandalis c. This Ochin whom as Calvin writ all Italy could not match this light whose presence made England happy and whose absence made it miserable this very Ochin considering well the principles of protestancy became a Jew concluding that Christ never had a Church vpon earth When I did saith he in praefat Dialogorum consider how Christ by his power wisdom and goodness had founded and established his Church washed it with his bloud and enriched it with his spirit and again discerned how the same was funditus eversa vtterly over thrown I could not but wonder