That vnto Ministers Religious Adoration is due §. 1. THIS you affirme pag. 224. Where you vndertake to range in order the kinds of vnion with God vnto which Religious adoration is due RELIGIOVS ADORATION say you primary or secondary is not founded vpon euery kind of vnion as appeareth in mentall images but vpon certaine kinds of vnion to wit first Personall as when the Humanity of Christ is coupled with the Deity Secondly Substantiall as when the parts are coupled with the whole Thirdly Causall Relatiue or Accidentall to wit when by diuine Ordination things created are made instruments messengers figures receptacles of diuine grace as the holy Sacraments and the Word and Ghospell and the MINISTERS of the Church c. Behold amongst the obiects that haue such vnion with God as is a sufficient ground to yield them Religious Adoratiō you number Ministers with an Et caetera in the end perchance leauing roome for your wiues to enter to be likewise your Consorts in Religious Adoration as good reason they should How grosse this Errour is specially in you hence may appeare in that hereby you ouerthrow a great part of your Reply First you cleerly cōtradict that Principle which so many tymes you set downe and very earnestly vrge to wit that Religious Worship is due to God only How can this be true if Religious Worship is due vnto Ministers Be not Ministers Creatures Be they not other things and persons besides God Nor can you say that when you affirme Religious Worship to be due to God only you meane primary Religious Adoration and that consequently you doe not contradict your selfe in saying that secondary Religious Adoration is due vnto Ministers This euasion I say will not serue your turne because you declare in expresse tearmes that all Religious adoration primary or secondary is due to God only Thus you write pag. 322. Whereas the Iesuite doth distinguish two kinds of Religious Worship the one Primary and simply Diuine founded vpon the increate and infinite Excellency which is due to God only the other Secondary founded vpon the created Excellency of grace and glory which is yielded vnto Saints and Angells To this we reply that there be no other kinds of worship then there be Tables of the morall law but there are only two tables of the morall Law the former whereof teacheth diuine worship and the second humane ciuill and of speciall obseruance And if there be a mixt worship partly human partly diuine so much thereof as is diuine is proper to God and may not be imparted vnto any creature Isa. 42.8 Where God sayth My glory I will not giue to another Thus you How grossely doe you contradict your selfe and implicate in your sayings Be not Ministers others from God asmuch as Angells If then Adoration and Religious Adoration be giuen vnto Ministers how is it not Adoration giuen to others besides God asmuch as when Angells are Religiously adored Secondly you haue destroyed all you say in the first point agaynst the Worship of Images specially pag. 246 where you thus speake vnto vs If you adore Images outwardly and relatiuely then you make Images a partial obiect of adoration but God himselfe who sayth I will not giue my glory to another Isa 24.8 hath excluded Images from compartnership with himselfe in Adoration Thus you All which is proued idle by your doctrine that Ministers are religiously to be adored For if no Creature can be compartner with God himselfe in adoration how may Ministers be his partners therin and challenge Religious adoration as due to thēselues If they may be religiously adored yet not be his partners in adoration against his diuine Edict My glory I will not giue to another why not Angells Why not holy Images What say you of the holy Sacraments Be they not creaturs aswell as Images specially in your opinion who hold that they be bread and wine and Elements vnchanged in substance and yet you say that vnto the Sacraments and Word of the Ghospell Religious adoration is due because they haue a relatiue vnion with God How thē is Religious adoration due to God only If Religious Adoration may redound from Christ vnto his Sacraments why not from Christ vnto his Images which haue a relatiue Vnion with him as being resemblances representations of him Thirdly you haue ouerthrowne and contradicted all you said about the second of the Nine points to wit against Oblations vnto the Virgin Mary In the old Law say you not onely Sacrifices but also Vowes and Oblations were made to God onely Reply pag. 348. Deut. 23.21 Leuit c. 24.5.6 This law in respect of the substance is morall and obligeth Christian people aswell in case of Oblations as of Sacrifices Now by what authority and right can the Roman Church abrogate this law in whole or parte and appropriating Sacrifice vnto God make Oblations common to God and Saints Thus you very vainely not onely in regard that the Text of Deuteronomy doth not say that Vowes and Promises are to be made vnto God onely but no more then that if one make a Vow vnto God he must be carefull to keepe it whence to inferre that Vowes and Promises may not be made vnto men or Saints but to God onely is ridiculous The text also of Leuiticu◠saith that Oblations and guifts are to be made vnto God but that to God onely not a word And to say giuing of gifts to be proper vnto God onely is foolish except you meane gifts and oblations by way of Sacrifice as vnto the authour of all gifts foūtaine of Being For what more daily and quotidian then for men to make presents and oblations the one to the other specially vnto Kings and Princes in testimony of their duty But as I say your discourse is vaine not onely in respect of your idle cyphering of Scripture but also because your selfe demolish this your Doctrine by saying or supposing the contrary to wit that Oblations by way of Religion may be made vnto Ministers That this is by yow supposed I proue To shew that Ministers are Religiously to be adored you cypher 2. Cor. 8.5 where S. Paul saith of the Church of Macedonia Reply pa. 224. lin 26. They gaue themselues first vnto God then by the will of God vnto vs. By which text you cannot conclude Religious Adoration to be due vnto Ministers but by arguing in this manner They vnto whom men by way of Religion and deuotion giue offer themselues are Religiously adored because oblations be Diuine Religious worship The Church of Macedonia did by way of Religion and deuotion offer themselues vnto S. Paul because he was a Minister Ergo Vnto Ministers Religious adoration is to be giuen This I say must be the force of your argument For if the Macedonians did not by way of Religion deuotion offer themselues vnto S. Paul how can you shew that by giuing themselues vnto him they did Religiously adore him
ad com Philip. in 1. ad Corinth This may conuince our Minister that his allegations be of no credit and that Iudgement of the Sanctity of a Church is not to be made by the report of zealous complaint but by the euidence of sight ruled by vnpartiall search By which rule one may find in the Catholike Cleargy thousands and thousands that shew admirable charity specially in conuerting Infidells yea that winne the glorious crowne of Angelicall Chastity for which they would neuer haue striuen had not the Church bound them thereunto So that if human infirmity by occasiō of this law make some men impure that otherwise perchance in marriage would haue beene chast so the Grace of God by the same occasiō worketh in innumerable Angelical Saints who had neuer beene such but for the Churches exaction And this haruest makes full recompence for that losse specially seing also many of such delinquents be not lost but saued by Pennance yea become more excellent Saints then they had beene had they neuer fallen Chastity Obedience Charity in vndergoing labours for the help of soules Fortitude in suffering of heroycall Martyrdomes Zeale and Patience in the rough and rigorous treaty of their bodyes by miraculous fasting another austerityes This sanctity shineth not in all children of the Church but in her more eminent preachers professours Which kind of sanctity togeather with miracles if the Church did want she could not be a sufficiēt witnes of the truth vnto Infidells who commonly neuer begin to affect admire Christianity but vpon the sight of such wōders of Sanctity other extraordinary works Holy for doctrine in regard her Traditions be diuine and holy without any mixture of errour For if the Church could deliuer by consent of Ancestours togeather with truth some Errours her Traditions euen about truth were questionable could not be belieued vpon the warrāt of her traditions for who can without danger and securely feed on that dish that may aswell containe poyson as wholsome sustenance And whereas some Protestants affirme that the Church cannot erre in fundamentall points but only in thinges of lesse moment the truth is that in perpetuall Traditions she cannot erre at all If the Tradition of the Church deliuering a small thing as receyued from the Apostles may be false one may call into question her Traditions of moment For like as if we admit in the Scripture errours in small matters we cannot be sure of its infallibility in substātial matters So likewise if we graunt Traditions perpetuall to be false in things of lesse importance we haue no solide ground to defend her Traditions as assured in others of moment Wherfore as he that should say Gods written word is false in some lesse matters as when it sayes S. Paul left his Cloake at Troas erreth fundamentally by reason of the consequence which giues occasion to doubt of euery thing in Scripture euen so he that graunteth that some part of Traditions or of the word of God vnwritten may be false erreth substantially because he giueth cause to doubt of any Tradition which yet as I haue shewed is the prime and originalll ground of Faith more (q) The Minister heere rayleth largely lustily tearming this assertion impudent Antichristian prophane bastardly c. yet the assertion is euident truth his reasons agaynst it are of no force For they goe not agaynst the assertion but proue another thing to wit the excellency of Scripture which none denyes For Tradition Scripture according to different cōparisons are equall superiour the one to the other Compare them in respect of certainty of truth they are equal as the Councell of Trent defineth sess 4. both being the word of God the one Written the other Vnwritten and so both infinitly certayne Compare them in respect of depth sublimity and variety of doctrine the Scripture is farre superiour vnto Tradition Tradition being playne and easy doctrine concerning the common capitall and practicall articles of Christianity wheras the Scripture is full of high hidden senses and furnisht with great variety of examples discourses and all manner of erudition Aug. Epist. 3. Compare them in respect of priority and euidence of being the Apostles the Scripture is posteriour vnto Tradition in tyme and knowledge and cannot be proued directly to be the Apostles therfore Gods but by Tradition as sometime not only Fathers but euen Protestants afffirme As Philosophy is more perfect then Logicke and Rhetoricke then Grammer in respect of high excellēt knowledge yet Logike is more prime originall fundamentall then Philosophy Grammer then Rhetoricke without the rules and principles wherof they cannot be learned Euen so Tradition is more prime and originall then Scripture though Scripture in respect of depth and sublimity of discourse be more excellent then Tradition fundamentall then the very Scripture which is not knowne to be Apostolicall but by Tradition wheras a perpetuall Tradition is knowne to come from the Apostles by its owne light For what more euident thē that that is from the Apostles which is deliuered as Apostolicall by perpetuall succession of Bishops consenting therein The Propertyes of the Church proued by Matth. 28.20 §. 4. ALL this may be cleerly prooued to omit other pregnant testimonyes by the words of our Sauiour in the last of S. Matthew Going into the world teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to keepe all that I haue commanded you and behold I am with you all dayes euen to the consummation of the world A (r) The Minister pag. 195. lin 4. sayth that this promise is conditionall in repect of Pastours succeeding the Apostles to wit that Christ will assist them conditionally whē they teach and baptize as he hath commanded but that they shall so still teach he doth not promise p. 24. lin 28. This exposition is false first because our Sauiour here promiseth his Presence vnto the Apostles and their successours to baptize and teach vntill the worlds end by one and the same forme of speach and indiuiduall breath so that the promise cannot be conditionall in respect of the successors except it be also conditionall in respect of the Apostles But in respect of the Apostles the promise is absolute as the Minister grants pag. 94. lin 23. Therefore it is also absolute in respect of their successors Not that this or that Pastour may not be deceaued but that they shall neuer deliuer by ioynt consent any falshood as the Apostles doctrine Secondly if the promise be conditionall then the sense is this I will alwayes assist you to teach Christen aright when you teach christen according to my commandement as the Minister expounds pag. 94. lin 22. But this sense is idle and iust nothing as if Christ had sayd Behold I will assist you to teach aright when you teach aright for what is to teach Christian Religion aright but to
Scriptures Fathers speak as they please This your cogging in Scripture is already discouered Now about the Fathers Seauen Testimonies of S. Augustine about Scripture and Tradition falsifyed §. 1. TO note some few of the many Pag. 22. lin 5. to make S. Augustine seeme to fauour your Protestant fancy that men are resolued in fayth by the resplendent Verity and euidence of the Christian Doctrine you cite him as saying (*) Cont. Ep. Fund c. 4. Manifest Verity is to be prâ—fered before all other thinges wherby I am hâ—ld in the Catholike Church In this quotation the word other is cogged into the text to change the sense as if S. Augustine had sayd I haue many motiues to belieue the Catholike Doctrine amongst other the manifest verity of the things reuealed this is the chiefest of all S. Augustines true text is manifest verity so cleerly shewed as no doubt therof can be made praeponenda est omnibus is to be preferred before all these thinges whereby I am held in the Catholike Church Hence it is cleere that the manifest Verity was not the stay and motiue of S. Augustines fayth For what is preferred before all the motiues that stayed him in the Catholike Church was none of his motiues But he saith that manâ—fâ—st verity so cleerly shining as no doubt thereof can be made is to be preferred before all his motiues Ergo S Augustin was not befooled with this foppery that Fayth is resolued finally into the manifest resplendeÌ„t verity of the doctrine and thinges reuealed in Scripture Neere to the same (a) Pag. 21. lin â—2 and in marg lit b. c. place you cite S. Augustine (b) Aug. l. 2. de Baptis c. 3. saying That former councells are corrected by latter Whence you inferre that the Tradition of the Church is fallible For what sentence of the Church is infallible if that of Councells be fallible In which say you some Papists place the soueraignty of Ecclesiasticall authority Heere you shew Ignorance and Falshood Ignorance about the doctrine of Catholikes For though some preferre the Councell before the Pope others the Pope before the Councell in case the whole Councel should be opposite to the Pope in matters of Fayth to be defined which case yet neuer happened yet all preferre perpetual Tradition hand to hand from the Apostles before both Pope and Councell For how can we know that Church definitions made by Pope Councell be infallible but by Tradition Some may say that is cleerly proued by Scripture It is true but how shall we know the texts assumed in this proofe to be the Apostles Scripture but by Tradition How should we be so sure that we truly expound the Texts aright did we not see the Tradition and practise of the Church to haue been still conformable to the sense we giue of those Scriptures Your Falshood is in that you conceale the words that immediatly follow in S. Augustines sentence which had you set down Aug. lib. 2. de Baptis c. 3. Ipsa plenaria Concilia saepe priora posterioribus emeÌ„dari cùm EXPERIMENTO â—erum aperitur quod clausum erat it would haue been euideÌ„t that he doth attribute fallibility and corrigibility vnto Councells only in matters of fact or Ecclesiasticall Lawes about manners For the whole sentence is Amongst plenary Councells the former are corrected by the latter cùm experimento rerum c. when by EXPERIMENT of thinges something is brought to light which before was hidden Now the truth of matters and mysteries of Fayth is not brought to light by tyme and experience but the truth of matters of fact is of which One sayth Quicquid sub terra est in apricum proferet aetas Therefore S. Augustine speakes not of matters of Fayth but of matters of fact or of Ecclesiasticall Lawes about manners which in some cases tyme and experience doth discouer to be inconuenient therefore to be recalled In the same place to prooue S. Augustine (d) Pag. 21. in lit b. c. held that the Church in her perpetuall Traditions may be deceaued you cite him saying (e) Aug. l. 2. cont Crescon c. 21. Eâ—clesiastici Iudices sicut homines plerumque falluntur Ecclesiasticall Iudges as men may be deceaued and (f) Lib 2. de Baptism c. 3. EpiscoporuÌ„ litteras quae post confirmatum Canonem Scriptae sunt c. licere reprehendi Non debet Ecclesia se Christo praeponere vt putet à se iudicatos baptizare non posse ab Illo autem iudicatos posse cùm Ille semper veraciter iudicet Ecclesiastici autem Iudices sicut homines plerumque falluntur the writings of any Bishops since the Apostles may be questioned and called into doubt I do not doubt but you know in your conscience that S. Augustine in both the places is alleadged oppositely to his meaning In the first place he speaketh not about Church-errours in matters of fayth but about errors in matters of fact or Church iudgments concerning criminall causes For this is his whole sentence The Church ought not to preferre herselfe before Christ as to say that men condemned by him as wicked may validely baptize but such as she doth condemne may not seeing He in his iudgements neuer erreth whereas Ecclesiasticall Iudges as being men are often deceaued Who doth not see that you wrong Saint Augustine to bring this his testimony for his holding the perpetuall Tradition of the Catholicke Church hand to hand from the Apostles by the succession of Bishops to be fallible And no lesse iniuriously you produce him in the second testimony For he speaketh of single Bishops considered ech of them by themselues that their writings are obnoxious vnto errour and so may be questioned and examined by Scripture thence inferring that the Donatists should not wonder that he did examine the Epistle of S. Cyprian agaynst the Baptisme of Heretikes so cleere it is he speakes of single Bishops not of Tradition by the full consent of Bishops Pag. 37. lin 33. For only Scripture you cite the same S. August as thus writing (g) August in epist· 1. IoaÌ„ tract 3. The Church hath only two breasts wherwith she feedeth her Children the Scriptures of the Old New TestameÌ„t You corrupt this place by addition false translation First by adding to the text the word only to make men belieue S. Aug. held that no doctrine of Fayth is to be belieued which is not cleerly contayned in Scripture whereas (h) l. 4. de Baptis c. 6. 24. l. 5. c. 22. he hath an expresse principle to the contrary many tymes repeated in his workes Sundry thinges to wit of fayth such as was the doctrine that Baptisme giuen by Heretiks is valide are most iustly belieued to be the Apostles though they be no where written in the Scriptures Secondly S. August sayth not as you traÌ„slate that the Churches two breasts are the Scriptures of the Old New TestameÌ„t
(a) Baron an 1089. n. 11. Non eos homicidas arbitramur It is monstrous â—octrine which was hatched by Pope Vrban and approued 〈◊〉 Baronius that they are not to be iudged Murtherers â—hich slay Excommunicate persons As who should say â—ope Vrban and Baronius affirme that to murther â—ny way any Excommunicate persons is no sinne â—ut your slaunder will seeme moÌ„strous when their â—octrine according to truth is set downe This it is Certayne Cleargymen and Schismaticall Priests of â—ewd and dissolute life excommunicated by the Church did agaynst the lawes of the Church take armes and were slayne in the field (b) In a battayle fought betwixt Henry Emperour Egbert Marquesse of Saxony as men may iustly be in lawfull warre Now because the law of the Church censures such as strike Cleargymen they that killed these wicked seditious priests in the field had a scruple and demanded absolution and pennance of their Bishop The Bishop wrote of the matter to Pope Vrban who answered (c) Iuo part 10. c. 54. That although he did not iudge those that thus had killed such Excommunicate persons in the battaile to be murtherers yet that the discipline of the Church might be kept also because such as killed theÌ„ though the fact were lawfull might haue had some sinister and insincere intention therein as doing it out of priuate emnity that therefore the Bishop (d) SecunduÌ„ intentionem eorum modum congruae satisfactionis iniunge should according to their intention desire inioyne them a measure of congruous pennance Hence it followes that it is no sinne to kill any excoÌ„municate person euen Priests when they be inuaders of our life and in iust warre but vniuersally that it is no sinne to kill any excommunicate person what way soeuer is not Pope Vrbans Monstrous Doctrine but a Monster of your ProtestaÌ„t slaundering out of a monstrous desire you haue to delude and enrage men with lyes agaynst the Catholicke Church In the same page 114. lin 29. You thus write of Baronius (e) Baron Anno 1106. n. 14. Cardinall Baronius coÌ„mendeth to the skyes yong Henry the Emperours sonne for rebelling agaynst his naturall Father for deposing imprisoning him and bringing him with sorrow to the graue What Turke or Sauage would be the Encomiast of such vnnaturall and enormous Villany Thus you Let the truth be examined and then it will appeare that Baronius his commendation â—f yong Henry is not to the skye but your slaundeâ—ing of Baronius comes froÌ„ as low as the pit of Hell â—irst it is false according to truth of the History that â—enry the Fourth Emperour dyed of sorrow in the â—estraynt which he had layd vpon him by his Sonne (f) See Baronius ibid. and all other Historians that write of these matters nay he was in that durance vsed with such mildâ—es and liberty as he easily got away gattered forâ—es and inuaded his Sonne who by his owne conâ—ent and by the voyces of all the Electours and â—rinces of the Empire had been made crowned â—mperour This is your first vntruth that Baronius â—rayseth that imprisoning of the Father wherein he â—as brought with sorrow to his graue by his Sonne Secondly Baronius doth not commend yong â—enry at all for that fact but only speaketh conâ—itionally and on both sides no more in his prayse â—en his disprayse For hauing set downe the letters which the Emperour Henry the Elder now being at â—â—berty wrote full of complaynt agaynst his sonne â—aronius thus turneth his speach to the Reader If (g) Baron Tom. 12. pag. 46. â—hou sit Arbiter betwixt the Father the Sonne as for â—he Sonnes procuring his Fathers restraynt and deposition â—rom the Empyre by the Peeres and Princes thereof the â—onne is not to be condemned IF as he pretended HE â—ID this sincerely out of (h) Si verè pietatis intuitu prout prae se tulit ea omnia praestitit PIETY to bringe his Faâ—her vnto a better mind and to make him seeke to be absolâ—ed from Excommunication wherwith he had been so many â—â—mes tyed and chayned On the other side IF as his Faâ—her complaynes HE DID those thinges by wicked plots â—nd stratagems by periury and breaking his oath giuen to â—is Father verily HIS DEED CANNOT DE PRAISED 〈◊〉 wonderfull is the Iustice of God that this Emperour â—â—ould suffer the same persecution from his wicked Sonne which he had by perpetuall incorrigible hatred for many yeares together offered vnto his spirituall Father Thus Baronius Hence it is apparent that as Baronius and Bellarmine were great friends in their life so they are by you slaundered in the same maÌ„ner after their death That Bellarmine may seeme Turkish and guilty of propension to Turcisme you make him say The Scripture affirming a thinge is not therefore to be belieued more then Mahomets Alcoran whereas he only sayth conditionally I should not firmely belieue the Scripture affirming a thinge did I not aforehand belieue the Scripture to be diuine as I do not the Alcoran though it say of it selfe that it is of God EueÌ„ so to make Baronius seeme more sauage then any Turke wheras he sayth conditionally If yonge Henry did restrayne his Father sincerely out of piety for the good of his Father that he might returne to the Church be absolued of excommunication afterward peacebly inioy his Empyre this kind of seuerity was indeed piety you make the proposition absolute and make Baronius say It was piety in the Sonne to vse Cruelty to his Father The Reader I do not doubt seeth the exorbitancy of this false dealing I must needs adde another falsification you (i) Pag. 56. in margin lit c. vse towardes Baronius accusing him as blasphemously extolling the Authority of the Pope in this saying (k) Baron Ann. 373. num â—1 Vt planè appareat ex arbitrio dependisse Romani Pontificis Fidei Decreta sancire sancita mutare Whence it appeareth that it was in the power of the Roman Bishop to establish Decrees of Fayth and to recall the established This you bringe as if Baronius had held the Pope may make and vn-make Decrees about the Truth of Fayth making that to be Truth which before was Errour and that Errour which before was Truth So easily do you belieue charge any Barbarous and Inhumane conceyte vpon Catholicke Authors But he that shall consider attentiuely the Antecedents Consequents of the place will see that Baronius speaketh not of Decrees of Fayth in regard of the truth of Doctrine which are Eternall and so immutable that if the Pope should endeauour to change them he were (l) Decret d. 40. c. 6. Si Papa by Catholicke Doctrine an Heretike and to be deposed but only of decrees of fayth about keeping or denying Communion vnto persons suspected of Heresy in regard of doubtfull propositions This would haue appeared had you cited the wordes of Baronius that immediatly follow This is his whole
Mary 3. Worshipping Inuocation of Saints Angels 4. The Liturgy priuate Prayers for the Ignorant in an vnknowne Tongue 5. Repetitions of Pater Nosters Aues Creeds especially affixing a kind of merit to the number of them 6. The Doctrine of Transubstantiation 7. Communion vnder one kind the abetting of it by Concomitancy 8. Workes of Supererogation especially with reference vnto the Treasure of the Church 9. The Opinion of deposing Kings and giuing away their Kingdomes by Papall power whether directly or indirectly THE PREFACE Most Gratious and Dread Soueraygne A Conference about ReligioÌ„ between Doctor White and Me was occasion that your Maiesty called me to your gracious Presence not disdayning to dispute with one so meane and vnworthy as my self imitating his Benignity whose Vicegerent you are and according to the Phrase of Holy Scripture As (a) 2. Reg. 14.17 Sicut Angelus Dei sic est Dominus meus Rex his Angell And as it is the property of the Good Angell first to strike feare and terrour into them to whome he appeares but in the end to leaue them full of comfort in like sort your Maiesty For though the first salutation carryed a shew of seuerity yet your dismissing me was benigne and gratious not only pardoning my earnestnes in defending the part of the Catholike Church but also saying (*) What the Minister doth obiect against this narration is refuted in M. Fishers Booke about vntruths falsely layd to his charge You liked me the better The gratefull acknowledgement and admiration of this your Princely Clemency makes me desire from the bottome of my Soule that I could fully satisfy your Maiestie of my dutyfull and loyall affection which is fast tyed vnto your sacred person by a threefold (b) Funiculus triplex difficilè rumpitur Eccles. 14.14 inuiolable bond The (*) The Minister saith that the Iesuits Oratory is plausible and thereupon enters into a coÌ„mon place that Truth needs no Trimming which is true yet if needs many tymes Apologies Defence against Slaunders Law of nature obligeth me thereunto as being your Maiesties borne Subiect the transgression whereof were Vnnaturall Barbarous Inhumane The Law of God requires the like constant and perfect Allegiance at my hands binding me to regard you as his Lieutenant and to acknowledge your power and authority as (c) Rom. 13.1 his Ordination so that according to the doctrine of the Catholike Church I must not only outwardly obserue but also admit your Maiesties will and command with Reuerence into the secret closet of my inmost (d) Rom. 13.5 CoÌ„science Soule The Constitutions also of the Order wherof I am an vnworthy meÌ„ber do strictly command me the same in seuerest manner charging the Subiects therof no wayes to meddle in State-matters or in Princes affaires much lesse vnder pretence of Religion to attempt any thing or to consent vnto any enterprize that may disturbe the quiet and tranquillity of Kings and Kingdomes And seeing we are so deuoted to our own Institute that our (e) Colloquium de Secretis Iesuitarum Aduersaries thereupon amongst many other Calumniations lay to our charge that we more reuereÌ„tly esteeme carefully obserue the constitutions of our Rule then the Law of God I shall for your Maiesties fuller satisfactioÌ„ set downe some part of our Constitutions in this point in maÌ„ner following (f) Decret 101. Cong 5. General ac Can. 12. â—iusdem (g) Monita Gener. §. 18. The Constitutions out of which these are taken be tearmed Monita Generalia Generall Admonitions because they coÌ„cerne generally al persons of the Order by way of distinction from Particular which coÌ„cerne only some kind of persons as Preachers Maisters c. Which particular AdmonitioÌ„s are as publick as the generall Whereby you may see the Ministers ignoraÌ„ce in Logicke to be equall vnto his malice against Iesuits who sayth that the terme of Generall Admonitions forbidding to meddle in State-matters argueth that Iesuits haue other Secret Admonitions that warrant such medling As though Generall Admonitions were condistinct agaynst secret and particular against publik Wheras general may be kept secret particular be made publike Vt ab omni specie mali abstineatur querelis etiam ex falsis suspicionibus prouenientibus quoad fieri poterit occurratur praecipitur nostris omnibus in virtute Sanctae Obedientiae sub poena inhabilitatis ad quaeuis officia dignitates seu praelationes vocisque etiam actiuae quà m passiuae priuationis ne quispiam publicis saecularibus Principum negotijs quae ad rationem Status vt vocant pertineant vlla ratione se immiscere nec etiam quantumuis requisitus rogatus eiusmodires politicas tractandi curam suscipere audeat vel praesumat (h) Decret 57. Can. 17. Illa autem omnia quae à spirituali Instructione diuersa sunt negotia Status censeri debent qualia sunt quae ad Principum inter se foedera vel ad Regnorum iura successiones pertineÌ„t vel ad bella tam ciuilia quà m externa (i) In Regulis communibus Reg. 41. Iubet regula 41. vt saecularia negotia vtpote quae sunt à nostro Instituto aliena vehementer à spiritualibus auocant multùm auersemur (k) In Regulis Concionatorum Iubentur Concionatores Societatis à reprehensionibus Principum Magnatum Reipub abstinere obedientiaÌ„ erga Principes Magistratus frequenter seriò suis in Concionibus populo commendare (l) In Constitutionibus Iubent CoÌ„stitutiones nostrae varijs in locis vt oremus speciatim pro Principibus eorumque spirituali saluti praecipuâ curâ procurandae ac promouendae inuigilemus ob vniuersale bonum quod ad multos alios qui eorum authoritatem sequuntur vel per eos reguntur proueniet (m) In Instructionibus Extat denique Instructio pro Confessarijs Principum quâ Nostris seriò interdicitur ne occasione huius muneris rebus Politicis aut Reipublicae gubernationi se immisceant Iubentur etiam hanc InstructioneÌ„ Principibus ostendere curareque vt ij planè intelligant quid Societas ab eo postulat qui Confessarium sibi eligit neque per Leges nostras licere nobis alijs conditionibus id oneris suscipere I humbly craue pardon for offering so many particulers of our Rule vnto your Maiesties perusall which I should not haue done but out of a most strong desire to giue your Maiestie (n) The Minister shapeth this argumeÌ„t into this forme No Iesuite obseruing the Rules of his Order can meddle in state matters Euery Iesuit obserueth the rules of his Order Ergo No Iesuit doth meddle in State matters And theÌ„ in answere thereof he sayth He that belieues the Minor must be a stranger in the world and haue liued an Anchoret or Recluse in some Caue who neuer heard of Campian Parsons Creswell Garnet Suarez Bellarmin c. I
Sauiour was borne and his Church is euer visible Thirdly he still prouideth as Experience sheweth that in the firmer members of this his visible Church such zeale charity is found that natiōs can no sooner be discouered but presently some preachers passe thither with the sound of his Ghospell Fourthly hence the cause why some nations heare not of the Ghospell is not any defect in his Church but the want of working in the naturall causes to discouer such Countreys which defect God will not euer miraculously supply Fiftly if the Church were inuisible to the world keeping her Religion to her selfe not daring to professe or preach the same vnto others Nations might be discouered yet not a whit the neerer in respect of knowing the Ghospel Hence I thus argue If the Church were hidden for many ages as Protestants acknowledge theirs was men should perish not through defect in the natural causes but only through the hiddēnes obscurity wretchednes of the supernatural meanes to wit of the Church not daring to make profession of her Religion to the world But this is impossible for then God should not for his part wish the saluation of all men Therfore it is impossible that the true Church should not be euer vniuersall and notoriously knowne consequētly it is impossible that the Protestant should be the true Church nations may take notice of her all men could not be saued Sixtly this Church is Holy both in Life Doctrine Holy for life shining in all excellent and wonderfull (o) Sanctity to be a signe of the true Church must be on the one side diuine and excellent on the other externall manifest vnto sense were it not euident vnto sense it could not be a signe were it not diuine it could not be a signe of a Christian Church sanctifyed frō the rest of the world Hence appeareth the idlenes of the Minister who pag. 81. reiecting externall extraordinary sanctity makes inward sanctity a signe of the Church and so he proueth his Church to be Holy because forsooth she is cleansed by the bloud of the lambe c. This is idle For how can this inward Sanctity caused by the bloud of the Lambe and inhabitation of the spirit be a signe of the Church except it be made knowne by outward excellent works Hence our Sauior saith of this signe of sanctity Matth. 7.16 By their fruites you shall know thē and let your light shine before men that they may see your works Matth. 5.16 See S. Augustine de vtilit Credendi lib. 17. and his booke de moribus Ecclesiae Catholicae sanctity such as the Apostles gaue example of as Pouerty (p) The Minister pag. 82. lin 35. sayth that vowed Chastity makes most of our Church more impure then doggs before God and mē I answer this is blasphemy For the breach of vowed Chastity not the vowing therof maketh men impure before God Otherwise who should be more loathsome in his sight thē his immaculate mother who vowed Chastity as the Fathers proue by the Ghospell Luc. 1.34 This blasphemy is the same in effect with that of Turkes who say that the Christian band of chastity to one immaculate bed forbiding multitude of wiues makes Christians more impure then doggs Which they proue because now many thousands of Christians fall into Adultery Incest and other impurity which would not haue been had Christ permitted as Mahomet did the holy Liberty of many wiues which the ancient Prophets inioyed To this Hereticall Turkish accusation of the Catholike Christian Church I answere It was conuenient that Christ Iesus being the Sonne of God should exact of his followers such sanctity and chastity as might suite with the perfection of so diuine a Lawmaker And though he knew many thousands would therein be defectiue for whome therefore in his mercy he prouided the remedy of Pennance yet this fayling of some being but an effect of human frailty he thought it more tolerable then that he should allow by his Law such liberty of lust as was vndecent for his sanctity to permit and vnworthy of a people redeemed with his bloud whereby there would haue beene fewer sinners among Christians not through strictnes of life but through the loosenes of his law In this manner the Church of Christ taught by the spirit of his wisdom doth and did euer exact perfect chastity of them that were of her Cleargy though she be sure that in so great a multitude many will fayle who must seeke to be saued by pennance As adultery in Christians is rather to be suffered then auoyded by allowing many wiues generally vnto Christians though this be not of it selfe intrinsecally euill euen so the falling of some Votaies is not so great an inconuenience as this were that Sacred Ministers should not be bound to professe Chastity worthy of the diuinity of Christian Priesthood the sinning agaynst Chastity being humane infirmity but the not exacting thereof an indignity in the very Christian law For all men not blinded with passion see it is most vndecēt that Christian consecrated Ministers should goe a wooing and wiuing and when one wife dyeth wedde another as often as they please as the Protestant pretended Holy Ministers vse to do This practise is so euidently vnworthy and agaynst all Christian decency as they cannot bring one allowed example of a Christian Church in any former age that did permit liberty of wooing wiuing after Holy Orders which euen the Graecian Church doth detest Let them therefore consider how theirs can be the Holy Church that doth not so much as professe high Sanctity that becomes a Christian Church no not in her consecrated Ministers and more Religious professours Specially seing also Ministers by Mariage doe not wholy auoyd the stayne of wandring lust and other impurity yea themselues acknowledge that they be at the least as vicious as the Catholicke Cleargy The sanctity of the Church is not to be measured by the report of zealous cōplaint agaynst sinne nor is the exaggerated generality therof to be vrged as exact truth with which kind of stuffe our Minister hath most impertinently patched vp many pages of his Booke see pag. 82.83.111 seq for zealous complaint is Hyperbolicall euen in holy Scripture as all know And if Protestāts be remeasured agayne by this rule wherby they measure vs they will get the worst For themselues cōplayne that the world is made WORSE by vertue of their doctrine Luther postil in Dom. 1. Aduent that sinne had NEVER byn so rife but through the rifenes of their Ghospell Doctor King in Ionam Lecture 45. that scarse the tenth mā of the Ministry is morally honest Caluin in pannych in comm 2. 1. Petr. 2. No not one but all be dissolute and lewd sayth Luther Dom. 26. post Trinit In so much as in regard of this enormious wickednes of their Ministery Church any man may iustly doubt whether they be the true Church sayth Eberus praefat