A LEGACIE left to PROTESTANTS Containing Eighteen Controversies viz. 1. Of the Holy Scriptures 2. Of Christs Catholick Church c. 3. Of the Bishop and Church of Rome 4. Of Traditions needfull c. DOWA Printed 1654 To the Reader THese ensuing Controversies were found in a learned mans study dead nine years since and commended to the care of a Friend who dyed soon after him or otherwise they had been printed long since with the foresaid Title by the Author himself prefixed uâ— to them desiring not to have his name or any dedication added unto them but this That many learned Freinds had read and approved them that he heartily wished they might help to convert unto the true faith of Christs Catholique Church such Protestants as should read them which I wish also his Friend Whilâ—st he lived T. B. A Table of the severall Controversies 1. OF the Holy Scriptures pag. 1. 2. Of Christs Catholick Church in generall not colourably now among Christians the first part pag. 14. The second part pag. 30. 3. Of the Bishop and Church of Rome pag. 48 4. Of Traditions needfully added into the Canon of Scripture pag. 69 5. Of Protestancy begun here in England under Queen Elizabeth pag. 82 6. Of the holy Eucharist pag. 92 First part concerning our Saviours reall presence therein ib. Second part pag. 101 7. Of honouring Saints and praying to them pag. 109 8. Of reverencing of Saints Reliques pag. 116 9. Of holy Images kept and honoured by us pag. 120 10. Of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead pag. 131 11. Of Sacramentall Confession pag. 135 12. Concerning the number and effects of Sacraments pag. 145 13. Of Free-will pag. 157 14. Of Calvins Solifidian Justice pag. 16â— 15. Concerning the merit of good Works pag. 169 16. About the possibility of keeping Gods Commandements pag. 177 17. Of Feasts and Fasts Apostolically ordained and neglected both by English Calvinists and Independents pag. 183 18. Concerning praedestination pag. 191 THE First Controversie Of the holy Scriptures WHerein our Adversaries do notoriously wrong us and make simple people believe that we Catholicks yeeld no more authority to sacred Writings then our Church alloweth them Whereas we firmly believe them to have been inspired by God and therefore attribute a divine and infallible authority unto them when they are sufficiently declared to be such and truly Expounded unto us For without the former condition to wit an undoubted knowledge of them no man can securely rely on any doctrine contained in them and without the latter condition of being rightly understood all Heresies have been formerly and may now also be drawn pernitiously from them So as about these two points our Adversaries and we chiefly and indeed only differ They for example Calvinists especially for a certain knowledge of them rely upon-their own private Spirit and an imaginary light shining to all faithfull Readers of them no lesse clearly distinguishing true Scriptures from false then light by our eyes from darknesse is discernable by us which internall light is a meere Chymaera say we and other great Protestants with us by Calvin purposely devised to accept or reject what Scriptures he liked and interpret them as he pleased without any authority to controle him which is as St. Austine told Faustus his Manichean Lib. contra â—um 13. c. 5 Adversary to take away all authority both of Church and Scripture licensing every man to believe what he lifteâ—h Whereas we Catholicks for a certain knowledge of true Scriptures rely upon the exteriour and infallible tâ—stimony of Christ's Church by himself warranted unto us when he commanded us to heare and obey such as he appointed therein to govern and guide us no lesse then himself And whereas Calvin deemeth it a thing very inconvenient and against the Majesty of Scripture to be subjected to mens judgements about declaring the sacred authority thereof we say no and prove it to be no more inconvenient for Scriptures then for other points of Faith to be made known by the Church's testimony unto us And if the holy Scriptures have been written by men divinly inspired and guided in the penning of them as assuredly they have been why may they not also by men assisted by the holy Ghost be made known infallibly unto us especially sithence they cannot give testimony of themselves as Hooker and other chief Protestants Lib. 2. sect 14. Lib. 2. sect 4 7. Lib. 3. sâ—ct 8. have proved because if part of Scripture should give credit to the rest that very part might be doubted of likewise Unlesse besides Scripture there were something elsâ— that might assure us which he acknowledgeth to be the authority of Christs Church Insomuch as Egidius Hunnius a cheife Colloquio Ratisbonen si Lutheran Divine and sixteen others with him at Ratisbone before sundry Princes of Germany were by Gretzerus and Tanner Catholick Divines inforced to admit the Church's testimony and historicall tradition as they câ—lled it altogether needfull for an undoubted knowledge of Scripture as heretofore many forged Scriptures have been rejected and others approved by it Albeit they proceed not conformably therein by not admiting into their Canon all Books and parts of Scripture so approved For if the Churches testimony be false in declaring some Books surely it cannot be certain in declaring others and so we can receive no infallible assurance from her Turtullian notwithstanding prescribeth Lib. 1. praescript c. 6. this for an undoubted truth that what the Apostles preached and Christ revealed unto them cannot be testified unto us but by the Churches which they founded and St. Austine so affirmed the same as he saith He Tom. 6. contra Epist fundament cap. 5. would not believe the Gospel were it not that the Church by her authority commended the same unto him So far was he and other Fathers from dreaming of Calvin's inward light communicated to all faithful Readers of Scriptures wherein the Lutherans might claim an equall share with him as his Companions and so they might agree about their Canon of Scripture as now they do not nor with any antient Church before them Lib. 33. contra Faustum cap. 6. Whereas St. Austin speaking of our Canon which himself amongst other African Bishops had declared in the third Councel of Carthage as St. Innocentius the first had done before him and many both Popes and Councels Epist ad Exupâ—rium have done since those Books saith he by the consent of Christian Churches and Bishops of them succeeding each other downwards from the Apostles have been warranted for true Scriptures unto us and are onely denyed by you speaking then of the Manicheans as we doe now of Protestants few in number and lately risen because they make not for your Doctrine And whereas they provoke us to the Originals to wit the Hebrew and Greek Texts of the old Testament and seek by what means they can to disgrace our Vulgar Edition We answer them first that they
therein of whom Christ said He that heareth Epist 1. c. 4. you heareth me and of whom St. John said He that knoweth God heareth us and ho who knoweth not God heareth us not in this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour Christ having before told his Apostles and such no doubt as succeeded them in the government Joan. 15. of his Church I will send unto you the Holy Ghost and he shall give testimony unto me and so shall you c. joyning so together the inward teaching of the Holy Ghost and outward teaching of the Church both to be embraced and obeyed by all her children For albeit saith St. Austin he uttered all Enarrat in Psal 47. these promises to his Apostles cum illis loquebatur noâ— intelligebat yet speaking to them he meant us also who were to the worlds end to succeed them for whom he prayed and obtained the Holy Ghost of his heavenly Joan. 77. Father not to remain for a time but for ever with them The third Controversie Of the Bishop and Church of Rome NOt as it is the Patriarchial and particular Church of that City but as it is head and chief of all other Churches subjected unto it And I do not here without hearty grief entâ—r into this Controversie whilest I consider with my self how violently and virulently our Adversaries have after the accustomed manner of other Hereticks before them by preaching and writing slanderous untruths made not to men and women only but even unto very children the name of Pope Papistry as they call our Catholick Faith hatefull and scarcely with patience to be mentioned amongst them notwithstanding all learned men know that antiently the Church of Rome hath been for the profession of her faith and glory of her Martyrs renowned above other Churches so as thirty three Bishops successors of S. Peter in that Chair were slain in that City for Christ amidst their flocks and innumerable Martyrs with them after the two chief Apostles Peter and Paul had planted by their preaching and watered with their bloud the true Doctrine of Christ therein thus extolled by Calvin himself after many Lib. 4. insti tut c. 6 â— untruths uttered by him I deny not saith he but that thâ— ancient Fathers do yeeld every where great reverence to the Church of Rome and speak highly of her calling her for honours sake the Apostolical Sâ—e of the West as freer from troubles and more firmly retaining her first Faith than other African or Grecian Churches Wâ—ence it came to passe that holy Bishops injured and driven from their Sees retired thither as unto a Port of Safety and have been from time to time by the Authority of Popes righted and restored to their Churches Others also in questions and doubts of Religion have repaired unto them St. Policarp for example Disciple to John and ordained Bishop of Smyrna by him came to Pope Anicetus about the due observance of Easter aâ— St. Irenâ—us Eusebius and St. Hieâ—â—me have left written And St. Irenaeus after him came to Rome as Tertullian recounteth about condemning some Heresies then nâ—wly rising Origen likewise as St. Hierom testifieth submitted Epist. ad Pâ—machiuÌ„ Ocâ—anum himself to Pope Fabian and recanted some doctrines written by him Saint Cyprian in like manner wrote many Epistles to Pope Cornelius about sundry businesses of his Church and the Novations then beginning to be troublesome unto him St. Athanasius and many other Bishops of Aegypt and Libia together addressed themselves by a most humble and earnest Epistle to Pope Foelix the second to crave of him a true Copy of the Nicene Councel which the Arians had in all places burned and suppressed to demand also a restitution to their several Churches and to be redressed in other wrongs done unto them for that the relief of wronged Bishops and other chief businesses of the Church for the eminency of hiâ— authority over all Churches and Bishops belonged unto him as it had been declared by the Fatherâ— of the Nicene Councel at which some of them selves had been present And accordingly he that will read the Epistles of St. Leo and St. Gregory both surnamed great for that high and holy esteem which the Christian world is known to have had of them shall find them as other Popes had done before to have exercised authority over all Eastern and Western Bishops as Causes happ'ned even Patriarchs themselvâ—s without exception howsoever this certain truth be by Calvin impudently denied Insomuch that the very next Popes to St. Peter so holy in their livâ—s and glorious in their Martyrdomes for Christ that it would be an impious temerity for any man to object as some of our Adversaries have done any affectation of Pride and Ambition unto them are known by the prerogative of their Chair to have both claimed and exercised this Universal Authority Tom. 1. Conciliorum Epis 3. Saint Anacletus for example the fourth Pope after S. Peter hath these words This holy and Apostolical Church of Rome hath obtained not from the Apostles but from our Saviour himself a Supream and eminent power over all Churches and the whole flock of Christ when he said unto the most blessed Apostle Thou art a rock and upon this rock I will build my Church c. S. Victor likewise so claimed this power and exercised the same over other Churches as he excommunicated all Bishops of the lesser Asia for their Judaical and obstinate observance of Easter for which S. Irenaeus blamed him not because he wanted authority but for that he had used therein overmuch severity S. Calixtus in his Epistle ad Benedictum expresly affirmed the Church of Rome needfully to be obeyed and followed by all Churches as Head and chief of them The like authority was challenged and exercised by all these holy Popes living within the first 300. years after Christ Antherus Fabian Lucius Dionysius Foelix the first Marcellus and others Neither were holy Fathers in that time lesse earnest in defending the Supream and Universal Authority of the Roman Church than Popes themselves S. Irenaeus for example calleth Lib. 3. c. 3. the Church of Rome the greatâ—st most antient and best known Church founded by the two most blessed Apostles Peter and Paul c. Whereunto for her more powerfull principality all other Churches were to be conformed in the doctrine of Faith and practice of Religion naming Popes untill this Li. de pudicitia time succeeding each other Tertullian likewise from the succession of Bishops in that See numbred by him prescribeth against Hereticks the truth of Christian Doctrine calling the Bishop of that Church Episcopum Episcoporum Bishop of Bishops and Father of the Catholick Church S. Cyprian in a like manner after he had declared how Christ promised to build his Church on S. Peter and commended the government Lib. de unitat Eccles of his flock unto him saith that albeit all the Apostâ—es received
like Authority from Christ yet that Peter was ordained chief of them and that all faith was from his Chair chiefly to be received saying That no Heresiâ—s would rise in the Church if this one Priests Authority were duly acknowledged and obeyed as it ought to be S. Hilary having praised S. Peter for Can. in Mat. 16. his Confession of Christ cryeth out Oh happy foundation of the Church designed by that new name Cephaâ— a rock imposed on him worthy of that building which shall stand firmly against Hell gates c. Saint Chrysostome in more than ten several Hom. 87 in Jâ— ad populum Antioch 39 42 49. 80. 87. places plainly acknowledgeth the preâ—minency of the Roman Church and Bishop above other Churches and Bishops by the dignity of Peters Chaire therein continued S. Hierome professed himself albeit he lived in the East under other Patriarcks to be a sheep of Peters flock and to be conjoyned Epist. 2. ad Damasum with his Chair and succession of Roman Pastors therein as knowing Lib. 2. c. 51. Christs Church on this Rock to have been raised And S. Austine demanded of Petelian a chief Donatist why dost thou call this Apostolical Chaire the Chair of Pestilence as now our Adversaries do the Seat of Antichrist the Beast of seven heads whereon the Whore of Babylon is said to have ridden not distinguishing between that City and Church therein ever most holy and renowned whilest that City Mistresse of the world when S. John wrote his Apocalips persecuted the same for 300. years together purpled her self with the bloud of Martyrs making all Nations of the earth drunk with the poysonous cup of her Superstitions so as Rome was to the Church of Christ in that City and other places as Babylon was anâ—iâ—ntly to the Jewish Temple a powerfull and hatefull Enemy and is called therefore Babylon by S. Peter in the end of his Epistle when he wrote The Church which is in Babylon saluteth you Which is so clearly acknowledged in her supream and Universal Authority by S. Austine S. Optatus S. Ambrose and a multitude of other Fathers as I could produce here a double Jury of them Wherefore Calvin dissembled and lied notably when in his Epistle to Cardinal Sodalet he pretended to ayme at no other reformation of our Church but to reduce it to that belief and practice of Religion which was in the Greek Church whilest Basil Chrysostome and the Fathers of that time lived and used in the Latine Church whilest Ambrose Austine and Hierome were in it Whereas he rejecteth in innumerable places the coÌ„fessed doctrine both of these and more ancient Fathers and many times with plain conâ—umelies and reproaches vented against them as will appear afâ—erwards in each Controversie When also he professed no lesse fraudulently and falsely to believe and admit of all doctrines and practices embraced in the Church of Rome during the first 500 years after Christ he meant nothing lesse for that when the Belief and practice of the Church in the three first Ages is objected against him and new points of his Doctrine his answer is that even then the Church of Rome was not so pure as it might in all doctrines and practices of Religion be securely followed With the same fraud also he maketh Lib. 4. instit c. 9. num 8. profession to embrace the first four generall Councels as teaching and decreeing nothing but conformable to Scripture Yet wherâ— it is urged against him even in this very Controversie that in all these four Councels the Popes supream and universal authority is plainly acknowledged Chastity injoyned to Priests Vows taught to binde in Conscience and the like points of Catholick doctrine proved out of them he rejecteth their authority farther than it is by Gods word warranted unto him and not onely deniâ—th what they teach of the Popes authority but most impudently averreth many notorious falshoods For example he denith Saint Peters having been at Rome no lesse testified by antient Authors and monuments than that Augustus once raigned in that City and despairing to make good such an impudent assertion he denieth him at least to have been Bishop of that City for 25 years together against the clear testimony of S. Hierom following Eusebius writing In Cronic Anno 44. thus long before him Peter a Galilean by his country the chief Bishop of Christians after he had founded the Church of Anâ—ioch went to Rome where having preached the Gospel as Bishop of that City for twenty five years was crucified there under Nero with his head downwards because himself desired to die so Serm. de SS Petro Paulo And S. Leo of S. Peters first coming to Rome mâ—keth this speech unto him Thou hadst already most blessed Apostle established the Church of Antâ—och and by thy evangelical pâ—eaching converted unto Christs law Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithania when thou broughtest the Trophy of Christs crosse into the Roman arches whether by divine ordination the honour of power and glory of thy passion went before thee that the faith of Christ might there chiefly flourish where the Devils Tyranny had chiefly raged extending from thence thy spirituall Power into more kingdomes and Countries than formerly the Roman Captains by their many conquests had Ser. 3. de assâ—m ejâ—s ad Pontific obtained Christ having especially chosen thee to govern all Nations converted unto him and preferred thee before the other Apostles and governours of his Church when he thrice committed the feeding and government of his flock unto thee and promised to build his Church firmly upon thee Which high Office and Power was no doubt to be extended to all true and lawfull Successors of him For as Christs Church and Flock was still to continue as hath been already proved to the worlds end so were the Governours and government thereof to be in the same manner still continued and not during S. Peters time onely whose authority given by Christ differed in this from that which his fellow Apostles received likewise from him that theirs was delegated onely and to end with their Persons whereas his was ordinary and to be derived so farre as the government of the Church required to his Successors after him which whosoever denieth proudly unto them saith S. Leo he damneth himself but lesseneth not that authority which is given by Christ unto them And that which was uttered by our Savior and understood chiefly of himself may be truly applied unto S. Peter and all lawful Successors of him Vicarial heads and secondary foundations of his Church established on them wherefore he that falleth on this Rock shall be bruised and on whom it falleth it shall crush him For that all such as have at any time heretofore forsaken the unity of this Church and refused obedience to S. Peters Successors in that Chair departing from the faith thereof have dashed themselves against this Rock and onely foamed out their own confusions
So as men may truly say with St. Paul of these men that sowing in the flesh they reaped corruption And if in the mean time you ask them who dispensed with their Vows that of Chastity in particular whereby they were doubly tyed to live continently most of them at least Priests and religious Persons Luther forsooth will tell you for his part in a whole Book together Lib. dè votis that the law of Christ is of Faith alone and bindeth no man to the observance of Vows as not warranted in Scripture unto him Peter Martyr also in a like treatise will make you believe Lib. de â—â—eâ—â— bat â—oâ—â—â— if you list that Vows are Judaical observances and belong not to Christians Zuinglius will answer you that St. Paul dispensed with all Vows of Chastity sufficiently by saying It is better to marry than to burn And Calvin more cholerickly will tell you that Continency ordained In harmonia ad cap. 10. Matt. in cap. 7. 1. Epist ad Coâ—inthios for Priests was an Antichristian Tyranny and Vows of Chastity the Divels nets to ensnare soules pronouncing with great Authority all Christians to be free from the observance of them But St. Paul was not of these mens minde when he pronounced such Widows as had given their faith to 1 Tim. 5. the Church of living chastly and married afterwards to have acquired damnation to themselves and the Apostles as Saint Epiphanius testifieth Heresi 61. taught it to be grande scelus a hainous crime to marry after Chastiâ—y vowed unto God The same also is expressely Can. 6. defined in the great Councel of Calcedon St. Basil likewise and St. Austin on these words of the Psalmist Vow you and render your Vows to God affirm the same and many other chief Fathers have taught that the observance of Vows rightly made is both a natural and divine Obligation seconded by all Schoole divines in that Assertion and particularly St. Chrysostome Epist. 2. writing to Theodorus a faln Monk St. Austin also unto Armenterius one of the same stamp expresly affirm the very thought of wiving after their Vow of Chastity to have been sacrilegious and sinfull in them Concerning their manner of reforming our Church divers great Authors have observed that Luther began not the same in an Apostolical way as a Sheep amongst Wolves but rather as an inraged Woolf seeking to devour the souls and bodies of men together as when for example against Tom. 2. Jenensis 132. the Bishops of Germany he published this roaring Bull Now you Bishops and maâ—ked Devils look to your selves for Martin Luther will publish a Bull of Reformation which will trouble you whosoever shall help to destroy you and root out your Authority are true Christians and Gods Children c. and contrarily such as seek to defend and maintain you are damned persons and Imps of the Devil c. So as presently upon the publication of this Bull the Clowns of Germany armed themselves and invaded the Territories of Bishops not sparing likewise some tâ—mporal Lords supposed to favour them but with such ill successe as more than a hundred thousand of them are said to have been slain in sundry places by troops of expert Souldiers sent against them so little pittied by Luther afterwards as he would have them killed like Dogs without mercy because they had somewhat exceeded his Commission whose railings in the mean time against sundry great Princes and our King Henry the eighth amongst them onely for being opposite to his new Doctrine were scurrill filthy ribauld and wholy unbeseeming the tongue or pen of any Christian man and much more of an Apostolical Person and his especial hatred to the Pope and Church of Rome was such and so impotently expressed by him as should it said he be decreed in a general Councel that Priests might marry I for my part would think him more holy that Tom. 2. Jenensis 214. kâ—pt a Whore or two and would not marry then do as the Councel permitted him and I would counsel all mine to do so Calvin also began his Sect with Rebellion at Genua as the same also was Vide Gasparem Valenbergium cap. 8. maintained in France Scotland Poland and other places and so did Zuinglius with war against his own Country wherein himself was killed and many other armed Ministers with him so unlike were they at their first coming to Apostolical Persons The Vocation likewise of these new Evangelists was neither immediately from God nor mediately from men by any orderly lawful Hâ—b 5. succession from Pastors before them against that of the Apostle No man assumeth honour or spirituall government unto himself but called as Aaron was So Christ glorified not himself to be our high Priest c. and as he was sent by his Father so sent he his Disciples saying unto them As my Father sent me so do I send you And this mission hath been by a continuall succession of Pastors In Locis communibus classe 4. cap. 20. still continued in the Church So as like Theeves they enter not by the doore who intrude themselves into Ecclesiastical Offices and charge of Souls without it Wherefore Luther himself speaking of such as stole into the Office of Preaching being not lawfully sent examine saith he whether they can prove their Vocation for God never sent any man but either by others lawfully called or by miracles able to prove their Vocation no not his Son himself And Writing to the Senate of Melhuse he repeateth the same Doctrine and concludeth that wheresoever God changeth the ordinary maner of calling he alwaies miraculously testifieth his Mission Let then our Adversaries according to this rule tell us whether they were sent mediately by men or immediately Lib. de neâ—essitate reformandi Ecclesiam ad Carolum 5. by God to reform our Church Calvin I know writeth that he and his fellows in a pure zeal of glorifying God and saving Souls were inforced to depart from our Church And Beza affirmeth it to have been lawfull for them to follow an extraordinary calling when no ordinary was to be found or scarcely any But with these answers they satisfie not Luthers demand where are those Miracles wholly necessary to testifie this immediate Vocation Hath now for these hundred years past any Protestant Minister cured so much as a lame Dog to prove his Vocation Wherefore Doctor Seravia in his Defence against Beza writeth thus That Vocation which is immediately from God is never without Miracles and extraordinary signes done in proof thereof For that it is a thing full of danger and all sorts of Hereticks albeit never so absurd may claim it in a like manner and rely upon that alone no man ought to thrust himself into Ecclesiastical Offices Wherefore Bullinger writing against the Anabaptists You pretend saith he to be sent as the Apostles were prove your Vocation by signes and miracles which you will never do wherefore
as may be instanced in all â—â—â—â—ticks of former times whereby the other three Patriarchical Seats of Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem have been first corrupted and afterwards with Mahumetiâ—m overwhelmed as now likewise hath almost happened unto the Churches of Greece after they had been ten severall times unitâ—d to the Church of Rome and faln again from it who yet never arrived unto that fraâ—â—tick and witlesse folly of Protestants affirming the Succession of Popes in S. Peters Chair even almost since the Apostles time for 1000. years at lâ—ast past to have been Antichrist that single man and professed enemy of Christ mentioned by S. Paul who is certainly to be received by the Jews to raign in Hierusalem and tread the holy City under his feet to sit as a God in the Temple reedified by him to kill Enoch and Elias there the two faithful witnesses of Christ lying afterwards three dayes together naked in the Streets of that City the glory of whose raign is to continue but three years and a half called by Daniel and S. John a time two times and half a time numbred by forty two months or which is all one by 1260. dayes when Christ shall shorten the rage of his persecution for the good of his elect and kill this wicked man with the breath of his own mouth All which particulars contained in Scripture one by one can no more agree to the whole Succession of Roman Bishops than to the Turkish Emperours for these thousand years past nor indeed so much because these have had the possession of Hierusalem for many ages together and ever have been enemies to Christ and Christians whereas Popes have ever been his faithfull Servants his Vicars here on earth and chief Pastors of his flock by his own Ordination So as â—othing could have been devised more injuriously to Christ or more derogating from his glory in redeeming us than to affirm as in effect they do that the Devill timely prevailed against him for the overthrow of his Church and that also by the Roman Bishop and Chaire of Peter whereon as a Rock he promised to build so firmly as hell gates to wit no power of men or Devils should prevail against it In the mean time if ad Thess 2. we will with holy Fathers and all antient or modern Interpreters examine that obscure place of S. Paul concerning the mystery of iniquity working in his time it was not understood of Popes but of Hereticks beginning then to rise and preparing a way for Antichrists coming for which cause they are called by S. John Antichrists as by corrupting the true faith forerunners of him And never any Sect or sort of Hereticks did perform this wicked Office against Christ his Church more than modern Hereticks have done in their pretended reformation of our Church and Religion Whose malice against the Bishop of Rome is so far extended as even that blessed Apostle himself whose Chair they succeed in is so undervalued by them that they seek to deny many especial privileges of our Saviours love towards him magnified by all ancient Fathers and Interpreters of Scripture before them as his having been from his first calling by the imposall of a new name designed by Christ to be the head foundation of his Church and under the title of his Flock thrice commended the same to his government prayed for him that his faith might not faile willing him to confirm his Brethren He prayed not In quaest Novi testamenti q. 75. saith S. Austin for James or John or any of the rest but for Peter alone that his faith might not faile because on him as a sure foundation next to himself the firmity of his Church chiefly depended So as from this Text the unâ—rring judgment of him and his Successors in points of Faith hath been as well by ancienâ— Fathers as later Divines rightly gathered Neither can it be convinced that any Bishop of Rome hath as a private Doctor erred in any point of Faith much lesse guided the Church amisse by falsly declaring any point or practice of Christian Doctrine And if amongst such a multitude of most Learned Holy and eminent Persons which in the See of Rome have from age to age succeeded each other some few have been blamefull in their lives as one amongst the twelve Apostles was a Judas and another amongst the first seven Deacons is commonly held to have been horribly vicious in his life and doctrine yet prejudiced not the sanctity of the rest nor the holinesse of their Function for why should the glory of other good Popes come to be obscured or the high authority of that See be lessened by them Such scandals being some of those gates of Hell which were permitted by Christ to be opened against his Church but never to overthrow it Yet I may truly say here that in numbring and naming such Popes Protestants have notably erred and with great malice made Boniface the eighth and other Popes black and abominable in their lives who by the certain testimonies of most holy and learned persons living in the same age and time with them were very good holy and zeaâ—ous Bishops and wrongfully defamed by unconscionable wicked men professed adversaries unto them And should any Pope swarve in any point from the professed and known faith of Christs Church and in any publick manner profâ—sse his error there would not as our Adversariâ—s teach be wanting in the Church authority or means enough to â—eâ—ose or rather declare him to be no true member of the same and so no more hâ—ad thereof which is spoken of a thing in the ayre and that will never hâ—ppen Nâ—ither is it to be marvelled at that we Christians should bâ—lieve that the cheif Pastor and Head of Christs Church for whom himself prayed that his faith might not faile for the confirmation of his Brethren in their Christian and Catholick profession should be inâ—allible in his publick teaching sithence the High Priest of the Jews a type onely and figure of ours was to be so strictly followed and obeyed in his doctrine as the refusers of his sentence were by death and no lesse penalty to be punished and such as sate in the Chair of Moses and exercised that power which was provided by God for the instruction of his People were by our Saviours command notwithstanding their bad lives to be followed in their doctrine and can we think that he would leave his Church void of such an external and infallible means in all points and practices of faith to rely on For should the Churches teaching be held fallible and uncertain even scriptures themselves might be questioned in their authority approved as I have said before by her testimony and tradition as other declared points of doctrine And to say that this infallible authority should be more in the flock than in the chief Pastor thereof more in the body than in the head more in the family than in the father and governour
Prelates and Penitens together anciently introduced which might and hath been taken away not onely by Nectarius in his City but by S. Leo and other Bishops because as the fervour of Christians became cooled sundry inconveniences happened by occasion of it which are not wanting in all Calvinian Consistories making their stool of Penance ridiculous and of little benefit to such as are brought unto it The twelfth Controversie Concerning the number and effect of Sacraments CAlvin seemeth in words to extoll In Antideto Sess 7. c. 5 6. the Sacraments of the new Law as fountains of our Saviour ordained to cleanse and sanctifie souls yet when he cometh more clearly to expresse his Doctrine he affirmeth them with the rest of his fellows to be no other than bare Signes of faith and Seals as it were of Christs gratious and liberall promises made in the Gospel unto us And therefore in the holy Councell of Trent they were justly condemned declaring them as the Generall Councel of Florence had done before not onely to be Signs but true causes of such graces as are signified by them as fountains flowing from Christs wounds and graciously ordained by him to apply easily and efficaciously for the sanctification of our souls such graces as by his life and death he merited for us Wherefore S. Augustine against Faustus â—ib 19. c. 10 his Mainchean Adversary affirmeth them to work after an unspeakable manner their effect of heavenly graces in us And elsewhere he asketh Tract 80. in John how water in Baptisme cometh to have that force by touching the body to cleanse and sanctifiâ— the soul but by being raised above its own force made the water of a Sacrament ordained by Christ for that purpose In Orat. de S. Baptis which sense also S. Gregory Nissen comparing the seed of man and the water of Baptisme together saith that as the naturall body of a man is framed by the one so is the soul and supernaturall man framed by vertue of the other causing graces in him And S. Lib. 2. in Jo. c. 42. Cyrill teacheth that as water made hot by fire scaldeth and warmeth as fire it self doth so the water of Baptisme is by the Holy Ghost as a heavenly fire raised to have a divine vertue in it of sanctifying souis washed with it called therefore by Saint Paul the Laver of Regeneration and Renovation because we are renewed in our souls and supernaturally regenerated by it And the same in a proportionable manner may be said of other Sacraments seven in their whole number because the Son of God ordained seven Ceremonies to be used by us with promises of Graces annexed unto them if we preparedly and worthily Ad Eph. 5. receive them Baptisme for example is said to be the Laver of life cleansing souls Confirmation is spiritually Acts 8. to strengthen us given with imposition of hands by the Apostles first and since by Bishops not without the Holy Ghost visibly heretofore and now invisibly no doubt given by it The holy Eucharist is as a heavenly food and ordained to nourish John 6. our souls declared by Christ himself in the gracious effects thereof Pennâ—nce is also a wholesome medicine to cleanse and cure the wounds and diseases of mens souls by remission of sinnes promised to such as worthily receive it Order conferreth Graces to dispose and make men fie for Ecclesiasticall Functions for which Reasons S. Paul willâ—d Timâ—thy made Bishop by him to resuscitate and make use of that Grace which by imposition of his hands had been given unto him Matrimony is called by the same Apostle a great Sacrament representing the union which is between Christ and his Church not perfectly signified without Grace given that the beginning of manâ— life might saith S. Cyrill become sanctified by it Extreme Vnction is mentioned by S. James and remission of sinnes declared to be the effect thereof The councell of Florence gathered this numher of seven Sacraments from seven conveniences in our spiritual corporal life equally required a generation to wit in the onâ— and a regeneration in the other growth and increase of strength medicines to cure diseases Superiours to govern Subjects means of procreation and a comfortable departure out of thiâ— world c. That these Sacramentâ— give grace of themselves beyond the disposition of such as receive them iâ— proved by S. Augustine from the effect of Baptisme in little children which proceedeth neither from the sanctity of him that baptiseth nor from any disposition in the children themselves but meerely from the vertue of the Sacrament ex opere operato as Divines expresse it And whereas our Adversaries term this expression barbarous In Psal 138. I will answer them with S. Augustine melius â—st ut nos reprehendant Grammatici quam ut non intelligant Populi it is better that Grammarians should reprehend us than that the people should not understand us And in this â—fficacity of Sacraments a chief dignity of our Christian Religion properly consisteth for that never any other exteriour Sacraments had power in themselves to sanctifie souls For which cause S. Paul comparing the Sacraments of the old Law with ours calleth them egena infirma elementa barren and infirm Elements Neither do our Adversaries duly consider as they ought that in the denying the number and efficacity of Sacraments they detract from the merit of our Saviours death and power which it had to sanctifie souls in severall manners and to communicate by Sacraments heavenly Graces unto us according to our Adversaries Doctrine Lib de captivitat Babilonica titulo de Baptismo to little or no effect at all ordained by him Luther having written thus of them the signs justifie not and as S. Paul said Circumcision availeth nothing so I say of Baptisme it is nothing nor is the Participation of our Lords Table any thing they In locis commun tit de signis part 8. are testimonies onely and Seals of Gods love towards us Melanctthon taught the same Doctrine and albeit many Lutherane Divines do now depart In Antid l. 4. in stitutionum from it yet Calvin and his Adherents constantly still maintain it Infants saith he are holy from their Mothers womb for Gods promise made to Abraham I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee Beza likewise maintaineth the same Doctrine In 2. Desâ—nsione de Sacram. and other chief Authors amongst them So as Baptisme with them saith John Skutts a great Lutherane Divine is as Radling to Lib. 50. causarum c. 17. mark sheep with that their owners may know them And this Doctine hath been by the Devil himself I doubt not purposely suggested unto these men for the dâ—mnation of innocent children dying without Baptisme by occasion thereof as not held necessary for their salvation expressely against the words of our Saviour Joh. 3. Vnlesse a man be born again of water and