of difference betweene vs and you which point held by you in opposition to the Roman Catholique hath euer beene countenanc't by any least miracle of our Sauiour or his Apostles or the opposite doctrine of Catholiques confounded by the like testimony For if you make not this appeare by your sunne of Euidence those diuine and supernaturall miracles what will remaine for your confirmation but ignis fatuus I know your Sanctuary when you haue tost turned all your creditable records and euidences you will shew vs forsooth that those points of fayth which you haue receaued and hold of the Catholique Roman Church though the tenure be merely Hereticall that is of voluntary choice because it pleaseth you to hold some such as import no restraint or that some face of truth may appeare like the face and song of Siren's to draw men vpon your rock's of pernicious Heresies those I say you will proue to haue beene attested and confirmed by those miracles of our Sauiour and his Apostles which will help your cause nothing at all but rather weaken it when by such testimony of miracles you can confirme no other doctrine but what you haue receaued from vs. Neither yet are those doctrines yours which you can proue to haue beene so confitmed I say no otherwise yours then those things which you haue stolne or keep by force from the right owners therefore they are with you as children rauish't from their mothers bosome and the company of their brethren by the Turket or Mâ—ret with whome they remayn so sequestred perforce daily testifiyng by their sighes and grones the tyranny of their restraint and their defire to returne to their Mother brethren After this violent manner are those Catholique doctrines with you and thus are holy Scriptures in your not custody but captiuity both of them entertained by you to no other end but to be slaues and seruants to your owne children the peculiar dâ—â—trines of your Schisme to carry torches before them to gaine â—ome reputation of light to those workes of darknes Although for Scriptures as I haue said before and say againe no Heretique hath them properly that is as they are the word of God which they are not but as truly interpreted for which truth of interpretation he can pretend no warrant or title at all For the Scriptures are not only the word of God but the word of the Church which hauing first conceaued them by the holy Ghost the spirit of truth brought them forth to light and bequeathed them from age to age to the children of her obedience made partakers of the same spirit and therfore they only can discerne them to be the word of God which is only discernable to those to whom it is spoken or reuealed by the same spirit which is only in the Church of Christ the one mysticall body of Christ which is also called the spirit of Christ and therefore is not to be found in any other Body or Society of men for then Christ should be the head or heads of more bodies which is absurd blasphemy And as the Church of God alone is endued with this spirit of discretion whereby she discernes what Scripture is the word of God so this Church alone hath the spirit of interpretation of Scriptures and she alone can certainly say this is the sense and meaning of this Scripture who can truly say this is Scripture as only that Daniel cold declare the interpretation and meaning of Nabuchâ—donozors dreame who could tell him what he had dreamed which none of those Wizards or Sorcerers or Enchanters could do who yet professed they would interprete the dreame so he would tell them what he had dreamed But the wise King belieued them not qua sunâ— per Allegoriam dicta But heere good Sir I must tell you as a friend I am ashamed to sâ—â— a man of your expectation hopefull promisings to come forth in this thred-bare liuery of old Heretiques this appeale from Church to Scriptures There was neuer so putide an Heretique which hauing once cast off the authority of the Church could not find some refuge or sanctuary in the darknes of Scripture hauing also togeather with that authority excussed taken to himselfe the freedome of interpreting Scriptures Belie us it Syr. it is and euer will be a maine presumption that you draw â—nder the same yoke with former Heretiques when you can not get out of the same Cart-rout which they haue track't before you Et monstrata diâ— veteris trabis â—rbita â—ulpa For first you haue gone out of the Roman Catholique Church so they from the authority of that Church you appeale to Scriptures so they then you interprete Scriptures according to your single vnderstanding without any other liuing guide or Vocall authority so they being gone out you turne all your power of Pen-gall against that Church whence you went forth so they But neither you nor your patrons nor Apostles conuert any nation to Christian fayth nor they You reduce few sonles from sinfull courses to better life nor they In the whole number of your Patriarches you cannot name one Saint nor they I see how you haue consociated your self and your Clyent 's with the knowne Heretiques of former tymes I would gladly know someone distinctiue signe by which you discerne and vindicate your selues from the formall character or character 's markes or brands of ancient Heretiques In the meane tyme let vs examin the remnant of this Remotiâ—e Rem This booke c. foretell's me plainly that in after ages great signes and wonders shall be wrought in confirmation of false doctrine Prom. But hath it fore told you that in after ages no true miracle shall be wrought in confirmation of true doctrine If not it hath foretold you nothing to the purpose you pretend Rem And that I am not to belieue any doctrine which seemes to my vnderstanding repugnant to the first Prom. Wâ—â—ch seemes repugnant c. to your vnderstanding Most ridiculâ—us 〈◊〉 no such thing was euer foretold you by the Booke of Gods Word you dreamed it But that doctrine is not to be belieued which to an infallible vnderstanding which is the vnderstanding of the Church which is guided by the spirit of truth is not only seemingly but really repugnant to Apostolicall doctrine But still you put vs in mynd of your Character your appeale to your owne vnderstanding you will not out of this Cart-rout Rem But that true doctrine should in allages haue the testimony of miracles that I am no where taught Prom. Are you any where taught the contrary Or that the testimony of miracles promised by our Sauiour is confined within a certain compasse or period of tyme Hath the Church only a lease of miracles for terme of yeare and if it hath when expired that terme or lease Vnles you can tell vs this for ought you know it is yet in being Now the promise of our Sauiour being conceaued and exprest in plaine words
were supposed the spirit of truth they could not haue beene iudged false Prophets for going out of the Church no nor for opposing the doctrine of the Church Moreouer that by which another thing is tried as by a rule must needs be supposed more perfect in regard of Iudicature then the thing tried but it is absurd to thinke that the spirit of a priuate man is more perfect in nature of Iudicature then the spirit of the Church therefore S. Iohn neuer aduised priuate men to try the spirit of the Church Lastly this very command or aduise Try euery spirit is the aduise of the Church it selfe in the person of S. Iohn a principall pillar of the Church but no man can be so silly as to thinke that the Church aduiseth priuate men to try her spirit and least of all can Heretiques challenge any such authority Heretiques also are subiects of the Church euen in that they are at the least characterically Christians which character of subiection they can neuer wipe out whersoeuer they run they are euer subiects though rebells therfore their calling the Church to question and triall is mere presumption and an act of rebellion No Catholique presumeth to trie the spirit or doctrine of the Church nay euery Catholique trieth his owne spirit and doctrine by that of the Church therefore a Catholique as such hath no priuate opinion of fayth but all Catholique that is the same with the whole Catholique Church The Catholique makes no choyce of doctrines of fayth but taketh such as are giuen him he is Gods beggar and therefore no chooser Ego autem mendicus sum pauper I am a beggar and poore Thus euery Catholique is taught both to say and belieue The Heretique makes choyce of what he will hold with the Church takes what he list's and refuseth what he list's not take And this is to be euen Etimologically an Heretique and an Heretique formally no lesse in what he takes then in what he refuses For what he takes he chooseth to take vpon his owne discretion not vpon the credit of the Church nor formally from the Church therefore he is an Heretique in all euen in the points of diuine fayth which he holdeth with the Church not of the Church and therfore holdeth nothing with diuine fayth because he is still a chooser of what he holds and so an Heretique Another Text of S. Iohn by this Aduocate corrupted and misinterpreted SECT XXI WHat this all-trying spirit can do of himselfe without the spirit of the Church will appeare by his singular talent in interpreting Scriptures nor shall I swarue from my subiect in this way for I shall demonstrate that all his interpretations are Sophismes wily and fallacious detorsions of Scripture from their true sense to his owne crooked ends Pref. S. Iohn sayth he giues a rule to all Christians to make this triall by to consider whether they confesse Iesus to be the Christ that is the guide of their fayth and Lord of their actions So he Answ The words of S. Iohn are these In hoc cognoscitur spiritus Dei c. In this the spirit of God is knowne Euery spirit that confesseth Iesus Christ to haue come in fleth is of God and euery spirit that dissolueth Iesus is not of God and this is Antichrist The affirmatiue part of which copulate sentence as some other the like occurring in the Epistles of S. Iohn is to be vnderstood in sensu formali as thus Euery spirit which coufesseth Iesus Christ to haue taken flesh as confessing this truth is of God who is the author and warrant of this truth therefore of him who confesseth this supernaturall truth it may be truly said Caro sanguis non reuelauit hoc tibi flesh and blood hath not reuealed this vnto thee being a truth aboue the conceipt of flesh and blood which restriction to a formall sense is both sufficient and often tymes necessary for the verifying of many the like sentences of â—oly Scripture Wherefore although the negatiue to deny Iesus Christ to haue taken flesh be a sufficient note whereby to discerne a false spirit yet the affirmatiue to confesse Iesus Christ to haue come in flesh is but a part of the rule The other part is the character of Christian Charity as the same Apostle teacheth in the same Chapter Omnis qui diligit ex Deo natus est Euery one that loueth is borne of God therefore these two rules we find conioyned in the precedent Chapter hoc est mandatum â—ius vt credanius in nomine silij eius Iesu Christi diligamus alterutrum This is his commaundment that we belieue in the name of his sonne Iesus Christ and that we loue one another for in these two vertues indeed a Christian is consummate For fayth in Iesus Christ the sonne of God incarnate includeth all points of fayth because it implyeth the beliefe of all that Iesus Christ hath taught or teacheth either by himselfe or by his Church according to that saying of of his Qui vos audit me audit in which sense also the affirmatiue proposition of the Apostle Euery one who confesseth that Iesus Christ came in flesh c. hath a true construction euen without restriction but then it is nothing to the purpose of this Aduocate who by this rule would exclude the necessity of beliefe of other points of fayth proposed by the Church to make this confession of Christ to haue come in flesh the rule whereby to try spirits As therefore that other cognoisance of a Christian mutuall Charity according to that of our Sauiour In hoc cognoscent omnes c. all men shall know you to be my disciples by this ensigne or character of mutuall loue excludeth not that of fayth or the confession of the sonne of God Incarnate from being a rule whereby to discerne spirits and to know who are true Christians So this rule of Fayth in Christ excludeth not that of Charity and neither of them nor both exclude a third giuen by the same Apostle Qui nouit Deum audit nos Cap. 4. qui non est ex Deo non audit nos in hoc cognoscimus spiritum veritatis spiritum erroris See heere an expresse rule to try spirits by He who know's God heares vs he who is not of God heareth not vs in this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error Now it is most absurd to think the force of that rule to be limited and confined with the age of the Apostles therefore by that vs is vnderstood the Church or if they were to be heard of posterity in their writings we caÌ„not heare them so without an interpreter which interpreter as before hath beene proued can be no other of infallible authority but the Church Now that the Apostles were to continue in their posterity of Apostles Euangelists c. that is Preachers and Teachers of Christs Ghospell Doctors and Pastors c. ad consummationem Sanctorum
and goodnes are imprinted in all the workes of nature and all creatures from tyme to tyme togeather with their being receaue that stamp and impression which they exhibite to be read by all intellectuall natures in one most legible language of nature common to all nations according as it is said Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei c. So in regeneration and in the progeny of Grace the author of Grace Christ Iesus is read and vnderstood in his worke and word of Grace his creatures of grace which is the Church of Christ which by that spiritually and supernaturally creating power receaue the print and characters of Christ Iesus and his truth in their hart 's and soules first which afterward's they manifest in their liues and professions and much more in the death's whereby they proclaime him and the truth of his doctrine to all ages to all nations with the last and lowdest voyce of bloud like to that voyce of our dying Lord who crying with a lowd voyce gaue vp the Ghost O tooto dull and deafe eares which the singar of God hath neuer opened which cannot heare a voyce so lowd and those blind eyes which read not those letters that most legible Scripture of Catholique truth written in the bloud of all ages since Christ redeemed the world with his and those inominate and vnlucky birds of night who flying the triall of the day shining in the Church as in the Tabernacle of the Sunne run into couert and obscurity of darke Scriptures the common rendeuous and retrait of all Heresies which they do no lesse absurdely and preposterously then as if in question of right and title grounded in law they would appeale from the suruiuing law-maker to his written lawes as they would say giue vs your Law 's in writing and then leaue them to vs we will not learne of you the vnderstanding of them for so this euer-suruiuing Law-maker is the holy Ghost presiding in the Church in all iudgements questions of fayth from whom there neuer can be any iust appeale the Scriptures his lawes which are written primarily principally in the soules and hart 's and vnderstandings of this Church In which Scriptures no Heretique or Alien can pretend any right or title of interest at all no authority nor ability of vnderstanding them Therefore although we debate right and truth by testimony of Scriptures against the vniust vsurpers of them to take from them those stoln'e weapons and recouer them to the true titler's as euen in this claime of infallibility of the Church yet this truth we learne not immediately of the Scripture written but receaue it à priori from the originall of the holy Ghost written in that one composed of many homogenious by fayth and charity that one soule I say and vnanimous spirit of the holy Church of all ages For as in our natural body one the same in diuisible soule informeth and enlifeneth the daily new acceding and aggenerate matter of nourishment so this spirit of truth informeth as it were and animateth with the spirit of Grace and truth not only the whole mysticall body of Christ all at once or once for all but successiuely euery acceding and new-borne member of the Church As therefore in processe of naturall growth we do not properly learne that we are reasonable ereatures but by the very hauing a reasonable soule and the vse thereof we know it so Catholiques do not properly learne that the Catholique Church is inerrant or infallible but by being Catholiques we belieue it For of this truth I do not see but in a true sense I might say Est hac non scripta sed natalex quam non didicimus accepimus legimus verùm ex naturâ ipsâ arripuimus hausimus expressimus ad quam non docti sed facti non instituti sed imbuti sumus A truth not written for vs but borne in vs which he haue not learned nor acquired nor read in bookes but by a second nature of Grace we are instantly possest of we haue suckt it and exprest it for which we haue beene made not taught indued with it not schooled to it Therefore I should not doubt to auouch though the whole rable of flesh bloud and heresy reclaime that it is vnderstanding it in equality of proportion no lesse innate and connaturall to a Catholique man as such to belieue that the Catholique Church is indued with infallible authority then it is naturall to a reasonable man as such to know he is endued with a reasonable soule Therefore as he should be thought an absurd and senseles man who should goe about to persuade a man by reason that he hath not a reasonable soule so is he worthily iudged an impertinent pratling Sophist who endeauours to argue a Catholique out of his beliefe of a Catholique infallible Church which stone notwithstanding I know this Aduocate neuer ceaseth to rowle and I could wish he would reflect how he may haue deserued that Sisyphian pennance howsoeuer thus I vnderstand Saxum sudat voluendo neque proficit hilum He rowles the stone and sweats for his paines not those texte therefore of Scripture which this Sisyphus presumes but the visible Church the spouse of Christ his purchase of bloud not a lease for terme of yeares according to the tenure of seruile Agar and her issue which became voyd but an euerlasting in heritance according to the tenure of Couenant made with the progeny of Sarai the house of Israel and the house of Iuda an vnabrogable and term'les decree firme and durable as the constitutions of Nature Hierem. 32. In quam traditi estis c. Rom. 6.17 as the course of sunne and moone This spouse I say hath deliuered vs this truth or rather hath borne and bred vs in it we haue suck't this milke from hir brest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rationall and fraudlesse milke conformable to reason though aboue it and therfore consummating reason and extolling it food for the Children of Obedience vt in eo crescamus that we may grow by that in stature of grace and Christian perfection from which brests and milke of Christian simplicity no errant Sophister shall be of power to remoue vs though he attempt it neuer so confidently or impudently by adiuring vs Thus he adiured a certain Catholique as we will answere at the last day arrainged I trow at the Socinian Barre to be tried by certaine select Iudges or a grand Iury of Pyrrhonian Sceptiques or the new Academy who will neuer pronounce any arrest or sentence at all but what to suspect the doctrine of the Catholique Church to question her authority to call those so many Doctours the starr's and light 's of all Christian ages who haue alwayes taught and supposed this truth so many martyrs who haue obsigned it with their bloud to call them all to their answere forsooth for their holding or teaching this doctrine and to giue this Switzer a meeting and conuincing so that
guiding the Church But by this you may see the man miscrably tortured by vnauoidable truth euen maugre himselfe forc't to confesse what his Aduersary teacheth and euen here relaps't into his dilemma which he may seeme to haue laid of purpose to catch him for he is fallen vpon the Scripture as interpreted by euery man's naturall with and iudgment or the priuate spirit By which touch-stone the Priuate spirit with his Logick-rules c. he will also try euery spirit 1. Joan. 4. and by his ignorantly applying the words of the Apostle Belieue not euery spirit to this purpose shew's plainly how sure an Interpreter he is of holy Scripture togeather with his right reason and common notions and Logick-rules For surely in good Logick the vniuersall and distributiâ—e signe omnis all euery importeth number and multiplicity therfore he sayth Belieue not euery spirit but trie the spirits as if he said of many spirits belieue not euery spirit because the holy spirit is but one spirit from which one spirit spirits and euery one of spirits are participations and deriued spirits Now that one spirit which is so one that it cannot be a part of number like as diuine vnity or the vnity of diuine nature is no part of number that one spirit I say is not to be tried for it cannot be but a true spirit otherwise no spirit could be knowne to be true if that one spirit could befalse which is the only rule wherby to trie all spirits but of the multitude of spirits or partaking spirits some do and all may lye Of which number of lying spirits are the Apostate Angells fince their defection from the spirit of truth and those false Prophets in whose mouth 's those lying spirits were speakers Such also were those Pseudoprophets vpon occasion of whom S. Iohn forewarneth Christians not to belieue euery spirit but to try spirits And who were those false Prophets or Apostles those lying spirits They were those of whom he had said before that they had beene in the Church and were gone out of the Church and therefore became lying spirits oftentimes actually lying always inclined and prepared to lye and so neuer to be belieued For as that first reuolt from God the spirit of truth was the originall cause why those mutinous spirits became lyar's so Apostasy from the Church of God in whom the same spirit of truth presides is the generall origen and extraction of all false Prophets and Heretiques As therefore that one prime spirit is none of those spirits euery one of which is to be tryed but by which euery numerable spirit is to be proued so the spirit which guideth the Church is not a spirit to be tried but that by which euery priuat spirit must be examined and tried In which sense also it is most truly said Prima Sedes the prime sea is iudged by none therfore it is true againe that the Church of Christ the Catholique Church is the only competent iudge of it selfe according to that receaued principle of naturall reason rectum est iudex sui obliqui what is straight of it selfe both shew's it selfe to be straight and what is crooked to be so He therefore who will presume to reforme the Church in doctrine of faith wherein the spirit of truth is her guid and teacher Dauiel 12. he shall be the starre which would giue light to the Sunne but none of those who shall shine in perpetuas aternitates For I would aske any man only sober and in his wits if the Church of God may haue erred either in determining Scriptures or the true meaning of them which point concerning Scriptures I specifie to preuent all refuge to trial by Scriptures by what other spirit shall this spirit of the Church be tried And I would gladly looke vpon that face of Impudence that would assume to it selfe what it denyeth to the Church of God and when I shall haue found him I shall know for certaine that he is one of those Antichrists of whom the same Apostle Et nunc Antichristi multi facti sunt Ex nobis prodierunt Joan. 2. 4. and euen now many are turned Antichrists they went out from vs. Yea by this very brand I will know them this indeleble character of antichrist to goe out of the Church then to question the spirit and doctrine of the Church It would be worth their labour yet once to shew when the Church of Rome went out of the Church of Christ where she left it at her departure as we shew what Church Arrius went out of whence Pelagius and Nestorius c. whence of this later age Luthâ—r and Peter Martyr and Caluin and the rest Yet besides this character of a false Prophet which is his terminus à quo the whence they goe out the Apostle hath giuen vs another their terminus ad quem the whither they goe going out of the Church Multi pseudoprophetae exierunt in mundum many false Prophets are gone out into the world and yet more plainly Ipsi de mundo sunt ideâ— de mundo loquntur mundus eos audit They are of the world they are become worldlings the world is their talke flesh blood their discourse intimating euen by this that Hereticall doctrine is carnall doctrine the language of corrupt Nature the discourse of flesh blood and therefore the world harken's to their doctrine as being of a carnall spirit symbolizing with these teachers Indeed the Society of Christians is not the world nor any hâ—mâ—genious part of the world of whom therfore our Sauiours words are truly vnderstood Vâ—s de mundâ— nonestiâ— seâ—â—gâ—â—ligi voâ— de mundo you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world Whence the whole mortall kind of man is sufficiently deuided by these two names the World and Christendome therfore that going out of the Church signified by those words prodierunt ex nobis they went out from vs could be no whither else but into the world there being no third place or family of mortall men to go vnto therefore all Heretiques are a part of that faction the World and therefore being indued swayed and guided by the spirit of the world which is a lying spirit they cannot be competent Iudges or Examiners of the spirit of the Church or any doctrine of fayth or interpretation of Scriptures But as the Church Triumphant shall iudge the world and condemne it and shall not be iudged by it so the Church now Militant is inuested with the like authority and iurisdiction towards mortall men of this world to iudge and condemne the world that is all those who are seuered from her Society and not to be iudged by them Her doctrine therefore is the sole Iudicature both of it selfe and all other crooked and oblique opinions Wherefore the counsaile of S. Iohn to try spirits is to trie them by the spirit and doctrine of the Church for vnles the spirit of the Church
the Synagogue This is therefore a terrible hearing to Protestancy a Church Terribilis vt castrorum acies ordinata terrible as an army in battaile-array Now for Primitiue Christians they imply no such order no such coordination or subordination as of a body and therefore as so many scattered sheep they might wholy dye in their owne ashes not Phenix-like suruiue in their posterity which to affirme of a Church of Christ his establish't Common-wealth or kingdom purchas 't by right of Conquest with the inestimable price of his blood is not only Hereticall but most impious and prophane since neither the Synagogue and Law of Moyses became euacuate or abrogate viâ corruptiuâ by a corruptiue desition but past into a Church Euangelicall Law via perfectiuâ as Christ was the perficient not the corruptiue end of the Law Non veni legem soluere sed adimplere c. I came not to dissolue but to fulfill the Law c. Some other fallacious Euasions in answere to the same position of his Aduersary SECT XXVII IN the very next Paragraph I meete with another Fallacy which I haue also touch't before Pref. You say with conuenient boldnes that this infallible authority of your Church being denyed no man can be assured that any parcell of Scripture was written by diuine inspiration which is an Vntruth for which no proofe is pretended and besides voyd of modesty full of impiety Answ And I pray you obserue his notorious method his Censure is for the most part the preface to his Answere when he hath first struck his Aduersary on the head or wounded his reputation with some calumny or contumely then he wil dispute the matter not only cooly but very coldly as you shall see In the meane tyme since he is so liberall of contumelious and reproachfull language if we spare him it is mere gratuite grace no merit of his not so much as of congruity nay it may seeme much more congruous to shew the man his error where he may see it better then in himselfe For I belieue it will appeare to any vnderstanding man euen by the Genius of his stile that he hath drunke more liberally of Narcissus Well then of Aristotles as neere as it springs Whence I do not see but his President way be my Apology and very Charity will require that some sprinkling of salt be employed vpon his so great insulsity Now marke the Fallacy His aduersary sayth Take away the authority of Gods Church no man can be assured c. For Gods Church this Atturney changeth your Church as though his aduersary preassumed what is in question with Protestants Which he purposely doth not but only sheweth the necessity of a Visible Church and infallible authority shereof The fallacy of this change hath this intent to make his aduersary more odious for his preassuming antedating as also that he may impugne him more easily where he contends not which he doth almost euery where neuer strikes where his Aduersary wards So he seldome or neuer argues or answeres to the matter in hand But why now is this an vntruth void of modesty Because sayth he the experience of innumerable Christians is against it who are sufficiently assured that the Scripture is diuinely inspired and yet deny the infallibility of your Church or any other Answ What Euen of Gods Church For this is the authority this the Church which his aduersary namely and only asserteth And where is the immodesty Is it immodesty in a Catholique to proue the infallibility of the Church of God his Prime principle of Religion and that by an argument which this no Church can no otherwise answere but by rayling at it as with his Lucians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O execrable For who are those innumerable Christians Are they not the aduersaries of the Roman Church and only they And is it immodesty in a Roman Catholique to defend and proue the contrary to that which the Aduersaries of that Church would proue and do teach whereby to ouerthrow that Church and with that all Christianity But to shew him the weaknes of his argument I forme the like Innumerable Christians are sufficiently assured that no man can be assured of any parcell of holy Scripture otherwise then by the authority of the Church of God Ergo M. Ch. who denies them this assurance is voyd of all modesty And now againe why full of impiety Pref. Because sayth he if I cannot haue ground to be assured of the diuine authority of Scripture vnlesse I first belieue your Church infallible then I can haue no ground at all to belieue it Answ I expected he would say then I will be a Socinian But still you see him in his Fallacy Your Church for Gods Church And why then hath he no ground at all vpon that supposall Pref. Because there is no ground nor can any be pretended why I should belieue your Church infallible vnlesse I first belieue the Scripture diuine Answ Still Your Church Sure we shall neuer bring him back to Gods Church againe Now quite contrary I say there is no sufficient ground to omit pretences and permit them to his Hyperbolicall style why men should belieue the Scriptures diuine vnles first they belieue an infallible Church of God For to reuolue to the first birth and parentage of holy Scriptures whence haue we them who told vs they were diuine haue we not the new Testament to instance in this part from the Euangelists and Apostles And were not they the Church of God and hath any other told vs they are diuine and of diuine authority but they primarily and their posterity after them Can any man expect a more certaine testimony concerning his owne or any other mans birth then from the mother who brought him forth into the world Was not the holy Scripture cōceaued of the holy Ghost as it were in the wombe of the Church Yea those soules and spirits of Prophets Euangelists Apostles in which those Scriptures were conceaued euen formally as diuine together with the truth contained in them were they not before those Scriptures were brought to light And could any but they or vpon their credit belieue those Scriptures were of diuine yssue conceaued I say in those spirits diuinely inspired and illuminated yea and from them flowing as from a vitall principle actually and actiuely inflowing into those conceptions togeather with the holy spirit of truth Whence also it followeth euidently that those diuine truth's cannot be the formall conceptions of any soule or vnderstanding not endued and eleuated by this spirit of truth with which spirit since no man can assure himselfe to be endued yet euery Christian ought to belieue as certaine that the Church of God is indued therefore euery Christian ought to receaue those diuine truths contained in Scriptures togeather with the Scriptures themselues from the Church of God whose lawfull issue and ofspring they are Neither can this in reason seeme to a Christian any whit
doubt but very many of either Vniuersity haue these talents in great eminency and no meruaile if we consider either so many and choyee wits as in so great a multitude of Pretenders or those excellent meanes wherewith they are endowed for all kind of good litterature Wherein I dare presume to say they are incomparable with any other Vniuersity of Europe and only comparable between themselues as one eye with another in the same face without disparagement to either Which Excellency would be in these kinds far more apparent and testified to the world that neither Enuy nor Truth might deny it especially in those yearly confluences of hearers and witnesses summond by the celebrity of report as it were to the Olympique Games and spectacles of learned Arts so that it might be said of them as someâ— me it was of ancient Rome Famam Rome tuae non pudet historiae if the care and industry of the Electors were rather to grace those publique Exercises by the Excellency of the men then the men by those Exercises As for their talent in preaching let them before they boast be sure whether Enuy do meddle with it at least forraine Enuy if domestique do and then shew vs their commission for preaching Quomodo pradicabunt nisi mittautur how shall they preach vnles they be sent Sicut scriptum est quam specâ—osi pedes c. how faire are the feet of those who preach those good tydings who preach peace signifâ—ing by this sequele and connexion that the speciosity neatnes or cleanes of feet that is of affections requisite in such a Preacher must proceed from the grace and spirit of that diuine mission and commission The quite contrary of which effects hath beene manifestly seene and obserued and notoriously knowne to the world in the preaching of a Luther of a Caluin and the like their preaching was without mission therefore were their feet so foule as the impressions of their foot-steps extant vpon record do clearely testify Therefore also the ayme and scope of their preaching was not peace but mutiny and rebellion and defection from their Mother-Church and from spirituall obedience from Samuel to Saul in whose abiection and excussion of whose anthority they withall abiected and shook off God himself and in Saul and with Saul fâ—ll to Idolatry For he who shaketh of that obedience which God hath establish't in his Church enthroneth another God that is the power or the creature vpon which he transferreth his obedience which he oweth to God which is Idolatry Vpon which breach and defection followed forthwith that deluge of all mischiefe and inundation of Vices ouerflowing those nations wherein Religion had beene in greatest florish Loe the effect of their mission-Iesse preaching Vpon these groundes the examine must goe whether it were or no detraction to say their learning consists in a superficiall talent of preaching or whether he might not haue denyed it to be preaching at all according to the ordinary acceptation of the word as by Christian vse it is consecrated and dedicated to signify Euangelicall Annunciation or the Embassy of God to men vnles perhaps in attributing a superficiall talent of preaching he implicitely meant to deny the substance as indeed that kind of preaching can haue nothing else but superficiality being deuoid of the substance which is diuine truth and spirit It were therefore to be wish'd rather then disliked by this Adâ—ocate or his Clyent 's that they were enuied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pindar Pyth. â—d 1. and not pittied that so goodly a superficies so much exteriour grace of wit should want the body and interiour worth and substance of diuine truth wherein to subsist Well Syr after all this brauery and presumed excellency of preaching c. if this proue a true imputation of insufficiency in those Deuines when they are pressed by Socinian Arguments who are therefore either caught themselues by their illaqueations or giue occasion to the Socinians of their greater obfirmation or to others to be drawne into the same infidelity If this I say be truth yea and a knowne and testified truth and so neither Calumny nor detraction how will he excuse that insufficiency or at the least deny it to be a great cause of the propagating of that contagion Or lastly which be pretends to doe vindicate his Maintainers from this aspersion Heare how substantially he doth it Pref. As if forsooth because they dispute not eternally Vtrum Chymaera bombinans in vacuo possit comedere secundas intentiones or Whether a million of Angels may not sit vpon a needles point because they fill not their braines with notions that signify nothing to the vtter extermination of all reason and common sense and spend not an age in weauing and vnweaning subtile webb's fitter to catch flies then soules therefore they haue no deepe knowledge in the Acroamaticall part of learning Answ This is his answere Whence you may suspect that Brasmus was his last Acrâ—ama from whom he eame to write this with his pen full of salt and sarcasme to cast vpon the faces of all Schoole-deuines and you may note as in passing by how euen heere as euery where what he blame's in his Aduersary he out-doe's it himself and by this very passage of many you may obserue how familiar he is with the Genius of Detraction which comes from him so easily that I durst almost excuse him and say he takes no notice of it Vsque adeo à teneris assuescere magnum est as some Orpheus play's and sing's by the rules of art which he reflect's not on As for this question of a Chymaera it is no doubt wholy Chymerique and whether it may haue beene the subiect of some Quadragesimall coursing I cannot tell I haue knowne as mad a question canuas't there in my day's as concerning a Pridian and a Postridian which some Diuinity-chaire may yet remember And yet me think 's I could propose this question to be maintained by some witty Inceptor or Commencer affirmatiuely thus Virum Chimaera bombiâ—ans in vacuo debeat comedere secundas intentiones Affirme Then for the more luculent and fraudlesse processe in this graue probleme I would first cleare the termes from ambiguity I would vnderstand by Chymaera a Socinian and him that you might be able to look vpon the monster with lesse fright and horror mask't or vizar'd in Protestantisme then bombinans in vacuâ— that is busy in disputing to no purpose nor with hope or intent to determine any truth or bombinans in vacuâ— buzzing his imposture in some idle and vacant eare or againe bombinans in vacuâ— buzzing and disputing against all principles of Diuinity and Philosophy that there is vacuum in nature that God is not euery where or that it is not certaine whether be be any where And then whether this Chymaera ought to feed only vpon second Intentions whether he ought in conformity to his Principles to be content with such Commons or whether he ought to take commons
blameth that thing which no man can doubt but he wisheth Pref. Your other part sayth he of your Accusation strikes deeper and is more considerable and that tells vs that Protestancy waxeth weary of it selfe that the Professors of it they especially of greatest worth loue temper and moderation c. Answ Is this an Accusation Can his Aduersary possibly be conceaued to blame this Why then doth he so depraue the cleare sense of his Aduersaries words but only to make him odious euen to them whom he commends for their better inclination towards antiquity and truth for their temper and moderation Which simple relation of his Aduersary exhibited without all bitternes of speach or any offensiue style see how he exulcerates With what bitternes of a black Censure as though he had dip't his pen succo nigra loliginis or in felle amaritudinis in the gall of bitternes as S. Peter said to Simon Magus an Apostata from the Church of God and who after his Apostasy returning to his trade deluded many by his encharmed wing's of pride and imposture Heare his owne words after his Aduersaries euen as related by himself and as you are a louer of truth true iudgment take the paines to cōpare them Pref. Which scurrilous libell sayth he voyd of all truth discretion and honesty c. Answ And is not this indeed scurrilous railing void of all truth discretion and honesty For doth this man deserue to be speared or to be treated calmely who tempests so rudely who rides with so loose a bridle of passion or no bridle at all that he out-runs euen himself and self-knowne truth And yet after this he enter's into his Aduersaries bosome to rauish thence a concealed thought contrary to what his words carry before them and contrary to his very thought Pref. For did you conceaue sayth he such inclination of men of worth and learning to your party can any man imagine you would proclaime it and bid men take heed of it Answ I answere No he would not nor doth he any where bid them take heed of it but take notice of the vnsettled condition of all Heresy which either fall's further into Turcisme Socinianisme Atheisme c. as we see it hath in many part 's of the world which haue laps't from the Roman or else floates for euer turnes round as it were in an vncessant wheele of Error 's much like the wheele of Fortune and not a litle in conformity with that vntill they returne to the pillar of truth and partake the firmity and weight thereof from the spirit of truth which resides there whose speciall guift all stability and ballast of soules is without which they are as light as that chaffe which the vnquenchable fire shall burne or as that dust quem proijcit ventus à facie terrae But what wonder to returne thither whence we haue a litle digrest if he make a quite contrary construction of his Aduersaries words since he cannot belieue himselfe who hath so often belyed himselfe Pref. Sic notus Vlysses do we know the Iesuit's no better Ans Yes Aiax you know them and they you Pref. Are they turned preuaricator's against their owne cause Ans I am sure you are Take which cause you will and euen heere good Syr marke if he turne not preuaricator euen against himselfe Pref. Are they likely men to betray and expose their owne Agent 's Instruments and to awaken the eyes of Iealousy and to raise the clamour of the people against them Certainly your zeale to the Sea of Eome testified by your Fourth Vow of speciall Obedience to the Pope proper to your Order and your cunning carriage of all affaires for the greater aduantage and aduancement of that Sea are cleare demonstrations that if you had thought thus you would neuer haue said so Answ Heere before I passe any farther it will not be absurd I thinke to giue him a companion to couple him with Iohn Donne whose words in his booke which he hath entitled with his owne Name Pseudo-martyr are so like these of the Aduocate as if they had beene spit out of the same mouth Heare some passages of the Deans to this very purpose Psendom cap. 4. But all your labour is to vnderstand the present state of kingdoms and where any ouerture is giuen for the Popes aduantage or wherein any opposition or hinderance is interiected against his purposes And againe If they be as they say in their Constitutions but bacula senis the old mans staues the old man is the Pope they are bound to say once a weeke one masse to their Geuerals intention though they know not what it is And of this generall intention the center and basis is the aduancement of that Sea about which these Planetary monkes haue their course and reuolutions And yet more But the Iesuit's in this latter age haue found the vse of the compasse which is the Popes will c. They are more seuere maintainers and increaser's then any other of those doctrines of the Roman Church which we noted to beget this inclination that is to Martyrdom Thus far the Deane Answ Now would I know who exorcised these spirits Who forc't them by any torture to proclame these so high praises of their aduersaries what haue the Iesuit's deserued of these men that they should be so honoured by their testimonies aboue all other Orders or Professors of the Roman Catholique Church For at least to those who acknowledg subiection to the Roman Sea whose approbation without doubt they couet more then of any other they testify their supreme prayse and commendation For what more highly commendable in the iudgments of all such Catholique spirits then their so vigilant seruice and obedience to him whom they iointly belieue to be the Vicar of Christ What more admirably laudable then to be the staff of Christ Iesus in the hand of his Deputy on earth then to make the aduancement of his Church the Basis and Center of their intentions But then chiefly by what so commemorable merit of their Order towards these men mere aliens strangers to them can they haue deserued those diuine Elogies Encomions fitter to be celebrated in the honour of the Apostles themselues to whom indeed they are most due and proper The Iesuit's must needs blush to heare themselues so dignified as to be called Planetary monkes or which is all one Apostolicall monkes for these Planetary monkes wander no whither but whither they are sent with the same commission of the Apostles establish't by those words Euntes in mundum vniuersum c. going into the whole world preach this Ghospell c. And he was sure a Planetary monke 1. Cor. 4. who said of himselfe and his Coapostles instabiles sumus we haue no setled habitation Now for these Planets to haue their courses and reuolutions about the same center with the Apostles the aduancement of the Church and Ghospell of Christ is so high a point
the Land and then being for such his contumacy censured proscribed declared rebell or Traitor to the State vnles he would come in and acknowledge his obedience conformity to that order or Law still pretend that such a Law is no Law but an abuse of authority and say that if they will not allow him the Name and priuiledge of a true subiect but vpon such condition that by his subscription he professe against his conscience his consent to an error in gouernment to which he consent's not or acknowledges for law what he belieues not to be law in this case they for requiring such a condition are rebell's and traitours to the state not he for disclaiming it And I belieue the disparity will not easily be assigned neither will it euer be proued that the Temporall Laick authority of any State or Common-wealth in order to ciuill Gouernment or Command is more sacred and inuiolable then the authority of the Church of God in regard of determining doctrines of fayth or in order to Ecclesiasticall Lawes Constitutions Whence it may seeme a matter worthy the consideration that this spirit of doctrine hath in the very bowell's of it the very Embryâ— of all seditions and rebellions such as if it liue to grouth and strength of age may proue such a monster as may import in tyme the confusion and Anarchy of all State and Gouernment Verily it will appeare as I thinke very manifest that any refractory or rebellious subiect may accommodate this discourse to the maintenance and defence of his rebellion with very good congruity yea and finally retort the Traitor or Rebell vpon the Prince or Authority which proscribâ—s or censures him III. Motiue Because if any credit may be giuen to as creditable records as any are extant the Doctrine of the Catholicks hath byn frequently confirmed and the opposite doctrine of Protestants confounded with supernaturall and diuine miracles III. Remotiue To the third If any credit may be giuen to Records farre more creditable then these the Doctrine of Protestants that is the Bible hath been confirmed and the Doctrine of Papists which is in many points plainly opposite to it confounded with supernaturall and diuine Miracles which for number and glory out-shine Popish pretended Miracles as much as the Sunne doth an ignis fatuus those I meane which were wrought by our Sauiâ—ur Christ and his Apostâ—â—â— Now this booke by the confession of both â—â—des confirmed by inâ—umerous miracles c. III. Promotiue Before I mooue any further I thinke it best to close with you heere I haue already often said and must say it often that the Socinian iudgment is no iudgment at all nor any arrest of sentence but a very waue of a floating sancy and giddy affection which swelling now and appearing bigge soone after break 's vpon the shore and another waue of opinion followes growne from another fancy which is the Trident that moues and commaund's in the Socinian Ocean Not long fince when I know not now what wynd moued your phantastique affection towards the shore of Catholique truth then if any credit might be giuen to as creditable record's as any are extant c. after that the wynd changing and another affection flowing from a new fancy see how this Trident hath turned your iudgment to the quite opposite shore and now if any credit may be giuen to records farre more creditable then these What haue you now fouÌ„d out records far more creditable then these which are as creditable as any are extant then it seemes these records farre more creditable are not extant and yet you haue found them out Or are they now extant which seauen or eight yeares fince when your Motiues were conceaued were not extant Good Syr put them out to the print to the stationers with all possible speed London Oxford will come together by the â—ares for the commodity but be not rash in promising to either least a more liberall offer make you resent They will off at any Price you may compasse another purchase by the gaine of the commodity especially comming forth with the recommendation of a most plausible title as Record's for protestancy neuer extant in print before set forth by M. Ch. lately Roman Catholique now Atturney or adâ—â—cate for Protestants The first edition c. But now in earnest let vs examine these Records of superlatiue credit whereby the doctrine of Protestants that iâ— the Bible do you meane the bible it self or the doctrine of the Bible for there is great difference betweene â—â—ese two and â—othaps you will not easily find out of your Records how the Bible it self hath beene so miraculously confirmed that is declared by miracles that this Bible is the word of God and yet you say This booke confirmed by innumerous miracles I suspect you meant to be obscure and yet willing to haue it so vnderstood that the Booke it self hath beene so confirmed that your appeale to it might appeare more specious But then I dare be bold to say that the Bible that is the Scriptures translated by Protestants shall neuer be proued to haue receaued any confirmation at all by any one peece of a miracle therefore in this sense what you say is a meere vaunt void of all truth whereas againe if as translated and set forth by authority of the Catholique Church it hath euer beene miraculously confirmed this is a confirmation of Catholique authority and a shame and confusion of all Sectaries who reiect this authority But I will be so fauourable as to construe your meaning such as you can make good with most ease as that the Protestant-doctrine is the doctrine of the Bible which is no more then euery Heretique would say of his doctrine rather then submit it to the Censure of the Church which Protestant and Bible-doctrine hath been confirmed iointly by miracles out-shining all Popish miracles as the Sunne doth ignis fatuus In which place I will only specify one doctrine of Protestants and insist vpon that which is That the Church of God may erre in definitions of fayth or that it is not endued with infallible authority in order to such definitions Now when will you be so good as to proue vnto vs that this negatiue doctrine hath bene confirmed and the contrary doctrine of Papists confounded with supernaturall and diuine miracles When will you shew vs out of your more creditable records then any extant that those miracles of our Sauiour and his Apostles were wrought in confirmation of those doctrines wherin you oppose the Catholique Roman Church Nay when will you proue that any one of those miracles were not so many testimonies of some point of doctrine which the Roman Church professeth and teacheth at this day Come leaue your brauing dâ— not always â—ly with a Simon Magus in the ayre of verball ostenlation Quid cessas An tibi Mauors Ventâ—â—â in linguâ pâ—dibusque fugaâ—ibus istis Semper erit Come downe and instance in one point