Church When Ioab pursued Absalom in his rebellion 2. Sam. 18 5. he had a chardge from Dauid saying Seruate mihi puerum Absalom c. Saue my sonne Absalom and the people heard the King when he gaue this commandement vnto his Princes so Gerson did most strictly prescribe vnto all men that they should not reueale heir Fathers nakednesse nor disleize him of his rightfull inheritance howsoeuer his euill manners might deserue a iust reproof nor putt their hand to violate the sacred ordinance of Christ and all the world may take notice of this injunction But as Ioabs sanguinaâ—ious heart neither respected the compassion of a father nor the commandement of a maister to Luther in his insatiable fury regarded not his Sauiours institution his Churches safety the judgement of Fathers the decree of Councells but trampled all theiâ— vnder his feete and insulted against our Lords anoynted with diabolicall contempt Pardon me good Sir if I seeme earnest against him who was so singularly opposite vnto the worthy guides of Gods Church I remember that Sueton diuiding the gests of Caligula into two parts giueth this censure of him that in the former he had spoken tanquam de homine as of a man but in the rest be is to speake tanquam de monstro as of a monster and of no man Likewise whensoeuer I make mention of your other Reformers as you call them I will speake of them all as of men participating humane nature with me but I cannot conceiue a thought of Luther which doth not represent a very monster vnto my vnderstanding so vnlike I find him in all his courses vnto the worthy guides of Gods Church and consequently your Reformation most dissonant from the purity of their faith and contrary vnto their designements notwithstanding all the shaddowes colours and gloriations of D. Field §. 4. The name and authority of GROSTHEAD abused by D. Field to iustify the Lutheran pretensed Reformation 1. IS not the gleaning of grapes of Ephraim better then the vintage of Abiezer Iudiâ— 8.2 Though D. Field hath placed Gerson in the front of his battell against the Papists and seâ—teâ—h him forth in complete armour as you haue seeme yet a principall yea the greatest part of his victory may seeme to depend vpon Grosthead whose name is gratious vnto vs for contrey sake and venerable also in respect of that dignity which he enioyed in the Church Wherefore a little a very little signification of his mind warping toward this late pretensed Reformation may iustly preuayle with vs much more then the profuse and copious discourses of other men not so much indeared vnto vs as this worthy guide of Gods Church concerning whom you haue receiued this instruction from D. Field * pag. 84. When the Pope resolued to accurse anathematize and excommunicate GROSTHEAD the renowned B. of Lincolne because he contemned his Papall Bulles and Letters who was therefore in his time named Romanorum malleus contemptor the Cardinalls opposed themselues saying that he was a right good man and holier then any of them that the things wherewith he chardged the Pope were most true c. 2. To deale with euery particular in this artificiall passadge it requireth much payne and the summe thereof would exceed that quaÌ„tity vnto which I am now coÌ„fined But I will direct my self first vnto the mayn issue and then I may draw you vnto a consideration of the inferiour poynts 3. You know that the scope and purpose of D. Field is to iustify your Reformation by the testimonies and verdicts of Gerson of Grosthead of Sauanarola and the like Now if this worthy guide of Gods Church were a true formall essentiall Papist I appeale vnto your conscience whether it be probable or possible that he could wish or tolerate the Reformation of Luth. Zuingl c. which D. Field pretendeth to be conformable vnto his desire To satisfy you in this matter vnto the full I pray you good Sir take notice that a * D. Godwyn in his catalogue of BB. Bishopp of your owne hath freed this worthy guide from all suspition of propending vnto your reformed Church For thus he writeth †pag. 240. The Pope hauing read the letters of Bishopp Grosthead grew into great choller and breathing out many threates intended some terrible reuendge of this so intolerable reproach as he tooke it vntill such time as one Giles a Cardinall of Spayn stepping vnto him vsed theis words Holy Father it shall not do well in my opinion to take any hard or extreame course against this man it is but too true that he hath written he is for Religion NOTA. a CATHOLICK as well as we c. 4. Here you may demand of your highly esteemed Doctour first Whether the Cardinalls of Rome were not reall members of the Antichristian Synagogue and whether to be a Catholick AS WELL AS THEY it be not identically as much as to say a proud Romanist a factious Papist c. termes much affected by himself You may demand of him secondly Whether they or any man participating with them substantially in the same Religion could euer cast a fauourable and propitious eye toward the Lutheran or Zwinglian ReformatioÌ„ of the Church You may demand of him thirdly Whether it were ingenuous and honest dealing in him to geue such a singular applause vnto the excellency of Grostheads virtues that so dissembling his correspondency in faith with the Romane Church he might colour and beautify his euill cause with fictions exaggerations and other pretenses of the same nature 5. Consider a few of them and by theis you may conceiue the quality of the rest Your Doctour for his owne aduantadge doth liberally permitt the title of a renewned Bishopp vnto this worthy guide Truly Sir I doubt not but if Grosthead were now suruiuing and knew by what manner of men he is thus praised he would say what euill haue I done that they should speake well of me But this is a triuiall art in Protestants to eleuate men and to depresse them agayn as their humours do propell them and therefore their language is alwayes varied according to their occasions Hence it is de Antichr pag. 23. that M. Powell hath a trick to place William Wickam in the catalogue of his Euangelicall fathers and to stile him a most godly Bishopp howbeit Iohn Fox knowing him to be a most infense aduersary vnto the ghospell of VVickliffe phraseth him the wicked Bishopp of VVinchester c. But forasmuch as my originall discourse is concerning a Bishopp of Lincolne I will exemplify rather in Rich. Flemming sometimes à Prelate of that See ibid. pag. 42 to whom M. Powell doth afford very speciall commendation for his euangelicall truth for his affection vnto the word of God c. To conclude he also did rerceiue that there must be a Reformation of the Church Notwithstanding * in his catalogue of BB. D. Godwyn may informe you that B. Flemming
all the Fathers yea of the first sacred Councell of Nice it self and concurring with the damned Arrians in his exposition saieth expresly r CommeÌ„t in Ioh. 10.30 Ego Pater vnuÌ„ sumus Scio veteros abusos suisse hoc loco c. I know that the ancients abused this place to proue homousia that is to say the consubstantiality of the Father and the Sonne Wherefore being so guided by his Spiritt he geueth the Arrianicall glosse vpon that Text and saieth that the Vnity whereof our Sauiour speaketh is to be vnderstood of Consent and not of Essence This rare impiety in so great a Person discouered vnto me first of all by D. Å¿ Caluin Iudaiz Hunnius the Professour in Luthers owne chayre did treate with me more then two yeares ago as some of my kindest friends in England can beare me witnesse to renounce my Allobrogian Apostle and to be suspicious of new interpretations but specially which concerne matters of doctrine and faith as this particular doth For it may please you to consider with me that though the Fathers err sometimes in their expositions secundum analogiam loci in respect of the analogy of the place yet they are syncere and respectiue to preserue the analogy of faith And where their interpretatioÌ„s agree we may resolue infallibly This is the doctrine of the Catholick Church 4. SECONDLY because I saw the strandge mutability of Luther himself whose Ghospell was cast in the mould of a * See the Orthodox Confession of the Tigarines who complayn of his inconstant humours variable fancy in his iudgemeÌ„t of the Scripture This is the maÌ„ nay the Angell rather who is the first moouer of all late Euangelicall spheres But when he is diuided into his three parts it will appeare that he was not the flying Angell meÌ„tioned in the t 14.16 Apocalyps as M. u de Antichristo pag. 324. Gabriel Powell fancieth but a lying Diuell as captayn x Tom. 2. contra Lâ—theri CoÌ„fess Zuinglius doth no lesse truly then seuerely chastise him for his false doctrines inteÌ„perate deportment 5. First Martin Initiant made an earnest protestatioÌ„ in his publik disputes at Lipsia sayd y See Eckius in Homil Tom. 3. homil 4. in die Animaerum circa med I who belieue stroÌ„gly that there is Purgatory yea I am bold to affirme I know that there is Purgatory am easily perswaded that there is meÌ„tioÌ„ of it in Scripture 6. Secondly Martin Progredient was some what chandged from his former self and now the Angells feathers beganne to appeare by little and little z Roffens contra Luth. artic 37. I do belieue saith he that there is Purgatory and I do giue meÌ„ counsell to belieue it but yet o tender hearted man I would haue no man compelled to belieue it for I find no mention thereof in the Scriptures 7. Thirdly Martin ConsuÌ„mated gaue this incouradgemeÌ„t vnto a rebellious faction a in epist ad VValdeÌ„s VVhereas you deny Purgatory and condemne Masses Vigills Monasteries Cloysters and whatsoeuer was erected by this imposture I approoue you altogether therein Thus did M. Luther behaue himself in this particular and thus violently he reiected what soeuer was distastful vnto his vncertayn and misguided humour Wherefore I perceiued now that though the censure of Zuinglius was very sharpe yet it was grounded vpon equity whereas he saith that b Tom. 2. coÌ„tra Luth. confess Luther is a false Prophet an incorrigible Heretick an Impostour Antichrist a Diuell a foole a brabler and not a Diuine one whose bookes contayn nothing els in them but a manifest oppression of the pure truth and euangelicall light c. To which purpose he violated the holy Canon of sacred Scripture dispundged the c This point is fairely aymed at by D. Field pag. 252. epistle of S. Iames with great contempt 8. My last and THIRD reason was taken from a consideration of Zuinglius the first Patriarch of our late English Gospell For he d De subsid Sacrum acknowledgeth that he was informed by a certayn admonitour in his sleepe how in this proposition Hoc est Corpus meum the verb est is put for significat and saith whether he were VVhite or Black I remember not But e In proâ—…m Caluinist Theolog. Many hereticks haue had coÌ„trary Diuells as Nestorius Enryches c. Conradus a great superintendent in Luthers gospell sheweth that it was a black one and no doubt but he was of the same colour as those companions were by whom Luther was attended no vulgar Diuells in his opinion and they propounded vnto me saith f See Iustus Caluinus annotat in praescript Tertull. cap. 43. Luther the arguments of the Sacramentaries to wittt of Zuinglius Oecolampad c. but I ouercame them all by the word of the Lord. 9. Now let any Christian heart vprightly syncerely and feelingly waigh whether finding this pride in some this Diuelry in others they being the first principal maisters in our gospel and mutuall oppugnation of their owne senses in holy Scripture I had not reasonable yea necessary and ponderous motiues to fly vnto the religious learned and reuerend Fathers of the Catholick Church to vnderstand the true sense and purport of the aforesaid Scripture They fauoured no Arrian heresy they hated society with Diuells they were guided by the sanctifying Spirit and therefore as I concluded then so I conclude now Let my soule rest with them in peace theis are the men whose sense I will intertayn rather then the new glosses of theis late Professours Thus by the validity of this Text I was led powerfully into the approbation of this doctrine CHAP. II. The Reason taken from FATHERS and APOSTOLICALL TRADITION to prooue PVRGATORY §. 1. Triall by the Fathers 1. MAny learned Protestants conceiue that the coÌ„trouersies of theis vnhappy times will be extended without any measure vnlesse Antiquity be made the vmpire in this quarrell For the holy Fathers are witnessing Iudges and iudging VVitnesses in this behalf To this end and purpose D. Lilly a man of excellent literature did alleadge In a sermon at Oxford within theis few yeeres and applaud the wise and necessary processe of Theodosius a most Christian Emperour against certayn insolent and supercilious hereticks whose pride in * Neque enim consimiliter singuli de veterum scriptis sentiebaÌ„t c. See Sozom. l. 7. c. 12. compare this with the Protestants case Citant ipsi Patres Deus bone quâ fide ete Gregor de Valent. in analys Fidei pag. 18. Talis est phrenesis nostrorum Romanistarum eò maior c. reiecting the Fathers did seeme a desperate disease and to be cured rather by sharpe lawes then by farther dispute 2. For mine owne part I protest freely from my heart that I was secured to make a triall of this present cause by the worthy Fathers being warranted thereunto not onely by my priuate sense but much
thou hast receiued and not deuised that which is brought downe vnto thee and not brought forth by thee that wherein thou art a scholler and not a maister a follower and not a guide c. 7. SECONDLY because the rule of S. Å¿ Contra Donatist de Baptismâ— l. 4 c. 24. Augustine which D. t pag. 242. Field himself doth accept was so cleare and waighty that I could not resist the power thereof viz. VVhatsoeuer is frequented by the Vniuersall Church and was not instituted by Councells but was alwayes held that is belieued most rightly to be an Apostolicall Tradition Such is the custome of Prayer for the dead For first It was practised in all ages and in all places as the most venerable Authours do constantly and vniformely teach Supplications for the soules of the dead were powred foorth by the Vniuersall Church in u de curâ prâ— mort cap. 1. S. Augustines time and the like testimonies were affoorded vnto me by the Fathers of the Primitiue Church namely S. x Epist 1. It is mentioned by Concil Vasens 1. c. 6. Clemens the Martyr in the yeare of our Lord 110 y de Coron Milit. Tertullian in yeare of our Lord 210 who z de Monogam prescribeth according to the doctrine of the Catholick Church vnto the wife that she should pray for the soule of hir husband to procure his rest and ease Secondly I could not possibly designe any Councell Oecumenicall Nationall or Prouinciall any Bishop Supreame or Subordinate by whom this custome was brought into the Church And here I considered that heresy doth alwayes spring from some certayn Person Time and Place VinceÌ„t Lir. and so it is discouerable by theis circumstances But if the Authour cannot be specially named which is a rare accident yet this was sufficient vnto me to conceiue that as Catholick Religion implieth three things viz. Antiquity Vniuersality and Consent so Heresy being opposite thereunto implieth necessarily the three contraries viz. Nouelty Particularity and Distraction 8. My THIRD reason to belieue that this is an Apostolicall Tradition was deriued from the liberallity of D. a pag. 242. Field himself VVhatsoeuer all or the most famous and renowned in all ages or at the least in diuers ages haue constantly deliuered as receiued from them that went before them no man doubting or contradicting it may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition This rule was very appliable vnto my purpose For first I had many pregnant demonstrations and conformable testimonies of the most famous and renowned in all ages constantly deliuering this thing as receiued from them that went before See the 2. Part chap. 2. And secondly I found that no man did contradict or doubt herein but such onely as were damned hereticks and are so recognized by the publick voyce of the Church Wherefore I concluded ineuitably by D. Fields allowance that Prayer for the dead may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition and b Decad. 4. serm 10. Bullinger himself feareth not to say that this is the iudgement of the Fathers WheÌ„ce I was compelled to inferre that D. c against D. Bishopp part 1. pag. 80. Abbott doth willingly deceiue himself saying that Prayer for the dead is a Tradition and an ordinance of the Church to which purpose he misinforceth the testimony of d Hares 75. Epiphanius whereby he would exempt Aërius from the crime of heresy iustly layed vnto his chardge by S. e Hares 53. Augustine and many others Lastly I was compelled to disallow the groundlesse opinion of f de Naturâ Dei lib. 4. c. 4. Zanchius and some others who referr the origin of prayer for the dead vnto humane affection and imitation of the Gentiles § 3. The mutuall dependency of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead 1. VVHen I had thus ascended vnto the fountayn of Prayer for the dead I reflected vpon my self and demanded of mine own heart saying but what is this vnto PVRGATORY For that was the issue vnto which my thoughts did finally incline 2. Wherefore for better illustration of this matter information of the Reader I will here lay downe a necessary point deriued out of the testimonies which ensue in the next section of this chapter and so you shall clearely perceiue the connexion and dependency of theis things 3. Though Purgatory and Prayer for the dead are things seuerally distinguished in their nature yet they are so inseparably tied in their bond that each doth mutually prooue the other Prayer for the dead prooueth Purgatory per modum signi by the way of a signe or declaration for it doth presuppose a penall estate wherein some soules are afflicted temporally after this life Purgatory prooueth the necessity of prayer for the dead per modum causae by the way of a cause for we are obliged by the law of Charity to make supplication vnto God in behalf of our brethren of the Church Patient in Purgatory Qui securi estis de vobis soliciti estâ—te de nobis S. August meditat cap. 24. as they being translated into the Church Triumphant in Heauen are led by the abundance of their charity to make intercession for vs of the Church Militant in Earth Which triple distinction of the Church I did embrace willingly forasmuch as it was confessed solemnely by Sir Iohn Oldcastle himself howbeit M. Fox seing that this was no small disreputation vnto the faith of our trayterous Martyr mingleth a * if any such place as Purgatory be found in the Scripture few wordes to abate the force of his confession This poore subtility of Fox is dismasked in the g Part. 2. chap. 9. num 18. three Conuersions of England 4. Thus I considered that not the Name but Thing and that things not accidentall but essentiall were to be inquired by me in this dispute I obserued farther that men are not the Authours to make but Expositours to declare their faith And as we do penetrate more excelleÌ„tly into the knowledge of any thing so we are inabled accordingly to expresse the same in proper and significant words For as the imposition of words ariseth from the freenesse of our will so the aptnesse of their imposition floweth from the clearnesse of our vnderstanding 5. Finally I called vnto remembrance that the Church of God hath drawen many lardge doctrines into compendious names as Trinity Sacrament and the like Thus the doctrine of Homousia or the coÌ„substantiality of the Father the Sonne Io. 10.30 is really contayned in the holy Scripture I and my Father are one See before Chap. 1. §. 3. num 3. a playn Text howsoeuer it be Arrianically violated by Caluin but the word it self was established by the first sacred Councell of Nice Thus also I saw that in the opinion of the Papists the doctrine of Metousia or TransubstantiatioÌ„ in the SacrameÌ„t is implied in the Scripture This is my body which little sentence is distracted by vs
Protestants into * 9. are noted by Bellarm de Euchar. l. 1. c. 8. You shall find 84. noted by Claud. de Sainct in lib. de Euchar. Repetit 1. cap. 10. many interpretations but the word it self was confirmed by a * 3. LateraÌ„ generall Councell not inuenting a new faith for the whole Church past and present consented therein by an audacious decree but expressing the old by a significant name For it is iudiciously obserued by h Part. 1. Serm. pro viago Regis Rom. secuÌ„da parte principali direct 3. Gerson against the innouatioÌ„s of VVickliffe and Husse that in the Church we must keepe a certayn forme of speach and that it is an euill liberty to speake erroneously and amisse Wherefore as the holy Councell of Nice did wisely restrayn all men to acknowledge the word Homousia so the Catholiks in the Ariminian Councell saw too late the great inconuenience in leauing men vnto a liberty of speach in this behalf For the world did sigh as S. i contra Lucifer Hierome saith and wondered to see it self become an Arrian not by any hereticall decree as M. k Cathol doctrine of the Church of England pag. 114. Roger's doth vntruly insinuate but by permitting such a freedome as we Protestants affect viz. to define as we see cause in matters of faith according vnto the Scriptures whence they we gayn aduantadge to erect our owne fancies §. 4. The Ancient Catholick Church in hir Prayers for the dead in hir Oblations c. did intend precisely to relieue soules afflicted temporally in a penall estate 1. VVHen I had thus deriued prayer for the dead by a perpetual line froÌ„ the holy Apostles I proceeded farther to examine the purpose inteÌ„dmeÌ„t of the Catholick Church in this religious act for I could not coÌ„tent my self with this simple glosse of l Tom. 1. Epicher de Canouâ— Missa Zuinglius viz If it be so as Augustine and Chrysostome affirme that prayer for the dead is referred vnto the Apostles I think that the Apostles did onely permitt it vnto the infirmity of some Christians c. 2. This seemed vnto me an heathenish euasion and iniurious vnto the syncerity of the Apostles Besides was Aërius the onely man filled with the spirit to impugne this thing which suffered no contradiction vnto his time Wherefore hauing many reasons to amandate Zuinglius with his black admonitour I repayred vnto them who were of more candid and honourable disposition And here I singled foorth two Fathers the one of the Greek Church the other of the Latin esteeming this a sure and conuenable meanes to leade me into a solid apprehension of the truth 3. The FIRST was S. m Cateches mystagog 5. Cyrill Arch-bishopp of Hierusalem who in his instructions of the people whom he was carefull to informe herein according to the simplicity of the Catholick faith hath this ponderous and effectuall senteÌ„ce When we offer vp the Sacrifice commonly knowen by the name of Masse a thing which should not be ingrate vnto vs Englishmen See Beda in his Eccles histor lib. 1. c. 26. forasmuch as it was a part of that Christian faith which we receiued in our first conuersion we make mention of all them who are fallen asleepe before vs. First of the Patriarchs Apostles and Martyrs that God by their intercession may receiue our prayers Then we pray for our deceased Fathers and Bishoppes and finally for all men departed amongst vs viz. in the * See S. August de cura pro mort c. 4. Catholick communioÌ„ For we belieue that this is a very great helpe for the soules of them in whose behalf we offer that holy and fearefull Sacrifice which is layed vpon the Altar 4. A powerable testimony But he goeth yet farther and saieth VVe offer vp Christ once slayn for our sinnes that so we may make him who is most kind to be * A propitiatory Sacrifice propitious and mercifull vnto the quick and dead This is one of those deadly heresies as M. n de Antichristo pag. 254. Powell is pleased to affirme which was deuised by the Pope himself and a parcell of his Anti-christian doctrine 5. But as Vincentius Lirinensis testifieth of himself Contra haeres in praefâ—t that he came forth noÌ„ tam Authoris praesumptione quà m Relatoris fide rather by the fidelity of a relatour then by the presumption of an authour so this Catholick Archbishopp a professed and zealous enimy of all hereticks as his owne * Catech. 6. circa med c. sayings may witnesse vnto vs propounded this doctrine vnto his owne flock whose saluation was deare vnto him not by his peculiar authority as being a father of his children but by the warrant of hir whose sonne he was and which is pia mater communis as S. o de curaÌ„ pro mort cap. 4. Augustine speaketh the pious common Mother of vs all and prayeth for all the departed by a generall commemoration 6. For this cause he saieth WE offer WE pray c. intending hereby to expresse the custome of the Vniuersall Church whose doctrine was famous renowned in this behalf And though we Protestants do often venditate the priuate conceipts of some vayle them vnder the preteÌ„se of a general coÌ„sent viz. WE say thus WE think thus So D. Morâ—on in Cathol Apol. Part. 1. lib. 1. in quaest ac descensu Christi ad inferos pretendeth thus WE coÌ„fesse that Christ weÌ„t truly into hell viz. in soule as Bellarmine himself doth teach c. Many such false protestatioÌ„s are vsed by him by D. Field and others As for the vanity of D. Morton herein it is abundantly refuted by that which M. Rogers himself deliuereth in his Cathol doct pa. 16. WE do thus c. which is a meere toy for the very nature and fundation of our Religion is such that as euery one conceiueth by his spirit so he is in trauayle to bring forth his owne Church yet S. Cyrill and the religious Fathers were more respectiue in their words waighing them in the ballance of a good conscience and a sober heart 7. Wherefore addressing my thoughts vnto a serious meditation of theis things I beganne more sensibly to discouer how vainely and foolishly I had bene terrified by the spectrical names of Popery Papists and the like the late inuentioÌ„s of an apostatical Friar inasmuch as the best the wisest the most learned Fathers did speake and write and practise directly herein as the Papists Catholicks for popery being translated out of S. * Sainted by M. Powell de Antich pa. 68. Luthers language signifieth the Catholick religion do speake and write and practise at this day 8. The SECOND Father was S. Augustine I was desirous to seeke after no more because I was assured that I could find no better vnto whom I did appeale as vnto the best and most faithfull witnesse of antiquity For so he is approoued by Iohn
* See S. August epist. 48. and say Nesciebamus hîc esse veritatem nec eam discere volebamus c. We knew not that the truth was here neither would we learne it But thankes be vnto God who hath taken away our feare and taught vs by experience how vayn and empty those suggestions are which lying fame hath cast out against his Church c. The end of the first Part. THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING A MORALL REASON which perswaded me to intertayn the Catholick doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. The PROVIDENCE of God in preseruing a visible Church free from any damnable errour doth confirme the doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead §. 1. The FIRST Consideration touching a visible Church I Considered First that God hath promised vnto vs a perpetuity of his Church both by his Sonne and Seruants For thus saieth his onely begotten Matth. 2◠20 I am with you alwayes vnto the end of the world 2. A comfortable saying ô Sauiour Iesus I not in body but in Spirit AM yea I will be also but * Before Abraham I am Ioh. 8.58 thus I expresse my self because I am eternall and immutable WITH YOV not in your persons onely but in your succession for euer and not inuisibly by grace alone but visibly also in a syncere profession of the truth ALWAYES VNTO THE END OF THE WORLD my Church shall endure throughout all generations Thus the promise of God made vnto Dauid historically concerning his seed Psal 88. c. is referred mystically vnto Christ in whose seed to witt his Church it is must be absolutely performed 3. I had yet a farther assurance from God by his Seruants Ephes 4.11 For thus saieth S. Paule He Christ hath giuen vs Apostles Prophets Euangelists men of extraordinary vocation in the beginning Pastours and Doctours men of ordinary vocation to the end for the consummation of the Saints for the worke of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ VNTILL we all meete in the vnity of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God into a perfect man into the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ 4. This Text of holy Scripture I knew to be diuersly and preposterously sensed as well by the * M. Cartwright against D. Whitgift Presbyterians against the Formalists as by the * D. Soteliffe against D. Kellisō Protestants against Cath. The first exclude Archbish. the second by the same reasō exclude the Pope But I secured my self in the true and genuine interpretation thereof which did infallibly and clearely demonstrate vnto me theis two poynts First that the Church of Christ must perpetually subsist without decay Secondly that it must be visibly extant without obscurity and concealement For how can Pastours preach the ghospell and administer the holy Sacraments where people are not assembled to that purpose and gathered into a society of faith 5. As for the example of Eliah I alwayes esteemed it a lamentable suggestion in this case For his complaint * 3. Reg. 19. I am left alone extendeth onely vnto the kingdome of ISRAELL wherein he then conuersed and wherein he with many others was persecuted by Iezabell vnder Ahab hir infortunate husband But at the same time the law was read the Sacrifice was offered pure Religion was professed and protected in the kingdome of IVDAH vnder Iosaphat a blessed Prince * 3. Reg. 22.43 walking in the good wayes of Asa his father This Iosaphat suruiued vnto the * 4. Reg. 3.2 coronation of Ioram the yonger sonne of Ahab and so the example of Eliah can not be of any force to defend the opinion of many Protestants concerning the inuisibility of the Church 6. Wherefore seing how D. Apolog. Cathol part 1. lib. 1. c. 14. Morton doth still reinforce this poynt though cleared sufficiently by sondry Catholicks euen in the confession of a learned Protestant in England from whose mouth I receiued this instruction many yeares ago as though the aforesaid complaint of Eliah pertayned likewise vnto the kingdome of Iudah I did often and greatly wonder that such a man against his owne conscience should deale so fraudulently in this behalf For first he saieth that Lombard doth giue this exposition viz. When the daughter of Ahab was married vnto * The sonne of Iosaphat The yōger sonne of Ahab was called lord likewise Ioram the king of Iudah then all the Iewes seemed to be Idolaters so that Eliah thought himself to be left alone and vpon this authority of Lombard the Doctour buildeth his exception against the former answere Now is this I beseech you an ingenious and honest deportment in the Doctour thus to presse the authority of Lombard whom he knew to be singularly mistaken herein and to err most playnely against the historical euidence of sacred Scripture Secondly the Doctour is pleased to colour and cloake the said exposition of Lombard with the name of S. Ambrose and for this purpose he frameth his quotation in the margent thus Lombard in Rom. cap. 11. EX AMBROSIO But I found that as S. Ambrose hath not one syllable to iustify this exposition in the least degree so Peter Lombard himself doth not assume it frō him nor once vse his name therein howbeit both before and after he gleaneth vp some sentences from that excellent Father Is this a faithfull course in a Minister of simple truth 7. Renouncing the opinion of our Inuisibilists as an impious and contemptible fancy I embraced a position of h pag. 19. c. D. Field which though it be mingled with some corruptions and vntruths in his discourse yet in it self it is very effectuall syncere The Church can not be inuisible in respect of Profession and this Profession is knowen euen vnto the profane and wicked of the world Agayn It can not be but that they Apply this rule to the Protestanticall Churches who are of the TRVE Church must by profession of the TRVTH make themselues knowen in such sort that by their profession and practise they may be discerned from other men 8. For this cause S. Augustine saieth in a playn and familiar kind of speach See the 3. Conuersiōs of Englād Part. 2. chap. 1. throughout digito ostendimus Ecclesiam we shew forth the Church with our fingers in this place and in that here she is conspicuous and thus she hath descended vnto vs by a fayr and spectable succession 9. Non sic Protestantes non sic as for the Protestants it is not so with them their Church was hatched in corners and inclosed long in Cymmerian darcknesse Wherefore as the good sinfull woman complayned mournfully saying Ioh. 20.13 They haue taken away my Lord and I know not where they haue layed him so I was inforced to take vp a iust complaynt against all nouelizing hereticks and say They haue taken away the Church of my Lord
and I know not where they haue placed hir They can not assigne vnto me any persons time or place wherein their Synagogue had a resplendent face and a laudable dilatation §. 2. The SECOND Consideration touching a visible Church free from any damnable errour The Protestants loosenesse and confusion in their description of the Church 1. I Considered Secondly that this VISIBLE Church can neuer be taynted vniuersally with any errour and specially if it be such as either expressly or implicitely indangereth the principles of saluation for in matters of the necessity of saith she is freed from the possibility of errour 2. Hence it is that i Part. 4. de Vnit. Grac. Considerat 6. Iohn Gerson a man highly * See afterward c. 3. § 3. num 4. c. aduanced by D. Field prescribeth this ensuing obseruation as an infallible rule VVhatsoeuer is determined by the Pope of Rome together with his generall Councell of the Church in matters appertayning vnto faith that is vndoubtedly true and to be receiued of all the world For this consideration is founded in the articles of our faith VVe belieue that there is an HOLY CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH which is exempted from errour in hir faith c. 3. As this position was credible with me for the Authours sake and he vpon D. Fields singular commendation so I was induced farther and more strongly perswaded to intertayn it by the certayn warrant of him who is TRVTH it self and promised his Spirit vnto the holy Apostles with assurance Io. 16.13 that he should lead them into all Truth 4. In quality it is Truth without errour In quantity it is All truth necessary and expedient for them or vs in this peregrinant estate For as this promise belonged then particularly vnto each Apostle so it belongeth now generally vnto the whole Church which being taken either in hir latitude as she is diffused ouer the world or in hir representation as she is collected into a lawfull Synod is priuiledged from errour in hir doctrinall determinations 5. And this was clearely imported vnto me in a sentence of S. 1. Timoth. 3.15 Paull vnto his beloued Timothy whom he instructed how he should behaue himself in the house of God which is the ground and PILLAR OF TRVTH 6. For howsoeuer it pleaseth D. k Pag. 199. The church of Ephesus hath erred damnably in faith Field to elude the grauity and power of this Scripture by restrayning the Apostles sense therein particularly vnto the Church of Ephesus which was committed vnto the Episcopall care of Timothy yet as many reasons did preuayle with me to reiect his exposition so I preferred the authority of S. l Commentâ—r ibid Ambrose saying that VVhereas the whole world is Gods the Church is sayd to be his howse of which vniuersall Church Damasus the Pope is Rectour at this day This Vniuersall Church is the Pillar of truth sustayning the edifice of faith 7. Herevpon l Prascripe cap. 28. Tertullian deriding the hereticks of his time esteemeth it a base and grosse conceipt in any man to suppose that the holy Ghost who was asked of the Father and sent by the Sonne to be the Teacher of TRVTH should neglect that office vnto which he was designed and that he should permitt the Church to vnderstand the Scriptures otherwise then he spake by the mouth of the Apostles And farther Is it probable saieth he that so many and so great Churches if they did erre should erre thus conformably into the same faith VARIASSE debuerat ERROR doctrinae Ecclesiarum Caeterùm quod apud multos VNVM inuenitur non est erratum sed TRADITVM Errour bringeth variety but where vnity is there is the truth Thus the Churches are many in number but one in faith diuided in place but ioyned in opinion 8. Mine earnest meditation in this point taught me to lament the confusion of our Protestants admitting innumerable sectaries into our vast and incongruous Church Fox in Act. Mon. See the 3. Conuers of EnglaÌ„d which is a very Chimaera thrust together and fashioned in specificall disproportions But this was our necessity hard necessity and not our choyce to make such a pitifull delineation of our Church For whereas we had not any certayn succession to deriue hir descent and petigree from the Ancients we were compelled in this respect to deale liberally like good fellowes and take sondry hereticks with incompatible factions into our society least by the same reason for which we exclude others we should exclude our selues also from the communion of the Church pag. 137. 9. Hence it is that D. Field laying the fundation of his Babell feareth not to say that the Churches of Russia Armenia Syria AEthiopia Greece c. are and continue parts of the TRVE CATHOLICK CHVRCH A position manifestly repugnant vnto Reason and Authority Vnto reason for if truth of doctrine be a Note of the Church as we defend how is that a true Catholick Church which impugneth the truth and how is that one Church which is distracted into many faiths Vnto authority for S. * de haeres in perorat See the 3. conuers of England Part. 2. chap. 10. num 10.15.16.17 c. Augustine doth constantly affirme that whosoeuer maintayneth any heresy registred or omitted by him in his Treatise he is not a CATHOLIQVE Christian and consequently no member of that Church wherein alone we haue the promise of saluation For as our * Fides in Christum faith in Christ must be TRVSTFVLL liuely and actiue by a speciall application of his merits vnto our selues so our * Fides de Christo faith of Christ must be TRVE syncere and absolute by a iust conformity vnto the will of God reuealed by him and propounded by his Church And therefore D. Fields * Part. 4. de vnit Graecorum considerat 4. Gerson intreating of peace and VNITY in the Church laboureth to draw all men into a communion of faith and iudgeth it a great folly in any man to conceiue that we may be saued in our particular sects and errours 10. When I had discouered by an earnest prosecution of this point how naturally and powerfully our ProtestaÌ„ticall * The Church may erre Diuers Churches though erring grosly in faith make vp one Catholick Church c. doctrines conuaigh men into Laodiceanisme and a carelesse neglect of vndefiled Religion whence Atheisme must necessarily ensue I resolued with hearty affection to vnite my self vnto that Church which is pure and single in Religion wheresoeuer I should deprehend the same For though I saw that the Protestants religion was false in some things yet I had great hesitation and doubt whether the Papists were true in all as S. * Confess lib. 6. cap. 1. Augustine spake sometime vnto his louing Mother I am now no Manichee nor yet a Catholick Christian And so mine estate as well as his might be resembled vnto the case of that patient * S.
throughout 2 whole * 10. â—â— chapters going immediately before as you shall perceiue by this example which hath more shew of probability on his side and is of more importance then all the rest His words are thei †pag. 83. Touching the second cause of the Churches ruine which is the ambition pride and covetousnesse of the Bishopps and Court of Rome * Part. 1. in 4 coÌ„siderat post Tract de Vnitate Ecclesiastical Gerson boldly affirmeth that whereas the Bishopps of Rome challendging the greatest place in the Church shou'd haue sought the good of Gods people they contrarily sought onely to aduance themselues in imitation of Lucifer they will be adored and worshipped as Gods Neither do they think themselues subiect to any but are as the sonnes of Beliall that haue cast off the yoke not enduring whatsoeuer they do that any should aske them why they do so They neither feare God not reuerence men 42. What credulous and ignorant Reader may not be intangled by such sugred speaches so full of deadly poyson For first to deale with some of his words and then to come vnto his matter why doth the Doctour produce Gerson boldly affirming that the Bishopps of Rome CHALLENGED the greatest place in the Church Doth not Gerson say boldly that the Bishopp of Rome is a Monarch in the Church by diuine right * Pag. 5.6 See before and deale vnpartially in this matter Agayn whereas it may seeme an odious imputation and specially out of Gersons mouth that the Bishopps of Rome would be adored and worshipped which word M. Doctour supplieth out of his owne store for exaggeration sake as Gods you may consider that without all question Gerson doth not reprooue the exhibition of condigne honour vnto the vicegerent of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ For * Part. 1. de Potestate Ecclesiasticâ considerat 11. Gerson doth freely agnize that in respect of the admirable power which is committed by Christ vnto the Pope as Pastour of the vniuersall Church though he be most wicked in person yet in respect of his place he may be called most holy which assertion is extreamely repugnant vnto the temerarious malice of Iohn Husse saying that †See CoÌ„cil Constant. Sess 12. in Artic. Huss 23. the Pope may not be called most holy in respect of his office for then the Diuell himself may be called holy also and that he may be adored cultu duliae euen vnto the kisses of his feete and so in other honours Which humble deiection will hardly agree as I conceiue with the proud Spirit of Luther Zuinglius or their compeeres 43. I pretermitt my iust exception against some words whence the Doctour sucketh no small aduantadge and come vnto the purport of the matter it self wherein you may behold his generall obliquity and deceipt Farâ— was it from Gersons heart to impayr the dignity of our Lords anoynted as * See before pag. 8. himself speaketh and to scandalize the Apostolicall See much lesse did he intend to yeald the least defence vnto any man of VVickliffs race But you may be pleased to vnderstand that the Catholick Church had suffered much diuexation in his time by the pernicious schisme of Antipopes the †See GersoÌ„ a little before in his treatise Quot schif mata c. two and twentieth schisme of that kind by whom a great distraction ensued among Christians as he doth bitterly complayn To extirpate this euill a Councell was indicted at Pisa and thither the prelates of the Church flowed in great abundance Wherefore this worthy guide of Gods Church and seuere enimy of all VVickliffian hereticks layed downe certayn waighty considerations for the direction of so important a businesse See the place cited by D. Field num 41. in the number whereof is this particular ensuing The vnity of the Church now to be procured in the Councell of Pisa vnto one certayn VICAR of Christ ought to rest more solidly vpon the sentences and deliberations of the Councell and of the wise men that will repayr thither yea though they offer no euident reasons then vpon the allegations and assertions or excusations or iustifications either of them who now contend about the Papacy or of any their abettours This consideration is easily deduced from hence viz. that the meane of virtue is to be accepted as a wise man shall iudge thereof and as a spirituall man who discerneth all things shall say but not as a carnall man who fauoureth not the thinge that are of God shall fayne vnto himself For who will doubt when more causes concurre in their behalf who shall assemble together in the Councell but that such as employ their diligence to make vnion in the Church should be credited rather then * The Antipopes they wo striue to possesse that presidency which they already obtayn â—orthe too much and carnall loue of a man vnto himself and vnto his necessaries is it not wont to deceiue and to carry into impious errours euen vnto the imitation of Lucifer that they would be adored as Gods and repute not themselues subiect vnto any man as sonnes of Beliall without an yoake and that no man may say vnto them VVhy doest thou so They feare not God nor reuerence man whereas they ought to be more humble and more prompt to serue in the office of their prelacy by how much they see themselues more obliged to render their accompt 44. Thus I haue presented the matter completely vnto your view with the true substance and due circumstance thereof I know that your excellent apprehension will not suffer you to be transported by vayn pretenses against the cleare light of vnresistable truth Wherefore your prudency shall ease me of farther payn in the explication of this thing 45. Finally to giue a plenary satisfaction vnto you and others concerning GERSONS opinions generally your REFORMATION the ruine of the Church being masked in that glorious name you must vnderstand that whereas he reprooueth the ambition of some Popes you haue renounced the institution of Christ He accuseth the exorbitancy of some disordered persons you disclayme the verity of the Catholick faith He disprayseth the vnlawfull abuse of things you contemne their necessary vse He wished a remedy of some euills your remedy is worse then the euills themselues He desired to euacuate the bad humours you haue leâ—t forth the life-bloud of the Church In stead of conuersion we see subuersion in stead of reformation we behold deformation Church against Church faith against faith intestine conflicts with endlesse strife And whence is this Because vnity is necessarily dissolued where all the members are not conioyned vnto one head a mischief which had neuer bene knowen if Luther had applied Gersons * See before num 25. remedy in the curing of hir sicknesse To conclude therefore there is a resemblance betwixt Ioabs cruelty against the sonne of his Maister and Luthers insolency against the Father of the