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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06531	A defence of the Roman Church VVherin is treated, vvhether the said Church of Rome hath fallen in faith, or no? Written in Latin by the R. F. Martinus Becanus of the Society of Iesus, Professour in Diuinity: and now translated into English.	Becanus, Martinus, 1563-1624.; Wright, William, 1563-1639.	1612 (1612)	STC 1700; ESTC S115571	18,025	50

A DEFENCE OF THE ROMAN CHVRCH VVHERIN Is treated VVhether the said Church of Rome hath fallen in faith or no Written in Latin by the R. F. Martinus Becanus of the Society of Iesus Professour in Diuinity AND Now translated into English Anno Domini M. DC XII THE PRINTER to the Reader GOOD Reader this short Treatise being sōt vnto me long since from a friend who had caused it to be translated out of Latin into English I haue iudged it worthy to be imparted vnto theo for that it will giue thee light in a matter which greatly importeth thee to know and on which the Aduersaries do imploy their whole endeauours to cast a cloud of obscurity The matter in Controuersy is Whether the Church of Rome hath fallen from her ancient faith The Protestants affirme the same and if they could in place of often saying it once proue it their cause were much the better The Catholiques on the contrary side deny that She euer admitted the least change in any point of faith Which if thou find to be so as by reading this little Phamphlet I hope thou shalt then hast thou a cleere and sure way laid before thee to resolue thyselfe of all doubtes that may concerne Religion Bestow therfore the reading therof and thou shalt find the profit to counteruaile thy paynes And so wishing thee euerlasting happines I bid thee farewell WHETHER THE CHVRCH OF ROME hath fallen in faith or no THE sense hereof is Whether the Roman Church togeather with those other Churches which adhere vnto it hath so fallen and degenerated that it should cease to be any longer a true Church Iohn Lib. 4. Inst c. 7. §. 24. v de lib. ● c. 6. §. 26 Caluin affirmeth that it hath so fallen away in these words Fuerit sanè olim Roma omnium Ecclesiarum Mater c. Verily Rome in times past was the Mother of all Churches but in that it hath begū to be the Seat of Antichrist it ceaseth to be that which it was Here he affirmeth two things One is that the Roman Church was sometimes the true Church and more thē this that it was the mother of all Churches This we admit The other is that it is now fallen and become the seate of Antichrist And of this we dispute 2. Two wayes we may vnderstand it to haue fallen First in Manners Secondly in doctrine of Faith The former defect taketh not away the nature of a true Church but the later This therfore is the State of the controuersie VVhether the Roman Church hall The State of the cōtrouersie sallen in doctrine of saith Caluin affirmeth it hath thus fallen neither doth he otherwise proue it then by a grosse manifest vntruth For he saith that longe agoe the Popes of Rome haue taught 3. most greiuous errors touching Faith to wit That there is no God Lib. 4. Inst cap. 7. §. 27. no Christ no Resurrection 3. But I will contrariwise demonstrate not by vntruths as he doth but by strong arguments that the Church of Rome as heertofore it was so still to be at this present the true Church of Christ nor euer to haue fallen away from her purity and that three manner of wayes 1. By Scripture 2. by Fathers 3. by Caluin himself and his owne principles And that I may be briefe I will vse this last kind of proofe most especially seeing that many others haue longe since both out of Scriptures Fathers very copiously handled the same argument To the end therfore that the whole matter may be the more easily perceiued I will labour to deduce and explicate the same by certaine Conclusions This then is The 1. Conclusion THERE must be graunted some visible Church on earth which both is and is also called Catholike Holy the Spouse of Christ the house of God the Piller and firmament of Truth 1 THIS conclusion is wholy grāted by Caluin in his 4. booke of Institutions Chap. 1. for many paragraphes togeather where he purposely disputeth of the Visible Church And verily in the 2. § he affirmeth that by Faith we belieue the visible Church when we say in the Apostles Creed I belieue the Holy Catholike Church Wherefore that a visible Church be granted is an article of Faith according to Caluin And full rightly For albeit we see with externall eyes the multitude of those mē wherof the visible Church consisteth yet notwithstanding that there is the true doctrine of Christ and his Apostles in the said multitude this we see not but belieue it So that the visible Church is conteyned partly vnder sight partly vnder Faith With externall eyes we see those men that be in the Church with internall faith we belieue that amongst them the true doctrine of Christ is both deliuered and conserued 2. And thus is that Cauil of the Lutherans solued That which we belieue by faith is not visible But the Church we belieue by faith Ergo the Church is not visible For the Maior Proposition ought thus to be vnderstood That which we belieue by Faith is not visible according to the thing that is cōteined vnder Faith although it be visible according to some other thing that is not cōteined vnder Faith And of this matter there be diuers exāples In Christ the Apostles saw his humanity they belieued his Diuinity In baptisme we see the externall water and washing but the internall force of regeneration and remission of sinnes we belieue In the volume of the Bible we see the paper the writing and the volume it selfe we belieue that to be the word of God which is read therin The same iudgment therfore there is of the Church Somewhat there is in it which we belieue and somewhat which we perceiue by sense 3. But least that any should be mistaken we must yet vse another distinction For it may be two wayes vnderstood that we belieue the Church by Faith First that by faith we belieue that ech man which is in the Church is truly faithfull and doth with internall affection follow the doctrine of Christ Secondly that by faith we belieue the doctrine of Christ to be both taught and conserued in it The former sense is false the later is true For we doe not belieue that as many as are in the visible Church with vs are according to internall affection truly faithfull because it is plaine that many hypocrits are in the Church as I will shew you afterwardes yet doe we belieue that doctrine which by externall voice the men that are in the visible Church doe professe to be that true doctrine of Christ and his Apostles without which there is no saluation 4. And that this visible Church is to be called Catholike Holy the Spouse of Christ the house of God the pillar and firmament of Truth Caluin confesseth § 2. 9. 10. and the rest that follow And the matter is certaine For both Scriptures Creeds and Fathers teach so euery where It is called Catholike

or Vniuersall for three causes First in respect of place because it is spread ouer the whole world Marc. 16. 15. Going into 〈◊〉 whole world preach the ghospell to euery creature Secondly in respect of Tyme because it shall last for euer Dan. 2. 44. The God of heauen will set vp a Kingdome which shall neuer be dissipated or dissolued Thirdly in respect of the Men that are to be saued because no man can be saued out of the Church Herby appeareth the difference betwixt the Church of Christ the Synagogue of the Iewes For the Iewes Synagogue was none of these wayes Catholike or Vniuersall Not the first way for it was not spread ouer the whole world but ouer Palestine only Not the second because it lasted but a certaine time Not the third because men out of the Synagogue might be saued as Iob the Niniuites and others were 5. It is called Holy for these causes First because no man entreth into it vnlesse he be washed and sanctified by Baptisme And in this sense the Apostle said that Christ hath washed his Eph. 5. 26. Church in the lauer of water And in another place These verily you were but 1. Cor. v. 11. we are washed and sanctified Secondly because all her institutions worshipings cerimonies Sacraments are ordeined to sanctity For they tend to this that wee either become holy or that we increase and be conserued in holinesse Thirdly because out of it there is no holinesse Fourthly because Christ is her head who is the Holy Sanctus Sanctorū of Holies Caluin § 17. addeth that she is called Holy because she profiteth in sanctity dayly and aspireth to the very top or butt of sanctity 6. She is called the Spouse of Christ because Christ hath by an indissoluble band coupled her to himselfe as the Apostle teacheth Ephes 5. And she hath ● 31. 32. three priuiledges The first is that she is fruitfull The second is that she is Euer a Virgin The third is that she issued out of the side of her Spouse All these three taken togeather neuer happened to any spouse Mary the wife of Ioseph was indeed both fruitefull and euer a Virgin yet did she not come out of the side of her husband Contrariwise Eua was made out of the side of Adam and was fruitfull yet was she not a perpetuall Virgin But the Spouse of Christ hath obtayned all these at once And first that is fruitfull appeareth by that Gal. 4. VVe are not the children of the hand-mayde but of the free-woman ● 31. That she is a Virgin appeareth by that 2. Cor. 11. I haue espoused you to one man ● 2. to exhibite a chast Virgin vnto Christ That she came out of the side of Christ many do gather out of that in S. Iohn 19. ● 34. One of the Souldiers opening his side with a lance forthwith there issued out bloud and water 7. It is called the house of God because although God be euery where as himselfe confesseth in Ieremy saying Cap. 23. 4. I fill heauen earth yet is he said to dwel after a peculiar manner in the Church as in his house by his singular assistāce gouernement and distribution of supernaturall gifts graces Matth. 28. 20. This house he built for himselfe Matth. 16. 18. In this house he hath a Dispenser and Steward ouer his family Luc. 12. 42. In this house he begetteth children by Baptisme he instructeth and fostereth them by preaching and nourisheth them with the Eucharist In this house he hath vesells of all sorts of gold and of siluer of wood and of earth 2. Tim. 2. 20. In this house he celebrateth marriages maketh Nuptialls to his Sōne Matth. 22. 2. Out of this house or Church there are neither lawes nor miracles nor Sacraments nor Sacrifices to wit profitable to saluation 8. It is called The Pillar and Firmament of Truth both because she is a faithfull Keeper of Gods truth as Caluin explayneth §. 10 as also because in no part of the world besides doth Gods truth dwell but in the visible Church as Beza doth interprete 1. Tim. 3. 15. as lastly also because she can not erre from the truth as Catholiks doe expound it And thus much concerning the first Conclusion The second conclusion IN this visible and Catholike Church wherof we haue spoken are all such as are through Baptisme admitted into the faith of Christ not the good only but the bad also not only the predestinate but also the reprobate 1 THIS Conclusion also Caluin ● 4. c. 2. ● 7. admitteth in these words But in this Church there are mixed many hyprocrites ambitious couetous enutous euill speakers And § 13. They alleage that Christs Church is holy but yet so as that withall they vnderstand it to be mixt of good and bad Let them heare that Parable from the mouth of Christ wherein She is compared to a net in which all sorts of fishes are gathered but are not * ● or chosē out seuered vntill they be laid out vpon the shore 2. All Catholikes do agree herein We confesse saith S. Augustine ●ract 6. ●n Ioan. that in the Catholike Church are both good and bad but as graine and chaffe Againe The Church hath in her stronge men she hath ●erm 107. ●e temp infirme she hath iust men she hath also vniust And againe Now all are accounted In Ps 47 Gods people that beare his sacraments but all appertaine not to his mercy For all that receiue the Sacrament of the Baptisme of Christ are called Christians but all liue not worthily in that Sacrament 3. The like doe other Fathers write and that worthily For as Caluin himself hath obserued Christs Church is compared in Scripture to a Barne in which not only wheat but chaffe also is to be found It is compared to a net that is cast into the sea gathering fishes of all sortes togeather It is compared to a Nuptiall feast to the which both good and bad are called It is compared to ten Virgins fiue whereof were wise and as many of them foolish It is compared to a sheepfold in which are both sheep and goates Lastly it is compared to a great House wherin are vessels of al sorts some vnto honour and other some vnto contumelie The third Conclusion OVT of this visible and Catholike Church no man can be saued or obtaine remission of Sinnes 1 THIS Caluin § 4. teacheth in these words Extraeius gremiū nulla est speranda peccatorum remissio nec vlla salus Out of her lappe no remission of sinnes is to be hoped for nor any saluation at all And § 20. The Lord hath not promised his mercy but in the Cōmunion of Saintes And § 22. This benefite to wit of the remission of sinnes is so proper vnto the Church that we cannot otherwise enioy it but by remayning in the communion of it And in the same place Therefore let euery of vs

thinke this to be his dutie not to seeke for remission of his sinnes elswere but where the Lord hath put it to wit in the visible Church 2. The same teach Catholikes He hath not God for his Father saith S. Cyprian De Vnitate Ecclesiae that hath not the Church for his mother The holy vniuer sal Church saith S. Gregory Lib. 14. Moral c. 2. preacheth that no man can truly be saued but in her affirming that all such as are out of her can in no wise be saued The Catholike Church Ep. 50. a● Bonifaciū Comitenm sub finen● only saith S. Augustine is the body of Christ whose Sauiour he is Out of this body the Holy Ghost quickneth no man And VVhosoeuer he be and what manner of man soeuer he be he is Ser. 181 de tempore no Christian that is not in the Church of Christ 3. Diuers causes herof are assigned by S. Augustine First because in the Church only the Host of the Redeemer is immolated or offered vp 2. Those that labour in the vineyard only do receiue their penny hire 3. All that were out of the Arke were drowned in the floud 4. That mēber which abideth not in the body cannot haue life 5. The bough that is cut off from the tree cannot branch out or grow 6. A riuer separated from his fountaine dryeth vp These and the like S. Augustine setteth downe serm 181. de tempore 4. To the same purpose is that prophesy Isa 60. Open shall thy gates be continually v. 11. neither night nor day shall they be shut that the strength of the Gentils may be brought vnto thee and that their Kinges may be brought For the Nation and the Kingdome that will not serue thee shall perish In which words there are two things foretold One is that Christs Church should be visible which should be continually open for all Nations if they will enter into it The other is that all that entred not into it should perish The fourth Conclusion SVCH as forsake this visible and Catholicke Church are forsakers of Religion and Traytors and violators of holy VVedlocke 1. THVS Caluin § 10. when he saith So great accompt doth the Lord make of the communion of his Church that he shall he held a traiterous turne-coate and forsaker of Religion whosoeuer disobediently alienates himselfe frō the Christian society And then againe VVhence it followeth that the departing from the Church is the denying of God and Christ and therfore so much the more must we beware of such kind of disagreement or breach of faith And yet againe Neither can there be a more heinous crime imagined thē with sacrilegious disloyalty to violate that wedlocke which the only begotten Sonne of God vouchsased to contract with vs. 2. The like hath S. Augustine lib. de side operibus cap. 5. lib. 2. contra Cresconium cap. 34. where he teacheth that the visible Church albeit many bad men be in it is in no wise to be forsaken or deuided And amongst other things he citeth that out of S. Cyprian Although we see saith he cockle to be in the Church yet ought not our fayth or charity to be hindred that we should start backe from the Church because we see cockle to be in the Church We are only to labour that we may become good corne that when the corne beginnes to be laid vp in our Lords barnes we may reape fruite for our worke and labour The Apostle in his Epistle sayth In a great house there are not only great vessels of gould and siluer but also of wood and earth and verily some are honoured other some dishonored Let vs endeauour that we may be a goulden and siluer vessell 3. And the reason appeareth by that which hath beene said because that out of the Church no man can be saued Ergo he that voluntarily forsaketh the Church can haue no hope of saluation For he is like a member cut from the body or a branch cut frō the Vine or a sheep out of the sheepfold straying amōg wolues or like to those who being out of the Arke were swallowed vp by the deluge or floud of waters The fifth Conclusion THIS visible Church of Christ cannot be without Pastours Doctours Bishops and other Ministers that haue a lawfull calling and ordination SO teacheth Cal. § 11. where he saith Now doth Satā with the same wickednes endeauour to destroy that ministrie which notwithstanding Christ hath ordeined in his Church that it being taken away the edificatiō therof might perish And c. 3. § 4. Phere follow Pastours and Doctours whome the Church can neuer want And in this sort speak the Fathers S. Hierome l. cont Luciferianos saith That is no Church which hath no Priests And S. Cyprian l. 4. epist 9. Thou oughtest to know that the Bishop is in the Church and the Church in the Bishop that if any be not with the Bishop neither are they in the Church And in the same place The Church is a companie vnited to the Priest and a slocke adhering to their Pastour 2. And the reason hereof is threefold The first is because the Church cannot be without faith And faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 14. How shall they inuocate in whome they haue not belieued or how shall they belieue him whom they haue not heard And how shall they heare without a preacher or how shall they preach except they be sent The second reason is because the Church is not without Sacramēts the dispensatiō wherof appertaineth to Bishops and Pastours The third is because in euery Common-wealth there ought to be order Some are to gouerne others to obey therfore in like manner in the Church some ought to be sheep others Pastours or Sheepheards Heere hence is that of the Actes 20. 28. Attend to your selues to the whole slocke ouer which the Holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops to gouerne the Church of God And Eph. 4. 11. And he gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and other some Euangelists and others Pastours and Doctours to the consumation of Saints vnto the worke of the ministrie vnto the edification of the body of Christ Vpon which words Beza Caluins disciple writeth thus Out of which words it is plaine inough that these two gifts to wit of being Pastours and Doctours ought to be perpetuall in the Church of God The sixth Conclusion THIS visible Church is so firmely founded vpon Christ that it cannot possibly fall away or perish 1. THIS Caluin cannot deny because it followeth euidētly out of his owne principles This I will shew you by these argumentes following First no man can be saued out of the visible Church according to the third Conclusion graunted by Caluin But alwaies there are some saued Ergo alwayes there is a visible Church Secondly Christ conioyned to himselfe the visible Church as a Spouse with an indissoluble band according to the first Conclusion Ergo the Church can by no