a sottishnes in me to conceiue that Saint Hierome let not D. Field nor Luther be offended with this reuerence and honour which I yeald vnto the Fathers by their just title of SAINTS is guilty of that errour which S. Augustine disprooueth since he also controlleth it by the validity of the same reason precisely which S. Augustine hath alleadged and vrged to this purpose Were there any congruity or coherence in such a fancy 10. Wherefore as I was directed by theis considerations to intertayn a more reuerent opinion of S. Hierome then euer I admitted vnto this time so that high conceipt which I had of D. Fields extraordinary value languished in me daily and the * The Protestants CHVRCH cause it self which he vndertaketh to defend seemed worse and worse in my thoughts forasmuch as the chiefest Patrones thereof are continually driuen vnto such dishonourable and vnworthy shifts § 4. S. AMBROSE abused by D. Field 1. SAint Ambrose maketh vp the messe and beareth his part of disgrace amongst his friends 2. But as the cariadge of this matter is very smooth so it seemeth to be very syncere and graue For when the learned Doctour hath layd forth the sense See before pag. 31. and intendment of Antiquity in hir prayers for the dead he goeth forward with a specious pretense Pag. 98. to vnfold the truth more amply and to detect such errours as were embraced by some men contrary vnto the designement and purpose of the Catholick Church 3. It was an opinion sayth he of many of the Fathers that there is no judgement to passe vpon men till the last day and that all men are holden either in some place vnder the earth or els in some other place appointed for that purpose so that they come not into heauen nor receiue the reward of their labours till the generall IudgemeÌ„t c. Of this opinion was Iustin Martyr * He taught the doctrine of Purgatory and so did Lactantius also by the confession of sondry ProtestaÌ„ts 1 De natué Dei l. 4. c 4. Tertullian Clemens Romanus Lactantius Victorinus Martyr AMBROSE Ioh. Pontifex Rom. and sundry other 4. Here I did suspect the integrity of D. Field in his manifold turnings and inflexions because I was informed long before by n Hierome Zanchy that prayer for the dead had not a reference particularly vnto the soule but rather vnto the body a poynt not omitted by o Pag. 98. D. Field himself and his collection is framed in this manner Ambrose in his funerall oration vpon the death of Valentinian the Emperour confesseth that * Aeterna vi â— fruitur viluptate aâ—e S. Ambrose his words his soule is in heauen and yet he addeth farther that he will be mindfull of him in his prayers and oblations Wherefore either Ambrose doth contradict himself which in so little a passadge is vnlikely or els he referred his prayers vnto the resurrection of the Emperour and vnto his corporall estate 5. But Zanchius is egregiously mistaken in this collection and his partition is vnsufficient for S. Ambrose doth not contradict himself neither yet did he referr the execution of theis religious duties vnto the body alone and resurrection of the Emperour as it appeareth by his expresse testimony in this oration viz. Let us prosecute the godly SOVLE with our oblations likewise in his oration for Theodosius he desireth God to take the Emperours SOVLE into his rest thus also in his oration for Satyrus he maketh a speciall commendation of his SOVLE vnto almighty God and this was the practise of the Church but as many probable reasons did induce him to conceiue that Valentinians soule was now in actuall possession of eternall joy so for want of infallible assurance in this behalf he would not intermit his duty nor neglect his office toward the dead which charity prescribed and the Church appointed in this case In like manner p In obitis Humberti S. Bernard out of his singular hope which was founded vpon very probable reason saith that Humbertus lately deceased iam obtinet gaudium c. doth now obtayn those ioyes which shall endure for euer Notwithstanding it were a folly to imagin that S. Bernard would neglect the accustomed piety and deuotion of the Church which haply might be expedient for his soule To conclude Hence it is that S. q Confess l. 9. c. 13. Augustine supplicating vnto God for his deceased Mother saith I belieue o Lord that thou hast already performed the thing which I desire for she was a woman of singular virtue and the premisses of hir good life inferred the conclusion of hir happy death but yet accept the voluntary petition of my lippes The first proceeded out of a pious belief the second out of a wise feare and there was charity in both Which point I wish that r Cathol Apolog Part. 1. l. 1. c. 87. q 2. D. Morton had duly waighed within his heart before he branded S. Augustine with this improper censure Magis affectionis quam rationis oratio the oraison of Augustine for his mother came rather from affection then reason I returne now vnto D. Field 6. Being tormented with a necessary suspition rather of D. Fields vnfaithfulnesse in his report then of S. Ambrose his folly in this matter I made hast vnto the Author whom he alleadgeth to iustify his assertion viz. SIXTVS SENENSIS bibliothec sanct lib. 6. annotat 345. I turned vnto the place where I found Senensis discoursing to this effect The opinion of Bernard viz. that the blessed soules content themselues with the aspect of our Sauiours humanity c. though it be condemned as Castrensis doth obserue yet I think that the Author is to be excused with a gratefull and benigne affection because many excellent Fathers in the Church SEEMED by their testimonyes to giue authority vnto his opinion as namely Irenaeus Iustin Martyr Lactantius AMBROSE Chrysostome Augustine c. 7. When I had diligently perused the place I noted a subtile collusion in the Doctour forasmuch as he singleth forth S. Ambrose omitteth S. Augustine knowing that the first might be jaded more coulorably then the second and that euery nose would not haue this crafty dealing so quickly in his sent because the sauour is not so strong I considered also if D. Field had neuer bene acquaynted with S. Ambrose his works or if he had not distinctly remembred his opinion in this poynt yet the learned Authour whose testimony he abuseth to the injury of an other did prohibit him to condemne S. Ambrose with such hast for he sayth that many of the Fathers * Visi sunt SEEMED to giue warrant vnto this opinion and therefore if Senensis had not added any interpretation to cleare S. Ambrose from that folly yet this limitatioÌ„ it self might haue mitigated his ceÌ„sure and it could be sayd at the vtmost that Ambrose did seeme to be of this opinion thus one half of the wrong had
si veram vt credo tui curaÌ„ geris velim vt me audias et bonis praeceptoribus Catholicae Christianitatis te piâ fide alacri spe simplici charitate coÌ„mittas Deumque ipsum cuius vnius et bonitate facti sumus iustitia poenas luimus clemeÌ„tia liberamur orare non cesses c. Hos autem verbosos miseros quid enim aliud dixerim penitus desere I cease to trouble you any farther with my rude lines In respect of your wisedome a little is inough in respect of my loue nothing can be too much God open your eyes to see his truth incline your will to embrace it Amen Yours in all duty T. H. THE FIRST PART CONCERNING D. FIELD CHAPTER 1. D. FIELD doth notoriously abuse the name and authority of GERSON GROSTHEAD c. to defend the late pretensed REFORMATION §. 1. D. Fields positions concerning the Church Gerson alleadged by him 1. FOVR remarkeable positions are deliuered by D. Field which comprehend the substance of his * Of the Church discourse FIRST (a) Pag. 19. There was alwayes a true visible Church SECOND (b) Pag. 76. This true visible Church was not planted onely in Wickliffe Husse and others either before or after who departed from the visible society of the Romane Church THIRD (c) Pag. 72. 73. 74. The Papists were not the true Church but merely a faction in the same FOVRTH The Church wanted a necessary Reformation which was desired by hir worthy guides Gerson Cameracensis c. long before and is now effectuated by Luther Zwinglius and the like 2. For this end and purpose it pleased D. Field to intertayn his Reader before hand with a singular venditation viz. (d) Pag. 59. That the Church needed Reformation when LVTHER beganne and that it was not necessary nor behoouefull to expect the consent of the whole Christian world I will make it euident when I come vnto the due place 3. The principall passadges concerning this matter are theis foure which here ensue FIRST (e) Pag. 77. Gerson * Dialog apologetic â—udicium de Concil Goust reporteth that there were sondry lewd assertions preiudiciall to the states of Kings and Princes which the Councell of Constance could not be induced to condemne by reason of a mighty faction that preuayled in it though many great ones much vrdged it and though they made no stay to condemne the positions of Wickliffe and Husse seeming to derogate from the state of the Clergy though many of them might carry a good and Catholick sense if they might haue found a fauourable construction Wherevpon he breaketh out into a bitter complaynt of the partialities and vnequall courses holden in the Church and protesteth that he hath no hope of a Reformation by a Councell things standing as they did 4. The SECOND passadge is a very admirable deuise For whereas * De notis Eccles c. 10. Bellarmine doth object the intestine diuisions and conflicts of the pretensed Ghospellers the doctour turneth him off with this answere (f) Pag. 169. We say that thâ—s diuersity is to be imputed VVHOLLY vnto our aduersaries For when there was a Reformation to be made of abuses and disorders in matters of practise and manifold corruptions in very many points of Christian doctrine and in a Councell by generall consent it could not be hoped for as * Ibid. GERSON long before out of his experience saw and protested by reason of the preuayling faction of Popes flaterers but this was necessarily to be assayed seuerally in the particular kingdomes of the world it was not possible but that some diuersity should grow while one knew not nor expected to know what an other did 5. Then he subnecteth an other defence and sayth Yet it fell out by the happy prouidence of God that there was no materiall difference amongst them c. But of this matter I will intreate more particularly in the second chapter Meane while obserue the THIRD passadge which is more excellent then the former (g) Pag. 18 6. Many men that liued in the dayes of our Fathers and were of the TRVE CHVRCH did most certainly foresee foretell the ruine of the Popes estate the alteration and Reformation of the Church in our time and gaue most cleare testimony vnto that which we haue done Neither is there ANY BETTER PROOF of the goodnesse of our cause then that that which we haue done in the reformation of the Church was before wished for expected and foretold by the best men that liued in former time in the corrupt state of the Church 6. If D. Field can justify this glorious assertion he deserueth to be receiued in triumph and to be advanced with immortall commendation as Dauid himself 1. Sam. 18. when he obtayned a great victory ouer the proud vncircumcised Philistim Otherwise as Sampson ouerthrew the house Iudic. 16. wherein the Philistims were assembled by demolition of the pillars * Quibus omnis domus imminebat c. vers 26. vpon which it was sustayned so forasmuch as the Protestants cause hath no better proof c. it is euident that whosoeuer can disable this proof bringeth a necessary ruine vnto their cause For just experience whereof I remitt me vnto the sequele in this Chapter 7. But who are theis best men in whom D. Field doth plant the strength and validity of his cause Behold his marginall annotation and that directeth you vnto the persons viz. GROSTHEAD GERSON SAVANAROLA and many other mentioned before That is to say in the third booke and 12. chapter where I noted his FOVRTH and last passadge which is deliuered by him precisely in theis words (h) Pag. 85. What is now done in this Reformation made by Luth. Zwingl c. which Cameracensis Picus Sauanarola Gerson and innumerable other VVORTHY GVIDES OF GODS CHVRCH long before thought not necessary to be done as appeareth by that which we haue already deliuered touching that matter 8. Theis are the seuerall passadges of greatest importance which I noted in his discourse In all which there is such falsehood and collusion as redoundeth not onely vnto the shame of the Authour himself but vnto the subuersion of the Protestanticall Church And forasmuch as Gerson is the most eminent person whom he hath cited frequently for his purpose I will acquaynt you first with his cleare resolutioÌ„s in theis matters and afterward I will reflect vpon certayn particulars going before which are of especiall consideration §. 2. Positions of Gerson by which it doth appeare that he vtterly detested the Reformation which hath bene transacted by Luther Zvvinglius and the like 1. VVHen I addressed my self vnto a serious and continuall lection of Gersons works vpon those extraordinary prayses which D. Field doth attribute vnto him I found many euidences some PARTICVLAR some GENERALL which countermand the suggestions of D. Field A small parcell whereof I will now present vnto your view 2.
part in condemning the articles of Iohn VVickliffe the first and principall Saint in Fox his Calendar and that in all probability he gaue his furtherance to the iust and necessary execution of the sayd Bohemian Martyrs Which proceeding against rebellious and insolent persons the Protestants do continually exagitate with infinite calumniations But I will confine my self vnto D. Field and vnto his Reformer The FIRST speaketh in this manner (g) Pag. 76. We acknowledge Wickliffe Husse Hierome of Prage and the like who with great magnanimity opposed themselues against the Tyranny of the See of Rome and the impiety of those who withheld the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse who being named Christians serued Antichrist as * Serm. 33. Bernard complayned of some in his time to haue bene the worthy seruants of God and holy Martyrs and Confessours suffering in the cause of Christ against Antichrist The SECOND in a certayn epistle to the Earle of Passun Tom. 2. prefixed before his Satyricall script against King Henry the eight thundreth out this terrible denunciation Homicidae Antichristi Papitta Ioannem Hussium innocentem virum exusserunt ipsi septies heretici The Papists being homicides and Antichrists burned that innocent man Iohn Husse but they were seuen times hereticks themselues 16. Compare theis things together and iudge indifferently in this case Gerson was a worthy guide of Gods Church There is no better proof of the goodnesse of our cause then that our Reformation was long since desired by him c. And yet this VVorthy Guide was 7. times an heretick yea a Patrone of the Antichristian cause a sworne enimy of Husse and VVickliffe the most illustrious Saints in the petigree of the Reformed Church Is there any sense in theis deuises or is there any conscience in the Authours Wo be vnto them whose soules are pinned vpon their sleeues and most vnhappy men that tread in their deceiptfull steppes 17. I might proceed now to vnfold sondry falsehoods artificiall tricks in the 4. precedent * §. 1. num 3. c. passadges but before I dismisse this last assertion of D. Field I may not forgett how subtilly he conuaigheth a sentence of S. Bernard into the same whereby the matter should seeme more odious against the Papists forasmuch as VVickliffe Husse and others opposed themselues against the impiety of those who withheld the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse and being named Christians serued Antichrist euen by the verdict of S. Bernard himself 18. But how fraudulently the learned Doctour hath demeaned himself in this suggestion I remitt me vnto the conscience of all indifferent Readers to determine thereof in their priuate cogitations For it may please you to consider that the purpose and intention of S. Bernard in that place is to reprehend and to censure the euill manners which raigned generally in the Church What verdict Luther hath passed vpon the generall impiety of his new Ghospellers see Iust Caluin In Apolog Pag. 115. She hath bene afflicted sayth he by the cruell persecution of the HEATHEN and molested by the peruerse opinions of HERETICKS The first affliction was repelled by the patience of the Martyrs the second by the wisedome of the Saints And though the Church be now deliuered from both yet * Esay 38. ecce in pace amaritudo mea amarissima may she say behold in peace is my bitternesse most bitter It was bitter before in the death of Martyrs then it was more bitter in the conflict of hereticks but now it is most bitter in the manners of hir owne household She hath peace from heathen and peace from hereticks but not from hir owne children For now the wickednesse of men is so great that as for the abundance of it they can not so for their impudency they care not to conceale the turpitude of their life Hence it is that lamenting their dissolute conuersation euen in the integrity of the faith he breaketh forth into this complaynt All are hir friends and all are hir enimies all are hir allyes and all are hir aduersaries all are hir domesticks and none are peacemakers all are nere vnto hir and yet all seeke their owne the †D. Field translateth it named Christians But S. Bernard speaketh of true Catholicks in religion ministers of Christ serue * ANTICHRIST Honorati incedunt de bonis domini qui domino honorem non deferunt c. 19. * What similitude now is there I pray you betwixt S. Bernard and VVickliffe in their desires S. Bernard extolleth the Religion which VVickliffe destroyed S. Bernards complaynt extendeth meerely vnto the euill manners of men VVickliffe impugned the good faith of the Church VVickliffe made warr against hir peace which she had from hereticks S. Bernard grieued to behold the molestation which she suffered from hir owne children * Who the Pope He knoweth not S. Bernard that dareth impute this opiniō vnto him What should I say more Doth not euery man sufficiently vnderstand that the opposition betwixt S. Bernard and VVickliffe is very great and founded in many differences which admitt no reconciliation To conclude I say briefly VVickliffe was so farr from conspiring with S. Bernard that he hath pronounced an heauy judgement against him †Cōcil Cōstant Sess 8. Artic. Wickliff 44. saying Augustin Bennet and BERNARD are damned vnlesse they repented because they had possessions and because they instituted and entred into religious orders c. Truly if this were a sufficiēt reason to condemne S. Bernard with such seuerity how much rather may VVickliffe giue his censure against him in respect of all those doctrines which seemed Antichristian and damnable in his sight But of his intemperate humour you shall * §. 3. num 14. c. receiue presently more copious information 20. The thing which I now offer vnto your consideration and which I do most earnestly beseech you to ponderate in your religious heart is the falsehood the inflexions the pretenses and subtilities which this learned Doctour doth mingle in his discourse being a very labyrinth and maze of intricate and perplexed pathes a darke oracle of vncertayn resolutions whereby the simple and credulous Reader is caried into an obscure and mysty confusion not knowing how he may find any secure and infallible ground to rest his thoughts therein with sweet and comfortable peace §. 3. A reflexion vpon the 4 passadges of D. Field cited in the first §. of this Chapter A detection of sondry vntruths and vanities wilfully committed by him in the same 1. SInce it is most perspicuous and euident by the premisses that the Reformation of Luther must necessarily be odious and execrable vnto Gerson or vnto any man imbued with the principles of his Catholick Religion I will reflect vpon the former 4. See before pag. 1. 2. 3. passadges of D. Field and discouer his futility therein as briefly as the matter it self being of such consequence can permitt 2. In the FIRST passadge you
Protestants into * 9. are noted by Bellarm de Euchar. l. 1. c. 8. You shall find 84. noted by Claud. de Sainct in lib. de Euchar. Repetit 1. cap. 10. many interpretations but the word it self was confirmed by a * 3. LateraÌ„ generall Councell not inuenting a new faith for the whole Church past and present consented therein by an audacious decree but expressing the old by a significant name For it is iudiciously obserued by h Part. 1. Serm. pro viago Regis Rom. secuÌ„da parte principali direct 3. Gerson against the innouatioÌ„s of VVickliffe and Husse that in the Church we must keepe a certayn forme of speach and that it is an euill liberty to speake erroneously and amisse Wherefore as the holy Councell of Nice did wisely restrayn all men to acknowledge the word Homousia so the Catholiks in the Ariminian Councell saw too late the great inconuenience in leauing men vnto a liberty of speach in this behalf For the world did sigh as S. i contra Lucifer Hierome saith and wondered to see it self become an Arrian not by any hereticall decree as M. k Cathol doctrine of the Church of England pag. 114. Roger's doth vntruly insinuate but by permitting such a freedome as we Protestants affect viz. to define as we see cause in matters of faith according vnto the Scriptures whence they we gayn aduantadge to erect our owne fancies §. 4. The Ancient Catholick Church in hir Prayers for the dead in hir Oblations c. did intend precisely to relieue soules afflicted temporally in a penall estate 1. VVHen I had thus deriued prayer for the dead by a perpetual line froÌ„ the holy Apostles I proceeded farther to examine the purpose inteÌ„dmeÌ„t of the Catholick Church in this religious act for I could not coÌ„tent my self with this simple glosse of l Tom. 1. Epicher de Canouâ— Missa Zuinglius viz If it be so as Augustine and Chrysostome affirme that prayer for the dead is referred vnto the Apostles I think that the Apostles did onely permitt it vnto the infirmity of some Christians c. 2. This seemed vnto me an heathenish euasion and iniurious vnto the syncerity of the Apostles Besides was Aërius the onely man filled with the spirit to impugne this thing which suffered no contradiction vnto his time Wherefore hauing many reasons to amandate Zuinglius with his black admonitour I repayred vnto them who were of more candid and honourable disposition And here I singled foorth two Fathers the one of the Greek Church the other of the Latin esteeming this a sure and conuenable meanes to leade me into a solid apprehension of the truth 3. The FIRST was S. m Cateches mystagog 5. Cyrill Arch-bishopp of Hierusalem who in his instructions of the people whom he was carefull to informe herein according to the simplicity of the Catholick faith hath this ponderous and effectuall senteÌ„ce When we offer vp the Sacrifice commonly knowen by the name of Masse a thing which should not be ingrate vnto vs Englishmen See Beda in his Eccles histor lib. 1. c. 26. forasmuch as it was a part of that Christian faith which we receiued in our first conuersion we make mention of all them who are fallen asleepe before vs. First of the Patriarchs Apostles and Martyrs that God by their intercession may receiue our prayers Then we pray for our deceased Fathers and Bishoppes and finally for all men departed amongst vs viz. in the * See S. August de cura pro mort c. 4. Catholick communioÌ„ For we belieue that this is a very great helpe for the soules of them in whose behalf we offer that holy and fearefull Sacrifice which is layed vpon the Altar 4. A powerable testimony But he goeth yet farther and saieth VVe offer vp Christ once slayn for our sinnes that so we may make him who is most kind to be * A propitiatory Sacrifice propitious and mercifull vnto the quick and dead This is one of those deadly heresies as M. n de Antichristo pag. 254. Powell is pleased to affirme which was deuised by the Pope himself and a parcell of his Anti-christian doctrine 5. But as Vincentius Lirinensis testifieth of himself Contra haeres in praefâ—t that he came forth noÌ„ tam Authoris praesumptione quà m Relatoris fide rather by the fidelity of a relatour then by the presumption of an authour so this Catholick Archbishopp a professed and zealous enimy of all hereticks as his owne * Catech. 6. circa med c. sayings may witnesse vnto vs propounded this doctrine vnto his owne flock whose saluation was deare vnto him not by his peculiar authority as being a father of his children but by the warrant of hir whose sonne he was and which is pia mater communis as S. o de curaÌ„ pro mort cap. 4. Augustine speaketh the pious common Mother of vs all and prayeth for all the departed by a generall commemoration 6. For this cause he saieth WE offer WE pray c. intending hereby to expresse the custome of the Vniuersall Church whose doctrine was famous renowned in this behalf And though we Protestants do often venditate the priuate conceipts of some vayle them vnder the preteÌ„se of a general coÌ„sent viz. WE say thus WE think thus So D. Morâ—on in Cathol Apol. Part. 1. lib. 1. in quaest ac descensu Christi ad inferos pretendeth thus WE coÌ„fesse that Christ weÌ„t truly into hell viz. in soule as Bellarmine himself doth teach c. Many such false protestatioÌ„s are vsed by him by D. Field and others As for the vanity of D. Morton herein it is abundantly refuted by that which M. Rogers himself deliuereth in his Cathol doct pa. 16. WE do thus c. which is a meere toy for the very nature and fundation of our Religion is such that as euery one conceiueth by his spirit so he is in trauayle to bring forth his owne Church yet S. Cyrill and the religious Fathers were more respectiue in their words waighing them in the ballance of a good conscience and a sober heart 7. Wherefore addressing my thoughts vnto a serious meditation of theis things I beganne more sensibly to discouer how vainely and foolishly I had bene terrified by the spectrical names of Popery Papists and the like the late inuentioÌ„s of an apostatical Friar inasmuch as the best the wisest the most learned Fathers did speake and write and practise directly herein as the Papists Catholicks for popery being translated out of S. * Sainted by M. Powell de Antich pa. 68. Luthers language signifieth the Catholick religion do speake and write and practise at this day 8. The SECOND Father was S. Augustine I was desirous to seeke after no more because I was assured that I could find no better vnto whom I did appeale as vnto the best and most faithfull witnesse of antiquity For so he is approoued by Iohn
* See S. August epist. 48. and say Nesciebamus hîc esse veritatem nec eam discere volebamus c. We knew not that the truth was here neither would we learne it But thankes be vnto God who hath taken away our feare and taught vs by experience how vayn and empty those suggestions are which lying fame hath cast out against his Church c. The end of the first Part. THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING A MORALL REASON which perswaded me to intertayn the Catholick doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. The PROVIDENCE of God in preseruing a visible Church free from any damnable errour doth confirme the doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead §. 1. The FIRST Consideration touching a visible Church I Considered First that God hath promised vnto vs a perpetuity of his Church both by his Sonne and Seruants For thus saieth his onely begotten Matth. 2◠20 I am with you alwayes vnto the end of the world 2. A comfortable saying ô Sauiour Iesus I not in body but in Spirit AM yea I will be also but * Before Abraham I am Ioh. 8.58 thus I expresse my self because I am eternall and immutable WITH YOV not in your persons onely but in your succession for euer and not inuisibly by grace alone but visibly also in a syncere profession of the truth ALWAYES VNTO THE END OF THE WORLD my Church shall endure throughout all generations Thus the promise of God made vnto Dauid historically concerning his seed Psal 88. c. is referred mystically vnto Christ in whose seed to witt his Church it is must be absolutely performed 3. I had yet a farther assurance from God by his Seruants Ephes 4.11 For thus saieth S. Paule He Christ hath giuen vs Apostles Prophets Euangelists men of extraordinary vocation in the beginning Pastours and Doctours men of ordinary vocation to the end for the consummation of the Saints for the worke of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ VNTILL we all meete in the vnity of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God into a perfect man into the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ 4. This Text of holy Scripture I knew to be diuersly and preposterously sensed as well by the * M. Cartwright against D. Whitgift Presbyterians against the Formalists as by the * D. Soteliffe against D. Kellisō Protestants against Cath. The first exclude Archbish. the second by the same reasō exclude the Pope But I secured my self in the true and genuine interpretation thereof which did infallibly and clearely demonstrate vnto me theis two poynts First that the Church of Christ must perpetually subsist without decay Secondly that it must be visibly extant without obscurity and concealement For how can Pastours preach the ghospell and administer the holy Sacraments where people are not assembled to that purpose and gathered into a society of faith 5. As for the example of Eliah I alwayes esteemed it a lamentable suggestion in this case For his complaint * 3. Reg. 19. I am left alone extendeth onely vnto the kingdome of ISRAELL wherein he then conuersed and wherein he with many others was persecuted by Iezabell vnder Ahab hir infortunate husband But at the same time the law was read the Sacrifice was offered pure Religion was professed and protected in the kingdome of IVDAH vnder Iosaphat a blessed Prince * 3. Reg. 22.43 walking in the good wayes of Asa his father This Iosaphat suruiued vnto the * 4. Reg. 3.2 coronation of Ioram the yonger sonne of Ahab and so the example of Eliah can not be of any force to defend the opinion of many Protestants concerning the inuisibility of the Church 6. Wherefore seing how D. Apolog. Cathol part 1. lib. 1. c. 14. Morton doth still reinforce this poynt though cleared sufficiently by sondry Catholicks euen in the confession of a learned Protestant in England from whose mouth I receiued this instruction many yeares ago as though the aforesaid complaint of Eliah pertayned likewise vnto the kingdome of Iudah I did often and greatly wonder that such a man against his owne conscience should deale so fraudulently in this behalf For first he saieth that Lombard doth giue this exposition viz. When the daughter of Ahab was married vnto * The sonne of Iosaphat The yōger sonne of Ahab was called lord likewise Ioram the king of Iudah then all the Iewes seemed to be Idolaters so that Eliah thought himself to be left alone and vpon this authority of Lombard the Doctour buildeth his exception against the former answere Now is this I beseech you an ingenious and honest deportment in the Doctour thus to presse the authority of Lombard whom he knew to be singularly mistaken herein and to err most playnely against the historical euidence of sacred Scripture Secondly the Doctour is pleased to colour and cloake the said exposition of Lombard with the name of S. Ambrose and for this purpose he frameth his quotation in the margent thus Lombard in Rom. cap. 11. EX AMBROSIO But I found that as S. Ambrose hath not one syllable to iustify this exposition in the least degree so Peter Lombard himself doth not assume it frō him nor once vse his name therein howbeit both before and after he gleaneth vp some sentences from that excellent Father Is this a faithfull course in a Minister of simple truth 7. Renouncing the opinion of our Inuisibilists as an impious and contemptible fancy I embraced a position of h pag. 19. c. D. Field which though it be mingled with some corruptions and vntruths in his discourse yet in it self it is very effectuall syncere The Church can not be inuisible in respect of Profession and this Profession is knowen euen vnto the profane and wicked of the world Agayn It can not be but that they Apply this rule to the Protestanticall Churches who are of the TRVE Church must by profession of the TRVTH make themselues knowen in such sort that by their profession and practise they may be discerned from other men 8. For this cause S. Augustine saieth in a playn and familiar kind of speach See the 3. Conuersiōs of Englād Part. 2. chap. 1. throughout digito ostendimus Ecclesiam we shew forth the Church with our fingers in this place and in that here she is conspicuous and thus she hath descended vnto vs by a fayr and spectable succession 9. Non sic Protestantes non sic as for the Protestants it is not so with them their Church was hatched in corners and inclosed long in Cymmerian darcknesse Wherefore as the good sinfull woman complayned mournfully saying Ioh. 20.13 They haue taken away my Lord and I know not where they haue layed him so I was inforced to take vp a iust complaynt against all nouelizing hereticks and say They haue taken away the Church of my Lord
32. See also de curâ pro Mert. cap. 1. Non est dubium c. There is no doubt but that the dead receiue helpe by the prayers of holy Church by the healthfull Sacrifice and by almes The SECOND t De Ciuit Dei lib. 21. c. 24. Non veraciter diceretur c. It could not be sayd truly that the sinne against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiuen in this world nor in the world to come vnlesse some sinnes were remitted in the future life And in the same place he speaketh most constantly of temporall paynes which the soules of some men sustayn after their dissolution from the body 16. Wherefore I reflected now vpon D. Fields assertion and was amazed to behold such a repugnancy betwixt theis things viz. Augustine ranne doubtingly into Purgatory and yet he affirmeth There is no doubt but that some soules are relieued by the Sacrifice c. Agayn Augustine did broach this opinion doubtfully and yet he sayeth in great confidence It cannot be sayd truly that one sinne shall not be forgiuen in this world nor in the next vnlesse some sinnes not remitted here should be forgiuen there Was S. Augustine so simple as not to regard his owne positions or are not other men dishonest rather in contorting his words against his purpose and intention 17. But forasmuch as I knew that our best and most respected Authors do insist euerlastingly in this poynt I adhibited all possible diligence to find out the doubtfull sentences in S. Augustine which may seeme to giue way vnto this pretensed IRRESOLVTION and specially such as belong vnto this businesse directly without deductions inferences glosses interpretations NOT ◠or the like deuises whereby men are wont to heape vp many testimonies out of the Fathers and to make their conclusions against some doctrine which is not particularly handled by the Fathers in those places whence they assume such proofes 18. The principall therefore and most pertinent sentences which I could find are two which here ensue FIRST Some men are of opinion saieth u Enchirid. ad Laur. cap. 67. S. Augustine that such as are baptized and continue Christians not diuided by any schisme or any heresy from the Catholick communion how wickedly so euer they liue and neuer wash away their sinnes by repentance nor * Daniel 4.24 Is this doctrine repugnant vnto our Redemption by the bloud of Christ alone Truly as much as the former doctrine of Propitiatiō c. See before pag. 29. redeeme them with almes but persist therein most pertinaciously vnto their last day yet they shall be saued by fire howbeit their punishment shall be extended according to the quality of their offence But they who say thus and yet are CATHOLIQVES viz. not separated from the Church by any heresy as Arrians Marcionites c. seeme in my opinion to be deceiued by a certayn humane beneuolence 19. Here S. Augustine in his mild and gentle disposition though he reiecteth this conceipt in some priuate men yet he referreth the cause of their errour vnto the simplicity of their loue Neither doth he propound any scruple against Purgatory but onely he denieth it vnto such persons as by an euill life and impenitent death make themselues vncapable of this * Misericor Iudi◠cantabo tibi Domine c. Psal 101. Which S. Augustine and his cōpany did sing after his mothers decease See Confess l. 9. c. 12. mercifull iustice As for example The law in England doth prouide a mitigation of penalty for some offendours as burning in the hand pillory or some like chastisement and depriueth them not of their life because she would in hir justice punish sinne and yet in mercy she would preserue the person Now if any man would exceed the purpose of the law and in his affection would grant this indulgence vnto Murtherers also his errour must be corrected by such as are more equall in the courses of iustice then he is and yet they who deny this benefit vnto a Murtherer do not thereby subuert the Law which sheweth mercy vnto some transgressours but they reduce the practise of it vnto the intention of them by whom it was respectiuely decreed 20. The SECOND sentence in w Enchirid. cap. 69. S. Augustine is this It is not incredible that some such thing may be done after this life and yet it may be questioned whether it be so or not For it may be found out or it may lye hid whether many faithfull men shall be saued by a certayn Purgatory fire either more slowly or more speedily as they haue more or lesse affected theis temporall goods Howbeit theis men also are not such of whom the Scripture sayeth * 1. Cor. 6.10 they shall not possesse the kindome of God that is to say vnlesse their sinnes be remitted vnto them vpon their conuenient repentance 21. Here S. Augustine doth not leaue it as a thing vncertayn and disputable whether there be any temporall payn or penall expurgation of some soules after this life for he doth affirme it confidently in many places and doubteth of it in none but he leaueth it as a thing questionable whether any earthly affections remayning actually in the separated soule and cleauing thereunto be purdged out after this life He might doubt also de qualitate poenae viz. whether FIRE be the Instrument which God vseth in the purgation of soules or not For though this be most credible yet no man is obliged to receiue this opinion by absolute necessity of faith by affliction payn and sorrow as they are purdged out in this life very often by tribulation and grief This is clearely imported by his owne words TALE aliquid fieri c. It is not incredible that some such thing may be done after this life and yet we may doubt whether it be so or not 22. Wherefore as in the * num 18. former sentence S. Augustine disputed of the PERSONS vnto whom Purgatory may appertayn so here he disputeth of the QVALITIES which are to be cleansed out of their soules but he disputeth or doubteth in neither of Purgatory it self or a penall estate for to litigate concerning names words it were a childish folly wherein the soules of some men shall receiue a castigation for their sinnes That this is the true and genuine sense of S. Augustine in the aforesaid places all intelligent Readers will easily perceiue by the connexion and dependency of his discourse 23. But I proceeded yet a little farther and considered yet more exactly with my self that the very prescription ensuing x Cap. 110. there in S. Augustines profound discourse doth inuincibly and substantially demonstrate vnto me alwayes presupposing him to be no simple fellow nor grosse companion that he had no purpose nor intention in the aforesaid places to admitt any doubt concerning PVRGATORY really and purely conceiued in the nature of the thing it self but onely concerning some accidentall respects For sayth he
he pretendeth that the Fathers in their prayers for the dead did seeke to expresse a kind affection vnto them but inteÌ„ded not to procure ease vnto their soules Which vntruth because it is notorious and suggested out of malice Bellarmine calleth it a lye and saith that it is refuted by the testimony of x Euchir ad Laur. c. 110. Augustine himself 7. I pretermitt the two other poynts it was a copious satisfaction for me to vnderstand that Bellarmine doth distinguish here betwixt the action and the intention and consequently that D. Field doth calumniate a worthy person to defend the inexcusable folly of our Geneuian Apostle who depraueth all things in the excessiue liberty of his Spirit CHAP. III. D. Field doth nothing but trifle in his accusation of BELLARMINE and defence of CALVIN His vntrue construction of the heresy of Aërius the great contradiction of Protestants in this poynt being all guilty of this heresy and consequently no Catholicks §. 1. D. Field refuted by S. Epiphanius and S. Augustine 1. AS the confession of Caluin and practise of our Congregations did informe me that the Protestants renounce the custome of prayer for the dead and wholly disclayme the ACTION it self so many forcible reasons did resolue me that the Papists retayning the action do likewise herein preserue the INTENTION of the ancient Church notwithstanding the glosse of D. Field who to confirme and establish the injury which he hath already done vnto the Cardinall annexeth this passadge immediately vnto the * After those words to deliuer men from thence See before Chap. 2. num 1. former viz. But Bellarmine will reply that the custome of praying for the dead was most ancient We answere The custome of remembring the departed naming their names at the holy Table in the time of the holy mysteries and offering the Eucharist that is the sacrifice of prayse for them was a most ancient and godly custome neither is it any wayes disliked by vs. And surely it appeareth this was the cause that AERIVS was condemned of hereticall rashnesse in that he durst condemne this laudable and ancient custome of the commemoration of the dead 2. How doth it appeare that SVRELY this was the cause c Behold the proof Epiphan haeresi 75. But surely this is a miserable proof For when I consulted with Epiphanius I found that our forefather Aërius did pick a quarrell against this religious duty in the same manner and to the same effect as we do at this day saying if the prayers of the liuing may be profitable vnto the dead then let a man liue as he liâ—t onely let him procure some to pray for him when he is dead ne quid patiatur that he may suffer no paynes 3. Here I considered that if the Catholick Church against which Aërius coÌ„tended in the vanity of his heart did not belieue and teach that the Sacrifice of our Lords body was offered and prayers were powred forth to relieue the soules of the dead not all but some afflicted with temporall payn the exception of Aërius were senselesse and the defence of Epiphanius were absurd for as the first doth object that opinion vnto the Church so the second denieth it not nay he declareth that the prayers of the liuing are beneficiall vnto the dead 4. But this poynt was more excellently cleared vnto me by S. Augustine the best and most faithfull witnesse of the ancient Church For this worthy Father contexing a catalogue of heresies registreth this heresy amongst the rest viz. Haeres 53 VVe must not pray nor offer sacrifice for the dead A fancy begotten by Aërius and by him first hatched into the world See the Peroration of S. Augustines treatise 5. Now whereas Quod-vult-Deus vnto whom S. Augustine directeth the aforesayd catalogue desired to receiue instruction how he should deport himself against all heresies and what opinion he should intertayn thereof the reuerend Father maketh this short and waighty answere It is a superfluous demand to aske what the Catholick Church thinketh of * As namely of this particular all theis heresies For it sufficeth thee to know that the Catholick Church doth hold and maintayn the CONTRARY assertion vnto each 6. Wherefore it now remayned that I should acquaynt my self with the purpose of the Catholick Church in hir prayers and oblations for the dead since she defended the contrary opinion vnto Aërius in theis laudable and Christian offices as S. Augustine prescribeth vnto his well respected friend 7. What was the successe of my study and meditation in this poynt you may see * Booke 1. part 1. chap. 2. §. 4. before where this matter is more particulary discussed There you shall find that the intention of the vniuersall Church in theis things was precisely to relieue some soules and hence it followeth that Aërius teaching the CONTRARY hereunto vomited out this heresy viz. VVe must not pray nor offer sacrifice for the soules afflicted with a temporall payn and this is licked vp by S. Luther our GREAT Reformer 8. Thus the Papists concurr with the ancient Church in prayer for the dead and Protestants joyne hands with Aërius to deride and subuert the same And now I perceiued that a Ratione 3. Edm. Campian did not object this infelicity vnto vs without a graue consideration and necessary cause viz. The Protestants are inforced to venditate such a Church as lay in obscure and dark corners vnlesse perhapps they will reioyce in some hereticall Progenitours AERIVS Iouinian Vigilantius Berengarius c. from whom they haue begged the fragmeÌ„ts of certayn pestileÌ„t opinions §. 2. How some Protestants seeme to defy Aërius and how others yeald him their protection Their contradictions vanities and falsehood 1. I Found that our Authours are here distracted into variable and vncertain conceipts some in their subtility dissembling the truth of the matter and some in their vanity neglecting the judgement of the Church 2. In the FIRST rank this learned Doctour may challendge a due place and he shall be assisted with his compeeres M. Iewell and Ph. Melancthon men of great accompt The one commeth forth with this plausible suggestion b Iuell in Apolog. VVe hold * Therefore not this of Aërius But here you speake vntruly none of those 80. heresies which are mentioned by Epiphanius nor any of those which are recorded by Augustine The other flourishing at randon saith expressly c MelaÌ„cth in apolog Augustana confess art 22. VVe do not forbyd prayer for the dead and much lesse do we defend Aërius c. 3. In the SECOND rank the Magdeburgians gentlemen of the freest spirits that euer liued to censure the sacred writt the holy Councells the reuerend Fathers and all antiquity in ignominious sort may vendicate the highest roome The things d Centur. 4. c. â— col 401. say theis good fellowes which Augustine and Epiphanius noted as errours in AERIVS seeme not so but rather the contrary And so in
persons is in its nature spirituall diuine heauenly and as it were gold the state of single persons is secular earthly and as it were dirt he vouchsafeth to yeald this worthy answere in defence of our Great Reformer Lutheri verba mihi nunc legere non licuit I could not read the words of Luther now howbeit Bellarmine doth particularly designe the * Luth. in Epithalamio place 17. But M. DEANE aduanced vnto this honour for his rare dexterity against the Papists hath vnfortunately preuented this excuse For remembring the wise counsayle of an heathen * Horat. de arte Poëticaâ— Poet who prescribeth that in a thing of lesser importance then the controuersies of Religion are a writer should bring forth nothing into publick view which hath not bene discussed euen * Nonumque prematur in annum a In his ep vnto the Archbish of Cant. nine yeres space with great exactnesse he tooke very speciall deliberation to compose and divuldge this renowned Treatise I bestowed sayth a he * Quidque domuÌ„ fert is DECIMO nisi dedecus ANNOâ— Ouid. TEN YEARES paynes vpon this work with most ardent desire to find out the truth least some man perhapps might object vnto me either prejudice or temerity therein Moreouer the booke which I vsed was of a second impression and beautified with this aduertisement Editio castigatior a more exquisite edition then the former Wherefore now that little sparke of poore hope which remayned in me to find some shew or shaddow of probable satisfaction touching the heresy of Aërius so seuerely censured in him by the Fathers and so earnestly obiected vnto vs by the Papists became vtterly extinct §. 3. How vainely D. Field excuseth the folly of Protestants which sheweth it self in the diuersity of their censures touching the aforesaid heresy of Aërius The true reason of their difference herein is assigned Their peruerse dealing with Antiquity 1. VNto this wound very deepe and lardge b Pag. 139. D. Field hath thought it expedient for our security to apply a rare and soueraigne playster viz. If it be sayd that sondry of our Diuines seeme to acquitt Aërius herein they are to be conceiued as vnderstanding his reprehension to haue touched the errours and superstitions which euen then perhapps beganne in some places and amongst some men For otherwise his reprehension if it be vnderstood to extend to the generall practise and judgement of the Church it is not nor may not be justified 2. As Sir c In respons ad Epist Pomerani pag. 8. If Luther do coÌ„playn of Luther do say c. D. Field pag. 192. Th. More answered vnto Pomeranus extenuating the haynous crimes of our brethren euen in the hatching-time of our ghospell though you mince the matter with si qui and si quid and si alibi and si non Christianum c. yet it is well knowen that you do generally perpetrate diabolicall and barbarous attemps so though D. Field doth here limitt restrayn and obscure a most eminent truth with if perhapps some men some places seemed c. yet I saw most clearely let the precedents testify in my behalf that we do notoriously conspire with Aërius in this issue what he denied the very same thing do we deny what he affirmed the very same thing do we affirme Es nimium similis patri c. ô Luther thou art too like vnto Aërius thy whole lineaments descry him to be thy Father in this particular conceipt As his reprehension extended vnto the generall practise and judgement of the Church so doth thine likewise and we employ our best skill to justify and maintayn the very same reprehension against the faithfull relation of hir chiefest Doctours and the perpetuall succession of all ages 3. But forasmuch as I perceiued that the Doctour doth wisely conceale and prouidently dissemble the quality and reason of that difference which our Diuines are chardged with in this matter I entered into a serious consideration thereof and obserued that it doth arise and flow NOTA. not out of their diuers apprehension of the thing it self but out of a different opinion which they intertayn concerning the authority of the Church Hence it is that Luther Zwinglius and such passionate gentlemen neglecting the triall of their faith by the testimony of Fathers and plausibly reducing all things vnto the Scripture either simply by admitting no other proof at all or respectiuely by admitting the Fathers as farr as they agree with the Scripture and so farr they may admitt a triall by the Diuell himself and yeald as much respect vnto him as vnto them confesse plainely and syncerely that Aërius did not err in his reprehension but that the Church erred in hir practise On the contrary other men pretending to deale more fairely with the Church their mother and to defend themselues vnder hir protection will not forsooth seeke hir ruine by whom they would seeme to stand and therefore they are compelled to frame most improper vayn and friuolous interpretations of this and other things to maintayn the goodnesse of their cause according to the nature of their defence 4. Briefly therefore I noted a triple variety in our courses which consist generally either in the Rejection or Misallegation or Misconstruction of the ancient and venerable Fathers For in the beginning and entrance of our Ghospell nothing was more triuiall then to speake contemptuously of the Fathers and to disclayme their witnesse in the controuersies of this time Shall I name the persons Nulli nota magis domus est sua no man kenneth his owne house more familiarly then that Luther Zwinglius Musculus and our primitiue Fathers are principalls in this rank Or if you will ascend a little higher and come neerer vnto the dayes of VVickliff himself you shall find this article ascribed vnto Reginald Peacock whom for this and others of this kind d De Antichristo pag. â—7 M. Powell hath registred in the Catalogue of our Euangelicall Forefathers and M. Fox hath fauourably graÌ„ted him a place in the * Febr. 11. Calendar of his Saints viz. Veterum doctorum authoritati parum aut nihil tribuendum little or nothing is to be yealded vnto the authority of the Fathers 6. In the progresse of our ghospell others pretending a more wise moderation in this case but performing as little honesty here as some shewed humility before would not so intemperately reject the Fathers and therefore they excell in misalleadging their testimonies as e Analys Fidei pag. 18. Ego habeo testimoniae sanctorum PatruÌ„ ego defendo Patrum dogmata sayd Dioscorus the heretick See CoÌ„câ—l Chalcedon Act. 1. Gregor de Valentia doth complayn of many Protestants and more specially of Kemnitius that Examiner saith he of the Tridentine Councell If this collusion fayle then succedeth the third which is misconstruction of things by deriuing the testimonies of the Fathers to an other purpose then euer they did or could intend A for example
f Lib. 3. c. 3. S. Irenaeus pronounceth that all the faithfull must necessarily repayr vnto the Church of Rome Why For she is of more powerfull principallity then the rest Whence is that Because she was founded by the two glorious Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule Against the playn euidence whereof g Against D. Harding M. Iewell assumeth that Irenaeus did referr this more powerfull principallity vnto the Emperour and vnto the ciuill State But all history doth proclayme that the Christians were cruelly persecuted in those times and that they had no intercouse with the politicall affayres Behold also an other example of the like nature For whereas h In 1. Timoth 3.15 S Ambrose doth positiuely affirme i Answ to the Rhem. Testam ibid. that Damasus then Bishoppe of Rome is RECTOVR of the Church D. Fulke frameth an answere to this effect The Church was then afflicted with Arrianisme and because Damasus did oppose himself eminently against it he might be called the Rectour of the Church and yet so as the same title may belong also vnto other Bishopps Which poore elusion suteth well with the palpable vanity of M. Cartwright iustly reproued by k Suruay chap. 27. D. Bancroft in this behalf pretending that S. Chrysostomes vigilancy ouer the Churches of Pontus and of Thracia was none other then such as euery godly minister ought to haue ouer all Churches in the Christian world 6. Wherefore I shall now remitt my self vnto the consideration of all wise and ingenious men whether that true censure which * Ibid. D. Bancroft the L. Archb. of Cant hath passed vpon the Presbyterian faction may not haue a conuenient application vnto the whole fraternity of our ghospell viz. VVhen for the proof of sondry matters impugned by them they are vrdged with the testimonies of the ancient Fathers and of the Ecclesiasticall histories they either shift them off with their owne false glosses or if that serue not their turne they disgrace them as much as they can and so reiect them c. 2. Sam. 13. As when Amnon had incestuously abused his sister he dismissed hir with contempt CHAP. IIII. D. Field sheweth himself a * This is his censure of Bellarmine pag. 16◠notable trifler in the question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead to the vtter confusion of his Booke and the Protestanticall Church 1. NO particular in D. Fields highly esteemed Booke did more liuely discouer vnto me the just correspondency betwixt his cause and conscience then this which now ensueth But for the more cleare and perfect vnderstanding hereof I must intreate you gentle Readers to reflect vpon the * Chap. 1. §. 1. num 1. 2. precedents and diligently to reuiew what is the pith and quintessence of his booke and wherein it doth consist For you must remember that as the strength of Sampson lay in his haire Iudic. 16. so the supportation of D. Fields Church and Booke standeth chiefly in this issue viz. l D. Field pag. 74. the things VVHEREVPON the difference groweth betwixt the Romish faction and vs were neuer receiued generally by the Church 2. The seuerall points of difference as being most materiall he layeth downe to the number of twenty and seauen in a * Chap. 7. booke 3. chapter framed to this purpose where he assigneth the difference betwixt the Romish faction and the Reformed Churches touching * It is the one and twentieth point pag. 75. Purgatory and prayer for the dead precisely in theis words That Church wherein our Fathers liued and died did not hold the tormenting of the soules of men dying in the state of saluation IN A PART OF HELL HVNDRED OF YEARES BY DIVELLS IN CORPORALL FIRE out of which prayer should deliuer them Wherefore in the m Chap. 21. Appendix vnto which he reserueth the proof of all his assertions deliuered in this chapter he accommodateth his stile in this manner Touching Purgatory whether they that are to be purdged be purgded by * Bellarm. de Purg. l. 2. c. 11. materiall fire or no it is doubtfull Likewise touching the * Ibid. c. 6. place the Romane Church hath defined nothing neither is there any more certainty touching the * Ibid. c. 9. continuance of sinfull soules in their purgation c. Thus then we see that notwithstanding any thing defined in the Church the soules of * Of SOME but not of ALL. Remember your dealing with S Gregory men may be purdged from all the drosse of sinfull remainders and freed from all punishments in the very moment of dissolution which is the thing that we say 3. I deale not now with the conclusion which M. Doctour hath artificially drawen out of his premisses but I come vnto his poynt-deuise it self and the detection thereof whereby the very sinewes of his booke and Church are cutt in sunder and dissolued 4. Whereas his promise was to explicate what those things are whereupon the difference groweth betwixt the Romish faction and vs to demonstrate that the sayd things wherein this difference now standeth betwixt vs were neuer intertayned by the Church but onely by some particular men he yealdeth not the true difference in this matter nor proposeth the question as in learning and honesty it became so graue a man and specially hauing thus obliged himself thereunto by an extraordinary venditation For your ingenuity will acknowledge that whereas in this dispute and so in many more we must distinguish the matter of SVBSTANCE from matter of CIRCVMSTANCE forasmuch as it is sufficient to haue fundamentall vnity in the first howsoeuer there may be accidentall diuersity in the second the matter of substance here is precisely this viz. VVhether after this life a temporall payn be inflicted vpon some soules or not The matter of circumstance is whether hell be the place whether fire be the instrument whether Diuells be the tormentours whether the duration of this payn be 10. 20. 100. yeares c. 5. The poynt controuersed betwixt vs and the Papists herein is the matter of substance and thereupō the differēce doth arise For the question is an sit whether simply there be any such thing not quid sit whether it be of this or that quality and nature It is de subjecto whether there be a Purgatory after this life not de praedicato of those particulars which belong thereunto We all belieue that there is an hell wherein the Diuells and reprobates shall drink their full in the cupp of euerlasting wrath but where the designed place or what the instrument of sensible payn is c. we may probably collect we can not clearely define Or to instance in a more gratious and comfortable subject it may please you to consider how we all belieue that our Lord IESVS did suffer and died and was buried and arose and ascended into heauen But with what kind of whipps he was scourdged at what age he deceased how many
howres he lay in the graue c. we may conjecture we cannot determine we haue semblable reasons but no inuincible proofes 6. Wherefore D. Field hath not propounded vnto vs the difference betwixt the Protestants and Catholicks but that difference alone which is meerely betwixt the Catholicks themselues who teach most consonantly vniformely and perpetually that there is a Purgatory and that there is a temporall payn inflicted in the future life Thus they grant the thing it self and presuppose it as * Poster Analytic Aristotle sayth that Subiectum must be praecognitum the subiect must be foreknowen and admitted before we will demonstrate any thing vpon the same and then afterward they dispute concerning other accidentall points such as are here remembred by D. Field And what is this but the liberty of Schooles which may well consist with the purity of Religion It is an exercise of witt without destruction of faith The Sunne delighteth to runne his course as a Giant Psal 18.6 and yet he neuer exceedeth his annuall or diurnall confines for he knoweth his rising Psal 103.19 and his going downe Likewise the Catholicks may liberally expatiate in theis poynts prouided alwayes that they contayne themselues within the obedience of the Church and the compasse of approoued truth Otherwise 2. Reg. 2.37 as it was death for Shemei to transgresse the precinct assigned vnto him by Salomon so it is at their perill if they go beyond the limitts which the spouse of the wisest Salomon hath prescribed in this case 7. But we Protestants for whom D. Field hath aduocated in this businesse deale herein after an other manner for we first deny that there is any Purgatory or temporall payn in a future estate we damne it as blasphemous hereticall and Antichristian doctrine then consequently and necessarily we deny the place the time the instrument c. Which are certain accidentall secondary and subsequent respects For in our disputes with the Catholicks we propose not the question thus VVhether some soules suffer in corporall fire tormented there by Diuells an hundred yeares c. for this is the difference amongst themselues onely but VVhether there be any Purgatory or temporall payn of soules or not As for example if any man should demand VVhether in the contrey of VTOPIA the soyle be fertile the situation pleasant and the ayre healthfull I would preuent him and say Sir there is no such contrey and therefore your demands of the fertility pleasure and healthfulnesse are superfiuous and to no purpose 8. Thus I was now sufficiently instructed to perceiue that though D. Field doth glory in theis positions viz. The things wherevpon the difference groweth betwixt vs and the Romish faction were neuer receiued generally by the Church and * See his ep dedicat the things which Papists now publish as articles of faith PVRGATORY is in that number were not the Doctrines of that Church wherein they and WE viz. VValdensians Albigensians Lutherans c. who were sometime actuall and true members of the Romane Church liued together in one * That is to say whē our Fathers Wickliff Luther c. were Papists not separated from the visible cōmunion of the Romane Church communion yet he doth miserably collude herein against his owne conscience which in so principall an Authour throwing downe his gauntlet of defiance in such manner is a very lamentable case 9. For where is that man in the time of the aforesaid communion who denied Purgatory or shewed any doubtfulnesse therein against the essentiall doctrine in which the true difference betwxit the Papists and Protestants doth stand most eminently at this day I did employ much time I searched into the volumes of antiquity I neglected no meanes to gayn all possible satisfaction in this thing and yet I could not find so much as the shaddow of any one man See before pag. 54. c. how Purgatory hath bene denied and by whom by whom this particular was impugned vnlesse he were in the number of such as departed from the visible society of the Church 10 Thus necessity compelled me to inferr that D. Field hath disabled his owne booke and ouerthrowen his Church Papists may triumph in the victory which their chiefest enimies haue wrought in their behalf yea they may joyfully applaud the excellency of their cause which inforceth hir greatest aduersaries to prostitute themselues vnto such base and dishonest courses Confess l. 5. c. 7. 11. Finally therefore as S. Augustine was in despayre to receiue contentment from any Manichee when Faustus the most renowned in that sect yealded no sufficient answere vnto his doubts so now I could not expect a fayr Magis desperab am de cateris corū doctoribus quando in multis quae me mouebant it a ille nomitus apparuit and just resolution from any professour of our ghospell when D. FIELD himself inferiour to no Diuine in England for which cause he was selected by the Archbishopp to treatise of that * Of the CHVRCH subject which is the very center and circumference in all religious disputes appeared so vntrue and so meane in this particular of Purgatory and prayer for the dead which we deride and contemne as a foolish detestable impious opinion and voyd of any reasonable defence To conclude here I tooke an argument first à Personis and sayd if D. FIELD deale thus what conceipt shall I intertayn of all other Professours Secondly à Rebus and considered if D. Field deale thus in THIS MATTER what shall I conceiue of his deportment in all other things Truly I haue necessary reasons to perswade me that the cause being very bad will discredit all hir Patrones but the Patrones being neuer so good can not by any meanes support their cause The end of the first Part. THE SECOND PART CONCERNING SOME FALSEHOODS AND CORRVPTIONS OF M. ROGERS AND D. HVMFREY in the question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. of M. ROGERS I Had iust reasons to esteeme highly of this mans work FIRST the Subiect of it to witt the Articles of Religion approoued by the Bishopps 1162. Clergy of our kingdome in which respect the booke is adorned with this resplendent title The faith doctrine and religion professed and protected in the realme of England and in the dominions of the same SECONDLY the quality of the Authour who is a Chaplayn vnto the Archbishop and conuersant in our Ecclesiasticall affayres For so he testifieth of himself in his * num 37. epistle dedicatory vnto his Lord and Maister saying Yeares haue made mine haires gray much reading and experience in theologicall conflicts and combats haue bettered my judgement c THIRDLY the speciall approbation of this booke viz. Perused and by lawfull authority of the Church of England allowed to be publick §. 1. Dionysius Carthusianus abused by M. Rogers Pag. 121. 1. PApists agree not amongst themselues sayth M. Rogers about the time which
is the day wherein we may see warres seditions tumults which haue followed vpon my doctrine To conclude admire with me the fury Tom. 1. pag. 364. b. and insolency of his implacable spiritt Whereas thou sayest ô Spalatine that my * The Elector of Saxony Prince will not suffer me to write against the Archbishopp of Mentz least this might disturbe the common peace c. quin te potiùs Principem ipsum perdam omnem creaturam which is such a raging speach as if the Authour had bene a Beare spoyled of hir whelpes 11. But was Zuinglius possessed with the same distemperature also His counsell was dangerous but this words are smooth Lib. 4. epist fol. 186. where he perswadeth the Ghospellers of Vlmes and Memming to renounce their obedience vnto the Romane Empire and to roote the name thereof out of Germany to the vttermost of their ability and power 12. As for Iohn Caluin his expulsion of the Bishopp from his iust authority temporall and spirituall ouer the City of Geneua may be an example for euer how peaceable the fift Gospell is which beginneth by craft and goeth on by fury to attayn vnto its end and purpose The treasonable complotments in that place See P. R. Ibid. the dangerous propositions hatched and allowed in that Sion as some men call it are recognized for all ages 13. Thus much I haue thought it expedient to intimate vnto you though very briefly that you may not be any longer blinded by the golden and fayre pretenses of them who neuer cease to exclaime against the Papists as meÌ„ wholly imbued with lewd assertions preiudiciall vnto their King and contrey Finally therefore vpon due consideration of the premises I doubt not but you will easily discerne how impertinent and how empty the suggestion of D. Field is in the first particular and by this you may learne to be suspicious of the rest which now come orderly vnto their seuerall examination 14. Concerning the SECOND particular I say briefly that though Maister D. Field would deriue the hatred vpon others by concealing Gersons forwardnesse and alacrity in the condemnation of Wickliffe Husse c and would lay it vpon those men in the Councell against whom Gerson taketh his exceptions for other things yet as you haue already seene this VVorthy guide himself did prouoke and instigate the Councell against their heresies and he did enkindle his audience against the same according to the place which he sustayned there and the gift wherewith he was indued Now is it not a maruaylous contradiction in your iudgement that Gerson should wish your Reformation be a worthy guide of Gods Church and yet that Husse also should suffer in the cause of Christ against Antichrist Alas good Sir what certainty of truth can you expect from them who thus inuolue you and themselues in such paradoxes as are impossible and ridiculous euen in the light of nature and vnto morall reason 15 Concerning the THIRD particular I shall informe you of a double collusion which the learned Doctour hath notoriously affected therein First he extenuaâ—eth the turbulent and impious positions of VVickliffe and Husse saying that they SEEMED to derogate from the Clergy c. But if their positions of this nature were now in force D. Field and all his Clergy might wring their hands for woe and lament the time which brought forth such monstrous opinions As for example It is against the holy Scripture that Ecclesiasticall men should haue possessions Agayn See Concil Constant Seâ—â— 8. in Artic. VVickl Temporall Lords may at their pleasure take away temporall goods from the Church c. Farther Tithes are pure almes and the parishioners for the sinnes of their prelates may take them away as their will To conclude It is against the rule of Christ to enrich the Clergy The Emperour and secular Lords were seduced by the Diuell Act. MoÌ„ in the history of VVickl to endow the Church with temporall goods c. What censure hath Iohn Fox passed vpon theis exorbitant humours Perhapps saith he some blemishes may be noted in his assertions And if he haue blemishes c. See the pitifull cariadge of this man for though the matters be most odious and apparant yet he commeth in with his mitigation and hesitation to take away the infamy of VVickliffe which cleaueth fast vnto him and vnto his disciples as the leprosy vnto Gehezai and vnto his posterity for euer I will end therefore with Melancthon In Apolog. tit de human tradit and say with him planè furebat Wickliffus c. Wickliffe was stark mad when he denied that Priests might retayn any thing in proper vnto themselues 16. The second vanity of the Doctour in the aforesayd particular is a singular demonstration of his vnfaithfull mind For as he diminisheth the folly of VVickliffe in one poynt so he concealeth his impiety in the rest and would make a simple Reader beleeue that the positions of VVickliffe against the Clergy were the onely or principall matters which drew some men in the Councell to proceede against him with greater malice then reason 17. But you may perceiue by the * Concil Const c. Fox Act. Mon. Powell de Antichr pag. 20. and others Pag. 77. Catalogue of Wickliffes opinions that the poynts wherein he dissented from Gerson as they are many so they are capitall yea such as do necessarily exclude one of them from the participation of heauen Why do I name Gerson onely I must enlardge my stile and say that VVickliffe dissented therein from the whole Christian world For whereas D. Field informeth vs out of Gerson that certayn matters concerning the Popes power were defined in the Councell of Constance by the vniuersall consent of the whole Christian world I may most iustly assume the like in this case concerning all the opinions of VVickliffe either embraced or renounced by your Church I might here take good occasion to discusse many things but the opportunity is not so conuenient wherefore I will knitt vp this poynt with a double consideration The first appertayneth vnto the ingenious and learned Academicks whose dignity honour and liuelyhood must suffer a necessary dissipation if way were giuen vnto the fury of VVickliffe and of his truest disciples Concil CoÌ„stant sess 8. in artic Wickl 29. Vniuersities studies colledges degrees and maistershipps in the same are brought in by vayn Gentility and they profitt the Church as much as the Diuell himself 18. This is the verdict of your dearest Father and were they not your brethren also who affirmed that the Papists buylt Seminaries to aduance the kingdome of the Diuell See D. Bancrofts Suruay pag. 232. Let other men conceiue as they see cause for mine owne part I am resolued with confidence that they and VVickliffe did seeke the ruine of the Church by the inspiration of the Diuell and that the followers of their impiety shall be partakers of his payn
God grant you grace to hate the one and so you shall escape the other 19. The second consideration is more important then the first For though the riuers of our late ghospell are issued from VVickliffs fountayn yet Melancthon himself no small Saint in Iohn Fox his Calendar shall testify that there is no correspondency betwixt him and your Euangelicall Churches euen in some principall articles of your faith Melancth in ep ad Fâ—eder Micon I haue looked sayth he into VVickliffe who behaueth himself very tumultuously in this controuersy of the Lords supper and more then this I haue found many errours in him by which a man may take iudgement of his spiritt It is certayn that he did neither hold nor vnderstand the iustice of faith he doth make a foolish confusion of the ghospell and temporall affayres He brawleth sophistically and seditiously concerning the ciuill Magistrate c. Theis things being duly and conscionably waighed I see not what aduantadge the Protestants can take from such a base and vnworthy progenitouâ— of their Religion But whereas D. Field doth artificially pretend smaller things and conceale the greater you may see with what skill and subtility he laboureth to sustayn an euill cause which can admitt no competent defence 20. Concerning the FOVRTH particular I will not say much though in this also the Doctour hath vsed a very cunning deprauation For as before he layed the condemnation of Husse and VVickliff vpon other persons but not vpon Gerson and alleadgeth no other reason thereof but onely his positions against the Clergy so now he addeth farther as a parcell of Gersons continuate discourse in the same * in dialog apologetic place that many of those positions might carry a good and Catholick sense if they might haue found a fauourable construction 21. Good Reader haue a little patience in thy admiration of this faithlesse dealing for I assure thee that Gerson in all that discourse hath not one syllable directly or indirectly sounding vnto this purpose neither doth the learned Doctour insinuate vnto vs whence he tooke or where we may find that extenuation of VVickliffs crime Howbeit perusing the workes of Gerson almost from the α to the ω thereof D. Fields maruaylous suggestions inuiting me first vnto that happy labour I * Part. 1. Serm. pro Viâ—gio Regis Romsecundâ— parte principali directione 3. found this assertion deliuered by him viz. A generall Councell may condemne many propositions with their authours though they may haue some glosses or expositions or true logicall senses This rule was practised by this Councell in many articles of VVickliffe and Husse some whereof might receiue some defence either by the force of logick or grammer c. But the Councell did carefully attend that speach of Hilary saying intelligentia dictorum ex causis est assumenda dicendi c. and that of Augustine saying Theologis ad certam regulam loqui fas est c. 22. I remitt you vnto the authour for the rest onely I will now intreate you to consider theis three points First the Doctours craft in conuaighing those things into one sentence which are dispersed in sundry places and thus he intangleth his Reader with perplexed and obscure deuices Secondly he pretendeth that the positions of VVickliffe which might beare a Catholick sense by a fauourable construction were such as seemed to derogate from the state of the Clergy But as Gerson giueth no signification thereof by any one instance so it is euident that those positions can not possibly receiue a fauourable construction to yeald any Catholick sense as you may iudge by your owne wisedome and discretion and for a iust experiment hereof I report me vnto the * num 15. precedents Thirdly and lastly you see that though D. Field would exaggerate the seuerity of the Councell herein forasmuch as it did not condescend vnto a fauourable interpretation c. yeâ— Gerson himself whom he would seeme to follow in this matter doth approoue the Councells prudency and he prescribeth it as a direction also in the like cases And thus gentle Readers I haue compeÌ„diously noted forth vnto you many fraudes and corruptions of this Doctour in his FIRST passadge the farther prosecution whereof I leaue vnto your wise and religious hearts nor doubting but that you will remember my aduise for your soules health TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST 23. I come now vnto his SECOND passadge wherein I might abound and furnish you with plentifull matter but I must not forgett that I write an Appendix onely at this time and therefore I shall be inforced to contract my self and to draw my discourse into a narrow compasse 24. You must remember that in this passadge the Doctour hath found a meanes how the disgrace of that hostility which raigneth betwixt the Lutheran and Caluinian factions may be deriued vpon the Papists yea this diuersity sayth he is to be imputed wholly vnto them because a Reformation was to be effected in the Church and the faction of the Popes flatterers being an impediment thereunto so that it could not be done in a generall Councell as * Parte 3. in dialog apologetic Gerson foresaw out of his experience it was necessarily to be assayed in the particular kingdomes of the world Whence some diuersity could not but ensue while one knew not nor expected to know what an other did 25. That Gerson did earnestly desire a Reformation his owne testimony will euince I see sayth * ibid in fine he that the Reformation of the Church will neuer be made by a Councell without the presidency of a well affected Guyde wise and constant Let the members therefore prouide for themselues throughout all kingdomes and prouinces when they shall be able and know how to compasse this work Here D. Field triumpheth See before § 1. num 4. c. applying this counsayle of Gerson vnto the tumultuations of Luther and Zwinglius and such disastrous Reformers But with what conscience with what honesty with what respect of God or man could D. Field thus depraue the intention of Gerson and thus obscure the light of the truth and thus abuse the credulity of his Reader For doth not Gerson in the words immediately subsequent most abundantly demonstrate that there is no proportion nor conformity betwixt his desire and their fact Compare therefore their proceedings with his prescrition and the difference will soone appeare They must atchieue this Reformation sayth he not by multiplying new constitutions which is rather an hinderance then an aduantadge but by a liuely and couradgious execution of the lawes al ready made in great plenty the superuacaneous being either cutt of or quite omitted 26. I must intreate you now to consider the resemblance betwixt Gerson and Luther in this issue The first referreth vs vnto the prouision of the lawes but what lawes did the second follow in his disordered innouations The first requireth an execution of the Ecclesiasticall decrees but what decrees were
vexe themselues and not I. Verily I will attempt by all meanes possible to cure theis euills but if I can not do it yet I will not be consumed with grief If one Munzer one Carolostadius one ZWINGLIVS be not sufficient for the Diuell excitet plures Zwinglius was raised by the Diuell to afflict the Church let him raise vp more 34. This is the perpetuall stile of Luther against the Sacramentaries whom he damneth vnto the lake of fire and brimstome as obstinate and malitious hereticks fallen away from his Church by apostaticall defection And here you may see how the nature of heresy is alwayes variable and vncertayn as Tertullian obserued long ago Praescript c. 4â— saying Hereticks differ amongst themselues while the scholler doth modulate at his pleasure that which he receiued as the Maister did compose at his pleasure that which he deliuered The progresse of the thing doth acknowledge the condition of it and the manner of its beginning The Valentinians and Martâ—onites may chandge their faith at their owne arbitrement as well as Valentine and Marcion themselues Denique penitùs inspectae haereses omnes in multis cum authoribus suis dissentientes deprehenduntur c. 35. Thus I haue truly discouered vnto you the deportment of your pretensed Reformers the crime and cause of whose implacable dissentions D. Field would vnconscionably deriue vpon the Papists by abusing the authority of Gerson whereas it is most euident that theis men sought not the end at which Gerson aymed nor followed the meanes which he prescribed but as Luther did boysterously impugne the Catholick Church so Zwinglius and all the troupe of Sacramentaries fell away seditiously and factiously from his society and communion And so much concerning the SECOND passadge 36. In the THIRD passadge there are some memorable poynts as namely the Doctour doth confesse freely and plainely that Gerson Grosthead c. 3. Reg. 2 2â— were of the TRVE CHVRCH But here I may say of D. Field as Salomon pronounced of Adoniah his brother contra animam suam locutus est Adonias verbum hoc against his life and the life of his Church hath D. Field spoken this word For was not Gerson and likewise Grosthead a member really and essentially of the Romane or POPISH Church The precedents may testify for the first and the * §. 4. sequele shall witnesse for the second wherefore I must inferr necessarily that the Popish Church was the TRVE CHVRCH in their time and that it is so at this day because it still continueth the same Finally as Wickliffe Husse c. were not of the true Church because they were not of the same Church with GERSON so the Protestants are not members of the true Church because they are excluded from the society of the Church of Rome which is the * See S. Cyprian l. 4. ep 8. roote and mother of the Catholick Church For in that See seÌ„per Apostolicae cathedrae viguit principatus as †epist 162. S. Augustine himself doth witnesse 37. A second poynt iâ— this Gerson Grosthead c. gaue testimony vnto the work which WE haue done What we LVTHER and ZWINGLIVS You know that the SACRAMENTARIES are exiled out of the fellowshippe of Luthers Church contra artic Louan thesi 27. Censemus serio c. We think seriously sayth Luther that all Zwinglians and Sacramentaries are hereticks and aliens from the Church of God Which seuere and true sentence of the great Apostle himself a Synod of Lutherans hath established by a solemne decree Epitome Colloq Maulbrunae Anno 1564. pag. 82. viz. Zwinglianis nullum locuÌ„ in Ecelesiâ concedimus c. we grant the Zwinglians no place in the Church To what purpose then serueth this particle of extension VVE haue done c But I will admitt that you and the Lutherans are of one Church howbeit I must absolutely and confidently deny that you or they or both haue the testimony of GERSON for the approbation of your worke and this is so copiously declared already that I need not alleadge new proofes noâ— reinforce the old 38. Thirdly it pleaseth M. Doctour to aduance Gerson Grosthead c. with the resplendent title of BEST men that liued in the corrupt state of the Church Truly they were so good that Luther your great Reformer was dirt and dongue to speake of him in * See before pag. 146 his owne phrases in comparison of their excellent demeanure and they shined as gold in respect of his ignoble conuersation And yet was he sweete Saint peculiarly inspired aboue them all 39. I am weary and I feare troublesome vnto you also in the prosecution of theis lamentable deuices but I am now come vnto the last and FOVRTH passadge wherewith I will briefly conclude this whole matter and then proceed vnto some farther issue 40. In this passadge there are 2 poynts which do specially require your very deliberate ponderation FIRST you shall there find that Cameracensis Picus Sauanarola GERSON he is the principall man and innumerable others for so the learned Doctour amplifieth his vanities were the WORTHY GVIDES OF * therefore the Protestants Church is not Gods Church GODS CHVRCH But what Church I pray you did they guide administer and direct That Church whereof the Protestants are members No for they detested your opinions That whereof the Papists are members Yea for they were firmely vnited vnto the Church of Rome and vnto the Pastour of that See and therefore hereticks and proud Romanists and Antichristian Vassals sworne to take the foames of the child of perdition and Vassals of the man of sinne c. all which hobgoblin-termes the Doctour hath congested vpon such men as now retayn the very same faith which Gerson constantly professed and are knitt vnto that Church which he humbly obayed And yet is a Gerson also a WORTHY GVIDE OF GODS CHVRCH You may remember that D. Field and hiâ— Church doth willingly admitt a triall of your cause by the testimony of the Fathers See before booke 1. Part. 1 chap 2. § 1. num 4. c. Do you admire that venditation and wonder at that assertion when Gerson himself shall be made a worthy guide of the Church c I leaue it vnto your ingenuity and wisedome since it doth import your eternity to consider what truth what solidity what assurance you or I or any other may expect at theis mens hands for the information of our vnderstandings the satisfaction of our doubts the direction of our soules in the way of secure and certayn peace 41. The SECOND particular is this It appeareth by that which we haue already deliuered touching that matter how nothing is done in our Reformation which theis men Gerson Grosthead c. long before thought not necessary to be done But where is that deliuered and how doth that appeare I know that the Doctour hath pitifully mangled some sentences and notably depraued the intention of GERSON
Church When Ioab pursued Absalom in his rebellion 2. Sam. 18 5. he had a chardge from Dauid saying Seruate mihi puerum Absalom c. Saue my sonne Absalom and the people heard the King when he gaue this commandement vnto his Princes so Gerson did most strictly prescribe vnto all men that they should not reueale heir Fathers nakednesse nor disleize him of his rightfull inheritance howsoeuer his euill manners might deserue a iust reproof nor putt their hand to violate the sacred ordinance of Christ and all the world may take notice of this injunction But as Ioabs sanguinaâ—ious heart neither respected the compassion of a father nor the commandement of a maister to Luther in his insatiable fury regarded not his Sauiours institution his Churches safety the judgement of Fathers the decree of Councells but trampled all theiâ— vnder his feete and insulted against our Lords anoynted with diabolicall contempt Pardon me good Sir if I seeme earnest against him who was so singularly opposite vnto the worthy guides of Gods Church I remember that Sueton diuiding the gests of Caligula into two parts giueth this censure of him that in the former he had spoken tanquam de homine as of a man but in the rest be is to speake tanquam de monstro as of a monster and of no man Likewise whensoeuer I make mention of your other Reformers as you call them I will speake of them all as of men participating humane nature with me but I cannot conceiue a thought of Luther which doth not represent a very monster vnto my vnderstanding so vnlike I find him in all his courses vnto the worthy guides of Gods Church and consequently your Reformation most dissonant from the purity of their faith and contrary vnto their designements notwithstanding all the shaddowes colours and gloriations of D. Field §. 4. The name and authority of GROSTHEAD abused by D. Field to iustify the Lutheran pretensed Reformation 1. IS not the gleaning of grapes of Ephraim better then the vintage of Abiezer Iudiâ— 8.2 Though D. Field hath placed Gerson in the front of his battell against the Papists and seâ—teâ—h him forth in complete armour as you haue seeme yet a principall yea the greatest part of his victory may seeme to depend vpon Grosthead whose name is gratious vnto vs for contrey sake and venerable also in respect of that dignity which he enioyed in the Church Wherefore a little a very little signification of his mind warping toward this late pretensed Reformation may iustly preuayle with vs much more then the profuse and copious discourses of other men not so much indeared vnto vs as this worthy guide of Gods Church concerning whom you haue receiued this instruction from D. Field * pag. 84. When the Pope resolued to accurse anathematize and excommunicate GROSTHEAD the renowned B. of Lincolne because he contemned his Papall Bulles and Letters who was therefore in his time named Romanorum malleus contemptor the Cardinalls opposed themselues saying that he was a right good man and holier then any of them that the things wherewith he chardged the Pope were most true c. 2. To deale with euery particular in this artificiall passadge it requireth much payne and the summe thereof would exceed that quaÌ„tity vnto which I am now coÌ„fined But I will direct my self first vnto the mayn issue and then I may draw you vnto a consideration of the inferiour poynts 3. You know that the scope and purpose of D. Field is to iustify your Reformation by the testimonies and verdicts of Gerson of Grosthead of Sauanarola and the like Now if this worthy guide of Gods Church were a true formall essentiall Papist I appeale vnto your conscience whether it be probable or possible that he could wish or tolerate the Reformation of Luth. Zuingl c. which D. Field pretendeth to be conformable vnto his desire To satisfy you in this matter vnto the full I pray you good Sir take notice that a * D. Godwyn in his catalogue of BB. Bishopp of your owne hath freed this worthy guide from all suspition of propending vnto your reformed Church For thus he writeth †pag. 240. The Pope hauing read the letters of Bishopp Grosthead grew into great choller and breathing out many threates intended some terrible reuendge of this so intolerable reproach as he tooke it vntill such time as one Giles a Cardinall of Spayn stepping vnto him vsed theis words Holy Father it shall not do well in my opinion to take any hard or extreame course against this man it is but too true that he hath written he is for Religion NOTA. a CATHOLICK as well as we c. 4. Here you may demand of your highly esteemed Doctour first Whether the Cardinalls of Rome were not reall members of the Antichristian Synagogue and whether to be a Catholick AS WELL AS THEY it be not identically as much as to say a proud Romanist a factious Papist c. termes much affected by himself You may demand of him secondly Whether they or any man participating with them substantially in the same Religion could euer cast a fauourable and propitious eye toward the Lutheran or Zwinglian ReformatioÌ„ of the Church You may demand of him thirdly Whether it were ingenuous and honest dealing in him to geue such a singular applause vnto the excellency of Grostheads virtues that so dissembling his correspondency in faith with the Romane Church he might colour and beautify his euill cause with fictions exaggerations and other pretenses of the same nature 5. Consider a few of them and by theis you may conceiue the quality of the rest Your Doctour for his owne aduantadge doth liberally permitt the title of a renewned Bishopp vnto this worthy guide Truly Sir I doubt not but if Grosthead were now suruiuing and knew by what manner of men he is thus praised he would say what euill haue I done that they should speake well of me But this is a triuiall art in Protestants to eleuate men and to depresse them agayn as their humours do propell them and therefore their language is alwayes varied according to their occasions Hence it is de Antichr pag. 23. that M. Powell hath a trick to place William Wickam in the catalogue of his Euangelicall fathers and to stile him a most godly Bishopp howbeit Iohn Fox knowing him to be a most infense aduersary vnto the ghospell of VVickliffe phraseth him the wicked Bishopp of VVinchester c. But forasmuch as my originall discourse is concerning a Bishopp of Lincolne I will exemplify rather in Rich. Flemming sometimes à Prelate of that See ibid. pag. 42 to whom M. Powell doth afford very speciall commendation for his euangelicall truth for his affection vnto the word of God c. To conclude he also did rerceiue that there must be a Reformation of the Church Notwithstanding * in his catalogue of BB. D. Godwyn may informe you that B. Flemming
was the man who according to the decree of the Councell of Constance did exhumate the bones of VVickliff and committ them vnto the fire Which proceeding drew this angry sentence from M. Powells pen ibid. pag. 22 Vah inauditam tyrannidem 6. I poynt at theis things by the way that you may see how your Protestants are omnium horarum homines praysing dispraysing aduancing deprauing whom they please and as they please to extort any shaddow of defence for their vnhappy cause so that euery writer amongst them may garnish his title page with this Horatian motto Quò me cunque rapit tempestas deferor I proceed Your Doctour telleth you that Grosthead contemning Papall bulls and letters was therefore named Romanorum malleus contemptor But he should informe you that Grosthead was so named because he would not permitt Italians who in many respects were incompetent for the places designed vnto them in England by the Pope to possesse Ecclesiasticall dignities within his episcopall precinct and howbeit sondry letters were directed vnto him from the Pope yet he thought it lawfull for him to gainsay an vnlawfull demand and therefore he would not condescend vnto that which he esteemed vtterly vniust Whereas your Doctour sayeth farther that the Cardinalls opposed themselues c. he should say that they interposed themselues by counsayle also to intreate not by authority to controll 7. I will not exercise your patience any longer in detection of your Doctours crafty and subtile fetches to intangle his Reader both in his matter and in his wordes a snare is layed in euery line and the foolish among the people are taken therein wise men and circumspect and indued with meane knowledge and solicitous of the truth will soone discouer the obliquity of his paths 8. Thus much most dearely respected Maister S. out of my heartiest loue vnto your noble and heroicall self I haue thought good to sett downe briefly and plainely and perhapps effectually concerning some worthy guides whose names are exceedingly abused to prooue that which they disapprooued and to support that cause which they abhorred as exitiall and deadly heresy from the very bottome of their hearts There remayn yet other worthy guides viz. Camoracensis Sauanarola c. traduced also and inforced to giue testimony vnto that which they did alwayes disclayme As for Cameracensis or Petrus de Aliaco he was the instructour of Gerson and you may discerne the Maister by the Scholler See Gers part 3. in dialog Apologetic In the Examen of Fox his Calendar chap. 9. num 9. 10. c. As for Sauanarola he is quite dischardged from the communion of Iohn Fox his Saints as you may see in the right excellent Treatise of the three Conuersions of England a booke which I do specially recommend vnto you for matter for method and for stile assuring you vpon my owne experience that you shall reade it with great profit and incredible delight where the vanity and falsehood of that deceyuer is dismasked and layed forth in such manner as it doth iustly require 9. Now it remayneth that according to the acutenesse and viuacity of your ingenious spirit you should penetrate deepely into a consideration of your present estate Out of the Church there is no saluation as all men perished out of the Ark which was a type thereof and that you are not within the Church as I do certainly know so your self can not but necessarily suspect For you see that the guides of your soule are deceiptfull and that the grounds of your Religion are absurd If you repayr vnto such worthy guides as Gerson Grosthead c. they condemne you if vnto VVickliffe Husse c. as they dissent from you in many things so there was a time when they did not exist and they were Papists also before they apostatized from the Church Where was your Religion then and in whom was it perpetuated for many ages Will you recurr vnto an inuisible Church S. Augustines disputatioÌ„ against the Donatists do clearely coÌ„uince you for he prooueth that the Church neither was nor can be inuisible and concealed pag 19. c. yea your learned Doctour doth liberally confesse the same Will you content yourself with a linsey wolsey mixed heterogeneous Church which hath not a pure See before booke 1. Part. 2. chap. 1 §. 1. 2. immaculate faith but is composed of sondry factions imbued with different and incompatible opinions This were to make the virgin-Virgin-Church of Christ an harlot to turne the Catholick religion into hereticall confusion And yet vnto theis impious paradoxes your Professours are ineuitably driuen for the mayntenance and supportation of their cause CHAP. 2. The singular vanity of D. Field pretending that there is no materiall difference betvvixt the LuthéraÌ„s Zwinglians c. §. 1. Their difference about the question of Vbiquity D. Fields pseudo-theologicall determination thereof Their difference about the Sacrament 1. AS one waue in the sea followeth immediately vpon the neck of an other so the vntruths of D. Field come rowling together and where one hath ended there an other beginneth finis alterius mali Gradus est futuri 2. You haue seene * pag. 2. before that he imputeth the diuersity of his Cadmaean brethren wholly vnto the Papists and then without any intermission he yealdeth a farther plea in their defence saying Yet it fell out by the happy prouidence of God and the force of that mayne truth they all sought to aduance that there was no materiall or essentiall difference amongst them but such as vpon equall scanning will be found rather to consist in the diuers manner of expressing one thing and to be but verball vpon mistaking through the hasty and inconsiderate humours of some men then any thing els Yea I dare confidently pronounce that after due and full examination of each others meaning there shall be no difference found touching the matter of the SACRAMENT the VBIQVITARY presence or the like betweene the Churches reformed by Luthers ministery in Germany and other places and those whom some mens malice called SACRAMENTARIES c. And this shall be iustified against the proudest Papist of them all 3. I find no iustification made by your humble Doctour concerning the Sacrament but in the question of Vbiquity he hath giuen iust aduantadge vnto the Papists if they were proud before See Fabricius in loc com Luth. part 4. p. 55. pag. 1â—1 to remember what M. Luther hath left written vnto posterity viz. Scio me in hac causâ non fuisse tam animoso SVPERBO spiritu quà m sum modò c. 4. Wherefore I pray you see the salue of a misappled distinction by which he seeketh to heale the wound of your incurable dissension saying the humane nature of Christ hath two kinds of being the one NATVRALL the other PERSONALL the first limited and finite the second infinite and incomprehensible For seeing the nature of a man is a created nature and essence it can
neuer of the true Church 18. Here it importeth you very much to intreate your Doctours resolution vnto their three particular demands FIRST since it is infallibly euident by the testimony of your owne Church for by hir approbation the booke of M. Rogers hath a singular warrant as you may see * pag. 160. before that your Catholick doctrine in this poynt is impugned substantially by the Lutherans why doth he preteÌ„d that the differeÌ„ce betweene the reformed Churches is meerely verball in this issue SECONDLY since your doctrine herein is graced with the name of Catholick is not theirs hereticall and consequently are not they hereticks and excluded thereupon from the society of your Church THIRDLY since M. Rogers by the lawfull authority of your Church brandeth the truest disciples of your great Reformer with the name of LVTHERANS pag. 179. why doth D. Field disclayme it with contempt of Card. Bellarmine and why doth he say that it pleaseth the Antichristian sectaries odiously to name them so It is not possible for any man to conceiue or to expresse your Euangelicks without theis distinctiue * LutheraÌ„s Caluinists appellations or some others equiualent thereunto §. 2. Three false and empty pretenses of D. Field to mitigate the scandall of the dissensions which rend and teare his Euangelicall Churches 1. AS your learned Doctour hath a speciall talent in the reconciliation of your differences so he hath an excellent art to extenuate the scandall thereof saying that whereas the Tigurines Gesnerus others disliked the distempered passions of LVTHER it is not to be meruayled at pag. 192. or that some differences were amongst them seeing the like were in former times betweene Epiphanius and Chrysostome Hierome Ruffinus Augustine and others 2. Nothing but fraud and falsehood For though your Doctour telleth you that the Tigurines and Gesnerus did forsooth DISLIKE the distempered passions of Luther yet you must know that they did execrate this great Reformer and detest him with a deadly and immortall hatred Peruse the orthodox confession of the Tigurines and you shall find that Luther was possessed with a legion of Diuells See the writings of Gesnerus and you may perceiue that Luther was a man of an impudent mouth and theis are moderate censures in comparison of the rest which are affoorded in their virulent and fiery discourses Wherefore though D. Field sayeth farther that it is not to be meruayled at c. yet how iust occasion there is for you to tremble at theis things I remitt me vnto the secret testimony of your inward iudge 3. I proceed vnto the brief discussion of his other false-hoods which are transparent vnto euery eye For what can be more vntruely suggested ibid. then that the LIKE differences were sometimes betwixt the ancient Fathers as passed betwixt Luther Zwinglius and others of the reformed Church S. Augustine dissented from S. Hierome See S. Aug. epist 8. 9. c. but whether you respect the * matter or manner their difference was farr vnlike vnto your capitall * concerning S. Paulls reprehension of S. Peter and immortall belligerations S. Augustine speaketh †See S. Aug. contra Iulian. Pelag l. 1. 2. honourably of S. Hierome and calleth him that holy Priest that holy man c. Yea in his epistles he saluteth him by the name of fellow-Priest and much desired BROTHER c. Which kind and familiar nuncupation †See Brentius contra Bullinger in Recognit pag. 276. Luther would not vouchsafe your deare Patriarch Zwinglius though he sought it with many teares Likewise S. Hierome speaketh respectiuely of S. Augustine and calleth him true Father and Lord c. But how obsequiously * See Fabric in loc com Luth. parte 5. pag. 49.50 Zwinglius demeaned himself toward Luther and what acerbity of stile he exercised against him Luther shall deliuer vnto you Zwinglius sent a most vayn booke vnto me and an epistle written with his owne hand well befitting that most proud spiritt of his he rageth and fumeth and threateneth and raueth so modestly that he seemeth vnto me past all recouery being conâ—inced by the manifest truth Now whether the difference betwixt Augustine and Hierome were LIKE vnto the furious and implacable assault of theis men I leaue it vnto your wise and religious determination 4. The mutuall contention of Ruffinus and S. Hierome was sharpe but farr vnlike vnto the garboyles of Luther and Zwinglius which surpasse the conflicts of S. Chrysost and Epiphanius themselues Wherefore it may please you to consider the dissimilitude of theis things which I will briefly tender vnto your carefull examination 5. FIRST if you respect the quality of the persons you shall find that S. Hierome Chrysost Epiphan and Ruffinus though they were men indued with excellent gifts yet they had an ordinary function onely and continued in the faith of the vniuersall Church See Zanch. de RedeÌ„pt in explicat 4. praecepti quaest de vocat ad minister c. But you pretend that Luther and Zwinglius were extraordinarily stirred vp by God to reforme his Church and to replant the decayed faith of Christ Yea Zanchius feareth not to say that they principally are the * Apocal. 11. two VVitnesses that should contend against Antichrist the Man of sinne for which cause as we are bound to require a speciall signe of their vocation vnto that excellent office so aboue all things we must expect Vnity and consent both in their words and deeds 6. SECONDLY if you obserue the cause of their dissensions you may note that the quarrell as well betwixt Epiph. and Chrysost as betwixt Hierome and Ruffinus concerned the writings of Origen and the inprobation thereof But the terrible fulminations of Luther and Zuinglius each against the other were founded originally in matters of faith pertayning vnto the necessity of saluation Hence it is that Luther saieth Luth. tom 2. de Caenâ Dom. I reckon not Zwinglius any more to be in the number of Christians He saieth farther I haue damned Zwinglius Oecolompaduis and all Sacramentaries to the vttermost of my power and this glory I shall carry with me vnto the tribunall of Crist 7. THIRDLY if you consider the extent and duration of their hostility you shall see that it was soone extinguished and not deriued as an hereditary warr vnto posterity and vnto entire Churches But it is otherwise in the case of Luther and Zwieglius for their personall strife is generall vnto whole Churches propagated in succession increased with continuall addition so that we may sooner expecta ruine of their ghospell then a reconciliation of their differences the measure whereof is vnmeasurable and consequently the end is endlesse And this euent agreeth with the prophecy of Luther the man of God as * in loc coÌ„ Luth. part 5. pag. 43. See also pag. 41. lin 2. 3. c. Fabricius sayeth who foresaw this misery and dissipation of the Church by SACRAMENTARIES
to predominate Caluinists will not obay where is the vmpire of their contention 16. It is a memorable history which Sturmius recordeth in his booke * fol. 33. de ratione concordiae ineundae complayning pathetically against the Lutherans who are so deepely exasperated against the Zwinglians that they will not endure any conference with them but reject them as damned hereticks anno 1560. vnworthy of any farther dispute Thus the Ienensian Lutherans made their supplication vnto the Princes that a lawfull Synod consisting onely of such as embrace the coÌ„fession of * SacrameÌ„taries deny to subscribe therevnto whatsoeuer D. Field pretendeth See Iosias Simlerus in vita Bulling Augusta might be assembled to condemne the Zwinglians and all other enimies of their religion Likewise the Flacians a particular sect of Luthers ghospell desired to haue a publick Synod but with this caueat that all Sacramentaries Swhenchfeldians Osiandrines should be excluded from the same Which vnequall courses stirred vp Bullinger to write that since the Lord hath freed vs from the seruitude of the Pope we will not suffer our selues to be oppressed by the new tyrany of such as vnder the pretense of the ghospell aspire vnto a primacy and dictature in the Church We wâ—ll not be shutt out from the company of Saints at their choyce and pleasure c. 17. But their mutuall fury is so augmented that Sturmius seing no submission on either side professeth vnlesse the Euangelicall kings and princes interpose their authority to take away theis contentions without doubt the Churches will be infected with many heresies and hence a great vastation of Christianity will ensue as it came to passe in Asia Greece and Africk for the like causes The fundations of our Religion are conuelled the chief articles are called in question a playne way is prepared for Turcisme and Atheisme to enter in vpon vs If I would proceed farther in this argument I might informe you how fatall and vnhappy the conuents of your Ghospellers haue bene at Marpurge at Swabach at Smalcald at Maulbrune where they treated about their owne Religion and at Ratisbone where they should haue entred into a conflict with the Catholicks but the precedents are sufficient to let you vnderstand that you haue not a due subordination of persons and consequently no rule of peace pag. 169. howsoeuer D. Field is pleased to affirme that with your Churches an end is made of all controuersies c. See the place and iudge of his exactnesse 18. My THIRD exception against D. Fields pretended rule is in respect of the matters wherein your dissension doth consist For they are many in number reall in euidence substantiall in waight as I could prooue abundantly out of the writings of Luther Hunnius Conradus c. of the one part Zwinglius Sturmius Clebitius c. of the other to the iust reproof of D. Field who sayth that your differences admitt an easy reconciliation and that this shall be iustified against the proudest Papist of them all 19. My counsayle vnto you is alwayes the same TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST you haue already seene an example of his reconciling art in one poynt and by that you may take an estimate as well of his syncerity as of his solidity in the rest If your excellent and heroicall Spirit will be so grossly abused and deluded by him or any other to the certayn perill of your soule you can neuer plead inuincible ignorance for a iust excuse 20. Now to conclude this chapter good Sir if I did not experimentally know the variety and vanity of opinions in your Church 2. Timoth. 4. and that as some men heape vp a multitude of teachers vnto them selues so others confine all things vnto their owne sense and spirit I could easily belieue that you would admitt a triall by the Fathers and that you would rest in the iudgement of the Church But forasmuch as I know that neither all nor the greatest part of ghospellers in England will submitt themselues dutifully and humbly vnto this rule though I may and do challendge it at their hands therefore I will lay downe three considerations whereby you may see the equity yea the necessity of the sayd rule and how you are bound in Christian simplicity to accept it with true and hearty obedience 21. FIRST it is impossible without extraordinary reuelation to distinguish Canonicall Scripture from Apocryphall otherwise then by the testimony of the Church SECONDLY when by the testimony of the Church you can thus distinguish the Scripture yet you must giue credit vnto some translatours since you vnderstand not the originall text and if they render the Scripture vnfaithfully how can you buyld your faith vpon it with infallible euidence THIRDLY when by the authority and warrant of the Catholick Church you haue the Scripture faithfully translated the principall poynt is yet behind Tantum obstrepit veritati adulter sensus quantuÌ„ corruptor stylus Tertull. in praescript c. 17. to witt the sense which is the very soule thereof If pure necessity compell you to fly vnto the Church for your assurance in the first and second poynts will you rely vpon your owne discretion and wisedome in the third If you obiect your Spirit I also obiect mine If inward testification I haue the same You compare Scriptures so do I. You pray I do the like You are sure my certainty is as great You haue reason mine is as strong You haue faith mine is not inferiour Thus our contention is earnest and our successe is none 22. What remayneth but that we both should try our Spirits and examine our priuate thoughts according to the perpetuall and generall doctrine of that Catholique Church from which we receiued the Scriptures and which by singular notes of Antiquity Vniuersality Consent Succession c. is most eminently approoued vnto vs For which cause †cap. 15. Tertullian doth excellently prescribe and if I be not much deceyued * in his epist to the Archb. of Cant. D. Field doth condescend vnto him that Whereas Hereticks pretend the holy Scriptures and as they mooue some men with their boldnesse before hand so in the congresse of disputation they tire the strong and insnare the weake and dismisse the middle sort with scruples we must preuent them in their course and not admitt them vnto any disputes concerning the Scripture and if this be their strength we must consider first of all to whom the possession of Scriptures doth agree least he be admitted vnto them who hath no right therein c. The residue I commend vnto your owne perusall and so I referr the euent of all vnto the blessed disposition of our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ CHAP. 3. The falsehood and inciuility of D. Field traducing Card. Bellarmine §. 1. Three criminations deuised against the worthy Cardinall by D. Field 1. Your learned Doctour hath sprinkled many vntruths in his discourse to the personall disgrace of Bellarmine and then
witt V. Beda a Rabbine of the Romish Synagogue who liued in the same age and may be parallele with Damascen for his singular piety and admirable science 12. As for the rest either expressed or concealed we will find their matches also yea their superiours by many degrees as namely S. Anselme Lanfranck S. Bernard Hugo de S. Victore P. Lombard Alexander of Hales S. Thomas of Aquine S. Bonauenture Scotus Lyranus GERSON a worthy guide of the Church and a Rabbine of the Romish Synagogue for both theis termes are afforded by your Doctour Tostatus and to vse his owne wordes innumerable others with whom theis Greeks generally are no wayes matchable but much inferiour in all respects 13. The THIRD crimination is fashioned on this wise Bellarmine sayth that they viz. NONE of the Churches separated from Rome could euer hold any councell since their separation If Bellarmine meane Generall Councells it is not to be maruayled at seing they are but a part of the Christian Church If Nationall or Prouinciall it is most childish and by sondry instances to be refuted 14. The Cardinall speaketh of Nationall and as I take it of Prouinciall Councells howbeit your Doctours Eldershipp doth wrongfully impute Childishnesse vnto a reuerend person whose yeares and dignity and other ornaments deserued more vrbanity at his hands For the Cardinall attributeth this infelicity vnto the Churches of Asia and Africk but not of Greece and if your Doctour can reprooue him by any instance in the former there is some equity in his accusation which otherwise will prooue as indeed it is to be meerely calumnious and vniust If Bellarmine had enlardged his stile sayd that the ORIENTALL Church hath bene thus vnfortunate since the time of hir separation from the Church of Rome the Doctours exception might seeme very reasonable and the Cardinalls fault inexcusable in this behalf because Greece is a part thereof no lesse then Asia it self 15. But as the Cardinall doth plainely disioyne the Church of Greece which is placed in the table of Europe from the Churches of Asia and of Africk so D. Field doth often pag. 167. 173. c. and truly distinguish the Church of Greece from the Churches of Syria Armenia Aethiopia Russia and the like being seuerall parts of the Orientall Church And though custome founded vpon iust reasons doth warrant vs to comprehend Churches of Asia vnder the name of GREEK Churches yet there is no reason why the Church of Greece being parcell of Europe should be comprehended vnder the names of the ASIAN or AFRICAN Churches in which the Cardinall doth particularly instance saying that THEY celebrated no Councells and that THEY brought forth no men knowen vnto the whole world that is to say men of publick renowne either for learning or sanctity since the time of their segregation from the Church of Rome 16. Thus you may clearely discerne the conscience and integrity of your principall Doctours in their deportment toward the Catholick religion and the greatest lights that shine most gloriously in the Church whose names will be transmitted with honour vnto posterity when their aduersaries shall be forgotten and ly buried in silence or be remembred to their infamy and disgrace §. 2. The inciuility of D. Field toward the Cardinall 1 IT will not be impertinent and specially because I write vnto a Gentleman whose generous and noble disposition can not approoue calumnious and opprobrious insultations to add a word or two concerning your Doctours discourteous and vnciuill intreaty of the Cardinall whom he traduceth not onely by imputation of false crimes but by aggeration of base odious and vnworthy names 2. As for example he phraseth him * pag. 154. Cardinall heretick †148. hereticall Romanist * 152. impious Idolater †128. shamelesse Iesuite * 135. shamelesse companion with †180. his idle brayne * 100. his senselesse fooleries c. Which vsadge of a most learned and honourable person whether it be tolerable or not I remitt me vnto your owne discretion who being learned aboue many of your rank and honourably descended are able to iudge more competently in this case then others ether meaner in knowledge or inferiour in birth 3. And though I need not informe you either of the profound learning of the CARDINALL which expresseth it self in his owne workes for they do testify of him or of his virtues a greater commendation then the former ô hominem bonum is preferred by Seneca before ô hominem literatum yet I will make a brief recapitulation of both that you may perceiue how much it doth concerne your Professours to deale ingenuously with a man of his quality and desert secondly whether D. Field hath any iust reasō to postpose him so farr vnto Caluin and others in LEARNING and PIETY that he is NO WAYES MATCHABLE forsooth with him or them in theis respects 4. FIRST therefore for his intellectuall parts his excellency therein is so celebrious and renowned that the prayse which common fame did attribute vnto S. Hierome viz. Nemo omnium sciuit quod Hieronymus ignorauit may truly belong vnto the Cardinall in whom Nature being the guide and Industry hir companion haue wrought an admirable perfectiō For NATVRE hath prodigally bestowed hir greatest riches vpon him as namely sharpenesse of witt solidity of iudgement tenaciousnesse of memory facility of deliuerance grace of elocution 5. And here by the may whereas it pleaseth †pag. 176. D. Field to lay a crime vnto Bellarmines chardge and then to * let vs pardon him c. pardon it also in his courteous malice forasmuch as Bellarmine shewing himself to be in their number who are lyers of the worst MEMORIES sayth in †de notis Eccles c. 2. one place that Sanctity of doctrine is no note of the Church and in an * ibid. cap. 11. This vntruth of D. Field is accompanied with more which I referr vnto your perusall other that Sanctity of doctrine is a note of the Church I must assure you that Bellarmine is neither iniudicious nor obliuious but D. Field traduceth his authour and abuseth his reader For Bellarmine in the former place maketh no mention of the Sanctity of doctrine and in the later place his whole discourse is to prooue that the assertions of pagans and hereticks contayn absurdity in reason and impiety in manners from both which the doctrine of the Catholick Church doth vtterly abhorte See the particulars and iudge wisely what cause D. Field hath to impute a fault vnto Bellarmine or what need Bellarmine hath to desire the pardon of D. Field I proceed 6. His INDVSTRY is famous in those Churches Louayn Rome and Schooles which haue acknowledged him a Chrysostome in sermons and an Augustine in disputes Whatsoeuer is most commēdable in Humanity for tongues or arts whatsoeuer is most respected in Theology for scholasticall or positiue he hath attayned the flower therein by his long study and much