Church visible or representatiue did first incroach vpon the royall Attributes of the holy Catholike and Apostolike Church For what causes Christians may separate thewselues or suffer themselues to be separated from any visible Church whereof they were sometimes members 111 15. That our Forefathers separation from the Romish Church was most lawfull and iust both in respect of Prince and State and in respect of euery priuate person which feared God or sought to retaine the holy Catholike and Apostolike Faith 118 SECTION III. The visible Church of England retaines the holy Catholike faith which the Romish Church hath defiled 16. That our Chvrch was in the Romish Church before Luthers time and yet in it neither as a visible Church altogether distinct from it nor as any natiue member of it 139 17. That men may be visible members of the holy Catholike and Apostolike Church and yet no actuall members of any present visible Church 149 18. In what sense it may bee granted that the visible Romish Church at the time of our forefathers separation from it was a true Church and yet withall the Synagogue of Sathan the seate of Antichrist and common sinke of heresies 160 19 Whether our Forefathers in separating themselues or suffering themselues to be separated from the Romish Church did any otherwise then Gods Prophets or our Sauiours Disciples had their case and opportunity beene the same would haue done 170 20. Whether the name Catholike can in good earnest bee pleaded or pretended for an vnseparable marke of the true visible Church 21. That the title of Catholike is proper and essentiall vnto the faith professed by the present visible Church of England but cannot truely be attributed to the Faith or Creede of the moderne visible Romish Church 180 22. Of the adinuentions or new Articles added to the Creede by the Romish Church by which shee hath defiled the Holy Catholike and Apostolike faith Of the difference betwixt the Church of Rome and the Church of England concerning the rule of faith What that ecclesiasticke tradition was which Vincentius Lirâ—nensis so much commendeth to what vse it serued in the ancient Councels 185 23. Of the agreement betweene the Enthusiast or some non-conformitants to the Church of England and the Romish Church concerning the manner how the Spirit of truth as they suppose doth lead men into all truth That the true sense of scripture is as determinable by light of reason and rules of art as the conclusions of any other sciences or faculties are A generall suruey of the depraued or more then hereticall or heathenish infidelity of the moderne Romish Church 195 Errata Page 80 lin penult for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A TREATISE of the Holy Catholique Faith and CHVRCH IN the Exposition of the Apostles Creed a worke vndertaken by me long agoe I did sequester foure points from the body of that intended worke now almost finished The first was the doctrine of the holy blessed Trinitie which I reserued for the last part of my labours to be set downe by way of prayer or Soliloquies as being an argument in my iudgement both then and now more fit for meditation then for controuersie or Scholasticke discourse The second point was the Article of the holy Catholike Church The Third the Communion of Saints The fourth the Forgiuenesse of sinnes Points which I knew not how to handle in that ranke and order as they are propounded vnto vs in the Creede without manifest interruption of my intended method which I indeauoured should be continuate each latter part immediately issuing out of the former Nor could I finde a commodious entrance into the Article of Christs comming to iudge as well the dead as the liuing before I had treated of the resurrection of the dead Nor could I finish what I had to say or what was to bee said concerning the last Iudgement it selfe without some explication of the sentence to be awarded and that is life euerlasting to all true beleeuers and euerlasting death to the disobedient and vnbeleeuers So then the articles of the holy Catholique Church of the Communion of Saints of the forgiuenesse of sinnes haue beene out of choice and intended method left altogether vntouched reserued for peculiar Treatises CHAP. I. That it is easier to oppose than to answer a Romanist in this Argument of the Church The Authors method for meeting with wrangling Sophismes FIrst then of the Holy Catholique Church An Argument fitting for these times being specially insisted vpon and inlarged by Priests and Iesuites to our preiudice they well perceiuing their intricate disputes and sophisticall discourses in this point to bee the only net which Peters pretended successors haue left them for catching silly vncatechized soules or for intangling men of deepe vnderstanding but of deeper discontent or dislike with their present Gouernours or Dispensers of preferment For vnto men either not misled by discontented passion or otherwise not vncapable of sound reason it might easily appear that there is no heresie at this day maintained in Christendome at least so generally which doth either so highly offend God and his Christ or so grieuousty disturb the publike peace of Christs Church or so desperately indaÌ„ger the soul of euery one that subscribes vnto it as this heresie concerning the transcendent Authoritie of the visible Romish Church Howbeit I must confesse it is a great deale easier to discouer their blasphemies refute their heresies to pittie the stupiditie of some or to deride the petulancie or rashnesse of others then to auoide the contrary errors into which some reformed Writers of good note haue fallen some through meere eagernesse of opposition others through weakenesse and want of Arts. And no maruell for there is nothing which sooner or faster leades Artists themselues into errour than identitie of names or words including in them diuersitie of significations or importances The diuers significations of one and the same word may be either equiuocall or analogicall or a medly of both Be the diuersitie of this or that kinde or of what kinde it may bee vntill the difference betwixt them be exactly notified or vnfolded by some commodious distinction or artificiall explication they are apt to bring forth seeds of such endlesse quarrels betwixt controuersie-writers as grounds and tenements not well bounded or suruaide alwaies breede betwixt greedy and wrangling neighbours As in the one case each man is prone to trespasse vpon his neighbours possession so in the other each seuerall signification or importance is alwaies incroaching vpon the attributes or prerogatiues which most properly appertaine to some other more prime and principall Now there is no word or terme vsed either in any scientificall morall or popular discourse which hath so many so much different significations or importances as the word Church hath whether we take it in the Greeke Latine or English For preuenting the inconueniences whereunto the multiplicity and diuersitie of its significations or
seruice In this waking dreame the Author of the Guide of saith was brought to raue as followeth Now I come saith he to the great Character of our glory and renowned title of our profession the name Catholike a name famous in the Primitiue Church famous in the Apostles dayes and inserted by them among the Articles of our Creede famous after in all succeeding ages and vsed commonly by the Fathers not so much to make a difference which some thinke betwixt the Iewish Synagogue and the Christian Church as to seuer and distinguish the false named Christians themselues from the true and vnfaigned beleeuers And Reason teacheth D. Whitaker often confesseth the markes and properties of the Church to be vnseparable from the Church whose markes they are Therefore that which once was must still continue a marke of the Church because the true Church although it admit some accidentall change yet it is alwaies in nature vnuariable in essence vnchangeable so that the properties which flow from the essence thereof as the name Catholike doth can no more be altered changed or cease then the power of laughing a propertie which proceedeth from the nature of man can euer cease to appertain to man c. 18. sect 1. 4. p. 155. 138 Auditum admissi risum teneatis amici 2 If the power of laughing proceede from the nature of man and the nature of man consist in reason it will bee very hard for any man to refraine laughing that hath but so much reason as to consider the vanitie of this assertion that a name should be an vnseparable propertie proceeding from the nature of any realitie God gaue names to the first Man and to the first Woman and the first man gaue names befitting other creatures but the names proceeded not from the nature of the creatures named but from the Imposers otherwise their names should haue beene the same in all nations and languages And if the name Catholike were an vnchangeable marke or naturall propertie of any reall Church it should be of the Greeke Church or nation vnto which the name or title of Catholike is prime and naturall If the reall propertie answering to this name had belonged to the Romish Church the holy Ghost would haue exprest it by a Romane name and haue called the Romane Church the vniversall Church at least the Romanists should haue called themselues vniuersals not Catholikes But let vs listen againe vnto this Rauer Wee onely inioy the liuely badge and are inuested with the Liuerie of the true professors of Christ Neither can Mr. Abbot or Mr. Whitaker dismantle vs of that royaltie by saying Names may be falsly imposed to things or vniustly vsurped For this name is not imposed by man nor vsurped by abuse but imparted by God inspired by the Holy Ghost as I haue proued aboue who cannot apparell vs with any faigned attire nor can the Deuill take from Gods people their cognizance or nobilitate his vassailes with the colours of Christ 3 Was the name of Catholike more immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost then the name of Angels or Apostles was or was this title more appropriated to the Church than the other two titles of Holy and Apostolike Now S. Paul tels vs 2 Cor. cap. 11. verse 14 15. that Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light and it is no maruaile if his Ministers transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ Is it then impossible for the ministers of Sathan to vsurpe the name of Christs Apostles or Catholikes though both names were imposed by God and inspired by the Holy Ghost Certainely seeing this transformation is not in substance but onely in colour or shew it must needes include the colour or vsurpation of the name whether of Apostles or of Catholikes But he further addes That no heretike could euer obtaine to be called Catholikes by true Christians For this very reason we Protestants of reformed Churches who are if not the onely true Christians on earth yet the truest Christians and the most conspicuous members of the Holy Catholike Church as militant here on earth dare not vouchsafe to bestow the name of Catholike vpon any Papist but with such an addition or item as wee giue the name of Angels to infernall fiends which we tearme Satans Angels or collapsed Angels Now the same analogie which Gods Angels or a holy Angell hath to Sathans Angell or to a collapsed Angell a true and holy Catholike hath to a moderne Romane Catholike For by this tearme we meane such a one as being a seruant of Sathan doth seeke to transforme himselfe into a true and holy Catholike The point which this blinde-guide was to proue was this That no heretikes could vsurpe the name or title of Catholike We say it is the propertie of the moderne Romish Church to counterfeit the fairest titles giuen to the Church by orthodoxall Antiquitie more plausibly then the ancient heretiâ—es could And by this propertie we discerne her to bee that mother of Harlots which can imitate the Lambs voice whilest she acts the Wolfes part Hee further obiects that the Iewes and Mahumetans when they heare a man named a Catholike thereby conceiue some member of the present moderne Romane Church not any of Luthers or Caluines followers So we likewise when we heare a people brag and instile themselues a holy nation wee presently conceiue the parties that thus instile themselues to be Iewes Yet doe we not for all this beleeue that the Iewish Nation is the Holiest of Nations or the onely chosen people of God now on earth As for both Iewes and Turkes it is likely they could bee well content to suffer the Romanist to inioy the name Catholike as a preheminence aboue Christians For they might well hope to proue their owne Religion to bee better then the best professed amongst Christians if once it were granted that the Romane Catholike Religion is the best But to giue the Christian Reader some reall solace after his pleasant recreation at this ridiculous Discoursers folly in that he and his fellowes can thus seriously pleade for the name Catholike which they seeke by faction to ingrosse vnto themselues this is an argument to vs that the floods already approach the sandie foundations whereon this spirituall Babylon is built and that her downefall is at hand For vnlesse her professed Champions and Pilots were likely to be drowned they would not so earnestly catch at such shadowes or floating bul-rushes as this Guide of Faith hath done But leauing the shadow let vs in the next place see whether haue better interest in the body or substance whether wee or they doe better deserue the reall titles of Catholikes CHAP. XXI That the title of Catholike is proper and essentiall vnto the faith professed by the present visible Church of England but cannot truely be attributed to the Faith or Creede of the moderne visible Romish Church 1 WHether the name Catholike were first bestowed vpon the Church or vpon that faith
may by necessary consequence bee deduced out of them for points of faith and this growth is still in eodem genere from the same root Other points of faith besides these our Church admitteth none but tyes euen her Prelates and Gouernours to obtrude no other doctrines as points of faith vpon their Auditors than such as are either expresly contained in Scriptures or may infallibly bee deduced from them And this is the fundamentall and radicall difference between our Church and the Romish Church which admitteth such an illimited increase or growth of faith as is in heapes or congests of Heterogenealls CHAP. 22. Of the adinuentions or new Articles added to the Creed by the Romish Church by which she hath defiled the Holy Catholike and Apostolike faith Of the difference betwixt the Church of Rome and the Church of England concerning the rule of faith What that ecclesiasticke tradition was which Vincentius Liâ—inensis so much commendeth to what vse it serued in the ancient Councels 1 THe paine-worthiest enquiry in this argument were first to make search what additions or adinuentions vnto the ancient or primitiue Canon of Catholike faith haue beene made receiued or authorized by the Romish Church since the Councel of Ephesus which was some 3. yeers before Vincentius Lirinensis wrote his admonitions concerning this point and in what age and vpon what occasions such additions haue beene made or receiued Secondly to make proofe or demonstration how farre and in what manner such additions do corrupt or contaminate the Holy Catholike faith and how farre each or all of them ioyntly or seuerally doe vndermine or overthrow the holy Catholike faith The first addition or adinuention of moment which comes into my memorie is the Inuocation of Saints and veneration of Images Both which points were added as articles of faith or parts of the creed which all were bound to beleeue and professe by Tharasius Patriarke of Constantinople and President of that illiterate parasiticall and factious Assembly which hath bin coÌ„monly enstyled the seuenth generall or second Nicene Councell In these the like abominable decrees the then Bishop of Rome was Tharasius his complice his instigator and abettor as may appeare from the speeches of his Legates in that Councell and by his owne Epistles although part of the Epistle may bee iustly suspected to haue beene framed since But by what spirit this Councell was managed or in whose name they met together I referre the Reader vnto that learned Treatise in the booke of Homilies whereunto wee haue all subscribed concerning the perill of Idolatry especially the third part What ingenuous minds of this Kingdome thought of that Councell before either the Author of these Homilies or Luther was borne may in part bee gathered from an ancient English Historiographer who saith the Church of God did hold this decree in execration 2 The selfe same points with a great many more of like or worse nature all whatsoeuer any Councell which the Romish Church accounteth generall or oecumenicall or any Canons which the same Church accounteth Catholike euen all the decrees whereto the Trent Councell hath affixt their Anathemaes haue beene annext by Pius Quartus to the Nicene Creed and are inserted as principall points of that oath which euery Roman Bishop at his consecration is to take one part of which oath or solemne vow it likewise is that euery Bishop shall exact the like confession of his inferiors to bee ratified by oath or solemne vow Caetera omnia à sacris oecumenicis concilijs ac praecipuè à sacrosancta Tridentina Synodo tradita definita declarata indubitanter recipio atque profiteor fimulque contraria omnia atque haereses quascunque ab ecclesia damnatas rejectas anathematizatas ego pariter damno reijcio anathematizo Hanc veram catholicam fidem extra quam nemo salvus esse potest quam in praesenti sponte profiteor veraciter teneo eandem integram inviolatam vsque ad extremum vitae spiritum constantissimè Deo adiuvante retinere confiteri atque à meis subditis vel illis quorum cura ad me in munere meo spectabit teneri doceri praedicari quantum in me erit curaturum Ego idem N. spondeo voveo ac iuro sic me Deus adiuuet haec sancta Dei Evangelia Onup de vita pont pag. 472. The particular decree concerning Inuocation of Saints and adoration of Images is much inlarged by the Trent Councell and by Pius Quartus But of the equivalency of Idolatry in Rome Heathen and Rome Christian elsewhere at large In this one point to omit others the present Romish Church farre exceeds the Easterne Church in the time of the second Nicene Councell in that it ratifies the worshipping of all such Saints as are canonized by the Pope 3 The second addition made by the Romane Church vnto the ancient canon of faith is a transcendent one and illimited and that is the making of Ecclesiasticall Tradition to be an integrall part of the canon of faith This doth not onely pollute but vndermine the whole fabricke of the holy primitiue and Catholike faith That there is a certaine rule or authentick canon of faith is a principle wherein the ancient primitiue Church the moderne Roman and all reformed Churches agree The first point of difference betwixt vs is about the extent of the written canon specially of the old Testament The maine points of difference are these First we affirme with antiquity and in particular with Vincentius Lirinensis that the canon of Scripture is a rule of faith perfect for quantity and sufficient for qualitie that is it containes all things in it that are necessary to saluation or requisite to be contained in any rule so containes them as they may be beleeued and vnderstood wthout relying on any other rule or authority equivalent to them in certainty or more authentick in respect of vs then the Scriptures are The moderne Romish Church denies the canon of Scripture to bee perfect and compleat in respect of its quantity or sufficient for its quality or efficacy To supply the defect of its quantity they adde Tradition as another part of the same rule homogeneall and equiualent to it for quality To supply the vnsufficiency aswell of canonicall Scriptures as of Tradition in respect of their quality or efficacy towards vs they adde the infallible authority of the present visible Church The former addition of vnwritten Traditions as part of the infallible rule doth vndermine this latter addition of the Churches infallible absolute authority aswell in determining the extent as in declaring the true sense and meaning of the whole rule vtterly puls downe the structure of faith yet when we reiect Ecclesiasticall Tradition from being any part of the rule of faith we doe not altogether deny the authority or vse of it Howbeit that Ecclesiasticall Tradition wherof there was such excellent vse in the Primitiue Church was not
Inhabitant of China or of Terra incognita can be saued is a great deale more safe then to thinke God hath no meanes vnknowne vnto vs by which he may and doth saue some euen in those countries wherin there is no visible Church or Christian Congregation or whose Inhabitants haue no commerce with any Christians Wee see by experience that God teacheth such as are borne deafe and dumb many things by the eye or other external suggestion which such as haue the vse benefit of eares tongue could not learn either by sight or other externall sense Now albeit the Apostles rule faith commeth by bearing be most vndoubtedly true and true likewise that without faith it is impossible to please God yet were it an hard censure hence to conclude that none such as are born deafe and dumbe can be saued The Apostles saying then that faith commeth by hearing must bee limited by its proper subiect that is men to whom God hath giuen the gift of hearing So must the Maxime now in question extra Ecclesiam non est salus out of the Church there is no saluation bee limited or restrained to its proper subiect Howbeit the exact limitation of it might best bee made or taken by such as haue occasion to dispute with the Iewes or Heathens It is onely or especially true in respect of such Iewes Turkes or heathens and their seuerall progenies as haue commerce with Christians The former Maxime with reference to such men is vniuersally true if we take the visible Church vniuersally or indefinitely vnlesse such men associate themselues to some visible Church or other they cannot be saued And in some cases it may be vndoubtedly true in respect of some particular visible Church but so true onely ex accidenti or hypothesi by accident or vpon supposition As if a Iew or Mahumetan by profession and birth should liue in this kingdome hauing no possible meanes of associating himselfe to any other congregation of Christians than such as conforme themselues to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England it were both safe and orthodoxe to lay the former Law or Gospell as hard vnto him as the Papists doe vnto vs to tell him in plaine and peremptory tearmes that there were no meanes for him to escape the horrors of hell and miseries of the world to come vnlesse hee would become a member of Christs Church planted here amongst vs. Or in case he and other more such as he is were to leaue vs and to reside in some other State or Kingdome we were bound in conscience to apply the like medicine vnto him or them and to tell them there were no hope for them to escape the wrath of God but by becomming the sonnes of God no hope to become the sonnes of God but by becomming the children of some visible Church indued with power and authoritie to baptize them into Christs death and resurrection Of heathens then or infidels or of whosoeuer not as yet professing Christianitie yet hauing commerce with Christians and liuing within the call of the visible Church that of Cyprian is vniuersally true Hee that hath not the Church for his Mother cannot haue God for his Father Albeit by the Church in this saying we meane a visible Church 2 Of such as haue beene actuall members of some visible Church but haue either separated themselues from it or haue beene cast out of it by Ecclesiastike censure or coactiue power neither of the former Maximes extra Ecclesiam non est salus Et qui non habet Ecclesiam Matrem non habet Deum Patrem out of the Church there is no saluation And he that hath not the Church for his Mother hath not God for his Father is vniuersally true if we speake of the Church visible whether particular indefinite or vniuersall Both must be limited by the reasons or occasions which did moue the parties to forsake the Church wherein they were baptized or by the causes for which they were excluded or cast out of it It is here supposed that if the causes why they are excluded from one visible Church bee iust and good and the exclusion it selfe legall and formall the parties thus iustly excluded from one cannot lawfully be admitted into another visible Church 3 Swarez in his treatise to my remembrance de causa formali and in that question An dentur plures formae in vno composito whether there bee more formes than one in one body mentions a Synod which anathematizeth all such as dogmatically doe hold tres animas in vno viuente three soules in one liuing body And had the spirituall sword been put into Lactantius his hands it is very likely he would haue put all such Philosophers Geographers or Astronomers as had held the Antipodes to haue sought out a visible Church in that region At the least if his arme had beene so long as the Iesuits make the Popes hee would haue cut them off from all Communion with any visible Church or congregation of Christians within the Hemisphere wherein he liued And no question but euery visible Church hath such power and authority that it may so it will tyrannically abuse the power which God hath giuen it cut off euery inferiour member de facto But being cut off though from the vniuersall Church visible vpon no greater occasions or iuster causes then these late mentioned they do not thereby cease to be members of the Church which is to vs inuisible that is of the Church which is Holy and Catholike 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no not to be visible members of the Holy Catholike Church taken in a secondary sense that is of the Catholike Church which is visible to vs. Of which and of the ground of this distinction betweene an actuall member of the present visible Church and a visible member of the Holy Catholike Church we shall speake hereafter But to hold tres animas in vno viuente three soules in one liuing bodie is not so great an error in Diuinity or so meritorious of excommunication as either to affirme that there be two persons or to deny that there be two natures in our Sauiour Christ He that should dogmatically hold the affirmatiue or negatiue specified deserueth to bee vtterly cut off from euery visible Church And one and the same stroke of the spirituall sword which cuts him off from being a member of the visible Church doth incontinently cut him off from being a member of the Holy Catholike Church in what sense soeuer taken or to speake more properly hee doth depriue himselfe ipso facto of all communion with Christ or his body the Church by denying the vnity of his person or by confounding his natures And hauing thus apparantly excommunicated himselfe from that holy Church which is only knowne vnto God to vs invisible the visible Church stands bound in dutie of conscience and allegiance to Christ to depriue him of all communion with her or any member of hers either in the
take vpon them to defend the truth This did not Peter this would not any Bishop of Rome haue done within fiue hundred yeeres after Christ SECT 3. That the present visible Church of England retaines the Holy Catholike Faith which the Romish Church hath defiled and by defiling it hath lost that true vnion with the primitiue and Apostolike Church which the visible Church retaineth CHAP. XVI That our Church was in the Romish Church before Luthers time and yet in it neither as a visible Church altogether distinct from it nor as any natiue member of it 1 IT is in the first place obiected that wee had no Church at all before Luthers time Secondly that neither Luther nor Christian Princes which imbraced his doctrine had any authority to erect or found a new Church If we say as we must say and beleeue that we had a true Church before Luther of a Monke became a Reformer it will bee demanded where our Church was and of what persons it did consist To the former part of this importunate demand Where was your Church before Luthers time the Reverend learned Doctor Field pithily answers Our Church was in the same place then wherein now it is His explication will iustifie his meaning against all gainesayers Howbeit I must frame my answer according to my former principles fit it to some captious questions or obiections made by some of our Aduersaries since this Worthy died 2 If our Church before Luthers time were in the same place wherein now it is it will further bee demanded Whether it were a Church distinct from the then Romish Church or a member of it That wee had a visible Church before Luthers time in this Kingdome altogether distinct from the Romish visible Church planted in this Kingdome before Luther was borne or so distinct as respublica Venetorum is à Regno Gallia as the State of Venice is from the kingdome of France seemes very improbable to the Romanists and somewhat hard for vs to proue vnlesse we will deriue our pedigree from the Albigenses the Picardi or the poore men of Lions which to doe I know not how safe it is or how well pleasing it would be to the present visible English Church vnlesse we had better records of their tenets then I haue seene or then the visible Romish Church that de facto condemnes them for heretiks was willing to propagate to posteritie On the other side if our Church before Luthers time was a member of the then Romish Church wee shall bee further questioned what authoritie our King and State had either to dismember their Church or to make a new intire distinct Church of an old dismembred part of their Church In these and like obiections they alwaies suppose two things as vnquestionable which we vtterly deny The first that the whole multitude of Christians throughout these Westerne parts as England France Germany Italy and Spaine c. excepting such as were by their Church disclaymed for heretikes or schismatikes were all members of the then visible Romish Church and that there was such an vnion betwixt all and euery one of this multitude as sufficeth to make all indiuiduals within these States or Kingdomes true members of one visible or of the then visible Romish Church The second They suppose that our vnion with some present visible Church is a natiue degree or part of our vnion with the Holy Catholike Church or that our vnion with some present visible Church is necessary or essentiall not accidentall to our being or not being members of the Holy Catholike Church For our more orderly and safe proceeding wee are in the first place to shake and hereafter by Gods helpe to raze these two rotten foundations wheron all their arguments either for annoying ours or for supporting their Church are grounded 3 Our first Counterfort shall be this All the particular Congregations recounted by reformed Writers which before Luthers time had either separated themselues from the visible Romish Church of their times or had beene disclaimed by it for schismatiques or heretikes being sequestred from this dispute our Church might bee and was in the visible Romish Church as Bellarmine and other professed sonnes of that Church define it and yet bee in it neither so as to make one intire visible Church distinct from it nor as any integrall part or naturall member of it If we take all which the Romish Church doth challenge for her sonnes before Luthers time there was in that multitude rather a Church truely visible than one true visible Church if wee measure the truth of the visible Church according to our former principles and as wee ought to measure it by the conformitie which it hath with the one truely holy and Apostolike Church Our meaning is the whole multitude of Christians in these Westerne parts before Luthers time all those being excluded which the Romish Church representatiue did condemne for heretikes or schismatiques had no such vnitie as truely answers to the vnitie of a body naturall but an vnitie onely answerable to the vnitie of an heap or congest of Heterogeneals Some had the number only others the very character of the Beast The heape or congest which wee suppose as an Embleme of the visible Romish Church taking that Church in that amplitude which they challenge before Luther by Gods appointment attempted reformation shal be an heap or congest of seueral mettals al or most part vnpurified In this one heape or congest a great part of heterogeneals though not all shal be supposed to haue had the vnion of continuation or concretion that is some pieces of vnpurified gold by the negligence or vnskilfulnes of the artificer were made vp or suffered to make vp themselues in some clod or cake with an huge quantitie of copper lead brasse iron or other baser metals all vnpurified from their drosse the other part of the same heape or congest consisting of seuerall or lesser pieces of richer metall all homogeneall in themselues though many vnpurified and wanting the vnion of contiguitie or concretion 4 The parts of a good Mineralist or Refiner in this case were first to dissolue the cake or clod and to seuer the richer metall from the baser Secondly to purifie homogeneals so seuered from their owne drosse Thirdly to make them vp so seuered or purified into plate wedges or Bullion or to put some other accidentall or artificiall forme vpon them All this being done we cannot say there was a true generation of any new body or substance or that the Refiner did make gold where there was none before as some Alchymists professe that they can turne iron or other metals specifically distinct into gold here was only a refining of metall praeexistent and an addition onely of an accidentall forme To parallel the Refiners worke by the reformation wrought by Luther and the Christian Princes that harkened to him First it cannot be denyed but that the visible Romish Church or if you will the faction
of the Romish Court did beare a great sway throughout most Realmes in Christendome before Luthers time Besides the Body of the Cleargie or Church representatiue many Potentates some through ignorance others for hope of gaine or aduantage against their aduersaries did adhere vnto it This faction or combination doth in proportion answer to the clod or concrescence of Heterogeneals in the emblematicall congest before mentioned For there was no true vnion betwixt them in matters of faith On the other side againe it cannot be denyed but that many in euery Kingdome before Luther did vtterly detest the tyranny of the Court of Rome many as well of their Cleargie as of their Layetie did in heart and affection wish a reformation as well of the Ecclesiasticall Gouernment as of the doctrine professed and practised in their Church The States Princes or priuate men thus affected answer in proportion to the seuerall pieces of homogeneall and richer metall in the former heape or congest All that Luther all that the Christian Princes which followed him did intend or vndertake was first to dissolue the clod or breake the faction of the Romish Church or Court spread through their Kingdomes Secondly to refine and purifie themselues and their adherents from the drosse and soile which they had taken by their adherence vnto or vicinitie with the Romish Church Lastly to vnite themselues thus refined and purified in matters of faith and doctrine into a new forme of gouernment Ecclesiastike independent on the tribunall or Court of Rome 5 So then it is false which our Aduersaries obiect that Luther did take vpon him to make a new Church For this supposeth a plantation of new faith or doctrine neuer planted before in which the life and soule of the true Church consists Whereas they say we had no Church before his time it is true onely secundùm quid Their meaning can be no other but this Wee had no visible Church altogether seuered and distinct from theirs and this againe is true onely in respect of those times wherein the Kings of England or Emperours of Germanie did submit themselues and their Subiects vnto the Iurisdiction of the Court of Rome Albeit this submission being wrought for the most part through violence or deuillish policie doth not argue our fore-Elders to haue been parts or members of the Church of Rome from which they were seuered in heart and affection and seuered in forme of gouernment de iure though not de facto In the times of diuers Kings the Church of England was seuered de iure et de facto from the visible Romish Church So likewise were diuers Churches in Germany But for Chronologie or matter of historie I must referre them to another place The question is much what the same as if they should aske vs Where was King Henry the seuenths Kingdome where were his Subiects where was your Common-weale whilest Richard the third did call Parliaments and sway the Scepter of this Kingdome The Kingdome of Henry the seuenth and of his Successors or the English Common-weale was in the same place then as now it is The deposition of the Tyrant the dissolution of the tyranny and the reducing of English Subiects to their true allegeance did worke no essentiall alteration in the Common-weale or Kingdome but onely a reformation of the gouernment and reducement of it to the fundamentall lawes of this Land No more did the reiection of the Romish Churches vsurped authority in matters spirituall induce any substantiall alteration in the English Church but a reformation or reduction of it vnto the fundamental constitutions of the Primitiue Church But to returne to our former illustration This argument You had no visible Church before Luthers time ergo you had no true Church is no better than this There was no Plate or Bullion in the forementioned heape or congest before the Refiner did his part ergo there was no true gold or siluer For as euery part of gold is gold and euery part of siluer is siluer but euery part of a wedge or plate is not a wedge or plate so euery member of the true Church of God is himself a true Church and Temple of God yet is not euery part or member of the true visible or Catholike Church a true visible or Catholike Church Or as 8. or 10. pieces of gold into which an Angell may be broken though they remain for waight for value for substance the same they were yet can they not be said to be the same Angel because they want the vnity of that artificial form into which they were made so likewise although there were ten thousand in this Kingdome before Luthers time all true members of Gods Holy and Catholike Church yet could they not be properly said one visible Church so long as they wanted that vnitie of discipline or independent gouernment which we haue for the most part since inioyed 6 Now as any kinde of metall made vp into a wedge or other artificiall forme is lesse subiect to putrifaction soile or canker then it was whilest it lay scattered in seuerall fragments or pieces so the vnion of Christian Professors into one visible Church is a good meanes for preseruing euery particular member specially nouices in faith from such errours heresies or other temptations as if they had beene left alone or scattered would indanger their faith And yet againe as the perfection or puritie of gold aboue other metals is best proued in that it doth not so easily take soile or rust though it lye scattered in little pieces amongst other baser metals or other bodies apt to taint or putrifie so the true members of Christs Church or Body are best discerned best approued by liuing vpright in points of faith in the midst of a peruerse or crooked generation or by continuing vndefiled in the bosome of a polluted visible Church out of which they may not they cannot at their pleasure depart but are to exspect the call or summons of Gods speciall prouidence 7 So then whether we had for these sixe hundred yeeres a visible Church distinct from the visible Romish Church or no is not pertinent to the maine point in question for they fasly assume wee iustly deny that men are saued by being actuall or professed members of the visible Church or that our vnion with the present visible Church is a natiue degree or part of our vnion with the Holy Catholike Church whereof Noahs Arke was the type We say the former vnion is auaileable to the latter onely ex accidente in as much as the present visible Church doth by doctrine and discipline draw vs to a conformitie in points of faith and other meanes necessary vnto saluation with the ancient Catholike and Primitiue Church This did not the visible Romish Church for diuers hundred yeeres before Luthers time but on the contrary she did discompose or misfashion them from all true conformitie with the ancient Catholike Church Howbeit euen in the midnight of
which is the life and soule of the Holy Apostolike Church shall bee no part of our inquirie It sufficeth that the name Catholike it selfe is vniuocall in respect both of Church and faith True faith is therefore Catholike faith because it is the onely doore or way vnto saluation alike common vnto all without nationall or topicall respect Whosoeuer of any Nation haue beene saued haue beene saued by this one and the same faith and whosoeuer will be saued as Athanasius speakes must hold this Catholike faith and hee must hold it pure and vndefiled The maine question then is who they be that hold this Catholike faith and whether they hold it vndefiled or no. Were Vincentius his rules as artificiall as they are orthodoxall and honest the issue betwixt vs and the Romanist would be very easie and triable But let vs take them as they are Id catholicum est quod ab omnibus vbique et semper c. That is Catholike which is held by all in all places and at all times The three speciall notes of the catholike faith or Church by him required are vniuersalitie antiquity and consent Whether these three members be different or subordinate and ofttimes coincident I leaue it to be scanned by Logicians According to the Authors limitation all three markes agree to vs not to the Romanist 2 First concerning vniuersality the question is not Whether at this present houre or in any former age for these thousand yeeres past there are or haue been more which professe the present Romish Religion established in the Church of Rome then the Religion established in the reformed Churches since the separation was made If wee should come to calculate voyces after this manner Whether will you bee a Romane Catholike or a protestant They might perhaps haue three for one amongst such as professe themselues Christians ready to cry I am not for the protestants but for the Roman Catholikes will I bee But it was farre from Vincentius his meaning that vniuersality should bee measured after this fashion for hee very well knew that the Arian faction had preuailed especially by this tumultuary kind of canvase or calculation The multitude of voices thus taken for them may proue their faction to be stronger and greater than our Church it cannot proue their faith to be so vniuersall as our faith is The fallacie by which the Romanists deceiue poore simple people is in making them beleeue that our Religion and their Religion our faith and their faith are duo prima diuersa or so totally distinct that part of the one could not be included in the other But for the vniuersalitie of our faith wee haue euery member of the Romish Church a suffragant or witnesse for vs. First nothing is held as a point of faith in our Church but the present Romish Church doth hold the same and confesse the same to haue beene held by all orthodoxall Antiquity So that for the forme of faith established in our Church we haue the consent of the Primitiue Church of the foure first generall Councels of all succeding ages vnto this present day the consent likewise of the present Romish Church and of our selues Now as France is a great deale bigger than Normandy if we compare them as distinct and opposite and yet France and Normandy is bigger then France without Normandy so likewise though the present visible Romish Church be much greater then the Church of England yet seeing the Romish Church how great soeuer doth hold all the points of faith which our Church doth for Catholike and orthodoxall our consent and their consent our confession and their confession is more vniuersall then their consent without ours But if their consent vnto the points of faith beleeued by vs proue our faith to be vniuersall and our Church by consequence to bee Catholike why should not our consent vnto the points of faith beleeued by them proue their faith to bee vniuersall or their Church to be Catholike Because it is not enough to hold all points of Catholike faith vnlesse the same points bee kept holy and vndefiled The Romish Church we grant doth hold all points of Catholike faith and so farre as she holds these points wee dissent not from her yet dissent from her wee doe in that she hath defiled and polluted the catholike faith with new and poysonous doctrines for which shee neither hath the consent of Antiquity nor of reformed Churches And in respect of these doctrines she stands conuicted of schisme and heresie by Vencentius his rules For it is with him a fundamentall rule That no present visible Church hath any authority to commend any thing as a point of faith to posterity which hath not beene commended to the said Church by Antiquity deriued from the Apostles times A proficiency or growth in faith hee allowes and granteth modò sit in eodem genere so it be in the same kinde or proceed from the same root but for additions or new inuentions he takes them for the markes of schisme and heresie 3 So then we hold the Catholike faith and they hold the Catholike faith And seeing they hold the Catholike faith in the same measure that we doe is it not reason they should bee termed Catholikes as well as we though not so good Chatholikes as wee No reason they should be termed Catholikes at all Where is the difference In this Wee hold it pure and vndefiled they haue defiled and polluted it for many generations and doe still defile it with many loathsome additions and inuentions Now in this case the denomination followeth the worser part that is they are not so much to bee reputed Catholikes for that they hold the Catholike faith as to be adiudged Heretikes and Schismatiks because they haue defiled and polluted it with many new inuentions and being admonished hereof and reproued will not purifie their faith will not reforme their religion according to the rule of faith and the practice of Antiquity Their faith not purified from the additions of the second Nicene and Trent Councell can be no Catholike faith Their Religion not reformed can be no true Religion saue onely in reference to Paganisme Iudaisme or Mahumetisme For as Dionysius saith Bonum non est nisi ex integra causa malum ex quolibet defectu Nothing is good which is not intire and sound evill ariseth from euery defect Euery new addition or inuention in matters of faith or doctrine is enough to make that church schismaticall which before was Catholike and orthodoxall Catholike and orthodoxall no Church can be vnlesse it hold all points of faith without admixture of humane inuentions or of new articles The admixture of a great deale of mans meat with a little swines meat makes the whole dish to bee no mans meat but swines meat Our Church according to Vincentius his rule admits a growth or proficiencie in faith in that it holds not only those propositions which are expresly contained in Scripture but such as
in Vincentius his iudgement a Rule of faith neither vncompleate for its quantitie nor vnsufficient for its qualitie a Rule euery way competent for ending controuersies in religion without the assumption either of Tradition or decrees of Councell as any associates or homogeneall parts of the same rule 7 Vnto what vse then did Ecclesiastical tradition or generall Councels serue for quelling heresies Ecclesiastical traditions or vnanimous consent of particular Churches throughout seuerall Kingdomes or Prouinces in points of faith was in ancient times yet may be an excellent meanes by which the Spirit of God leads generall Councels into the truth And the Councels whose care and office it was to compare and examine Traditions exhibited were the soueraigne and principall meanes vnder the guidance of Gods Spirit by which as many as imbraced the loue of truth were led into all those truths which are at all times necessary to saluation but were much questioned and obscured by the iuglings and falsifications of former Heretikes Into the same truths which these Councels were then wee now are led not by relying vpon the sole authority of the Councels which the Spirit did lead but by tracing their footsteps and viewing the way by which the Spirit did lead them And this was by necessary deductions or consequences which reason inlightened by the Spirit and directed by the sweet disposion of diuine prouidence did teach them to make and doth inable vs to iudge that they were truely made by them CHAP. XXIII Of the agreement betweene the Enthusiast or some non-conformitants to the Church of England and the Romish Church concerning the manner how the Spirit of truth as they suppose doth lead men into all truth That the true sense of scriptures is as determinable by light of reason and rules of art as the conclusions of any other sciences or faculties are A generall suruey of the depraued or more then hereticall or heathenish infidelity of the moderne Romish Church 1 IGnorance or vnaduertence of the manner how the Spirit leads vs into the truth or true sense of the rule of faith hath beene the mother of two monstrous twinnes in latter ages of Enthusiasme and of Romish implicite or magicall faith The Enthusiast presumes hee hath the Spirit for his guide and knowes he hath it meerely by his breathing or afflâ—tion The Romanist obseruing the Enthusiâ—st to runne into grosse errours by relying vpon the immediate voyce the breathing or suggestion of his priuate Spirit thinkâ—s it safest to beleeue none but publike Spirits and that the publike spirit speakes nothing or iudgeth nothing for authentike saue onely in publike Assemblies as in generall Councels or in such publike place as is the Consistorie of the Pope and his Cardinals Neither of them consider as the truth is that either the connexion betweene principles of faith and the conclusions or inferences which follow vpon the admission of such principles as true or the non-coherence of inferences pretended from sacred principles expresly contained in the Scriptures may be as clearely demonstrated to reason though vnsanctified as the connexion or non-coherence betweene the principles and conclusions of any art or science whatsoeuer Betweene sciences properly so called and the facultie of diuinitie this is the onely difference The principles or Maximes of sciences properly so called may bee rightly conceiued and fully assented vnto by meere light of nature without such assistance or illumination of the Spirit as Christ hath promised to his Church and without which no principles of faith though expresly contained in Scripture can be rightly conceiued much lesse firmely beleeued So that the conclusions of arts and sciences may by light of nature be absolutely knowne whereas euen those conclusions of faith whose connexion with the principles of faith expresly contained in Scripture is as cleere and demonstratiuely euident to reason not inlightened by the Spirit as any connexion is betweene scientificall conclusions and their principles cannot bee absolutely knowne or firmely beleeued without the assistance of the Spirit because the principles whence they are deduced cannot by reason vnsanctified or not inlightened bee absolutely knowne or assented vnto And vnlesse the princples be absolutely known or beleeued the best knowledge or beliefe of the Conclusions can be but conditionall Euery Artist knowes that the connexion or non-coherence betweene a postulatum or hypothesis that is a proposition not fully knowne but taken as granted and the conclusion thence rightly deduced or pretended may bee as cleare and euident as the connexion betweene an vndoubted principle and the conclusion demonstratiuely deduced from it or pretended to bee so deduced Hee that is no competent Iudge of a probleme absolutey considered may giue absolute and infallible iudgement of the same probleme vpon the mutuall acknowledgement or agreement of the controuersors As if two Nouices in Arithmetike should moue this question Whether fifty were a square number whether sixty foure were a cubicke and referre the decision of both ore tenus to an exquisite Mathematician that did not well vnderstand English it were impossible for him to resolue the probleme before he perfectly vnderstood the termes But vpon their mutuall acknowledgement that fifty in English was as much as Quinquaginta in Latine and a square the same that Quadratum in Latine hee could absolutely resolue them that fifty could be no square that the next number below it was a square although hee knew not how to expresse it in English Vpon the acknowledgement of both parties likewise that sixty foure in English was as much as sexaginta quatuor in Latine he could absolutely resolue them that it was both a square and a cubicke number 2 To propose the like case in Diuinity which shall be this Whether Polygamie bee lawfull or rather a true branch of adultery suppose this controuersie were to bee handled before some Heathen Ciuilian betweene two Christians the one of which had maried the others daughter and intended to marry a second wife in a forraigne Country where the party grieued had no Christian Magistrate to doe him right An heathen Iudge that could vnderstand the literall meaning of the Scripture though he did not in any sort beleeue them and made no conscience of Polygamie himselfe might in this case giue as vpright iudgement as the Pope and his Cardinals could and that according to the rule of faith so the parties would both submit themselues to haue the controuersie decided by that rule that is by the Scriptures of the old and new Testament The party peccant might plead custome and tradition The practice of the Patriarckes and holy men of God for his warrant and that with greater probability than the Romanist can plead for worshipping Images or then they excuse themselues from spirituall Adultery If the party grieued should against custome and tradition plead or oppose that law Let every man haue his wife and euery wife her husband or other like Texts which some great Diuines haue alleaged for decision