of it more in a generall Councel than in the Pope who hath authority to call and confirm it is an extravagant opinion of some divines and hath little colour of truth in it especially considering that sundry great and general Councels not following the Popes sentence and directions given either by their Letters or Legats in them have perniciously in their Decrees and scandalously erred Whereas it cannot be proved that Popes alone have in their doctrines so failed Neither hath it in former times been held necessary for resolving doubts in matters of faith or for condemning Heresies risen against them to have a generall Councel presently called but Popes alone have commonly performed that Office acknowledged by chief Fathers in all ages to belong unto them so as amongst many others which might here to that purpose be instanced by me St. Hierom writing to Pope Damasus about admiting 3 hypostasies in the deity or not because that word then was of a doubtfull signification tell me saith he whether I shall admit them or not as a sheep I ask help of my Sheapherd I know not Vitalis I refuse to believe Mâ—lesius I am joyned to your beatitude alone c. And in this kinde of language have other antient fathers written to severâ—l Pâ—pâ—s to have quâ—stions and doubts of faiâ—h resolved by them which they would not have done had they not believed our Saviours prayer that their faith should not fail to hâ—ve been heard for them by his eternal Father and that a peculiar assistance of the Holy Ghost was promised unto them The fourth Controversie Of Traditions needfully added into the Canon of Scripture OUr Adversaries under a specious pretence of following in the Doctrine and practice of Faith Gods word alone contained in Scripture seek to overthrow amongst Christians all true belief and Religion for admitting what scriptures they list themselves and interpreting them as they please is in effect to have a Religion of their own making no lesse absurd than if in Kingdomes and Common-wealths Subjects were permitted to interpret laws of themselves without admitting Judges to determine of them or any authentical Declaration of them so as every man may to his own advantage in suits and controversies expound them and defend any cause how bad and unjust soever it be by them And that pretence of Protestants to believe nothing which is not either expressed in Scripture or by a clear immediate consequence gatherable from it is a false brag and purposely devised to exclude the Churches teaching and deceive ignorant people unable to note how ungroundedly and without sence many times texts of Scripture are cited by them to prove their own and impugn our doctrines insomuch as the Catholick and learned Pastor of Chaventon a place alotted unto the Hugonits neer Paris hath in sundry Volumes discovered the fraudulent proceedings of Protestants about maintaining points of their Religion and particularly shewed that no point thereof can be without false Glosses of their own convinced out of Scripture For example when S. Paul affirmeth all scripture divinely inspired to be profitable to teach to correct to instruct in justice that the man of God may be perfect He doth not say as our Adversaires falsly gather from this place that scripture alone can make him perfect in the knowledge of heavenly truth for that revealed and unwritten doctrines may serve likewise to increase this knowledge in him as when S. Paul willed the Galatians to stick firmly to cap. 1. his doctrine by writing or preaching delivered unto them and exhorted the Thessalonians to keep those traditions which either by his Epistles or by 2 Thess 2. speech they had received from him praâ—sing the Corinthians for observing such precepts as he had given unto them When also against Apostolical and certain tradition they urged those texts wherein our Saviour reprehended Pharisaical and wicked doctrines teaching plainly observances against the Law of God sometimes also vain things and of no moment their arguments are meer fopperies and prove nothing against unwritten doctrines such as are the Creed of the Apostlâ—s the translation of the Jewish Sabbath into our Sunday the Feasts of Easter and Pentecost antiently observed not for the celebration of Jewish but Christian mysteries and many other Feasts and Fastâ— kept in the Church from Apostolical tradition the Baptism of Children the matters and forms of Sacraments and many other doctrines and practices of faith not expressed in Scripture Where in the mean time I will ask those mâ—n is it either plainly expressâ—d or by clear consequencies gatheâ—ablâ— from Scripture that the Commandements of God are impossible to be observed that men have no free will to do good or evill that the justâ—st men do mortally offend in their best actions that there is no inherent justice or sanctification in us by heavenly graces communicated unto soules cleansed from sin but that all are holy by Christs justice alone apprehended by faith and imputed only unto them that each faithfull man is by an Act of faith to believe that he shall be saved no lesse surely than Christ himself that Christ dyed for none but the Elect and that others were to have no share in the fruit of his death and passion for us that Christs body and blood are not really and corporally present in the Sacrament but by saith onely that Sacraments of the new law are signes and seals of faith onely no graces are communicated at all to such as receive them and many such Protestants Tenents bâ—sides which have no true ground at all in Scripture for them And in this pretence of gathering and proving the faith out of scriptures onely they imitate many anciâ—nt Hereticks before them So Maximus the Arian as S. Austin in his first In principio book against him recounteth rejecteth the word Homousion because it was not expressed in Scripture and so did Epist 174. Pascentius as the same father recounteth and as S. Gregory Naziâ—nzen relateth of Eunomius he was wont to ask his Christian Adversaries why they did name a God meaning the Holy Ghost not mentioned for such in scripture making so saith he the sacred Act. 3. writings of God a cloak of their impiety Acasius the Arian in the Councel of Selevica used the same words and so did Eutiches in the Councel of Constantinople under Flavianus asking the Fathers therein assembled in what scripture they found expressed that cap. 6. Christ had two Natures conjoyned in his Person neither could he be drawn from those words commonly used by Protestants I follow onely the scriptures and regard not the Fathers Exposition Lib. de natura de gratia cap. 39. of them The Pelagians also as S. Austin citâ—th their words made profession to believe no more than Anathetisma 7. what they read in Scripture So did the Iconomachi or Image-breakers in the second Councel of Nice and the Albigenses said the same to S. Bernard Hom. 66. in Cant. as
himself recounteth So did the Wiclifests as Waldensis citeth their words and proveth it still to have been the custome of Hereticks to cloak their Novelties under a specious and fraudulent pretence of imbracing onely the Lib. 2. de doctrina fidei cap. 9. Scriptures by themselves falsly expounded which is as there he saith to follow their own judgments and not Scripture consisting as S. Hierome told the Luciferans not in the words but in the true meaning of them an adulterated sense being no lesse harmfull than a forged letter to be imbraced So as this learned Author demanded well of Wicklif Why said he should we believe your lately devised Interpretations of Scripture to prove your Heresies more than you believe all the ancient Fathers and Doctors of Christs Church in all places of the world and ages before you for if you tell us that they were men and might erre I may answer that you are not Angels or Doctors sent from heaven that Christians now after 1300 years should learn a new Faith and Exposition of scripture from you wherein also you differ no lesse among your selves than you have done from all antiquity before you as having no certain rule of Faith to determine differences between you And those very Scriptures out of which you pretend to gather your Faith wholy neither are nor can be but by the Churches testimony certainly notified unto you for as they cannot give testimony unto themselves nor any one part to the rest so as Calvins inward light pretended to be given unto all faithfull persons for the knowledge of them is a meer fancy as elswhere I have proved And whereas Protestants affirm that we have in our Church many vain and unprofitable traditions yea repugnant unto Scripture yet in their authority equalled by us unto them they do herein affirm many untruths together for that with us all Traditions are not equal in their authority and such as are truly Apostolical and have had their origine from the Apostles are we say of no lesse authority as the Church retaineth a memory still of them than if they had been by their first Authors written and we have certain rules whereby they come to be known infallibly by us The first is taught by S. Austin in these words that point or practice Lib. 4. contra Donat. of faith not taught in Scripture nor decreed in Councels yet ever retained by the Church is rightly believed to have from Apostolical authority descended to us such is the Baptism of Children c. The second Rule is this if any point of faith hath been unanimously taught by the holy Fathers and yet not mentioned in Scripture it may be securely imbraced as an Apostolical tradition such is the perpetual Virginity of the mother of God the number of the Gospels c. The third Rule is if any thing hath been practiced and believed still in the Church which could not be at first by humane authority introduced and established it is to be thought to have come from the Apostles such are the matters and formâ— of Sacraments their number and the proper effects of them prayer for the dead c. The signe of the Crosse used in Baptisme and other such religious customs which if as things of light moment they should come to be neglected saith S. Basil and not regarded the Lib. de Spiritu Sancto belief and practice of the Church in points of greater moment would totter also and become weakened in their authority sithence the Gospels themselves are not more certainly than by the Churches tradition and authority confirmed unto us Tertullian with S. Basil teacheth such traditions and Lib. de pudicitia de coronam clitis so doth S. Ambrose S. Austin and many other chief Fathers even such as lived with or neer the Apostles themselves as S. Dennis S. Ignatius S. Irenaeus S. Justin Martyr Origen and S. Cyprian blamed therefore by the Calvinists 2. cent cap. 4. 3. cent c. 4. for this doctrine Eusebius also affirmeth Hegesippus a disciple of the Apostles themselves to have wrote five Books in a simple stile but with great sincerity of such traditions as had been left to the Church by them against Calvins impiety peremptorily after his manner and proudly condemning for sacrilegious and superstitious all external rites used in the Service of God and not expressed in Scripture Yet we finde that himself in the order of his Genevian Congregation hath many new rites and ordinations of his own appointment no where mentioned in Scripture presuming so of a power in himself above the Apostles themselves to ordain them for that his must be imbraced and theirs condemned and deemed sacrilegious albeit Lib. 3. â—4 never so authentically testified unto us Perchance he had never read or little regarded that important question which antient Irenaeus proposed about Traditions and verities of faith believed by all good Christians yet not expressed in Scripture What saith he if the Apostles had left no Scriptures at all behinde them ought we not to have followed the order of Tradition which they left unto those Bishops unto whom they recommended those Churches which had been founded by them and to speak no more hereof even now in our time we know many barbarous Nations to have received by their preaching the faith of Christ and to persevere holily therein flying and detesting all Heresies contrary in any sort unto the same who as wholy unlearned never had any Scriptures at all but onely stick unto the Traditions which were at first by the Apostles themselves delivered unto them And if such Traditions as are now in our Churches retained and observed for the order of divine Service and decency therein to be used should be accounted sacrilegious and abominably superstitious as Calvin would have them The use for example of sâ—cred Vestments the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme Prayers said at the burial of the dead bowing at the name of Jesus and other like Ceremonies that admonition of S. Pauls would come to be neglected charging the Corinthians to do all things honestly or in a seemly 1 Cor. 14. manner and according to order in the Church as we can prove from assured testimonies the Primitive Christians did during the fiâ—st hundred years after Christ in their publick sinaxes or meeings at divine Service and Sacraments together recounted by S. Dennis of Areopagita in his Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy in the 2 or 3 chapters together by S. Justin Martyr in his second Apology for Christians to Antonius Pius the Emperour and by S. Ignatius insinuated plainly enough in many places of his Epistles by Tertullian also in his book â—â— pudicitia and other fathers living in or near unto the age of the Apostles And such Ceremonies as are by Calvin so rejected and condemned in the publick order of divine Service are thus by S. Austin approved in such things as are not determined in Scripture the customs of Gods Church
therein of whom Christ said He that heareth Epist 1. c. 4. you heareth me and of whom St. John said He that knoweth God heareth us and ho who knoweth not God heareth us not in this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour Christ having before told his Apostles and such no doubt as succeeded them in the government Joan. 15. of his Church I will send unto you the Holy Ghost and he shall give testimony unto me and so shall you c. joyning so together the inward teaching of the Holy Ghost and outward teaching of the Church both to be embraced and obeyed by all her children For albeit saith St. Austin he uttered all Enarrat in Psal 47. these promises to his Apostles cum illis loquebatur noâ— intelligebat yet speaking to them he meant us also who were to the worlds end to succeed them for whom he prayed and obtained the Holy Ghost of his heavenly Joan. 77. Father not to remain for a time but for ever with them The third Controversie Of the Bishop and Church of Rome NOt as it is the Patriarchial and particular Church of that City but as it is head and chief of all other Churches subjected unto it And I do not here without hearty grief entâ—r into this Controversie whilest I consider with my self how violently and virulently our Adversaries have after the accustomed manner of other Hereticks before them by preaching and writing slanderous untruths made not to men and women only but even unto very children the name of Pope Papistry as they call our Catholick Faith hatefull and scarcely with patience to be mentioned amongst them notwithstanding all learned men know that antiently the Church of Rome hath been for the profession of her faith and glory of her Martyrs renowned above other Churches so as thirty three Bishops successors of S. Peter in that Chair were slain in that City for Christ amidst their flocks and innumerable Martyrs with them after the two chief Apostles Peter and Paul had planted by their preaching and watered with their bloud the true Doctrine of Christ therein thus extolled by Calvin himself after many Lib. 4. insti tut c. 6 â— untruths uttered by him I deny not saith he but that thâ— ancient Fathers do yeeld every where great reverence to the Church of Rome and speak highly of her calling her for honours sake the Apostolical Sâ—e of the West as freer from troubles and more firmly retaining her first Faith than other African or Grecian Churches Wâ—ence it came to passe that holy Bishops injured and driven from their Sees retired thither as unto a Port of Safety and have been from time to time by the Authority of Popes righted and restored to their Churches Others also in questions and doubts of Religion have repaired unto them St. Policarp for example Disciple to John and ordained Bishop of Smyrna by him came to Pope Anicetus about the due observance of Easter aâ— St. Irenâ—us Eusebius and St. Hieâ—â—me have left written And St. Irenaeus after him came to Rome as Tertullian recounteth about condemning some Heresies then nâ—wly rising Origen likewise as St. Hierom testifieth submitted Epist. ad Pâ—machiuÌ„ Ocâ—anum himself to Pope Fabian and recanted some doctrines written by him Saint Cyprian in like manner wrote many Epistles to Pope Cornelius about sundry businesses of his Church and the Novations then beginning to be troublesome unto him St. Athanasius and many other Bishops of Aegypt and Libia together addressed themselves by a most humble and earnest Epistle to Pope Foelix the second to crave of him a true Copy of the Nicene Councel which the Arians had in all places burned and suppressed to demand also a restitution to their several Churches and to be redressed in other wrongs done unto them for that the relief of wronged Bishops and other chief businesses of the Church for the eminency of hiâ— authority over all Churches and Bishops belonged unto him as it had been declared by the Fatherâ— of the Nicene Councel at which some of them selves had been present And accordingly he that will read the Epistles of St. Leo and St. Gregory both surnamed great for that high and holy esteem which the Christian world is known to have had of them shall find them as other Popes had done before to have exercised authority over all Eastern and Western Bishops as Causes happ'ned even Patriarchs themselvâ—s without exception howsoever this certain truth be by Calvin impudently denied Insomuch that the very next Popes to St. Peter so holy in their livâ—s and glorious in their Martyrdomes for Christ that it would be an impious temerity for any man to object as some of our Adversaries have done any affectation of Pride and Ambition unto them are known by the prerogative of their Chair to have both claimed and exercised this Universal Authority Tom. 1. Conciliorum Epis 3. Saint Anacletus for example the fourth Pope after S. Peter hath these words This holy and Apostolical Church of Rome hath obtained not from the Apostles but from our Saviour himself a Supream and eminent power over all Churches and the whole flock of Christ when he said unto the most blessed Apostle Thou art a rock and upon this rock I will build my Church c. S. Victor likewise so claimed this power and exercised the same over other Churches as he excommunicated all Bishops of the lesser Asia for their Judaical and obstinate observance of Easter for which S. Irenaeus blamed him not because he wanted authority but for that he had used therein overmuch severity S. Calixtus in his Epistle ad Benedictum expresly affirmed the Church of Rome needfully to be obeyed and followed by all Churches as Head and chief of them The like authority was challenged and exercised by all these holy Popes living within the first 300. years after Christ Antherus Fabian Lucius Dionysius Foelix the first Marcellus and others Neither were holy Fathers in that time lesse earnest in defending the Supream and Universal Authority of the Roman Church than Popes themselves S. Irenaeus for example calleth Lib. 3. c. 3. the Church of Rome the greatâ—st most antient and best known Church founded by the two most blessed Apostles Peter and Paul c. Whereunto for her more powerfull principality all other Churches were to be conformed in the doctrine of Faith and practice of Religion naming Popes untill this Li. de pudicitia time succeeding each other Tertullian likewise from the succession of Bishops in that See numbred by him prescribeth against Hereticks the truth of Christian Doctrine calling the Bishop of that Church Episcopum Episcoporum Bishop of Bishops and Father of the Catholick Church S. Cyprian in a like manner after he had declared how Christ promised to build his Church on S. Peter and commended the government Lib. de unitat Eccles of his flock unto him saith that albeit all the Apostâ—es received
as may be instanced in all â—â—â—â—ticks of former times whereby the other three Patriarchical Seats of Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem have been first corrupted and afterwards with Mahumetiâ—m overwhelmed as now likewise hath almost happened unto the Churches of Greece after they had been ten severall times unitâ—d to the Church of Rome and faln again from it who yet never arrived unto that fraâ—â—tick and witlesse folly of Protestants affirming the Succession of Popes in S. Peters Chair even almost since the Apostles time for 1000. years at lâ—ast past to have been Antichrist that single man and professed enemy of Christ mentioned by S. Paul who is certainly to be received by the Jews to raign in Hierusalem and tread the holy City under his feet to sit as a God in the Temple reedified by him to kill Enoch and Elias there the two faithful witnesses of Christ lying afterwards three dayes together naked in the Streets of that City the glory of whose raign is to continue but three years and a half called by Daniel and S. John a time two times and half a time numbred by forty two months or which is all one by 1260. dayes when Christ shall shorten the rage of his persecution for the good of his elect and kill this wicked man with the breath of his own mouth All which particulars contained in Scripture one by one can no more agree to the whole Succession of Roman Bishops than to the Turkish Emperours for these thousand years past nor indeed so much because these have had the possession of Hierusalem for many ages together and ever have been enemies to Christ and Christians whereas Popes have ever been his faithfull Servants his Vicars here on earth and chief Pastors of his flock by his own Ordination So as â—othing could have been devised more injuriously to Christ or more derogating from his glory in redeeming us than to affirm as in effect they do that the Devill timely prevailed against him for the overthrow of his Church and that also by the Roman Bishop and Chaire of Peter whereon as a Rock he promised to build so firmly as hell gates to wit no power of men or Devils should prevail against it In the mean time if ad Thess 2. we will with holy Fathers and all antient or modern Interpreters examine that obscure place of S. Paul concerning the mystery of iniquity working in his time it was not understood of Popes but of Hereticks beginning then to rise and preparing a way for Antichrists coming for which cause they are called by S. John Antichrists as by corrupting the true faith forerunners of him And never any Sect or sort of Hereticks did perform this wicked Office against Christ his Church more than modern Hereticks have done in their pretended reformation of our Church and Religion Whose malice against the Bishop of Rome is so far extended as even that blessed Apostle himself whose Chair they succeed in is so undervalued by them that they seek to deny many especial privileges of our Saviours love towards him magnified by all ancient Fathers and Interpreters of Scripture before them as his having been from his first calling by the imposall of a new name designed by Christ to be the head foundation of his Church and under the title of his Flock thrice commended the same to his government prayed for him that his faith might not faile willing him to confirm his Brethren He prayed not In quaest Novi testamenti q. 75. saith S. Austin for James or John or any of the rest but for Peter alone that his faith might not faile because on him as a sure foundation next to himself the firmity of his Church chiefly depended So as from this Text the unâ—rring judgment of him and his Successors in points of Faith hath been as well by ancienâ— Fathers as later Divines rightly gathered Neither can it be convinced that any Bishop of Rome hath as a private Doctor erred in any point of Faith much lesse guided the Church amisse by falsly declaring any point or practice of Christian Doctrine And if amongst such a multitude of most Learned Holy and eminent Persons which in the See of Rome have from age to age succeeded each other some few have been blamefull in their lives as one amongst the twelve Apostles was a Judas and another amongst the first seven Deacons is commonly held to have been horribly vicious in his life and doctrine yet prejudiced not the sanctity of the rest nor the holinesse of their Function for why should the glory of other good Popes come to be obscured or the high authority of that See be lessened by them Such scandals being some of those gates of Hell which were permitted by Christ to be opened against his Church but never to overthrow it Yet I may truly say here that in numbring and naming such Popes Protestants have notably erred and with great malice made Boniface the eighth and other Popes black and abominable in their lives who by the certain testimonies of most holy and learned persons living in the same age and time with them were very good holy and zeaâ—ous Bishops and wrongfully defamed by unconscionable wicked men professed adversaries unto them And should any Pope swarve in any point from the professed and known faith of Christs Church and in any publick manner profâ—sse his error there would not as our Adversariâ—s teach be wanting in the Church authority or means enough to â—eâ—ose or rather declare him to be no true member of the same and so no more hâ—ad thereof which is spoken of a thing in the ayre and that will never hâ—ppen Nâ—ither is it to be marvelled at that we Christians should bâ—lieve that the cheif Pastor and Head of Christs Church for whom himself prayed that his faith might not faile for the confirmation of his Brethren in their Christian and Catholick profession should be inâ—allible in his publick teaching sithence the High Priest of the Jews a type onely and figure of ours was to be so strictly followed and obeyed in his doctrine as the refusers of his sentence were by death and no lesse penalty to be punished and such as sate in the Chair of Moses and exercised that power which was provided by God for the instruction of his People were by our Saviours command notwithstanding their bad lives to be followed in their doctrine and can we think that he would leave his Church void of such an external and infallible means in all points and practices of faith to rely on For should the Churches teaching be held fallible and uncertain even scriptures themselves might be questioned in their authority approved as I have said before by her testimony and tradition as other declared points of doctrine And to say that this infallible authority should be more in the flock than in the chief Pastor thereof more in the body than in the head more in the family than in the father and governour
A LEGACIE left to PROTESTANTS Containing Eighteen Controversies viz. 1. Of the Holy Scriptures 2. Of Christs Catholick Church c. 3. Of the Bishop and Church of Rome 4. Of Traditions needfull c. DOWA Printed 1654 To the Reader THese ensuing Controversies were found in a learned mans study dead nine years since and commended to the care of a Friend who dyed soon after him or otherwise they had been printed long since with the foresaid Title by the Author himself prefixed uâ— to them desiring not to have his name or any dedication added unto them but this That many learned Freinds had read and approved them that he heartily wished they might help to convert unto the true faith of Christs Catholique Church such Protestants as should read them which I wish also his Friend Whilâ—st he lived T. B. A Table of the severall Controversies 1. OF the Holy Scriptures pag. 1. 2. Of Christs Catholick Church in generall not colourably now among Christians the first part pag. 14. The second part pag. 30. 3. Of the Bishop and Church of Rome pag. 48 4. Of Traditions needfully added into the Canon of Scripture pag. 69 5. Of Protestancy begun here in England under Queen Elizabeth pag. 82 6. Of the holy Eucharist pag. 92 First part concerning our Saviours reall presence therein ib. Second part pag. 101 7. Of honouring Saints and praying to them pag. 109 8. Of reverencing of Saints Reliques pag. 116 9. Of holy Images kept and honoured by us pag. 120 10. Of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead pag. 131 11. Of Sacramentall Confession pag. 135 12. Concerning the number and effects of Sacraments pag. 145 13. Of Free-will pag. 157 14. Of Calvins Solifidian Justice pag. 16â— 15. Concerning the merit of good Works pag. 169 16. About the possibility of keeping Gods Commandements pag. 177 17. Of Feasts and Fasts Apostolically ordained and neglected both by English Calvinists and Independents pag. 183 18. Concerning praedestination pag. 191 THE First Controversie Of the holy Scriptures WHerein our Adversaries do notoriously wrong us and make simple people believe that we Catholicks yeeld no more authority to sacred Writings then our Church alloweth them Whereas we firmly believe them to have been inspired by God and therefore attribute a divine and infallible authority unto them when they are sufficiently declared to be such and truly Expounded unto us For without the former condition to wit an undoubted knowledge of them no man can securely rely on any doctrine contained in them and without the latter condition of being rightly understood all Heresies have been formerly and may now also be drawn pernitiously from them So as about these two points our Adversaries and we chiefly and indeed only differ They for example Calvinists especially for a certain knowledge of them rely upon-their own private Spirit and an imaginary light shining to all faithfull Readers of them no lesse clearly distinguishing true Scriptures from false then light by our eyes from darknesse is discernable by us which internall light is a meere Chymaera say we and other great Protestants with us by Calvin purposely devised to accept or reject what Scriptures he liked and interpret them as he pleased without any authority to controle him which is as St. Austine told Faustus his Manichean Lib. contra â—um 13. c. 5 Adversary to take away all authority both of Church and Scripture licensing every man to believe what he lifteâ—h Whereas we Catholicks for a certain knowledge of true Scriptures rely upon the exteriour and infallible tâ—stimony of Christ's Church by himself warranted unto us when he commanded us to heare and obey such as he appointed therein to govern and guide us no lesse then himself And whereas Calvin deemeth it a thing very inconvenient and against the Majesty of Scripture to be subjected to mens judgements about declaring the sacred authority thereof we say no and prove it to be no more inconvenient for Scriptures then for other points of Faith to be made known by the Church's testimony unto us And if the holy Scriptures have been written by men divinly inspired and guided in the penning of them as assuredly they have been why may they not also by men assisted by the holy Ghost be made known infallibly unto us especially sithence they cannot give testimony of themselves as Hooker and other chief Protestants Lib. 2. sect 14. Lib. 2. sect 4 7. Lib. 3. sâ—ct 8. have proved because if part of Scripture should give credit to the rest that very part might be doubted of likewise Unlesse besides Scripture there were something elsâ— that might assure us which he acknowledgeth to be the authority of Christs Church Insomuch as Egidius Hunnius a cheife Colloquio Ratisbonen si Lutheran Divine and sixteen others with him at Ratisbone before sundry Princes of Germany were by Gretzerus and Tanner Catholick Divines inforced to admit the Church's testimony and historicall tradition as they câ—lled it altogether needfull for an undoubted knowledge of Scripture as heretofore many forged Scriptures have been rejected and others approved by it Albeit they proceed not conformably therein by not admiting into their Canon all Books and parts of Scripture so approved For if the Churches testimony be false in declaring some Books surely it cannot be certain in declaring others and so we can receive no infallible assurance from her Turtullian notwithstanding prescribeth Lib. 1. praescript c. 6. this for an undoubted truth that what the Apostles preached and Christ revealed unto them cannot be testified unto us but by the Churches which they founded and St. Austine so affirmed the same as he saith He Tom. 6. contra Epist fundament cap. 5. would not believe the Gospel were it not that the Church by her authority commended the same unto him So far was he and other Fathers from dreaming of Calvin's inward light communicated to all faithful Readers of Scriptures wherein the Lutherans might claim an equall share with him as his Companions and so they might agree about their Canon of Scripture as now they do not nor with any antient Church before them Lib. 33. contra Faustum cap. 6. Whereas St. Austin speaking of our Canon which himself amongst other African Bishops had declared in the third Councel of Carthage as St. Innocentius the first had done before him and many both Popes and Councels Epist ad Exupâ—rium have done since those Books saith he by the consent of Christian Churches and Bishops of them succeeding each other downwards from the Apostles have been warranted for true Scriptures unto us and are onely denyed by you speaking then of the Manicheans as we doe now of Protestants few in number and lately risen because they make not for your Doctrine And whereas they provoke us to the Originals to wit the Hebrew and Greek Texts of the old Testament and seek by what means they can to disgrace our Vulgar Edition We answer them first that they
your calling is naught and pernitious to Christs Church The like is written by Amandus Polanus Andreas Musculus and other chief Protestant Writers And therefore the holy Fathers St. Athanasius St. Hilary St. Hierom St. Austin and Tertullian doubted not to call such as took upon them ecclesiastical ministeries without being lawfully called unto them false Prophets Wolves in sheeps garments theeves entring not by the doore to kill and destroy the flock of Christ Children without fathers c. Those Lib. 4. c. 43. saith St. Irenaeus being onely true Doctors and securely in Christs Church to be followed who with the truth of heavenly Doctrine have had their Succession from the Apostles The Ordination likewise of these men was and is still suitable to their Vocation in all Sects and Assemblies Lib. de doctrina moribus Secta of them of which George Wicelius a learned man who lived in Luthers time and saw the beginnings of them writeth thus They reject the Roman Rite of Ordination and without more ado he whom the Visitors like is sufficiently called to the ministery elected and ordered amongst them Neither is their manner of Ordination yet fully agreed upon so as since that time several Sects therein observe different fashions and particularly amongst the Calvinists the Elders are to choose and approve such as are to be ordered and together with their Ministâ—r Impose their hands on them wherâ—in their Oâ—dination chiefly consistâ—th neither holy nor much to be regarded according to Lutherâ— Doctrine who to vilifiâ— the Sacrament of Oâ—der and take away all use thereof in Christs Church expresly affirmeth all sorts of Persons men women and children to be in their very Baptisme mâ—dePriests and Bishops admitting no Tom. 2. Witâ—enbâ—rgensâ— sol 90. l. de capt Babiloniâ—a distinction at all between Clergie men and Lay persons as Tertullian in his Prescriptions said of Hereticks in his time One is a Bishop this day and none to morrow another a Priest now that was none yesterday for that all amongst them are admitted to Priestly Functions Neither doth Luther stay his madnesse here but saith that the Devil himself in humane shape may conescrate the holy Eucharist and administer other Sacraments if he will have a right intention therein and do what Christ commanded neither saith he would I lay a wager to the contrary but that he hath at one time or other plaid so the part of a Pastor perchance in their Churches who have scarcely any thing but Baptism sacred amongst them Lastly Concerning Church-government and particularly that of Geneva craftily devised by Calvin to gain therby to himself and his Ministers the government of that City as Hooker in his Preface of his Ecclesiastical Policy modestly declareth it and Bancrost more roundly relateth the manner thereof I may after many learned mens judgements written of the same rightly affirm it to be a politick confusion of Civil and Ecclefiastical power together A diabolical invention of establishing Christ in his Throne as they term it but indeed of disturbing the peace of States and subverting the government of Christian Kingdomes under a colour of propagating the Gospel insomuch as Bullenger who had somewhat holpen Calvin in his erection thereof seeing the inconveniences ensuing from the same and writing to the Bishops of England compared these Consistorial Lords not in title but in power to the seditious Tribunes of Rome wont to gain power and honour unto themselves by moving tumults amongst the people Gualterus likewise his successor in Zuirick admonished in one letter the Bishop of London and in another the Bishop of Eli to look in time to that Genevian Hydra rising then with new heads amongst them in whose Consistories each Minister hath Pretorial and Episcopal power enjoyned together as able with his ignorant Elders to examine and punish with Excommunication first and greater penalties after wards if he be not obeyed all sorts of Delinquents And these Elders are in Cities Towns and Vilages for the most part ignorant Tradsmen chosen and put in authority for a year onely and then returned to their shops again without any manner at all of consecration yet able that year whilest they are in Office to determine with their Ministers and conclude seditious Councels of War against Princes and States which they live in of which France Flaunders Scotland Poland and other places are able to affoâ—d dreadfull examples And in setting up this Destruction as I may rightly â—erm it of all antient Church government Calvin hath misappliâ—d the word Presbyter and givâ—n it to his Elders For albeiâ— according to the Greâ—k and Grammâ—tical signification thereof it may signifie any Eâ—dâ—â— in agâ— or authority yet according to thâ— Ecclesiastical and sacred use thereof even in scripture it self it signifiâ—th a Priest consecrated and ordâ—inâ—d to offer the sacrifice of our Lâ—rd bodâ— and bloud at the Altar administer Sâ—craments and preach I ad Tim. 5. to the peoâ—le according to St. Pauls words affirming such Priests to be worthy of double honour as labour in the word and doctrine dâ—stinguish d from the Laity and â—xâ—rcisâ—â—g their hiâ—â—â— Office of governing under Bishops Christian People commited in several Churches to the government of them having under them foâ— the ministry of the Altar Deacons Subdeacons and other inferiour Church Officers as glorious St. Ignaâ—ius in his Epistles particularly mâ—ntioneth them What saith he Epist ad Trallianâ—s is the Bishop but Father Prince and Head of the Clergie What is Priesthood but a holy institution of being Counsellour and assistent to the Bishop What are Deacons c. but helpers of Bishops and Priests in performing a clean immaculate work as most blessed Stephen did to James Timothy and Linus to Paul Anacletus and Clement to Peter in serving them at Masse distributing the Chalice to the people keeping and dispensing the Treasures of the Church as St. Laurence told Sixtus his Bishop desirous to be Martyred with him Priests are good and Preachers of Gods Word Epist. ad Smiâ—nenses but the Bishop is better than they honour him as the Father of Priests and chiefest of them resembling God himself and like unto Christ amongst his Disciples c. And writing to his own Church at Antioch I salute saith he the Priests and Deacons Subdeacons Lectors Acolathists Cantors Doorkeepers c. your Colledge of Virgins c. having then particularly written unto Hero his Deacon and told him how our Saviour had revealed unto him that he should next in that See succeed him So as the whole order and form of Ecclesiasticall government used in the Apostles time is there according to all degrees thereof declared by him Calvin therefore and his Companions in changing the same have done as if a few Rebels invading some part of a greaâ— and well sâ—tled kingdome should change the old laws and government thereof to be new in that as in other points of their Doctrine and refusing to follow those
Epist 87. ad Casulanum and antient Ordinations are to be maintained and observed as laws prescribed unto us Neither doth Calvins denial of them to be lawfull because they are not expressed in Scripture derogate any thing at all from the antiently allowed authority of them and the want of them in his reformed or rather deformed Conventicles is a notable blemish unto them insomuch as a great Lord of France beholding another Hâ—gonet Lord his friend after a Pompous Funeral caft like a Dog into the Earth by two ordinary labouring men without any Prayer or Ceremony used in the Burial of him sware that Calvins Religion was like a bald mans head without any hair upon it and another Lord there present said merrily in answer of him not without an Oath that it was a Religion if you will call it so fitter for Beggers than Gentlemen The fifth Controversie Of Protestancy begun here in England under Queen Elizabeth ANd since continued untill now when Puritanism by covert means at home and help of Scottish neighbours abroad came to overtop it and made an open way to the destruction of all setled and constant professions of Faith by the power of such as call themselves Independents as depending on none but themselves in the choice of their Religion Queen Elizabeth intended not this freedome of Sectaries now licensed unto them nor did she of her self so dislike Cathâ—like Religion but that she could have been contented to have continued the same in her kingdome if the Flaw of her Mothers marriage contrary to the Popes order and the act of her own father excluding her from the Crown had not caused King Henry the second of France whose eldest sonne Francis had newly then married Mary Queen of Scotland and next heir to the Crown of Engand to proclaim her a Bastard and resolved to maintain the right of his Daughter in law against her By which unfortunate occasion her ears were opened unto bad Councellors then about her and for their own ends busily perswading her that if the Popes power were still obeyed and Catholick Religion continued among her Subjects she could not have any certain hope of enjoying her Crown quietly and upon this ground chiefly she was moved to change the ancient Religion of her Kingdom which could not be done but in Parliament of which I have seen a daily Relation gotten from Mr. Camden by a Protestant Bishop and lent by him for some daies unto me So as out of the same I can truly affirm that such Burgesses and Knights were cunningly packed out of every Shire and Burrow-town in the lower House as for their incâ—ination to Protestant Religion or other private respects would easily conform themselves to the Queens intentions And amongst the Lords in the higheâ— House many great ones loth to be long absent from their Country Sports or by their first Acts to distaste the young Queen absented themselves from Parliament and gave their Proxies to the old Earl of Arundell a known Catholick and the Duke of Norfolâ—â— his Son in law not doubting but that they would do all things to maintain their Religion against all uncermining thereof But it proved not so for the Earl put in to a vain hope of marrying the Queen when by his age he might have been more than her father and the Duke of Norfolk being neither sound in Religion and for other ends of his own not sincere in his proceedings prevailed by their many Proxiâ—s to exclude the Bishops from sitting in Parliament all holy and learned men able to have turned the businesse as they listed after which Vote passed the Queens party in both houses still prevailed so as not long after new Bishops in place of the old were chosen some come â—râ—m Geneva others out of Germany of different Religions yet contented for honour weâ—lth and wives to joyn in any profession Seven of them were Apostata Monks and Friars and most of the rest meer Lay-men having neither Ordination nor Jurisdiction besides that which the Queen and Parliament could give them commonly therefore called the Parliament Bishops and Patent Prelates I know they have tried many waies and fained an old Record to prove their ordination from Catholick Bishops but it is false as I have received from two certain witnesses the former of them was Doctor Darbishire then Dean of S. of Pauls and Nephew to Doctor Boâ—ner Bishop of London who almost sixty years since lived at Meuse Pont then a holy religious man very aged but perfect in sense and memory who speaking what he knew affirmed to my self and another with me that like good fellows they made themselves Bishops at an Inn because they could â—â—t no true Bishops to consecrate them My other witnesse was a Gentleman of known worth and credit dead not many years since whose Father a chief Judge of this Kingdome visiting Archbishop Heath permitted by Queen Elizabeth his god-childe to live in Surrey at the Parsonage House of Cobham saw a letter sent from Bishop Bonner out of the Marshalsey by one of his Chaplains to the Archbishop read whilest they sate at Dinner together wherein he merrily related the manner how these new Bishops because he had disswaded Oglethorpe Bishop of Carlile from doing it in his Diocesse ordained one another at an Inn where they met together And whilest others laughed at this new manner of consecrating Bishops the Archbishop himself gravely and not without tears expressed his grief to see such a ragged company of men come poor out of Forraign parts and appointed to succeed the old Clergie in rich Deanries Prebendaries and Canons places who had such ill luck in meeting with dishonest Wives as an Ordination was put out by the Queen and Parliament That no woman should for a wife be commended to any Minister without her honesty could be testified withall sufficiently unto him and many who had been Clergie men before were urged either to take Wives or loose their Benefices as many were contento do and follow these Bishops examples The Tenents of Faith imbraced by the Queen and Parliament were Calvinian Doctrines but the form of Church Government was seemingly Catholick and the Title of Lord was to the new Bishops constantly to be continued and all other Officers under them as Deans c. And when some for their own ends would have had the new Bishops put to pensions the Queen would not hear of it as affecting the ancient splendour in her new Clergy And albeit Altars were pulled down and in place of the Masse a Book of Common Prayer ordained yet the Bishops were to keep their habits and the Ministers appointed to use Caps and Surplices for Decencies sake in time of Service much disliked afterwards by Puritans at home and Protestants abroad So that such professors are called usually by them Calvino-papiste Calvinian Papists Samaritans half Jews and half Gentiles And the Queen her self was for such ecclesiastical authority assumed by her so much disliked abroad
Tables of the Church to perfect the Sacrifice He saith Gaudentius who descended In cap. 2. Exodi from heaven said the Bread which I will give shall be my Flesh who being Lord and Creator of all things aâ— he produceth Corn from the earth to make Bread so both he can and promised of Bread to make his Body And he who of Water made Wine can of Wine make his Bloud c. think not therefore that to be earthly which is heavenly Truth cannot lye c. St. Orat. magna Cateâ—hetica Gregory Nissen likewise biddeth us to consider how Christs Body received in many places â—nd by thousands together can wholly and intirely be communicated â—â—â—â—ch one of them wherefore I do rightly believe Bread by Gods word to be transmuted or wholly changed into thâ— Body of Christ and not to remain both together in the Sacrament as Luther even Harmoniâ— in cap. 26. Matth. in Calvins opinion absurdly affirmed And indeed all the Authorities of ancient Fathers hitherto alledged by me do plainly prove a totall change of Bread into the body and of Wine into the bloud of our Saviour fitly called in the great Laterane councâ—l Transubstantiation And that in the distinct Consecrations of our Saviours Body and Bloud at the Altar under the forms of Bread and Wine is celebrated his misterious Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech and foretold by Malachy the Propâ—et is so plainly and frequently testified by Ancientest and Chiefest Fathers of Christs Church as when we cite the Testimonies even of such as lived Lib. de vera reformatione Ecclesiae with the Apostles themselves Calvin passeth on us this mild and modest censure Solemne est istis nebulonibus c. It is the custome of these knaves to rake up out of the ancient Fathers whatsoever hath been written erroniously and â—alsly by them when therefore they object Malachies foretelling a continuall Sacrifice c. We answer saith he that these Fathers also taught Chriâ—â—s bodily presence in the Sacrament but so ridiculously as Reason and Truth inforce us to leave them Could a Devil in humanâ— shape have more proudly or contemptuously censured St. Irenaeus St. Justin St. Cyprian St. Alhanasius St. Chrysostom St. Ambrose St. Hilary St. Augustine and many others chief lights of Christs Church in their time for learning and Sanctity highly renowned And elswhere I see saith he the Fathers Lib. 4. Inâ—it cap. 28. Sect. 11. even the ancientest and chiefest amongst them to have wrested the memory of Christs sacrifice on the Crosse and to have acknowledged therein the face of a renewed oblation more than was agreeable to the institution thereof imitating so the Jewish manner of sacrificing more than Christ ordained or the Gospel permitted as if he alone knew better than all ancient Doctors before him what Christ ordained in his last Suppâ—r even such as had known the Apostles themselves or conversed with some of their chiefest Disciples in his Commentary also on St. Pauls Ep. to cap. 6. v. 9. the Hebrews he hath these words I cannot but wonder to see the ancient Fathers so preoccupated with the opinion of Christs corporall Presence in the Sacrament but aâ— one errour draweth on another when they had forged a sacrifice in the Lords Supper and adulterated thereby the samâ— they laboured to gather colourâ—ble Arguments whereby they might seem to maintain their errour So as mentioning no further his impudent and unchristian boldnesse in accusing so many glorious Saints now raigning with Christ in Heaven of Judaisme Idolatry and Superstition practised by themselves and taught to others I will accept here what he so plainly confesseth that all the ancientest and chiefest Fathers of Christs Church held the reall presence of our Saviour in the Eucharist and acknowledged a true sacrifice in the daily Consecration thereof celebrated still by us after their example and our Saviours institution mentioned also by St. Paul blessing Bread and 1 Cor. 10. Wine and distributing them as the Body and Bloud of our Lord according to S. Irenaeus his words our Lord saying of Bread this is my Body and Lib. 4. c. 32. confessing the Challice which he consecrated to be his bloud taught us a new oblation of the new Testament which the Church having received it from the Apostles offereth to God throughout the whole world as Malachy had foretold c. And not to speak of those ancient Liâ—urgies extant in Greek and Latine under divers Apostles names and proved to have been truly theirs by many grave and learned Authors oneâ—y because Protestants are not pleased for such to accept them I will boldly here affirm that no point or practice of faith can be more faithfully made known and testified by all manners unto us and even in Protestant Authors themselves more plainly confessed than that this great and onely sacrifice of Christians hath still in all ages since Christ even untill this very time both in our Western and those Eastern Churches of Greece Syria Armenia Eâ—ypt and India it self been celebrated so as yearly out of those and other parts of the world Christians come with their Priests unto Jerusalem many thousands of them together having no other publick service of God but the celebration of this sacrifice used amongst them never but in their first Apostolicall Conversions taught unto them and since still retained by them And albeit Nestorisme besides other ancient and condemned heresies have crept in lamentably amongst them yet in a Catholick belief of â—ur Saviours presence in the Sacrament and sacrifice of the Masse ordained by him there is no disagreement at all between them and this concord of many Nations remote from each other and void of all commerce between themselves for many ages together Lib. de Prâ—script according to Tertullians rule non error sed traditio est is no error but tradition still continued amongst them The second Part. FOr proof of the Masse also I could here if Calvins former confession that the ancientest and chiefest Fathers acknowledged and celebrated the same saved me not that labour heap up many pregnant testimonies out of their authenticall works truly collected that being most true which S. Epiphanius affirmed that all the Apostles severally prescribed the order of celebrating this sacrifice And St. Isidorus lib. 2. Officiorum telleth us that the Masse used in his time in these Western parts of the World was according to St. Peters Ordination which mysterious and unbloudy sacrifice albeit in the Host it self and chief Offerer thereof it be all one with the sacrifice of the Crosse yet is it far different in the manner and ceremonies thereof for whereas in that his body and bloud were painfully parted and his death thereby caused in this they are onely by distinct consecrations of them mysteriously severved So as to distinguish these sacrifices we may fitly call that other the sacrifice of our redemption consummated indeed fully by it and this
latter a sacrifice of Religion for that thereby the divine persons are highly honoured and religiously served By that our Saviour merited all graces for us and by this other they are applied unto us in a most liberall and loving manner not without a most gratefull acknowledgement of his effused love and bounty exhibited in the other unto uâ— So as such a Sacrifice dignifying above measure Christs new Law and the Priesthood thereof well became the infinite wisdome power and goodnesse of him that ordained it ending by his painfull death on the crosse the Priesthood of the old Law and all Sacrifices thereof and establishing a new Law and a new Priesthood therein according to the order of Melchisedech whose sacrifice of Bread and Wine was a Type of this wherein Christs Body and Bloud consecrated under the forms of Bread and Wine were first offered by himself when he instituted this Sacrifice and are now still and shall be to the worlds end offered by the Ministry of his Priestly servants authorised in the oblation thereof to do as he had done before them hoc facite in meam commemorationem do this in remembrance of me And whereas Protestants admit this mysterious King of Salem to have been a lively type of our Saviour in his person but not in his sacrifice they contradict Davids plain testimomony instanced by the Apostle Thou art a Priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech not of his Person onely bâ—cause a new order of Priesthood supposeth a new Sacrifice no lesse than a new sacrifice proveth a new Priesthood and by both together a change of the old Law is by St. Paul necessarily inferred For saith Ad Heb. 7. he the Priesthood being transferred or changed the Leviticall into that of Christ according to the order of Melchisedech it was needfull also that the Law should be translated and changed And those who deny this new sacrifice deny Christs Priesthood also both by David and St. Paul expresly averred and lessen thereby the force of his argument used thereby to prove the old Lib. de missa Aâ—gulari Law altered and changed dreadfully making that a negative Article of their faith which the Devil taught Luther when the Sacrifice of the Masse was by him first denied and impugned as himself hath particularly related the disputation then passed between them who indeed was a fit Master for such a Schollar and the Lesson which he learned of him was a blasphemy left by a Devil delivered unto him albâ—it the arguments whereby hâ— sought to prove it as Luther recounteth them were indeâ—d far from concluding what the Devill sought to prove by them How much more happily then had Luther blessed himself from such a teacher and retained his ancient faith of this hâ—ly Sacrifice the greatest and gratefullest to God that by him who was wisdom it self could have been devised never offered saith St. Chrysostome by the Priest at the Lib. de Sacerdotio Altar but Troops of Angels are invisibly about him ready to adore their heavenly Lord God and man offered unto his eternall Father by him Hom. 5. in Epiph. himself having had the Grace to see them as Nilus his Disciple recounteth of him ordained saith St. Eucherius by the Son of God that as he offered himself once for our Redemption he might in a mysterious sacrifice be daily offered for us jugiterquâ— coleretur per mysterium quod semel offerebatur in pretium perennisque illa victimâ—viveret in memoria uniâ—a perfecta hostia fide aestimâ—â—â—â— non specie corpus effecta sanguis Sacerdotis nostri as a perpetuall sacrifice to make Christs bloudy and painfull sacrifice whereby we were redeemed daily to be remembred by us and represented unto us by Saint Dennis Areopagita in his Ecclesiasticall Cap. 3. Hierarchy and particularly declared in the whole order thereof called by Calvin therefore to deny the authority of so great a Father a counterfeit Hom. 34. in Evangelia babling Author albeit St. Gregory the Great more than a thousand years since citing a Testimony out of him called him ancient and venerable Father Hom. 2. in diversos Origen also long before that cited him by the name of great Dionysius Areopagita and Dionysius Alexandrimus his Schollar is affirmed by Saint Quaest 4 cad Antiohum Epist ad Carâ—lum calvum Maximus Abbot and Martyr to have written Annotations on his works St. Athanasius likewise produceth his authority to prove nine orders of angels called by St. Chrysostom as Anastatius Bibliothecarius testifieth the bird of heauen And St. John Damascene often citeth him under the title of Dionysius amongst Divines the greatest and holiest to omit innumerable Lib. 2. de fide cap. 12. lib. 2. Titulo de Synaxi c. like testimonies of both ancient and latter authors This great Father then in his Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy mentioneth the Bishops coming unto the Altar calling it aram divinam his incensing likewise thereof his intoning the Psalms sung by the Clergy attending him in the celebration of the sacrifice and then causing the Catechumes to be put out of the Quire he maketh an Oblation of the bread and Wine then to be blessed and consecrated by him washeth his fingers at the midst of the Altar with the Priests kneeling by him and after the praising of God in his works ea quaesunt divinissima rite perficit c. He performeth to wit in consecrating the Bread and Wine most divine things under the Signes then adored by him crying out unto Christ tu dixisti hoc facite in meam commemorationem thou hast bidden us to do this in remembrance of thee humbly acknowledging himself unworthy to celebrate so great a Sacrifice beseeching him to open those sacred coverings and signs unto him and spiritually clear his eyes for the better understanding of himself present under them which testimony alone of so great a Father cap. 3. Apologia 2. ad Antoninum Imperatorem confirmed by Saint Justin Martyr and repeated in all other Apostolicall Liturgies would be abundantly â—ufficient to prove our whole Doctrine and belief of the holy Sacrifice of the Masse were not our Adversaries obstinately bent to reject all such proofs though never so convincing The seventh Controversie Of honouring Saints and praying to them THe Honour which we Catholicks yield unto Saints is not that high Honour called Latria due unto God only but such an inferiour honour Genesis 18. Numeri 20 as Abraham and Joshua yielded to angels appearing unto them which Honour being infinitely inferiour to the other given unto God himself cannot but falsly and foolishly be called Idolatry such as Painims yielded to their Idols by ascribing Divinity unto them Whereas Saints are as friends onely and Servants of God inferiourly respected and reverenced by us according to Davids words Thy friends O Lord are much honoured This kind of honour was in the purest times of Christs Church yielded to
lost or spent their lives in the service of him moving us by their very sight to a like practice of Piety Fortitude and other virtues eminent in them So as in honouring their Reliques we magnifie chiefly Gods graces in them Wherefore S. Ambrose speaking of Nazarius and Celsus bodies then found out newly by him and freshly as it were bleeding in their wounds why said he should not faithfull people honour their bodies sithence Devils do feare them which once with torments they afflicted Wherefore I honour that body which honoured Christ under the sword and which shall raign in heaven with him So as it is a notorious untruth of the Centurists first and of Calvin after Câ—nt 2. c. 3. l. de necessitate reformandi ecclesiam them when they affirmed the custome of honouring Reliques not to have begun in the Church during the first five hundred years after Christ for that Cajus living in the age next unto Lib. 2. Historiae c. 24. the Apostles as Eusebius recounteth told Proclus his Cataphrigyan Adversary that he could shew unto him in Rome the trophies of the two Apostles Peteâ— and Paul honoured by Christians And the Chuch of Smyrna in their Epistle of S. Policarps Martyrdome disciple to the Apostles themselves wont for edification to be read in Christian Churches according to S. Gregory Turinensis recounteth how the Jews got his body to be burned into Ashes and thrown into a River that his Reliques might not be honoured by Christians as were in that very age the De viris illustribus in Ignatio remnants of S. Ignatius bones gathered and sent unto Antioch as S. Hierome recounteth Eusebius likewise relateth De viris illustribus in Ignatio l. 7. cap. 14. great honours done to the body of Marinus by Christians and how miraculously Apphianus his dead corps was brought out of the Sea and cast on Lib. 8. c. 14. Lib. 13. praeparat Evangelit â— cap. 7. shore to have due honours yeelded unto it as being meet saith he elswhere that Gods Friends and Championâ— should have at their Tombes honours yeelded unto them Orat. in Theodâ—siâ—m Oâ—at in Julianum Catechesi 18. Saint Basil in sundry places teacheth this honour to be due unto the Reliques of Saints and so doth his Brother S. Gregory Nissen S. Gregory Nazianzen likewise and S. Cyril of Hierusalem S. Hierome also against Vigilantius particularly mentioneth how solemnly Samuels body was brought in time of Areadius out of Jury into Thracia with a continual procession of Bishops Priests and People honouring the great Prophet in his Reliques untill they brought it to Calcedon St. Et Homiliis de S. Babild S. Ignatio Iuliano c Chrysostom in many of his Homiles ad populum Antiochenum mentioneth great honours done unto the Reliques of Saints And Saint Austine in a whole Chapter together recounteth those great miracles which he had seen done at S. Stephens Reliques all condemning by their testimonies the contrary doctrine Lib. 22. de civit c. 8. of Protestants detesting destroying and defacing in several manners Saints Reliques whereas David telleth us that God will keep all the bones of his Servantâ— The Nineth Controversie Of holy Images kept and honoured by us AMongst other Heresies anciently condemned in Christs Church this against the Catholick use and veneration of Images hath been by modern Hereticks pernitiously again revived and fitly served them to make us with ignorant Persons seem guilty of Idolatry by yeelding as the antient Painims did a divine honour to stocks and stones and praying unto them as if they could hear us in which imputations they do slanderously and notoriously bely us abusing many waies simple Persons hearing and believing those assertions against us First for example holy Images representing Christ or his Saints or some other Mystery of faith are falsly called Idols by them for that an Idol according to S. Paul is nothing in the world meaning according to the person or thing represented by it to wit a God or something else made onely by imagination and Fancy Whereas the incarnate Sonne of God his blessed Mother Saints now glorified in heaven are in our Images or Statues represented still or such Mysteries of faith as were in the great worke of our Redemption really performed for example a Crucifix representeth Christ as he hung upon the Crosse painfully nailed unto it and dying for us more movingly so objected to our eys than if that sacred Mysterie were by an ample discourse declared unto us In which true sence St. Gregory called Images the books of unlearned Persons for this and other mysteries of Faith represented in them And our Adversaries must be stupidly absurd if from Scriptures themselves they learne not to distinguish Images from Idols in their proper signification Christ for example is oâ—t aid to be the Image but not the Idol â—â— the Father the mâ—n to be the Image not the Idol of God And there are many places wherein the word Idol in place of Image could not be but absurdly abusively used And who but can blasphemously affirm the two Statues of Cherubins in the inmost tabernacle covering with their wings the Arke and propitiatory Tâ—ble to have been Idols And whereas our Adversaries object against us that we cut off the second Commandement and divide another into two because our Images aâ—â—â—oâ—bid in it they bely us because in ouâ— Bibles the holy Tâ—xt is no lesse inâ—â—râ— than in theirs onely in our Cateâ—hi mâ—s and books written for the instruction of common Christians and Children amongst them we print not that which they call the second Commandâ—ment and we affirme to be a part and eâ—plication of the fiâ—st commanding particularly the Jewes not to make the likenesse of Calves or any thing â—lse least then prone to Idolâ—try they should yield divine honour unto it by adoring it as God himself of which now there is no danger among Christians and so no use of that part of the first Commandement and even Calvin himself Exod. 20 in his explication thereof is inforced to grant that all sorts of Images or Statues are not forbidden by it And it is well known to all learned men that many holy Fathers have as now we do divided the Commandements the ancient Hebrew Text having no division at all in it In the meane time concerning that reverend respect which is yielded unto Images by us First it is not absolutely due or given to the materiall Images or Statues themselves but as holy Persons and mysteries are represented by them unto which our minds and intentions in beholding them â—re carriâ—d So that in such acts the Imâ—ge or Statue is respectively honoured for the person or mystery represented in it and they are likewise honoured in them In which sense Sâ— Basil said Rex dicitur regis imago non duo Reges the image of a King is called the King nor is he and his image called two Kings nor is the honour divided
by any earthly Prince towards his Subjects nor scarcely by any father toward his children frequently and hainously offending him This Commission was by Christ after his Resurrection given unto his Apostles and all those no doubt who were in the government of his Church afterwards to succeed them when after he had said â—â— my Father John 20. sent me I send you he breathed upon them and bad them receive the holy Ghost whose sinnes you remit shall be remitted untoâ— thems and whose sinnes you retain shall be retained having first so by breathing out of himselfe the holy Ghost into them communicated a divine power to performe what his words imparted excluding Calvins corruption of them by affirming this power of remitting sinnes to signifie nothing else but to delcare by Christs merits mercy abundant remission for them which were the same as to say that Judges in their circuits receive from their Prince no power at all to free or condemne Malefactors brought before them but onely to declare as Notaries and Cryers are wâ—nt in Courts the Princes pleasure in freeing or condemning them than which nothing can be more falsly or foolishly affirmed And If Christs words signified no more St. Paul said not well of himself and theother Apostles that Christ had committed the Ministery 2 Cor. 5. of Reconciliation unto them and made them his Legates absolving such as had offendâ—d him the effect of a Legate ever importing power granted with it S. Ambrose therefore said well against Lib. de poenitentia c. 2 the Novatian hereticks revived now againe in moderne Protestants that under a pretended reverence yielded unto God by leaving all power of remitting sinnes unto himself they more highly injured him by not doing what he commanded them asking afterwards this question of them why doe â—ye baptize if men cannot remit sins for that this is performed fully in Baptisme and what importeth it Lib. 2. c. 10. whether by Pennance or Baptisme this be performed the power of Priests given by God being alike in both Scraments St. Leo in the same manner extolled Gods mercy in this Epist â—1 ad Theodorum that as he had ordained Baptisme â—â—r the first sanctification of Souls so likewise was Pennance ordained by him that Graces lost by sinne after Baptisme might come to be restored by the gate of reconciliation and priestly Adsolution after Confession of our sinnes opened unto them The use of this Sacrament is mentioned Cap. 19. in the Acts of the Apostles where many of the faithfull are said to have come and confessed their sinnes with terror no doubt of conscience saith Calvin on that place a desire to be absolved by the Apostles from them and in that very age S. Dionis in his Epistle to Demophilus sharply reprehended him for striking away with his feet a poore penitent kneeling before Lib. c. 9. a Priest to receive pardon of sinnes from him and revâ—ling the Priest because he would absolve him S. Irenaeus speaking also of a woman corrupted by one Mark a Sorcerer saith that after the brethren had with much difficulty converted her she Lib. de poenitentia c. 10 12. spent a great time in making her Confession weeping and deploring what she had suffered from him Tertullian likewise blameth such as through shame hide some sinne in Confession to the Priest choosing so rather to be damned than in their foulnesse discovered reprehending others likewise for coming not at all to this needfull remedy for sinnes after baptisme graciously prepared for them S. Clement of Alexandria Lib. 2. Strematum Homil. in Psal 37. in like words almost delivereth the same Doctrine by Origen more largely declared comparing Confession to the opening of festered wounds that by the Priests power they may be cleansed cased and cured S. Cyprian exhorteth most earnestly some Christians fall'n in persecution to confesse Serm. de lapsis their sinnes unto the Priest and receive Absolution from him and commendeth some who had done so with many tears and Signs of contrition Lactantius condemneth the Novatians Lib. 4. instit cap. 30. for hereticks because they denyed the power of Priests to absolve sinners coming unto them and by the use of Pennance distinguisheth Catholick Can. 28. in Matth. Churches from Hereticall Congregations S. Hilary expresly affirmeth the sentence of Priests absolving sinners here upon earth to be ratified in heaven In regulis c. ad quaest 288. S. Basil teacheth the same Doctrine and S. Gregory Nissen his brother adviseth a sinfull woman to lâ—y Orat. de non judicandis aliis open her whole soul conscience to some charitable Priest who will have a care to save her honour and help Epist 65. her S. Hierome is blamed by Calvin for calling Pennance a second table Lib. 2. 3. de sacerdâ—tiâ— after shipwrack S. Chrysostome highly and frequently extolleth the power which Priests have to absolve sinnes And S. Augustine teacheth expresly Lib. 2. de â—isitat infirmorum cap. 4 5. that sorrow alone without Confession and Absolution of the Priest is not sufficient to free men from their sins because otherwise Christ had given the Keyes in vain if there were not in his Church a needfull use of them and let not any man tell me saith he that he conâ—esseth them in his heart to God who knoweth them for Christ will have us humbly to subject our selves to the sentence of his Priestly servants for remission of them Diâ—dain not therefore saith he to open thy conscience fully and clearly unto them who as Christs Vicars and Legates have power to absolve thee So great a Lye was that of Calvin when he affirmed Sacramentall Confession to have been left free for every man to make it or not untill Pope Innocent the third cum pauculis cornutiâ— suis with a few horned beasts imposed a Precept thereof to ensnare all Christians and this either ignorant or malitious man might well have blushed when he asked with what face we could affirm Confession of sins to a Priest to have been as by the Son of God divinely ordained who by giving such a power as he did unto Priests to absolve sinnes tyed guilty souls to confesse them for that without a revelation otherwise Priests could not prudently exercise their power and know what sins were to be remitted or retained by them or how they might best direct the consciences of Penitents coming unto them or enjoyn them to make a due restitution of fame goods c. taken from others by them And whereas our Adversaries object that Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople and S. Chrysostoms predecessor took away the use of Confession and Pennance in his Church for a Scandall which had happened by it I answer it was not of private Confession and Pennance ordained by Christ himself as parts of a Sacrament but that which was publickly made by Penitents before the whole Congregation by a holy zeal of
but by promising to reward our actions done for his service And in this sence we affirm all worth and merit of our Actions to proceed from Christ and that union which by Faith and grace we have with him as branches in a Vine receive all growth and fruitfulnesse from it whilest he infuseth his holy spirit into us according to that of the Apostle the charity of God is diffused into our bearts by the holy Ghost who is given unto us whereby we become the adopted children of God and brethren of Christ as partaking the same spirit with him and come so to have a right unto a heavenly inheritance purchased for us by him Being likewise raised to so high a dignity our actions as done by Gods adopted children and with help of grace become dignified also in the value of them and worthy of that reward which God hath promised unto them so as from first to last Christ is the Origine source and fountain of all merit in them And to prove the merit of holy actions so performed by us there are so many and such pregnant places of scripture as any wise man may wonder at Calvins contrary doctrine St. Rom. 2. Paul for example saith that God shall render unto every one according to ad Gal. 6. his works and teacheth us elswhere that each one shall receive a reward according to his labours for what a man so weth that he shall râ—ap Call Mat. 5. saith Christ the workmen and give them their hire c. St. Paul for his labours and combats expected to be 2 Tim. 4. crowned Our Saviour biddeth his Apostles to rejoice at judgment approaching because the reward of their labours and suffering shall be great in Li. 4. c. 28. heaven Who saith S. Irenaeus wanteth not our services yet requireth them of us that for them he may bestow his blessings upon us And how In scorpiaco cap. 6. else saith Tertullian do Saints in heaven differ in their glory as stars do in their brightnesse but by the variety of their merits S. Hillary hath a whole In Psal 2. discourse concerning the merit of good works taught by S. Chrysostome and by more than a Grand Jury of other c. 7. parte 3. Fathers Insomuch as S. Dennis in his Ecclesiastical Hierarchy after particular provings of rewards due to holy actions concludeth that Gods justice consisteth in this that every one according to his work good or bad is to be rewarded or punished And whereas many actions are pleasing unto God if they be done and yet not commanded by him as to imbrace Virginity or continency of life perpetually for the greater freedome to serve God to professe poverty in a holy imitation of our Saviour and imbrace other evangelicall Councels cum omni alacritate adimplendo ea que non sunt praecepta with all alacrity fulfilling things not commanded unto them as S. Basil cap. 22. constitutionum said of his Religious that as men offend not in omitting them so do they in observing them please God and merit graces for them And such works as these we call works of supererogation not that we pretend as our Adversaries affirm falsly of us to do services above our duty to God and what he hath by his infinite bounty deserved from us for to think or say so were folly and blasphemy joyned together but because knowing our frailty and unablenesse to love and serve him as the majesty of himself and his infinite goodnesse meriteth love and services from us he was pleased to command the performance of some duties under pain of being punished if we omit them and to leave others free unto us which we may by the assistance of his grace supererogate and add over above those which are by him commanded strictly unto us not without singular rewards promised by Christ unto them as when he told S. Peter You that have left all and followed me shall have a hundred fold in this life Mat. 19. and after it life everlasting which words saith S. Bernard have filled the world with contemners thereof and replenished Monastaries and desert places with men and women leaving the earth to gain heaven accounting poverty their riches and living as Angels pure in their mindes and chaste in corruptible bodies accounting it their greatest glory to be humbled for Christ unto Superiours chosen by themselves and obediene in all things unto them And such works of supererogations are not onely performable by religious but by secular Persons also by exercising the spirituall and corporal works of mercy also when they are not tyed to the performance of them as in fasting for mortification of their bodies on days and times not commanded unto them c. The sixteenth Controversie About the possibility of keeping Gods Commandements I will not mention here a horrible Sect of Luthers Disciples called commonly Antinomi because they wholy reject the Law of Moses according to morall precepts also and as the Decalogue is therein contained blasphemously affirming it to be better nailed to a Gâ—llows than proposed to Christians Nor will I affirm here as I might truly that from Luther himself they learned this doctrine albeit afterward disclaimed by him who as a German Author of known sincerity citeth his own words spake thus of Moses and his law We hear them not they belong to Jews and not to Christians so as if any one proposeth him Vlenbergius c. 18. ex â—oâ—â— 3. Germanico Jenensi f. 40 41. with his commandemâ—nts unto thee and would have thee to observe them bid him go with his Moses to the Jews for thou art none will him not to troublethee with them for that he is Colloqui is mensalibus Ger. fo 152 153. an enemy to Christ c. teaching in many other places that the law of Christ is a law of faith only and not of other precepts intangling mens Consciences against Christian Liberty But omitting his grosness I will come to treat with Calvin more In luca c. 10 versum 26. smoothly and in covert phrases teaching the same dâ—ctrin as where he hath these words The law can do nothing but condemn us because it is not possible for us to perform what it commandeth against that saying of our Saviour My yoak is sweet and my burthen is light and against S. John saying of Epist 1. c. 5. Gods commandments gravia non sunt they are not heavy making God more cruel than any Tyrant amongst men can be in commanding unto men things impossible to be observed by them yet punishing with eternal torments such as do not observe them and as Calvin affirmeth that he regardeth not in the precepts of his law what men can do but what menshould do whereas in many plain texts of Ezech. 36. Scripture against this Blasphemy God promised to put a new heart and a new spirit into us whereby we should be enabled to walk in his precepts and observe
the Apostlâ—s â—â—â—e their Synaxes and meetings on Sunday called in the Acts by St. Paul after Act. 20. 1 Cor. 16. Apoc. 1. an Hebrew manner of speaking una Sabbati one or the first day of the week and by St. John our Lords day and by St. Ignatius who lived to see Epistol ad Magnet can 16. Apost Apolo 2. de coron milit lib. 7. strom hom 7. in Exâ—d Christ the chiefe and Queen of all dayes mentioned by St. Clement by St. Justin Martyr by Tertullian by St. Clement of Alexandria by Origen and other ancient Fathers as Apostolically ordayned and wont to be kept in memory of our Saviour's Resurrection And if the Apostles had authority to translate the Jewish Sabbaoth which was Saturday into our Sunday and command the observance thereof why should not other Feasts likewise certainly ordained by them Lib. 5. c. 13. be by us equally observed The day for example of our Lords Nativity mentioned by St. Clement and graced by many homilies and sermons preach'd thereon by many chiese Fathers The day likewise of the Epiphany the feasts of Easter Pentecost and our Saviours Ascension in their Apostolicall antiquity testified unto us and so are the feasts of St. Stephen St. Clemens lib. 8. constit cap. 39. of the holy Innocents and many dayes of Apostles and Martyrs kown to have been in Christs Church timely observed The church of Smyrna for example solemnly observed the day of St. Polycarp's martyrdome as Eusebius recounteth Origen mentioneth the Lib. bist 6. 15. the feast of Innocents celebrated in his time c. And if the Angels in heaven hom 3. in diversos rejoyce at the conversion of Sinners on earth why may we not as well rejoyce and praise God in the glorious martyrdome of his Servants and their happy entrance into heaven whereby God is more glorified and the number of blessed Souls increased ready to pray for us And whereas it is objected by our Adversaries that St. Paul feared the Galatians because they did observe dayes moneths and yeares willed the Colossenses also that no man should judge them either in meat or drinke or part of any festivity it is certaine that he spake of Judaical observances about meats dayes new moones and other like Festivities â—â— c. Mat. â— lib. 4. instit c. 12 n. 19 20 21. When Calvin likewise after his accustomed boldnesse concerning the solemne Fast in Lent mentioned by St. Ignatius and other chief Fathers after him as an Apostolicall institution exhorting people to a strict and religious observance thereof he calleth it a meere foolery and detestable wicked mockery of Christ and useth this brainlesse argument to prove it because forsooth Christ's miraculous fast without any meat or drink at all is obscured by it And for that we proudly adorne our selves with his spoyles onely because in a holy imitation of him we make fewer meales than we are accustom'd aâ— other times and abstaine from fleshly meats most nourishing and pleasing unto us As Daniel to hasten the returne of his c. 10. Peoople out of their Babylonian captivity fasâ—ed and abstained from Bread desiderable or most desired by him And when he objecteth that in our fasts by abstaining from flesh we imitate the Jewes in the legal difference of clean and uncleane meats he lyeth against his Conscience for when he was an under-pastor of our Church at Naion he was bound to know and teach the contrary to wit that in Lent and on fasting dayes we abstaine from fleshly meats to mortify our selves not because we conceive such meats in themselves to be uncleane and unwholesome but because they are on such dayes by a just praecept of the Church and an ancient custome of all good Christians forbidden unto us And such as are sick or have any just cause freely doe eat them without any uncleannesse at all conceived of them And why is it that he and his fellows are such professed enemies to all publick fasts and other exercises of mortification used anciently among Christians but because under a false pretence of evangelicall liberty they seek after commodities of their belly Whereas our divine Lord himselfe promised that his children Mat. 9. should fast when he was taken from them and St. Paul counselled married 1 Cor. couples to make at times their and prayer more acceptable to God by living continently together as in other places he willeth Pastors and Guides of Souls to exhibite themselves Gods ministers in much patience 2 Cor. 11. in vigils injejuniis multis in patience in labours in watchings and much fasting And whilest that praecept did last of abstaining from bloud and strangled meats it was by all good Christians strictly observed Lib. 4. instit c. 12. n. 14. And if that be true which Calvin affirmeth himselfe that in the Church by the power of the keys Pastors for just causes may ordaine solemne fasts supplications and other exercises of Christian Piety albeit not expressed in Scripture and that this power was usually and lawfully practised not onely by the Apostles but Prophets likewise before them Why might not the Apostles also by the same power ordain the fast of Lent and Ember dayes Vigils also before great feasts for the glorie of God and spirituall benefit of faithfull soules throughout the whole Church constantly continually to be observ'd The Eighteenth Controversie Concerning Predestination WHerein Calvin's doctrines are horribly blasphemous in themselves and injurious to the knowne goodnesse and mercy of allmighty God for whereas he was said in Scripture not to have made Death Sap. 1. nor to rejoyce in mens perdition That he would have all be saved and none to perish 1 Tim. 2. but by penance to have all return unto him 2 Pet. 3. That God is never angry with any man saith Fulgentius but first offended by him Calvin expressely affirmeth Lib. 3. cap. n. 1. 2. c. 21. n. 4. him in sundry places of his Institutions of his own free will without any respect of their actions good or bad â—o have praedestinated the greatest rart of men to be eternally ib. c 23. n. 4. 7. 9. c. 24. n. 8. 1â— damned and ordained them to commit many and grievous sinnes that they might become vessels of his wrath sury and indignation justly executed upon them Yea and that Christ died not to save them or to purchase faith grace or any benefit at all for them And if you aske him with what justice Lib. instit c. 17. 15 Lib. 2. c. 4 Lib. 3. c. 23. In Mat. 13. God can punish sinners whom himself ordained to offend him yea which is more whom he incites moveth and enforceth so as they cannot resist him to commit such sinnes as are most hainous and displeasing unto him he will tell you that it is areanum Lib. 2 c. 8. n. 3. quoddam humanae mentis perspicacitatem longissime excedens a secret