as the articles which are belieued and the reuelation why they are belieued both which are of eternal verity and certainty or Internal as the pious disposition of the will by grace preuenient and the actuall assent to fayth in the Vnderstanding by the infused guift of Fayth both which grace and guift do operate and cooperate to the act of diuine supernaturall and catholike fayth That these I say all and euery one of these meanes are wanting in Protestants to their fayth beliefe I proue And first that they want all testimonies of credibility which may perswade any man prudently to accept of their fayth we may suppose and note that these testimonies or motiues are of three sortes 1. such as may perswade Iewes and Gentils to become Christians 2. such as may confirme Catholikes to continue Christians 3. such as may induce Heretikes to returne to be Catholikes Of the first sort are many alleaged by ancient Fathers Dionysius Areopagita Iustinus Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian Cyprian Lactantius Chrysostome Augustine against the Gentils all cited proued by Valentia As for exāple in respect of Christ the dignity of his person the efficacy of his preaching the verity of his predictions and the vertue of his miracles In respect of Christian doctrine the manner of the propagation of it not by power eloquence nobility or liberty but by the simplicity of simple poore and vnlearned mens preaching and that to a faith aboue reason contrary to the inclination of flesh and bloud The confirmation of it by miracles martyrdome prophecies sanctity of doctrine and order of discipline the opposition of it by the violence and persecution of Iewes and Pagans and by the eloquence reasons of Rethoricians and Philosophers all in vaine In respect of the Scripture the antiquity of it as extant before any writings of any Philosophers the consonancy of it in the agreement of the old testament with the new and of both in themselues In respect of the Professours their excellent wit eloquence learning and vertue in it their conuersions from infidelity to it their wonderfull constancy and fortitude in defending and dying for it All which haue beene vrged as strong motiues against Gentils to conuert them to it Of the second sort which may confirme Catholikes or such as confirmed S. Augustine in his catholike beliefe against the Maniches which he recites to haue beene 1. the consent of people and Nations 2. Authority begun by miracles nourished by hope increased by charity and confirmed by antiquity 3. The succession of Priests from the seate of Peter to the then present Bishop of Rome 4. The name of Catholike neuer vsurped by Heretikes speaking to strangers but vsually attributed by them to Catholikes all which did iustly keep me sayth he in the bosome of the Catholike Church Of the third sort which may reduce Heretiks are such as the Nicen Councell in the Creed S. Augustine and others did alledge to conuince the Heretikes of their tyme that is 1. Vnity of the present Church with the ancient in doctrine and vnity of the partes with the head by fayth vnity among themselues by charity and to their Pastour by obedience 2. Sanctity of doctrine which induceth sinners to holinesse and conuerts Infidells to christianity and sanctity of persons who exercise good workes of piety confirme their doctrine and holinesse by miracles and prophecies 3. Vniuersality in name by which it is called Catholike In place by being or hauing been extended in preaching or professing to all or most Nations at the least successiuely In tyme by being ancient in beginning from the Apostles and constant in continuing from them vntill this present against al persecution of Gentils Iewes or Pagans 4. Succession of Pastours and Prelats who by lawfull succession from some Apostolicall sea or from some who haue authority from it and by lawfull ordination from them who are lawfully ordeined can deriue their succession and ordination from the Apostles These are markes and testimonies which distinguish the true Church of Christ from al conuenticles of Heretikes do conuince euidently that to be the true church where they are to be found and that to be false where they are wanting Which supposed it is to be proued First that the Protestants want all these testimonies of credibility which should make euident the credibility of their fayth and religion either to Pagans to conuert them or to Heretikes to reduce them or to their owne followers to confirme them And first because it will be to tedious to touch euery one in particuler we will select the most principall and for the first sort which may conuert Pagās it is certaine that whatsoeuer of the former motiues the Protestants can alleadge either concerning Christ his doctrine his Scripture or his Professours to proue Christian Religion credible to a Pagā they receaued them all from vs and our Church from which they haue receaued what they haue either of Christ of Scripture of Sacraments of Christian religion in generall therefore what these proue or confirme they proue confirme our Church and doctrine not theirs For the first of the rest if we seeke Vnity of doctrine among them it is not to be found They haue not Vnity either with the Primitiue Church and Fathers whose doctrine they reiect in free Will Merit Iustification Prayer to Saints and most points now in controuersy as in the first part is at large proued nor with any head or supreme Gouernour of which sort they admit none on earth but disclaime all supremacy in any person whatsoeuer for matter ecclesiasticall nor yet among themselues who are diuided into many diuisions and subdiuisions of Sects and Heresies that long agoe the number exceeded a hundreth now are so many that they cannot be numbred In all which as they want all Vnity so they want all meanes to settle any vnity in that they admit no iudge to decide any controuersy and to silence any persons contentious If we seeke for Sanctity either of doctrine or of persons by holynesse of life or miracles it is not to be expected among them for their doctrine which is for example that euery motion though naturall of concupiscence is sinne as well without as with consent that all workes though the best are sinne that no good Workes doe merit that no Iustice is inherent but imputatiue that only Fayth iustifies that the Commandements are impossible that Man hath not Free-will that God ordaines and creates Men to saluation or damnation without respect to their endeauour or workes This doctrine I say is a speciall retractiue to detaine any man from attaining to any sanctity and perfection of life as impossible and not in his power For any kind of Miracles they are so destitute of them to confirme their new doctrine that they disclaime
must needs by consequence hould so for the most part do hould that there are no infused and permanent guiftes or habits of fayth which concurre or help to our Iustification but that all is wrought by the motion of a transeunt spirit which motiō as it worketh according to them in them by it selfe only wholy all internall good workes without any cooperatiō of man or mans freewill so it is only a motion which worketh in whome it will when it will and how it will al and whatsoeuer it wil in man to his iustification and saluation by which it is euident that as in all their opinions they are neyther constant nor permanent but are wafted with euery wind of new doctrine and so fly from the beliefe of one thing to another so they are not guided by any permanent guift or quality but by certaine flashes motions of an vncertaine spirit which leads them from one vncertainty to another and so leaues them in al vncertaine 5. That the Protestants want the first of the eternall meanes or helps of Fayth that is the materiall obiects or articles of beliefe which are to be belieued as reuealed by Christ vnto the Apostles and by the Apostles left to their Successours and by them to vs and posterity is proued 1. Because they belieue many thinges as obiects of Fayth which are not reuealed eyther in Scripture or Traditions of which are many instances giuen in the former parte so do they not belieue many articles which are reuealed both in Scripture and Tradition for which cause they reiect all tradition and in it many mysteries of fayth which the Apostles left only by Tradition and refuse many partes of Scripture and that chiefly because they containe many points of doctrine which they will not belieue 2. Because as they admit many points of doctrine into the number of their articles of fayth which the ancient Church condemned for heresies as contrary to Apostolicall doctrine witnesse the ancient condemned heresies of Heluidius Vigilantius Arius Iouinian and others by them reuiued so they cōdemne many pointes of doctrine as erroneous superstitious or idolatrous which the ancient Church receaued for articles of Fayth as agreable to Apostolicall tradition witnesse all the poyntes of doctrine which the Magdeburgenses and others before cyted condemne as errours and staines in the ancient Fathers in euery age since Christ in both which they erre in the materiall obiects of Fayth as well in receauing condemned heresies for Apostolicall verities as in cōdemning receaued Apostolicall verities reuealed by Christ for erroneous heresyes 3. Because as they admit speciall Fayth only whose obiect is only their remission of sinnes and iustification for diuine Fayth by which they are iustified so all other fayth by which they belieue for example the B. Trinity Incarnation Passion and Resurrection and Ascension of Christ with the rest of the articles of faith vsually belieued they acknowledge for no other but for a general Faith common as well to the damned and Diuells as to them which faith in the Diuel and damned as it is no voluntary and free act proceeding from a pious disposition of the Will nor a diuine and supernaturall worke depending vpon any authority of God reuealing but a meere naturall and necessary act of knowledge◠conuincing their vnderstāding eyther by force of experience or by euidence of reason or by apparent and euident notes of credibility or by some manifestly knowne testimonies of God of the verity of that which they belieue and tremble at so in the same manner their Faith of the same articles by their owne confession is not diuine but a meere humane fayth grounded vpon some generall receaued opinion or vpon some meere human authority and so what they conceaue of the generall articles of faith they do not receaue them as any articles of doctrine and supernaturall fayth but as generall receaued positions humane coniectures and their owne selfe-seeming and chosen opinions 6. That the Protestants want all diuine Reuelation for which as the formall cause and the finall resolution they should belieue al which is by God reuealed is proued 1. Because what they belieue they belieue not for that it was reuealed to the Apostles by the Holy Ghost eyther at Pentecost when it did visibly teach and confirme them or in successe of tyme when vpon occasion as at the conuersion of Gentils it did reueale to them all the mysteries euer after to be belieued which Reuelation made to the Apostles is the formall cause of fayth nor yet for that it is proposed to them by Church infallible authority as a condition necessary to know what is reuealed but for that it is reuealed to them a new by their owne priuate spirit from which they receaue all their directions and certainty both what is reuealed why it is reuealed and also by what meanes it is reuealed 2. Because the meanes by which Christ doth manifest and declare vnto vs his diuine reuelations they eyther plainely reiect or wholy subiect to their priuate spirit for the authority of traditions by which part of the diuine reuelations are deliuered to vs and the Proposition of the Church by which we are secured of the certainty of them they reiect and deny The authority of the Scripture which is an other meane by which God hath reuealed his truth and which they chalenge as the only means both of knowledge certainty of diuine reuelations they wholy subiect to their priuate spirit by which they are assured which is true Canon which is true edition which true trāslation which true sense of it And so for diuine reuelation they haue neyther any at all nor yet any meanes to know or attaine vnto it And thus much of the Protestants want of all the necessary helps meanes by which true and diuine supernaturall Catholike fayth is produced conserued and increased in the soule of euery faithfull belieuer and member of Christs holy body and Church How the Catholikes and Protestants differ in these six meanes and how the Protestants make their priuate spirit the only meanes of all SECT IIII. THE fourth consideration is to reflect vpon the aduantage which we Catholiks haue against the Protestāts and the difference that is betweene vs and them in these meanes of Fayth and how that the Protestants do substitute one only deluding and deceitfull meanes that is this their priuate Spirit in place of all the six former meanes of fayth And first for the materiall obiect they professe to belieue 1. only the doctrine which is reuealed in scripture 2. that only which is reuealed in that one parte of Scripture which they are pleased to accept as Scripture by their spirit 3. that only in that part of Scripture which is according to their precōceaued opinion so interpreted by their spirit so that Scripture alone and that not in whole but in part and that part of Scripture as it is
seriously discussed may suffice to satisfy the Reader that in their iudgement this priuate spirit is an vnfit Interpreter of holy Scripture and an vnable iudge to decide matters of Fayth Secondly we may note that though none of the ancient Fathers did in particuler write of this subiect nor yet on set purpose confute it yet these sayinges and sentences of theirs sought and picked out as so many dispersed flowers of their seuerall gardens and coupled togeather as into one nose-gay may serue for a taste of their generall opinions iudgement in this matter especially since their assertions were neuer contradicted nor their persons euer censured by any for them Thirdly we may note that those Fathers who doe either attribute this prerogatiue of interpreting Scripture to the Church or Pastours of it as the most cyted by Bellarmine before quoted doe or derogate the same from all humane and proper wit and iudgement as some of these heere cyted in their words do do both of them as much as if in expresse tearmes they had done it condemne this priuate spirit and power of it as incompetent for a Iudge of Fayth 1. because they who interprete Scripture and assigne the Fathers Councells or Church for approued and authorized Iudges in this case must needs condemne those who forsake them and oppose themselues and their iudgement against them which all they doe who rely vpon their priuate spirit and prefer their iudgement of it before the iudgement of the Church and Fathers 2. Because all who are guided by this priuate spirit and rely vpon it doe in effect rely vpon their owne iudgement and opinion and so either erroneously mistaking themselues or abusing the spirit do insteed of the spirit of God make their owne conceit fancy or imagination the iudge and vmpire of all These being supposed we will descend to particulers and cyte some of these Fathers and their testimonies in thei◠seuerall ages First therefore to begin◠〈◊〉 the first age of the Apostles to descend downe 〈◊〉 S Clement the scholer of S. Paul and coetaneall with the Apostles sayth It is to be obserued that when the law of God is read it ought not to be read or vnderstood according to the meaning of euery mans owne wit for there are many thinges in holy Scripture which may be wrested to that meaning which euery one volūtarily presumes to frame to himselfe but this cannot be Loe the sense which euery ones wit and iudgement which they call their spirit presumes to frame cannot be a true and infallible sense of Scripture In the second age Irenaeus a Doctour and Martyr whō S. Hierome calles Virum Apostolicum an Apostolicall man speaking of the Heretiks of his tyme sayth Euery one sayth that his owne fiction which he hath deuised of himselfe is wisedome that he vndoubtedly vnspottedly and sincerely doth know the hiddē mysteries These Heretikes made the inuention of their own braine the vndoubted spirit of wisedome to vnderstand the hidden mysteries of Fayth Tertullian speaking of Heretikes who differ among themselues sayth Euery one doth tune what he receaues according to his owne liking in the same manner as he who taught them made it according to his owne liking Againe shewing that diuersity of doctrine brings corruption of scripture he sayth They who are resolued to teach otherwise then the Church must change the meanes of doctrine that is scripture since how came the heretikes to be strangers and enemies to the Apostles but by the diuersity of doctrine which euery one according to his owne liking either made or receaued Againe VVho are rauenous wolues but subtill senses and spirits that lye close to molest the flocke of Christ VVho are false Prophets but false Preachers VVho are false Apostles but adulterous Ghospellers Againe He is to be counted an Heretike who forsaking that which was first doth choose to himselfe that which was not before Againe Heresy is called in Greek of Election by which one chooseth to beginne or follow it therefore S. Paul sayd that therefore an Heretike was damned because he chose to himselfe that for which he is damned It is not lawfull for vs to introduce any thing vpon our owne opiniō nor to follow that which others introduced vpon their owne opinion And he calles Adams sin an Heresy because he chose it rather vpon his owne then Gods election Heere are deceitful spirits euery one 's owne spirit liking will purpose resolution opinion and election described to be that which makes men Heretikes and strangers from God rauenous Wolues false Prophets and adulterous Ghospellers and damned Heretikes and changes the sense of Scripture Out of which the same Tertullian affirmes That heresy is a matter of humanae temerity not diuine authority which alwayes so amends the Ghospell vntill it corrupt it That all doctrine is true not which came from a priuate spirit but which agrees with the Apostolicall mother and originall Churches and that is without doubt to be held which the Church receaued from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ Christ from God all other doctrine is preiudicated as that which sauoureth against the verity of the Church of Christ. Againe That to deale with Heretikes by Scriptures is but to turne ones stomacke or breake his braine to loose his speach by contending to rayse choler by hearing their blasphemy since what the most expert Scripturist can alleadge they will deny and what he denies they will defend eyther by denying Scripture or by adding or detracting from it Valentinus sayth he receaued that which was most for his purpose and formed the Scriptures to his owne opinions but not his opinions to Scripture And so as S. Augustine saies They contend not for the true meaning of Scripture but for their owne opinions making that which is the opinion of their owne to be the meaning of Scripture In the third age Clemens Alexand. in his learned bookes Stromatum which he wrote according to Baron anno 204. shewing not only that Heretikes alleadge Scripture but also how they vse it sayth Though they who follow heresies presume to vse the propheticall Scriptures yet they neither vse all of them nor these they vse entirely but choosing those sayings which are doubtfull they draw them to their owne priuate opinions This is one of the chiefest sleightes of this their priuate spirit to wrest doubtfull sentences to their owne aduantage make that which is vncertaine in it selfe certaine and a point of Fayth In the same age S. Cyprian that Doctor suauissimus Martyr beatissimus as S. August calles him speaking of some whome the Diuell leades from one blindnes of the world to another darkenesse of errour sayth They call themselues Christians and while they walke in darknes they thinke they are in light the Diuell flattering and deceauing them who transfigures himselfe into an Angell of light
or forme of true doctrine which they had learned and is committed to them The doctrine which they receaued froÌ„ the beginning VVhich was first euangelized to them Or the precepts of the Apostles and ancients Or rather of our Sauiour deliuered by the holy Prophets and Apostles And the word of God which remaines for euer That the knowledge of this rule or doctrine of fayth is presupposed to the true knowledge and vnderstanding of scripture is proued both by scripture and reason By scripture the Prophet Isay sayth as S. Cyprian and S. Augustine do both of them read and vnderstand it Except you belieue you cannot vnderstand that is sayth S. Cyprian the Iewes cannot vnderstand the scripture except they first belieue in Christ S. Augustine sayth There be some of you who vnderstand not and therefore they vnderstand not because they belieue not let vs first adhere by Fayth that we may be reuiued by vnderstanding And in another place Fayth must go before Vnderstanding that the vnderstanding may be the reward of Fayth Therefore Fayth and the rule of fayth is necessary before the vnderstanding of Scripture Secondly the Scripture for the sense is a Booke sealed with seauen seales these seales none can open but he who hath the key of Dauid This key of Dauid is giuen only to them who are faythfull with Dauid therfore the key of faith is requisit to the opening the sense of the booke of scripture which is confirmed by S. Hierome who alleadging the same words sayth The Law is spirituall and requires reuelation that it be vnderstood For proofe of which he produceth the example of the Eunuch who read but vnderstood not the scripture till Philip did expound it to him made him faythfull and so became of a scholler a Maister Thirdly Euery learned Scribe in the Kingdome of Heauen is like to a man the maister of a family who bringeth out of his treasure new and old The Scribes were the Maisters and Interpreters of scripture but they were in the kingdome of heauen that is in the Church by Fayth and so did interprete the new and old Testament which S. Augustine alleadging to the same purpose against the Manichees sayth You vnderstand not because you belieue not as sayth I say for you are not instructed in the kingdome of heauen that is in the true Catholike Church of Christ for if you were you would produce old and new out of the scriptures Therfore one must be a scholler in the Church by fayth before he can come to vnderstand the scripture as a Maister Fourthly S. Paul sayth to Timothy Thou hast learned holy scriptures from thy infancy which are able to instruct thee to saluation by fayth which is in Christ. If the scriptures instruct by Fayth then Fayth is prerequired before we can be instructed by them or vnderstand them Fifthly the holy Fathers and Doctours of the Church haue by the breach of this rule as a signe discerned Heretikes and by the authority of it as a strong argument confuted the same Thus were discerned Marcion Valentinus Câ—rinthus and Basilides by their deprauing the rule of truth witnesse Irenaeus Thus Paulus Samosatenus by his forsaking the Canon of the Church and flying to strange and adulterous doctrine Thus Montanus by his vttering strange words contrary to the custome of the Church deriued by tradition and succession from the Apostles witnes of both Eusebius Thus Nestorius by forsaking the ancient doctrine and introducing of new witnes Socrates And thus all Heretikes by their forsaking the rule of Christianity witnesse S. Augustine They being all esteemed to haue truth on their side who walke according to the rule which the Church receaued from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ witnes Tertullian Thus did S. Hierome confute and confound the heresy of the Luciferians by the light of the Sunne of the Church Gregorius Nazianzen the same by the doctrine abhorring the same S. Basil the Eunomians by the vnwritteÌ„ tradition of the Church Athanasius the Arians by the authority of the Orthodoxe Church and his ancestors opposite to them and abhorring their doctrine S. Epiphanius the Melchisidechians by the tradition of the Apostles and succession of doctrine The Millenarians by their transgressing the limits of the holy Church of God and the hope of Propheticall and Apostolicall tradition in fayth and doctrine And the Demerâ—s and other Heretikes by the style of Christianisme and the phrase of the Apostles receaued from the Fathers S. Augustine the Pelagians by the grounded custome of the Church hastening to baptisme infants By the most ancient knowne and vndoubted rule of Fayth truth And by the authority of the Church so commended in scrâ—pture The Donatists by the authority of the Church and by apostolicall Tradition And both Irenaeus Origen and S. Augustine did confute all Heretikes by the tradition of the Apostles manifest to the whole world in the Church sayth Irenaeus By the Ecclesiasticall tradition dissented off by none sayth Origen By the Catholike Church whose not receauing any opinion is sufficient sayth S. Augustine to confound any heresy Therfore the doctrine and practise of the ancient Fathers was to discerne and confute all Heretikes by this rule of Fayth Sixthly the same is proued by Reason because the scripture is the booke of the faythfull not the faithlesse therefore as it was writ to the faythfull as the conuerted Iewes Romans Corinthians c. so it is vnderstood truely only by the faythfull as the Christians not by the Infidels as the Iewes Turkes and Heretikes who haue and read the wordes but vnderstand not the sense meaning because the veile is yet ouer their eyes in the reading of it for want of fayth therefore the letter that is the words and reading of it doth kill them and is to them a ministration of death and only the spirit that is the vnderstanding of it doth giue life to them who haue fayth Of which necessity of Fayth prerequired to the vnderstanding of Scripture see Stapleton de principijs Doctrinalibus where the same is further proued out of the ancient Fathers testimonyes to wit S. Augustine Irenaeus Origen Athanasius Cyrill of Alexandria Theodoret and Vincentius Lyrin who sayth that the holy and learned men did interprete the holy Scripture according to the traditions of the Catholike Church and the rule of Catholike fayth And againe That the line of propheticall and Apostolicall interpretation must be directed according to the rule of the Catholike and Ecclesiasticall sense Which and much more he alleadges against the custome of Heretikes who haue alwayes the Scripture in their mouth and out of it do confirme their errours Out of which may be inferred how vntruly and fraudulently the Protestants do generally auerre that in the scripture the spirit of God is and is to be sought
the Church As therfore there are customes lawes Iudges to decide causes ciuill so there is Tradition Scripture and a Iudge to decide causes spirituall and as customes and lawes are a rule not a Iudge to decide the one so also are tradition Scripture a rule not a Iudge to decide the other As well therefore is requisite besides Scripture some other liuing and speaking Iudge in matters of fayth religion to iudge and end the Controuersies among ChristiaÌ„s as is necessary besids Law some other personal iudge in affaires of the Common-wealth to debate and decide contentions among Neighbours The necessity of both which chiefly appeares when either the parties are contentious and not willing to yield or that the law is obscure and wantes explication or seemes contradictory and requires reconciliation or is penned in tearms generall and stands need of some restriction in causes particuler All which sith they fall out as well in Scripture as in common or ciuill lawes some iudge or iudges are as well necessary to expound Scripture as they are to interprete Lawes and thereby to end Controuersies And thus is sufficiently proued that neither Scripture and the word of God nor Princes and Kinges Gouernours of the Common-wealth nor the Lay common people among the Faythfull nor yet the whole body and congregation of the Church of God can be a fit iudge to pronounce sentence and determine matters of fayth and religion Bishops and Prelats of the true Church are this Iudge SECT VI. IT remaines to proue that this iudiciary power and authority to heare and examine to decide and determine as a Iudge authentical and infallible in matters of fayth belongs only to Pastours and Prelates of the Church and that they hauing receaued lawfull ordination by power successiuely descending from the Apostles by which they enter as sheepheardes not theeues and still remayning in vnity without heresy or schisme by which they continue true Pastours not Wolues that they I say thus ordained and vnited are the only and true Iudges of fayth Religion This position as much importing for the certainty of fayth in all persons and mainly confuting the authority of the priuate spirit in euery priuate person is fully to be proued 1. By the authority of the old Testament the practise of the Priests in it 2. By authority of the new Testament and the practise of Christ and his Apostles in it 3. By authority of the Church euer after Christ and the practise of all Bishops Prelates in it First therefore out of the old Testament we haue an expresse law made by God himselfe for this iudiciary authority of Priests in these wordes If thou perceaue that the iudgment with thee be hard and doubtfull betweene blood and blood cause and cause leprosy and not leprosy and thou see that the wordes of the Iudges within thy gates do vary aryse and go vp to the place which our Lord thy God shall choose thou shalt come to the Priests of the Leuiticall stocke and to the Iudge that shall be at that tyme and thou shalt aske of them who shall shew thee the truth of the iudgment and thou shalt doe whatsoeuer they that are Presidents of the place which our Lord shall choose shall say and teach thee according to his law and thou shalt follow their sentence neither shalt thou decline to the right hand nor to the left hand but he that shal be proud refusing to obey the Commandment of the Priest which at that tyme ministreth to our Lord thy God and the decree of the Iudge that man shall dye In which wordes 1. The Priests haue authority and commission to iudge of all causes 2. The people are willed to go to them for iudgment in doubtfull causes 3. Vnder paine of death they are commauÌ„ded to stand too obey their iudgment without appeale to any higher Court of Prince or other In which we may note 1. The institution and beginning of this authority of the Priests in the old Law 2. The progresse and continuance of it 3. The end and cessation of it 1. The institution of it was for all cases of the Law of Commandment of Ceremonies of iustifications that is of the law morall of the ten Commandments ceremoniall of seruing God and iudicial of gouerning the people though in this place be mentioned only two causes that is of blood and leprosy These causes were determined in two Courts or Councells the one greater at Hierusalem called Synedrion consisting of the high Priest as chiefe and 70. with him as assistantes in which greater causes were iudged and appeales from the lower Councell were admitted and this was by God himselfe instituted The other lesser in euery Citty consisting of 23. persons who had the hearing and determining of smaller causes and was by Moyses at the aduice of Iethro his Father in law instituted By these two Councells were all causes iudged of these the Priests were Presidents and Iudges and of the greater the high Priest for the tyme was supreme Iudge whose senteÌ„ce in all causes and vnder paine of death all were obliged to obey 2. The continuance of this law and tribunall-seat doth appeare 1. By the facts of some of the Kinges chiefly of Iosaphat King of Iuda which repaired this Councel being decayed and made Amarias the high Priest President for those things which belonged to God and Zabadias for the office of the Kinges 2. By the wordes of the Prophets especially of Malachy who sends the people to the Priests to require the law from his mouth because he is the Angell of the Lord of Hoasts Of Aggaeus who bids them aske the Priests â—e Law And of the Wiseman who wils his sonne to seeke no further because the words of wisemen are as prickes and as nailes deeply stricken in which by the councel of Maisters are giueÌ„ of one Pastour Therfore this sentence is the last iudgmeÌ„t which admits no appeale 3. The end cessation of this law and Tribunall of Moyses doth appeare by the beginning of a new Tribunal of Christ For as with the death of Christ the obligation of the law the sacrifices of the Law and the prophesies vnder the law ceased and the verity of them being in his passion fullfilled so also the iudiciary power both of the Priest and of the Law diminished as the greater power of the new law-maker Christ increased And the assistance of the holy Ghost by degrees failed them and their Councell as by degrees the power of Christ was more plainely manifested the grace of the holy Ghost more abundantly bestowed of which out of Scripture we haue this proofe and experiment whereas the high Priest with the Priests Scribes and Phaâ—isies gathered three Councells in the life of Christ all about the person of Christ 1. In his infancy at the coÌ„ming of the Wise-men to consult where he was borne wheÌ„ Herod
would haue killed him 2. Before his passion after the raysing of Lazarus to aduise about his apprehension when Caiphas vpon malice aduised his death and as Priest prophesyed of the Iewes saluation by his death 3. At his passion when by false witnes they condemned him as guilty of death and thereupon procured his death In the first the holy Ghost fully assisted them and their Councell that their determination was both true and iust In the second the holy Ghost assisted in part the high Priest in that his verdict of the Iewes saluation by one which verdict proceeded from the guift of prophesy annexed to his Priestly function and in part forsooke him in that is was iniust for that he did vpon malice condemne him In the third the holy Ghost quite forsooke them both in verity of the sentence as falsely accusing Christ of blasphemies and in the iustice of the same as wrongfully condemning him to be worthy of death By which is declared how farre the Priests iudiciary power before Christ did extend it selfe how long it did endure in what manner by degrees it did cease and end out of all is conuinced that neither Prince people or priuate person but the Priest in that tyme had power to decide and iudge all Controuersies of the law of fayth Secondly this authority of Priests and Prelates is proued out of the new Testament and that two wayes 1. By the commission authority which our Sauiour gaue to the Apostles and by their practise of it 2. By the same Commission giuen to the same Apostles not only for themselues and their owne tyme but also for their successours and all tymes ages That our Sauiour gaue this iudiciary power to his Apostles and to them only is proued 1. By the authority and commission he gaue to S. Peter as the head 2. By the same which he gaue to the rest as the principall mēbers and directours of the Church vnder this head To S. Peter as head he first promised it thē he prayed to confirme him in it 1. He promised it in that he promised to make him the foundation of the Church by giuing him the title of a Rocke saying Vpon this Rocke I will build my Church for what a maister is in a house what a gouernour is in a Citty what a King is in a kingdome and what a head is in a body the same is a foundatiō in a building Peter in the Church therefore to Peter was heere promised to be the head the foundation and the Gouernour of his Church 2. In that he promised to make him the Gouernour of the Church in a representatiue manner giuing him keyes of it To thee I will giue the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen For as the deliuering vp the keyes of the Citty to any is a signe of giuing vp the charge and gouernement of it to him so the promise of giuing to Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauen was a promise of giuing power authority to gouerne as a Iudge the Kingdome of heauen that is his Church 3. In that he gaue him power to bind and loose that is to retaine or remit by way of absoluing or not absoluing to commaund and punish by way of dispensation censure sentence or iudgement not only persons whomesoeuer but also causes whatsoeuer whether of crimes and offences against lawes or in doctrine and opinion against fayth And so the promise was made 1. To the person of S. Peter 2. Of authority to be Iudge and Gouernour 3. In all causes of doctrine or offēces whatsoeuer 4. Christ prayed to his Father for confirmation of this authority vpon S. Peter I prayed for thee that thy fayth faile not and thou once conuerted confirme thy Brethren that is that he might be firme in his fayth and thereby with his power confirme and settle others in the same Out of which Lucius Felix Marcus Leo Agatho Paschalis Popes with S. Bernard after them cited by Bellarmine doe gather the infallibility of S. Peter and the Popes power in iudgment of fayth Lastly Christ inuested S. Peter in this authority and iurisdiction when he gaue him commission and charge to feed his sheep Feed my Sheep feed my Lambes in which he gaue authority to Peter singularly as to one whō he calls Simon the sonne of Iohanna and from whome in particuler he drawes before hand a triple confession of his singular loue to him aboue the rest He giues also him authority to feed that is to exercise all pastorall charge and function which requires 1. That he feed with spirituall food all his sheep within the fold of his holy Church according to Ezechiel Are not the flocks fed of the Pastours And Psalm 22.1 Our Lord doth gouerne me in greeke feed me nothing shal be wāting to me he hath placed me there in a place of pasture 2. That he cure the sheep that are sore gather those who are dispersed reduce them that wander and defend those who are assaulted by the wolues according to that of Ezechiel And my sheep were dispersed because there was no Pastour and they came to be deuoured of the beastes of the field and were dispersed My flockes haue wandered in all mountaines and in euery high hill That which was lost I will seeke that which was cast away I will bring againe and that which was broken I will bind vp and that which was weake I will strengthen and that which was fat and stronge I will feed them in iudgment 3. That he rule gouerne discerne iudge and chastise according to that of Scripture Thou shalt feed that is gouerne my people Israel and be Captaine ouer Israel Thou shalt rule them in an iron rod. Behould I iudge betweene beast and beast of Rams and of Bucke goates Betweene the fat beast and the leane Out of which is apparent 1. That our Sauiour gaue to S. Peter in these wordes feed my sheep a pastorall charge ouer al his sheep that is all Christians who are the sheep of Christ 2. That this pastorall charge consists in collecting curing directing defending and iudging these sheep of Christ 3. That Peter by this charge had power to preach minister Sacraments correct offenders and iudge of all doctrine as chiefe head and Gouernour in the Church of Christ And so it is conuinced that this iudiciary authority was giuen to S. Peter as head of the rest That the same was giuen also to the rest of the Apostles is proued because as Christ did communicate to his Apostles power and authority which was proper to himselfe to forgiue sinnes VVhose sinnes you forgiue in earth shal be forgiuen in heauen and to offer Sacrifice Do this So also to the same did he communicate these priuiledges proper to himselfe that as he was Maister of all One is your Maister Christ so also he made them Maisters
God not only that which was written in paper but also that which was deliuered in preaching by the Apostles We receiue without any addition or diminution that Canon which the auncient Church twelue hundred yeares ago receiued that translation which for as many ages hath been approued that sense which the auncient Fathers Councells and Church euer since Christ allowed that Iudge which hath an infallible warrant from God to iudge truly and impartially of the Canon the text the translation the sense all whatsoeuer is doubtfull And all our practise is to follow the spirit of God speaking in the auncient Fathers Councels Church by which we are secure from errour or falshood about the scripture and sense of it Fifthly For the Church of God they with their priuate spirit dishonor it and derogate from it 1. From the power and authority of it as not hauing according to them any visible head and gouernour assisted with the holy Ghost to direct and gouerne it and to iudge of all causes and controuersies in it and so make it headlesse and vngouerned We honour it in acknowledging it to be a visible and perpetuall Monarchy with a setled and spirituall both Gouernour and gouernement hauing in it an infallible authority to iudge and decide all causes and controuersies 2. They derogate from the visibility perpetuity and infallibility of the same making it not only subiect to errour and corruption but to haue erred and perished or at least become inuisible for many ages We honour it in belieuing that it cannot erre faile perish become inuisible or be corrupted in fayth but that it is the piller of truth against which assisted by the holy Ghost the gates and power of hell and heresy cannot preuaile 3. They derogate from the vnity sanctity vniuersality and succession of the same as notes and markes to distinguish it from all other congregations which they reiect and admit not We reuerence and respect it as one holy Catholike and Apostlike Church which no other congregation is or can be 4. They derogate from the vncontrollable authority stability of the decrees of Councells and from the infallible testimony of the vnanime consent of the Fathers Doctors of the Church both which they at their pleasure censure condemne We receaue imbrace and follow them as guids and directours to truth and as witnesses and testimonies of truth belieuing that which they belieue and reiecting that which they before reiected 5. They derogate from the splendour and beauty of the Church in the state of Prelates in the single life of the Clergy in the retirednesse of the Religious persons in the ornaments of the Churches and in the variety of so many orders and professions all which they reiect condemne as needlesse or superstitious We reuerence and honour the same as tending to the externall honour of God and the magnificence of his Church thereby making the Church beautifull as the Moone elect as the Sunne wel ordered as an Army of men And to cōclude they make the Church the mystery of iniquity a whore a harlot and a strumpet the whore of Babylon drunken with al abominable filth of superstition and abomination of idolatry and antichristianity with which she hath made all the Christian world all Kinges and Emperours and that not for one or two ages but for seauen on ten or twelue or fourteene ages according to diuers opinions drunke with the same cup of superstition abomination idolatry and antichristianity and make it a body consisting of persons whoeuen the best and purest are in all partes and in euery action stayned impure sinnefull vniust and wicked We doe belieue confesse it to be the kingdome the citty the house of God the spouse of Christ the temple of the holy Ghost the pillar of truth which Christ hath purchased washed with his precious bloud made immaculate incontaminate and vnspotted pure holy and perfect before him which no errour of superstition or idolatry can possesse no power of Pagans or Heretikes or Schismatikes or other wicked Christians can suppresse no subtilty of heresy infidelity or Sathan himselfe can supplant destroy or extinguish Sixhtly For the sacraments they from the number of seauen do curtaile fiue and leaue only two and from these two they take away from the one that is baptisme 1. The effect and vertue making it only a signe or seale no cause or instrument of grace and of no more vertue then the baptisme of S. Iohn Baptist 2. They take away all necessity of it making it not needfull for infants whom they will haue saued by the parents faith without it From the other that is the Eucharist they take away both the fruit and the substance of it making it not the reall body and bloud of Christ but only a bare signe and remembrance of it Not any sacrifice offered to God but only a Sacrament signing or sealing grace and therby robbe Christ of all adoration by it as a Sacramēt and of all subiection or acknowledgment of dominion by it as a sacrifice and they robbe the Church of all benifit comfort both by the Sacrament and sacrifice We do admit for seuerall states of persons seuerall sorts of benefits by seauen seuerall kindes of Sacraments all as instruments of Gods power causing grace which assists all sorts of persons in their seuerall states and functions and all excell the Sacraments of the old law For the Sacrament of baptisme we belieue it to be a meanes of regeneration from originall sinne by which all sinne and punishment due to sinne both original actual is fully remitted and by which all persons are admitted into the mysticall body of Iesus Christ in his holy Church and made capable of the benefit of the rest of the Sacraments And for the Sacrament of the Eucharist we belieue that not only i◠conteines the fountaine of Grace but also is offered to God as a sacrifice to apply the vertue of his sacrifice on the crosse for the remission of our sinnes by which is giuen much honour to God and receiued great benefit by Gods Church much comfort to the faithfull both liuing and dead Seauenthly for Faith they and their priuate spirit admit many sorts of faith and in that none at all and make as many faiths as there are priuate spirits in particuler persons and in that destroy all vnity of faith We admit one holy Catholicall and Apostolicall faith one in al and generall to all who in all are directed by one spirit of Gods Church They admit a new and new-deuised faith neuer receiued by any but in some one or other point by condemned hereticks in whom it was condemned We receiue an auncient and euer belieued faith euer receiued and approued by general Coūcells ancient Fathers holy Saints in Gods Church They reiect the grounds of faith as Scripture Traditions Church Councells and Fathers We admit belieue
so generally receaued or strongly confirmed by all authority of any Church Tradition Councell or Fathers and deuise a new one of his owne inuention and therby wil build a new fayth and religion which it perswades the followers to be the only way to truth and life Fourthly the spirit of euery Catholike will deliuer his owne interpretation only as probable and submit himselfe to the censure and iudgment of the spirit of the Catholike Church captiuating with S. Paul his vnderstanding to obedience of Fayth The Protestants spirit will auouch their interpretation as certaine infallible and of Fayth and all with that obstinacy that no reason or authority shall remoue them from it or alter their opinion in it Fifthly the spirit of a Catholike being setled groūded in a certainty of Catholike and Apostolike fayth will expound Scripture according to the rule of the same for the illustration or confirmation of the same fayth as it is generally receaued but will not ground himselfe and his beliefe in his owne exposition nor perswade and introduce a new beliefe vpon the same The Protestant spirit will ground it selfe and his first beliefe vpon his owne exposition and by the same perswade others to forsake their old fayth and to follow a new and so change the ancient religion for a nouell opinion grounded vpon a new exposition of any text of Scripture framed according to the fantasy of the priuate spirits conceit And thus though Catholike Doctours and Pastours haue the spirit of God to expound holy Scripture as much and more then the Protestants haue yet they vse apply it either to schoole-questions and manners only or as probable and credible only or if to doctrine of fayth they apply it either to illustrate and confirme their fayth or if to ground and settle it they square it according to the rule of fayth the practise of the ancient Church the decrees of Councells and the consent of Fathers All which the Protestant Doctour in the setling and resolution of his Fayth reiects and relies his fayth vpon an exposition of scripture grounded only vpon his owne proper and priuate conceit The obiections answered SECT II. THE Obiections which the Protestants Luther Melancthon Brentius Magdeburgenses Musculus Whitaker other Protestants do vsually make for the power and authority of this their priuate spirit to expound scripture are drawne some from those places which affirme the interpretation of scripture to be a guift that gratis and freely bestowed others from those places which require reading prayer or meditation in euery one for the obtaining of this gift Of the first sort are these and such like First they obiect those places where the guift of Prophecy or interpretation of speaches is attributed to the operation of one and the same spirit which deuides to euery one as it will Where also Prophecy that is interpretation of scripture preaching is giuen to the Faythfull if all doe prophecy Euery one hath a Psalme hath a reuelation hath a tongue hath an interpretation Let Prophets two or three speake and the rest iudge You may all one by one prophecy that all may learne and all may be exhorted Therefore euery one who hath the spirit and grace of God hath the gift to interprete scripture To which is answered 1. That in all those places S. Paul speakes of guifts extraordinary and gratis giuen for the tyme such as are the guift of languages the curing of diseases foretelling thinges to come and interpreting of obscure reuelations or mysteries which were bestowed only for a tyme and as personall vpon the Apostles and first belieuers with whome they decayed and ceased not of any guifts ordinary and generall which are to be permanent in the Church and common to all faythfull Therfore these places can make nothing for euery faythfull persons power and ability to expound scripture that so certainly that vpon it he may build his fayth and saluation 2. These guifts are not giuen any one of them to all persons nor yet all of them to any one person and that for all ends vses for the guifts are giuen according to the measure of fayth according to the measure of the donation of Christ according to the rule of Fayth Therefore all these guifts are not alike giuen to euery one but so distributed that some are Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists others Pastours and Doctours and not all Apostles not all Prophets not all Doctours not all workers of miracles speakers with tongues or interpreters of speaches Therfore all and euery faythfull person hath not the guift of interpreting and expounding scripture but those vpon whome by speciall guift or function it is bestowed 3. They who haue this guift and the spirit of it haue it as subordinate and a part or parcell of the spirit of Gods Church by which it is to be directed not as opposite singular or independent of the same or of any one but themselues for so was the spirit of the Prophets subiect to the Prophets That is as S. Chrysostome expounds it that both the Prophet and his guift was subiect to the colledge or company of the Prophets which is the whole Church and the spirit of euery member is applyed to the vse and benefit of the whole body What spirit therefore is priuate and proper as of it selfe and either diuided from the head or not subordinate to the whole body of the Catholike Church and applyed to the vse and benefit of the same that spirit is not the spirit of vnity and peace but of diuision and dissention and so not the spirit of God who is not the God of dissention but of peace but of Sathan whose kingdome thus by spirits deuided will be made desolate and such is the spirit of all Protestants as is before fully declared According to which groundes are answered and explicated in particular all places which are obiected for this spirits authority As first That one and the same spirit doth work all these deuiding to euery one as it will is spoken first of reuelations and guifts extraordinary called gratis giuen not ordinary and permanent in the Church of God such as is this guift of interpretation of Scripture Also it is spoken of persons priuate the vulgar sort vpon whome this extraordinary guift is sometymes bestowed not of the Councels and Prelats to whose function as proper to it this guift or promise is annexed And if any priuate persons haue had this extraordinary guift as Amos a sheepheard Debora a woman who in the old Testament were Prophets and Origen who not yet a Priest was a Doctour and interpreter of Scripture they were priuiledges extraordinary and a few only which make not a generall rule for all and what they taught they taught not as Maisters who did either arrogate to themselues any proper authority or did teach any new doctrine or
did refuse any subordination to Superiour authority but did it either to the consolation of themselues or to the instruction and confirmation of others and all according to the rule of fayth and common receaued doctrine In which manner any though not yet called and hauing a talent sufficient may as before presume to interprete holy Scripture and deliuer the sense of it to others though he haue not yet the grace of holy Orders nor Pastorall or Episcopall function Secondly That of Rom. 1.26 hauing gifts according to grace which is giuen to vs differēt whether prophecy according to the reason of faith or ministery in administring is not so meant that euery one according to the proportion of his faith hath the gift of prophecy or interpetation of scripture but that euery one who hath these gifts should exercise them according to the talent and guifts bestowed on them not presuming to be wiser then he ought but to be wise vnto sobriety and according to the measure of the donation of Christ and not to intermedle in anothers office and function as to instance in the Apostles example he who hath the ministery proper to Deacons and inferior orders which was to distribute almes and to take care of the poore is not to medle in the function of Bishops which is to preach and instruct in doctrine of faith to conferre orders but euery one according to the reason or measure of faith that is not of his infused and supernaturall faith by which he is disposed to grace but of his gift of vnderstanding of scripture and of high mysteries of beliefe is to proceed in his function to vse that talent bestowed vpon them to the profit of the whole body Which gift also as it is not a property inseparably annexed to grace for many who are in state of grace are destitut of this guift others who are not so holy but for life wicked often haue the benefit of it so it is not vsually bestowed vpon the vulgar and common sort of people but is proper to Ecclesiasticall persons of whose function are two sorts that is Episcopall to preach and explicate holy scripture and Diaconicall to minister in externall function of giuing almes seruing the poore and the rest as is by the Apostle heere expressed in which euery one remaining in his vocation in which he is called is to exercise his owne office and function For as saith S. Hierome It is not for euery one to try gold and expound holy scriptures to tast wine and vnderstand the Prophets and Apostles And as saith S. Paul All are not Prophets nor Apostles nor Doctours but some Prophets some Apostles some Euangelists some Doctours till the consummatiō of the world And so some to whom by their function it belongs not all faithfull of what sort soeuer haue this gift of interpretation of scripture bestowed on them Thirdly those places of 1. Cor. 14. are vnderstood as the whole Chapter is neither of any ordinary and infallible interpretation of holy scripture nor yet of any solemne and publicke office sacrifice or benediction of the Masse much lesse of any guift ordinary common to al euery faithfull person either for vnderstanding of scripture or for hearing the solemne seruice of the Church as all expositours both ancient and moderne do confesse the very words of the text do conuince but of priuate praiers and praisings of God in Hymnes Canticles and spirituall songes and of priuate guifts of speaking with tongues and prophecying or interpreting of holy scripture and exhorting for mutuall consolation and instruction one another All which as they were guifts gratis giuen rare extraordinary singular yea and miraculously bestowed vpon seuerall persons of sundry sorts in the particuler congregations and assemblies of the faithfull in those times and only for that present time and not to continue in the Church so an order and methode is here prescribed in the vse and exercise of these guifts by the Apostle that al may be done honestly and according to order without confusion and to edification specially of Infidels not yet conuerted to whom cōming to heare the exercises of the Christians these were signes and testimonies of the spirit of God among Christians Whereupon it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is thy proper and priuate benediction and the Prophets did speake somtimes in languages which neither themselues nor the auditours vnderstood as v. 13. and 14. is expressed where the speakers are willed to pray that they themselues may vnderstand and the prophecying or interpreting of high misteries is preferred before the vnknowne not vnderstood languages For which we may note out of the auncient writers Iustine Martyr and Tertullian who liued in the age of the Apostles that the times then so requiring it at the first begining of the Church this order was obserued in the meetings of Christiās which were then for the place priuate as in time of persecution that is 1. The Psalmes were sung 2. The Prophecies and scripture was read 3. The sermon was made by the Bishop 4. The sacrifice which consisted in the oblation consecration communion Canon some short prayers was offered 5. The Communion was giuen to all 6. Some did sing Hymnes and Psalmes of praise and thankesgiuing others did Prophecy speake of high mysteries and shew their guift of languages 7. Others more spirituall did as they were inspired by speciall guifts interpret and expound scripture which was vsed euen by women And lastly they concluded all with an Agape or banquet of charity and hymnes of praising God so brak vp the assembly Which practise as it was only for that time and in time when these extraordinary and miraculous guifts were bestowed for it was not obserued in the future setled times of the Church so with the cessation or ending of those guifts the order and manner partly ceased partly was changed into a set order forme for succeding times which conformably is obserued by our present Church in practise as may be seene in Cornelius vpon the 1. Cor. 14. Nothing therfore in this Chapter is intended or spoken of the generall and ordinary power and authority of all the common people and euery persons spirit to interprete scripture and iudge of Controuersies of faith 2. It is answered that the Prophecy heere spoken of is not an interpretation of Scriptures but of languages by which that which was spoken in strange languages to the admiration of Infidels for whose conuersion the guift of tongues was giuē was interpreted by this guift of prophecy in others for the instruction of the faithfull for whom this Prophecy was giuen for languages are a signe to Infidels but Prophecy to the faithfull When therfore the guift of tongues ceased this guift of Prophecy also ceased as being giuen only for the interpreting of tongues 3. The matter and subiect both spoken by tongue and
profundity of holy scriptures that though his wit was better his leasure more and his diligence greater yet he might from his child-hood tiâ—l his old age profit in the vnderstanding of them not for that so much of them as is necessary to saluation is so hardly to be atteined but for that when once ones faith is grounded vpon them so many and manifold misteries remaine for the more intelligent proficients inuolued in the words and the maâ—ter that the moâ—t aged witty and industrious may say when he is become perfect then he begins For which elswhere he professes that he is ignorant of more things in scripture then he knowes Therfore only prayer meditation and study will not surfice for euery one to find out the true and certaine sense of euery place of Scripture which for euery one to assume to himselfe would not be a certainty of faith but presumption of pride And the same which is sayd of Prayer Meditation and study may be sayd of skill of tongues conference of originall texts and other places and of consideration of antecedents and consequents of phrases and the like Of which see Stapleton Which supposed the answere to all the former obiections is facile First Dauid did read and study the Scripture but he did it for his priuate consolation and meditation not for his foundation in fayth in which he was before grounded 2. Timothy did read and study them from his childhood but to learne the sense and meaning of them of his Maisters and teachers not to be iudge and censurer of them and that for his instruction in manners not for his doctrine of fayth which he receaued from his Ancestours not from his owne reading of Scripture 3. S. Peter did will them to attend to the propheticall doctrine but not to interprete it according to euery ones priuate spirit and proper interpretation which he forbids saying No prophesy of Scripture is made by priuate interpretation much lesse with a neglect of the rules and grounds of fayth or with a contempt of the Pastours and Superiours of the Church of God preferring its owne before their exposition 4. S. Paul affirmes that we must be built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles that is not only vpon the written word of the Apostles or Prophets for many had fayth and were Cittizens of Saints and Domesticals of God before any scripture or writing of the Apostles was extant and many built their fayth vpon the Apostles who writ nothing at all but vpon the doctrine and fayth reueiled to the Apostles and by them left by preaching or writing to posterity and as such by the Church proposed to vs. Out of which nothing can be inferred for making the scripture much lesse the priuate spirit interpreting it the sole or sufficient ground of Fayth Againe taking the foundation either for the doctrine or writinges of the Apostles and they who are built vpon it or for principall partes or for the body of the Church we may consider first the foundation of doctrine either in it selfe and so as being the truth reuealed it is the ground of fayth or in respect of vs as by vs it is accepted and so it relyes vpon the Pastours and Prelates of the Church by whome it is proposed to vs as reuealed and for whose authority we receaue it as reuealed Secondly we may consider the Church either as it is the whole body of all faythfull in all tymes especially after the Apostles and so it is built vpon the doctrine preached and written or as it signifies the first heads and directours of it to wit the Apostles and so it is built immediatly vpon Christ and the holy Ghost reuealing to them that doctrin and scripture which they haue left to posterity and which they preach and propose to vs and in this sense the Church that is the Apostles and first Pastours were before the doctrine was either preached or written by them so were the foundation of their doctrine and preaching of it to vs though to the rest of the faythfull the doctrine preached and written by them is the foundation vpoÌ„ which their fayth is built Which answere doth not only cleare the Scripture for hauing any priuate spirit as Iudge ouer it but also declares how the Church is built vpon the doctrine of the Apostles or Prophets taking the Prophets eyther for the writings of the Prophets in the old Testament or for the Interpreters of the Apostles writing in the new and also how the Church in the sense before declared is the ground of the Apostolical and propheticall doctrine reuealed to the Church and the first Pastours of it and by them left to vs who receaue it from them and their authority and so from the Church 5. They of Beörea did search the scriptures whether those thinges were so as Paul declared that is not so that by searching the scripture they did make themselues and their spirit iudge of the Apostolicall doctrine preached out of scripture but so that either being nor yet fully conuerted and satisfyed they would with diligence and in humility enquire further of the doctrine preached which is alwayes permitted and aduised to all for otherwise he that giueth credit quickly is light of hart or that being satisfyed they would as Catholicke Doctours do search out conferre and vnderstand those places of scripture which Paul did alleadge and thereby the more strongly confirme themselues and better satisfy others in Fayth In which as they did proceed prudently and piously and we permit and aduise euery learned Catholike to do the like so they did no more make either their spirit or the Scripture interpreted by their spirit iudge of the Apostles doctrine then if one for searching the testimonyes of S. Augustine which are cyted by Bellarmine should therby be sayd to make himselfe iudge of Bellarmine his doctrine or as one searching the places cited by Caluin to see if they be as they are by him cited should thereby make himselfe iudge of Caluin and his doctrine Which to inferre out of their actions as it is absurd so is it to inferre that the Beröeans made themselues iudges of S. Pauls doctrine out of the Beröeans seeking out the places which S. Paul alleadged 6. Our Sauiour willed the Iewes to search the Scripture it is true but which Iewes to wit those who were learned and how Not so that he would make them and their priuate spirits iudges of Scriptures or the truth found in them but that he would haue them being yet incredulous studiously to informe themselues of him being the true Messias out of those Scriptures which they belieued already to be true and to beare true witnesse of the true Messias which is no more then to persuade any Protestant to read Scriptures Fathers and Catholike authours and out of them to informe himselfe of the verity of Catholike Religion which is to search out
that he may abide with you for euer And shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed and out of the mouth of thy seeds seed for euer And for what end That he may teach you all thinges That spirit of truth shall teach you all truth Thirdly he armed it with all power and authority To remit or retaine all sinnes to bind or loose whatsoeuer is to be bound or loosed in earth or in heauen to correct punish with the rod of correction To excommunicate and deliuer vp to Sathā And to determine all questions or controuersies as it should seeme good to the Holy Ghost and it Fourthly he established and cōfirmed it As the pillar and foundation of truth that being in it selfe grounded in truth and also grounding others in the same it should stand so firmely that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Fifthly he gaue to it commission and charge to teach all nations and to preach the Ghospell to all creatures Sixtly he gaue vs warrant and security that we might safely heare and obey it He that heareth you heareth me Seauenthly he gaue vs charge and command by precept of obligation that whatsoeuer they shal say to you speaking of the Scribes and Pharisies in Moyses chaire but à fortiori of the Pastours and Prelats in Peters Chaire that doe you Eightly he threats and terrifyes vnder great punishment first of danger and of contempt of himselfe by contemning it He that despiseth you despiseth me Secondly of infidelity and losse of his fauour and grace He that will not heare the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and the Publican Thirdly of hell and damnation for euer He that belieueth not shal be condemned All which doe proue not only an authority and that infallible in the Church to direct and teach vs but also an obligation in vs to obey submit our selues for fayth to the direction and instruction of it And least any should doubt of this Church what it is the holy Ghost explicates the meaning of our Sauiour tells vs that it is Some Apostles some Prophets and other some Euangelists and other some Pastours and Doctours to the consumation of the Saints vnto the worke of the ministery vnto the edifying of the body of Christ vntill we meet all into the vnity of Fayth Which Pastours he will giue vs according to his owne hart who shall feed vs with knowledge doctrine And how shall they feed vs by preaching and proposing to vs the doctrine of fayth for as hearing is a necessary meanes to belieuing How shall they belieue him whome they haue not heard so preaching and proposing what is to be belieued by Church-pastours is necessary to hearing so to belieuing How shall they heare without a Preacher By which is apparently proued the necessity and infallibility of Church authority for a propounding and directing cause in matters of fayth and Religion All which may be confirmed First by authority of holy Fathers among whome I will cyte S. Irenaeus and S. Augustine for the rest Irenaeus that learned Doctour and holy Martyr sayth VVe ought not to seeke among others the truth which we may easily take and receaue from the Church seeing that the Apostles haue most fully layd vp in her all thinges which are of truth that euery man that will may take out of her the drinke of life For which those thinges that are of the Church are with diligence to be loued and the tradition of truth is to be receaued S. Augustine sayth The truth of the Scripture is holden of vs when we do that which pleaseth the vniuersall or whole Church the which is commended by the authority of the Scriptures themselues that because the Holy Scriptures cannot deceaue whosoeuer feareth to be deceaued with the obscurity of this question let him require the iudgement of the Church which without any ambiguity the holy Scripture doth demonstrate In which is affirmed First that all truth is left by the Apostles in the Church not in Scripture only Secondly that the same truth is to be learned and receaued of all by the sayd Church Thirdly that the truth thus receaued is most true and is to be loued and followed of all See more of the Fathers aboue in the first part to whome I add a confirmation out of Luther against himselfe and his followers who sayth that The Church neither can nor ought to teach errours no not in the least thinges since God is the mouth of the Church and as God cannot lye so neither can the Church Secondly by Reason for since of all the rest of the means and rules also of fayth there may be and often is question doubt as for example of the articles which be true which not of reuelation which is reuelation of God which an illusion of the enemy of the motion of the spirit which is of God which of nature which of Sathan of the inclination of the Will which is a pious disposition and which an illuding affectation of tradition which is diuine Apostolicall or Ecclesiasticall which not of Scripture which is true which false of true which is the incorrupted translation which corrupted of the incorrupted trāslation which is the true sense which is false and of the true sense which is to be belieued as fundamentall and necessary which is not to be belieued as fundamentall but only voluntary Of all which since I say there euer hath beene and now is great question contentiō some infallible directing iudge propounding cause is a necessary meane to end these all like controuersies and to settle and resolue vs in the assured certainty of the one or other or els will the contention be euer endlesse and we in our opinions restlesse Among which seeing no other can be assigned but the Church and that God hath giuen so large commission and priuiledge for that end to it as we haue produced it remaines that the Church and Church authority is of all necessary meanes of fayth the most necessary for vs to settle and satisfy vs in the certainty of our diuine fayth And thus much of the order necessity of these six meanes and chiefly of Church-proposition or the Proponent cause How the Protestants want all these six meanes of Fayth SECT III. THE third Consideration is to reflect how that of all these six meanes necessary to diuine fayth the Protestants haue not any one but are defectiue in all These meanes are either External as the credible testimonies which by euidence of reason conuinceth that such a faith is credible and may prudently be belieued and Church proposition which by the credit of authotity assures that the same is true and is to be belieued both which are externall to the person belieuing or Eternall
all and because they haue none they affirme that none are now wrought or if any be wrought that they are false feygned or diabolicall For Holinesse of life they confesse it to be so far from them that as Luther confesseth Men are dayly worse being possessed now with seauen Diuells more then before yea with whole troupes of Diuells and are more couetous crafty cruell and wicked then when they were Papists And the like is confessed by Caluin Musculus and others cyted by Becanus and the Protestants Apology If we seeke for Vniuersality they are ashamed to stile themselues by the name Catholike which is vniuersall but by the name of Protestant or for distinction of Protestants by the name Lutheran Caluinist or the like Vniuersality of place they cannot challenge because their doctrine neuer extended out of the limits of a few Northern countryes in Europe nor euer entred Africa Asia or America Vniuersality of tyme they cannot chalenge because their Church had its first being but about an hundred yeares agoe and this so apparently that we can nominate the yeare when the authour who the place where the opinions what the mantainers and abetters by whome this doctrine had first being in the world and the opposers who at first did yet continue to gainsay it so as they disclaime expresly from this marke not only denying it to be any marke of the Church but also confessing that their Church was according to some of them seauen hundred to others a thousand to others twelue hundred to others foureteene hundred yeares euer from Christ as before is proued either not at all or altogether latent and inuisible If we seeke for Succession of Ordination from the Apostles they either beg it from the Romā Church which they account Antichristian or els take vp a new one at their owne handes and are Prelates and Pastours of their owne creation and for want of ordinary vocation from Christ are content with an extraordniary of their owne inuention By which and much more for breuity omitted is euident that all testimonyes of credibility sufficient to make their doctrine seeme probable and worthy of credit are wanting to them and their Church 2. That the Protestants want the two externalll meanes of fayth which is Church-infallible proposition by which they should be assured confirmed in the certainty of their diuine reuelation mysteries reuealed in the certainty of their spirit and motions by it and in the certainty of their Scripture and meaning of it is proued because whether we take the Church Authoritatiue for the chiefe Pastours and Prelates by whose authority it is gouerned or Representatiue for the general Councels in which the whole body in the assembly of Bishops is represented or Collectiue for the whole multitude of all faythfull belieuers through the whole world dispersed Take it I say in which of these senses you will in all which it is the true Church of God and of infallible authority yet in none of these doe the Protestants receaue any infallible direction or confirmation frō it For if we respect their Pastours and Prelates they are not directed by them or obedient in fayth to them but by the liberty and priuiledge of their spirit euery priuate person hath authority to censure and iudge them If we respect generall Councells they disclaime all as before is proued or if they approue any it is so farre as their Decrees do agree with the fancy of their spirit to which they subiect them and so longe as they are pleased to obserue what is commāded by them in which they will be free without obligation to obey them If we respect the whole body of the Church they in their generall Tenents doe generally hould that it may erre and faile in doctrine and fayth and for practise do boldly affirme that for many ages it hath fallen and failed not only in doctrine of Idolatry superstition and heresy but also in very extancy and being of a Church as hauing beene inuisible not extant but dead buried and corrupted for so many ages togeather as in the first part is proued and thus they cut off al infallible authority of Church proposition which more then the other meanes they do in plaine tearmes expresly reiect and condemne 3. That the Protestants want the first internall means of Faith that is a pious disposition or inclination to belieue what is proposed by the Church as reuealed by God is proued because as a pious inclination of the will moued by the grace of God doth apply and determine the Vnderstanding of a willing and well disposed person either to labour and seeke out such motiues testimonies as do make the truth of Religion seeme probable or to assent to such as are already proposed vnto it so the obstinate disposition of a willful Protestant doth refuse to giue any credit or beliefe to any reasons though neuer so euident or to any definition of the Church though euery way most certaine but resolues with out amendement to persist in his preiudicate opinion notwithstanding any reason or authority to the contrary By which his obstinacy 1. He fals into heresy by willfully following his owne opinion which he chooses and carelesly contēning the authority of the Church in that it defines 2. He looseth his fayth which he receaued in Baptisme fals into infidelity partaking with Heretikes 3. He belieues no articles of fayth to which he assentes though truly firmly and for the testimony of God by any diuine and Catholike fayth which depends vpon an infallible meane that is Church proposing authority but by humane fayth wholy relying and lastly resoluing his beliefe eyther vpon the authority of some deceauing maister or vpon the testimony of some wrested Scripture or vpon the euidency of some deluding notes and markes or vpon the seeming apparency of his owne spirit and conceit 4. He separates himselfe from the vnion of the body of Christ from the benefit of the merits of his passion from the communion of his Saints both in earth and heauen and from all participation of hope of glory in Gods Kingdome to come so remaines as a dead member cut from the body as a dry bough deuided from the tree as a darke glimse of light separated from the Sunne as a small streame stopped from the current of the fountaine all which as they do presently decay and dry or come to nothing so he 4. That the Protestants want the two internall meanes and help of Fayth that is the infused and permanent guift of fayth inherent in the Vnderstanding and both enabling and illuminating it to the producing of the act of diuine supernaturall fayth is proued Because Protestants who hold that Fayth doth iustify and that Iustification is not by any inherent guif and quality but by the extrinsecall fauour of God not imputing our sinnes vnto vs
expounded by their priuate spirit containes all the articles of their fayth We Catholiks do professe to belieue first al that which haue been wrot by the Apostles or Prophets in holy Scripture that in the whole bookes of Scripture as anciently they were by a Councell of Carthage S. Augustine others receaued all in that sense as it was by ancient Church expounded 2. all that which hath been by the same Apostls deliuered to posterity by word of mouth and tradition 3. all that which hath beene declared to vs out of Scripture or Tradition by definition of generall Councells 4. all that which by continuance of practise hath beene by holy Church euer reuealed 5. all that which by vnanimous consent of holy and learned Doctours Fathers and Saints hath beene belieued in this we differ and haue the aduantage for the articles we belieue Secondly for the formall obiect of finall resolution of Fayth they belieue what they belieue eyther for that their sense doth so perceaue it or for that their reason doth so persuade it or for that their priuate spirit doth so suggest it and so they make their sense or their reason or their owne priuate spirit and phantasie the formall motiue and finall resolution of their Fayth We belieue what we do belieue for that God hath reuealed it and that not a new and to some one in particuler but anciently to the Apostles and by them generally to all their successours and by successiō to vs so that our doctrine and our beliefe of it is grounded not vpon any our owne sense our owne reason our owne priuate conceit all most fallible and most subiect to illusion and deceit but vpon Gods diuine reuelation as he is the prime verity and verity it selfe and that not newly but of ancient euer since Christ reuealed that not personal made to me or one alone but Apostolical first reuealed to the Apostles themselues that not priuate to euery one seuerally but generall to all faithfull vniuersally that not interrupted at certaine tymes by fits and to certaine persons made knowne but continued by succession at all times by all faithfull and in all places receaued that not fallible without ground subiect to priuate illusion but most infallibly grounded vpon diuine reuelation and Church proposition subiect neither to be deceaued nor yet do deceaue and in this we differ and haue the aduantage for the meanes of Fayth eternall Thirdly for the inward assistance of Gods grace and the cooperation of it they challenge only certayne motions or flashes of a fickle spirit which whether it be by illumination or illusion whether of grace or nature whether supernaturall of God sensuall of nature or diabolicall of Sathan they haue no meanes to discerne or ground to be certaine and by it as dust by a whirle wind they are carryed vp and downe in a round without freedome reason or operation of their owne to what fancy and conceit it violently wheels and forces them We are assisted and enabled by the diuine guift of an internall and permanent spirit or habit of faith which infused into vs and alwayes remayning in vs is at any instant ready with vs and the cooperation of grace in vs to worke both a pious inclination of the will to dispose it without obstinacy obediently to consent and also an actuall assent of the vnderstanding illuminating and enabling it firmely to assent to what is reuealed and proposed Also we admit and receaue besides this habituall Grace other actuall and diuers motions of grace and of it some either excitant first to excite moue vs or adiuuant to assist vs being moued some either operant which workes in vs without vs and our cooperation or cooperant which workes in vs togeather with vs and our cooperation with it some either sufficient by which we are enabled to be conuerted or efficient by which we are actually conuerted And in this we differ from them and haue the aduantage for the meanes of faith internall both for the will and vnderstanding Fourthly for the credible testimonies and motiues of persuasion which may in reason persuade any man prudently to accept any religion as worthy of credit They haue not any which may either induce any which was neuer of it nor reduce any which are fallen from it or establish any who are entred into it that their faith doctrine and religion is credible as is before proued We haue many those forcible reasons perswasions and credibilities which may in prudence persuade any Pagan neuer admitted to it or Heretike reuolted from it or Catholike setled in it that our faith doctrine religion and Church may and ought prudently to be accepted is credible and worthy of beliefe We haue Vnity with the ancient and primitiue Church with the learned and holy Doctours and Fathers with the holy Saints and Martyrs whose faith and life we professe to imbrace imitate We haue Vnity with one head our chiefe Bishop and Pastour whose definitiue sentence doth resolue our doubts doth decide our controuersies doth end our contentions in faith and manners We haue Vnity of faith among our selues all of vs though distant in place though different in manners though contending for temporall state or dominion yet liuing and agreeing in obedience to one spirituall Superiour in vnity of one faith in conformity of one seruice sacraments and ceremonies We haue Sanctity and Holynesse both of doctrine which giues holy precepts and rules to auoid sinne for the loue of God feare of hel to seeke perfection by mortification internall supressing our selfe-will selfe-loue and selfe-conceit and externall taming our passions affections with pennance of fasting watching discipline and the like And also of Good life by frequent exercise of prayer meditation contemplation by dayly practise of pennance of patience in persecution by perfect resignation to holy Obedience Pouerty Chastity We haue Miracles those frequent apparent of prophesying curing of all diseases raising dead dispossessing of Diuels the like all wrought in confirmation either of our faith or sanctity all for the conuersion of Pagans and Heretikes of which in all ages tymes we haue many memorable of most nations now Christian conuerted to our Religion We haue Vniuersality not only of Name by retayning the title of Catholikes by which we are vsually distinguished from al sects no sect doth vsurpe it to distinguish them one from another but also of Place as being generally dispersed in all the parts of the world Europe Asia Africa America and also of Tyme as being reputed the old Religion and being indeed so old as haue byn yeares since Christ his Apostles who institued and imbraced it We haue continued Succession and Ordination of Prelates and Bishops manifestly orderly deduced
contrary to S. Paul who doth assigne for one of the guifts of gratiae gratis giuen which is not common to all the guift to discerne spirits thereby also do open gappe to all confusion and dissentiō and thus faile not only in the meanes how but also in the persons by whome spirits are to be tryed Out of all which I reason thus That spirit which we are forewarned not to belieue which is to be tryed by another spirit and that spirit by another in infinitum That spirit into which Sathan transfigureth himselfe deceauing many and making many false Prophets and rauenous wolues That spirit which brings in Sects of perdition drawing many out of the Church which causeth so many to blaspheme the way of truth to walke in concupiscence to contemne dominion to allure vnstable soules to promise liberty to speake proudly to depraue Scriptures to turne from the Commandement and to draw disciples after it That spirit which cannot be discerned whether it be the spirit of God man or the Diuell whether of truth or falshood of wisedome or giddines and in regard it hath so great similitude in effect and operation one with another That spirit I say cannot be an infallible rule and iudge to interprete Scripture iudge of fayth decide controuersies and direct euery man in the way of his saluation this is euident and needs no proofe But such is the priuate spirit which euery priuate person and sect-maister challenges to himselfe as is before proued and by experience confirmed in that euery Heretike ancient or late hath by force of it separated himselfe from Gods Church broached so many blasphemous opinions contemned so highly all Church-authority promised licentious liberty of the Ghospell depraued so fowly holy Scriptures and drawne so many into perdition after them all which shall more at large afterwardes be confirmed Therefore it doth follow that this priuate spirit cannot be a rule of fayth able to assure and secure euery one in his beliefe and saluation And thus much of the first proofe out of Scripture against this priuate spirit Out of 2. Pet. 1.20 making the same spirit authour and interpreter of Scripture SECT II. THE second proofe is out of S. Peter who 2. Pet. 1.20 prouing the power and present cōming of Christ first by the eye-witnesse of some in his Transfiguration next by a more firme testimony in respect of the Iewes that is the holy Scripture which he commends for the effect which is to lighten as light in a darke place and for the authour which is the Holy Ghost hath among the rest these wordes Vnderstanding this first that no prophecy of Scripture is made by priuate interpretation for not by mans will was prophecy brought at any tyme but the holy men of God spake inspired with the Holy Ghost In which wordes S. Peter makes first a serious premonition Vnderstanding this first as a point of principall and important consideration Secondly he layes downe his assertion in wordes plaine powerful against this priuate spirit That no prophecy of Scripture that is no sense and meaning of Scripture for so are they called some Prophets because they did expound the secret hidden mysteryes of Scripture and foretell the ioyes of heauen to the iust as S. Ambrose and S. Anselme with all others do expound it is made by priuate interpretation that is according to S. Chrysostome Not by the spirit which many bragge of as the spirit of God but falsly pretending it do speake that which is their owne According to S. Clement Not according to the proper vnderstanding of our owne wit Yea according to Caluin Not by our owne proper sense for what we produce out of it is prophane The sense therefore according to the plaine wordes and generall consenting interpretation of all is No priuate spirit of any priuate man expounding Scripture according to his owne priuate sense and proper conceit and fancy is a fit meanes to interpret Gods holy word of which thirdly he giues this reason because not by mans will or by any selfe seeming humane conceit was prophecy brought at any tyme that is the sacred and holy sense of Gods holy word neuer at any tyme brought forth and penned but the holy men of God the Prophets and Apostles spake and dictated what they wrote inspired with the Holy Ghost that is Because the Holy Ghost was the author of the wordes and sense of holy Scripture in the mouth and handes of those who first penned it Therfore must the same holy Ghost be the expositour of the sense of it in the mouthes of them who rightly vnderstand it And this to be the true sense of this place witnesse besides the former testimonies not only the Rhemists Bellarmine and others but also Caluin himselfe saying The spirit which spake by the Prophets is the only interpreter of himselfe Out of which place and wordes I inferre first that as the true text of Scripture it selfe so also the true sense and meaning of it is a meane and ground of Christian religion first and principally to be knowne Secondly that this true sense is not to be made by any priuate interpretation of the priuate spirit of euery priuate person Thirdly that it is to be made by the same spirit of God which was the first authour and dictatour of it And out of this inference and euidence of wordes I argue thus That spirit which must be the true and infallible interpreter of holy Scripture is and must be the same which was the first author and writer of it as is heere proued but that spirit which first wrote the text of holy Scripture was not a guift or spirit communicated to euery priuate person though faythfull but only to the Prophets and Apostles the first and prime pillars and Pastours of Gods Church as is euident Therefore this and the same spirit or guift which is giuen to expound the same scripture is not a spirit giuen to euery priuate belieuer but only to the Pastours and pillars of Gods Church who as they are the successors of the former first pillars and Apostles so also they receaue the same spirit to interprete the same Scripture which their Predecessours wrote As therfore the true spirit resided chiefly in the first Pastours pillars of Christs Church to write holy Scripture so also the same spirit resides chiefly in their succeeding Pastours and Prelates to expound it and not in euery faythfull and simple belieuer who can only read it Out of 1. Cor. 12.18 prouing the interpretation of of Scripture to be a guift gratis giuen not common to all faythfull SECT III. THE third proofe is taken out of those places of Scripture which attribute this guift of interpreting Scripture not gratiae gratificanti or to iustifying grace which is common to all faythfull belieuers and adopted children of God but gratijs gratis
a fountaine incorrupted a Doctour among the Interpreters of Scripture as a Sunne among Planets as the greatest of the Fathers the worthiest Deuine that euer Gods Church had This great Doctour and Saint sayth Heresies haue no other origen then this that euery Heretike prefers his owne opinion drawne from his owne proper spirit before the commō opinion of the Church Againe Nothing makes them Heretiks but this that misvnderstanding the Scriptures they obstinatly defend their owne opinions The holy Scripture is dangerous to these who will wrest it to their owne peruerse hart who whē they ought to liue according to the will of God they liue according to their owne will and they will haue that to be the meaning of Scripture which is their owne when that which is the Scriptures ought to be theirs Againe Thy truth O Lord is neyther myne nor this mans or that mans but all mens whom thou callest publickly to the communiō of it and whereby thou dost terribly admonish vs that we seeke not to haue truth priuate least we be depriued of it for whosoeuer doth challenge to himselfe that which thou dost propose to be enioyed by all and will make that proper to himselfe which is common to all that man is driuen from the common to his owne proper that is from truth to falsehood Wherupō he reprehends the Pelagians because they vnderstood the Scripturs according to their own priuate sense the Donatists because eyther by too much louing their owne opinion or enuying their betters they went so farre vpon their diabolicall presumption as sacrilegiously to separate holy communion and bring in schisme or heresy and the Manichies You see that your worke is to take away all authority from Scripture and make euery mans mind and conceit authour of what is to be belieued or not to be belieued in holy Scripture that is that you will not subiect your selues to Scripture but will make Scripture subiect to your selues Thus doth S. Augustine condemne this spirit for that it doth prefer it selfe and owne opinion before the commō iudgement of the Church doth falsely interprete Scripture doth draw the meaning of Scripture to its owne wil yea the will of God to the same And he condemnes the Pelagians Donatists and Manichies for that by it they expounded Scripture and deuided themselues from the communion of holy Church With S. Augustine agrees Cyrill of Alexandria Heretikes should do well if they would seeke the true sense of Scripture and not turne all according to their owne will And with them both Vincentius Lyrinensis If any would seems a Prophet or Maister that is maister of spirituall thinges let him chiefly desire vnity and equality that is that he do not prefer his owne opinion before others nor doe departe from the generall opinions of all men Because all doe not take the holy Scripture in one and the same sense some do interprete one way others another way the same sentences so that as many senses are made as there be men Therefore it is very necessary by reason of many turninges and windinges of errours that the line of Catholicall and Apostolicall interpretation be directed according to the rule of the Ecclesiasticall and Catholike sense Heere is aduise giuen not to wrest all to our owne liking and spirit but to keep vnity and direct the interpretation of Scripture according to the rule of Catholike sense After all these Venerable Beda the honour of our Nation in the eight age sayth As the Prophets did write deliuer and speake not their owne wordes but the wordes of God so also the Reader of them must not vse his owne proper interpretation least he decline from the sense of the truth Therfore we affirme that no man presume to expound Scriptures according to his owne pleasure What more plaine I will adde to these the testimonyes of Luther and Caluin vttered in confutation of others but against themselues Luther x speaking against Swenkfeldius sayth It must not trouble vs that some do glorify of the spirit and little esteeme the Scriptures But sayth Luther good friend the spirit goes this way that way I also was in spirit and haue seene spirits if I may glory of my owne perhaps more then they shall see in a yeare and my spirit doth shew it selfe in something where theirs is yet in a corner Note that the Swenkfeldians and the Caluinists agree in that both of them rely on the Spirit and make it the ground of their Fayth they differ in that the former refuse scripture and rely only on the spirit these later admit scripture but both for canon and sense of it subiect it to their spirit so that the spirit in the one reiects scripture in the other it censures and Lordes it ouer scripture Whether is worse let any be iudge Caluin also speaking of the same Swenkfeldians sayth If that spirit was good it would be the same with the spirit of the Apostles and ancient faythfull people but their spirit would not be iudg without scripture so say we If Caluins or the Caluinist spirit were true it would be the same with the spirit of the ancient Church and Fathers Also against the Vbiquitarians he sayth Satan hath bewitched their mindes with horrible witchery c. And Satan by turbulent spirits doth endeauour c. Mans hart hath so many secret places of vanity is subiect to so many holes of lyes is couered with so much fraudulent hypocrisie that it often deceaues it selfe Againe Many false Doctours belye or counterfeite the title of the spirit many mad men start vp who rashely make ostentation that they are endued with the spirit of God They are fooles who amazed at the honourable title of the spirit dare not enquire after the matter it selfe Many braggo of the spirit yet speake in their owne priuate name goe out in their owne name vtter out of their owne sense Thus do these Patrons practisers of this priuate spirit wound themselues in thus stabbing the same in their aduersaries For what they affirme against them is verified against themselues But what can these Spiritualists as we may call them say to all these testimonies of Fathers Or rather what shall we say to them about the same I conceaue nothing can be sayd better then that which S. Augustine in the like case of originall sinne sayth against the like Heretikes the Pelagians for hauing cyted most of the Doctours before his tyme both of the Greeke and Latin Church as Irenaeus Athanasius Cyrill Nazianzen Chrysostome Basil Olympius Reticius fourteene more whose workes are not now extant as Eulogius Ioannes Ammonianus Porphyrius Fidus Zozimus Zoboenus Nimphidius Cromatius Iouinus Eleutherius Clematius all greeke Doctours and Cyprian Hilary Ambrose Innocentius yea Hierome of his owne tyme all Doctours of the Latin Church and all to proue originall sinne and
Seuerus to Heliogabalus of Castor Pollux in the Latine Warre of the Ghost at Athens related by Pliny to be leane faced long haired and handes and feet chained To omit I say these Infidels we haue of Christians the examples of Theodoret the Arrian King carryed betweene Iohn the Pope and Symachus the Senatour both whome he had killed into Vulcans forge of Chilpericus the wicked King of France seen by Guntran the King carried between three Bishops into a hoat caldron of a Bishop of Ancona seen by Elias an Hermit standing before Gods Tribunal and caryed to hell of a Nunne in S. Laurence Church cut in peeces before the altar of * Eubronius an Apostata appearing to one whome he had vsed cruelly and carryed into hell-fire And so many more too pittifull to be remembred Seauenthly for the apparitions of the soules in heauen we haue the examples first of our Sauiour to S. Paul in his way to Damascus to S. Peter flying from Rome and saying he went to Rome to be crucifyed againe to Carpus Bishop of Crete with multitudes of Angells reprehending him for too seuerly punishing a lapsed Brother to Peter Bishop of Alexandria complayning that Arrius had torne his coate to S. Martin in the halfe coate which the day before he had giuen for his sake to one naked next of our Blessed Lady I recount only those which are ancient to S. Iames in Spaine at Saragossa for erecting there a Chapell now in great veneration to S. Gregory Thaumaturgus in a glorious shape to Musa a Virgin in S. Gregory his dialogues for the amendement of her life to S. Iohn Damascen restoring his hand cut off for defending Images to S. Cyrill admonishing him to be friends with S. Chrysostome to Narses in all his battailes against Totila to Cyriacus an Abbot for the burning of Nestorius writings to the Architect of Constantine the Great building a Church to the Sonne of a Iew cast into an heat Ouen by his Father for receauing the Blessed Sacrament among Christians to Pope Liberius and Patricius about building S. Maria ad Niues to Rupertus an Abbot giuing him a quicke wit and vnderstanding of Scripture All which are of our B. Lady Of other Saints we haue the apparitions of S. Peter and Paul to Constantine and curing his leprosie of S. Philip S. Iohn Euangelist to Gregory Thaumaturgus shewing a worke of piety to be done of the Apostles at Constantinople in thāks of Iustinian building them a Church of S. Iames to Charles the Great helping him to recouer Galicia from the Sarazens and to Rainerus and Alphonsus Kinges of Spaine against the Moores also of Saint Agnes to Constantine the Great his daughter Geruasius and Protasius to S. Ambrose Potamiena Origens scholler to the torturer foreshewing his martyrdome Felix Nolanus defēding his Citty Nola Thoodore Martyr admonishing Euxouius to auoid meates sacrificed to Idols Cosmas Damian curing Iustinian sore sicke Peter and Paul terrifying Attila from sacking of Rome to omit what is related in this kind by S. Basill of Mamant by S. Nazianzen of his brother Caesarius by S. Hierome of Paula by S. Paulinus of S. Ambrose by Euodius of S. Steuen by Prudentius of Fructuosus and his company by Lucianus of Gamaliel by Palladius of Colluthus by Theodoret of S. Iohn Baptist by S. Athanasius of S. Ammon And who desires to see more may read in Delrio the like apparitions in euery age of christ how some appeared as our Sauiour and Valeria in the first How Potamiena and others in the second How our Blessed Lady S. Iohn S. Cyprian and diuers African Martyrs in the third How our B. Sauiour our B. Lady S. Peter P. Paul S. Agnes S. Agatha Spiridion Artemius Caesarius Triphillus two Bishops and others in the fourth age How S. Iohn Baptist S. Martin S. Geruase and Protase S. Ambrose S. Eulalia S. Fructuosus S. Felix in the fifth age How our B. Lady S. Iohn S. Peter and Paul S. Bartholomaeus S. Steuen S. Eutichius S. Tetricus S. Iohn Silentiarius in the sixth age How our B. Lady S. Iuuenall S. Eleutherius S. Leocadia in the seauenth age and so downeward in all ages vntill this present tyme or neere All which being not only ancient for the tyme as being within the first 600. years but also made credible by the sanctity of them who did appeare by the grant of them to whome they did appeare and by the authority of them who belieued and related that they did thus appeare may in prudence and piety be credited and cannot without leuity and temerity be condemned or reiected And thus much of the variety of spirits and the certainty of their apparitions It remaynes that we shew the difficulty in discerning these spirits and the apparitions of them and by the same conuince the insufficiency inhability of Priuate Spirit to discerne good spirits from bad reuelations frō illusions and true fayth doctrine from false erroneous Of the difficulty to discerne these Spirits SECT II. THE first difficulty of discerning thes spirits ariseth vpō the difficulties which are in particular about these seuerall sortes of spirits the apparitions visible made by them And first of the spirit of God great difficulty hath anciently beene made whether God did appeare in his owne proper body or in one assumed that is whether he had such a body or such partes of a body as appeared in shew and are by scripture attributed to him that is whether he had head eyes hands feet and the rest of the partes of a body or not Also as yet great difficulty is made supposing as it is most certaine that he is a meere spirit whether God himselfe did appeare in assumed bodies or some Angell in his place representing his person if himselfe should haue appeared whether the Father the Sonne or the holy Ghost And if the holy Ghost whether he assumed that flesh of a Doue or of Tongues for example in which he appeared In the like manner as the second person assumed the nature of man and of this Doue thus assumed whether it may be adored and prayed vnto as God and the holy Ghost which assumes it Of the spirits of Angels great difficulties are made of their nature whether it be corporall or meere spirituall if spiritual whether all be of the same or of diuers species or kinds whether all be incorruptible by nature or by grace whether made before or with the world how they can know God and things on earth how they know things to come or contingent and how they can vnderstand one another how by what vertue they moue themselues and other things how they are distinguished in orders and Hierarchies how they haue and performe the custody of men Concerning their assumed bodies it
who receaue both the old and new Testament but interpreted according to Mahomets Alcaron and also by all Heretiks who seek to fill their books not oÌ„ly with words of Scripture but sayth Vincent Lyrin with thousands of testimonies thousands of examples thousands of authorityes out of the Law the Psalmes the Prophets the Apostles which expounded after a new and ill manner would thereby throw downe soules from the tower of Catholike fayth to the pit of wicked heresy being as our Sauiour sayth of them false Prophets or teachers who vnder the garments of sheep that is sayth Vincent Lyrin the wordes of the Prophets and Apostles are rauenous VVolues infesting the fold of the Church and deuouring the flocke of Christ and saying Christ is heere or there that is as Origen expounded it in this or that text of Scripture who thus transfiguring themselues into the shew of Apostles or preachers of Christ do labour to transfer the people into another Ghospell who depraue the Scripture to their owne and others destruction And by the wordes of the Law sayth S. Ambrose impugne the Law and do frame a false sense of the wordes of the Law that they may confirme their owne peruerse opinions by the authority of the Law Against al whome we may note the wordes of S. Hilary saying That Heresy is about the vnderstanding not the text of Scripture the sense not the words is the sinne And of S. Hierome That the Ghospell is not in the wordes but the sense of scripture not in the outward rine but in the inward marrow not in the leaues of wordes but in the root of the sense SVBDIV. 2. Who haue authority to make the Interpretation of Scripture SEcondly this sense and meaning of scripture because it is not facil and easy to be knowne to all by reason of the great obscurity in the wordes the great fecundity in the sense and the great profundity in the mysteries or articles belieued which cannot by euery one nor by any one without the assistance of the same spirit which penned it be vnderstood therfore is necessary some authentical certain and infallible authority for the true vnderstanding of this authenticall certaine and infallible sense of scripture This authority because it is in the Catholike Church chiefly in the Pastours and Prelates of the same for the better gouernement of it in true doctrine vpon whom God hath bestowed the infallible assistance of his holy spirit as is afterward proued therfore their authority is necessary for the finding out the true and certaine sense of scripture Whensoeuer therfore the chiefe Pastour or Pastours of the Church vsing the meanes for it appointed of which in the next proposition do either ex Cathedra or in a Councell confirmed approued or by a generall consent propose deliuer and declare any sense or exposition of scripture as true and to be belieued as an article of faith in any controuersy against heretikes then is that sense to be receaued for their authority as authenticall certaine and infallible From whence ensues that though in matters of Philosophy and reason we must rather attend what is said theÌ„ by whome it is said and respect rather the force then the authority of the person who sayes it yet in matters of faith we must first respect them who preach and the authority and commission of their person and by it iudge of their doctrine preached For if the person be lawfully sent if he haue lawfull commission if he be a lawfull pastour not deuided by heresy or schisme from the whole body then the people are to attend to him and for his commission to receaue his doctrine but if he want mission commissioÌ„ if he teach of himselfe and his owne authority if he produce the doctrine not of the Church-proposition but of his owne inuention let him teach what he wil proue it how he wil he is not to be heard nor belieued by the common and vulgar people to whom it belonges to be obedient subiect to the authority of their Pastour not to iudge of the verity of his doctrine more then in generall whether it be consonant or dissonant from the vniuersally receaued doctrine of the Church for they are to obey their Pastours to remaine in the same rule in the faith first deliuered in that which they heard from the beginning to auoid profane nouelties of words not to receiue any other Ghospel or doctrine but that which they learned and receaued from the beginning leauing the particulars to the testimony of others either equal to their pastour in function or superiour to him in authority Which point is to be noted against the Manichees of old and the Protestants of late who respect not the authority of the Preacher but the force of his reason attend not to the commission of the Pastour who he is that teacheth but to the plausibility of his doctrine what it is and how far it is pleasing to their priuat spirit disposition or iudgment SVBDIV. 3. What meanes are to be vsed to make this Interpretation and of foure Rules of infallible interpreting of scripture Thirdly The meanes which are to be obserued vsed and followed by these Pastours or Prelats for the securing vs of this true sense of scripture are these 1. The rule of faith that is the Catholike and vniuersally receiued doctrine of faith and piety which was deliuered by the Apostles receiued by posterity 2. The generall practise or obseruatioÌ„ custome or tradition of the whole Church in pointes where the doctrine is not certaine 3. The auncient exposition or consent of the holy fathers and doctours of the primitiue Church where the former do not appeare 4. The decrees and definitions of the Councels either generall or prouincial approued by generall and the conformity to them in all expositions doubtfull Thâ—se are as so many rules or conducts according to which the certaine and authenticall sense of scripture is by the Pastours of gods Church to be squared and guided First that the rule of fayth is to be presupposed obserued and followed in the finding out the true sense of scripture is proued 1. This rule of Fayth is by S. Paul who often doth mention it called sometymes a rule which bringeth peace VVho haue followed this rule peace be on them Sometimes a rule in which they are to remaine to auoid dissentions Let vs remaine in the same rule that we may iudge the same Sometymes his rule which he deliuered to them and by which they are to increase in fayth Your fayth increasing according to our rule Sometymes a reason of Fayth according to which is giuen the guift of prophesy or interpretation of scripture Donations or prophesy according to the rule of Fayth And in effect it is no other but the doctrine they receaued the fayth preached through the whole world the disposition
from the departure till the diuision of the land and also 40. of Samuel and Sauls raigne 40. of Dauids togeather with 4. of Salomons raigne which in all make 134. as they are collected out of Scripture there remaines from the departure out of Aegypt till the building of the Temple not 450. years as S. Luke relats but only 345. 3. About the raigne of Ioram King of Iuda and Ochozias his sonne after him for Ioram began to raigne when he was 32. years old raigned 8. years which for his whole life is 40. yet Ochozias his sonne who succeeded him is sayd to haue beene 42. yeares old when he began to raigne 2. Para. 22.2 by which he being 42. yeares old when his Father dyed being but 40. should be two years elder then his Father who begat him a question to S. Hierome inexplicable 4. About the raigne of Ioachim or Iechonias King of Iuda who is sayd 2. Paral. 36.9 to haue beene but eight yeares old and 4. Reg. 24.8 to haue beene eighteen years old both of them when he began to raigne 5. About Ioram King of Israel who is sayd to haue begun his raigne 4. Reg. 1.17 in the second yeare of Ioram King of Iuda and yet 4. Reg. 3.1 to haue begun the same in the eighteen yeare of Iosaphat who was Iorams Father and raigned 25. yeares 6. About the supputation of tyme as it is counted by the raigne of the Kings of Iuda and of Israel for from the beginning of the kingdome of Israel in the first of Roboam King of Iuda till the end of the same in the sixth of Ezechias when Samaria was taken are 260. yeares according to the raigne of the Kinges of Iuda and yet in the same tyme according to the raigne of the Kinges of Israel are only 240. yeares To all which if we adde the difficult places which according to S. Peter are in the Epistles of S. Paul as for example how are to be interpreted that of 1. Cor. 3.11 Gold siluer hay stubble the day of our Lord fire and to be saued by the fire That of 1. Cor. 15.29 How to be baptized for the dead That of Hebr. 6.4 It is impossible for those that fall to repent If we adde the difficult places which in the Euangelists are hard as for example in S. Marke who cites the Prophet Esay for Malachy In S. Matthew who cites Ieremy for Zachary In S. Luke who adds a generation of Cainam to the same cyted by Moyses and makes 40. Generations from Dauid to Christ where S. Matthew makes but 28. In S. Iohn who maks the day of Christs Passion the day before the festiuall day the rest of the Euangelists the day of the feast If we add the difficult places of which many holy and learned men of ancient time doubted sent for explication some to S. August as Marcellinus a Noble man and Martyr Volusianus gouernour of Rome and Paulinus Simplicianus Euodius and Honoratus all Bishops Some to S. Hierome as Marcella and Principia Suna and Fratella Hebidia and Algasia noble and religious women as Vitalis Dardanus Euagrius Damasus holy and learned Bishops And lastly if we adde all those places which all ancient and moderne Heretikes haue in so many articles of fayth abused and corrupted for the establishing of their new inuented heresies If I say we adde all these to the former it will by them appeare that the priuate spirit in euery man can be neither a competent nor yet a sufficient meanes to expound and interprete the true certaine sense of Scripture neither in places difficult to be vnderstood nor in points necessary to be belieued And this is the first kind of reason drawne from the nature of scripture against the priuate spirits interpretation of it SVBDIV. 2. By reasons drawne from the priuate spirit which should expound Scripture SEcondly other reasons are drawne from the nature and condition of the priuate spirit which whether it be in a priuate person who wants lawfull ordination and authority or in publike Doctour Pastour or Bishop who diuided by heresy or schisme doth not conforme his spirit to the comon spirit of Gods Church and generall rule of Fayth yet that it cannot be a competent Iudge of fayth and decider of controuersies is proued by these reasons First because this priuate spirit is excluded as vnable and vnfit to interprete the scripture and that by scripture it selfe for S. Peter hauing commended the propheticall word or the wordes of Scripture made by the Prophets as being a candle shining in a darke place doth giue this Caueat as principally to be vnderstood that the sense of it is not to be made by any priuate interpretation that is though the scripture be a light yet as it is a light not to Gentils Iewes or Infidels who vnderstand it not so it is not a light to Heretikes who by the priuate spirit make a priuate interpretatiō of it why Because by mans will Prophesy was not at any tyme brought but the holy men of God spake inspired by the holy Ghost that is as the holy men of God the Apostles inspired by the holy Ghost spake and dictated the word of God when it was made so the interpreters of the same word ought not to bring in any exposition of the same word of God vpon their owne will and sense but vpon the inspiration of the same holy Ghost when by them it is interpreted so that we should receaue the sense of scripture from the same spirit from which we receaued the text of Scripture As therefore no priuate spirit but one and the same spirit of the Prophets and Apostles of Christ made the scripture so no priuate spirit but the common spirit of Pastours and Prelates of Christs Church should determine and iudge of the sense of Scripture Of which place and others see more in the first Chapter Secondly because as truth and faith is not priuate to one nor singular in any but common to all and generally receaued by all the faithfull for so saith S. Augustine Thy truth O Lord is neither myne nor this mans or that mans but all mens whom thou callest publickly to the Communion of it terribly admonishing vs not to haue it priuate least we be depriued of it for whosoeuer will challenge that as proper to himselfe which is giuen as common to all and will haue that only to himselfe which is for all men that man is driuen from the common to his owne that is from truth to falshood so also the spirit of truth is not priuate to any one but common to all the faithfull for if the spirit of the teacher be not common with the spirit of all teachers it is not a spirit as it ought to be which is one keeping an vnity of spirit in the bond of peace making mē of one mind in one spirit labouring together
it be contained among the chief articles of the Creed or plainly expressed in scripture 9. So sufficient that it be able to explicate determine all articles and doubtes in religion 10. So complet that it containe virtually be able to resolue plainly all questions and conclusions of Faith which may at any time vpon any occasion arise All which are necessary for such a rule and foundation vpon which so important a matter as faith and religion is grounded And this is the first thing to be obserued for the properties and conditions both of the Iudge and his rule of faith The whole body of the Church cannot be this Iudge SECT II. SECONDLY We may note that this infallible authority to iudge of controuersies of faith is giuen neither to the whole body and congregation of the Church of God as the rigid Lutherans with Brentius do hould nor to the secular Princes and Parlamentes as all the Lutherans at first and the State-Protestants of England do yet defend nor to the lay-people and priuate persons as Caluin and the Caluinists do maintaine nor yet is it residing in the wordes and text or scripture as the ordinary preachers pretend but only is giuen to the Pastours and Prelates of the Church of Christ who are lawfully by authority from Apostolicall succession ordained and Catholickly continue without diuision of heresy or schisme in the same and among them principally to the chiefe head and Pastour the successor of Peter and Bishop of Rome All which concerning euery one shall be briefly proued First therefore although the whole body of the Church collected haue the infallible assistance of the holy Ghost that it cannot erre or be deceaued in faith yet hath it not the same assistance that it may ought to be iudge determiner of faith For as in a naturall body the soule doth informe and giue life to the whole body and euery member of it but doth not discourse and giue vse of reason to the whole or euery part but only to the head so the spirit of God assistes the whole Church with the priuiledge of freedome from errour in faith but doth not likewise giue to it the priuiledg◠of authority to teach and iudge of faith and direct others in the same for which cause God hath giuen a measure of donation diuisions of graces and ministrations and made some not al Apostles Doctours Prophets that some may rule others be ruled some teach and others be taught some be superiours to iudge and direct others be inferiours to be iudged and directed and so an order and subordination a peace and vnity may be obserued and kept in the whole body among the members of Christs Church Whereof see more in the next fourth Section Secular Princes cannot be this Iudge SECT III. THIRDLY That this infallible authority is not in secular Princes or their Assemblies and Parlaments either as particuler members of the Church against Melancthon or as Princes and Superiours among the rest against Brentius so that they can and may lawfully and infallibly iudge of Controuersies make ecclesiasticall lawes giue authority to preach and prescribe a forme of doctrine a manner of seruice and an order of Sacraments and sacrifice though it be largely by many proued against the supremacy of Princes in causes Ecclesiasticall and requires a treatise more large yet in briefe it shall by these reasons be proued First because Kinges and Princes are in the Church of God and spirituall affaires as sheep to be ruled and ordered not as sheepheardes to rule and gouerne they are Lambes to be fed by Peter Sheep of the fold of Christ Members of the Church of God and seruants of the family of Christ Thus did the ancient and holy Fathers freely tell and admonish them and the Christian and good Emperours themselues acknowledged it S. Gregory Nazianzen told Valentinian That the law of Christ did subiect them Emperours to his power and Tribunall and that they were holy sheep of his holy fold S. Ambrose told Theodosius the Great that he was a sonne of the Church and that a good Emperour is within not aboue the Church Theodoret sayes of Constantine the Great that as a louing sonne he did propose busines to the Bishops and Priests as Fathers Constantine himselfe cōfesses that God gaue Priests power to iudge of Emperours witnesse Ruffinus that they were bishops within the Church he without it witnes Eusebius Valentinian the elder confesses that he as a laye man might not interpose himselfe in Church affaires but the Bishops and Priestes had care of such affaires witnes Sozom. And that himselfe was to submit himselfe to them witnes Paulus Diaconus And Theodosius the Great obeyed S. Ambrose his excommunication departed out of the Chancell at his command and cōfessed that thereby he had learned to know what difference there was betweene an Emperour and a Bishop witnes Theodoret and Nicephorus Secondly because the offices of the Bishops and Emperours are diuers and distinct the one of bodyes and goods the other of soules and fayth the one of life and death for offences against the King and common-wealth the other of sinnes and sacraments belonging to Gods lawes mans conscience the one is temporall of the kingdome and common-wealth the other is spirituall of the Church flocke of Christ which the hereticall Emperours forgetting were stoutly and zealously admonished and reprehended by the holy Bishops vnder them for the same As for example Cōstantius the Arian 1. by Hosius of Corduba willing him not to medle with Ecclesiasticall affaires nor to commaund them but to learne of them because to him God had committed the Empire but to them the Church 2. By Leontius of Tripolis because being ruler of military and politicke affaires he should not rule in thinges that belong only to Bishops 3. By S. Hilary of Arles wishing him to writ to Iudges of Prouincies that they should not presume or vsurpe to intermedle with the causes of Clergy men 4. By S. Athanasius of Alexandria that he and such who will be Presidents in ecclesiasticall iudgments who will make the Tribunals of the Court the seales of deciding ecclesiasticall causes themselues Princes and Authours of Church affaires are the abomination of desolation yea euen Antichrist himselfe Valentinian the yonger seduced by his wife was told by S. Ambrose of Milane That he had no Imperiall right in thinges that are diuine for the Court doth belong to the Emperour but the Church to the Priest And being called by the Emperour to reason with Auxentius the Arian he answered That if a conference was to be made of fayth it was to be made by the Priestes as it was vnder Constantine who prescribed no lawes but gaue free iudgement to Priests That it was neuer heard that in a cause of fayth Lay
men did iudge of Bishops That if we looke into Scripture or ancient tymes Bishops vsed to iudge of Christian Emperours not Emperours of Bishops Thus S. Ambrose imitating S. Athanasius who sayd When was it euer heard that the iudgement of the Church did receaue authority from the Emperour Many synods and iudgements haue beene yet did neither any Bishops persuade any Emperour any such thing nor any Prince shew himselfe curious in any Ecclesiasticall affaires Valens the Arian was asked by Eulogius the Priest in Edessa Hath the Emperour the dignity of Priesthood we haue a Pastour whome we must obey Anastasius the Eutichian was told by Gelasius the Pope That though he did rule ouer mē in earthly things yet he did subiect his necke to the Prelates in diuine thinges Thou knowest that thou oughtest to be ruled nor to rule in order of religion thou knowest that thou art to depend of this iudgement not they to be brought to thy will S. Mauritius was admonished by S. Gregory the great That Priests are as Gods among men therefore ought to be honoured of all Kinges And Michael was let vnderstand the same by the Nicolas 1. Leo the Image-breaker was told by S. Iohn Damascene That the Church ought to be ruled not by lawes of Kinges but by the written and not written institutions of Ancestours And to conclude S. Iohn Chrysostome sayd freely to his owne Deacon If any Duke Consull or the Emperour himselfe come vnworthily represse repell him thou hast greater power then he Where we may note that these Emperous were thus by these Fathers reprehended for assuming Ecclesiasticall iudgment either as Heretiks or as Tyrants nor yet for doing it alone without the Bishops but only and simply as Emperours who hauing only temporall power ouer the common-wealth did assume Ecclesiastical ouer the Church Which also is further proued by the confession and practise of the best of the Christian Emperours for Constantine the Great acknowledged that the Bishops had power to iudge him and when he did iudge of the cause of Caecilianus Bishop of Carthage he did it so that he asked pardon of the Bishops for it Valentinian the elder would haue them to iudge in a cause of fayth and ecclesiasticall order who are not vnlik either in office or title that is Priests of Priests Marcians commissioners referred themselues to the Councell of Calcedon to be taught in fayth and himselfe wills that Priests determine what is to be obserued in Religiō And though he himselfe went to the Councell yet it was not to determine but confirme the fayth not prescribing lawes sayth S. Ambrose but leauing the Priests free iudgement and making the Priests themselues Iudges as he did in the Councell of Aquileia Theodosius the second sent to the Councell of Ephesus but not so much as to talke of matters of Fayth holding it vnlawfull for those who are not of Episcopall order to medle in Ecclesiasticall affaires The same did Iustinian in his Constitutions and Basil in the eight generall Councell Thirdly because power not only to preach but much more to iudge of doctrine of fayth for the authority to iudge is the strong meat of perfect men whose senses are exercised to the discerning of good and euill was committed to Bishops as of greater difficulty then the office or preaching giuen to Priests and is a spirituall grace or guift giuen by imposition of handes to spirituall men according to that of the Apostle Neglect not the grace that is in thee which is giuen thee by prophecy with imposition of the handes of Priesthood Therefore as power to minister Sacraments is proper to Priests so also to iudge of Controuersies is proper to Bishops lawfully ordained by authority successiuely descending from the Apostles For which cause to Priests and Prelates not to Kings and Princes it is sayd Thou shalt seeke the law out of the mouth of the Priest My wordes shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed and out of the mouth of thy seedes seed for euer I will giue you mouth and wisedome which all your aduersaryes shall not be able to resist It is not you that speak but the spirit of my Father which speaketh in you He that heareth you heareth me He that knoweth God heareth vs. He that is not of God heareth vs not sayth one of the spirituall Pastours for which guift Caiphas prophesy was a guift of his functiō or priesthood according to S. Augustine though his ill life was the cause of ignorāce of what he prophesyed Lastly because many inconueniences and absurdities would follow if this authority were annexed to the kingly Scepter not to the priestly function for it would follow that Fayth could not continue one and the same neither in all persons nor in all tymes nor in all Countryes because Princes in all tymes and places are of disposition various in iudgement different in faction opposite and in subordination neither depending one of another nor alwayes respecting Religion or Religious persons more then may besteed them for their temporall and priuate endes and vses Wherefore as Ieroboam of old and Queene Elizabeth of late did relinquish the old and introduce a new Religion for reasons more politicke then diuine rather to establish their doubtfull titles then religiously to serue God so would Kinges by vertue of this their authority if it were in them either in policy or vpon affection be still altering Religions and setting vp new most for their owne endes and dispositions by which we should haue as many alterations of Religion as of Kinges and as many Churches as are Kingdomes and as great opposition in Faith as is in States and Common-wealthes All which may appeare by an example in Englād where while the authority in iudging in matters of faith was in the Prelats religion continued 900. yeares the same from Ethelbert till Henry the eight but after that power of iudging was assumed to the scepter by King Henry the 8. the supremacy by one the same King was in three yeares thrice changed from the Pope to the Clergy from the Clergy to the Archbishop from the Archbishop to the King and afterwards as many religions were a new broght in as Kings were a new crowned to wit one by King Henry another by King Edward a third by Queen Mary a fourth by Queen Elizabeth a fifth of Puritans would haue been vnder the same Queen if power had not preuented it and what may be yet lies in the power of the King and Parlament It would also follow that a man should be obliged alwayes to follow the religion of the King to change with the King and so should not be obliged to be certaine of any or to dy or suffer for any religion but should belieue and preach obserue and practice what the King prescribes
not only of Infants but also of Nations that they should teach all Nations As he was light of men so they should be the light of the world As he gaue testimony to the truth so they should giue testimony and be witnesses of him to the end of the earth That as the Father did sanctify him so he prayed to his Father to sanctify them As he was sent by his Father into the world so he sent them As by a voice from heauen it was sayd of him heare him so by his owne mouth he sayd of them he that heareth you heareth me The Apostles therefore were appointed for Maisters specially sanctifyed made the light of the world ordained witnesses of his truth sent with authority and commission as himselfe was for that end that they should be heard and obeyed as himselfe was and the same power they receaued from him not only themselues challenged and practised after him and with him but also their Successours after them and with them For as Christ was giuen a light of the Nations so they sayth S. Luke were also the light of the nations As the spirit of God was on him to euangelize to the poore so God chose them sayth S. Luke that the Gentils by their mouth should heare the word of the Ghospell and belieue As he did reconcile the world to himselfe so he sayth S. Paul placed in them the word of reconciliation As he came an Embassadour from his Father to be a messenger of iudgment to the world so sayth S. Paul we are Legates for Christ. As our Sauiour sayd of himselfe He that is God doth heare the wordes of God therefore you heare not because you are not of God so doth S. Iohn say of them He that knoweth God heareth vs and he that is not of God heareth vs not Therefore as Christ thought it no robbery to be equal to his Father in diuinity so they thought it no iniury to him to be in some sort participant with him in his power and authority And that Christ gaue this authority to the Apostles not only for themselues and their owne time but also for their successors and for all ages so that it is to reside and remaine in the Pastours and prelates of holy Church their successors continually till the end of the world is euident for if he haue this authority as necessary for the peace and gouernement of his Church and if the Church stand as great need of it in all ages as in that time of the Apostles as it is certaine it doth then without doubt it was as well giuen to the Pastours of the future tymes of the Church as to them of the present for which end Christ sayth S. Paul gaue some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastours and Doctours and for what end For the consummation or perfection of Saints that is of all faythfull for the worke of the ministery to teach his truth for the edification and propagation of his body to conserue and increase his Church for the vnity of fayth vntill all concurre in one least men be wauering and vncertaine in faith like little ones least they be carryed with euery wind of doctrine least they be circumuented by craftines in errour All which dangers as they remaine in all tymes so the remedy prepared against them must remaine for all tymes Whereupon S. Peter did not only himselfe exercise this authority but at his departure gaue the same to the Pastours of Pontus Galatia and Bythinia to whome he writ his Epistles willing them to feed the flocke of God which is among them S. Paul did not only practise it himselfe but also left it to the Pastors of Ephesus to rule the Church of God To Titus to ordaine Priests through all Citties in Creet as he had disposed To Timothy to commend to faithfull men what he had heard of him and willed the conuerted Iewes to obey their Gouernours and be subiect to them because they watch as being to giue an account of their soules Whereupon not of the Apostles only but of all Pastours and only of Pastours it is sayd My spirit which is in thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed frō this present for euer What is this word my spirit which is in thee but to compare the prophesy and the performance the Paraclete the spirit of truth which the Father will giue to you What are the wordes in thy mouth but the wordes and vnderstanding which thou Father gauest to me I gaue to them and they receaued of me What is thy seed and seeds seed but those who are to belieue by their word in me What is from this tyme for euer but that I will be with you euen to the consummation of the world And so doth the prediction of the Prophet concurre with the performance of our Sauiour To all Pastours and only of Pastours it is sayd Sonnes are borne to thee for thy fathers and thou shalt make them Princes ouer all the earth that is according to S. Augustine for Apostles thou shalt haue Prelates To al Pastours and only to Pastours it is sayd He that heares you heares me And He that knowes God heares vs and he that is not of God heares vs not That is sayth S. Cyprian all Gouernours who by subordination succeed the Apostles Because sayth S. Augustin In the chaire of vnity he hath placed the doctrine of verity Of al and to all Pastours it is sayd How shall they preach except they be sent No man assumes to himself honour but he that is called of God as Aaron To all and only of Pastours it is sayd If he heare not the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and Publican that is sayth Chrysostome and Theophilact if he heare not the Pastours of the Church And if he be worthy to be esteemed so who despises them that admonish him of his fault much more worthy is he to be deemed so who despises him who instructs him in fayth To all and only Pastours it is sayd That the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church In so much that all the promises of Church-stability and perpetuity in fayth cōsists chiefly in this infallible authority of the Pastours who are to instruct in fayth direct in fayth and to iudge of fayth and what promises are made to the Church are made chiefly to the Pastours as the principall partes of it and by thē to the rest as inferiour To them therefore is giuen the word of reconciliation the dispensation of the mysteries the function of Embassages the
this preaching is deriued frō Mission according to that of S. Paul How shal they belieue him whom they haue not heard how shall they heare without a preacher how shall they preach except they be sent So that faith it by hearing hearing is by preaching of Pastours and preaching is by mission from the authority of Superiours Of which the reason is because faith is an argumēt or proofe of things that do not appeare either to our sense or reason but are aboue our vnderstanding and capacity therfore we cannot attaine to it by euidence of reason but by credit of authority To this authority that we may giue credit we must conceaue and heare it this hearing that we may be obliged to accept it must by Church-Pastors be proposed and preached to vs and this preaching that it may the better secure vs of it must be from lawfull mission by ordinary succession deriued and so lawfull mission from apostolical authority infallible preaching or proposition of Pastours and a pious disposition in vs to heare and belieue what is thus proposed are the meanes by which according to S. Paul true faith is attained But this priuat spirit quite ouerthrowes all this excellēt order and subordination ordayned by Christ Iesus proposed to vs by the holy Ghost For first it alone without any disposition of hearing without any proposition or preaching of Church Pastours without any authority of apostolicall mission and ordination teaches and directs in particuler euery one man woman or child which is true Scripture which is true sense of it and which is true doctrine collected out of it therfore euery one thus made faithfull by this spirit stands need neither of disposition to heare what is to be belieued nor of preaching to belieue what they heare nor of mission and ordination to secure them of what is preached because this spirit supplies the effect of all both ordination proposition and disposition of hearing therfore all order and discipline all subordination and subiection all sacraments or preaching are needlesse yea fruitlesse in Gods Church As this spirit secures alone so without Sacraments it sanctifies alone As it instructs all in faith so it corrects all in errours against faith And as it is directed by none but God so it is subordinate to none but God alone obliged to none obedient to none it is immediate as they which haue it imagine from God it wil be subiect only to God it will be directed only by God it alone inspires all what they are to belieue alone works all what they are to do and alone secures all that they cannot faile of their end and saluation and so alone to all is all in all that is the beginning progresse and end of all grace and goodnesse Thus is the spirit to them if you will credit them Secondly It alone hath warrant and commission power and authority in whomsoeuer it is whether he be yonge or old simple or wise vnlearned or learned secular or spirituall to examine censure to giue sentence and iudgment in any cause or Controuersy ouer any Pastour or Prelate vpon any Councell or Church particuler or generall present or past late or auncient For as Caluin and Kemnitius for example by the prerogatiue of this their spirit tooke vpon them to censure and correct by their Examine and Antidote not only the late generall Councel of Trent but also the auncient generall Councels of Nice Constantinople Chalcedon and Ephesus yea the whole Church of God and all Doctours in it for many ages togeather as is before shewed so euery bible-bearing Ghospeller who hath got but a tast of this spirit and can but read the Scripture in English will by the same prerogatiue of this spirit assume to himselfe the same authority to examine the same examiners to censure the same censurers and to iudge the spirit of the former iudges yea to examine censure and iudge all Pastours Doctours Fathers Councells and Churches and to determine which of them haue erred what sense of Scripture is to be preferred and what Fayth and Religion is to be imbraced All which as these new Protestant Maisters first practised vpon the ancient Fathers so these their new discipls haue learned to practise the same vpon them their maisters and do as well censure them as they did their Predecessours and that worthily for what they taught and practised against their Fathers is a iust punishment that their children should learne and practise the same against them That it cannot be a meanes of fayth which requirs credible testimonies SECT VI. FIFTHLY this fayth as it is obtained by piously hearing the infallible preaching of Pastours lawfully ordained and sent so also it requires besides diuine reuelation reasons and motiues of credibility forcible to moue the Vnderstanding to accept as probable this doctrine of Fayth thus by preaching proposed and by God reuealed for as before He that giueth credit quickly is light of hart And reasons of credibility such as are miracles sanctity vnity conuersions of Nations and such like before mentioned doe make a true fayth more credible according to that of Dauid Thy testimonies are made too credible But that this priuate spirit cannot giue any such credible testimonies or produce any probable motiue to conuince any one that it is a true spirit of God or a certaine meanes of faith is proued Because it cannot alledge any consent of people and nations nor any authority of miracles to vse S. Augustines words nourished by hope increased by charity and confirmed by antiquity such as confirmed S. Augustine in his faith it cannot alleadge any vnity which it causeth either with the head Christ or with his body the Church not any sanctity which it worketh by works memorable for piety or miraculous for power and vertue not any consent of vniuersality by which it hath been imbraced in all places at all times by all nations and persons no not in ancient time by any persons renowned for holinesse and learning not any succession of Pastours prelates doctours or saints who haue relied themselues their faith saluation vpon it it cannot produce any one euident either authority of holy scripture or any one tradition of apostolicall time or any one practise of auncient Church or any one decree of generall Councels or any one testimony of learned Doctours or any one probable much lesse conuincing argument of reason that either all or any one man must or may settle his beliefe in it interprete the Scripture by it rely his saluation vpon it deduce all resolutions of fayth all questions of Controuersies all doubts of Religion from it and giue peremptory iudgment and sentence of all Pastours and Prelates of all Saints and Doctours of all Churches and Councells of all doctrine and religion according to the suggestion of it which yet the precise Protestāts do both in doctrine professe and in practise performe That it cannot be a
their decrees no Emperour with his sword no people or Pastour in any parish should haue publikly professed maintayned and confirmed the true fayth of Christ and true doctrine of saluation but all of Antichrist and damnation Thirdly it follows that all the predictions and prophecies of the prophets before Christ all the promises and assurances made by Christ himselfe or by his Apostles to his Church either of the extension and amplitude of Christes Church from sea to sea from North to South to the vttermost end of the world to all people and nations to all Iles and Kingdomes to all Kinges and Princes or of continuance succession of the same as long as the Sunne Moon shall endure from Sabaoth to Sabaoth from age to age frō generation to generation without interruption or discontinuance from that tyme till the worlds end or of the Holy Ghosts assistance and continuance with it as the Pillar and ground of truth against all the waues and stormes of the sea of this world against all the swordes and violence of persecutors and Tyrants and against all principalities and powers the gouernours of this darknesse and the very gates of hell it selfe It followes I say that all these predictions haue beene false and not verifyed as Castalion and Dauid George both Protestants conuinced by experience of the not being of a Protestant Church haue confessed it followes that the Prophets of the old Testament who foretould them were false not true Prophets that the Apostles of the new Testament who confirmed them were vnlawfull and faythlesse messengers and that Iesus Christ who planted watered promised to giue increase to this his Church was not the only true omnipotent God but either a false deceauer who promised that he knew should not be performed or els a weake worker who could not performe that which he had promised to wit this amplitude succession and firmity of his Church thus wholy frustrated and made void according to the former principle and doctrine All which is wikedly confessed vpon the former groundes by Dauid George Ochinus and others Fourthly it followes that Turkes Iewes and Gentils haue had a more flourishing state of a Church Kingdome and Professours as hauing beene more visible potent and dilated for many continued ages in many distant partes of the world then the christians who haue had neither Prince Prelate people or scarce any publike Professours of true Christianity for one age together vnder any one King in any one prouince of the world That Mahomet and Antichrist or the diuel by them did with more prudence and power with more piety and policy establish enlarge protect their faith and common wealth which so long continued then Iesus Christ who is true God and man did or could do his faith and Church which so soone after his departure erred failed and decayed Where is the greater glory of the second temple then of the first Where is the ends of the earth giuen to it for a possession Where are the Kings and Queenes who as nursing fathers are to haue protected it Where are the people and nations who with the gold of Arabia and Saba were to haue inriched it Where are the Iles and kingdomes who from the vttermost ends of the world were to haue waited vpon this Church of Christ more then any other of Iews Turks or Pagans What was Christ lesse true lesse good lesse faythfull lesse able and potent in the establishing and preseruing his kindgome then were Moyses or Mahomet Cyrus or Romulus in setling and enlarging their Synagogue Sect or Common-wealth Surely it followes O horrour and blasphemy if these positions and points of the Protestants priuate spirits doctrine were true and warrantable Of absurdities which follow vpon the second head of sole Fayth SECT III. SECONDLY Out of the second principle and doctrine depending on it which is that a man is iustified by only faith which is a faith speciall of euery one 's owne predestination iustification and glorification so certaine and so sure as that there is a God or that Christ is saued so perpetuall that it can neuer be lost and peculiar only to the elect depending vpon their priuat spirit and the rest before mentioned it followes First That a man is not only without all doubt or so much as any feare certaine of his predestination past iustification present and glorification to come but also that he is more certaine of it then he is of the B. Trinity of the Incarnation Passion Resurrection ascension and coming of Christ which he belieues only by a faith not supernaturall and diuine but historicall generall and common as they say to the reprobate and diuels yea more certaine then Iesus-Christ was of his saluation whom they affirme to haue feared doubted distrusted and despaired before his death of his saluation as is afterward shewed Yea as certaine must they be as certaine they are that God is one God or that Iesus Christ is in heauen or as if Iesus Christ were present and so told them which are their owne words and comparisons which is both absurd and impious absurd because they haue scripture to auouch the being of one God and the saluation of Christ but which auouches to euery mā this his saluatiō in particular they haue neither scripture nor reason Impious because what greater impiety and blasphemy can be conceaued then to make Christ God and man doubtfull of his saluation and themselues sinfull and wicked wretches certaine of theirs Secondly it followes that euery Protestant may and must by faith belieue as certaine that of which neither authority of scripture testimony of Church or euidence of reason doth yield any argument of certainty but only his owne priuate spirit and conceit doth suggest and perswade this certainty of euery one his owne iustification and saluation and yet that the same Protestants may doubt yea refuse to assent and belieue such articles of faith as both expresse authority of Scripture euident proposition of Church and confessed testimony of auncient tradition Fathers and Councels doth fully and frequently deliuer and approue such are many articles now in controuersy as Freewill merit good works reall presence prayer to saints for the dead and such like All which for example Caluin and euery Protestant do as firmly notwithstanding all the former confessed testimonies reiect and condemne as they belieue the certainty of their owne saluation which notwithstanding that it be not mentioned or motioned in particular in any such or the former testimonyes they do most vndoubtedly and firmely apprehend and belieue In which among all absurdities what can be more absurd then without any other reason or testimony but ones owne conceit so firmely to adhere to a thing of importance so vncertaine both in it selfe and in experience and yet not belieue many thinges in themselues so probable and so mainly by so many testimonies confirmed and approued Which what is it els
where the one is there the other must be 2. That Melchisedech was a Priest and his sacrifice was in bread and wine 3. That Christ is compared to Melchisedech not only in his kingly authority as King of iustice and peace as Melchisedech was nor only in his genealogy as being without Father as man and without mother as God or without predecessor before him or successor after him in the office of redeemer as Melchisedech is said to be without Father mother but also in priestly function concealed on purpose by S. Paul for the incapacity of the Iews as a thing of which he hath a speech great and inexplicable to vtter and in his priestly sacrifice by offering bread wine as Melchisedech did and that not for one time but for euer Sith I say all this is euident it followes 1. That Christ is a priest not according to Aaron in offering bloud but according to Melchisedech in offering bread and wine and that not once by himselfe but for euer by his Apostles and Priests to whom he gaue commission to offer the same sacrifice which himselfe had done 2. It followes that to verify Christs being priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech there must be a succession of priests and sacrifice in Gods Church to offer the same sacrifice for euer so to make his priesthood continue for euer But by this former Protestant doctrine is excluded all sacrifice for sinne all priesthood to offer sacrifice and all holy orders to consecrat priests and so this perpetuall priesthood and sacrifice of Christ according to Melchisedech is reiected First in Christ himselfe and his owne person whome they deny to haue offered any sacrifice at his last supper Secondly in his Priests and deputies to whome they deny all authority of Priesthood and all power to offer sacrifice and so admit no sacrifice at all according to the order of Melchisedech either by Christ or his Church and why Because only Fayth doth iustify satisfy and apply the merit of Christ only Fayth doth couer all sinnes by the apprehension of the iustice of Christ only Fayth doth assure all that they are iust shall continue and that they need no other worke Sacrament or sacrifice to make or keep them iust but only Fayth and so this Fayth destroyes all sacrifice therby the Priesthood of Christ Lastly that this doctrine bereaues Christ of his knowledge both beatificall by which from the first instance of his conception he did clearely see God and also infused and that not out of thinges naturall and by accidents infused which by nature and industry may be obtained but also of thinges supernaturall and per se infused of things which are by fayth reuealed to vs such as are the mysteries we belieue and the secrets of harts all which by ancient Deuines is admitted to haue beene in Christ from the first instant of his conception That I say they depriue Christ of all this excellency and knowledge and make him ignorant and more ignorant then Adam who was created as in perfection of stature and strength of body so also in perfection of all philosophicall and theologicall knowledge in soule by which he gaue names to all beasts and more ignorant then Salomon who was the wisest of men before or after him is proued Because they affirme that he assumed our ignorance that he was ignorant like other children was instructed as boyes are increased in knowledge not only experimentall but also habituall as others do learned and profited in artes and sciences humane and diuine as children do that he was iignorant of the place of Lazarus his burâ—all of the Iewes fayth who offered the man sicke of the palsy of the Figge-tree both of what kind it was and what fruit it bore and of the day of iudgment not only to reueale it to others but to know it himselfe that he made farre-fetcht-similitudes and needlesse illations nothing to purpose wrested the wordes and sense of the Prophets weakly confuted his aduersaries failed in memory and made prayers and petitions vnaduised and not premeditated forced with the vehemency of sorrow in the garden all which are by Caluin imputed to him But if Christ was thus ignorant and blind in his vnderstanding then might he be deceaued in his iudgement and so deceaue others and faile in truth of that he sayd or reuealed in Scripture then may the scripture be false his fayth and doctrine be false all Christians be lead into errour and blindnes then may he be infirme in his operations and sinfull also in his actions For if the vnderstanding which is the light to lighten and the guide to direct the other faculties of the soule may be blind ignorant inconsiderate and erroneous then may the will which doth follow the light and direction of the vnderstanding and wils nothing but that the vnderstanding knowes also faile in the election of good and so will that is ill and commit sinne and so may Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life fall into errour falshood and sinne and so erre deceaue and commit sinne To all which if we adde the detestable and blasphemous assertions boldly auerred by prime Protestants Luther Caluin and their fellowes against Christ to wit that God made him a sinner vniust guilty and hatefull to himselfe that he was culpable a sinner true and most truly a sinner as other men a sinner most great most vile and obnoxius to the anger of God that he carried himselfe vncurteously and not like a sonne to his mother that he made a prayer vnpremeditated a vow abrupte inconsiderate contrary to his vocation to be corrected retracted and renounced that he renounced his office of mediatour was forgetfull of our saluation and the charge committed to him that he confessed his effeminate nicenesse esteemed himselfe not to be sent of God did wauer betweene praising and blaspheming of God did stagger among the waues of tentations vttered words of desperation was ouercome with desperatioÌ„ did renounce his saluation knew God was angry at him that he stood in need of Baptisme was cursed and execrable as commonly the damned are that he suffered the horrour of a conscience feeling Gods eternall wrath did feare and highly despaire in his soule in the same manner aâ— the damned did wauer betweene hell and life struggle with the horrour of eternall paines had an horrour of eternall punishment was tormented with the feare of horrible damnation was horribly afraid of the profound abisse of death was in feare to be absorpt by death was stroken with the horrour of the diuine malediction was tortured with anxiety as if he had God his enemy feared his saluation was perswaded that he was vndonne and was striken with the horrour of Gods iudgment more then euer any man was or could be in which his horrour consisted the summe of our consolation that he suffered the same paines of hell
and so both in a sort indifferent to be committed or omitted as both deseruing and neither receauing punishment both being sinnes in themselues and neither imputed for sinnes by God Vpon what motiue or ground therefore of religion either of displeasing God or of hope of reward or of feare of hell can a regenerate Protestant be induced to auoid sinnes rather then good workes or to liue vertuously rather then vitiously sith both are mortall sinnes both mortally offend God and both equally are not imputed neither punished Thirdly it followes that any faythfull and regenerate Protestant may according to the groundes of his fayth commit any or all the former sinnes yea all the sinnes which any reprobate doth commit and yet remaine a iust regenerate and perfect protestant For if faith only doth iustify once had can neuer be lost by any sinne whatsoeuer if no sinnes be imputed but all be by the same faith remitted then may he coÌ„mit any or all the said sinnes and yet retaine faith and iustification and keep his assurance of saluation and so continue still a perfect regenerate Protestant and is as high in perfection as strong in faith and as sure of saluation as any Saint is in heauen who neuer committed any of the same What conscience therefore or scruple will he make of any the said sinnes sith he shall receiue by them no losse of faith no detriment of iustice no displeasure of God no punishment of hell Fourthly it followes that in vaine and to no end is all penance and sorrow for sinnes all chastising of our bodies which S. Paul vsed for sin all fasting sackcloth hairecloth or ashes with Dauid the Niniuites Manasses Achab and others before Christ vsed for their sins That in vaine to no end is all forsaking the vanities and pleasures of the world all abnegation resignation mortification and taking vp the crosse of Christ in deserts Monasteries places secluded from the world and chosen for practise of pouerty obedience chastity which S. Marke S. Hilarion S. Paul S. Anthony S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Basil S. Augustine S. Benedict S. Bernard and so many ancient and holy Saints and Religious persons since Christ haue euer vsed 1. because only faith doth iustify and secure them of saluation and doth take away all imputation of any sinne or paine due to sinne and so makes needlesse all satisfaction for sinne 2. Because Baptisme which according to Caluin is to be ministred only to the faythfull doth remit all sinnes past and to come 3. Because all these actes are sinnes and that mortall as well as feasting lusting deceauing killing and the rest Fiftly it followes that in vaine and to no end are all lawes either of God Church or Commonwealth in vaine are all Tribunals and Courtes spirituall and temporall in vaine are all Iudges and Magistrates appointed to correct punish malefactours in vaine is all power and iurisdiction of Princes or Prelates in vaine is all Regall authority and commaund of Emperours Kinges and Princes because all obseruance of any law or of any one commandement euen the least is impossible and a burthen sayth Caluin greater then Aetna because no Prince or Prelate hath any authority to make any law which shall oblige in conscience because by the liberty of the Ghospell euery Protestant is freed from any obligation in conscience and from any lawes of any Prince whereupon any malefactour guilty of murder theft or the like may answere the Iudge and alleadge their doctrine that the lawes did not oblige in conscience and were impossible to be performed no freewill to do otherwise theÌ„ God had determined no obligation in conscience to obey the Kinges Lawes being freed by the liberty of the Ghospell that the Iudge hath no authority to execute that which the King had no authority to decree no iustice to punish him for that which God forced and willed him to do and which he had no liberty or power but to do no reason to hinder the liberty of his spirit graunted by the Ghospell The traitour and Rebell may answere his King and alledge out of the same liberty of this Ghospell the same reasons and say that he is as free from obedience to his owne Prince as to a forain Prince or from the lawes of his owne Country as of a forraine Country may resist his Prince and his lawes ryse and rebell against him oppose and depose yea kill and murther his person in case he do not iustice obserue not his own law defend not the common-wealth or giue not free passage to the preaching of their Ghospel Which as after shal be shewed they haue in Germany France Scotland Belgia Geneua other countryes according to these groundes practised and approued and which the Trinitarians and Anabaptists do according to the same yet positiuely maintaine and defend In vaine therefore did God giue to Kinges power from himselfe and vertue from the highest In vaine do Kings rule by God makers of lawes decerne iuâ—t thinges In vaine is all power from God and higher powers to be obeyed In vaine are we to be subiect to higher powers not only for anger but for conscience In vaine are we admonished to be subiect to Kinges and Rulers and sent from God to be subiect to Princes and powers to be obedient to carnall Lordes and Maisters in feare and trembling to honour them with all honour to giue to Caesar that which is Caesars In vaine is the King made the head and ruler of the common-wealth In vaine doth he make lawes inflict punishments appoint Iudges iustices and Magistrates sith subiects haue no liberty to obey or not obey them no tye in conscience not to violate them but by the liberty of their Ghospell are freed from all and the thinges also are either impossible to be done or if omitted it is without any sinne more then veniall at the most that is not imputed In vaine and foolishly do they condemne Popes for assuming power to declare Princes deposed or to depose them in case of extreme necessary to conserue the true fayth of God and the right authority of the Church or to preuent the grieuous calamity of the common good sith euery one among them may doe the same and more vpon his priuate authority to right his owne priuate wronge In vaine foolishly doe they accuse and condemne Popes for deposing Emperours Kinges as Gregory the second did Leo Isauricus Zachary did Chilpericke the King of France Gregory the 7. did Henry the 4. Innocent the 3. did Otho the 4. Alexander the 2. did Iohn of England and the like since they themselues in so short a tyme haue deposed two Queenes in Scotland one Bishop of Geneua and by armes laboured to depose one Queene of England two Kings of France three Kinges of Spaine three Emperours of Germany from their temporall right and dominion All which are lawfull and
warrantable according to these grounds of their Fayth that no lawes are possible or oblige in conscience that no bad workes are imputed or hinder saluation that the liberty of the Ghospell makes all actions free and voluntary that only fayth doth iustify and cannot be lost that no man hath freewill nor can do otherwise thē God hath decreed Which positions ouerthrow all duety of obedience and all obligation of duty to any Prince Sixtly it followes that in vaine and to no end are all consultations and deliberations of thinges to be done eithe◠by priuate persons in their priuate affaires or by publike Councellours of Princes for the publicke good because all in both must be as God hath decreed and man hath no more free-will to do otherwise then he is determined then he hath not to be a man as he was created In vaine are all precepts and lawes of doing or not doing going or staying bargayning buying or selling because man hath neither freedome of will nor obligation in conscience to do them more then to reach heauen with his fingar In vaine are all exhortations either priuate or publicke in sermons or in familiar speaches by preachers parents or friends either from euill or to good to one study or other to one course of life or other to one worke or other because man hath no more power or freedome of will to choose any of them then he hath freedome to cure himselfe of the goute or an ague or restore his arme that is cut off In vaine and to no end are either terrours and threats of punishment or promises and hopes of reward either prayses commendations of good and dispraises and reprehensions of bad deedes because neither are any deeds in themselues good but bad before God nor is any man more free and able to do the one rather thē the other then he is to moue mountaines or to adde height to his stature To what end therefore are Maisters offended with the negligence of seruants Doe parents correct the vndutifullnes of their children Do Princes punish the rebellion or offences of their subiects Do Preachers reprehēd the vices of their auditours or exhort them to workes of piety and charity disswade them from actions of sinne and iniquity Sith the workes be both alike sinnes do both alike violate the precept and are both alike forgiuen and not imputed sith the lawes do not oblige in conscience and are impossible to be kept sith the parties haue no power or freedome to do the one more then the other but all as by the decree of God and force of their originall concupiscence are forced and necessitated to do it Seauenthly it followes that in vaine and to no end doth any Protestant make any scruple of conscience which needes not as a law to direct as a thousand witnesses to accuse as a iudge to condemne or cleare as an executioner to torment and torture him as it doth other men for their sinnes vnrepēted because where no sinne is imputed where no Free-will is admitted where no good worke or obseruation of any commandement is possible where no law of God or man doth oblige in conscience to performāce what needs any conscience to torment or trouble it selfe with the guilt of any law infringed with the sting of any iniustice committed with the scruple of any good worke omitted since neither the law could be fullfilled nor the act could be preuented nor any punishment shal be inflicted nor God offended Why should therfore be studied any cases of conscience Why should be admitted any Chancery or Court of conscience Why should there be any confession of sinnes secret or any restitution of debts and monyes secret any forbearance of wrong secret when there is no feare or shame of man Why shall therefore any Protestant in life or at death trouble his conscience or haue any scruple of any good worke omitted of any secret murther committed of any iniustice rapine cruelty periury bribery sorcery practised or of any heresy idolatry or infidelity of any Iudaisme Turcisme or Atheisme belieued followed or perswaded Surely he needes not for one dramme of fayth of speciall fayth of apprehension of Christs iustice compounded with an impossibility of performing the law with the necessity of mans wil with the liberty of the Ghospell and with the certainty of present and future iustification will purge all this melancholy feare and scrupulosity and leaue the soule cleare of any doubt feare timidity or vncertainty of heauen for any whatsoeuer sinnes and offences howsoeuer or by whomesoeuer committed Out of all which former absurdities we may obserue these differences betweene a Protestant and a Catholike a iust man of the one and a iust man of the other that 1. A Protestant belieues a fayth which neuer any Prince Prelate or people neuer any Doctour Confessour or Martyr neuer any Councell prouinciall or generall belieued for 1500. and more yeares before Luther The Catholike belieues the same which all Princes Christian all Prelates and people reputed true Christians all Confessours Martyrs and Saints all Councels generall no fewer then eighten and all prouinciall aboue 100. haue euer since Christ professed and belieued Secondly a Protestant belieues a fayth which falsifyeth and frustrateth the predictions of the Prophets the promises of Christ the preaching of the Apostles the mission of Pastours the succession of Prelates the ordination of Priests the vertue of miracles the constancy of Confessours the purity of Virgins the bloud of Martyrs and the vnity sanctity antiquity and vniuersality of the Catholicke Church the Catholike belieues and professes a fayth which verifies and confirmes all the former and in which they agree in beliefe and profession with them all Thirdly the Protestants belieue a fayth which hath lesse authority credibility and motiues of persuasion such as are miracles vnity vniuersality and others to persuade and make it credible then hath the fayth of Iewes Turkes or Pagans the Catholikes belieue that which hath vnity visibility vniuersality antiquity sanctity prophecies miracles monuments of piety charity bounty and all reasons of probability to persuade and make it credible Fourthly the Protestant is made iust by a speciall fayth of which is no mention either in any Scripture Tradition Councell or Father and which neither Doctour Father Prelate Prince Prouince people or person in the world before them belieued and professed as a sauing and iustifying fayth the Catholicke is made iust by a Catholike fayth which hath beene generall vniuersall wholy by all people Prelates and Princes in all tymes and places acknowledged and professed Fifthly the Protestāt is made iust by a fayth by which all the seed and posterity of Abraham Noe and Adam yea all Iewes Gentils Turks Heretikes wicked blasphemers idolaters murtherers sacrilegious and incestuous persons which haue beene or shal be till the worlds end may as well be saued and assured of their saluation as they themselues the Catholike is made iust
and cleane and bright like to heauen Secondly how can they in the first petition say Hallowed be thy name and hope that they by true loue honour and obedience to God can sanctify and make holy his name by their life and actions who belieue that euery action they do euen the best they can do is a sinne and that mortall damnable Surely to pray that by actions which are prophane we may sanctify Gods name that by workes which are offences to God we may please God that by deedes which are damnable and deserue hell we may prayse God and deserue heauen is a prayer not only so hoplesse as it is not possible but also senslesse that no reasonable man can be imagined to make it Thirdly how can they wih confidence say Thy kingdome come that is that Christ may raigne as a King either in his Church by fayth or in the faythfull by grace or in heauē by glory who belieue and professe that Christ was not able to preserue his Church for so many ages togeather without errour of Antichristianity and Idolatry no not so much as in extancy or visibility nor yet hath power by grace so to raigne in any his seruants as to maister any sin or temptation to sin or to performe any one commandement or to do any one action which is iust and not sinnefull Surely weake is that King poore is that Kingdome where neither the King hath power to protect his subiects from the inuasion of the enemy nor the subiect hath ability to performe any action which may tend to the honour and seruice of the King Againe what needes any man to pray that either Christ may raigne in him by grace present or that he may raigne with Christ in glory to come who is certaine and sure by his speciall fayth as all Protestants say they are that both he is for the present in state of Gods fauour and also shal be for the future in state of glory in heauen Surely he that belieues this needs not to pray either for pardon of sinnes which he is sure are pardoned or for his obtaining heauen which he is sure to obtaine Fourthly how can any one in the third Petition say Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Vnderstanding that Gods will should by vs be performed in doing good deedes and auoiding bad that we should conforme our selues to the will of God both in the materiall obiect by doing that which he will haue done and in the formall by doing it both for the end and after the manner as he will haue it done who belieues 1. That man hath no freedome or power to worke the will of God 2. That Gods will is wrought in euery action as well bad as good 3. That the will of God in performing his commandements is impossible 4. That good workes in this life are neither meritorious nor necessary nor yet possible 5. That in earth euery man and euery action of his is sinnefull and vncleane and in heauen euery Saint Angell and euery action of theirs is good pure and perfect For as it is needlesse to pray that Gods will be performed which ineuitably shal be performed both in good and bad actions in which man hath no liberty or power so it is bootlesse to pray that men may either be freed from sinne or may do good workes or may fullfill Gods commandements or may do his will in earth as Saints and Angels do it in heauē because according to their beliefe all this in this life is impossible and neither euer was nor euer shal be by any at any tyme performed In vaine therefore is it for vs to pray that we may conforme our selues to the will of God either in the affirmatiue precept in doing that which he commaunds or in the negatiue precept in omitting that which he forbids either in the materiall obiect in doing what he commands or in the formall in doing how and why he commands sith both and all are either necessary and so must be done or impossible and so cannot be done Fifthly how can any man say Giue vs our dayly bread Vnderstanding either of temporall sustenance for the reliefe of the body or of Sacramentall food the body and bloud of Christ who belieues either that the decree will and ordinance of God doth impose an infallible and an ineuitable necessity vpon all things whereby all thinges necessary wil be prouided for vs as God hath ordayned without our prayer or that the Eucharist is not the true body and bloud of Christ but only a figure or signe of it because the beliefe of the former takes away all necessity of praying for temporall sustenance and the misbeliefe of the latter opposes all desire of the supersubstantiall bread of the body of Christ in the Eucharist Sixthly how can any man with confidence say Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs Vnderstanding by trespasses his debts or sinnes by forgiue remit or take away the same For if Fayth be precedent and presupposed to prayer as it is for els how can we as we ought with fayth and confidence aske and pray and the same faith as they say doth assure vs by a certaine and infallible perswasion that our sinnes are already forgiuen or not imputed then surely in vaine needlesse yea foolish is our petition to haue them remitted or not imputed 2. If euery good worke be a sinne as they defend and that mortall then by sinne and that mortall such as is the saying though neuer so deuoutly of this prayer and petition is sinne remitted and so comitting of sinne should be a meanes to obtaine remissiō of sinne which is most absurd as though the committing of a new offence should be a motiue to pardon the old 3. If no sinne be remitted in this life but only couered and not imputed then in vaine and hoplesse is our prayer for remission and taking away our sinnes as of a thing impossible and needlesse and bootlesse is our prayer for the not imputation of the same because as before in the elect they are already not imputed in the reprobate they neuer shal be imputed either therefore fruitlesse and hopelesse as a thing impossible is the remitting and taking away of our sinnes or needlesse fearelesse as a thing certaine is the not imputation of the same by this petition demanded sith the one is impossible to be obtained and the other is certainly already possessed and enioyed needlesse therefore or hopelesse is this petition of forgiuenes of our sinnes by their principles Seauenthly how can any man with confidence in the sixt petition say Lead vs not into temptation that is into no danger or occasion of sinne into no consent or act of sinne to to come who belieues 1. That God wills and workes all sinnes and occasions of sinnes 2. That as he hath already decreed so euery action and
occasion must be 3. That by no sinne he can fall from Fayth or grace or loose heauen for if all sinne be ineuitably determined then it shall infallibly be wrought by God as he hath determined And if euery actiō in man be a sinne then impossible it is to be freed from it so hopelesse is the praying for that end And if no sinne can hurt a faythfull Christian nor hinder him of heauen or depriue him of grace then in vaine needlesse is all prayer to be freed from temptation to sinne which can neither hurt nor hinder any faythfull person from heauen In vaine therfore and to no end or benefit is the saying of this sixth petition Lead vs not into temptation Eightly how can any man with confidence say the seauenth petition Deliuer vs from euill Vnderstanding it of the paines and punishments of sinne or impediments of good thinges to be inflicted either in this life or in the next who belieues that no temporall punishment either in this or the next life remaines to be endured after the guilt of sin be remitted and that all paine or miserie inflicted by the Diuell or man is from God the Diuell and man being only instruments and that forced necessitated to it For where no punishment remaines as due either in Purgatory which they belieue not or in this life in which only fayth satisfyes and remits Where also the ineuitable decree and hand of God doth will and worke all punishment in body or goods and where all things do fall out infallible as God hath disposed there all prayer to preuent punishments for sinnes or to remoue impediments of good thinges is both needlesse because as well without as with prayer the euent must fall as God hath disposed and also fruitlesse because by it no punishment of sinne or impediment of good thinges ordained by God can be preuented To what end or with what confidence therfore can any who belieues the former doctrine say these petitions of the Pater noster sith by vertue of it all prayer in generall and this of the Pater noster in particuler is made either needlesse as of things which are certaine to succeed without it or hopelesse as of things which are impossible to haue any effect by it And thus is shewed how the Protestant doctrine is opposite to all Hope and doth make frustrate all manner of prayer by which we come with any confidence to obtaine at Gods handes any benefit for vs or remoue any euill from vs. Of absurdities against the obseruation of all lawes and chiefly of the ten Commandements SECT VIII SVBDIV. 1. In generall how all lawes are made impossible and not obliging WE haue shewed how the Protestant doctrine ouerthroweth the articles of the Creed and the petitions of the Pater noster and in them all certainty of fayth all exercise of hope by making of prayer it remaines that we shew how it likewise frustrates all precepts lawes which tend to good life by bidding good and forbidding euill and among them in particuler the Decalogue of the ten Commandements and thereby openeth the gappe and looseth the reines to all liberty of sinne and loosenesse of life to the ruine of Charity For which we may note 1. That lawes which euer haue beene at all tymes among al nations vsed as the chiefe meanes to withdraw men from euill and to prepare them to good by punishing the one and rewarding the other haue alwayes by wise men beene esteemed of that dignity and necessity that according to Pindarus they are the inuention and guift of God according to Chrysippus that they are very God himselfe who giues them the Queene of all actions diuine and humane According to Aristotle they are the rule of iustice and iniustice which we must apply to all actions and by which all businesses and persons are ruled the measure by which we must square what we are to do and what to omit the Prince whome we ought to obey and the Captaine whome it is fit to follow According to Tully they are the establishing of right the suppression of wrong According to Demosthenes the sinewes of the Citty and the strength of it against the wicked Without which sayth Plato a commō-wealth is not a cōmon-wealth And according to which if men did not liue they would nothing differ from beasts 2. These lawes are some naturall of reason and a mans conscience some positiue diuine of God which were established either by Moyses in the old law and were either morall ceremoniall or iudiciall or by Christ and his Apostles in the new law and are yet of fayth and Sacraments Charity or good life some humane which are either Canonicall of the Church or Ciuill for all nations or particuler of seuerall countryes all which being iust promulgated and knowne do oblige and that in conscience vnder sinne to the performance of them 3. Among these lawes the chiefest and most in force are the Decalogue or the ten Commandments which being lawes morall of good manners and agreable to naturall reasons are not with the ceremoniall and iudiciall law which were giuen only for that tyme and estate of the law of Moyses abrogated but stand still in force and oblige all men and nations to the performance 4. In these ten Commandements we are commanded to performe our duty to God in the first table and to our Neighbour in the second table To God first honour in our hart by adoring one not many Gods in the first Commandement 2. Reuerence in word in not prophaning his name by vaine swearing in the second 3. Obedience in fact by keeping his Sabboth and Festiuall day in the third 4. To our Neighbour we are to giue by affirmatiue precept honour to our Parents and Superiours in the fourth and by negatiue precept to auoid al wrongs done to our Neighbour 1. By exteriour fact either to his own selfe by killing in the fifth or to his second selfe his wife by adultery in the sixth or to his goods by stealing in the seauenth 2. In word by false witnesse in the eight 3. In hart by vnlawful desiring either his wife by concupiscence in the ninth or his goodes by auarice in the tenth Commandment Which Decalogue of ten Commandments doth oblige to performance not only Christians who professe the name fayth of Christ but also all sortes of men or women endewed with reason whether Iewes Turkes Pagans or whomesoeuer Now that the Protestants by their doctrine do abrogate all these lawes not only of Church or Common-wealth but also of God of Nature of the ten Commandments and whatsoeuer leaue man obliged to the performance of none but by the liberty of their Ghospell freed from all as hauing it in their free choice whether they wil keep or break any Commandement of God Church or King and that they do thereby draw backe from the practise of any vertue
detractiue in euery one And on the contrary how we and our doctrine do honour attribut to the same God and Christ all worthy and due respect of veneration honour in all which as it is affirmatiue in it selfe so it is honourable to God and agreable to reason in all and euery particular point and opinion in controuersy First therfore for God they dishonour and derogate 1. From the blessed Trinity in that as before some of them do deny the distinction of the three persons some the vnity of one nature some the consubstantiality of the Sonne with the Father some the deity of the Sonne from the Father as God of God some the deity of the holy Ghost as God some the prayer Holy Trinity one God haue mercy vpoÌ„ vs. We with the ancient Church acknowledge three persons and one God the second person God of God and consubstantiall with the father and the third person of the holy Ghost proceeding froÌ„ both the father the sonne in them one holy Trinity three persons and one God 2. They and their spirit derogate from the mercy of God in that according to them he is cruell and tyrannicall in that he will not haue all saued will not giue sufficient meanes to all to be saued hath willed appointed and ordained millions of soules to be damned and to sinne that for it he may damne them and accordingly torment theÌ„ for that sinne which he himselfe willed ordained wrought and compelled them vnto We and our Catholicke Church attribute honour to him and his mercy in that according to vs he would haue all saued giues to all sufficient meanes to be saued creates and ordaines all to be saued wils not the death and damnation of any nor doth damne any but those who for their owne fault and sinne by themselues willingly committed against him his good will and goodnesse do deserue 3. They their spirit do derogate from Gods goodnesse in that according to them he who is good al good yet is not pleased pacifyed worshipped or delighted with good works but doth will ordaine commande compell and necessitate bad works and so is the authour of all euill and all euill works in men and doth esteeme impute that which is wicked and sinfull in men for no sinne in them but accounts that which is bad good him that is wicked iust We our Catholik doctrine do attribute due honour to the same goodnesse of God in that according to it God hates detests forbids and punishes all sinne and sinfull actions conuerts sanctifies purifies and make cleane pure and iust all sinners by his grace duely disposing themselues so reputes them as they are become truely iust in that God is delighted pleased pacified and honoured by good workes which he doth will command and reward in man who according to his will by his grace workes them 4. They their priuate spirit derogates from his iustice in that according to their doctrine he is short of iustice in rewarding none who deserue well and do him seruice exceâ—ds all iustice in that he ordaines men to an eternall and intollerable paine who haue deserued none 2. In that he punisheth them for that which he himselfe not only willed and commanded theÌ„ to do but also wrought and effected in them 3. In that he creats and dignifies them with his gifts graces for that end that he may himselfe cruelly torture and torment them and that in hell for no other end but to shew his power iustice ouer them 4. In that he laies precepts vpon them which are impossible for them to performe and commands them to abstaine from that which himselfe forces them to do and wils them to practise that which he giues not power freedome or sufficient meanes to practise We and our Catholicke doctrine do honour and giue due respect to his Iustice 1. In that according to vs he rewards all who deserue well and punisheth none but those who deserue ill 2. In that he punisheth all for their owne fault which they themselues committed and none for that which himselfe willed 3. In that he created all to be saued and gaue them meanes sufficient to be saued in which he shewed his mercy and punisheth with hell those who would not vse those meanes in which he shewed his Iustice 4. In that he gaue precepts and made lawes easy gaue meanes to performe them sufficient punisheth only those who willingly breake them 5. They and their priuate spirit derogate from his omnipotency in that according to their doctrine he is not able to place one body in two places in the B. Sacrament nor two bodies in one place in his natiuity resurrection and ascension nor to draw a Cable rope or camell through a needles eye nor by his absolut power to worke any more theÌ„ already he hath wrought We and our Catholicke doctrine do attribut to his omnipotency that he is able to do all the former and what more he pleases to do which is not either wicked and so is against his goodnesse or not contradictory and so implies in it selfe an impossibility to be done And in these do the Protestants their spirit by their doctrine derogate from God and his Deity from his goodnesse his mercy his Iustice and his omnipotency and impute to him wickednesse cruelty iniustice and impotency In all which we in our doctrine do the contrary Secondly for Christ our blessed Sauiour they their doctrin of the priuate spirit do dishonour him derogate 1. From his felicity beatitude in this life denying him to be viator and comprehensor that is enduring the paine and miseries of mortall men in his body and enioying the felicity and blessednesse of glorious Saints in his soule In which we do honour him belieuing that from the first instant of his coÌ„ception his soule had in his body the same blessednesse as now it enioyes in heauen by the perfect vision fruition of God though by dispensation for our redemption the same did not redound to the glory of his body till after his resurrection 2. From his knowledge they derogate and dishonour him in making him ignorant and defectiue of knowledge in many things and as a scholler to haue profited in his booke and learning of sciences and trades as other children do In which we giue him the honour to haue had all the treasures of knowledge and wisedome to haue vnderstood all the perfection of all sciences and artes and to haue perfectly conceiued all things past present or to come by a diuine infused knowledge from the first instant of his conception in his mothers wombe Thirdly From his primacy and supremacy ouer his Church they derogate and dishonour him in that they deny him as a man sensible and visible to haue beene the head foundation of his Church and to haue had any perpetual visible monarchy
interpreted by Prophecy was not doctrine or mysteries of faith but either exhortation to piety for edification and consolation or of things secret as future euents or vnknowne faults or facts done by which the secrets of the heart of the infidell or idiot was made knowne and he conuinced and iudged of all therfore it makes nothing for doctrine of faith and interpretation of scripture 4. This manner of Prophecy howsoeuer and of whatsoeuer it was it was not independent and of it selfe free to interprete what and how it will but so that the rest doe iudge that the spirits of Prophets be subiect to the Prophets And so euery priuate spirit must be subiect to the iudgment of the Church and the Churches spirit Fourthly they obiect those places where it is said that All thy Childrē are taught of our Lord Al shal be docible of God Your selues haue learned of God I will giue my law in their bowels and I will write it in their heart All shall know me from the least to the greatest If any will do his will who sent me he shall vnderstand of the doctrine whether it be of God My sheepe do heare my voice do follow me Yow haue no need that any do teach you but as his vnction teacheth you of all things All these places I say do not either ioyntly altogether or particularly any one mention any priuiledge that euery one hath by the instinct of his owne priuate spirit to interprete holy scripture to decide deep mysteries of faith and to iudge of all controuersies of diuinity which is the point auerred by the Protestants denied by vs and in controuersy betweene both 2. In them is affirmed only that God will giue his inward guift of grace to all sort of persons so sufficiently that they may know him his truth and the true way to saluation and by the same may obserue his Commandements and come to be saued In which yet is neither excluded but rather supposed as precedent and an exteriour proponent cause the ordinary meanes of preaching by Pastours and of instruction by them and subordination to them But yet is not giuen to any one any power or priuiledge to preferre his owne spirit before the spirit of the whole Church or to censure the doctrine which is once adiudged by the same which among the rest this Protestant priuate spirit doth assume to it selfe For which we may note that it is one thing to haue faith sufficient for saluation another to haue the guift of infallible interpretatiō of scripture The former is a guift general to all the faythful though they be as yet little ones who only sucke milke though they be as yet carnal not spiritual thogh they be ignorant of many things and haue many thinges wanting to the perfection of their faith Yet they be sealed with the spirit of the promise the pledge of our inheritance haue the spirit of God dwelling in them and so haue the literall verity of all the former places verifyed in them The later is a guift peculiar and proper only to them who by place and function are spirituall and perfect haue their senses exercised to the discerning of good and euill And haue the guift of discerning of spirits and interpreting of speaches And these are they who as tryers and discerners of fayth interpreters of Scripture and haue the guift and power infallible to direct others in the doctrine of fayth who are ex officio the Pastours and Prelates of Gods Church and are as Bishops to rule to feed the flocke of Christ to exhort and reproue with all authority to controule rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the fayth and to denounce to certaine not to teach otherwise And all by that power which God hath giuen them to edification and to reuenge all disobedience and to bring into captiuity al vnderstanding to the obedience of Christ This is the office of the Prelates and Bishops of Gods Church 3. This inward guift of grace or vnction of the Holy Ghost is only an efficient internall and cooperant cause and so necessary to mooue the vnderstanding and will to assent to that which as certaine is proposed but this iudge or interpreter must be an exteriour proponent cause which must deliuer to vs this sense as certaine which being proposed grace doth enable vs to belieue Now all these and such like places are meant of the interiour guift of grace which is necessary but not ordinarily sufficient without a precedent exteriour and proponent cause which is this infallible Interpreter of holy Scripture in Pastours of the Church Fifthly to those places where it is commanded not to belieue euery spirit but to proue the spirits if they be of God and to proue all thinges and hould that which is good is answered 1. That all and euery person of the body of the holy Church is not directed to make this tryall but only the chiefe that is the Pastours and Prelates as when a man is willed to discerne and see not euery member and part of the body is directed so to do but the chiefe members as the head which is to iudge and the eye to see to whose function it is proper and belonges or as when an Vniuersity is directed to examine and iudge of such a booke and doctrine not euery student but the chiefe Doctours of that faculty are so directed and willed so that not euery person and vnlearned party in the Church is to make this tryall of spirits but only Pastours and Prelates to whose function it is peculiar and proper to iudge and decide all such like questions and doubts 2. This tryall and iudgment is to be made not of questions doctrine already decided and determined by the authority of the Church but of such as are yet doubtfull and vndecided For that which is once determined by the generall consent of the Church or Councell is not againe to be examined and iudged by any priuate mans spirit for so the Decrees of Coūcells were both vaine endlesse that therfore is to be tryed which is not before both tryed and iudged and that by those who haue both ability and authority to do it which makes nothing for this priuate spirit which will both try what is before by any Councell iudged and will by euery simple vnlearned person try and iudge it Sixthly to that of 1. Cor. 2.15 The spirituall man iudgeth all thinges and himselfe is iudged of none It is answered that S. Paul to confound the Corinthians who standing vpon their humane worldly wisedome contemned his vnlearned manner of instruction affirmes that they being men sensuall can iudge only of sensuall thinges but he being spirituall and perfect in diuine wisedome can iudge both of things sensuall and spirituall and