all and because they haue none they affirme that none are now wrought or if any be wrought that they are false feygned or diabolicall For Holinesse of life they confesse it to be so far from them that as Luther confesseth Men are dayly worse being possessed now with seauen Diuells more then before yea with whole troupes of Diuells and are more couetous crafty cruell and wicked then when they were Papists And the like is confessed by Caluin Musculus and others cyted by Becanus and the Protestants Apology If we seeke for Vniuersality they are ashamed to stile themselues by the name Catholike which is vniuersall but by the name of Protestant or for distinction of Protestants by the name Lutheran Caluinist or the like Vniuersality of place they cannot challenge because their doctrine neuer extended out of the limits of a few Northern countryes in Europe nor euer entred Africa Asia or America Vniuersality of tyme they cannot chalenge because their Church had its first being but about an hundred yeares agoe and this so apparently that we can nominate the yeare when the authour who the place where the opinions what the mantainers and abetters by whome this doctrine had first being in the world and the opposers who at first did yet continue to gainsay it so as they disclaime expresly from this marke not only denying it to be any marke of the Church but also confessing that their Church was according to some of them seauen hundred to others a thousand to others twelue hundred to others foureteene hundred yeares euer from Christ as before is proued either not at all or altogether latent and inuisible If we seeke for Succession of Ordination from the Apostles they either beg it from the Romā Church which they account Antichristian or els take vp a new one at their owne handes and are Prelates and Pastours of their owne creation and for want of ordinary vocation from Christ are content with an extraordniary of their owne inuention By which and much more for breuity omitted is euident that all testimonyes of credibility sufficient to make their doctrine seeme probable and worthy of credit are wanting to them and their Church 2. That the Protestants want the two externalll meanes of fayth which is Church-infallible proposition by which they should be assured confirmed in the certainty of their diuine reuelation mysteries reuealed in the certainty of their spirit and motions by it and in the certainty of their Scripture and meaning of it is proued because whether we take the Church Authoritatiue for the chiefe Pastours and Prelates by whose authority it is gouerned or Representatiue for the general Councels in which the whole body in the assembly of Bishops is represented or Collectiue for the whole multitude of all faythfull belieuers through the whole world dispersed Take it I say in which of these senses you will in all which it is the true Church of God and of infallible authority yet in none of these doe the Protestants receaue any infallible direction or confirmation frō it For if we respect their Pastours and Prelates they are not directed by them or obedient in fayth to them but by the liberty and priuiledge of their spirit euery priuate person hath authority to censure and iudge them If we respect generall Councells they disclaime all as before is proued or if they approue any it is so farre as their Decrees do agree with the fancy of their spirit to which they subiect them and so longe as they are pleased to obserue what is commāded by them in which they will be free without obligation to obey them If we respect the whole body of the Church they in their generall Tenents doe generally hould that it may erre and faile in doctrine and fayth and for practise do boldly affirme that for many ages it hath fallen and failed not only in doctrine of Idolatry superstition and heresy but also in very extancy and being of a Church as hauing beene inuisible not extant but dead buried and corrupted for so many ages togeather as in the first part is proued and thus they cut off al infallible authority of Church proposition which more then the other meanes they do in plaine tearmes expresly reiect and condemne 3. That the Protestants want the first internall means of Faith that is a pious disposition or inclination to belieue what is proposed by the Church as reuealed by God is proued because as a pious inclination of the will moued by the grace of God doth apply and determine the Vnderstanding of a willing and well disposed person either to labour and seeke out such motiues testimonies as do make the truth of Religion seeme probable or to assent to such as are already proposed vnto it so the obstinate disposition of a willful Protestant doth refuse to giue any credit or beliefe to any reasons though neuer so euident or to any definition of the Church though euery way most certaine but resolues with out amendement to persist in his preiudicate opinion notwithstanding any reason or authority to the contrary By which his obstinacy 1. He fals into heresy by willfully following his owne opinion which he chooses and carelesly contēning the authority of the Church in that it defines 2. He looseth his fayth which he receaued in Baptisme fals into infidelity partaking with Heretikes 3. He belieues no articles of fayth to which he assentes though truly firmly and for the testimony of God by any diuine and Catholike fayth which depends vpon an infallible meane that is Church proposing authority but by humane fayth wholy relying and lastly resoluing his beliefe eyther vpon the authority of some deceauing maister or vpon the testimony of some wrested Scripture or vpon the euidency of some deluding notes and markes or vpon the seeming apparency of his owne spirit and conceit 4. He separates himselfe from the vnion of the body of Christ from the benefit of the merits of his passion from the communion of his Saints both in earth and heauen and from all participation of hope of glory in Gods Kingdome to come so remaines as a dead member cut from the body as a dry bough deuided from the tree as a darke glimse of light separated from the Sunne as a small streame stopped from the current of the fountaine all which as they do presently decay and dry or come to nothing so he 4. That the Protestants want the two internall meanes and help of Fayth that is the infused and permanent guift of fayth inherent in the Vnderstanding and both enabling and illuminating it to the producing of the act of diuine supernaturall fayth is proued Because Protestants who hold that Fayth doth iustify and that Iustification is not by any inherent guif and quality but by the extrinsecall fauour of God not imputing our sinnes vnto vs
their owne priuate spirit iudgement and opinion for matters of fayth religion preferring it before the sentence of the whole Church and Pastours of it are Heretikes sinnefull subuerted to be auoided according to S. Paul but such are all those who make their priuate spirit the rule and iudge of their fayth religion and exposition of Scripture as is apparent because neglecting the direction of the spirit of God which directs his whole Church they preferre before it their own priuate spirit which directs themselues therefore are iustly condemned and so to be auoided as Heretikes Out of diuers places of Scripture condemning the relying vpon our owne iudgement SECT VII THE last proofe which I will vse is out of these places of Scripture which as in generall they exhort vs not to be wise in our owne conceit nor to trust in our owne opinion iudgement so in particuler they do condemne this relying of euery man vpon his priuate spirit which is nothing els but his conceit and opinion First the Wiseman sayth Leane not vpon thy owne prudence be not wise in thy owne conceit The way of a foole is right in his owne eyes but he that is wise heareth counsaile There is a way that seemeth to a man iust but the later end thereof leades to death◠I say sayth VVoe to you that are wise in your owne eyes and prudent before your selues Moyses sayth You shall not doe there the thinges that we do heere this day euery man that which seemeth good to himselfe Of all which S. Paul giues a reason and denounceth a punishment because hauing not glorified God they are become vaine in their imaginations and their foolish hart hath beene hardened for saying of themselues that they be wise they are become fooles And to them that are of contention obey not the truth wrath and indignation In the flame of fire giuing reuenge to thē that know not God and that obey not the Ghospell Out of which places I argue thus They who leane on their owne prudence are wise in their owne conceit are vpright in their owne eyes are wise and prudent before themselues doe that which seemes good to themselues say themselues are wise these become vaine foolish contentious hard-harted know not God obey not truth resist the Ghospell and are cursed according to holy Scripture But such are all they who in mysteries of fayth in matters of religion and in expositions of Scripture forsake the direction of the spirit of God promised and giuen to his Church and rely and depend vpon their own spirit or self seeming conceit who by it choose their fayth and vpon it ground their saluation as all Protestants do who are guided by this priuate spirit therefore in this miserable and desperate case of ignorance vanity folly obstinacy and cursednes are all those who in their fayth religion and exposition of Scripture are thus guided directed and instructed by their priuate spirit And if these sayinges of Scripture be verified in affaires morall or domesticall publique or politique which are in the compasse of our naturall iudgement reason of which they are properly vnderstood and in which experience also teaches that they who in any arte science or negotiation most rely vpon their owne iudgement and follow their owne wayes do often commit the greatest errours and fall into the deepest dangers wheras they who are aduised by others and goe the ordinary way doe for the most part proceed more securely and succeed more prosperously Then much more is the verity of them confirmed in mysteries of fayth which are aboue our capacity in verities of religion which are not measured by reason and in explication of Scripture which is a booke sealed and that with seauen seales which none in heauen or earth could open or looke vpon but the Lambe nor any spirit interprete it but that which did make it In all which euery mans proper iudgement must needes be weake and euery ones priuate spirit doubtfull whether it can attaine to the true and proper vnderstanding of them All which is confirmed by the authority of that famous Doctour S. Augustine who sayth Quis mediocriter intelligens non plané viderit c. VVho though of meane capacity doth not plainely see that it is more profitable and secure for the simple to obey the wise then to liue according to ones owne direction and if this course be safer in small matters as in tilling of ground marrying of wiues education of children and ordering of ones family much more it is in religion for humane thinges are more easy to be knowne and in diuine things there is more danger of sinne and offence And againe No science or trade though meane and easy is learned without a Maister what therefore can be more audacious and temerarious then to seeke to vnderstand bookes of diuine mysteries without Interpreters And againe Men to vnderstand a Poet do seeke for a maister Asper Cornutus Donatus and others and darest thou without a guide aduenture vpon the diuine bookes which be full of diuine mysteries as all confesse and darest thou giue thy iudgement or interpretation of them And thus is this priuate spirit defining of fayth decyding of controuersies and determining of religion confuted by authority of holy Scripture expresly confuting and condemning it and the aforesayd function assigned to it He who wil see more testimonies to proue the right Iudge of controuersies and the infallible interpreter of Scripture which are the authority of Gods holy Church and the chiefe Pastours of it let him read Bellarmine where he shall see the practise and testimony of antiquity and the euidence of reason all at large cited for the same THE PRIVATE SPIRITS INTERPRETING OF HOLY SCRIPTVRE AND Iudging of Mysteries and Controuersies of Fayth confuted by the testimony of holy Fathers CHAP. III. WE haue confuted this pretended power and authority of the priuate spirit by the authority of Gods holy Word it remaines that we do the same by the testimony of ancient holy Fathers For which we may note that as S. Augustin alleadging the Fathers before him against the Pelagians sayd That he would not assume to himselfe to alleadge the sentences of all Fathers nor yet all the sentences of them whome he alleadged but some sayings of some few which yet are such as will cause our aduersaries to blush and yield if eyther feare of God or shame of man will ouercome so great an obstinacy in them So we will not vndertake to alleadge either all the Fathers or al the testimonies of those whom we alleadge no more then we haue done al the Prophets or Apostles or all the authorities of them whome we haue cyted which labour in both we leaue to thē who are more expert in both yet I hope we haue collected some and those in euery age such as being wel pondered
apparitions so great similitude in their motions and apparitions so many rules and differences vpon long experience haue beene giuen to discerne them and so great skill cunning is requisite to apply them Sith there be so many and so dangerous wayes to take as of Pagans Iewes Turks Heretikes all differing condemning one another all depending vpon the motions of these spirits Sith such and so high is the excellency of the nature of these spirits to be discerned such and so weake the infirmity of man to discerne them such and so subtile malicious and powerfull is mans enemy the Diuell to deceaue in them by counterfeit dissimulation of piety or by forged illusions insteed of reuelations or by outward apparitions in forme of Saints Angels or God all by verity of examples confirmed Sith so speciall extraordinary so rare and vnvsuall is this gift of discerning these spirits Sith I say all this is so as is proued with what reason and iudgment can any man make this priuat spirit or rather selfe-seeming conceit of his owne braine a competent sufficient and infallible iudge to discerne and decide al these questions and difficulties arising vpon them What braine-sicke madnesse senslesse presumption is it for euery silly simple and vnlearned person man or woman all of which challēg this spirit to assume so much to themselues and presume so farre vpon their owne conceit as to discerne and declare which of euery one of these spirits is of God the deuill or nature which is good or bad which true or false either in thēselues or others and vpon this presumption to ground the certainty of their religion faith and saluation What greater temerity and rashnes can there be then to build a worke so great and important as is the eternity of saluation or damnation vpon no more solid and certaine a ground then is the proper conceit of euery priuate motion of an vncertaine spirit Surely if men were not blind or bewitched and that either willfully or foolishly blinded or bewitched and both so deeply that they eyther will not or cannot see what both sense reason doth dictate to their owne conscience what both authority and testimony of God and holy men doth lay before them what both examples experience of so many ages doth confirme vnto thē surely they could not but often doubt and distruct many tymes stagger and relent their owne iudgment conscience doubtlesse pricking them in this their ostentation of the certainty of their spirit they could not but sometyms enter into consideration yea and feele a sensible touch of trepidation in soule and stand in a wonder and amazemēt at themselues how they dare venture so far and stand so confidently in so weighty a matter vpon the judgement of so vncertaine vnconstant vnwarranted yea corrupted deceitfull and partiall a Iudge as is this their priuate spirit conceit imagination What man of reason and discretion or of care conscience will not hould it farre more secure and safe in these points of eternity with euery good Catholike to ioyne his spirit with the spirit of the Saints and seruants of God now reigning in heauen to subiect his spirit to the spirit of Gods holy Church heere on earth guided infallibly by an infallible spirit of God and by conforming themselues to this spirit to imbrace and follow that Fayth and religion that doctrine and discipline that sacrifice and sacraments which so many Saints and holy men so many Confessours and learned Doctours so many Churches and Councells in all ages throughout all Countryes belieued in their harts professed by their liues defended by their writinges and sealed and confirmed with their liues bloud And thus much for the first reason against the priuate spirit drawne from the difficulty to discerne spirits THE PRIVATE SPIRITS AVTHORITY To interprete Scripture and iudge of Fayth confuted by reasons drawne from the true and infallible authority and meanes of interpreting holy Scripture CHAP. V. VVhat Interpretation Authority and meanes are necessary infallible for the sense of Scripture SECT I. SVBDIV. 1. What Interpretation of Scripture is necessary THE better to vnderstand the reasons drawne from the infallible authority and meanes of interpreting of Holy Scripture by which the priuate spirits authority is confuted we may consider 1. What interpretatiō that is which is required as necessary 2. What authority as infallible is required to this intetpretation and in whome it is resident 3. What meanes are to be vsed and followed as certaine by these Interpreters to this interpretation Out of all which may be inferred and proued the insufficiency of the priuate spirit to be eyther authour or meanes of this interpretation of Scripture First therefore when we speake of the sense and interpretation of scripture we speake not of that sense and interpretation which is only probable and credible but of that which is certaine and infallible Not of that which is only for the pulpit and documents of manners or which is for the schooles and subtiltyes of diuinity but of that which is for doctrine of Fayth and articles of beliefe Not of that which is only to confirme and increase vs in that fayth which we already belieue but of that which is to persuade and produce fayth a new eyther in our selues when and why we first belieue or in others whome we persuade first to belieue And this is that sense of Scripture which as it is being rightly vnderstood in the sense which the holy Ghost intended a firme and solide foundation of true fayth so being falsly vnderstood and wikedly peruerted by false teachers it is the Mother or nurse of al heresies For as nothing is persuaded as worthy of beliefe but which is true or vnder the shew of truth and as the scripture is by all granted to be most true so all vse the text of Scripture as a meane to persuade that which they would haue to be belieued as true the true teachers in the true sense the false in the false sense both cyting the wordes and text but the one in that sense and meaning which the holy Ghost intended the other in that which they themselues inuented Which course of false sense as the Diuell first beganne when he would haue by Scripture persuaded Christ to cast himselfe downe headlong saying It is written he hath giuen his Angels charge ouer thee So the members of Sathan follow the same way and labour by the same Scripture to seduce the members of Christ as the faythlesse the faythfull the sacrilegious the religious the Heretikes the Catholikes For the Iewes would by Scripture haue proued that Christ was not only not Messias saying Search the Scriptures and see that from Gallilee a Prophet ryseth not but also that he was a malefactour and such a one as ought to dye saying VVe haue a law and according to our law he ought to dye And the same is continued both by Turkes
only a shadow a faigned diabolicall Fayth not a true diuine and supernaturall Fayth tending to iustification by which euery Christian belieues these articles 2. Is oppugned the vnity of God Deum by Caluin who houldes that the Sonne hath an essence distinct from the Father By Beza and Stegius who hould that the essence is diuided into three persons 3. By Luther who houldes that the Diuinity is threefold 4. By Melancthon who houldes that there are three Diuinities or essences in God By Sanctius who entitles his booke De tribus Eloim of three Gods 5. By the Tritheits in Polonia who expresly hould there are three Gods and three Eternalls 6. Is oppugned the God-head it selfe and his mercy and goodnesse 1. By all those who make God the authour willer commander and worker of sinne and damnation because so is his will and pleasure Who make him a sinner a great sinner the only sinner Who make him a lier a dissembler a tyrant and transforme him into a very deuill himselfe as is before proued and deduced 2. By those who make the diuinity of God passible as with Eutiches the auncient condemned hereticke Luther and Iacobus Andreas do 3. By those who affirme the diuinity to haue beene not only a mediatour betweene God and man as Caluin and Beza did but also to haue beene obediēt to God as Melancton and after him many Lutherans Tigurins also did And further to haue exercised the office of a Priest offering sacrifice to God as Iewell did affirme All which opinions do make many Diuinities in God one inferiour to another because where one is a mediatour is obedient doth offer sacrifice to another there must be a subordination subiection and distinction there one must be inferiour and distinct from the other and so there must be many distinct Diuinities and these inferiour one to another which is contrary to the nature of diuinity God-head 4. Is oppugned the person of the Father and with him the whole B. Trinity by Luther who affirmes that the diuinity is as well three and of three sorts as are the three persons that the word Trinity is an humane inuention a word which sounds coldly and is not to be vsed but insteed of it the word God and did therupon thrust out of his Letanies that prayer Holy Trinity one God haue mercy on vs. And did leaue out of his Germane bible those words of S. Iohn alleadged by Athanasius Cyprian Fulgentius to proue he blessed Trinity against the Arrians There are three which giue testimony in heauen the father the word and the holy ghost and these three are one To all which also Caluin subscribes who not only affirmes that the prayer Holy Trinity one God haue mercy on vs doth displease him as sauouring of barbarisme but also wrests all those places by which the Fathers out of the old and new Testament did proue against Iews and Arrians the diuinity of Christ to a contrary sense and meaning as the Lutherās in diuers bookes on set purpose against him haue conuinced And Danaeus his successor after Beza followes him who affirmes that the same word Trinity and the same prayer Holy Trinity haue mercy on vs is a foolish and dangerous prayer All which are directly contrary to the auncient orthodox and Catholicke doctrine of the B. Trinity three persons and one God 5. In the same first article is oppugned the omnipotency of God almighty by Beza VVhitaker others who affirme 1. That God cannot place one body in two places by replication or other wayes that is Christs body in heauen and on the altar at the same time 2. That God cannot place two bodies in one place by penetration one of another that is that Christs body with the stone of the sepulcher at his resurrection with the dores of the house at the entring to his disciples and with the solidity of the heauens at his ascensiō could not be togeather in one place but the stone dores or heauen were diuided opened or resolued into some liquid matter 3. That God cannot draw a camell or a cable-rope as it is said in the Ghospell though a needles eye 4. That God hath no absolute power to do any more then he hath already done 5. That the position of the archangell Gabriel Any word is not impossible with God is not generally to be belieued nor vniuersally to be admitted Al which if they be true that is if the diuinity be passible be a mediatour be a priest and be three and distinct as the person are if God be the authour and worker of all sinne and euill if the word Trinity and the prayer Holy Trinity haue mercy on vs be to be left out as barbarous foolish and dangerous if God cannot place one body in two places or two bodies in one place cannot draw a cable-rope through a needles eyes can do no more then he hath done then is the Deity the vnity the Trinity the goodnes and the omnipotēcy of God all which are by this first article belieued by this doctrine and these Doctours oppugned and so the Fayth of the first article reiected Secondly in the second article attributed to S. Iohn is oppugned the worke of the whole Trinity the Creation of heauen and earth 1. By Caluin who will haue only the Father properly to be creatour of heauen and earth as to whome alone the name of God by excellency is due and the Sonne to be the Vicar of the Father and to haue the second degree of honour after him 2. By Stenberge Seruetus Blandrata Somarus Francus others cyted by Kellison who deny the Diuinity of the holy Ghost as the third person in the Trinity and admit only a vertue from the father which they call the holy Ghost But if the father be only God if the sonne be inferiour as his vicar and second to him if the holy Ghost be only the vertue of the father not a person distinct from him then is only the father and not the sonne and the holy Ghost with the whole Trinity the creatour of heauen and earth Wherby the second article is oppugned Thirdly In the third article attributed to S. Iames the greater is oppugned the diuinity of the sonne second person Iesus Christ his only sonne our Lord. 1. By Luther who detested the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or consubstātiall signifying the sonne to be of the same substance with the father and made the diuinity of the sonne passible with Eutiches as I haue shewed before 2. By Caluin Beza and Whitaker who admit Christ to be sonne of the father but not to be God of the father or of the essence of the father or God of God as the Nicene Creed expresseth but God of himselfe and withall affirmes that the father doth not continually eternally beget the sonne 3. By Caluin Beza others before cited who make Christ as
by many who now a dayes euen in England admit a resurrection in a like body but not in the same body which was before Twelthly In the twelth article attributed S. Matthias is oppugned the life euerlasting 1. By Luther who one while affirmes that the soule is made by propagatiō ex traduce not by creation and that the immortality of it is a popish fiction out of the dunghill of the Popes decrees anotherwhile that the soules of the iust of many damned do sleepe senselesse vntill the day of iudgment and that dogges sheep oxen and fishes shal be in heauen for our recreation 2. By Caluin who affirmes that the soules of the blessed remaine sleeping in the porch are not as yet entred into the kingdome of glory that faith is remaining in heauen that it is foolish temerarious to enquire where the soules of the iust are and whether as yet they be in glory or not All which many such like opinions of theirs as they are the inuention of this priuate spirit and are both absurd wicked or blasphemous so are they all plaine contrary to the Apostles Creed and do directly oppugne the articles of it And thus much of this priuate spirits doctrine as it oppugneth the articles of the Creed and in them all faith and beliefe Of absurdities against Prayer and the Pater noster SECT VII SVBDIV. 1. In generall making all Prayer needlesse or hopelesse SECONDLY This doctrine oppugneth the petitions of the Pater noster and all manner of prayer and deuotion to God for which we may note that as by faith we come to know God and his reuealed verities so by this hope we are animated to attaine to the fruition of God all that is good for vs. An effect of this hope is prayer by which we are emboldened in hope to obteine to speake to God and aske of him what we stand in need of Prayer therfore as it is according to S. Augustine an eleuating of the mind and a sacrifice to God a reliefe to man a terrour to Sathan a safegard to the soule a comfort to the Angells the perfect glory the certaine hope and incorrupted preseruer of all religion As it is an incense moūting vp to heauen a messenger we sēd to God where our selues cannot yet come a ladder by which we climbe to the throne of God and God descends to our vale of misery a hand which we reach to heauen which God returnes filled with benedictiōs to vs againe so it is not only a speciall vertue commended vnto vs by Christ who wils vs to pray and to pray often yea without intermission but also a chiefe practise the particulars wherof Christ himselfe did deliuer to vs both for the matter what and the māner how we should pray and make our petition This he did in the Pater Noster and the seauen petitions of it which being a compendium of all we are to aske as the Creed is of all we are to belieue we make in it besides the preparatory preface which teaches vs to haue confidence in God in that he is to vs not only a maister but a Father charity to our brethrē in that he is our Father and we all brethren his children by creation and adoption and a Reuerence both to Gods Maiesty as residing in heauen and also to his Saints and seruants in whom specially as in the heauens he dwels and reignes by grace as S. Augustine expounds it besides I say this preface or preparation we make seauen petitions of seauen seuerall things vnto God in which we desire blessings at Gods hands either positiue of good things to be obtained or preseruatiue from euill things to be auoided The positiue blessings we craue are either spirituall or corporall the spirituall are 1. the sanctification of Gods name in the first petition that is either true knowledge of him or right honour to him or constant perseuerance in him 2. The coming of his kingdome in the second that is the dilatation of his Church on earth the increase of his grace in our harts the obteining of his glory in heauen 3. The obedience to his will in earth as it is in heauen in the third that is as Gods will is done by Angells so it may be done by man as it is done by the iust so it may by sinners as it is wrought in the spirit so it may be in the flesh The corporall blessings we craue are our dayly bread in the fourth that is either temporall food for the body or doctrinall for knowledge of the vnderstanding or sacramentall of the Eucharist and whatsoeuer is conuenient for both soule body these are the four first petitions of positiue blessings The preseruatiue blessings are from euils from which we desire to be freed those either euils past as sin forgiue vs our trespasses in the fifth against God our neighbours or ourselus by commissiō or omission by thought word or deed or euils present lead vs not into tēptation in the sixt that is permit vs not to fall into any occasion or danger of sin by concupiscence of the flesh vanity of the world and malice of the Diuell Or euils to come deliuer vs from euill in the seauenth that is from all paine due to sinne originall or actuall by affliction in this life or by torments in the next life either in Purgatory or in hell and from whatsoeuer may hinder vs from God and all goodnes in this or the next life In which are summarily contained all the thinges pertaining to the honour of God or necessary for our body or soules in this life or the next It remaines to shew that the former positions of the Protestants do make all these petitions needlesse or fruitlesse needlesse as of thinges certaine which need to be asked fruitlesse as of thinges impossible which cannot be obtained which is shewed two wayes first in generall of all prayer secondly in particuler of these petitions In generall thus 1. That prayer is needlesse which prayes for that which is certaine cannot faile vs as either already past or assuredly possest or to come as for example that Christ should be borne or crucifyed which is past or that I should be a man or an English man which I am sure I am or that to morrow the Sunne should ryse or that men should rise at the day of iudgment which they are sure to do Againe that prayer is fruitles which prayes for that which is impossible to be had as for a mother to pray that she were a Maid and Virgin againe or for that an old man to pray that he were young againe and might neuer dye both which are impossible though not both equally But according to the Protestant grounds such are generally all their prayers for if they pray for remission of sins for the fauour of God for perseuerance in Fayth or for the glory of heauen their
animate them to increase in grace goodnesse and perfection They make the auoiding of bad or the doing of good works the keeping of Gods commandements or the performing his will to be impossible and therby disharten men from attempting either to keepe his precepts or to obey his will or to please him in any worke or action We belieue his yoake to be sweet and his burthen easy and the obeying of his commandements auoiding of sinne by grace to be possible facile and therby encourage all to labour that they may obey his precepts and performe his holy will and pleasure They make no bad works to be imputed to the elect and no good works to escape punishment in the reprobate and therby make the one fearlesse carelesse of any bad and the other hopelesse and desperate to do any good We make good works in all to be good and in the good to be meritorious and bad works in al to be bad and to deserue punishment and depriue men of Gods fauour till by repentance they be washed and pardoned and therby inuite all to do good and to auoid bad and repent them of bad They hould that no sinne in the faithfull can depriue him of faith which once had can by no sinne be lost and therby lull men in a security of saluation and allure them to a liberty of sinne which they belieue cannot depriue them of Gods fauour We hould that grace once had may be lost and is lost by mortall sinne and therby warne men carefully to keep Gods grace diligently to preuent sinne before it be committed and presently to report after it be cōmitted Tenthly For good Works they their priuate spirit hould that no good works are good iust perfect or meritorious yea that none are necessary or possible but that al are sinfull and therby make it bootlesse and needlesse to striue to do them We hould that good works are not only good but may be perfect meritorious of an eternal reward wherby we animate all to the working of them They hould that cōtinency virginity is no vertue but a suggestion of Sathan wicked diabolicall and a rebellion against God in religious persons and that matrimony is a state more noble perfect spirituall then it and therby induce all to marry We hould that single life chastity and continency is a vertue more perfect noble and holy then marriage and therfore is preferred by God as more spirituall before marriage and more to be esteemed by men is more honourable They hold that fasting and punishing the body by mortification watching discipline is no vertue is needlesse and no part of pennance or satisfaction but a killing of ones selfe wherby they withdraw men from austerity strictnesse of life We hould that it being vsed discreetly and in measure is good and pious as commended in the old and new Testament and practised by all Saints and holy persons therby animate all to it They hould that the forsaking the world liuing in a retired Religious life is a meere human tradition and an vnprofitable will-worship of God We hould that it is a meane of perfection an imitation of an Apostolicall life and therfore cōmendable in them who can vndertake it They hould that vowes of perfection are a curiosity presumption pride contrary to God not to be vsed by Christians We hould that to vow obedience pouerty and chastity are gratefull to God great helps and meanes to perfection as counsailed in holy scripture and laudable in all the professours of them In all which as they take from all sinne all punishment due to it all offence to God inseparable from it and all malice annexed to it as they take away all difference by which one sin is damnable rather then another all feare which may bridle any from committing sinne in which they make men fearlesse of sinne and carelesse to commit it so they take from good works in generall all goodnesse and participation of good al iustice and vprightnesse before God all valew and dignity by grace all benefit and grace of merit all hope or comfort of pleasing God all necessity of doing them and all possibility of doing them without offence of God And from good works in particuler they take away also from all vowes their obligation to be performed from chastity all possibility to be obserued from fasting pennance and mortification all necessity to be vsed from prayer and deuotion all meanes to obteine that they aske and from charity all efficacy to iustify before God and from all and euery one in their proper kind all power and necessity to do them all courage and alacrity to do them hopefully Al which is contrary in vs our Catholicke doctrine Eleauenthly From the glory of heauen the ioyes of it they and their priuate spirit do derogate in affirming 1. That neither any reward is iustly giuen in heauen for any good done vpon earth nor any crowne of iustice in that life for suffering of iniustice in this nor any lawrell of Martyrs Confessours or Virgins there for the confessing the name of Christ 2. That in heauen are no differences of mansions or diuersity of degres of glory and that all are like and al equall in glory and beatitude euen to the Apostles and the mother of God wherby they remoue a strong motiue to draw men to labour for perfection in this life that they may attaine to a higher place of glory in the next We and our Catholicke doctrine doe belieue 1. That God doth iustly reward in heauen all our good deedes done on earth and doth giue crownes of glory for our sufferings for him and bestow variety of glorious lawrels by gifts of accidentall beatitude for our glorifying him in any eminent manner of perfection 2. That as starres so Saints do differ in clarity hauing their seuerall mansions places and glory according to their degrees of grace and merit wherby al are encouraged to aime at perfection in hope of so high a remuneration For hell and the place and paines of it they and their priuate spirit take from it 1. The difference of places as Limbus patrum puerorum Purgatory 2. The materiall and reall fier of hell denying as many do all true fier and admitting only a metaphoricall and imaginary fier 3. The suffering of soules in it before the day of iudgment 4. The corporall place or prison of hell admitting only a torment of cōscience before the day of iudgment 5. The lawfulnesse to auoid sinne for feare of hell which they make a sinne and vnlawfull by all which they make the paines and torments of hell to be lesse feared and sinnes for the feare of them lesse auoided We and our Catholicke doctrine do hould 1. The difference of places according to different estates and deserts as the Limbus puetorū for children dying without Baptisme the Limbus patrum
differ in the extension of it for we affirme this grace to be extended offered and giuen sufficiently though not effectually to all so that all and euery one of reason haue sufficient meanes and ability to know God by Faith and to loue him by Charity so far as is needfull for their saluation They affirme their spirit to be restrayned offered and giuen only to the elect faithfull whome they make all one and that all others neither haue nor can haue it but are by the absolut will and decree of God debarred from it therby made incapable of it 3. We differ in the manner of operation of it for we affirme that grace doth worke or cooperate with vs and we with it so that the grace of God and our Free-will as two concurring causes though Grace the more principall do ioyntly effect and produce euery good worke of Faith Hope or Charity or the rest in vs whereby our good works haue of grace that they are diuine supernaturall and of our selues that they are voluntary and free of both that they are meritorious of more grace present in vs and of glory in heauen to come to vs. They doe attribute so much to the worke of their spirit in them that they take away all cooperation of our free-will in vs wherby they make man as dead without all action or operation to any spirituall and good workes make the spirit soâ—e whole worker of all in man Fourthly We differ in the nature and permanency of this grace or spirit for we acknowledge grace to be an inherent quality permanent guift infused into our soule which doth enlighten enable our vnderstanding to giue assent by faith to the diuine mysteries proposed and inspire our will to be sorrowfull by contrition for our sins committed which guift once infused is not so permanent perpetuall but that the habit of Charity is lost by mortall sinne against Charity the habit of Hope by desperation against hope the habit of faith by infidelity against faith They or many of theÌ„ deny all infused guifts of faith hope charity or the rest admit only a transeunt motion or operatioÌ„ of the spirit which working in man without mans cooperation when what how and in whome it pleaseth is neuer totally or finally lost after it be receaued doth make a man alwayes faythfull and beloued of God and doth giue that vertue to all his workes though neuer so bad that they make them gratefull and acceptable to him so that according to them no worke of a faithfull man though neuer so bad can make any enmity betweene God him God neither imputing it as an offence to him nor man incurring the displeasure of God for it Fiftly We differ in the effect and operation assigned to it for we assigne the function and office for example Of the guift of faith to be the eleuation enabling of our Vnderstanding to giue assent to what is reuealed by God deliuered in scripture or tradition and proposed by Church authority Of the guift of hope to be the inflammation of the soule to loue God as our chiefest end to desire him as our greatest Good to hope for him as our good absent and to delight in him as our good present Of the guift of charity or grace to be the forgiuenes of our sinnes the sanctification of our soule adoption to be the sonnes of God title and right to the kingdome of heauen and a valew dignity of merit to our good workes They assigne to their priuate spirit a double effect the one of proposing the obiect the other of working in the subiect In respect of the obiect it proposeth to them what they are to belieue and why they are to beleeue it and how they are to know both In respect of the subiect it workes in them say they a firme and infallible assurance of all the former thinges belieued so that they stand sure and certaine not only of the Scripture the sense of it and of their doctrine and verity of it but also of their spirit that it is of the Lord and of their saluation that it is as due to them as it is to vse Caluins owne words due to Christ and that they can no more loose heauen then can Christ nor be no more damned then can Christ In which they attribute to their priuate spirit all the reason of credibility exteriour and all the operation interiour both in the will and vnderstanding which they haue of the certainty of all their faith and saluation By all which is apparent that as they made it the sole ground foundation which is in the former part at large proued on which their faith is built so they make it the sole meanes as is here proued and the totall cause materiall formall finall and efficient both exteriourly reuealing proposing and persuading and interiourly working or rather deluding them in the obstinacy rather then certainty of their supposed faith And this priuate spirit and this effect of it is that which they rest vpon and that which in this second Part we intend by the assistance of Gods grace to confute and disproue THE PRIVATE SPIRITS INTERPRETATION OF HOLY SCRIPTVRE Deciding of controuersies iudging of mysteries of Fayth coÌ„futed by holy Scripture CHAP. II. Out of 1. S. Iohn 4. 1. S. Paul 1. Tim. 4.11 Act. 20.30 2. S. Pet. 2. describing this Spirit SECT I. THE holy Ghost in holy Writ borh foreseeing and also forshewing to vs the abuse of this priuate spirit the better to forewarne vs of it to arme vs against it doth not only in generall as it doth many other abuses but euen in particuler and as it were on set purpose both plainely decipher and describe it also fully confute and condemne it Out of it therefore we will draw our first arguments of confutation and by it conuince of falsity this deceitfull and deceauing spirit And first to begin with the new Testament for the more full instruction of our selues and the plainer confutation of this spirit I will for one proofe conioine in one argument the testimonies of the chiefest Apostles that is of S. Iohn S. Peter and S. Paul First S. Iohn 1. epist chap. 4 v. 1. doth plainely giue admonitions against this spirit 1 Belieue not euery spirit 2 but try the spirits if they be of God Secondly both S. Iohn and S. Paul doe giue the reasons why we should not belieue but try these spirits S. Iohn v. 2. Because many false spirits are gone out into the world S. Paul 1. Tim. 4.11 Because in the last tymes certaine shall depart from the fayth attending to spirits of errour and doctrine of Diuells Againe 2. Cor. 11.14 For that Satan himselfe doth transfigure himselfe into an Angell of light that is doth make shew of workes of piety iustice and deuotion thereby to allure men by opinioÌ„
contrary to S. Paul who doth assigne for one of the guifts of gratiae gratis giuen which is not common to all the guift to discerne spirits thereby also do open gappe to all confusion and dissentiō and thus faile not only in the meanes how but also in the persons by whome spirits are to be tryed Out of all which I reason thus That spirit which we are forewarned not to belieue which is to be tryed by another spirit and that spirit by another in infinitum That spirit into which Sathan transfigureth himselfe deceauing many and making many false Prophets and rauenous wolues That spirit which brings in Sects of perdition drawing many out of the Church which causeth so many to blaspheme the way of truth to walke in concupiscence to contemne dominion to allure vnstable soules to promise liberty to speake proudly to depraue Scriptures to turne from the Commandement and to draw disciples after it That spirit which cannot be discerned whether it be the spirit of God man or the Diuell whether of truth or falshood of wisedome or giddines and in regard it hath so great similitude in effect and operation one with another That spirit I say cannot be an infallible rule and iudge to interprete Scripture iudge of fayth decide controuersies and direct euery man in the way of his saluation this is euident and needs no proofe But such is the priuate spirit which euery priuate person and sect-maister challenges to himselfe as is before proued and by experience confirmed in that euery Heretike ancient or late hath by force of it separated himselfe from Gods Church broached so many blasphemous opinions contemned so highly all Church-authority promised licentious liberty of the Ghospell depraued so fowly holy Scriptures and drawne so many into perdition after them all which shall more at large afterwardes be confirmed Therefore it doth follow that this priuate spirit cannot be a rule of fayth able to assure and secure euery one in his beliefe and saluation And thus much of the first proofe out of Scripture against this priuate spirit Out of 2. Pet. 1.20 making the same spirit authour and interpreter of Scripture SECT II. THE second proofe is out of S. Peter who 2. Pet. 1.20 prouing the power and present cōming of Christ first by the eye-witnesse of some in his Transfiguration next by a more firme testimony in respect of the Iewes that is the holy Scripture which he commends for the effect which is to lighten as light in a darke place and for the authour which is the Holy Ghost hath among the rest these wordes Vnderstanding this first that no prophecy of Scripture is made by priuate interpretation for not by mans will was prophecy brought at any tyme but the holy men of God spake inspired with the Holy Ghost In which wordes S. Peter makes first a serious premonition Vnderstanding this first as a point of principall and important consideration Secondly he layes downe his assertion in wordes plaine powerful against this priuate spirit That no prophecy of Scripture that is no sense and meaning of Scripture for so are they called some Prophets because they did expound the secret hidden mysteryes of Scripture and foretell the ioyes of heauen to the iust as S. Ambrose and S. Anselme with all others do expound it is made by priuate interpretation that is according to S. Chrysostome Not by the spirit which many bragge of as the spirit of God but falsly pretending it do speake that which is their owne According to S. Clement Not according to the proper vnderstanding of our owne wit Yea according to Caluin Not by our owne proper sense for what we produce out of it is prophane The sense therefore according to the plaine wordes and generall consenting interpretation of all is No priuate spirit of any priuate man expounding Scripture according to his owne priuate sense and proper conceit and fancy is a fit meanes to interpret Gods holy word of which thirdly he giues this reason because not by mans will or by any selfe seeming humane conceit was prophecy brought at any tyme that is the sacred and holy sense of Gods holy word neuer at any tyme brought forth and penned but the holy men of God the Prophets and Apostles spake and dictated what they wrote inspired with the Holy Ghost that is Because the Holy Ghost was the author of the wordes and sense of holy Scripture in the mouth and handes of those who first penned it Therfore must the same holy Ghost be the expositour of the sense of it in the mouthes of them who rightly vnderstand it And this to be the true sense of this place witnesse besides the former testimonies not only the Rhemists Bellarmine and others but also Caluin himselfe saying The spirit which spake by the Prophets is the only interpreter of himselfe Out of which place and wordes I inferre first that as the true text of Scripture it selfe so also the true sense and meaning of it is a meane and ground of Christian religion first and principally to be knowne Secondly that this true sense is not to be made by any priuate interpretation of the priuate spirit of euery priuate person Thirdly that it is to be made by the same spirit of God which was the first authour and dictatour of it And out of this inference and euidence of wordes I argue thus That spirit which must be the true and infallible interpreter of holy Scripture is and must be the same which was the first author and writer of it as is heere proued but that spirit which first wrote the text of holy Scripture was not a guift or spirit communicated to euery priuate person though faythfull but only to the Prophets and Apostles the first and prime pillars and Pastours of Gods Church as is euident Therefore this and the same spirit or guift which is giuen to expound the same scripture is not a spirit giuen to euery priuate belieuer but only to the Pastours and pillars of Gods Church who as they are the successors of the former first pillars and Apostles so also they receaue the same spirit to interprete the same Scripture which their Predecessours wrote As therfore the true spirit resided chiefly in the first Pastours pillars of Christs Church to write holy Scripture so also the same spirit resides chiefly in their succeeding Pastours and Prelates to expound it and not in euery faythfull and simple belieuer who can only read it Out of 1. Cor. 12.18 prouing the interpretation of of Scripture to be a guift gratis giuen not common to all faythfull SECT III. THE third proofe is taken out of those places of Scripture which attribute this guift of interpreting Scripture not gratiae gratificanti or to iustifying grace which is common to all faythfull belieuers and adopted children of God but gratijs gratis
necessity of grace against Iulian the Pelagian he speaketh of the Fathers in this manner These Fathers I haue cyted no more least it should be too tedious to read them yet such as are not so light that you may scorne to weigh thē yea so great that you may groane vnder the burthen of them These are they whose so great consent ought to moue you and who are not a conspiracy as you call them of ill tongued men but who flourished in the Catholike Church are sound in doctrine and armed with spirituall weapons who fought stoutly against heretickes and haue passed ouer their labours and slept in the bosome of peace VVho hauing liued holily and ouercome the errours of their tyme and departed gloriously out of this world before you came into it These though they were not then present when this Controuersie began and is now on foot so could not by word of mouth giue a definitiue sentence yet when they wrote and sayd these thinges they were then such as had not any either friendship or falling out with you or vs. They were angry neither at you nor vs had compassion of neither What they found in the Church they kept what they learned they teached what they receaued from their Fathers they deliuered to their children You and we did not plead before these Iudges and yet they decyded our cause neither you nor we were knowne to them and yet we do produce their verdict for vs against you we did not about this matter contend with you and yet they pronounce vs victors That which they belieue we belieue what they teach we teach what they preach we preach yield to them and yield to vs consent with them and consent with vs if you will not by them be a friend to vs yet be not for vs an enemy to them which yet you must be if you remaine in this errour therfore leaue it and leane to them Can Pelagius and Celestius Luther and Caluin so farre preuaile with you that for them you dare forsake so many and so great ancient Doctours and defenders of the Catholike fayth ouer all the world Hath tyme made such a confusion of great and small matters Is darkenes so become light and light darkenes that Pelagius Celestius Iulianus c. do see and Hilary Gregory Nazianzen Ambrose c. are blind VVere it not better to yield to them who are better and stronger and to maister your owne presumption then to insist vpon your owne animosity and conceit which you desire should preuaile because it is your owne VVere it not better to yield to these Christian Doctours or rather to Christ in them and to restore your selfe to them from whome you are departed How gratefull would these be to you if you did belieue the Catholike fayth and how terrible must they needes be against you when you oppugne the same Catholike Fayth which they sucked from the teat which they eate with their meate which for milke and meate they gaue to little ones and great ones which they plainely and stoutly defended against their enemies euen you not then borne By such planters waterers builders Pastours nurses the Holy Church increased therefore stood amazed at the prophane termes of your nouelty and as the head of a serpent abhorred troad vnder foot bruised and kickt away your new opinions which did lurke and crawle to deceaue the virginity of the Catholike Church and corrupt the chastity of it which it hath in Christ as did the Serpent seduce Eue. The Fayth of these is to be defended against you as is the Ghospell against wicked and professed enemies of Christ euen that Catholike and Christian fayth which as it was first deliuered in Scriptures so by these Fathers it hath beene hitherto kept and defended and shall by Gods grace euer be kept and defended Thus S. Augustine against the Pelagians their new doctrine for the Fathers and thus we against the Protestantes and their priuate spirit and new doctrine for the same And this may suffice for the testimonies of Fathers THE PRIVATE SPIRITS INTERPRETATION OF HOLY SCRIPTVRE Deciding of Controuersies and iudging of matters of Fayth Confuted by Reasons drawne from the difficulty of discerning of Spirits CHAP. IIII. Of the diuersity of Spirits SECT I. IN the former Chapters we haue confuted the Protestāt priuate spirit by authorityes of holy Scripture and by testimonies of ancient Fathers it remaines that we doe the like by euidence of reason and in this Chapter by reasons drawne frō the difficulty of discerning of spirits of which if the priuate spirit be not able to discerne and iudge which be good or bad which true or false much lesse is it able to discerne iudge the motions and effects of them that is which Scripture the sense of it is true or false which fayth and doctrine is good or bad For the better vnderstanding of which difficulty of discerning of Spirits we may note first how many sortes of varieties and distinctions of spirits there be 1. According to the nature and property of spirits S. Gregory distinguishes them thus Some are without mixture of body some with mixture Spirits without mixture are either increate as God the Father a spirit God the Sonne a spirit God the Holy Ghost a spirit all one God al one spirit good without quality great without quantity euery where without place alwayes without tyme doing all without action mouing al without motion containing all and contained in nothing and present in all by his essence power and presence and yet aboue all or els create which are either happy in glory as the Angells in heauen which are as administring spirits for vs or els damned in hell as the Diuels who as roaring Lyons seeke to deuoure vs both which doe differ either in specie or kind or at the least in degrees of power and greatnes some being in the highest some in the midle some in the lowest Hierarchy euery Hierarchy hauing his order and euery order his particuler Angels and Diuels belonging to it Spirits mixt with bodies flesh are either such as are mixed with flesh and dye with it as the sensuall soule of birds and beastes or such as are mixt with flesh but dye not with it as the reasonable soule of man which is a meane betweene Angells to whome he is inferiour and beastes to whome he is superiour communicating with the one in the immortality of soule with the other in mortality of flesh 2. According to their estate and condition these spirits are some good as God Angels Saints others bad as Diuels men wicked aliue or damned in hell others indifferēt as the natural spirit of man and sensuall of beastes some are blessed in heauen as Angells and Saints others damned in hell as Diuels and the damned soules others in the way and out of danger as
the soules in purgatory or in the way and in danger as the soules of men liuing some are meere intellectuall as God and Angells others more sensuall as beasts others rationable mixed of both as man some alwayes without bodyes as Angels and Diuels others alwayes with bodyes as beastes and birdes others sometymes with body and sometymes without as the soule of man liuing or dead before and after resurrection 3. According to the effect and operation S. Bernard distinguishes six kindes of spirits 1. Diuine of God the spirit is God 2. Angelicall of Angels he hath made spirits his Angells which alwayes worke good 3. Diabolical of the Diuell he sent immissions by euill Angells 4. Carnall of the flesh puffed vp by the sense of the flesh 5. Worldly of the world you haue not receaued the spirit of this world which worke alwayes bad 6. Humane of man the spirit of man which is in man which of all is indifferent and when it is assisted with grace is good when stayned with sinne is bad To which may be added the spirit of truth and of lying the spirit of wisedome and giddines and the spirit of the knowledge of truth and errour of which is spoken before cap. 2. Of which spirits for our purpose these chiefly are to be noted that is the spirit of God of Angells of Diuells and the spirit of the soule of man dead in heauen in hell or in purgatory and of man liuing according to the dictamen either of our naturall reason or of the light of diuine fayth and grace And thus much of the variety and differences of the nature of spirits which are to be discerned Secondly we may note that these seuerall sortes of spirits haue seuerall sortes of operations in man and do seuerall wayes manifest and shew themselues in him and to him for as in the naturall life of man besides the powers vegitatiue and sensitiue by which he liues and moues God and Nature hath prouided certaine more subtile spirits that is the vitall spirits in the hart which passing through the arteries do help to vitall operation as nutrition and augmentation and sensible spirits in the braine which passing through the veines do assist to the sense of feeling touching and the rest so also in the spirituall life of a Christian man besides the permanent guifts of the Holy Ghost and habits of faith hope and charity infused in Baptisme and Pennance togeather with grace God doth communicate also certaine extraordinary helpes and guifts to the soule which as certaine beames of his diuine light and sparkles of his celestiall loue assist and enable it to a higher knowledge of God and good thinges and to a more perfect practise of vertue and perfection and these are diuine illuminations inspirations or visitations and visions which are of two sortes the one meere spirituall and internall the other sensible and externall The first sort of spirituall motions arise immediatly from foure heads 1. From God who illuminating the Vnderstanding with a heauenly light clearely to discerne what is true or false what good or bad inflaming the will with an ardent desire to loue sincerely him and his goodnes and to doe his holy will and commandement and enabling the rest of the faculties with an inuincible fortitude to performe couragiously what is to his greater honour glory doth when or how he pleases and by meanes and in tyme best fitting as prayer meditation reading or such spirituall practises speake instruct and direct the soule by speciall illustrations inspirations and confortations 2. From the good Angell who by good cogitations and motions exciting the dulnesse and drowsinesse conforting the infirmity and weaknes of the soule and conseruing the same from danger of enemies is alwayes ready to assist vs in prayers and good workes and to defend vs from all occasions and temptations 3. FroÌ„ the Spirit of grace which with the light of fayth flame of charity inhabiting in vs doth continually knock at the dore of our heart and in our sleep awakes vs in our sicknesse strengthens vs in our distraction so recollects vs that with alacrity we may proceed in all exercises of piety and with facility ouercome all assaults of our enemy 4. FroÌ„ the Dictamen of reason and light of nature which pricked forward by the synderesis of a good conscience doth as a Preacher continually exhort and moue to a prosecution of good and an auersion from euill and as a Maister doth still direct and instruct vs how to behaue our selues in our combat against the law of sinne and the Angell of Sathan which make continuall opposition against it all which as a vigilant watchman doe still watch at the superiour part of the soule to wit the Memory Will and Vnderstanding eyther by an infused light or by species formed and framed in the phantasie and do inwardly knocke awake admonish and incite our soule to the knowledge of truth the operation of God The other sort of Spirits is sensible and visible by visions and apparitions and these are sometymes Imaginary presenting inwardly to the phantasie and imagination a shew and apparition either of wordes spoken or of persons appearing in their own person or in some other like to theÌ„ or in some figure representing them others sometymes are Visible and corporall seene heard or felt in some corporall body formed and framed of the ayre and assumed moued by a spirit which in them speakes walkes and exercises sensible actions as though it were a true and liuing person both which kindes happened often to the Patriarches and Prophets of old and to many in these later tymes sometims waking sometymes in their sleep and are both of them either by way of Oracles as S. Augustine calles them when some graue person appeares and fortells what is to be done as did Onias and Hieremy to Iudas Machabâ—us or by way of visions when thinges haue the euent indeed as they appeare in shew as happened to S. Peter who saw an Angell wheÌ„ indeed the Angell did free him out of prison or by way of Dreames when apparitions of mysteries are shadowed in figures not vnderstood in sense and signification such as was Pharao his Eares of corne and Nabuchodonozâ—r his Statua All which whether interiour or exteriour though they be properly diuine of God and good Angels of which is frequent mention and examples both in the old and new Testament yet because they are sometymes diabolicall of the Diuell who by suggestions and illusions doth imitate them and sometymes naturall dispositions or diseases of body whose affections and imaginations are not much vnlike to them And because of the later sortes that is visions and apparitions of which is the greatest difficultie examples in scripture and ancient histories for I will forbeare latter tymes are many and authenticall how sometymes God sometymes Angells sometymes Diuells
is doubtfull difficult whether they informe them or assist only in them how and of what matter they doe make and frame them how and what operation or motion they exercise in them whether any vitall or externall operations as of eating or drinking or any sensual or external as of hearing or seeing or any internall as of passion or affection or any intellectual as of discoursing and discussing of sinning and meriting how they illuminate one another the higher the lower how they present visions and cogitations to men whether to their phantasie only by the phantasie to the soule or imediately to the superiour part of the soule also Of the Diuels great difficulties be made how they fell frō grace by what sinne of pride or enuy into what place of hell only or the aire earth also in what number more then the blessed or fewer how they are tormented with materiall fire and how they carry their tormēts with them while they torment others and yet the fire torments not those others in whome they are how they enter possesse and torment men in what number by whole legions in what manner with such instruments of tortures how they frame and assume bodies whether of dead men of beastes and the like or made of the ayre how they can abuse women and beget children how they cause thunders lightenings stormes how they tempt men oppose the Angels hate God and all good how they are deuided into orders Hierarchies how a subordination and confusion stands among them with many such like Of the soules departed are many difficulties as whether in person Samuel himselfe or a Diuell for him appeared before Saul whether Moyses from Limbo and Elias from Paradise before Christ whether their apparitions be internall only to the phantasie and imagination or externall corporally to the senses also If internal whether the soules can or Angels for them do produce these phantasies If externall whether their apparitions be personal in their own presence or representable by Angells for them If personall in their owne presence whether the soules in Purgatory ōly or those in heauen and hell also do in presence personally appeare If all of them whether present in their own bodies in which they liued or in others by them assumed If in assumed and made bodies whether made by themselues or by Angels for them If in bodyes made by Angells whether they can informe and giue life or els inhabite giue only motion to them If only motion what quantity they can moue greater then their owne body was or lesse to what distance further off or neerer By what vertue naturall or superadded they can moue them What operation they can exercise in them whether naturall of working mouing or vitall also of eating and sleeping or sensual also of delectation or auersion and which is most intellectuall of reasoning speaking If they vse reason whether they know what is done on earth how they know it by reuelation from God or by relation from Angells or by Species or formes of their owne retayned of old or acquired anew Whether they vnderstand where they are and what they doe Whether they in Purgatory can by prayer and satisfaction be freed Whether they who are in heauen or hell can increase their ioyes or paines With many more such like Of all which if one should aske any ones priuate spirit or the diuers spirits of diuers ones and seeke for a certaine resolution of them what answere would their spirit affoard Or what agreement would be among them or their answers or what certainty can be builded vpon any of them Surely such is the difficulty in all these and many more doubts that let any one spirit of one man or many spirits of many men resolue them the hearer shall find such opposition in their resolution and so great difficulty in discerning which of these is a good spirit which a bad which vision is imaginary which corporall which effect is of God which of the Diuell which is to be belieued and followed which to be forsaken and abhorred that he shall find himselfe more doubtfull then before and deeper plunged in difficultyes the further he proceeds in inquiries And thus much of the first reason of difficulty to discerne the difference of spirits Of the difficulty and vncertainty of the rules of discerning Spirits SECT III. THE second difficulty of discerning these spirits ariseth vpon the variety and multiplicity of the rules meanes which on the one side men holy learned experienced after much practise of deuotion great labour of study long experience of tyme either by illumination frō God or by diligence industry or by subtility of obseruation haue made obserued and in large Treatises left to posterity for the discerning of these Spirits And which on the other side are so vncertaine and doubtfull that what by the infirmity of man to discerne them what by subtilty of the euill spirit to deceaue in them few can with any certainty and infallibility rely and depend vpon them First therefore for my owne and the Readers instruction I will set downe the rules out of diuers and large treatises collected which vsually are giuen for discerning these spirits and next shew the grounds and reasons of the vncertainty and fallibility of them and out of both inferre the insufficiency and inability of euery mans priuate spirit to make an infallible estimate and iudgment of them and therby to rely for himselfe and his estate of saluation vpon this his spirit and the opinion of it SVBDIV. I. Rules to discerne which are good spirits and which are bad AND first for the meanes signes or rules of discerning these spirits good or bad though there be no great difficulty or vncertainty in discerning spirits which are euill as the spirit of the Diuell and his instruments the flesh and the world for that the good spirit of God of an Angell or of grace cannot suggest those wicked cogitations nor performe those vnlawfull actions which the bad spirits both can and do as for example they can neither lye deceaue blaspheme nor persuade heresy infidelity periury and sacrilege nor commit vncleanesse and lewdnesse by way of Incubi or Succubi nor obey Inchaunters Magicians Witches for wicked vses nor worke and leaue in good soules doubts troubles and despaire of God saluation neither vse they to appeare in horrible and deformed shapes of beasts and monsters All which and such like are proper to the bad spirit sufficient rules signes to discerne him by these fruits and effects Yet because the bad spirit the Diuell both can and doth often counterfeit and in shew performe the same exteriour actions which the good spirit doth as by examples shall afterward be shewed therefore I will propose only the Rules and signes which are giuen for the discerning of the good spirits of which is the most difficulty and vncertainty and
which by Scripture shew of miracles to the admiration of al euen to the fire death he defēded Thus in Spaine he persuaded Gondisalues that he was the sonne of God eternal immortal the Sauiour of all euen the damned which he published in a booke pretended by him to be dictated by the Holy Ghost In France he deluded one Eun a Britaine another at Bourges a third at Burdeaux all of them to thinke that themselues were Christ In Poland he persuaded one Melstincke in the tyme of Sigismonde at Cracouia to make himselfe Christ and with twelue Apostles to passe vp and downe the Country and make shew of miracles in dispossessing of Diuels raysing of the dead doing by magicke thinges to the vulgar strange and admirable till discouered they by whiping were forced to confesse their illusion In the Low-countryes he persuaded Dauid George that he was the nephew of God borne of the holy Ghost a third Dauid the true Messias sent to adopt men children of God and to fill heauen Also a Religious woman that one while the Diuell another while Iesus Christ did speake in and that she had power to consecrate which she presumed to do the body of Christ by the power of our Sauiour speaking in her In England he persuaded in Queene Elizabeths tyme one Moore to belieue himselfe to be Christ and Geffrey his companion to preach it till by whipping at a Cart they both disclaimed it And Hacket also after them to belieue that he was also Christ come with his fanne in his hand to iudge the earth which Coppinger Arthington defended till Hacket was hanged for it By all which most lamentable examples of Sathans deluding so many and some so learned it is more then apparent that notwithstanding the former rules of discerning spirits yet Sathan can so assimilate himselfe and his suggestions to the spirit and inspirations of God good Angels that it is hard to discerne viam Colubri super petram the way of this Adder vpon the Rocke of mans hart and to find out his turninges and windinges among so many his trickes of deceit and subtilty Of which yet in the next Section more are discouered and by variety of more examples confirmed SVBDIV. 4. Sathans subtilty by exteriour Visions THE third art the Diuell vseth is by illusion of sensible visions and apparitions that when his inward motions either to sinne knowne or secret or to sinne vnder the shadow of vertue cannot preuaile or his suggestions insteed of reuelations are discouered then he transfigures himselfe into visible shapes and apparitions not of a Serpent as he did to Eua but sometymes of a holy man Sometymes of an Angell sometimes of our Lady and our Blessed Sauiour himselfe and the B. Trinity and appearing in the forme of thē as though he were one of them He by that dissimulation seekes to lure soules to his whistle and to catch them in his net of perdition In this manner he appeared to our Sauiour in the shape of some venerable man as is before proued and tempted him to know if he were God He presumed to approach to the presence of God and stood among the sons of God to assist before our Lord as though he had byn one of them to obtaine licence to persecute Iob. Thus he clymed vp to the Throne of God and intruded himselfe among the hoast of heauen as Micheas saw him about our Lord and his Throne and offered to go forth and be a lying Prophet in the mouth of all the Prophets to deceaue Achab and make him belieue that he should fight prosperously against the King of Syria Thus in imitation of the Angell in Zachary he made to Zedechias the false Prophet of Achab hornes of iron and prophesied though falsly VVith these Hornes shalt thou strike Syria till thou destroyest it And so brought to Achab and Iosaphat to fight to both their dangers and Achabs destruction Thus did he appeare to the Virgin and Martyr Iuliana in the midest of his torments vnder Dioclesian in the shape of a glorious Angel telling her he was the Angell of our Lord sent for that end to wish her to auoid the torments by counterfeiting the offering of sacrifice because God was not so cruell as to expect the fortitude of brasse in mortall bodyes and had deceaued her if God had not by her prayers sent a voice from heauen to bewray him and confort her Thus he appeared to S. Abraha◠an Hermit witnesse S. Ephrem in the shape of an Angel shining like the Sunne at midnight in his Cell while he was singing told him he was so blessed that none was like to him thereby to exalt him to pride had not his humble confessing him to be a sinner and calling vpon Iesus mad◠him vanish away in smoke Thus he shewed himself to S. Simeon Stylites vpō his pillar witnesse Antonius his scholer in the forme of an Angel with a fiery Chariot and Horses saying he was sent to take him as another Elias to heauen because the Angells Apostles Martyrs and Prophets with our B. Lady desired to see him had deceaued him if with the signe of the Crosse which he made as he was about to set his foot into the Chariot he had not driuen him away In the like sort he appeared to S. Iohn the Hermite who foretould Theodosius of his victory and would haue had him to adore him Thus he deceaued a certaine Monk witnes Cassianus to whome after many false reuelations he shewed the Christians with the Apostles mourning and Moyses with the Iewes reioycing thereby persuaded him to circumcise himselfe and become a Iew. Thus in the shap of Moyses witnesse Socrates he persuaded many Iewes in Creete to cast themselues from a Rocke into the Sea in assurance to passe the Sea dry foot and so to enter againe into the Land of Promise Sometimes this audacious dissembler hath not beene afraid to assume to himselfe thereby the easier to deceaue the shape and representation of the Mother of the sonne of God and of God of the B. Trinity it selfe Thus of ancient we read how he appeared to S. Martin glorious like a King richly adorned and crowned saying to him I am Christ who am descended frō heauen to visit thee had deceaued him if S. Martin inspired by God to know him had not sayd I will not belieue that Christ will come in any forme but that in which he was crucified at which he vanished away How he appeared to Secundillus a Deacō in the shape of Christ in his Cell saying I am Christ to whome thou so much prayest thereby not only persuaded him to leaue his Cell and to go abroad into the Countrey and do good but also did by him cure diseases and do strange cures whereupon being by his Superiour reprehended became penitent commanding
which the damned do suffer tasted felt and suffered the true paines or dolours of hell the infernall paines and sorrowes of hell was in the middest of the torments of hell suffered the paine of hell the same paine and punishment with the damned the horrible torments of a damned man the eternall paines for the time the execrable death the second death which is the death of the soule the separation from God felt tasted and endured the eternall death the anguish of hell the torments in hell after death both in his body and soule All which are the very summe and abridgement without adding or agrauating of any one word of the more ample speaches and sentences of the most famous Protestant Doctours and maisters as Luther Melancthon Illyricus Reineccius Lobecius Hutterus Vrsinus Paraeus in Germany of Caluin Beza Daneus in Geneua of Tilenus Piscator Molinaeus Polanus in France of Vorstius Homius in the Low-countries and of Whitaker Perkins and Parkes in England and may be seene at large in the learned Collation of the Right reuerend Bishop D. Smith If I say we adde all these execrable horrible and blasphemous assertions against the eternal Maiesty goodnesse of the sonne of God and compare them with the infallible certainty and assurance which they make euery one of their owne predestination iustification and glorification of which by faith they make themselues so certaine as if Christ had beene present and said they shal be saued so sure as they are sure that there is a God or that Christ is saued which are likewise at large in the same Author faithfully collected If I say we adde all this impiety blasphemy and infidelity which is vented and inuented by this priuate spirit and both practised preached and printed by the chief professors of the same and so diuulged to the vew of the whole world to be belieued and professed of all as the word and the pure word of God as the honour and greatest honour of God Iesus Christ I see not what greater hypocrisy dissimulation what deeper blasphemy and abomination can be vttered or by what meanes a readier or broader way to the subuersion of all Christianity and piety and the erection of all Atheisme Barbarisme can be made and prepared And thus much of the absurdities which ensue vpon the priuate spirits doctrine of sole speciall and certaine iustifying faith the consequēt points of doctrine depending vpon it Absurdities which follow vpon the third head that is of Concupiscence being originall sinne SECT IIII. OVT of the third principle or progeny of this priuate spirit and the doctrine hanging vpon it which is that originall sinne which they make to be Concupiscence doth remaine in the regenerate and iust is not remitted or abolished by Baptisme but only not imputed and couered by faith doth corrupt the whole man all his actions internall and externall doth staine with sinne all good works euen the best of the best men doth strike dead all freewill liberty to do well doth strangle all inherent iustice and sanctification doth stope all merit satisfaction and pennance and doth set a stay to all possibility of keeping the cōmandements with such other like now paradoxes ensuing vpon it out of this I say it followes first That the whole Protestant Church and their spouse of Christ which consists only of such elect and regenerat persons as these is if we may so tearme it a kingdome a Citty a temple a house a spouse a body of Christ by which termes the true Church of Christ is stiled consisting of subiects Citizens seruants persons and members who in euery action euery good worke euen in the best worke of the best of them do sinne nothing but sinne and cannot but commit sinne and that mortally all whose thoughts words and deeds are sinnes mortall sins damnable sinnes and they by these sinnes are vncleane polluted vniust and full of malice in the sight of God who are not able to obserue keepe or performe any one much lesse all the commandements of God as impossible and not obliging vpon any condition to saluation who are idolaters blasphemers forswearers breakers of the sabboth adulterers murtherers theeues false witnesses either in externall action or in internall desire in which they must needs breake euery commandement who cannot by any one act once in all their life belieue feare praise or loue God as they ought who haue no inward grace vertue or iustice inherent and infused in their soules but all sinne deformity pollution rebellion and contumacy against God and his commandements which are also the very words of the foresaid Protestants cited by the foresaid authour who are as pointed faces of themselues deformed and only by colours made to shew faire as sepulchers of dead men outwardly whited but within dead bodies As wolues couered with the woll of sheep but inwardly rauenous As foolish virgins who haue no oyle in their owne lampes but thinke that others oyle shall suffice them As bodies stemed and stinking with corruption of rottenesse leprosy and ordure and only couered with faire cloathes made of the silke of Christs iustice Such are all elect iust regenerate and holy Protestants of such consists their congregations Church and with such is filled their kingdome of heauen by such are Catholiks condemned and persecuted heere in England Secondly it followes that any faythfull iust and regenerate Protestant may in respect of any pitt of damnation as well commit theft murder adultery periury idolatry sacriledge incest and all enormous vices as exercise himselfe in abstinence continency iustice almes-deeds or as read the Bible heare a sermon receaue the Communion say his prayers belieue loue or prayse God and the like For as both the one and the other proceed from originall sinne are infected thereby with the staine of sinnes and that mortall deseruing eternall damnation so are neither the one nor the other kind imputed to him for sinnes nor are punished with damnation as sinnes As both the one and the other are damnable in the reprobate and he for both shall be punished in hell so neither the one nor the other are imputed to the elect nor he for either can be hindred from heauē As in both the elect and reprobate workes are not distinguished by the obiect but by the person being all mortall sinnes in themselues so in the reprobate all are mortall in the elect all veniall all pardoned none imputed none punished And as the good workes in the elect do not merit any reward of glory nor satisfy for any punishment of sinne so the bad workes in the same elect shall not receaue any infliction of punishment neither depriue him of any benefit of iustification both therefore the good the bad are in themselues great sinnes as proceeding from concupiscence which is sinne and as violating the law but both are by fayth not imputed both by the iustice of Christ couered
persons and the sinners themselues being only as instruments to effect this sinne himselfe only being the chiefe worker of sinne wherby man hath no power but to sinne no meanes of Christs merits to helpe him out of sinne no benefit of vocation faith or grace possible to cure his sinne and so vpon necessity do what he will he must sinne be damned and go to hell for his sins Out of this doctrine which in expresse wordes is Caluins his fellowes follow many absurdityes both in respect of man who sins and is damned also in respect of God who makes him sinne damnes him In regard of man two absurdities follow the one whereby some are made meere polititians and of no Religion at all but libertines of any another wherby others are made desperate without any hope or care of saluation by any meanes in any Religion at all The first absurdity of Politicians is this God from all eternity hath appointed and determined of vs without any respect of vs or our workes whether we shal be saued or damned If we shall be saued he will saue vs if damned he will damne vs both which as he hath decreed without vs so both he will effect without vs. Infallibly therfore as God hath decreed without vs so shal we be saued or damned do what we can What therefore haue we to do with eternity of saluation or damnation VVhat with fayth or Christ the meanes thereunto but leaue that to God and his ordination let vs follow our temporall commodities and imbrace our sensuall pleasures which are in our power let vs cast off all consideration of heauen or hell and leaue that to God as he ordained disposed and reserued to his owne will and power Thus may they reason that consequently out of the former principle and thus haue both Libertins Politicians reasoned and thereupon inferred that with Catholikes they may be a Catholike with Lutherans a Lutheran with Caluinists a Caluinist with Iewes a Iew with Turkes a Turke and so with any may be of any Religion Vpon this ground sprung Atheisme which acknowledges neither any God nor any religion Paganisme which worships many Gods and is of any Religion Samaritans who made a religion mixt of Iewes Gentills Turcisme which obserues a Religion mixt of Iewes Gentills and Christians Libertines in S. Augustines tyme who made no important difference betweene the Religion of Catholikes and Donatists and many both Libertins and Politicians in this tyme who admit saluation in any Religion and profession and thereby inferre and practise a contempt of all piety and religion a liberty of all sinne and dissolution of life and a carelesnesse of heauen all heauenly cogitations All which as fruit of one tree do by necessary sequell follow out of this doctrine of predestination which the priuate spirit inuented Caluin diuulged Machiauell confirmed and the Diuell by all liberty of sinne and rebellion hath increased and propagated The second absurdity which is of men made desperate by this doctrine which is the mother of desperation is this reason and consequence by which they infer thus I am either predestinate or reprobate if predestinate it auails nothing to liue wel or ill because necessarily I shal be saued if reprobate it auailes as litle to liue well or ill because certainly I must be damned necessarily therefore liue I well or ill I must be saued or damned VVhat therefore need I care or do but enioy my lust and liberty sith neither good life can hinder hell or help to heauen if I be reprobate nor bad life hinder heauen or further hell if I be elect if therefore I be reprobate necessarily shall I be damned what hope therefore can I haue of saluation Thus out of this ground did a Religious man of S. Augustines Monastery in his tyme reason by the force therof foorsooke his Cloister returned to the world liued wickedly and dyed desperatly Out of the same motiue did Lewis a Lands-graue in Caesarius tyme liue wickedly and reason thus desperatly If I be predestinate no sinnes can barre me of Heauen if reprobate no good workes can help me to heauen if I be appointed at a certaine day to dy I can neither by good life make longer my life nor by bad life preuent my death And he was in danger to haue dyed thus if a wise Phisitian had not in his sicknesse by this reason cured his soule If your day be come certainly you must dye if not you need not my help Vpon which the Landsgraue yet pressing him for help of phisicke he further inferred If you can preserue your life by phisicke though your day be appointed why can you not saue your soule by Contrition though your end be predestinate By which reason the Landsgraue saw his errour and was brought to Contrition and confession and that perhaps with better successe then if he had answered as a Diuine might and should thus That if you be predestinate to saluation by meanes appointed by God then certainly you shall be saued if you vse and apply those meanes as by Gods grace you may and if you be reprobate and appointed to be damned it is for your sins freely committed then certainly you shal be damned if you commit these sinnes which you may auoid if you will By which solution as a iust man cannot presume so a sinner needes not despaire but both with feâ—re and trembling ought to worke their saluation howsoeuer by God they be predestinate Thirdly It followes because a man is thus by the decree and hand of God necessitated to do what God hath by his immutable and ineuitable will determined and appointed that he hâ—th no freedome of will freedome I say not of grace as iust by which he is freed from the seruitude of all sin nor of glory as blessed by which he is freed from the miseries of this life both which are in the next not in this life but no freedome of nature by which his wil hauing al things prerequired to do may yet freely do or not do No freedome either in things naturall as to speake or to be silent to walke or stand or in things morall as to giue or not giue almes or in things supernaturall as by grace to loue God or not loue him to sinne or not sinne against God No freedome either of contradictioÌ„ or quoad exercitium by which he may do or not do any action as to moue or not moue or of contrariety and quoad specificationem by which he may prosecute any obiect good as to loue his neighbour or bad as to hate him It followes I say that a man hath no freedome or liberty either of contradiction or of contrariety either in things naturall morall or supernaturall And as man hath no freewill at all in any action which both followes from their positions and they grant so it followes that in vaine is all labour in man either to
in soule and that not to the lowest Hell but only to the graue or buriall and so Act. 2. Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell they change soule into carkasse and hell into graue translating it Thou shalt not leaue my carkasse in the graue as Beza and Bucer 5. By those who admit his descension to haue beene in soule but yet suffering the very paines of hell and of the damned either after his death in hell as Luther Gerlachius and some other mentioned by Beza or before his death in the garden and vpon the Crosse as Caluin VVillet and others before cited 6. By those who question this article as suspected to haue beene intruded into the Creed after it was made as Caluin All which opinions as they either deny any Limbus Patrum to haue euer beene or any reall torments of hell as yet to be or as they affirme Christ to haue descended only in vertue and merit not in body or soule or only in body to the graue or in soule to suffer the paines of hell either after death in hel or before death vpon the Crosse and in the garden are all contrary to this part of this article in which is affirmed Christs descending into hell that is in soule to Limbus to free the Fathers and Patriarches there and to carry them with him into heauen Secondly his Resurrection from the dead in the same article is oppugned 1. By those who according to Beza deny all resurrection as yet of Christs body more then of other mens 2. By the Vbiquitarians who affirme his body to haue had immensity and therby to haue beene euery where in all places euer after his Incarnation 3. By Caluin Beza and other who deny his Resurrection with the guift of subtility or penetration and affirme that his body could not pierce through the stone of the sepulcher or enter the doors to his Disciples without either the remouing or altering of the nature of the dores and stone by resoluing them into some liquid matter 4. By Caluin and others who deny the rysing againe of his bloud that was shed vpon the Crosse thereby the resurrection of his whole and entire body All which as they deny either any resurrection at all or the complete Resurrection of Christs body or the resurrection of the same with subtilty or penetration do euery one oppugne this article of Christs resurrection from the dead in such due sense as it ought to be belieued Seauenthly in the seauenth article attributed to S. Bartholomew is oppugned both the ascending of Christ to heauen and his sitting at the right hand of God the Father by power and dignity equall to him in person and excelling all creatures in his humane nature 1. By the Vbiquitarians who by the all-presence of Christs body in euery place take from it all possibility of ascending to a new place 2. By Caluin who by giuing to Christ a power not equall with God but Vicary or deputary to him and an honour not the same but only second in degree to Christ after God the Father by denying al situatiō either of sitting or standing of Christs body in heauen doth oppose both his Ascension and sitting at the right hand of God 3. By the same Caluin and others who deny all Ascension through the heauens by way of penetration and admit it only by diuision and by cutting off the heauens 4. By those who yield the Patriarches a priority and deny Christ the primacy of tyme in ascending to heauē All which as they either affirme an euery where presence of Christs body or a difference of honour between◠Christ as God and God the Father or as they deny either any penetration of Christs body through the heauens or any priority of his ascending before other soules are all opposite to the manner of Christs ascension and sitting at the right hand of God in glory Eightly in the eight article attributed to S. Matthew is oppugned the Cōming of Christ to iudge the quicke and the dead by their generall doctrine that God is authour and worker of all sinnes that the Commandements of God are impossible that man hath no freewill that there is no reward for good deedes that all sinnes be mortall and damnable For these supposed no way is left to discusse rightly the differēce of sinnes to punish iustly mens sinnes or to reward duly their good deeds Ninthly In the ninth article attributed to S. Iames the lesser is oppugned the beliefe of the holy Ghost and of the Catholicke Church both which S. Augustine makes one article Of the holy Ghost in that some as hath been shewed make it only the vertue not the substance of God others expung it out of their Letanies Others as the Geneuians deny the adoration of it Others as before do make it the authour worker of all sinne the sauiour of all sects who by a perswasion they cōceiue of it do euery one assure themselues of saluation which authority reason and experience conuince to be false Of the holy Catholicke Church in that some reiect the name Catholicke as vaine and change it into Christian others leaue it wholy out of the Creed as superfluous and all of them do generally affirme the Church for many ages to haue beene latent inuisible erroneous adulterous and antichristian without either head to gouerne it or authority to end any controuersies and to conserue vnity or to punish offenders in it and without any sanctity in the professours of it whom they make all to be sinners and that in all sinnes generally and in great sins mortally then how can such a Church be truely holy vniuersall and infallible in deciding the beliefe of articles determination of controuersies Tenthly In the tenth article attributed to S. Simon is oppugned the Communion of Saints and forgiuenesse of sinnes The communion of saints is oppugned 1. The communion of saints in earth one with another by denying all meanes of vnity in faith vnder one head and Iudge 2. The communion of saints in earth with the soules in purgatory by denying all prayer for the dead 3. The communion of Saints in earth with the Saints in heauen by denying all honour or praying by vs vnto them and all knowledge and praying by them either for vs in earth or others in purgatory The remission of sinnes is oppugned by denying al power of priesthood in Gods church to pronounce any sentence of absolution all vertue in Sacraments to haue any operation as instruments in the remitting of sinne all infusion of grace to blot out and wash away all vncleannesse and deformity of any sinne either originall or actuall which according to them are neuer remitted or taken away but only couered and not imputed Eleuenthly In the eleauenth article attributed to S. Iudas Thaddaeus is oppugned the resurrection of the body by all who before oppugned the resurrection of Christs body and
prayer is as needlesse as to pray for the birth of Christ past or for the day of iudgment to come because euery one by his speciall faith belieues as certainly that his sinnes are forgiuen him as by his generall fayth that Christ was crucified for him as assuredly that he shall perseuer in fayth and come to heauen as that there shal be a day of iudgment and resurrection of his body therefore prayer for the one is as needlesse as for the other Againe if they pray for Gods grace to wash them from sin to keep Gods commandements to auoid concupiscence and lust and to loue God aboue all and not to offend him their prayer is as fruitlesse as to pray for Gods grace to keep them euer being sicke or euer dying or to leape ouer the sea or fly to the starres because according to them the one is as impossible as the other therefore as hopelesse to be obtained by prayer as the other 2. To pray for the preuenting of any euil whether it be malum culpae as sinne or malum poenae as punishment and whether it be punishment temporall as losse of goods affliction of body or death of friends or spirituall as losse of fayth of Gods fauour and of the ioyes of heauen or to pray for the obtayning of any good either temporal as riches health or the life of friends or spirituall as the good of Gods Church the remission of our sinnes and our perseuerance in state of grace or obtaining the kingdome of heauen is both needlesse and fruitlesse because all as well euill as good shall infallibly fall out as God hath according to his owne irrespectiue immutable ineuitable will pleasure decreed and appointed it therefore needlesse it is to pray for the obtaining of good and fruitlesse to pray for the preuenting of euill because both must fall certainly as God hath ordained decreed What end or vse therfore is there of prayer since the euent and the effect will be the same as well without prayer as with prayer all as God without any respect or foreseene consideration of vs or our deserts or prayers or other works hath according to his owne absolute will decreed and appointed to happen to vs. Thirdly willingly to do any act which is belieued and supposed to be a sinne and that mortall deseruing eternall damnation is vnlawfull sinnefull and damnable and so not to be done with a good conscience but such is all prayer euen the best and deuoutest we can vse according to their principles because euery worke euen the good workes of the best persons according to Luther Illyricus Caluin Beza Paraeus VVhitaker Tindall and others are sinnes mortall sinnnes damnable sinnes and nothing but sinne euen in the iust and elect though no more imputed to them then their bad workes of adultery murder c. which they say are not at al imputed to them Therefore all prayer how good or deuout soeuer is a sinne and that mortall and damnable so is vnlawfull sinnefull and damnable and not to be vsed more then swearing lying drinking both being sinnes and neither imputed punished as sinnes in the elect in whome they are couered and both imputed and punished as sinne in the reprobate in whome they are neuer forgiuen All which is confirmed diuers wayes by the expresse wordes first of Luther who affirmes 1. That no man obtaines any thing at Gods hand for any dignity either in his prayer or in himselfe but only by the bounty of God Also which he constantly auouches that the iust man doth sinne euen in praying according to that of Dauid Let his prayer be a sinne 2. By the wordes of Illyricus who affirmes that prayer is no good worke but a begging of wages And of Bucer and Caluin his scholler who both affirme that Christ did not prescribe vs to pray in these very wordes of the Pater noster but shewed to what end and with what affection we should pray 3. By the practise of many Precisians or Familists in England witnesse D. Smyth who vse to protest they will rather dye then say the Lords prayer 4. By the practise of the purer forte of Protestants who haue left off condemne all saying of canonicall houres and deuotion in the Church haue not only turned all publicke praying into preaching neuer vsing any at all in their meetings but also did for example in France pull downe destroy witnesse Richeâ—me in one six monthes no fewer then ten thousand houses of prayer or Churches in 400. Citties which they by rebellion kept froÌ„ their soueraigne King and Prince By all which is apparent not only how little they esteeme either Prayer or houses of prayer but also that according to their grounds all prayer in generall is needlesse and fruitlesse yea sinnefull and damnable and so not to be vsed and practised SVBDIV. 2. In particuler opposing all the seauen Petitions of the Pater Noster IN particuler that by this doctrine is oppugned all euery part and petition of the Pater noster shall likewise be proued For first in the preparation Our Father which art in heauen how can they call or esteeme him a louing Father whome they belieue to be a cruell and vniust iudge who decreed and created them to sinne that for that he might damne them Or what confidence can they haue in the mercy of this Father who is thus rigorous to them in his iustice and more then iustice How can they call or esteeme themselues his children by adoption from whome they receaue no inward grace of iustification How can they call him our Father or the Father of all whome they belieue as a Father to haue predestinated called and giuen meanes only to a few and as a cruell Iudge to haue excluded all the rest and the greatest part of which euery one may iustly feare himselfe to be one from any possibility of vocation grace or saluation How can they expect from him a crowne of glory in heauen of whome they belieue they cannot merit any reward in earth Why should they not feare a heauy hand of iustice yea despaire of any kind of mercy from him who beyond iustice hath proceeded so terribly as to predestinate so many to so great paines as are the paines of hell who had deserued or giuen no cause of any paines at all Who can imagine that God dwelleth in the iust and elect as in the heauens who are so fowly stayned in euery part of their soule with the deformity of all sinne and iniquity that no one part or action of them is cleare and vnstained from sinne Surely they who belieue this of God and his cruelty and of man and his deformity cannot confidently say neither Our Father which imports Gods mercy to man mans confidence in God or VVhich art in heauen which specifyes that as God dwels in the iust so they as the temple of God should be pure
detractiue in euery one And on the contrary how we and our doctrine do honour attribut to the same God and Christ all worthy and due respect of veneration honour in all which as it is affirmatiue in it selfe so it is honourable to God and agreable to reason in all and euery particular point and opinion in controuersy First therfore for God they dishonour and derogate 1. From the blessed Trinity in that as before some of them do deny the distinction of the three persons some the vnity of one nature some the consubstantiality of the Sonne with the Father some the deity of the Sonne from the Father as God of God some the deity of the holy Ghost as God some the prayer Holy Trinity one God haue mercy vpoÌ„ vs. We with the ancient Church acknowledge three persons and one God the second person God of God and consubstantiall with the father and the third person of the holy Ghost proceeding froÌ„ both the father the sonne in them one holy Trinity three persons and one God 2. They and their spirit derogate from the mercy of God in that according to them he is cruell and tyrannicall in that he will not haue all saued will not giue sufficient meanes to all to be saued hath willed appointed and ordained millions of soules to be damned and to sinne that for it he may damne them and accordingly torment theÌ„ for that sinne which he himselfe willed ordained wrought and compelled them vnto We and our Catholicke Church attribute honour to him and his mercy in that according to vs he would haue all saued giues to all sufficient meanes to be saued creates and ordaines all to be saued wils not the death and damnation of any nor doth damne any but those who for their owne fault and sinne by themselues willingly committed against him his good will and goodnesse do deserue 3. They their spirit do derogate from Gods goodnesse in that according to them he who is good al good yet is not pleased pacifyed worshipped or delighted with good works but doth will ordaine commande compell and necessitate bad works and so is the authour of all euill and all euill works in men and doth esteeme impute that which is wicked and sinfull in men for no sinne in them but accounts that which is bad good him that is wicked iust We our Catholik doctrine do attribute due honour to the same goodnesse of God in that according to it God hates detests forbids and punishes all sinne and sinfull actions conuerts sanctifies purifies and make cleane pure and iust all sinners by his grace duely disposing themselues so reputes them as they are become truely iust in that God is delighted pleased pacified and honoured by good workes which he doth will command and reward in man who according to his will by his grace workes them 4. They their priuate spirit derogates from his iustice in that according to their doctrine he is short of iustice in rewarding none who deserue well and do him seruice exceâ—ds all iustice in that he ordaines men to an eternall and intollerable paine who haue deserued none 2. In that he punisheth them for that which he himselfe not only willed and commanded theÌ„ to do but also wrought and effected in them 3. In that he creats and dignifies them with his gifts graces for that end that he may himselfe cruelly torture and torment them and that in hell for no other end but to shew his power iustice ouer them 4. In that he laies precepts vpon them which are impossible for them to performe and commands them to abstaine from that which himselfe forces them to do and wils them to practise that which he giues not power freedome or sufficient meanes to practise We and our Catholicke doctrine do honour and giue due respect to his Iustice 1. In that according to vs he rewards all who deserue well and punisheth none but those who deserue ill 2. In that he punisheth all for their owne fault which they themselues committed and none for that which himselfe willed 3. In that he created all to be saued and gaue them meanes sufficient to be saued in which he shewed his mercy and punisheth with hell those who would not vse those meanes in which he shewed his Iustice 4. In that he gaue precepts and made lawes easy gaue meanes to performe them sufficient punisheth only those who willingly breake them 5. They and their priuate spirit derogate from his omnipotency in that according to their doctrine he is not able to place one body in two places in the B. Sacrament nor two bodies in one place in his natiuity resurrection and ascension nor to draw a Cable rope or camell through a needles eye nor by his absolut power to worke any more theÌ„ already he hath wrought We and our Catholicke doctrine do attribut to his omnipotency that he is able to do all the former and what more he pleases to do which is not either wicked and so is against his goodnesse or not contradictory and so implies in it selfe an impossibility to be done And in these do the Protestants their spirit by their doctrine derogate from God and his Deity from his goodnesse his mercy his Iustice and his omnipotency and impute to him wickednesse cruelty iniustice and impotency In all which we in our doctrine do the contrary Secondly for Christ our blessed Sauiour they their doctrin of the priuate spirit do dishonour him derogate 1. From his felicity beatitude in this life denying him to be viator and comprehensor that is enduring the paine and miseries of mortall men in his body and enioying the felicity and blessednesse of glorious Saints in his soule In which we do honour him belieuing that from the first instant of his coÌ„ception his soule had in his body the same blessednesse as now it enioyes in heauen by the perfect vision fruition of God though by dispensation for our redemption the same did not redound to the glory of his body till after his resurrection 2. From his knowledge they derogate and dishonour him in making him ignorant and defectiue of knowledge in many things and as a scholler to haue profited in his booke and learning of sciences and trades as other children do In which we giue him the honour to haue had all the treasures of knowledge and wisedome to haue vnderstood all the perfection of all sciences and artes and to haue perfectly conceiued all things past present or to come by a diuine infused knowledge from the first instant of his conception in his mothers wombe Thirdly From his primacy and supremacy ouer his Church they derogate and dishonour him in that they deny him as a man sensible and visible to haue beene the head foundation of his Church and to haue had any perpetual visible monarchy
heare him alwayes loue him alwayes assist him alwayes comfort him that no feare doubt wauering or perturbation did or could euer enter into his will or vnderstanding yea that all that time of his passion his soule had the perfect vision and fruition of God and only his sensible partes endured those paines and torments of the crosse Tenthly As for his descending into hell they derogate from it and dishonour him in that they affirme he descended either only to the graue in body or also to the lower hell in soule to suffer the paines of it either before his death on the crosse or after it in hell but not to haue freed the Patriarchs from Limbus by the presence of his soule there We honour it in belieuing that he descended in soule further then to the graue to which he only descended in body but not so far as to suffer the paines of hell in soule but only to the Limbus patrum where he gaue the Patriarches there detained present liberty fruition of eternall hapinesse afterwards carried them with him to the place of glory and so triumphed ouer hell led aptiuity Ccaptiue Eleuenthly From his resurrection and ascension they derogate and dishonour him both by denying him the subtility or penetration of his body wherby he was able to passe through either the stone of the sepulcher at his resurrection or the dores of the house at his entrance to his disciples or the hardnesse of the heauens at his ascension all which they wil haue either dissolued or opened or diuided We honour attribut more dignity to the same belieuing that by the gift of subtility or penetratioÌ„ his body did pierce passe through the stone the dores and the heauens at his resurrection and ascension as it did also his Mothers wombe at his natiuity with out any diuision dissolution or detriment to the nature of either the one or the other in which also he shewed his subtility and consequently his impassibility or immortality Twefthly From his adoration and inuocation by vs as he is now in heauen they derogate and dishonour him in affirming that as man he is not to be adored or inuocated by vs. We honour him as man so far that we bow downe at the name of Iesus praying to him with the blind man the Cananean saying Sonne of Dauid haue mercy on vs And fall down with the Sages the womeÌ„ adore him In al which and many more as they by their priuate spirit the doctrine of it do derogate take from Christ his honour his power his goodnesse his beatitude his knowledge his sanctity his certainty of saluation his adoration and the vertue and power of his passion redemption resurrection ascension so do we in our Catholike doctrine attribute to same due honour and dignity so both in our doctrine practise giue more honour praise power and glory to God and to Iesus Christ then they do either in doctrine or practise Thirdly For the Saints and blessed soules in heauen they dishonour them and take from them 1. Their state of beatitude affirming as Luther and Caluin do that they yet sleepe and neither know what we do nor yet enioy any present glory and beatitude till the day of Iudgment 2. Their perfection of Sanctity in affirming as Caluin doth both of Angels and Saints that their obedience is imperfect that their iustice is defectiue and doth not satisfy God that their works require pardon and that in them is folly vanity and frailty 3. Their power of doing miracles by the gift of God which Beza Piscator Vrsinus and Perkins â—hould to be a vertue proper only to God not communicated to any creature man or Saint 4. Their difference and degree or honour affirming that all are equall in glory beatitude and reward and that no lawrels or crownes of accidentall beatitude are due to Martyrs Confessours or Virgins 5. Their respect and esteeme with God denying that God doth either apply in any sort their merits to vs or doth help and respect vs for their prayers 6. Their knowledge of vs and our affaires on earth denying that they heare vnderstand or know vs or any thing we do heere on earth 7. Their charity towardes vs affirming they neither at our intercessious sollicite or pray to God for vs nor offer vp any petitions and miseries of ours to God 8. Their honour and inuocation by vs denying it to be lawfull to worship them to honour theÌ„ to inuocate them or so much as saith Luther to imitate and follow their example 9. The custody and â—uition of Angels ouer vs and their hierarchies and orders in heauen denying or at least doubting of the custody of our Angell guardian the difference of al Hierarchies and orders among Angels In al which we and our doctrine on the contrary do attribute to them perfect and present beatitude in their soules complete obedience in their performing the will of God vpright Sanctity in all their actions extraordinary power in working miracles notable difference of degrees of glory eminent knowledge in vnderstanding our prayers excellent charity in making intercession for vs and due honour and veneration in giuing them adoration inuocation and imitation befitting both the Saints for their prayers for vs and the Angels for their custody of vs. Fourthly For the word of God they abuse it take 1. From iâ— one first and principall part of it to wit all the vnwritten word or which is diuine vnwritten tradition 2. From the written word they chop and cut off from the old Testament fourteene peeces or partes and some of them from the new Testament seauen whole bookes from the Canon of scripture 3. For the translation of scripture they reiect the ancient and follow euery nation euery congregation and euery person a new translation which best pleases them therby leaue no certainty of the verity of any 4. For the sense of scripture they contemne that which the spirit of God did inspire to the ancient Fathers Councels Church and follow that which euery mans priuate spirit suggests and therby follow not the meaning of the spirit of God but that of their owne spirit 5. For their faith grounded vpon scripture they belieue only those points which their spirit finds in that part translation and sense which they chose and therby make an vncertaine imperfect mained kind of faith and religion 6. For their Iudge and meanes to try which is scripture and which is true sense of it they admit not any infallible Iudgment either of Church or of CouÌ„cels or of Pastours but leaue to euery man to choose himself what he will belieue to iudge and follow whom he pleases in his beliefe wherby they can haue neither any vnity in faith not any certainty of scripture of scripture sense We in our doctrine do admit for the word of
the truth and not to make himselfe and his priuate spirit iudge of the grounds of truth or of the truth which is to be found in theÌ„ And this is all that can be inferred out of these places this may suffice for the solution of all such argumnets or obiections as are made out of Scripture by the Protestants for the establishing of this priuate spirits power and authority to interprete Scripture and to iudge of al controuersies of Fayth FINIS A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL MATTERS handled in this Booke A S. Ambrose his commendations pag. 58. His authority against the priuate Spirit pag. 59. Angells apparitions pag. 74. Difficulties about them pag. 81. Apostles their authority to iudge of Fayth pag. 166. Their power deriued from Christ pag. 167. Their successors power to iudge of Faith pag. 168. The foundation of Fayth pag. 390. Apparitions of God or Angells in what places to what persons pag. 75. ApparitioÌ„s of Diuels in diuers shaps of beastes of men of Angells of Christ of the B. Trinity ibid. 140. Of soules in Limbo Purgatory Hell and Heauen pag. 77.78 Difficulties to know which be apparitions of God Angells Diuells soules pag. 79. ApparitioÌ„s of SathaÌ„ inward by suggestions pag. 98. By imaginary illusions pag. 102. By exteriour visions pag. 104. S. Augustine commeÌ„ded against the priuate spirit pag. 61. For the profundity of holy Scripture and authority of Fathers pag. 64. For necessity of Fayth pag. 182. agaynst Circles pag. 210. B BIshops and Priests their office pag. 153. Their authority to iudge of Religion pag. 162. Their Tribunal power in the old Law the beginning progres end pag. 162. In the law of Christ pag. 165. What their authority is pag. 166. Their authority proued by scripture pag. 168. How for it extends ibid. Their authority for euer pag. 168. In all Councells pag. 170. C CAluin his saying against the priuate spirit pag. 36.64 His Circle between the spirit of euery man a Councell pag. 215. His doctrine of the doctrine of saluation pag. 234.239 Of saluation of Infants without Baptisme pag. 235. Of Christs sinne and despaire on the Crosse pag. 257. Of the B. Trinity pag. 304 Of Christs Diuinity pag. 305. Of Christs descent into Hell pag. 308. Of his AscensioÌ„ pag. 3â—0 Of beatitude before the day of Iudgment pag. 311. Cases of Conscience for feare of sinne in vaine according to Protestant doctrine pag. 26â— Catholikes aduaÌ„tage aboue Protestants pag. 24. In the habit of faith p. 15. In the credible testimonies of Vnity Sanctity Vniuersality Succession Miracles Examples pag. 27. In the infallible Church-authority pag. 28. Catholikes belieue all Reuelations ancient generall infallible pag. 25. Catholikes may challenge all which the Protestants may pag. 28. Yea the priuate spirit pag 29. DiffereÌ„ce between iust Catholikes Protestants pag. 266. Good life-confessed in the auncient and late Catholikes in the people and the Clergy pag. 347. Catholike and Protestant doctrine compared in giuing more honour to God to Christ to Saints Angells Scripture Sacraments to Church Fayth Good workes c. pag. 350. Christ by Protestant doctrine no generall Redeemer pag. 248. No perfect Redeemer from sin his suffering of Hell paynes due to sin pag. 249. No Sauiour from sinne Sathan sensuality the curse of the Law or from Hell pag. 250. No perfect Phisitian pag. 251. No law giuer 252. An vniust iudge 253. No Priest or offerer of Sacrifice 254. Made ignorant 256. Sinfull suffering hell paines pag 257. Christian AsseÌ„blies in the Primitiue Church in what manner they were for that tyme. pag. 382. Church-authority necessary to fayth pag. 10. infallible 11. proued by Scripture pag. 16. Church selected priuiledged armed established c. obligeth p. 12. It consists of Pastors Ibid. Is proued by Fathers reason Ibid. Necessary to expound Scripture pag. 125. Church-practice A rule to confute heretikes pag. 125. Church-prâ—position and scripture-authority no circle pag. â—02 Vpon Church falling failing froÌ„ faith what absurdities do follow vz. That all ancieÌ„t Concels Doctors were AntichristiaÌ„ That Prophesies are false pag. 231. That Turkes Iewes Gentils haue a more credible Church then Christians pag. 230. Church-practice a meanes to interpret Scripture iudge of Doctrine pag. 125. Church of Christ a Congregation of great sinners pag. 26â— Circle what it is pag. 198. Difference betweene a lawfull vnlawfull Circle pag. 199. And betweene a Circle as obiected against Catholikes and Protestants pag. 200 Catholikes Circle cleared as being partiall in diuers kinds of causes and to diuers sorts of persons pag. 202. Protestants Circle between the Scripture and the Spirit pag. 206. Betweene the Spirit Fayth 210. Betweene Election and Scripture 212. Betweene the Spirit of euery person and of a Councell pag. 215. ProtestaÌ„ts Circle vnto the same kind of cause and that totally pag. 208. Absurdities that follow vpon it pag. 212. Councells 3. of the Iewes in Christs tyme. pag. 164. How the holy Ghost assisted or fayled in them pag. 164. Councells a meanes to interpret Scripture 128. Councells haue byn a meanes to iudge of Fayth pag. 171. Concupiscence made originall sinne and what followes thereon pag. 227. D DIuells Apparitions of them pag. 75. Difficulties to know them pag. 80. Signes to know the motions of them 83. Their subtility 95.97 Their deluding of Heretickes auncient moderne pag. 95. Their tempting to sin to vertue 99. Examples of their apparitions to Heretickes pag. 100. By imagination visibility pag. 10â— F FAyth Six meanes to Fayth pag. 3. Materiall formall obiect proposition Ibid. Credible Testimonies pious disposition habit pag. 4. Reuelation to the Apostles Ibid. Necessity of a proponent cause Ibid. Credible Testimonies pag 4.7 192. Fayth requires a pious disposition supernaturall frees an infused habit permanent not perpetuall pag. 6 The order of these helpes vz. credible Testimony Church-proposition grace actuall infused habit reuelation pag. 7.8 The Resolution of Faith dispositiuè deriuatiué effâ—ctiuè formaliter pag. 8. Shewed by the Samaritan womaÌ„ and Christ pag. 9. The helpes to Fayth external eternall internall pa. 14. Wanting in Protestants 15. Fayth depends vpon authority pag. 117. Faith required to know scripture the sense of it p. 118.120 The rule of Fayth pag. 146. Fayth one pag. 183. Certaine 187. By preachinâ— and hearing 190. By credible testimonies 192. Obligeth to acceptance 194. Speciall Fayth how certaine in Protestants 185. Fayth is of eternall verity and presupposeth the obiect pag. 228. Cannot staÌ„d with certainty of saluatioÌ„ 233.240 vide Sole fayth Fayth by hearing preaching and mission pag. 190. Sole Fayth a Protestant Principle the effect of it pag. 227. Sequells of Iustification by sole Fayth p. 222. makes Protestants more certaine of their saluation then was Christ 233 Makes Protestants as iust as Christ 234. makes all men to be saued 235. Is not grounded vpon Gods word 233. Is false contradictory sinnfull rash presumptuous preiudicious to Hope Charity and Good
and the Parlament ordaines all which are against vnity and certainty of al faith and religioÌ„ Lastly it would follow that for 300. years after Christ wheÌ„ the Emperours were pagan and not Christian either pagans must be iudges and deciders of the true sense of scripture and of all controuersies of faith or that there was for that time no iudge of them at al also when Princes become hereticks as Constantius and Valens did or Apostata's as Iulian did that either true Christians should be obliged to obey and follow Pagans Apostata's as iudges and vmpiers of their faith or else that they by falling into heresy or apostacy should loose their regall power and authority and subiects should be freed from their duty and obedience to them None of which our Protestants will admit as being indeed too too absurd The Lay-people cannet be this Iudge SECT IIII. FOVRTHLY that this infallible authority is not in the lay people and priuate persons of the Church is proued 1. Because they want knowledge and vnderstanding to discusse and penetrate either the articles which are belieued or the meanes for which they are to be belieued as being for the most part men simple and vnlearned for which cause they were neuer admitted to any Councels as Arbitrators or Iudges of faith but alwaies directed by their Pastours in their obedience to faith 2. Because they haue no warrant or commission giuen them for this end either expressed in any Scripture or approued by any Tradition or practise of the Church or mentioned by any testimony of Fathers or Councels therfore are not to assume or exercise it till they proue it 3. Because of al sortes they are the most fallible vncertaine and vnconstant in their opinions and practises and therfore are left alwayes to be ruled ordered as the people are in the temporall common-wealth not to rule and gouerne as Magistrates and Iudges 4. Because it would follow that all should be Iudges Pastours to determine none should be subiects to obey or sheepe to be fed that the Church gouernment should be Democraticall of people which of all is the worst that euery maÌ„ should haue a religion of his owne without any vnion with any or subordination to any that the people should preach and minister Sacraments as well as Priests or Prelates should excommunicate censure and punish one another as well as Bishops make decrees for faith and manners as wel as Councels In respect of all which inconueniences and absurdities which are so many testimonies against this authority of the people our Sauiour did speake to the people in parables and without parables he did not speake to them but to the Apostles and Pastours he gaue knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen To the people he spake of things easy and publicke as their sins and vices vertues good life but to the Apostles and that separated from the people of his death resurrection the holy Ghost the day of iudgment and such like mysteries With the people he did conuerse before his death not after his resurrection he manifested not himselfe to all the people but to the Apostles as Pastours and witnesses preordained of God he appeared after his resurrectioÌ„ did eate and drinke with them and commaunded them only not the vulgar sort to preach to the people To the people it is said Obey your Prelats be subiect to them but to the Pastours take heed to the whole flocke wherin the holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops to rule the Church of God To the people it is said suffer the cockle to grow but to the Pastours take away the euil one from among your selues To the people it is said do that which they the Pastours say but to the Pastours He who heareth you heareth me and he that knoweth God heareth vs. By heaâ—ing of them is knowne which is the spirit of truth which of errour Of the people it is said How shall they belieue him whome they haue not heard how shall they heare without a preacher But of the Pastours How shall they preach vnlesse they be sent All which conuince that our Sauiour intended to make the people not Pastours but sheep not rulers but subiects not iudges to commaund but seruants to obey in matters of faith and religion The Scripture cannot be this Iudge SECT V. FIFTLY That the scripture cannot be this iudge to determyne and end al controuersies is proued 1. Because this scripture in respect of vs requires a iudge it selfe to determine and assure vs which is true Canon true originall text true translation true sense the rest as before therefore to vs it cannot be a iudge 2. Because all or the greatest difficulties all or the maynest questions and all oâ— the hoatest contentioÌ„s which haue passed either among Catholike Doctours or betweene Catholicks and Hereticks are about the scripture and the sense of it none of which scripture it selfe could euer yet end and decide without some other iudge and vmpier plainly to pronounce sentence in the cause and immediatly vnder punishment to oblige the parties to belieue and obey the sentence 3. Because the scripture is mute dumbe vnable to speake heare or pronounce sentence and is apt not only to be lost alteted and corrupted as de facto it hath beene but also to be drawne wrested and interpreted to contrary senses and opinions by any sort of interpreters in any cause and question as the lamentable practise of so many hundred of heresies hereticks in all ages doth witnesse 4. Because the scripture in it selfe is neither cleare and euident nor doth euidently and expresly containe and declare all the senses of it selfe all the mysteries of beliefe all the questions of controuersies all doubtes in diuinity many things being both now by Protestants and Catholicks belieued and hauing beene by all faithfull in all ages practised which neither for practise were grouÌ„ded vpoÌ„ only scripture nor for the doctrine of theÌ„ are expressed in any scripture 5. Because many haue beene conuerted to faith without any reading or knowledge of scripture many controuersies haue beene decided without any sentence of scripture many faithfull haue liued in the world and beene directed in their faith before any writing of scripture As for example all in the old Law for 3000. yeares before Moyses all in the new law for a good time after the sending of the holy Ghost dispersion of the Apostles and many nations after Christ for 200. years who witnesse Irenaeus neuer did see nor heare of the bible and many thousands of saints and soules who did neuer see read heare or vnderstand any Scripture at all and yet did liue holily in earth and do raigne gloriously in heauen 6. In the scripture are two things the letter and the sense as the body the soule The letter according to S. Augustine doth kill that
is the externall litterall sense of the words sometimes doth kill cause errour but the spirit that is the true sense which the holy Ghost intended doth quicken auaileth to saluation But that neither the letter nor the spirit can be a competēt iudge of controuersies is proued 7. Not the letter because the letter or the words in the bare literall sense are occasion of errour and heresy for so they were to the Iewes who in reading of Moyses the Law had the veile set ouer their eyes and vnderstood not Christ contained and signified in the Ceremonies of the law And so it hath beene to all Heretickes who forsaking the sense intended by the holy Ghost proposed by the Church and following the letter expounded by their owne spirit haue falsly vnderstood the scripture grosly fallen into errours Thus the letter deceaued Sabellius who expounding that of S. Iohn I and the father am one of vnity of persons not of substance falsly defended in the deity to be not three but only one person which had three names offices or properties of the father the sonne the holy Ghost creating redeeming and sanctifying mankind as the Patripassiās defended the Father to haue suffered on the Crosse as one and the same person with the sonne Thus the letter deceaued the Arrians who expounding that of S. Iohn The father is greater then I of Christ absolutly and completely as whole Christ not as man according to his humanity did thereupon deny Christ to be God equall to the Father Thus it deceaued the Macedonians who expounding that of S. Paul The spirit searcheth all things euen the profoundites of God concluded not as they ought that the spirit pierceth cōprehendeth all things as God but thus that he who searches doubts who doubts is ignorant who is ignorant is not God and so the holy Ghost who searches all is not God Thus it deceaued the Manichees who held the old Testamēt to be cōtrary to the new because for instance the old said that God created all things That God ceased frō labour the seuenth day That Man was created according to the Image of God And the new said the contrary that the Word created all things That God worketh vntill now And that you are of your father the diuell Not conceauing according to the spirit and true sense that God created all things by the word as by an Idaea that God rested from his worke of creation and yet worketh by conseruation that man was created to the Image of God by nature and of the diuell by malice Thus the Pelagians denying originall sinne to haue descended from Adam to vs literally interpreted that of Ezechiel The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father not only of sonnes who are not partakers but also of sonnes who are partakers of the iniquity of the father as all are of Adams sinne in whome all sinned and who receaued as head the promise of keeping or losing paradise by precept of for bearing or eating the apple for himselfe and his posterity after him Thus it deceaued others who applying literally that of S. Iohn The flesh profiteth nothing some in the Apostles time to the resurrection of the flesh others of late to the reall presence in the B. Sacrament the one therupon denyed the resurrection of all bodies the other the reall presence of Christs body both vpon one ground not distinguishing the spirituall from the carnall manner of one and the same body By which they might as well inferre that the flesh of Christ by his incarnation and passion profiteth no more then according to them it doth by his resurrection and manducation By which proofe of authority and examples it is apparent that the external letter of scripture cannot be iudge of controuersies That the internall sense of Scripture cannot be iudge is likwise proued because this true sense intended by the holy Ghost is often obscure hard and vncertaine as is certaine and before proued This obscurity breeds controuersies as experience dayly teaches and that these controuersies cannot be ended iudged by scripture-sense is proued 1. Because scripture-sense is the thing in question contention therfore is the thing to be iudged and decided not the iudge who is to giue iudgment and resolue the parties contending in iudgmēt As for example a question is about the sense of those words of the Gospel this is my body of those of the Creed He descended into hell Catholikes vnderstand them as the words import of the reall presence and of the locall descension both of Christs body Protestants expound them of a figuratiue presence by remembrāce of him in the sacrament and of an infernall suffering of hel-paines in his soule vpon the Crosse Now of these senses which is true which false the sense of the words cannot iudge betweene Catholicks and Protestants but some other iudge is necessary to confirme the one and confound the other so to end the controuersy 2. Because many places of scripture are so hard and obscure as the true sense of them cannot be truly discerned but by Church practise and tradition as for example whether those words of S. Mathew Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost do proue a necessity of the vocall pronuntiation of these wordes for the forme of baptisme as all Protestants with vs do grant or require no more but a mentall intention it sufficing only to baptize in the name of Iesus as Act. 8.26 doth insinuate Whether those of S. Iohn Except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of God inferre a necessity of water for the matter of baptisme as the Lutherans with vs grant and the words import or that the water and the holy Ghost be all one as Caluin expounds Also why the Protestants should not inferre as well a precept and necessity of a sacrament of washing of feet out of those words of our Sauiour And you ought to wash one anothers feet after the example of Christ who did and commanded it as they do out of those of S. Mathew Eat yee drinke yee inferre a necessity of receauing vnder both kinds because our Sauiour did commanded the like Now these and such like require a Iudge to iudge of the sense and reason of them cannot themselues iudge and decide themselues to vs. By which is euident that neither the letter nor the sense of scripture can be a competent iudge of all controuersies of faith and scripture Lastly the same is proued by the analogy of a temporal Iudge in causes ciuill with an Ecclesiasticall Iudge in causes spirituall for as Controuersies aryse in ciuill causes the common-wealth so do they arise also in matters spirituall and