fayth This may be made manifest by examples as by this What the Scripture sayth Asonne of thirty yeares was Dauid when he began to reigne and he reigned fourty yeares I easily belieue in the plaine sense because there is no incredibility therin But whē the Scripture sayth a sonne of one yeare was Saul when he began to reigne and he reigned two yeares the incredibility of the sense the Scripture in other places assuring me that whē he began to reigne he was higher by head shoulders then any man in Israel makes me presently stagger and to seeke for some stronger pillar then the euidence of the text in my priuate seeming and finding none my reason is presently ouercome and wone to forsake the seeming euidence of the the text The same no doubt would happen in other texts of Scripture about the B. Trinity Incarnation and other mysteries of fayth My fayth I say would giue backe had I no stronger rule and reason of belieuing them then the euidence of the text in my priuate Iudgement But whē I perceaue the euidence of the text in my priuate Iudgment to be vpheld and confirmed by the Iudgement of the Catholique Church which did euer vnderstand belieue such texts in that incredible and incomprehensible sense then am I fully confirmed and Christianly resolued to belieue those high senses though neuer so impossible to the seeming of my reason because tradition or traditine Interpretation as you speake that is the perpetuall doctrine and beleefe of Christians in all former ages is able to ouercome all incredulity which the incredibility of the thing may represent vnto reasō For it is as you are forced to confesse the rule to iudge all controuersies by Cap. 2. n. 25. ca. 3. n. 45. being Gods infallible word euidently credible of it selfe and so a fit rule whereon Christian fayth may rely for what witnesse can be more illustrious and knowne and of more eminent credit then the Church founded by Christ Iesus and his Apostles bathed with the blood of innumerable Martyrs adorned by the glorious liues and miracles of millions of holy men 22. I confesse the Protestants opinion that the doctrine of Scripture is to them euident that they see the truth thereof as cleerely as they do the light of the sunne to be absurd fond ridiculous as you tear me it But also I must acknowledge that they speake consequently other wise they could not say their fayth doth finally rest on the Scripture nor pretend the Scripture to be their onely rule And you who reiect this Protestants conceit of the intrinsecall light of Scripture do not onely harbour Infidelity in your heart but also professe it openly in words pag. 330. lin 28. I deny not 2. Edit n. 318. lin 24. but I am bound to belieue the truth of many texts of Scripture the sense whereof is to me obscure and the truth of many articles of fayth the manner whereof is obscure and to humane vnderstanding incomprehensible But then it is to be obserued that not the sense of such texts nor the MANNER of such things is that which I am bound to belieue but the truth of them for that I should belieue the truth of any thing the truth whereof cannot be made euident to me with an euidence proportionable to the fayth required of me this I say for any man to be bound to is vniust and vnreasonable because to do it is impossible Thus you professe that you neither do nor can belieue the incomprehensible mysteries of Christian Religion For when the manner is the very substance of the mystery then the very substance is incomprehensible For example in the B. Trinity that Three Father Sonne and Holy Ghost be One the mystery is not that these three names signifie one thing as Sabellians and Socinians vnderstand it but that in the vnity of the Godhead there be three Persons distinct of one substance But you professe not to belieue the manner of these mysteries because it is incomprehensible Ergo you do not belieue the substance of the mysterie the substance thereof being a manner of being incomprehensible Moreouer he is no faythfull Christian who belieues not the articles of Christianity according to the Christian manner and sense But the Christian manner of belieuing them is according as they are incomprehensible to humane vnderstanding and seeme to prophane Wit and Gentilisme follies and absurdities as S. Paul doth declare 1. Cor. 1. 23. Ergo you are no Christian who openly shew your selfe a shamed to belieue any MANNER of things reuealed by Christ vpon his word that is incomprehensible except he make it euident to your vnderstanding and then if you belieue him he shall be much beholding vnto you for belieuing him so farre as you see he speakes truth and no further that is so farre as you will trust any liar whatsoeuer The summe of all is that seeing you reiect the Puritanical conceipt that Scripture is knowne to be the word of God by its owne light as a foolerie for so really it is you must either deny the Scripture to be the only rule or else continue to professe vnbeliefe of Christianity and of all manner of incomprehensible mysteries The seauenth Conuiction 23. YOur Aduersary often vrgeth you to set downe an exact Catalogue of fundamentalls or necessary truths without the particular and distinct beliefe of which you contend that it implyes contradiction that any man be saued You hauing vsed many tergiuersations to diuert the mind of the Reader at last confesse (a) 2. Edit pag. 22. lin 13. 2. Edition Pag. 129. lin 15. Pag. 23 lin 8. That it is an intricate peece of buisinesse of extreme great difficultie and of extreme little necessitie almost impossible And pag. 134. lin 28. This variety of circumstances makes it impossible to set downe an exact Catalogue of Fundamentalls And (b) 2. Edition cap. 4. n. 19. pag. 193. l. 10. Cap. 4. n. ◠pag. 201. lin 23. A Catalogue of Fundamentalls because to some more is fundamentall to others lesse to others none at all had been impossible By this confession you ouerthrowe your Principle that Scripture is the only rule wherein all necessary things are euidently conteyned For fundamentall points being the essentiall parts of the Ghospell Doctrines intrinsecall to the couenant betwixt God and man Cap. 4. 〈◊〉 4. lin 29. not only cleerely reuealed and so certaine truths but also commanded vnder payne of damnation to be distinctly knowne and belieued of all and so necessary truths I demand whether these diuine fundamentall and essentiall lawes about the distinct knowing and belieuing of these points in particular be cleerely deliuered in Scripture or not If not Ergo there be some diuine Lawes necessary vnto saluation without the obseruance of which it implyes contradiction any man should be saued Cap. 6. in fine not cleerely deliuered in Scripture If they be cleerely deliuered then points fundamentall be cleerely discernable from
marke wherat it aymeth the worke it laboureth with all might and mayne to bring to passe is the total ouerthrowe of Christianity In the first Chapter I haue shewed that you resolue Christian Religion into naturall reason wherby you destroy the Diuinity therof In the second that you make the same to stand vpon principles and motiues credible but fallible wherby you vndermine the absolute certainty therof In this third Chapter I am to shew you ouerthrow the truth therof and make the same stayned with ignorance and errour not only in the whole current of Tradition from the Apostles but also in the fountayne therof the holy Ghospel and in our Sauiour and Lord Christ Iesus the Authour The first Conuiction 1. YOv thrust a mortall stabbe into the heart of Christian Religion through S. Augustine his side whiles you charge his speach with palpable falshood which is the expresse word of Christ S. Austine say you ca 6. n. 14. in fine as he was in the right in thinking that the Church was extended further then Africk so was he in the wrong if he thought that of necessity it alwayes must be so but most Palpably Mistaken in conceauing that it was then spread ouer the whole earth and knowne to all nations which if passion did not trouble you and make you forget how lately almost halfe of the world was discouered and in what state it was then found you would very easily see and confesse Thus you Vnto whome I say what the same S. Augustine sayd to Maximinus an Arian that is almost the same though not altogether so bad as a Sociniam Aduersu◠Maximinum lib. 2. c. 2. O quam de proximo te corrigeres si timeres credere quod times dicere O how soone would you reclayme your selfe did you feare to belieue in heart what you feare to say in words For although you dare not openly professe with the Samosatenians yet you dare belieue that Christ Iesus is a meere man that he was ignorant that there were any such people as Americans in the world and so out of ignorance vttered a palpable falshood when he said Luc. 24.47 that his Apostles should preach pennance in his name vnto all Nations that they should be witnesses vnto him not only in Ierusalem Iewry Samaria but also vnto thee vt most of the world Hereby he induced the Euangelists to mistake Mar. vlt. and falsely say that the Apostles going preached Euery Where our Lord working with them and confirming the word by signes that followed And S. Paul Rom. 〈◊〉 18. that the Apostolicall Preaching was spread into all Lands and their words vnto the endes of the world If I say S. Augustins saying that the Church was spread ouer all Nations in his dayes be a palpable falshood because it was not then in America then the prophesyes of our Lord that his Apostles should spread his name and plant Christianity in all Nations as also the testimony of the Ghospell that this was performed by the Apostles were also manifest mistakes and if the Ghospell be mistaken in one poynt through ignorance in the Author thereof we can be certayne of nothing 2. For if one confesse that our Sauiour was true God and knew all things and that there were Americans at that tyme he must say that eyther our Lord willlingly spake an vntruth in saying the Apostles should preach to all nations so by admitting on lye to be in one saying of the Ghospell he destroyeth the certainty of all or he must say that the Apostles preached to the Americans and made them Christians and if they were Christians in the dayes of the Apostles how can you tell they were not also in the dayes of S. Austine or finally he must confesse the truth that this speach of the Ghospell that the Church was euery where and in all nations was a most certayne and infallible truth euen when the Americans were not Christians nor had heard of Christ But this you deny and call it a palpable falshood so cleere as euery man not blinded with passiō doth now perceaue the falshood thereof Ergo you deny the Ghospell which you grant to be the word of God and consequently you are a formall Hereticke c. 2. n. 122. you do a thing not only impious but also impossible that any Christian should do as you say cap 4. n. 4. lin 19. a supposition impossible cap. 3. n. 35. lin 21. you do a thing you professe against saying you would not be moued from the truth of the Ghospell or any part of it euen by the preaching of an Angell from heauen So that your last refuge must be ro confesse that to call S. Austins speach which is the expresse word of Christ a palpable falshood you were persuaded not by an Angell from Heauen but by the spirit of errour which makes you hate subiection to the one vniuersall visible Church The second Conuiction 3. YOw do not vndermine but openly digge vp the Foundations of Christianity by teaching that the Apostles through ignorance ouersight or partiality erred in matters of Religion which they were bound to know Erred I say and the whole Church with them euen after the cōming of the holy Ghost for thus you write c. 3. n. 31. That the Apostles themselues euen after the sending of the holy Ghost were through inaduertence or preiudice continued for a tyme in an errour it is as I haue already noted vnansverably euident from the story of the Actes of the Apostles Thus you you auouch the same cap. 3. n 21. But in direct contradiction of this you say cap. 3. n. 74. lin 14. about the perpetuall infallibility of the Apostles according to that promise of our Lord that he would send them the holy Ghost the spirit of truth which should teach them all truth and stay with them for euer It signifyes say you not eternally without end of tyme but PERPETVALLY without interruption during the time of their liues So that the force and fense of the words is that they should neuer want the Spirits assistance in the performance of their function If the holy Ghost leading them into all truth did after his comming perpetually without interruption during the time of their liues stay with them alwayes assisting them teaching them all truth how can it be true that euen after the sending of the holy Ghost they were lead into errour and continued therein for as TIME through inaduertence or preiudice An errour so playne and manifest against the word of God and which they could not fall into without they were stupide seing the very guift of speaking the tongues of all nations which they receaued togeather with the holy Ghost still continued with them Were they so dull and heauy-hearted euen after they had receaued the holy Ghost as not to understand that by the guift of Tongues they were declared and made preachers of Christ vnto all nations vnder the cope of heauen
truth to be sayd together but that it made not against you this is Charity with all my heart You will suffer vs to speake truth if you are willing it should be truth a great fauour But if you hate that truth we speake because it presseth your pride which will not let you stoope to submit your wit to the word of God proposed by his Church you will rage storme against it deny it impugne it seeke to darken the light thereof to make the same hatcfull by vttering any vntruth against it 28. For example you are not willing the Roman Church should be the true Church therefore to hide the light of this truth you heape lyes togeather and fill whole pages and leaues with rage and fury without any the least lucidum interuallum To giue the reader a little tast of your bitternes and one draught of your salt sea you pag. 90. thus declaime against vs. See edit cap. 2. n. 101. pag 26. lin 26. You who haue wronged so exceedingly Christ his miracles and his doctrine by forging so euidently so many false miracles for the confirmation of your new doctrine who with forging so many false Stories and false Authours haue taken a fayre way to make the fayth of all Stories questionable who haue brought in doctrines plainly and directly contrary to that which you confesse to be the word of Christ which for the most part make for the honour and proffit of the teachers of them who make profession of corrupting al sorts of Authours whose questioned doctrines none of them came from the fountayne of Apostolique tradition but haue insinuated themselues into the streames by little and little some in one age some in another c. and men are told they were as good belieue nothing at all as not to belieue these things to haue come from the Apostles which they know to haue been brought in but yesterday whether this be not a ready way and likely way to make men to conclude with themselues I will belieue nothing at all and whether this conclusion be not to often made in Italy and Spaiue and France and England too I leaue it to the Iudgment of those who haue wisedome and experience Thus you And is not this a good proofe of your profession that you will suffer no truth if you be vnwilling it should be truth but will load it with all manner of vnprooued and vnprobable falshood 29. As for the last point of your inuectiue whether there be not too many in Italy Spaine France and England who because they are vrged to belieue more then they list thereupon conclude to belieue iust nothing at all with firme Christian fayth you leaue it to be determined by men of wisedome and experience I thinke euery man may resolue it by the experience which you will not let them want to wit that in England certainly there is one such and that is too many by one for you hate and abhorre to belieue the reuealed (a) Pag. 330 lin 24. manner of Christian mysteries which is incomprehensible to your human and carnall reason and in this respect also hate and abhorre the Church of Rome which will not allow Saluation without beliefe thereof vnto any Christian to whome it is proposed by her preaching Yea you do both by word and deed further professe that you will not suffer any truth which crosseth this your impious fancy though it be truth neuer so much you will deny it impugne it disgrace it by all kind of fictions and lyes And whereas you say that some other answerer of your Crew would not haue been so good to the Mainteyner of Charity for they would not you say haue suffered him to haue said so much truth together whereas to you it is sufficient that the truth makes not to the purpose Pardon me Sir I tell you plainely I do not belieue you For why should they deny knowne truth and rage against it if they be willing it should be truth as not being against them It may well be that they may hate some knowne truth which you do not hate and againe you may hate some truth as the mysterie of the B. Trinity which they do not hate but for malignity and wilfull opposition against knowne truth for not enduring it for being rebells against the light for being in the number of them in whome S. Pauls Prophecy is verified That in the later dayes there should arise many who would not SVFFER or enaure wholesome doctrine but turne away their hearing from truth to the belieuing and venting of fables tales lyes villanous slaunders In this respect Isay they cannot be worse then you are as appeareth by your profession practise set downe in this argument from which we will passe to the next wherein you assure Protesters of their Saluation notwithstanding their liuing and dying in these kind of direfull passions and preiudices instilled by education against the truth The eight Conuiction 30. THey who against the saluation of that Church from which they separate protest through extreme want of charity partiality and manifest imustice through hatred of that Church not out of Iudgment are damnable Schismatiques That Protestants of your stampe be such is manifest by your wordes and deedes Cap. 3. n. 63. circa finem We Protest and proclaime the contrary and that we haue very little hope of their saluation who either out of negligence in seeking the truth or vnwillingnesse to fynd it lyue and dye in the errours and impieties of that Church And c. 5. n. 34. in fine you tell vs That God is infinitely iust and therefore it is to be feared will not pardon Roman Catholiques who might easily haue knowne the tauth and either through pride or obstinacy or negligence would not And (a) Cap. 7. n. 6. in fine Pag. 389. lin 10. To lyue and dye in the Roman Church is as daungerous as to shoote a gulfe which though some good ignorant soules may do and escape yet it may be well feared scarce one in a hundred but miscarries 31. This you make the case of poore Catholiques euen of good ignorant soules if happely they erre and might haue byn rid of their errours by speaking with so learned and Religious a Teacher as you M. William Chillingworth are There is little hope of their saluation because they were vnwilling to conferre with you as supposing for certaine you could be of no credit to oppose and accuse as you do the whole Christian Church of all ages as subiect to vniuersall damnable errours On the other side if your Protestants erre not through negligence onely but through (b) Cap. 3. n. 52. lin 7. Betrayed into and kept in errour by their fault vice or passion by pride obstinacy as most men are pag. 21. lin 40. If any protestāt or Papist be betrayed into or kept in any errour by any sinne of his will as it is to be feared many millions are passion pride obstinacy
You are a company of men vn willing and afrayd to vnderstand least you should do good that haue eyes to see but will not see that haue not the loue of the truth and therfore deserue to be giuen ouer to stronge delusions men that loue darknesse more then light in a word you are the blind leading the blind Thus you And this is the flat downe right plain songe you promised your reader without any discords in it for it is rust that tune of concord and harmonious concent which scoldes vse to singe when they rayle at some modest Matrone You will I trust find by experience that we are not all such Cowards blind men and beasts as you make vs you will see that considering we haue considered your Babylon with lights and haue bene bold to enter into the darkest corners and dennes of your booke and find your Lions to be but of the Cuman kind Will not you say I haue made a diligent and seuere search into your booke if I can out of it produce two propositions which ioyned togeather conclude in good forme against your head what I am loath to vtter worse blindnesse then you object to vs wheras the present Church is not capable of such folly 26. None can belieue contradictions at once but such as are Fooles and haue their braynes crackt This you suppose Cap. 6. n. 33. lin 14. vnlesse you will say that they S. Austin and the African Bishop◠were all so foolish as to belieue direct contradictions at once And c. 5. nu 105. lin 40. (a) 2. Edit pag. 292. n. 105. lin 40. Who can ioyne togeather in one brayne not crackt these assertions In the Roman Church there are errors not damnable In the Roman Church there are no errors at all And (b) 2. Edit pag. 10. lin ◠Pag. 10 lin 12. It is an apparent contradiction That a man should dis belieue what himselfe belieues to be a truth And 2. Edit pag. 10. lin ◠Cap. 5. n. 59. That a man who is persuaded that your Church doth erre in these things should together belieue these things true is implicatio in termini as Schoolemen speake a contradiction so plaine as one word destroyeth the other Thus you and yet that foolery that men may belieue contradictions at once you affirme and proue it by your owne experience (d) 2. Edit pag. 20◠lin 6. Pag. 215. lin 3. Though there can be no damnable Heresy vnlesse it cōtradict some necessary truth yet there is no contradiction but the same man may at once belieue this Heresy and this Truth because there is no contradiction that the same man at the same time should belieue contradictions Thus you wherein you manifestly contradict your selfe and practise what you say no man can do whose braynes be not crakt For what contradiction can be more plaine direct then this betwixt your two sayings It is no contradistion that a man belieue contradictions at once the same doctrine to be heresy and truth It is apparent contradiction so plaine as one word destroyeth another that the same man at the same time should belieue contradictions or should belieue that to be Falshood which he belieues to be Truth 27. No man therfore in his wits can belieue contradictions at once only crackt brayns can thinke they do it when they do it not as mad-men imagine they fly when they rest in their bed In which number you ranke your selfe Cap. 4. n. 47. Indeed that men should not assent to contradictions I willingly grant but to say it is impossible is against euery mans experience and allmost as vnreasonable as to do the thing which is said to be impossible Thus you that other men besides your selfe belieue or think they belieue in their heart contradictions at once you cannot say but only by the experience you haue of your selfe that you do in your conceyt hartily belieue contradictions and therupon imagine that other men doe the like Now put togeather your two assertions Whosoeuer thinketh he can belieue contradictions at once is a foolish creature hath his brayne crackt I William Chillingworth know by experience that I can belieue contradictions as the same time What of this O that you would conclude what these premises vrge you vnto Therfore I will neuer more trust my owne wit and discourse in matters of religion I wil abandon those false principles Preface n. 12. He that followeth his owne discourse still followeth God By discourse no man can possibly be lead into errour I will take the Church for my guide which is constant in the truth and cannot oppose herselfe as I my selfe confesse 28. For so you do (f) 2. Edit p. 32. lin 7 Pag. 33. lin 9. It is impossible the Church should oppose the Church I meane the present Church oppose it selfe Now seeing men are naturâmendaces mutable subiect to errour to change and to be contrary to themselues this impossibility of opposing it selfe which you attribute to the Church must of necessity be acknowledged to be a Diuine priuiledge caused by the continuall assistāce of the spirit of Wisdome in whom and his doctrine there is not est and non est 2. Cor. 1.18 as the Apostle sayth Hence I conclude the infallibility of the Church You say Pag. 215. lin 29. that he that belieues the Bible and togeather belieues some errours against the Bible contradicteth himselfe belieuing contradictions at once But it is impossible you say that the present Church should oppose and contradicte it selfe Therfore it is impossible that the present Church belieuing the Bible should hold any errour against the Bible 29. Except perchance you will say that the Church can do thinges impossible as you say your selfe can In proofe wherof I giue one instance insteed of many Your aduersary vrgeth you often hard to set downe a Catalogue of your Fundamentals of fayth You after many tergiuersations say at last (h) 2. Edit 193. lin 10. Pag. 201. lin 25. To set downe a catalogue of Fundamentalls because to some more (g) 2. Edit pag. 206. lin 27. is fundamentall to others lesse to others nothing at all had bene impossible And (i) 2. Edit pag. 129. l. 15. Pag. 134. lin 25. This variety of circumstances makes it impossible to set downe an exact Catalogue of fundamentalls and proues your request as vnreasonable as if you should desire vs to make a coate to sit the Moone in all her changes Can you make this impossible Catalogue of the Fundamentalls of your Church that is a coate for the moone in all her changes Yes surely you say you can (k) 2. Edit pag. 154. l. 21. Pag. 160. n. 53. lin 25. I could giue you an abstract of the essential parts of christianity if it were necessary but I haue shewed it not so and at this time I haue no leasure to do you courtesies so trouble some to my selfe Thus you Nor will we request
the markes wherby the true Christian Catholique Church is knowne which to be found in the Church of Rome only shall be shewed in the seauenth Chapter though I cannot but presume the thing is to euery considering man euident inough Wherefore Catholiques and all true Christians do not choose their Church or Religion by their owne naturall reason and witt but Tradition notorious and euident of it selfe Perpetuall Vniuersall Vniforme shewes them the Church and with her and in her that Religion which was for them chosen ordayned deliuered by the wisedome of Christ Iesus brought by him from the bosome of his heauenly Father You see then that in granting Tradition to be the ground of all Christian beliefe you haue graÌ„ted as much as we can desire and howsoeuer you be pleased to terme vs vnconsidering men yet we haue considered the sequels of your assertions perchance more deeply then you haue done your selfe That the assent to Gods VVord of Christian sauing Faith is not meere human morall and probable but Diuine infallible and certainly vnerring CHAP. II. THE contrary errour cozen german to the refuted in the former Chapter consequent therupon is often inculcated by you in your booke That an infallible faith (a) Cap. 6. n. 6. is not necessary vnto saluation nor for our walking vnto happinesse through a world of oppositions backt by the strength of flesh and blood A weake probable and credible assurance that there is an Heauen sufficeth though (b) Cap. 1. n. 8. versus finem vndiscernable from the beleefe we giue to other human hystories It is inough men belieue the Gospell and mysteries of faith (c) Cap. 6. n. 5. l. 28. as much as Cesars Commentaries or the history of Salust That men are not bound nor is it possible they should belieue (d) Preface n. 8. in fine thinges impossible in human reason (e) Cap. 6. n. 7. in fine That we should belieue the truth of any thing the truth whereof cannot be made euident with euidence proportionable to the degree of faith required of vs this for any man to be bouÌ„d to is vniust because to do it is impossible As sure as God is good he will not require impossibilities of vs but (f) Cap. 6. n 7. circa medium infallible certainty of a thing which though it be in it selfe yet is not made to appeare to vs to be infallible certaine is an impossibility These and the like nullifidian Pardoxes you often vtter and endeauour to proue which are plausible and applauded by those S. Peter termeth vnlearned and vnstable heads Varro who now passe vnder the name of Gallant wits whose life we may feare is sutable to the leuity and vanity of their Faith Nam quae venustas hic adest Gallantibus Quae casta vestis These doctrines I say be welcome to such as groane vnder the (g) Nam vera Religio omnino sine graui Authoritatis imperâ—o intri rectè nuilo pacto potest August de vtil Cred. Cap. 9. yoke of humble obedience to Gods word vnder Christian duty of belieuing things inuisible the reuealed manner whereof is incomprehensible to humane vnderstanding who because they find difficulty to do it will not endeauour by Gods grace to rayse their erring and wandring thoughts and stay them by firme and fixed faith on high and heauenly obiects For as (h) Ser. 2. de Asconsione S. Leo saith it is the vigour only of generous mindes to belieue without doubt what comes not within sight and there to rest with our heart whither we cannot reach with our eye And because you accuse Catholiques that they require men to yield vpon only probable prudentiall (i) Pag. 79. n. 70. Vpon prudentiall motiues fallible and vncertaine grounds motiues (i) Pag. 79. n. 70. Vpon prudentiall motiues fallible and vncertaine grounds most certaine assent to thinges impossible in human reason that the falshood of this slaunder may be made apparent I must briefly declare our Catholique doctrine together proue it which shall be of this your errour The first Conuiction 2. TO the constitution of an assent absolutely infallible fiue thinges concurre all which by the consent of Catholique Deuines are most certaine and infallible in the assent of Christian faith 1. The Obiect with is doctrine reuealed of God 2. The motiue and reason of belieuing which is the Authority of God reuealing whose veracity is altogether infallible 3. Because we belieue Reuelations not made immediatly to our selues but to the blessed Apostles it is necessary there be a Proponent of Gods word that is a Witnesse worthy of all credit an Authority whereon we may securely rely that those Christian doctrines were deliuered and preached by the Apostles as Diuine Reuelations This Proponent and Witnesse is the present Catholique Church deliuering what she receaued by full vniuersall tradition from her Ancestours or which is the same in effect vniuersall Tradition Now we hold tradition to be altogether as infallible as Scripture and that it ought to be receaued with the same reuerence with the same submissiue deuotion of pious beliefe as Scripture as you acknowledge that we do chap. 2. n. 1. 3. Fourthly that an assent be infallible it is necessary that the thing belieued be represented and proposed to the Vnderstanding of the belieuer in such manner as he may know the same to be infallible and that in belieuing it he cannot possibly erre For the manner of belieuing if it be not knowne to the belieuer to be infallible though it be infallible in it selfe will not make him sure and infallible This condition is found in the assent of Christian fayth for the things to be belieued are represented as cleer by noted and marked with diuine and supernaturall proofes that is confirmed with innumerable manifest miracles which the belieuers haue seen with their eyes or else know them by the report of whole worlds of those that beheld them by report so full constant brim as it is equiualent to the euidence of sense These Diuine proofes and markes euidently shew that the things marked with them are vnder the speciall care of God and of his infinite goodnesse that he cannot but prouide that the pious belieuer be not deceaued about them 4. Hereby is concluded that the Christian manner of apprehending the mysteries of faith is infallible more sure and certaine then any manner of naturall representation and apprehension of things can possibly be Naturall knowledge is eyther Physicall whereby we apprehend things as true because represented as such by the euidence of sense or Metaphysicall whereby we apprehend things as true by the light of vnderstanding which cleerly beholds the necessary connexion the thing apprehended hath with truth As in this proposition Euery whole thing is greater then any single part thereof our vnderstanding by the notion of the single wordes presently without discourse sees and belieues the truth of the speach Neyther of these
impossible to my reason therfore they are impossible ought to yield to this reason God sayth these mysteries are possible and certainly true Ergo they are possible and certainly true You wil say that though this consequence be most certaine this is the word of God Ergo it is most true yet you cannot be so certaine that this is the word of God as you are of that which you see with your eyes But this is refuted by what you say that the Scripture is proued by Tradition which is as certaine and infallible as Scripture and euidently true and credible of it selfe Ergo your beliefe of Scripture that it is the word of God is also resolued into this one reason vnto which all others must submit and yield themselues humbly subiect God sayth that these bookes are his word and infallible truth Ergo it is so these bookes are his word infallible truth so that Christian resolution of fayth euen by your own confession resteth finally vpon a reason vnto which all human reason and vnderstanding ought to submit and captiuate it selfe You see how by your contradicting your self your errours are ouer thrown and true Christianity established The ninth Conuiction 23. Lond. Edition pag. 340. lin 14. PAg. 357. lin 3. cap. 6. n. 28. thus you write I certaeinly know that I do belieue the Ghospel of Christ as it is deliuered in the vndoubted bookes of canonicall Scripture as verily as that it is now day that I see the light that I am now writing and I belieue it vpon this motiue because I conceaue it sufficiently abundantly superabundantly proued to be diuine Reuelation And yet in this I do not depend vpon any succession of men that haue alwayes belieued it without any mixture of Errour Nay I am fully persuaded that there hath been no such succession and yet do not find ANY WEAKENESSE in my fayth but am so fully assured of the truth of it that though an Angel from heauen should gayn-say it or any part of it I persuade my selfe I should not be moued Thus you many wayes establishing the absolute certainty of Christian fayth and in direct termes contradicting what elswhere you most earnestly affirme 24. First you ouerthrow what you els where (m) Pag. 325. n. 3. say that the certainty of fayth is not equal to that of sense for now you say that you certainly know and that you are fully assured that you belieue the truth of the Ghospell as verily as that now it is day as that you see the light as that when you writ this you were writing which is most assured certainty of sense For you say you are fully assured that without depending on succession you belieue not that which you thinke to be the truth of the Gospell for euery Heretique doth so but the true Gospell consequently you are as sure that what you belieue is the true Gospell as you are sure that it is light which you see at noon-day as you are sure you write when you write And so you professe that the certainty of your fayth is equal to the greatest certainty which can be had by sense If you say you speake this not of ordinary Christian fayth which is rational grounded on reasons but of special fayth which you haue from God infused into your vnderstanding in reward of your holy life I answer this cannot be so because you speake expressely of your fayth which standes v. pon the proofes of Christianity and the motiues of credibility and of that assent which you conceaue because proued vnto you abundantly by the said reasons which is ordinary Christian fayth and so you say in this place that any man may belieue the foresayd truths vpon the foresayd motiues 24. Secondly here you affirme that Christian Religion or the Ghospel is proued to be diuine Reuelation sufficiently abundantly superabundantly to beare the weight of a most certayn and fully assured fayth wherein there is not ANY WEAKENESSE By which you ouerthrow what you say elswhere (n) Pag. 36. that Christian fayth stands vpon two legs vpon two pillars the one that whatsoeuer God reueales is true which is most strong firme immoueable the second that the Ghospel is reuealed of God which pillar you say is weake infirme and instable (o) Pag. 112. â— 154. moralty certayne but not able to beare the weight of an absolute certaine infallible essent free from all weakenesse 25. Thirdly you say that fayth built vpon the forsaid motiues is so firme and so strong so assured as you should not as you thinke be moued though an Angel from heauen should gain-say it which doth manifestly contradict and destroy what you so often contend that the assent built vpon the motiues of credibility cannot be absolutly certaine no not though it were infused into the vnderstanding from God What you say of your self you should not be moued from the fayth of the Ghospel though an Angel from heauen should gain-say it how stubborne and pertinacious in errour you may be against the light of your conscience I do not know but if your fayth of the Ghospell be not certaine and infallible if it be but a very probable seeming or a moral certainty in this case that you could stand against an Angel from heauen prudently and according to the right dictamen of conscience this I will belieue if you can make me belieue that a Shilling-worth is as much as an Angell-worth Otherwise what greater folly then for a meere mortall man of so weake memory and miserable discourse as he cannot write three pages together in good sense without contradicting himself to preferre his priuate seeming his human fallible certainty his moral probabilities that this is Gods word before the word of an Angell and all the arguments he can bring against it 26. I conclude with this demonstration for the infallibility of our Christian fayth God commandeth all Christians and requires of them vnder payne of damnation to stand constant in the beliefe of the Ghospell euen against an Angell from heauen that should Euangelize to the contrary as you suppose truly this being the very doctrine of S. Paul Gal. 1.8 But except God did infuse into the heart of euery true belieuing Christian a most certaine vndoubted infallible assent and adherence to the Ghospel this command were vniust vnreasonable and such a precept as no man prudently might obserue For it cannot be wisdome to oppose the testimony of men and seeming probabilities of reason against the word of an Angel against Angelicall reasons and discourse Ergo God doth infuse and bindeth all Christians to admit a most certaine and infallible assent of the truth of the Ghospel and of Christian Religion That Christian Religion and Tradition is pure and incorrupt both in the fountayne and streame CHAP. III. WHAT may haue been your personal intention in penning and publishing of this worke the searcher of hearts knoweth best The end wherunto your course driueth the
they were forced and necessitated to do so by the euidence of Scripture which in formall and expresse tearmes contaynes many of their opinions and is against the Roman Catholique Religion as cleere as the light at noone Cap. 3. n 86. But this to be false and that you and they herein speake against your consciences may be made as cleere as the Sunne euen by your owne principles 18. For pag. 156. n. 9. you say In all controuersies where there is is a seeming conflict of Scripture with Scripture ReasoÌ„ with Reason Authority with Authority how this can consist with the manifest reuealing of the truth of eyther side I cannot well vnderstand Now it is as manifest as the Sunne that in all controuersies betwixt Protesters and the Church of Rome there is a seeming conflict of Scripture with Scripture of Reason with Reason of Authority with Authority yea in many controuersies the Scripture is cleere on our side taken according to the playne and euident sense of the text that Protesters are forced lyke Proteus to turne themselues into all manner of figures hide themselues with a figuratiue sense that they be not takeÌ„ in manifest confessed vnbeliefe of Gods word 19. This may be confirmed by the examples you bring in this your booke to shew that in some points the Scripture is cleere against the Church of Rome to wit against the worship of Angels Communion in one kind Latin seruice an infallible Iudge for in this maine decretory battaile for the whole it may be well supposed you would produce your best souldiers and vse your strongest weapons yea to take away all doubt of the matter you professe that they are the cleerest you haue nay that there cannot possibly be any plainer These instances by you often repeated which are the substance pith of your Booke I wil prooue to be weake vaine improbable incredible euen by your owne principles 20. First then Preface n. 11. lin 18. How say you is it possible any thing should be playner forbidden then the worship of Angels in the Epistle to the Colossians Thus you without proofe Against whome I reply that the place is darke obscure doubtfull ambiguous as none can possibly be more which I prooue First it is ambiguous and questionable in respect of the translation or rather without question it is falsifyed by you (a) Cap. 2. nu 1. versus finem Pag. 52. lin 26. where speaking to vs you say Do not impose vpon men that humility of worshipping Angels which S. Paul condemnes The true text is Nemo vos seducat volens in humilitate religione Angelorum let no man beguile you of your reward in voluntary humility and religion of Angels Hence appeareth that your chaÌ„ging corrupting peruerting of holy Scripture in this place is as great as any could possibly be vsed vpon a text of so few words You turne the particle and into of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Religion or diuine and Religious worship due to God only not so much the act as the forme you translate simply worshipping Angelorum being the Genitiue case of the Angels you make it the Accusatiue the humility of worshipping Angels as if the Latin text had byn in humilitate colendi Angelos And this alone were sufficient to prooue the place impertinent because the Apostle doth not reproue any kind of worship of Angels but only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (a) Threâ—kia à Tracibus est religioâ—è sacrificijs orgijs colere Gregor Nazian the worshipping them Religiously as Gods offering sacrifice to them 21. Secondly the text lyes open vnto ambiguity of senses in regard of the particle of which may referre Religious worship to Angels as to the obiects thereof the Religion of Angels that is the Religion wherewith Angels are worshipped or else to Angels as the Authors thereof the Religion of Angels that is the Religion which was deliuered vnto men and reuealed by Angels Heereupon ariseth a question indecidable in which sense S. Paul intended to speake Many as euen Caluin (b) Caluin Comment in hunc locum granteth vnderstand not Religious worship offered vnto Angels sed cultum ab Angelis traditum the forme of diuine worship deliuered by the Angels such was the Religion of the Iewes by Angels (c) Alij Religionem Angelorum intelligunt Religionem Iudaâ—cam quae data est Moysi per Angelos Cornel deliuered vnto Moyses which exposition Caluin doth not dislike 22. Thirdly the word Angels is much more ambiguous there being two kinds of Angels some good some bad and in ech kind there is a great variety of offices and degrees and consequently great diuersitie of opinions amongst Fathers and Expositours which kind of Angels are meant as you may see in Iustinianus and Cornelius Amongst the which opinions the most probable is that by Religion of Angels in this place the Magicall (d) Ad magicam illam superstitionem à Simone institutam Paulum respexisse haud ambigaÌ„ Iustinianus adoration of diuels or bad Angels is vnderstood taught by Simon Magus Now this being proued we will intreate you to call to mynd what you write Cap. 2. n. 104. lin 8. When a place by reason of ambiguous termes lyes indifferent betweene diuers senses whereof the one is true and the other false to say that God vnder paine of damnation obligeth men not to mistake is to make God a Tyrant Now where is your text as cleere as the sunne Is it not now as darke as night to shew the worship of Angels vsed by the Catholique Church vnlawful May not I with good reason giue you warning in the words of our Lord Si lumen quod in te est tenebrae sunt tenebrae tuae quantae erunt If your text then which none can possibly be cleerer is so darke how darke are your other texts which euen in your owne sight seeme not so cleere 23. On the other side the text wherein the Saints of God (d) Gen. 18 by Abraham Gen. 19. by Lot Num. 22. by BaalaÌ„ Ios 5. by Iosue adored holy Angels prostrate on the ground yea inuocated Angels as (f) Gen. 48.16 Angelus qui eruit me Iacob The Angell that deliuered me from all euill blesse these two children These texts I say are cleere as none can be cleerer And Protestants not to be scorched with the heauenly heate of reuerend feruent Deuotion towards the blessed Angels which might be kindled in their hearts by the lightsome influence of Gods word pretend ouer the litterall euidence a mysticall or rather misty veyle or cloath of their textobscuring interpretations painted with vnseemely figures of improper sense Cap. 3. n. 71. 24. Now for Communion in both kinds Who say you can deny but they are taught it by our Sauiour Ioan. 6. in these words according to most of their owne expositions Vnlesse you eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud you haue not life in you Thus
you in which speach your wordes interfere gall ech others ankles destroy themselues for to say Who can deny according to the exposition of most Catholiques that this text is vnderstood of Sacramentall eating and drinking doth imply that many Catholiques and with them most of Protestants deny it And consequently Who can deny it according to most is as wise a speach as if you should say It is a most vndeniable by many iustly denied truth For do not you write Preface n. 30. in fine There is no more certaine signe that a Point is not euident then that honest and vnderstanding and in different men and such as giue themselues liberty of Iudgment after a mature deliberation differ about it 25. Thirdly you vrge Scripture as plaine against Latin seruice saying Cap. 3. n. 21. n. 71. It is a plaine reuelation of God that the publique Prayers and Hymnes of the Church should be in such a language as is most for edification yet these reuelatiōs the Church of Rome not seeing c. I omit that you corrupt the Scripture by adding to the text the word most And pag. 173. lin 3. you cite these as the very words of S. Paul to vse a language which the Assistāts generally vnderstand not is not for edificatiō which is Scripture verbatim coyned and forged in your owne head I pretermit also so many cleere and fully satisfying answeres giuen by Catholiques which you do not mentiō much lesse confute I will shew that you behead this your Argumēt with your owne sword Do not you say Cap. 3. n. 32. that the Apostles in their writings deliuer some things as the dictates of human reason and prudence and not as diuine reuelations and that you see no reason why we should take them to be diuine reuelations This supposed I assume But S. Paul deliuers this order that an vnknowne tongue is not best for edification and decency as a dictate of humane reason and prudence as is manifest by the whole tenour of his discourse Ergo there is no reason why we should take it as a diuine reuelation vpon your word We belieue it indeed as the word of God that the Apostle did iudge that obseruance most for edification and decency in those tymes when Latin Greeke were vulgar languages almost euery where commonly knowne of all Since his tyme the Latin being not knowne and vulgar in euery Country of the Latin Church as it was before whether in this respect the Latin ought to cease to be the Vniuersall language for the Liturgy of the Latin Church is a question not decided by diuine reuelation but to be decided by human reason and prudence for it is different in state and quality from that decided by the Apostle such kind of dictats of human reason being variable according to the diuersity of tymes places persons customes Adde that Latin which most men of better education and quality vnderstand and all Church-men vnderstand cannot be tearmed a language vnknowne in the Church yea rather vulgar tongues are vnknowne and barbarous in the Christian Church 26. Fourthly against infallible Iudges (g) Cap 4. nu 16. lin 23. Ca. 4 n. 53 Cap. 6. n. 61. in many other places in the Church since the A postles you come forth euery foote with this Scripture Be not called Maisters vpon earth for one is your Maistere Christ The vanity of which obiection I demonstrate by this Syllogis me wherein both propositions be your owne and most infallible truths The Apostles (h) Cap. 2. n. 155. were the infallible Iudges of Controuersies about faith so long as they lyued the Maisters Doctours Guides of the Church But the A postles heerin did not transgresse the command giuen them by our Lord be not called Maisters on earth Ergo to be and to be called Iudges and Maisters of the Church in the place of Christ and subordinate vnto him is not against that precept of our Lord. 27. I conclude this Argument requesting you in the sight of the Inspectour of hearts as you belieue there is any such to ruminate and ponder your owne saying It imports euery man who separates from any Churches Communion euen as much as his Saluation is worth to looke most carefully that the case of his separation be iust and necessary The cause pretended of your separation from the Communion of the whole Catholique Church is the euidence of Scripture against her custome The strongest testimonies you do or can pretend are these by me now answered then which you say there cannot possibly be any playner Now can you thinke in cōscience that the former testimonies are cleere euident necessary such as necessitate conuince and compell the vnderstanding to assent Can you presume you shall be so eloquent at the day of Iudgement as to make our Lord belieue you were so simple and of so little Iudgement as you did really and in conscience vndoubtedly belieue that these texts were euident necessary formall expresse as cleere as the Sunne Thinke of it I pray you for by your owne confession it cōcernes you and euery Protestant as much as his eternall saluation is worth The seauenth Conuiction 27. YOu forsake the Roman and the Catholique externall Communion not onely without iust cause but without as much as a seeming cause euen against your conscience out of hatred of knowne truth What is damnable Schisme if this be not that you goe against your conscience and impugne knowne truth though you be very loath this mystery of your heart should be disclosed yet such is your inconsideration as you professe it openly inough in words but practise the same much more openly in deeds cap. 2. n. 47 in fine The rest of this Paragraph I am as willing it should be true as you are to haue it and so let it passe as a discourse wherein we are wholy vnconcerned You might haue met with an Aduersary that would not haue suffered you to haue said so much truth together but to me it is sufficient that it is nothing to the purpose These be your words in which you lay the inside of your heart outwards and plainly discouer your wifull auersion from knowne truth You suffered Charily mainteyned to speake so much truth togeather Why did you so Not because it was truth but because it was not to the purpose that is it made not against you so you were willing it should be true And doth not this imply that had that part of the Paragraph made against you had you beene vnwilling it should haue beene true you would not haue endured it you would haue impugned it with all might and mayne though it had beene truth neuer so much Had you sayd You might haue met with an Aduersary that would not haue suffered you to haue sayd so much vntruth together but to mee it is sufficient that it is nothing to the purpose this had been some courtesy of forbearāce but to say that you would not suffer so much