a true history but as the mysterie of God in Christ it embraceth it as the Gospell preaching Christ the Sauiour yea preaching Christ to euery beleeuer of this Gospell in particular As Luk. 2. 10. 11. The Angels said to the Shepheards Feare not for behold I bring You good tidings of great ioy that shall be to all people For vnto You is born this day in the City of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Note here is the Gospel preached to who I bring You good tidings And what is the tidings To you is borne this day a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Here we haue an exact summe of the Gospell which is Christ the Sauiour borne to vs. Now to beleeue this Gospell is an Euangelicall faith but such as cannot diuide betweene the Gospell Christ and such also as must needes apprehend and applie Christ by beleeuing in him For To You is borne this day a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. To You this is a necessary relatiue part of the Gospell for Euangelium or good tidings imply not onely the party sending but also the party or parties to whom it is sent So that the faith of the Gospell must so beleeue the truth of the Gospell as that it leaue out no part of it But one part of it is that this Gospell is sent to You that is to all beleeuers For as much as the Gospell containeth the couenant of grace betweene God and vs God and man being the parties interessed in this Couenant mutually in Christ the Mediator Therefore the Euangelicall faith is not a bare generall assent to the truth of the Gospell but a particular affiance in Christ the summe of the Gospell and so it apprehendeth and applieth this good tidings which is to beleeue the Gospell indeed For that generall faith which they call an assent when it goes no further it makes no difference betweene the Gospell and the Law and other parts of the word of God but beleeueth them all indifferently as a true history when it is called an historicall faith But when faith comes to put a difference pitching vpon the speciall obiect the Gospell and so this faith becomes an Euangelical faith then it is so the faith of the Gospell as it is also necessarily the speciall faith of Christ whom it apprehendeth layeth hold vpon vnlesse a man can so diuide between Christ the Gospel as the Gospel may be Gospel without Christ or so diuide the Gospell from it self as that we may beleeue it to be good tidings not to vs in particular Whereas the beliefe of the Gospell consists in the apprehending and certain applying of the good tidings therof vnto vs To You is born this day a Sauiour to You is this word of saluation sent This is the Gospell and this is to beleeue the Gospell by applying it to vs to whom it is sent If we do not beleeue it sent to vs we do not beleeue the Gospell for it is so far a Gospell or good tidings to vs as we beleeue it to be sent to vs in particular Nor is this faith of the Gospell a certain or rather vncertaine swimming in the brain that perhaps or probably or possibly God may be merciful vnto vs in Christ A doctrine bred of the spawne of Trent This is a wandring imagination hatched in mans braine hauing no ground of truth or agreement with the faith of the Gospell Thus we see if Euangelicall faith be none other but the faith of Christ and in Christ as we haue sufficiently proued then it followeth that the distinction betweene Euangelicall faith and faith in Christ being vnsound and groundlesse the whole doctrine of the precedency of repentance before faith in Christ as a necessary and acceptable preparatiue thereunto doth euen mole sua of it selfe fall to the ground For the authors of such a doctrine must needes confesse if they will be guided by reason that there is no repentance but faith must goe before it for to cause it as either Legall faith must go before it to cause Legall repentance or Euangelical faith must go before to cause Euangelicall repentance Now if there be no Euangelicall faith to goe before and cause Euangelicall repentance but the faith of Christ then in vaine is any repentance deuised to goe before and cause faith in Christ. This Eagle-eyed faith of Christ hath no sooner glanced vpon the Sun of Righteousnesse but instantly by the force thereof a dreery cloud being raised causeth a gracious but sad shower of repentance to descend from those windowes and floud-gates of the now heauenly Soule to refresh the poore sinner now hungring and thirsting after the liuing waters They say also that the faith to wit Euangelicall faith which is the cause of their Repentance going before and causing the faith of Christ is a generall assent or a generall faith of the truth of the Gospell But how can this generall assent beget in mee a particular Repentance vnlesse with this assent I haue also a particular affiance in the promise of the Gospell of Christ applying it to my self The Gospell saith To you is borne a Sauiour Christ the Lord. I beleeue this to be true But how shall this beliefe moue me to Repentance vnlesse I beleeue that this Sauiour is borne to me in particular Ahab had not so easily repented if Gods iudgements being layd neuer so close to him hee had not beleeued the truth of them in particular towards himselfe So the Nineuites For particular Repentance in euery man must arise from a particular apprehension and application of the Word of God towards himselfe As for their reasons forcing Repentance to goe before Faith in Christ they are very poor and beggarly as that otherwise it leades me to presumption A very friuolous and false surmise For sauing Faith doth no sooner lay hold on Christ with the one hand but withall it layeth the other hand vpon the sinner the subiect wherein it is arraigning him at Gods Tribunall iudging condemning him for that sinner whom Christ came to saue Faith doth no sooner looke on Christ with the right eye but it presently reflects on the sinner with the left eye The reason is because it is impossible I should beleeue Christ to be my Sauiour but withall I must beleeue and acknowledge my selfe to bee the sinner which I cannot truely do but it will necessarily breed in mee that Repentance to saluation not to bee repented of For a Sauiour and a wretched sinner are relatiues which not euen the thought of man can diuide or sunder one from another And so here their reason why such Repentance must needes goe before faith is found faultie which is say they because if Repentance went not before faith in Christ then faith in Christ would proue to be presumption Therefore we haue shewed that in true faith in Christ there is alwaies true Repentance as the prime and immediate fruite of Faith So that rather the
it selfe from sinne is faithfull because the iust man liueth by Faith Hence it is that Bernard saith Credere in Deum est in eum sperare eum diligere To beleeue in God is to hope in him and to loue him And againe Vera plenâ— fides vâ—iuersa praecepta complectitur A true and complete Faith comprehendeth all the Commandements Hieronymus Osorius in his first Booke de Iustitia hath these words Fides continet omnem religionem atque pietatem omnes enim virtutes ex fide aptè nexeque sunt cum illa sanctissimo vinculo colligatae atque implicitae sunt That is Faith containeth all religion and pietie for all vertues are by Faith consorted and connexed together and with it are bound and intwined in a most holy knot But yet I dare not warrant the Reader that he shal finde these words in Osorius from henceforth seeing in the Index at Madrid these very words are commanded to passe the flames of their Index expurgatorius And in the second booke hee saith Ergo cum Fides totum animum regat in Verbi diuini studium rapiat consequens necessario est vt non cernatur solum in credendo sed etiam in obediendo Therefore seeing Faith doth gouerne the whole soule and drawe it to the study and loue of Gods Word it followeth necessarily that it is seene not onely in beleeuing but also in obeying But these words also vndergoe the same doome with the former Yea why should Pontificians make it so strange that Faith should haue all other graces inseparably coupled with it seeing that euen their Doctors Aristotle and Cicero doe teach that all morall vertues are conioyned and combined in one and he that hath one hath all and that Iustitia est omnis virtus Iustice is euery vertue It is a maruaile that they haue escaped Purgatory seeing that not euen Gratian himselfe hath had the grace to be fauoured of them his Glosse but bordering vpon Tullies Offices for where he saith Sed quomodo possum habere talem Fidem that is to remoue mountaines non charitatem cum qui habeat vnam virtutem habeat omnes * Nonpossem quidem nisi miraculosè that is But how can I haue such a Faith to remoue mountaines and not charity sith hee that hath one vertue hath all I could not haue it but miraculously All these words must out as yee may see in Collat. censurae in Gloss. iuris canon num 84. His excellent Maiesty also in his peerlesse Paraphrase of the Reuelation Chapt. 20. saith That God by Faith onely iustifieth man which notwithstanding is done according to his workes because they as the fruits of Faith cannot be separated from it and bear witnesse of the same to men in the earth S. Augustine saith Quid est ergo credere in eum credendo amare credendo diligere credendo in eumire eius membris incorporari What is it then to beleeue in him by beleeuing to loue him by beleeuing to affect him by beleeuing to goe into him and to be incorporated into his members Paulus Fidem quae per dilectionem operatur approbat atque commendat quae vtique sine spe esse non potest proinde nec amor sine spe est nec sine amore spes neque vtrumque sine Fide Paul approueth and commendeth that Faith which worketh by loue which cannot bee without hope therefore neyther is loue without hope nor hope without loue nor both without Faith And vpon the 139. Psalme hee saith Fides sic est in anima vt radix bona quae pluviam in fructum ducit Faith is in the soule as a good roote which bringeth the raine into the fruit And St. Chrysostome saith Fides est Religionis sanctissimae fundamentum charitatis vinculum amoris subsidium Haec sanctitatem firmat castitatem roborat gubernat sexus gradus prouehit officia cunctâ—custodit Fides mandata tenet praeceptâ— seruat promissa consummat Faith is the foundation of the most holy Religion the bond of charity the supply of loue It confirmes sanctity it strengthens chastity it gouernes all sexes it promotes all degrees it obserueth all offices Faith keepeth the commandements practiseth the precepts accomplisheth the promises And much more to this purpose according to his golden elegancy Ambrose also saith there are in Faith great prerogatiues and dignities What bee they Piety Iustice Sobriety Charity Discipline or good Gouernment And in a word St. Augustine saith In ipsa Fide sunt omnia opera quae diligit Deus in Faith it selfe are all those works which God loueth Thus Faith being in the heart as in the proper subiect of inherency and so consequently in the whole soule and euery faculty thereof as the life and soule of the soule animating euery power and property of it it followeth that as morall iustice is euery morall vertue as the Philosopher speaketh so iustifying Faith which is reckoned for righteousnesse is euery grace and holy vertue as being the liuing roote and holy seede sustaining quickening supplying sanctifying all other graces which are as so many fruits growing vpon this Tree of life as Reuel 22. 2. holy Faith being the foundation whereon all graces are built the ground whereon they grow Hence they haue all their rise motion yea their formall and essentiall goodnesse For whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne If we hope not from Faith if we loue not from Faith if we be not patient because wee beleeue and so in the rest Hope Loue Patience and the rest are so many â—ins For as Faith is the ground or foundation of things hoped for so of things loued of things suffered and the rest And why may not so many habits of grace grow vpon the same roote and stemme of Faith as so many distinct fruits vpon the same Tree of life Yea the Apostle elsewhere also tels vs that from Faith doe spring not onely peace of conscience towards God but accesse vnto all grace reioycing vnder hope of the glory of God Patience Hope Loue c. Thus it is euident by the authority of the holy Scriptures and by the testimonies of ancient Fathers that sauing and iustifying Faith is not a Faith common with Deuils and Reprobates as being in nature and kinde a dead Faith but it is proper and peculiar onely to the Saints and Elect as being a holy and liuing Faith which receiueth not life from any infusion of charity into it but is a liuing roote from whence doe spring and wherein do liue all holy graces as Charity Hope Patience Meeknesse c. That this is called also the Catholicke Faith not because it is common to good and bad or because it hath for the generall obiect of it the Word of God as it is a true History containing things done and to be done whether they be acts precepts threatnings or promises one with another but because it is the Catholicke Faith of
testified by those scarres in his sacred side My Lord and my God In a word all those Creeds vsed in the Church from all antiquity do vnanimously and with one ioynt consent confirme this Catholicke truth of that speciall explicit cleere particular Faith in Christ required in euery true beleeuer For first of all they do all say I beleeue in God c. not We beleeue So the Apostles Creed the Nicene Creede saith I beleeue in one God c. not We beleeue Athanasius his Creede saith Whosoeuer will be saued before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholicke Faith c. that is Euery man in particular must beleeue And this particular Faith is required not only in regard of euery beleeuer but also in regard of the speciall obiect of Faith which is no confused or vniuersall I wot not what obiect but a speciall obiect to wit the sauing knowledge of God in Christ and the promise of life in him Looke vpon all the Creeds which the Fathers call the obiect of Faith as containing the summe of that which we are to beleeue to our saluation and doe they not mainely present to our Faith Iesus Christ and him crucified Nor this onely in generall that Christ is the redeemer of the world but the specialties of this redemption are set downe to teach vs That not a generall implicit faith will serue the turne but it must bee a particular explicit faith comprehending all those particulars in the Creede declared at large in the Word of God Thus the foundation of Popish vncertainty of Faith being remoued to wit a certaine vncertaine implicit general faith the building it selfe threatneth immediate ruine CHAP. XIV Of the vncertainety of Romane-Catholicke Faith THe Councell of Trent being in generall an enemie to the certainety of Faith which giueth a true beleeuer an assurance of his saluation and withall considering how euident both Scriptures and Fathers were in this point so strongly propugned and maintained by Luther and thirdly the Councell it selfe in the canuase of this point while it was in consultation or rather in contention being diuided into contrary parties and sides some holding for certainety as Catarinus and others for vncertainety as Vega and others as the History of the same Councell doth notably discouer Therefore it became the politicke spirit of the Councell to vse all cautelous circumspection in the definite concluding of this point contriuing it vnder such vmbratilous and sub-obscure termes as that they might seeme neither grossely to oppose the open truth nor yet displease that party of the Councell that seemed to encline to the truths side nor yet leaue Luther vncondemned for defending the truth nor yet betray their owne cause which was to aduance the vncertainty of Romane-Catholicke Faith Vncertainety being the very hint which gaue occasion to the Serpent boldly to insult and so to ouerthrow mankinde For when Eue said lest yee dye the Serpent finding her staggering takes the aduantage strikes her with a down-right blow to the ground Yee shall not dye at all But let vs see the mystery of Trents iniquitie in their wily winding vp this bottomlesse bottome of their implicite Faith in the vncertaintie of it In the ninth Chapter of the sixt Session they haue these words Quamuis necessarium sit credere neque remitti neque remissa vnquam fuisse peccata nisi gratis diuina misericordia propter Christum nemini tamen fiduciam certitudinem remissionis peccatorum suorum iactanti in ea sola quiescenti peccata dimitti vel dimissa esse dicendum est cum apud Haereticos Schismaticos possit esse imo nostra tempestate sit magna contra Ecclesiam Catholicam contentione praedicetur vana haec ab omni pietateremota fiducia Sed neque illud asserendum est oportere eos qui verè iustificati sunt absque vlla omnino dubitatione apud semetipsos statuere se esse iustificatos neminemque à peccatis absolui nisi eum qui certò credat se absolutum iustificatum esse atque hac sola fide absolutionem iustificationem perfici quasi qui hoc non credidit de Dei promissis deque mortis resurrectionis Christi efficacia dubitâ—t Nam sicut nemo pius de Dei misericordia de Christi merito de Sacramentorum virtute efficacia dubitare debet sic quilibet dum seipsum suamque propriam infirmitatem indispositionem respicit de sua gratia formidare timere potest Cum nullus scire valeat certitudine fidei cui non potest subesse falsum se gratiam Dei esse consequutum Thus farre the whole ninth Chapter That is Although it be necessary to beleeue that sins neyther are nor euer were remitted but freely by diuine mercy for Christ yet no man boasting of confidence and certainty of the remission of his sinnes and therewith wholly * resting ought to say that his sinnes are or haue been remitted seeing this vain confidence voide of all piety both may be amongst Heretickes and Schismatickes yea and is now in these our dayes and is preached with great contention against the Catholicke Church But neither is that to be affirmed that they who are truely iustified ought without any doubting at all to conclude with themselues that they are iustified and that none is absolued and iustified from sins but he that certainly beleeueth that he is absolued and iustified and that in this sole faith absolution and iustification consisteth as if a man not beleeuing this should doubt of the promises of God and of the efficacy of Christs death and resurrection For as no godly man ought to doubt of the mercy of God of the merit of Christ and of the power and efficacy of the Sacraments so euery man while hee looketh vpon himselfe and his owne proper infimity and indisposition may be affraid and fearfull of his owne grace seeing no man can know by the certainty of faith wherein there may not lye some error that he hath obtained the grace of God Now I desire the Christian iudicious Reader to obserue the sundry passages and as it were the seuerall threads of this Copwebbe First like the painted Whoore she sets a faire face or preface vpon the matter as attributing remission of sinnes to Gods mercy for Christ which euery one must necessarily beleeue she could say no lesse though in the vp-shot of the matter she would haue men to beleeue nothing lesse but in the next place shee comes with a by-blow and condemnes the confidence and assurance of faith vnder the termes of boasting And therefore prefixeth this a title before the Chapter Contra inanâ—m Haereticorum fiduciam Against the vaine confidence of Heretickes A notable packe of cunâ—â—ng well beseeming the mysterie of iniquity They doe not goe bluntly to worke to beate downe-right that confidence and certaine assurance which is in a true iustifying faith but slily they wound
varijs opinionibus nostrae fidei Sacramenta non magis certa veritate subsistant Nonne si fluctuat fides inanis est spes nostra Sed absit vt putemus in fide vel spe nostra aliquid vt is put at dubia â—stimatione pendulum non magis solum quod in ea est certa ac solida veritate submixum oraculis miraculis diuinitus persuasum stabilitum consecratum partu Virginis sanguine Redemptoris gloria resurgentis Testimonia ista credibilia facta sunt nimis Si quò minùs ipse postremò Spiritus reddit testimonium spiritus nostro quod filij Deo sumus that is Abailard hath defined faith to bee an opinion as if it were lawfull for euery one to speake and determine of faith as they listed or as if the mysteries of our faith depended vpon vncertainty in wandring and wilde opinions and did not rather subsist in a most certaine verity For if faith bee wauering is not our hope also vaine But far be it that wee should thinke that there is any thing in our faith or hope wauing as he thinketh in a doubtfull opinion and not rather the onely thing that is in it is supported with the certaine and solid truth perswaded by oracles and miracles from God established and consecrated by the birth of the Virgin by the bloud of the Redeemer and by the glory of him that rose againe These testimonies are most credible If they were not sufficient the Spirit himselfe in the last place doth giue testimony to our spirit that we are the Sons of God Quomodo ergo fidem quis audet dicere aestimationem nisi qui Spiritum istum nondum accepit quiue Euangelium aut ignoret aut fabulam putet Scio cui credidi certus sum clamat Apostolus tu mihi subsibilas fides est aestimatio How then dare any man call faith an opinion but he that hath not as yet receiued that Spirit or who knoweth not the Gospell or reputes it a fable I know whom I haue beleeued and am certaine cryeth the Apostle and doest thou whisper faith is an opinion So Bernard So that in Bernards time who liued betweene foure and fiue hundred yeares agoe the darknesse of Egypt had not as yet so ouer-spread the earth but that some light shined in the land of Goshen to giue light to Gods people Nor had the deluge of Apostacy breaking forth from the great deepe of the mysterie of iniquity and falling down in Cataracts from the top of that Skye-threatning seuen-hild Citie sitting vpon many waters so ouer-flowed the firme ground of Christian faith but that the Doue of Gods Elect might finde some place to pitch the foote of the certainty of saluation vpon There be also sundry other accessory testimonies to establish euery true beleeuer in the certainty of his saluation as the holy Scriptures wherein is set downe the truth of Gods promises The Scriptures are strong and euident testimonies of God and therefore called the Two Testaments of God Search the Scriptures saith Christ for in them yee finde euerlasting life and they are they which testifie of me And Iohn 20. 31. These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that beleeuing yee might haue life through his Name St. Augustine vpon the words of the Psalme God is faithfull in his words c. saith Noluit sibi credi dicenti sed voluit teneri Scripturam sanctam c. God would not haue his bare saying to be beleeued so much as he would haue the holy Scripture to be firmely holden euen as if you should say to a man when you promise him any thing Thou doest not beleeue me behold I giue thee my writing for it for seeing one generation goeth another commeth the Scripture of God ought to remaine as a certaine hand-writing of God which all passengers reading may hold fast the way of his promise c. And Bernard saith vpon these words Matth. 8. Speake but the word onely c. Bonum est si dicantur verba sed nihilominus bonum est si scribantur verba c. It is good if the words bee spoken but yet it is good also if the words be written For the word flyeth away irreuocable vnlesse it be committed to writing Scriptura c. The Scripture makes the word both stable and visible St. Ambrose saith Sermo plurimâ—â— Scripturarum animam confirmat quodam spiritalis gratiae colorat vapore The plentifull speech of the Scriptures doth confirme the soule and as it were colour it with a certaine vapour of spirituall grace And vpon the Epistle to the Romanes Chapt. 1. vers 2. In the holy Scriptures Hoc ad cumulum c. This hee added to the heape of his true protestations that hee might cause the greater faith in the beleeuers And Theophilact vpon Luke 16. They haue Moses and the Prophets c. saith Nothing is so profitable as the diligent searching of the Scriptures for by searching of the dead the Deuill may deceiue vs but those which soberly search the Scriptures nothing can deceiue them for they are the lanthorne and light whereby the theefe is discouered and taken tardy So that the holy Scriptures are a strong foundation to build the certainty of Faith vpon So the holy Sacraments which are the seales of Gods Testaments they are all the seales of our faith Rom. 4. 11. A point that hath much puzzled and perplexed the Pontificians for as much as both the ancient Fathers are full of testimonies to this purpose and the Pontificians themselues doe ascribe so much to the efficacy of the Sacraments as conferring grace ex opere operato as they terme it whereupon might seeme to follow a necessity of certainty of grace in all those that are partakers of them But such is their inueterate enmity against this certainty that rather than they will shew the least fauour towards it they are content to diminish a little from the power and efficacy which they ascribe to their Sacraments But first for the Fathers Vega very stoutly and as he would seeme ingeniously professeth to act the aduersaries that is the Protestants part in alledging their proofes for the certainty of faith sealed by the Sacraments both out of the Scriptures and out of the Fathers But whatsoeuer the proofes and authorities be Vega very wittily as his manner is reduceth all their answers to these three heads First Admit saith he that those things required to the worthy receiuing of the Sacraments be certaine and fixed yet no man can be certaine that he hath omitted nothing requisite thereunto for there might be remaining in him some errour or inuincible ignorance before the receiuing of the Sacrament and so in regard of his indisposition he is vncertaine of any grace receiued or ratified by the receiuing of the Sacrament And so Vega makes a mans iustification to
Faith doth merit iustification his meaning is faith obtaineth iustification sine aliqua ratione meriti without any respect of merit Here let mee insert by the way a worthy annotation of George Cassander vpon the word Mereri or Merit in his second Scholia vpon his Ecclesiasticke hymnes printed at Paris 1616 for in other later impressions haply you shall finde this Scholia is quite purged out by the Index Expurgatorius composed by the commandement of the Catholike King Philip the second and by the aduice also of the Duke of Albany the copy whereof was printed at Strasburgh The words of the Index are these Scholium incipiens Vocabulum merendi apud veteres c. deleatur totum The Scholium of George Cassander beginning thus c. Let it be wholly cancelled But being notwithstanding preserued from this Purgatory fire let vs note it Vocabulum merendi apud veteres Ecclesiasticos Scriptores ferè idem valet quod consequt seu aptum idoneumque fieri ad consequendum Id quod inter caetera vel ex vno Cypriani loco apparet Nam quod Paulus inquit 1. Tim. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod vulgò dicitur Misericordiam consecutus sum vel vt Erasmus vertit Misericordiam adeptus sum id Cyprianus ad Iubaianum legit Misericordiam merui Et multa loca sunt in Ecclesiasticis officijs precibus vbi hoc vocabulum hoc intellectu accipi debeat Quae vocis notio si retineatur multa quae duriùs dici videntur mitiora commodiora apparebunt The word Merit saith Cassander among ancient Ecclesiasticall Writers doth commonly import as much as to attaine or to be made apt and fit to attaine or obtaine That which among others doth appeare out of one place of Cyprian For that which Paul saith 1. Tim. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the vulgar latine rendreth But I obtained mercie or as Erasmus rendreth it I got or receiued mercie The same doth Cyprian to Iubaianus reade I merited mercie And many other places saith hee there are in the Ecclesiasticall offices and prayers where this word Merit ought to bee taken in this sense Which sense of the word if it bee retained many things which seeme to be spoken harshly will appear more gentle and accommodate Thus Cassander But this among sundry other sayings of Cassander being condemned by the Index to bee purged out of his workes doth plainly shew what opinion the Pontificians haue of Merit aduancing it to a sense of a higher straine than the ancient Fathers of the Church were euer acquainted withall Or let the Pontificians themselues interpret vnto vs the meaning of this word Merit vsed by St. Augustine speaking of the sinne of our first Parents Foelix culpa quae talem meruit Redemptorem Will they say that Adams sinne merited either by Congruity or by Condignity Christ the Redeemer And againe where hee saith Nemo de sui peccati dimissione desperet quando illi veniam meruerunt qui occiderunt Christum Let none despaire of the pardon of his sinne when as they merited pardon which killed Christ. Will they therefore say that they which murthered Christ merited pardon either Congruously or Condignly Or what meant Gregory sirnamed the Great Bishop of Rome when he vsed the word Merit to Sauls persecuting the Church of Christ saying Illi dictum est Quid me persequeris Iste verò audire meruit Dimissum est tibi peccatum tuum To him it was said Why doest thou persecute me But he merited to heare Thy sinne is forgiuen thee What merit was this trow we And the same Gregory speaking of the theefe vpon the Crosse saith Latro cruentis manibus audire meruit c. The theefe with his bloudy hands merited to heare This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise What merit was in his bloudy hands But thus we see the meaning of the word Merit in these purer and ancient times vsed for to obtaine or such like But to returne whence we digressed we see Vega and Soto two grand Captaines in the Trent Councell one directly opposite to the other in the matter of merit of Congruity But the Councell through the dexterity of Sancti Crucij hath so composed the decrees and namely this of preparation as that by profound equiuocations euen flat contradictions are reconciled But the conclusion is that merit of Congruitie is ratified by the Councell in the necessity of preparatorie workes to iustification but inuolued in such generall termes that Soto and his side holding the contrary may not take offence at it but be made to beleeue that the Councell is for them In so much as Soto in his three bookes de Natura Gratia which he writes as a Commentary of this Session of the Councell sets downe all the Decrees and Canons of the same as the ground and text of his Commentary Take one notable instance of their egregious equiuocation in the first Canon of this Session before alleadged If any man shall say that a man may bee iustified before God by his owne workes which are done either by the power of mans nature or by the doctrine of the law without diuine grace by Iesus Christ let him be accursed Note here what variety of senses this Canon is full charged withall Would Vega and his side haue their merit of Congruity decreed Here is a Canon leueld against all those that shall say that a man by his own works may be iustified before God without the grace of God implying that by and with the grace of God assisting a man he may be iustified before God by his owne works done by the power of nature as his free-will or by the doctrine of the law Yea but thus Soto may feare that the Anathema the deadly bullet of this Canon will hit himselfe for denying all merit of Congruity done by the power of nature assisted by grace going before iustification Then let Soto but view ouer the Canon againe hee shall see it turned and leuelled against the Pelagians who taught that a man by his owne workes done by the power of nature may be iustified before God without diuine grace by Iesus Christ. Or against the vnbeleeuing Iewes who thought to be iustified before God by the obseruation of Moses law sauing onely that the Councell hath cautelously and correctedly expressed this vnder the name of the letter of Moses law Chapt. 1. as here vnder the name of the doctrine of the law lest as the History of the Trent-Councell hath well obserued if it had passed as at the first draught in these words per legem Mosis by Moses law then exception might haue beene taken in the behalfe of Circumcision to which some ascribing remission of sinnes this Canon or that Decree might haue been a preiudice to their opinion Thus all parties euen the contrary factions of that Councell were well satisfied while one side conceiued the Decree made expresly for them
generall subiect wherein Faith dwelleth Fiftly by beleeuing in or into Christ I note the proper act of iustifying Faith differencing it from all other kinds of faith as also that Christ is the proper obiect of iustifying Faith not the whole Word of God in generall Sixtly being by Faith vnited to Christ and so made partaker of all Christs merits and righteousnesse I note that Faith is the immediate instrument whereby wee are made one with Christ and so haue our perfect communion with him in all his righteousnesse and graces in so much as by vertue of this vnion by Faith Christ and all true beleeuers are all one mysticall Christ. Seuenthly by being certainly and infallibly perswaded of the remission of sinnes by faith I note the natiue property of iustifying Faith which is to assure a man of his saluation and that in a greater or lesser measure according to the proportion of Faith measured out vnto vs and that faith also assures vs of our iustification in Gods sight as laying hold vpon Christ who is our righteousnesse which certainety and assurance is such as it necessarily excludeth all vaine presumption For how can a man that is truely and infallibly certaine be sayd therein vainely to presume Lastly I call this Faith a liuing roote whence all other graces spring to note the true difference betweene this iustifying faith and the Pontifician faith which in its owne nature is dead vntill say they it bee quickened by charity infused into it to note also how vaine that common cauill and quarrell of Papists is against our doctrine of iustification by Faith alone as a doctrine tending say they to Libertinisme and to cast off all care of good workes whereas our faith whereby we are iustified is such as being not a dead but a liuing roote including in it all other graces it causeth the beleeuer to bee as a liuing tree planted by the riuers of waters and bringing forth his fruit in due season whose leafe also doth not wither and whatsoeuer he doth shall prosper CHAP. XIII Of the generalitie and vncertainety of Romane-Catholicke Faith the generalitie of it confuted by the contrary confirmed BEsides the forenamed properties and limitations of that kinde of faith which Pontificians appropriate to themselues though common by their owne confession with the Diuels and damned wee cannot omit two other speciall markes whereby they would dignifie and commend this their faith vnto the world The first whereof is the generality and implicity of this faith the second is the vncertainty of it Wee ioyne these two together generality and vncertainety because the former is a necessary inducement to the latter and as it were the foundation of Babels tottering Tower of vncertainty For grant once such a generality of faith as they require and the vncertainty of it will easily follow Now concerning generality of faith we noted before out of Soto that they vtterly disclaime that speciall faith in Christ in the promises of God in him I may here fitly apply that sentence vsed by his Excellent Maiestie in his late speech to the honorable house of Parliament which I humbly craue leaue to borrow Dolosus versatnr in vniuersalibus The deceitful man loueth to walke in vniuersalities or generalities The Pontificians in this their vniuersality or generality of faith deale like the timorous and therefore cautelous Hare who to deceiue her pursuers or tracers makes many doubles and crafty windings out and in that vneath it is for the most sagacious pursuer to deprehend or finde her out Their end is that faith in the height of sins deluge ouerflowing the soule might haue no solid and firme ground to pitch and rest her foote vpon And here in lyeâ— the mystery of their Antichristian iniquity to pull men quite away from Christ that in matter of faith they may wholly depend vpon that Papall imaginary infallibility hauing no other security than to pin their soules vpon a sinnefull mans sâ—eeue Which Vega doth not a whit dissemble saying Deus summam salutis fidelium in Sacerdotum posuit potestate That God hath placed the summe of the saluation of the faithfull in the power of the Priests the summe whereof is the Pope the Arch-priest But of this more in the proper place But for their faith it must bee generall in two respects first in respect of the generality of the obiect of Faith the whole Word of God as they say written and vnwritten an vnlimited obiect secondly in regard of the generality of men to be saued or iustified as they teach They must neither in particular beleeue the promises of God in Christ nor any man must beleeue that the promises of God belong vnto him in particular To which purpose Soto saith Fides Catholica Christianae familiae necessaria vtpote qua Christiani consemur non est specialis illa qua indubitato credit quisque ac constituit sibi remitti peccata propter Christum esse in gratia Dei sed ille assensus in genere quo firmiter credimus Iesum Christum vniuer salem esse Redemptorem c. that is The Catholick Faith necessary for the Christian family as whereby we are reputed Christians is not that speciall Faith whereby euery man doth vndoubtedly beleeue and resolue with himselfe that his sinnes are forgiuen him for Christs sake and that he is in the fauour of God but that generall assent whereby we firmely beleeue that Iesus Christ is the vniuersall Redeemer c. as we touched before Now the grounds of this their generall Faith wee finde in the sixt Chapter of the sixt Session of the Councell of Trent of the manner of preparation to iustification as first for the beliefe of things reuealed and promised the generall obiect of it and secondly In spem erigâ—ntur fidentes Deum sibi propter Christum propitium sore c. Men are brought to hope beleeuing that God will bee or may bee mercifull to them for Christs sake Marke they doc not say beleeuing that God is mercifull vnto them but that hee will be or may be as Vega interprets it Se posse sâ—lâ—â—â— that they may possibly be saued And when they speake of a particular iustification of any one man in the present tense then also they expresse it by an indefinite speech and generall phrase Credentes à Deo iustificari impium per gratiam eius c. Beleeuing that a sinner is iustified of God through his grace not that a mans selfe is iustified For for a man to beleeue in particular that himselfe is truely iustified by Christ such a man they anathernatize and curse Can. 14. yea this Faith is so generall and so little respecteth Christ as the obiect of it as that Vega in his Commentary vpon the said sixt Chapter of the sixt Session saith Persuaderi potest non solum iustificari posse homines seâ— saluari sine fide Christi explicita It is very credible that men may not
And againe more plainely That the holy spirit doth beare witnesse to our spirit that wee are the Sonnes of God And that it is also a part of great impudency to accuse those of presumption that beleeue the holy Ghost speaking vnto them Ambrose affirming that the holy spirit doth neuer speake vnto vs but withall it makes knowne vnto vs that it is himselfe that speaketh And Christ saith in Iohn That the world cannot receiue the holy Spirit because it neyther seeth nor knoweth him but his Disciples should know that hee should be and abide in them Whence saith the History Catarinus did very wittily conclude that that man dreamed who affirmed that grace was voluntarily receiued and yet that a man knew not whether he hath it or no as if to the receiuing of a thing by a voluntary motion of the minde it were not necessiry that he which receiues it of his owne accord should know that both the thing is giuen vnto him and that hee truely receiueth it and being receiued possesseth it The History further saith the weight of these reasons forced those which before accused this opinion of rashnesse first to giue place and then thus farre to yeeld that although for the most part a man cannot haue assurance in this point yet he may seeme at least to haue some coniecture They also denied not certainty to Martyrs nor to the newly Baptized and to others being assured by speciall Reuelation and that which at first they called coniecture they were afterwards brought to call morall faith Yea Vega himselfe who in the beginning admitted onely of probability yeelding to the waight of reasons began to fauour certainty but lest he might seeme to approach too neare the opinion of the Lutherans hee did professe onely so great certainty as might exclude all doubting and could not deceiue but hee would not acknowledge it for the Christian faith but onely humane and experimentall And declaring his opinion by a similitude As quoth he he that hath heate is certaine that he hath it and he were voyde of sense if he should doubt of it So he that hath grace in himselfe doth feele it nor can he doubt but that hee feeleth it but in the sense and apprehension of his soule not by diuine reuelation But the other Patrons of certainty being compelled of the aduersaries to set downe their meaning in expresse and plaine termes whether they beleeued that man might haue certainty of grace or whether they thought a man bound to beleeue it and whether that faith were diuine or humane at length they professed seeing that faith was giuen by the testimony of the holy Ghost that it could not be left to mans liberty and seeing euery man is bound to beleeue diuine reuelations that that faith was no otherwise to be called than diuine And when they seemed to bee pressed with the straits of the Dilemma which was obiected to wit that that faith was either equall to the Catholicke faith or vnequall if it bee not equall then it excluded not all doubtfulnesse if equall then that a righteous man ought as firmely to beleeue hee is iustified as the very Articles of his Creede Catarin us answered that this faith was diuine and as certaine excluding all doubtfulnesse as the Catholicke faith it selfe but yet that it is not the very Catholicke faith For that faith which euerie man giueth to diuine reuelations made vnto him is also diuine and excludeth all doubt but when the Church receiueth these reuelations then that faith becomes vniuersall and Catholicke yet in regard of certainty and freedome from doubting euery mans priuate faith is no way inferiour vnto it but that the Catholicke faith exceeded thâ—â— onely in the vniuersality Thus all the Propherb had first a priuate faith concerning all things reuealed vnto them of God then after that they were receiued of the Church they had the Catholicke faith of the same things This opinion faith the History at the first sight seemed hard eueâ— to the 〈◊〉 of Catarinus to wit all the Caroâ—â—lites whose Doctor Iohn Bacon did maintaine it as also to the Bishops of Senogaliâ— Wigornia and Salpia to whom at first that degree of faith seemed to bee precipitious and perilous but afterwards hauing diligently weighed examined the force of the reasons it was approued with an admirable content of the most approued of the Bishops but Soto crying out that it was too faâ—oâ—rable to the Lutherans others againe affirming that Luther was not to be condemned if he had said that this faith doth follow after iustification but condemned for saying it is the iustifying faith And as for the reasons brought on the contrary part they answer that wee ought not to giue heede to the iudgements of the Schoolemen seeing they take the grounde of their opinion from Philosophicall reasons sâ—th humane Philosophy may iudge amisse of diuine instinct Againe that Salomons authority makes not for this purpose Hee that would draw these words No man knoweth whether hee bee worthy of loue or hatred to this purpose then hee should conclude hence that euery most wicked sinner continuing in his sins should not know whether hee bee hated of God or no. And much lesse is that saying of Wisedome to be applyed to this purpose and that there is a fallacy in the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not signifie sinne already remitted as it is in the vulgar translation but the expiation and propitiation for sinne and the words of the wise man doe admonish the sinner not to heape vp sinne vpon too much confidence of obtaining pardon and not of pardon already obtained Nor must we ground an Article of faith vpon an error of a Translator Such was the iudgement in those times concerning the vulgar edition of those that had made it authenticall which is easie to be obserued by the bookes set forth by those which were present at the decree of the approbation Also that the phrase of the Apostle worke out with feare and trembling is an Hebraisme which doth not inforce a doubtfulnesse but reuerence or godly feare for as much as euen seruants doe exhibite feare and trembling to their Masters with whom they are deare and gracious Finally that the place of Saint Paul made for them if it bee taken for iustification For that hee saith he is guilty of no defect and yet that he is not therefore iustified a man may easily inferre that hee was iustified another way which confirmeth certainty But the true meaning of the words is that St. Paul speaking of defect in his function of preaching the Gospell doth affirme that his conscience doth not accuse him of any omission nor is hee therefore so confident as that hee dare say that hee hath performed all the parts of his office but commits the whole iudgement to God And so the History concludes thus Hee that hath not looked into the opposite writings of those that were present at these disputations and
writeth vpon the exposition of those words Incerta occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi that is Thou hast reuealed vnto mee the vncertaine and hidden things of thy wisedome Whereupon Augustine saith Quae incerta Quae occulta Quia Deus ignoscit talibus peccatoribus conâ—itentibus punientibus sua peccata What vncertainty What hidden things Because God doth pardon such to wit sinners confessing and punishing or repenting of their sinnes And Augustine addes as Vega also alledgeth Nihil tam occultum nihil tam incertum Nothing so secret nothing so vncertaine And Vega here leaping ouer Augustines amplification and exposition of his meaning he onely addes Augustines conclusion Hoc incertum patefecerit Deus seruo suo Dauid c. This vncertaine thing God reuealed to his seruant Dauid For when standing and accusing himselfe hee said Peccaâ—i I haue sinned forthwith hee heard of the Prophet that is of the Spirit of God which was in the Prophet The Lord hath put away thy sinne Well now let vs a little insist vpon these words of Augustine which Vega ingeniously confesseth doe most clearely fauour their cause of Pontifician vncertainty of all other that hee hath read in all Augustines workes First whereas Augustine taking the vulgar Latine for the onely Text which hee followeth vseth the word incerta I answer there is no such word in the Originall for incertum The words in the Originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is word for word And in the secret or in the hidden part as our last translation well renders it thou shalt make me to know wisedome Not a word of vncertainty Therefore Vega takes a very vncertaine ground yea rather a meere Bohu or emptinesse whereon to build his vncertainty Besides â—â—th Augustine going vpon an vnwarrantable ground taking that for Text which Gods Word knoweth not are we therefore bound presently to take his exposition for Gospell And whereas hee applies those vncertaine and hidden things to the remission of sinnes wee know Augustine oftentimes abounds with rare conceits but else how this application or exposition should result from the Text vnlesse raised vp by the strength of conceit the Text it selfe giues vs no euidence to see But that wee may not seeme too strait-laced in limiting the ouer-lauish liberty of the vulgar Latine if wee take downe both the Text and Augustines Glosse at one bit together it will not choake vs nor cause vs to surfeit especially if we take all the ingredients of it For it is with Scriptures and Fathers as with Physicke if the Dosis haue eyther moe or fewer ingredients than the wise Physitian prescribeth it may alter the whole nature of the Physicke and in stead of health procure more hurt to the body And here I must tell you that Vega deales with St. Augustine as eyther a negligent or rather malicious Apothecary who for some sinister respects leaues out some speciall ingredient out of the composition Or else to goe no further than the Scripture hee treades in the very steppes of the Tempter who craftily left out the most materiall word in all the Text which was In all thy wayes without which we haue no warrant of Gods protection and so Sathan by his false fingering would haue made the promise of God of none effect So playeth Vega. For as we noted euen now Vega in relating Augustines exposition leaues out the most materiall thing which Augustine noteth in his explaning and applying those Incerta or vncertaine things to remission of sinnes And that is the instance he giueth of the Niniuites That we may recollect all to one intire head which Vega hath so torne asunder wee will set downe Augustines words whole together Incerta occulia sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi they be the words of his vulgar Text. Whereupon he inferreth Quae occulta Quae incerta Quia Deus ignoscit talibus id est poenitentibus Nihil tam occultum nihil tam incertum Ad hoc incertum Niniuitae poenitentiam egerunt dixerunt enim c. What hidden what vncertaine things Because God pardoneth euen such that is penitent persons Nothing so hidden nothing so vncertaine Vpon this certainty the Niniuites repented for they said though after the Prophet had threatned though after that voice * Three dayes and Niniuie shall be destroyed they said among themselues that the mercy of God was to be intreated They said thus reasoning with themselues Who knoweth if God will returne and shew mercy It was vncertaine when they said Quis nouit Who knoweth But hauing once repented they reaped certaine mercy c. So Augustine Do we not see here a manifest difference between Augustines owne application of vncertainty Vega's strained application Vega would apply this vncertainty of the remission of sins to the time past vnderstanding it of sins already pardoned as if a man were altogether vncertaine that his sins are pardoned when they are already pardoned But Augustine tels vs plainly that he vnderstands this vncertainty of remission of sins in the future tense that is concerning the vncertainty of sins to be pardoned for which God denounceth expresse iudgments as in the example of the Niniuites God hath threatned peremptorily that within forty dayes Niniuie should be destroyed What should the Niniuites now doe in this case They beleeue God that hee was true in his word Yet they resolue to repent speedily But to what purpose when now the sentence was already pronounced of him that cannot lye Yes as knowing that such like threatnings are conditionall they would at least put it to an aduenture Who knoweth if God will returne and pardon It may be God will shew mercy No maruell if the Niniuites were doubtfull of the pardon of those sins which they knew they had committed but had not yet repented of But whence proceeded this their vncertainty From their faith No but Augustine tels vs the reason Quia peccata magna erant Niniuitarum dixerunt Quis nouit Because the Niniuites sins were great they said Who knoweth So that their vncertainty proceeded not from the defect of faith but from the excesse of their sins But as they were vncertaine before they repented after they had repented they found certam misericordiam certaine mercy saith Augustine witnesse the preseruation of themselues and their Citie As therefore the Niniuites were vncertaine in regard of the grieuousnesse of their sinnes and the greatnesse of Gods iudgement already peremptorily threatned whether they should finde God fauourable or no in reuersing his sentence and preseruing their Citie but afterwards vpon their repentance found the certainty of Gods mercy in sparing them whereof the sparing of their City was a certaine and infallible argument So sinnefull men burthened with the guilt and horrour of sinnes and borne downe with the terrour of Gods wrath threatned in his Word may well bee doubtfull and vncertaine how God may deale with them although they resolue with themselues
they vtterly renounce all Certainety of Faith and of Saluation For what certainty of Faith can there bee if the holy Scriptures the obiect and ground of Faith be not certaine And what certainty can there bee in the Scriptures if they must depend vpon the authority of the Church for their certainetie And what certainty can there be in the Church if this Church be no other than the Church of Rome And what certainety can there bee in the Church of Rome when it wholly depends vpon a the only breast of a sinfull man vpon whose infallibilitie notwithstanding the whole Pontifician Church cannot finde no not the least footing for any Certainty of Saluation to stand vpon But to remoue this heape of Rubbish although for multiplicity of Controuersie it be growne to a mighty Mountain which may seeme to exceede the strength and labour of Hercules himselfe to remoue yet I trust with one small graine of Faith to ouerturne this Mountaine into the Sea For first whether was the Word of God or the Church more ancient Was not Gods Word For by the voyce thereof was the Church first called Where was the Church when the Gospell began first to be reuealed Gen. 3. 15. As yet the whole world in Adam and Eue lay buried in Apostacy and now totus mundus in maligno positus the whole world lay in wickednesse till this Word of the Gospell of the promised and blessed seede of the woman made a separation and did constitute a Church So that the first ground and foundation of the Church is the Word of God as it was also of the first frame of the Creation Hereupon the Apostle saith That the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the chiefe corner stone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord. The foundation of the Apostles and Prophets is the Old and New Testament whereof Christ Iesus is the chiefe corner stone Away with the blasphemy of the Councell of Lateran that calleth the Pope Leo the tenth the corner stone and the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda and many such blasphemous titles which are proper and peculiar only to the person of Christ. But that eyther the Church or the Pope of Rome had any such authority and power ouer the Scriptures it was neuer known in those purer times of the Church when the sweet and salutiferous streames of the waters of life were not as yet poysoned and imbittered with that Luciferian wormewood starre that fell from heauen It was in those primitiue and virgine times the Catholicke Doctrine of the Church That the Church was to be ruled by the Scriptures and not the Scriptures by the Church much lesse by any one man St Augustine saith De Catholica Ecclesia id credant homines quod Diuinae Scripturae dicunt non quod linguae humanae maledicunt Let men beleeue that concerning the Catholicke Church which the Diuine Scriptures doe say and not which mens tongues doe mis-say By which place we see that the Catholicke Church is to bee estimated according to that which the Scriptures testifie of it Therefore not contrary And in his Booke of the vnity of the Church Ecclesiam suam demonstrent c. Let the Donatists shew mee their Church not in the tales and rumours of the Affricans not in the Synods of their Bishops not in the learning of their disputants not in their deceitfull signes and prodigies for wee are fore-warned and fore-armed against such things by the word of the Lord but in the prescript of the Law in the predictions of the Prophets in the songs of the Psalmes in the Shepheards owne voyce in the preachings and labours of the Euangelists to wit in all the Canonicall authorities of the holy Bookes Nor so saith hee as that they collect and quote such places as are obscurely or ambiguously or figuratiuely spoken which euery man interprets at his pleasure according to his owne sense For such places cannot be truly vnderstood and expounded vnlesse first those which are most plainely deliuered bee by a firme Faith entertained Note here the Catholicke doctrine of those times teaching that the authority and sense of the Scriptures depended not vpon the Church but the authority of the Church vpon the Scriptures and the Scriptures were to bee interpreted by themselues to wit the more obscure places by the more plaine as he speaketh often elsewhere in his Bookes De doctrina Christiana I will adde one place in steed of many Quit autem nesciat c. Who can bee ignorant saith hee that the holy Canonicall Scripture as well of the Old as of the New Testament is contained within its owne fixed limits and that it is so preferred before all the latter writings of Bishops as that it may not bee disputed or doubted off whether it bee true or salse whatsoeuer is found written in it and for the writings of Bishops which eyther haue beene or are written after the establishment of the Canon of Scriptures they haue beene subiect to the wiser iudgements and grauer authorities of some more skilfull and learned Bishops and might bee censured by Councels if ought therein swarued from the truth and those very Councels themselues which are prouinciall doe without scruple submit to the authority of plenary Councels assembled from the vniuersall Christian world of those plenary generall Councels often times the former are corrected by the latter when by some better experiment of things that which was shut is opened and that which was hid is made known without any swelling of sacrilegions pride without any strouting of arrogancy without any contention of bleake enuie with holy humility with Catholicke peace with Christian charity So that Bishops are corrigible by prouinciall Councels these by generall Councels and these also by some latter Councels as being all subiect to imperfection But the holy Scriptures come vnder the fâ—rula of no Bishop or Councell to bee censured Nay as Augustine saith Titubabit fides si diuinarum Scriptunar â—â—â—â—cillat authoritas Faith will stagger and stumble if the authority of the diuine Scriptures doe wauer And hee taxeth the Manicheans of this impiety and sacriledge that they went about quite to take away the authority of the Scriptures approuing any thing not because they found it written in that supreame authority but because their fancy tooke a liking to it therefore they approued the Scriptures And so their priuate sâ—â—sâ— must giue authority to the Scriptures which they frame to their owne fancy and not the Scriptures giue authority to their Doctrines What difference then is there betweene the Pontificians and the Manicheans in this maine point But the Pontificians of old obiect vnto vs one speciall authority out of St. Augustine to ouerthrow all that hee hath said for the supreame authority of the Scriptures aboue the Church His words are which they obiect and wherein