from going and enquiring to her Nay rather we aduise all people desirous of the truth to follow Austins counsell howsoeuer such as the Iesuite is to make vs odious giue out the contrary For Austin first attributeth the perfection of truth to the Scripture onely Secondly then he alloweth vs to go to no Church but that which from the Scripture is demonstrated to be a true Church Thirdly he saith neuer a word that the Church should be the rule or free from all error but onely that they should enquire her iudgement which in that questioÌ„ at that time he knew to be sound though possible he were not ignorant that x Euseb hist l. 7. c. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. many famous Churches formerly had not bene so but had decreed the very error that he now confuted Lastly y Aduer Cresc l. 2. c. 21. within fiue leaues of the place alledged he hath these words The Church is subiect to Christ and therefore may not preferre her selfe before him for he alway iudgeth rightly but Ecclesiasticall iudges being but men for the most part are deceiued Let the Iesuit yeeld vs thus much and he shall find himselfe a great deale short of that he reckoneth for the certaintie of his Churches teaching and that Austin maketh not the Church the rule as he would haue it but a meanes to direct vs in things obscure by the Scriptures whose iudgement is to be followed vpon their authoritie and onely so long as she determineth according to them Which point I feare the Iesuite will mislike 6 Yet thus the Church it selfe teacheth vs. For what Bishops what Pastors what Councels what men what Churches haue not erred though z Mal. 2.7 Eph. 4 11. Heb. 13.17 God haue bidden vs enquire their iudgement and seek vnto them The Papists will say particular Churches may erre but how did the Councels of Ephesus Seleucia and Remino misse it a The Bishops at Ephesus were 132. at Selculeucia 16â— at Ariminum 400 whereof aboue 300. were Catholicke Bishops where the flower of all the Christian Pastours of the world were assembled whereof b Dial. aduer Lucifer Ierome complained The whole world groned and wondred to see it selfe Arrian Which imperfection hath hung so fast vpon all Councels and Churches that c Ep. ad Proco Nazianzen writing to a friend of his saith He neuer saw any councel haue a good end And d Adu profanâ— nou c. 4. Vincentius confesseth that not onely some portion of the Church but the whole Church it selfe is blotted with some new contagion So that the very Papists themselues some of them conuinced by experience and the Churches owne confession are driuen in the point to come home vnto vs. For thus writeth e Turrecrem sum de Eccl l. 2 c. 91. l. 3. c. 60 a learned Cardinall That which we say the Church cannot erre in faith or manners must thus be taken according to the doctrine of the fathers that God doth so assist his Church to the end of the world that the true faith shall neuer faile out of the same For to the worlds end there shall be no time wherein some though not all shall not haue true faith working by loue Doth not the Iesuite see here that though all of them lay downe the conclusion that the Church cannot erre yet some of them expound it so that they come roundly home to vs and do as good as deny it againe Therefore let the Iesuite iarre no more about this matter but submit himselfe to the Cardinals exposition and so we will both sit down friendly together at his feete awaiting till either he or some other speake Protestant againe and so agree vs in the rest of the questions that are depending § 16. The first condition therefore of the rule of faith to wit to be infallible agreeth to the teaching of the Church Now that the doctrine and teaching of the Church hath the other conditions to wit that it is such as may be easily knowne to all sorts of men and such as may vniuersally teach them in all points will easily be seene after I shall set downe and proue that this Church is alway visible and further what particular companie of men be those which be this true Church For hauing by this meanes assigned a particular companie of men who according as I haue proued are in all points taught by the holy Ghost and are by God his appointment in stead of Christ in all points to teach vs the infallible truth there will no doubt remaine but that their teaching is such as may be vnderstood of all since they are liuing men that can conforme their teaching to the capacitie of all sorts and such as may sufficiently in all points instruct vs in the right faith that the appointment and ordinance of God by which as I haue proued they are ordained to teach vs in all points may not be in vaine and frustrate of the effect intended by him Let vs therefore first see whether the Church or companie of faithfull men of which I haue alreadie spoken be alway visible or not The Answer 1 The first condition of the rule of faith to be infallible agreeeth not to the teaching of the Church because the Iesuite by the Church meaneth a See Digress 16. nu 4 onely the Pope and all Papists hold b Propterea enim sedes Apostolica seu Romana Ecclesia infallibilis dicitur quia is qui prae est illi authoritateÌ„ habet per se infallibilem Gr. de Val. comment Theol tom 3. p. 247. D. the infalliblnes therof consists in his authority that caÌ„not erre and nothing else Neither can he assigne any company or state of men whereby she may be supposed to manifest her teaching but the same may be subiect to error and in experience hath erred as we see in Councels and Doctors and all other meanes which she hath vsed in teaching vs except that of the Scriptures onely as I haue shewed 2 Next though it were granted to be infallible and the next also yeelded which the Iesuite now beginneth to take so much paines to proue that it were both easie to be knowne and could teach vs vniuersally in all points yet were it not proued thereby to be the rule because there is more required to the rule then this as I haue shewed and this it borroweth from the Scripture as the Moone doth her light from the Sun which sheweth against all exception that the Scripture it selfe is the rule and of greater authoritie then the Church in that these things are originally in the Scripture from whence the Church but borroweth whatsoeuer she partaketh thereof though c Igitur quicquid habet boni aâ— perficit Scriptura quicquid pleni ac solidi id habet ab Ecclesia quae implet eum qui implet omnia pag. 434. Ecclesia aâ—unt coÌ„stituta est vt tertimonium exhibeat diuinis libris quis
Containing a discourse of Saint Austins about mens errors against the Scriptures 10. 15. Shewing that priuate and particular companies may sometime be assured of the truth against a pretended Catholick company 12. 16. Shewing how the Papists pretending at euery word the Catholick Church yet meane nothing thereby but the Popes determination 13. 17. Wherein it is shewed is what maner the Church is said to be inuisible and that the Papists say no lesse concerning this matter then we do 17. 18. Prouing the true faith or doctrine contained in the Scripture to be a good marke to know the Church by 24. 19. Touching the place of Saint Austin contra Epist Fundam cap. 5. and the matter which the Papists gather from it 28. 20. Concerning the proceeding of the Trent Councell in determining the matters of faith 31. 21. Shewing that Gods true Church in all ages hath now and then bin troubled with contentions as great as are now among vs. 33. 22. Obiecting the behauiour of Papists toward the diuine Scriptures thereby to shew their varying frō that which in former times the primitiue Church of Rome beleeued 35. 23. Wherein by fiue examples it is shewed that the moderne Church of Rome is varied in points of faith from that which it beleeued formerly and since the time also that it began to be the seate of Antichrist 35. 24. Touching the contentions among the learned Papists of the Church of Rome and how the Papists liue not in that vnitie that is pretended 35. 25. Whererein it is shewed that in the Primitiue Church the Popes determination was not thought an infallible truth neither did the Christians for the maintenance of vnitie submit themselues thereunto 36. 26. Shewing that the Papists themselues do not so constantly and vniformly submit themselues to the Popes iudgement nor beleeue his infallible authoritie as is pretended 36. 27. Shewing that the Primitiue Church acknowledged not the Popes supremacy 36. 28. Shewing that the Pope is not of infallible iudgement but may erre and fall into heresie as any other man may 36. 29. Declaring the Pope not to be Saint Peters successor 36. 30. Wherein it is shewed that the Papists are not agreed among themselues to this day how Peters supposed primacie is proued or what it containeth but they are altogether vncertaine in expounding the maine texts of Scripture whereupon they build it 36. 31. Containing many complaints made by the Papists themselues against their owne Church and people whereby it appeareth their liues are worse then can be said of the Protestants 38. 32. Touching fasting and how we differ from the Papists therein and whether the doctrine of our Church be against it as the Papists charge vs. 40. 33. Concerning Auricular confession or Shrift to a Priest shewing the needlesnesse thereof and how it is an occasion rather then a remedy of sin 40. 34. Concerning the necessitie or requisite condition of good works for our saluation shewing that the Protestants hold it 40. 35. Touching the merit of our works and what is to be holden thereof 40. 36. Answering those that accuse the Protestants for holding that no man can keepe Gods commaundements and shewing what is to be holden concerning that matter 40. 37. Whether the Protestants thinke whatsoeuer we do is sinne 40. 38. Against the distinction of sinne into Mortall and Veniall 40. 39. Touching the satisfaction that men are bound vnto for their sinnes 40. 40. Wherein the doctrine of Iustification by faith onely is expounded and defended 40. 41 Intreating of Predestination and Freewill as the Protestants hold them and shewing that their doctrine concerning these points doth neither make God the author of sinne nor leade men to be carelesse of there liues nor inferre any absolute necessity constraining vs that we cannot do otherwise then we do 40. 42. Againe touching Freewill wherein the doctrine of our Church is methodically propounded and in euery point compared with that which the Papists hold that the seuerall questions betweene them and vs and the maner how and where they rise may be seene distinctly set downe 40. 43. Prouing that Gods children without miracles or extraordinary reuelation may be and are infallibly assured that they haue grace and shall be saued 41. 44. Answering that which the Papists obiect touching the miracles of their Church and Saints therein 42. 45. Touching Monkes and religious orders holden among the Papists which they say we haue reiected and forsaken 42. 46. Naming certaine points of the Papists faith which directly tend to the maintenance of open sinne and liberty of life 43. 47. Of the authoritie of the ancient Fathers in matters of our faith and religion wherein it is shewed what we ascribe vnto them and how farforth we depend vpon them and the practise of our aduersaries in contemning cluding and refusing both them and their owne writers is plainely discouered 44. 48 Containing a briefe and direct answer to our aduersaries when they say we cannot assigne a visible company professing the same faith in euery point that we do euer since Christ till now without intterruption 45. 49. Obiecting eight points for example wherein the Church of Rome holdeth contrary to that which formerly was holden The conception of the virgine Mary Latin Seruice Reading the Scriptures Priests mariage Images Supremacy Communion in one kind Transubstantion 47. 50. Of the conuersion of the Indies to the Romane faith by the Iesuites 49. 51. Naming seuen points of the Popish religion with the time when and maner how they gate into the Church thereby to shew that there is sufficient record to detect the nouelty of the present Romane faith 50. 52. Shewing that the present religion of the Romane Church was obserued and resisted in all ages as it came in and increased naming withall the persons that made the resistance and the points wherein and the time when from fiftie yeares to fiftie throughout all ages since Christ compendiously obserued out of history for the satisfying of their error that so much conceit the antiquitie of Papistry and thinke it was neuer controlled til Luthers time 50. 53. Obiecting seuen things against the outward succession of Popes in the Sea of Rome Whereby the same is clearely demonstrated to haue bene interrupted and not to be any certaine or infallible succession 55. 54. Containing a briefe narration touching the life and death of Martin Luther with the incredible reports therof made by his aduersaries shewing how sundry Popes in the Church of Rome haue liued and died worse then he though it were granted all reports made of him were true 57 55. Shewing how vncertaine and contrary the Papists are among themselues touching the power of their Priesthood in remitting sins and concerning the first institution of Shrift where it began De Iudice fidei admonitio Catholica ad Lectorem PVrus ab impuro num differt sanguine sanguis Differt iudicium laudo Galene tuum Ritibus in sacris secernitur hoedus ab agno Vox tua
of them Thomas of Aquin e Lect. 1. in 1. Tim. 6. saith The doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is called canonicall because it is the rule of our vnderstanding And againe f 1. qu. art 8. Our faith resteth and stayeth it selfe vpon the reuelation giuen to the Apostles and Prophets which writ the canonicall bookes and not vpon reuelation if any such haue bene made to other Doctors Antoninus the Archbishop of Florence g Sum. part 3. tit 18. c. 3. §. 3. writeth expresly that God hath spoken but once that in the holy Scripture that so plentifully to meet with all temptations and all cases that may fall out and all good works that as Gregory in the two and twentieth booke of his Morals expounds it he needs no more speake vnto vs concerning any necessary matter seeing all things are found in the Scripture Gerson h Trithem catal Script eccl the great man of the Councell of Constance i De Commun sub vtraque specie saith the Scripture is the rule of our faith which being well vnderstood no authority of men is to be admitted against it Durand k Praefat. in Sentent saith that generally in the things that touch our faith we must speake to that which the scripture deliuereth lest any maÌ„ fall into that which the Apostle noteth 1. Cor. 8. If he thinke he knoweth something yet he knoweth nothing as he ought to know for the maner of our knowledge l Sacra Scriptura mensuram fidei exprimit must be not to exceed the measure of faith and the holy Scripture expresseth the measure of faith Alliaco the Cardinal m 1. Sent. q. 1. art 3.1 Coroll lit H. quoniam ad ipsas fit vltimata resolutio theologici discursus saith The verities themselues of the sacred Canon be the principles of Diuinitie the finall resolution of Theologicall discourse is made into theÌ„ and originally from them is drawne euery conclusion of Diuinitie Conradus Clingius n Locorum l. 3. cap. 29. pag. 298. Norma vlna Index saith The Scripture is the infallible rule of truth yea the measure and iudge of the truth o Iac. Peres à valdiu de ratio Con. l. 2. c. 19. Peresius the Diuinitie reader at Barcilona in Spain saith The authoritie of no Saint is of infallible truth for Saint Austin giues that honor onely to the sacred Scriptures That onely is the rule which is of infallible truth but the Scripture onely is of infallible truth therefore the Scripture onely is the rule Finally Bellarmine himselfe one of the two that haue wonne the garland saith p Biblioth select lib. 7. cap. 2 pag. 458. q De Verb. Dei l. 1. c. 2 Posseuinus acknowledgeth as much as I say against the Iesuites conclusion let his words be excused how they can for thus he q De verb. Dei lib. 1. cap. 2. writeth The rule of faith must be certaine and knowne for if it be not certaine it is no rule at all if it be not knowne it is no rule to vs but nothing is more certaine nothing better knowne then the sacred Scripture contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles * Sacr. Scriptura regula credeÌ„di certissima tutissimaque per corporales literas quas cerneremus legeremus erudire nos voluit Deus Wherefore the sacred Scripture is the rule of faith most certain and most safe and God hath taught vs by corporall letters which we might see and reade what he would haue vs beleeue concerning him This he writeth against Swinkfield and the Libertines relying vpon reuelations whereby you may freely iudge whether the truth haue not constrained him to renounce the Iesuits conclusion Shall the Libertines be recalled from their blind reuelations to the written text and shal not the Papists be reuoked from their vncertaine traditions to the same rule Is nothing more knowne nothing more infallible then the Scripture by the Iesuites owne confession and yet shall our Priests reiect it from being the rule as not sufficient to preserue from error not vniuersall enough not knowne enough not infallible enough I pray you consider well how far our aduersaries deale against their owne conscience in this point the same Iesuite saith r De notis Eccl. c. 2. in another place The Scripture is better knowne then the Church in some cases as namely where it is receiued and speaketh plainly and the question is of the Church Now we admit the Scriptures on all hands and all the questioÌ„ betweene vs is about the Church and therefore let them do vs iustice and allow vs the Scripture to be rule and iudge because it is better knowne then the Church let the Iesuit recant his conclusions and yeeld either to the euident testimonies of the text against him or to the iudgement of the Fathers or at the least to the confession of his owne Doctors whose testimonie he may not by Å¿ 2. q. 7. c. Si haereticus Sin auteÌ„ orthodoxus contra haereticum litiget pro orthodoxo quidem haeretici testimonium valeat contra orthodoxum autem solius orthodoxi testimonium valeat the law refuse because they are of his owne church or if he will not then the next booke that he writeth let him send vs word by whom he will be tried and he shall be prouided for Digression 4. containing the very cause why the Papists disable the Scripture so from being the rule 7 Secondly the causes why the Papists disable the Scriptures from being the rule and striue so for their Churches authoritie are especially two First that so they may make themselues iudges in their owne cause For who sees not that if the Church be the rule of faith and theirs be the Church which way the verdict wil go chiefly when they shal behold the Pope with his infallâ—ble iudgement mounted vpon the tribunall and made interpreter of all the euidence that shall be brought in when Scriptures Fathers Councels and Church must all be expounded by his iudgement For u Thom. opusc contra error GraecoruÌ„ Turrecre n. Sum. de eccl l. 3. c. 23. Sâ—mm Syluest verb. Fides nu 2. Aluaâ— Pelag. de planct eccl lib. 1. art 6. Bellarm de Christ l. 2. c. 28. Greg. de Valent. analys fidei this they require that so we might returne them Campians conceit x Ratio 2. apud Posseuin biblioth select lib. 7. c. 18. In fine so they order their matters that you shall haue no triall passe vnlesse you be resolued to stand to the award of themselues that are arraigned 8 Next for that they know and confesse the most and greatest points of their religion euen welnigh all wherein they dissent from vs haue no foundation on the Scriptures but as Andradius y Orthod explic l. 2. speaketh would reele and stagger if tradition supported them not whereupon z Can. locorum l. 3. c. 3. they
to enlighten the people so blind and ignorant are their minds But that which Andrew said There is a boy here which hath fiue loaues two fishes must be vnderstood of the rank of Saint Peters successors that which is added make the people sit down signifieth that saluation must be offered them by teaching them the seuen sacraments 16 And whereas the Iesuite vrgeth so diligently that somethings are hard to be vnderstood yet this proueth not that the truth therefore cannot be tryed by onely Scripture because one place thereof expoundeth another which if the Iesuite will deny he must be disputed with as he that holdeth the fire hath no heate in it for against such an absurd assertion we vse no reasons but onely bid the man that holdeth it put his finger into the fire and he shall presently see whether his opinion be true or no. So let triall be made and the Iesuite shall soone see whether the Scripture be so obscure that one place thereof cannot interpret another m De Doctrin Christian lib. 2. c. 6. Austin saith There is almost nothing amoÌ„g these obscurities but in other places one may find it most plainly deliuered n Hom. 9. in 2. Cor. Chrysostom saith The Scripture euery where when it speaketh any thing obscurely interpreteth it selfe againe in another place o Comment in Esa c. 19. Hierome saith It is the manner of the Scripture after things obscure to set down things manifest that which they haue first spoken in parables to deliuer afterwards in plaine terms p Regul contract qu. 267. Basil saith The things which are doubtfull and in some places of Scripture seeme to be spoken obscurely are made plaine by those things which are euident in other places And finally q In Gen. ca. 2. Steuchius a Popish Bishop confesseth God was neuer so inhumane as to suffer the world in all ages to be tormented with the ignorance of this matter the sence of the Scripture seeing he hath not suffered one place to be in al the Scripture but if we consider it well we may interpret it For as Theodoret saith the Scripture vseth when it teacheth vs any such high matter to expound it selfe and not suffer vs to run into error Digression 11. Prouing that the Scripture it selfe hath that outward authoritie whereupon our faith is built and not the Church 17 The Canon law r Dist 37. c Relatum saith expresly The diuine Scriptures containe the whole and firme rule of the truth and out of themselues the meaning thereof must be taken So that wel may the Church by her ministery commend the rule to vs and instruct vs how to secure our consciences out of the Scripture but by it authoritie it cannot assure vs. Our faith must resolue it selfe into the authoritie of the Scripture For the authoritie of the Church in respect of vs dependeth on the authoritie of the Scriptures and is examined thereby The Church by her authoritie cannot perswade all men which heare it but the spirit of God in the Scriptures alwayes doth The Scriptures alwaies had their authoritie euen before the Churches came to them the words of the Scripture are Å¿ Luc. 8.11 1. Pet. 1.23 an immortall seed t 1. Cor. 2.4 the demonstration of the spirit and power u Heb. 4.12 that which is liuely and powerfull x Luc. 24.32 making our hearts to burne within vs y Ioh. 5.36.39 it giueth greater testimony to Christ then Iohn Baptist could z 2. Pet. 1.18 19 a voice from heauen is not so sure as it a 1. Ioh. 5.6 it is the spirit that beareth witnesse to the truth thereof b 1. Ioh. 5 9. and if we receiue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater Finally our Sauiour c Ioh. 5.47 saith They which beleeue not Moses writings will not beleeue him and is the Churches authoritie greater then Christs d Ioh. 5.39 The Scriptures testifie of Christ e Ioh. 20.31 being written that we might beleeue in him f 1. Ioh. 5.10 and he that beleeueth in him hath a witnesse in himselfe g 2. Cor. 1.22 The earnest of the spirit is in his owne heart wherwith God hath sealed him h Ephes 2.20 We are all built vpoÌ„ the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ himselfe being the head corner stone in whom all the building is coupled together by the spirit i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in psa 1â—5 In all humane arts there be certaine principles which are knowne of themselues and beleeued for themselues without any further demonstration The Scripture containeth the principles of our faith and shall not we beleeue them or cannot we know them infallibly of themselues without we let in the authoritie of the Church 18 Where then is the Iesuites credamus Deo in the captiuating of our iudgement in obsequium Christi Yea the very k Magist 3. dist 23. Scot. 3. dist 23. q vnica Ockâ—â— 3. q. 8. art 3. Gabr 3. d. 23. q 2. lit g. h. schoolemen say that faith is either Acquisita suasa gotten by discourse of reason and testimonie of the Church or Infusa inspirata immediatly put into our hearts by the holy Ghost inforcing the mind without further testimonie to yeeld obedience Now l Deut. 29 4. Mat. 16 17. the faith we haue of the points in Scripture is of the latter kind and so consequently not relying on the testimonie of the Church whose authority is but a created thing distinct from the first veritie m Princip fid doctrin lib. 8. cap. 20. saith D. Stapleton Alexander Hales n Part. 1. q. 1. memb 1. fides suasa inspirata saith Faith perswaded ariseth from the probabilitie of reason and faith inspired beleeueth the first truth for it selfe and this faith is aboue all knowledge * Et ad hanc disponit acceptâ—o doctrinae sacrae and the acceptation of the holy doctrine disposeth vs to it So that our conscience stayeth it selfe o Sed vt verè plenè credat necesse habet soli veritati primae purae nudae penitus inhaerere nullaÌ„ certitudinem extrinsecam requirendo Altisiod Sum. li. 2. pag 71. quem vide latiùs l. 1. praef onely vpon this diuine authoritie being of greater efficacie to perswade and hold vs then either the Church p Gal. 1.8 or an Angell from heauen 19 Let God himselfe q Lib. 5. ep 31. saith Ambrose teach me the mystery of heauen which made it not man who knoweth not himselfe whom may I beleue in the things of God better then God himselfe So also saith Saluianus r De prouid l. 3. All that men say needs reasons and witnesses but Gods word is witnesse to it selfe because it followeth necessarily that whatsoeuer the incorrupt truth speaketh must needs be an incorrupt witnes of it self Finally let these words of Å¿ Confess
the Iesuite so confidently beareth his friend in hand that the Gospels of the foure Euangelists cannot be knowne to be true Scripture more then those of Thomas and Nicodemus but by the authoritie of his Church Wherein possible he hath also the same meaning that Doctor Standish vttereth in the place alledged x In the letter b. a little before that those counterfeit Gospels bearing the titles of Thomas Nicodemus and Bartholomew were written by them in deed but his Church to shew her authoritie that this she can do hath repealed them A fat conceit yet some mens stomackes belike can digest it But if the Iesuite cannot conceiue how the Scripture may be discerned from other writings vnlesse we allow him the Churches authoritie let him hearken and learne of a rare man of his owne side Picus of Mirandula who speaking of the Scriptures y Refert Posseu bibl in Cicero c. 11. hath this memorable saying They do not moue they do not perswade but they enforce vs they driue vs forward they violently constraine vs. Thou readest words rude and homely but such as are quicke liuely flaming stinging piercing to the bottome of the spirit and by their admirable power transforming the whole man This admirable light shining in the Scripture it selfe shall assure vs it is the word of God better I hope then that Church whose tongue is sold to speake nothing but the Popes will § 29. Fourthly if to haue an entire faith in all particular points must be foreknowne as a marke whereby to know the true Church then contrary to that which hath bene alreadie proued the authoritie of the Church should not be a necessarie meanes whereby men must come to the infallible knowledge of true faith for if before we come to know which is the true Church we might by other meanes haue knowne which is the true faith in all points what need then is there for getting the true faith alreadie had to vse or bring the authoritie of the Church The Answer 1 Because this reason is the same with that which goeth before therefore it shall receiue the same answer That although we need the ministerie of the Church to teach vs the faith and this faith is not ordinarily knowne till the Church or some member thereof reueale it to vs yet may it be a marke whereby to know the Church as the effect is a marke of the cause that produceth it the fruite of the tree the teaching of the schoolemaister In which case the reuelation of the true faith whereby we come to know it is an effect or worke of the Church and so able and fit to assure vs that it is the Church Neither doth this suppose or imply that the faith is already had and knowne by other meanes before we vse the Church but onely that when the Church teacheth the faith thereof in the order of my vnderstanding is first knowne that is to say the Church and the faith being inseparably ioyned together yet the faith first cometh to my knowledge This I further explicate by a similitude For musick is the marke of a Musitian whereby to know him and to distinguish him from all other professions And though I must first be assured it is good musicke that he sheweth before I can be certaine he is a Musitian yet were it folly to reason as the Iesuite doth what need then is there for the getting of the musicke already had to vse the ministerie of the Musitian for the musicke is not already had but onely by his playing it cometh in order before himselfe into my vnderstanding and then I know him thereby So a 1. Reg. 3.16 two women laid claime both to one child and both pretended themselues to be true mother thereunto as the Church of Rome this day striueth with vs pleading for her selfe that she is our holy mother the Church and the child is hers in this contention we must find out the Church by the same markes that Salomon found out the true mother which was her tender compassion inclosed in her bowels and discouered by her words that she had rather part with her child then haue it cut in sunder And if the Iesuite should reason against Salomons iudgement that he had followed a wrong marke which was inclosed in the woman heart and needed great iudgement yea diuine illumination to find it the woman her selfe by her speech and behauiour made it knowne to him and if pietie and pitie were the note of a true mother whereby to know her then contrary to that which hath bene already proued the speech and behauiour of the mother should not be a necessary meanes whereby Salomon must come to the knowledge of this pietie c. If I say he should thus argue against Salomon he might do it with the same reason that he vseth against vs and possible with as good successe * V. vltim the spirit of God and the iudgement of all Israel in both alike equally condemning his sophistry For was not the womans pitie toward the child knowne to Salomons wisedome before he knew her to be the mother and yet her selfe was the instrument that made it knowne So true faith is the mark of the Church and known to me before the Church but yet by no other meanes but by the Church whose ministery is needful for the getting it as the cause is needfull for the obtaining of the effect and afterward it selfe is proued by the same effect Now the teaching of the truth is an effect of the true Church § 30. Fiftly if before we giue absolute infallible and vndoubted credit to the true Church we must examine and iudge whether euery particular point which it teacheth be the truth with authoritie to accept that which we like or which in our conceit seemeth right and conformable to Gods word and to reiect whatsoeuer we dislike or which in our priuate iudgement seemeth not so right or conformable then we make our selues examiners and iudges ouer the Church and consequently preferre our liking or disliking our iudgement and censure of the sence of Scripture before the iudgement definition and censure of the true Church But it is absurd both in reason and religion to preferre the iudgement of anie priuate man be he neuer so wittie or learned or neuer so strongly perswaded in his owne conceit that he is taught by the Spirit before the sentence of Gods Catholike Church which is a companie of men many of which both are and haue bin most vertuous wise and learned and which is chiefe is such a companie as according to the absolute and infallible promises of Scripture hath Christ himselfe and his holy Spirit continually among them guiding them and teaching them all truth and not permitting them to erre Matth. vlt. 10.14 16. vt supra The Answer 1 This is his last argument wherein he reasoneth thus that if the faith be a note of the Church then it must first be examined
whether it be true or no. But to examine the Churches faith he saith is absurd and thus he proueth it They which examine the particulars taught by the Church whether they be the truth or not with authority to accept or reiect make themselues examiners and iudges ouer the Church and preferre their owne liking and censure before the iudgement definition and censure of the Church But this later is absurd considering the Catholicke Church is a company of men wise learned and free from error Mat. 28.20 Iohn 14.16 16.13 Ergo the former is also For answer to this argument we do not hold that we haue authoritie to accept that which we like or which in our conceit seemeth right and to reiect whatsoeuer we dislike or which in our priuate iudgement seemeth not conformable neither do we admit any priuate conceit of any man as the Iesuite vntruly suggesteth but all authoritie thus expounded we disclaime and renounce And here I affirme against his odious suggestion that not we but himselfe and his Pope are guiltie of this presumption of whom they write a Sacr. Cerem lib. 1. tit 7. that all power is giuen him in heauen and earth b Innocent 3. de Concess praebendae c. proposuit And of the fulnesse of this power he may by right dispence beyond all right c Gloss ibid. §. supra ius Euen against the Apostles and their Canons and the old Testament and in vowes and othes d Sum. Angel voce Papa nu 1 And against all the commandements of the old Testament and the new For otherwise it might seeme that God had not bene a prouident father in his familie neither could it be said that the Pope is Gods generall Commissary assumed vnto him into the fulnesse of power Finally e De translatione Episc c. quanto in gl He is said to haue a heauenly iudgement that can make somthing of nothing and that to be the sence which is no sence because in such things as he will his will is insteed of a law Whence it cometh to passe that f Cusan ep 2. pag. 833. the Scripture is fitted to the time and the sence thereof altered as the time altereth g Id. ep 7. pag. 857. so that sometime it is expounded one way and sometime another h Alu. Pelag. de planct Eccles l. 1. art 6. ex Hostieni Neither may any Councell iudge the Pope for that if in any matter the whole world should iudge against him yet his opinion were to be receiued They that attribute all this and a great deale more to their Pope whom alone they make iudge of all in my minde may very ill vpbraid others with assuming authoritie to iudge c. 2 But this we say that it is lawfull and necessary for euery particular man i 1. Thess 5.21 to trie all things and hold that which is good and by the Scriptures to examine and iudge of the things which the Church teacheth him k Luc. 1.4 Col. 2.2 that he may haue the full knowledge and assurance of the things wherein he is taught The which triall because it is made by the Scriptures is no priuate iudgement but the publicke censure of Gods spirit that speaketh openly in the Scripture to all men And when a man in this manner reiecteth the teaching of a Church as great and good as the Romane Catholicke his conceit herein is not priuate as priuate is opposed to spirituall but onely as it is opposed against that which is common among others and so a priuate man may iudge For our Sauiour saith l Ioh. 7.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man will do the will of God he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe m Act. 17.11 And the men of Beroea when they receiued the word of Paul and Silas searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so And yet the teaching of the Apostles was more certaine and infallible then the doctrine of any Church since and their persons more holy and wise then any that haue liued after them 3 Therefore the true manner how the Churches teaching may be examined being thus expounded the proposition of the Iesuites argument is false wherein he saith They which examine whether the particular points which the Church teacheth be true make themselues iudges ouer the Church preferring their priuate conceits before the definitions of the Church c. For they examine and iudge not by their owne priuate humors but by the publicke word of God n Ioh. 12 48. which in the Scripture speaketh openly to all the world though the children of God onely know and beleeue it by reason o Ioh. 12 40. the vnbeleeuers haue their eyes and hearts blinded that they should not vnderstand And thus it is lawfull for all men to iudge the Churches teaching because else they cannot be certaine they liue in the true Church or haue true faith p Col. 2.2 which is ioyned with the full assurance of vnderstanding to know the mystery of God Chrysostome answering the obiection of such as pretended they could not tell what religion to be of there were so many opinions q In Act. hom 33. saith That seeing we take the Scriptures which are so true and plaine it will be an easie matter for you to iudge and tell me hast thou any wit or iudgement for it is not a mans part barely to receiue whatsoeuer he heareth Say not I am a scholler and may be no iudge I can condemne no opinion for this is but a shift c. Basil saith r Ethic. definit 72. pag. 432. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It behoueth the hearers that are learned in the Scriptures to trie those things which are said by their teachers and receiuing that which agreeth with the Scriptures to reiect the contrary And Gerson one of his owne side Å¿ De exam doctr part 1. conâ—ess 5. writeth The examination and triall of doctrines concerning faith belongeth not onely to the Councell and Pope but also to eueryone that is sufficiently learned in the Scriptures because euery man is a sufficient iudge of that he knoweth 4 And in all this hitherto there is no wrong offered to the Church but onely that put in practise which was neuer misliked till a Church arose whose siluer being drosse and milke poyson might not endure the triall And whereas he saith it is a great absurditie to preferre a priuate mans iudgement be he neuer so witty or strongly conceited of himselfe before the iudgement of Gods Church herein he saith excellent well but will he expound the light and euidence of the Scripture to be nothing else but wit and conceit and will he leaue no roome for the full assurance of vnderstanding in the heart of man or is it absurd for a priuate man to preferre the truth of Gods word before the teaching of all the world I would not
authoritie but the Councell of Nice Now it is very probable that if these Bishops had thought the subiection mentioned by the Iesuit to the Bishop of Rome were necessarily required to the essence of vnitie they would haue yeelded wheras by their resistance it is plaine they thought themselues bound to his determination no more then he might thinke himselfe bound to theirs 4 About the yeare 258. there arose a question whether they whom heretickes had baptized if they returned to the Catholicke Church should be baptized againe Here no doubt the Popes iudgement was to be followed if it were true that the authoritie and certaintie of iudgement were his and all true Catholicks should yeeld vnto him But mark what fell out p Euseb l. 7. c. 5. Cypr. ep 74. ad Pomp. August de vnic bapt c. 14. Stephen the Bishop of Rome forbad rebaptization and thought them worthy excommunication that vsed it but Cyprian the Bishop of Carthage and a Martyr of the Church withstood him and would neuer accept his decree With him tooke part Firmilianus the Metropolitan of Caesarea confuting the decree that Stephen had made whom q Apud Cypr. ep 75. in a certaine epistle he thus reproueth What can be more base or vaine then to hold contention with so many Bishops throughout the world breaking peace with euery one through diuers kinds of discord sometime with the Easterne people sometime with you of the South not suffering the Bishops sent from them so much as to come to his speech but forbidding the brethren to giue them roome and lodging Is this to hold the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace to cut himselfe from the vnitie of loue and in all things to make himself strange vnto his brethren yea and through the fury of contention to rebell against faith and Sacrament See how this man r Menolog Graec. in Octobr 28. whom the Church so honored that they put his name into the Kalender taketh vp the Pope and setteth at nought his definitiue sentence With these tooke part also a Å¿ Concil Carth. apud Cyprian Councell of 87. Bishops yea many great Synodes t Euseb l. 7. c. 5. saith Dionysius Alexandrinus and whole countries who yet were not therefore reputed to liue out of the vnitie of the Church And Dionysius himselfe the Patriark of Alexandria consented herein with Cyprian and the Synods of Affrik as Ierom u De Script eccle in Dionysio testifieth Here theÌ„ we see the Pope at one time resisted by 3. Metropolitans many Councels and by the most Bishops in Affricke Cappadocia Egypt Cilicia Galatia and other countries and yet the Iesuite will needs perswade that all Catholicke men haue acknowledged one chiefe Pastor the Pope and yeelded themselues euermore to his censure when these examples shew the contrary and make it more then plaine that till now of late subiection to the Romish Church was neuer esteemed appertaining to the essence of vnitie nor put into the definition thereof Digression 26. Shewing that the Papists themselues do not so constantly and vniformly submit themselues to the Popes iudgement nor beleeue his infallible authoritie as is pretended 5 Indeed the Iesuite reporteth it of the Church of Rome this day that all the learned men and people thereof submit their opinions and iudgement in all things to the Pope and this is generally boasted among them and obiected as a matter fully prouing their vnitie but they onely say it for we know the contrary * A memorable example hereof is the moderne conclusions published by the Venetians against the present Pope Paâ—lus Quintus and his supremacie and discouer dayly as much headinesse among them against their Popes and Councels as euer was in any gouernment Marke else their owne words It were a great matter indeed saith x De certitud gratiae assert 13. Catharinus an Archbishop among them and in verie truth too hard a case to binde the vnderstanding of the wise with euery answer of the Popes that may be produced for the holy Ghost doth not alway and in euery word assist them And y Q. in Vesper pag. 133. printed at the end of his Morals in 8â— Almaine a great Doctor in their schooles It is not necessarie that men beleeue things determined by the Pope although the contrary be not publickly to be taught And Bellarmine though vnaduisedly possible yet saith plainly touching Cyprians withstanding of Pope Stephen that z De Ro. Pont. l. 4 c. 7. after the Popes definition yet it was free to thinke otherwise yea he holdeth that a De Ro. Pont. l. 2. c. 29. arg 7. as it is lawfull to resist the Pope assaulting our bodie so may we resist him when he inuadeth our soule or troubleth the commonweale and much more if he practise the destruction of the Church in this case I say it is lawfull to resist him by not doing what he commaundeth and hindring that his will be not executed Caietan b De authorit Pap. Concil c. 26. holdeth that in case of heresie he may be deposed c Cap. 27. ad 2. and when he rendeth the Church in sunder he may be resisted to his face And Franciscus Victoria d Relect. 4. de potest Pap. Concil pag. 133 saith If a Councell declare a thing to be matter of faith or belonging to diuine right the Pope herein cannot declare otherwise or change any thing specially if such a matter pertaine to faith or the manners of the vniuersall Church See how these men all resolued Papists and the learnedst of that sort yet assume it as out of question that the Popes iudgement is not alwayes of vndoubted truth but he may erre yea be an heretick and make hauocke of the Church and therefore may be resisted And in very deed the conceit of his infallible iudgement being the beginning and foundation of his authoritie it cannot be denied but they which call the former in question must needs doubt of the later 6 And let the most resolute Papist that is but thinke seriously of this point and answer how it is possible they should so willingly obey his decrees and yeeld their opinions to his iudgement when it is a ruled case among them all that the Pope may erre yea as e De sign eccl to 2. l. 18. c. 6. Bozius affirmeth be an hereticke writing teaching and preaching heresie For will they obey him in error and scandall or do they thinke his decree can alter the nature of that which is false and make it true that they might with securitie of conscience entertaine it They dare not say so Franciscus Victoria f Relect. 4. de potest Pap. Concil disputeth at large against his dispensations affirming that a Councell should do well to bridle him and that they which vse such immoderate dispensations as he giueth are not thereby secured in conscience that they may vse them lawfully No doubt they which
Councell are penned so cunningly and i For Apollo his oracles alwaies equiuocated Ambigua semper incerta obliquaque erāt ipsius responsa Iul. Lessign de cognom Deorum lib 1. c. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scol Aristoph in Pluto oraclewise that they will reasonably beare as many expositions as there shall be opinions and then albeit the contention be neuer so great yet who dares say the contenders submit not themselues to their chiefe Pastor when euerie side shall expound his decree for his owne opinion 8 Moreouer if it were true that all Papists acknowledge the Pope to be their iudge and of such infallible truth in all his teaching that they may and must boldly yeeld all their iudgements and wits to his let them satisfie the world how it fell out that they haue depriued so many Popes yea for heresie for it should seeme in this case that their Church tooke vpon her authority to direct him when he was out of the way and when there haue bene diuers Popes at once k Nullus enim fuit illo tempopore Concilij Constantiēsis certus Papa Caiet tract de author Pap. Con c. 27. ad 6. what time it was vncertaine who was Pope what submission could there be to this chiefe Pastor Or if it be true that a Councell is aboue the Pope which l Cusan concord l. 2. c. 20. 34. Panorm de elect c. significasti Facta capitulorum vniuersitatum quia superiorē habent non sunt aequanda gestis conciliorum vbi solum Deus est superior à quibus non appellatur Aen. Sylu. ep 25. the most and the ancientest Papists beleeue and m Concil Constant Sess 4. 5. Concil Basil Sess 2. two generall Councels decreed how can it be said that Papists holding this opinion depend vpon the Pope as the Iesuite pretendeth 9 Thus we see how the Papists esteeme their Popes at home hey thinke it a perillous matter to be tyed so straightly to him they thinke it lawfull to resist him they beleeue he may fall into heresie yea preach it and practise the destruction of the Church they beleeue a Councell is aboue him and may restraine or depose him they beleeue he and his Councels may erre in euery part and circumstance of his definitions but the conclusion it selfe they haue notoriously maintained opinions against his decrees they haue deposed him and bene in that straight that they knew not who was Pope whereupon I say it is a most intollerable thing to endure the hearing of these loud brags that they make abrode concerning their obedience to him and so willing acceptation of his iudgement for the ending of controuersies and I am firmely perswaded by the experience of their writings behauiour that whatsoeuer they pretend abrode among the ignorāt they haue a most base opinion both of his person and iudgement For Guicciardine a man very neare him n Hist l. 16. writeth that the goodnesse Apostolicke is then commended when he exceedeth not al other men in wickednes And Fr. Victoria speaking of his practise in dispensing o Relect. 4. de potest Pap. Concil Pro. 12. saith Giue me Clements Lines and Siluesters that is Popes as good as were Clemens Linus and Syluester and I wil permit euery thing to their iudgment but that I say no worse against these later Popes certainly they are inferior to those ancient Popes by many degrees 10 But supposing all Papists as the Iesuite speaketh do acknowledge one chiefe Pastor ouer them to whose definitions in all matters they submit themselues yet hence it followeth not that therfore they haue the true vnitie and cannot dissent for p Fere semper seruata haec consuetudo vt acta priorum pontificum sequentes aut infringerent aut omnino tollerent Plat. in Steph. VI. the Pope may be at controuersie with himselfe or possible his mind cannot be known as of a long time it was not when the Friers contended about the conception of the virgin Marie nor is not to this day q Suar tom 2. disp 3. sect 6. the Church hauing defined nothing in this matter and possible r Suar. vbi prius refert as Caietan and Cano haue obserued cannot by reason the opinion that holdeth her conception without sinne is in shew godly but indeed vntrue and vaine But that which is principally to be obiected the spirit of God hath neither giuen him such vprightnesse of iudgment that he can alway define the truth nor put him into such authoritie that men necessarily are bound to obey him the which being true then it will follow that all such as relie most vpon him shall either not consent at all or consent in error and a people may be vnited to the Pope and yet be without the true vnion of Christs Church ſ Nilus l. de primat Neceph Greg. l. 10. hist Rom. c. vlt. And assuredly the Greekes complaine that this vsurpation of the Pope to be head of al Churches and iudge of all matters hath bene the very fountaine of all our diuisions 11 Against this the Iesuite replyeth that the Pope hath infallibility and authoritie of iudgement both giuen him by Christ so that it were impossible his people should dissent and for confirmation hereof he alledgeth 3. texts of Scripture wherein he saith our Sauiour Christ spake of Peter and his successors meaning the Pope and gaue them this power that he speaketh of and so concludeth that by vertue of Christs owne ordinance the Pope is the meanes to vphold the vnitie of the Church whose determinations the Papists receiuing cannot disagree Wherunto I will answer distinctly three things First that in all the words alledged our Sauior meant the rest of the Apostles as well as Peter Secondly whomsoeuer he meant yet the words spoken containe no such thing in them as the Iesuite gathereth Thirdly supposing they were meant of Peter and contained the primacie yet the Pope is not Peters successor and so consequently hath no part in them the which parts of my answer being iustified there wil no doubt remaine but the vnitie of the Romish Church is proclaymed and set forth vpon vncertaine grounds 12 First I say that all these words of Christ I will giue vnto thee the keyes and vpon this rocke I wil build my Church Mat. 16.18 I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Luc. 22.32 and feed my sheepe Ioh. 21.15 were not meant or intended to Peter alone but to the rest of the disciples with him Of the first place in Mat. 16. it is cleare For t Bell. de Ro. pont l. 1. c. 10. §. Ac vt à primo c. 11. § Catholici autem c. 13. §. At no◠Catholici the rocke and the keyes signifie the same thing so that to whō Christ promised the one he promised the other but the keyes and al the power thereof was promised giuen to al alike as is proued for
cannot erre because the words of the text are no plainer for the one then for the other For as it saith strengthen thy brethren so it saith also thy faith shall not faile yet the Popes faith may faile therefore he may also faile in strengthening his brethren if this faith and strengthening be vnderstood as the Iesuite conceiteth 22 The last place is Ioh. 21.17 where Christ biddeth Peter Feed my sheepe Out of which words the Iesuite concludeth that Christ gaue him and the Pope most ample authoritie ouer the vniuersall Church to rule it as chiefe Pastor vnder him tying himselfe so to assist him that he should neuer teach any thing è cathedra contrary to the truth and binding all the world to obey his iudgement The whâ—ch conclusions how violently they are wrested from the text let any man iudge * Note and sure it is worth the Readers labour and wil recompence any paines he can take herein to make a stand and but view whether the words be able to support so mightie conclusions as are built vpon them For this is the onely foundation that the Papists haue for the supremacie And albeit in their disputations by word and writing they pretend many texts beside as the Iesuite in this discourse doth yet you shall find when they come to canuasing they alway retire to this as to their hold and finding no other able to maintaine them hither they runne for exposition of all the rest and here they insult like souldiers which beaten out of the field come blustering one vpon anothers necke for haste into their castle But what is there here to proue the primacie which is holden to be k Pontifici in persona bâ—ati Petri terreni simul coelestis imperij iura Deus ipse commisit Extrau Ioh. 22. tit 5. c. Si frattum the fulnesse of power ouer all the kingdomes of heauen and earth or as l Greg. Valent. tom 3. pag. 184. a Iesuite describeth it such a commaund as all faithfull men in both courts internall and externall are bound to obey in all things touching manners or faith or the worship of God 23 For first I haue shewed but a little before that whatsoeuer is commaunded in these words * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil pag. â—27 belongeth to all the Apostles and confirmed the same with the confession of some learned Papists wherupon it necessarily followeth that Peter hereby had not the supremacie in question giuen him Next supposing our Sauiour had a meaning to giue Peter such a matter yet what word is there that saith as the Iesuite doth he gaue it his successor likewise For Peter might haue that which his successor hath not as the gift of miracles for example Yea I can demonstrate against all exception that although it were graunted Peter had authoritie ouer all the Apostles yet the Pope had not because he is lesse then an Apostle and the case being put m Peter died an 69. S. Iohn an 101. Baron ann 69. nu 1. ann 101. nu 2 that Peter died 32. yeares afore Saint Iohn let the resolutest Papist aline say whether it were likely that Linus or Clemens the Bishops of Rome should be aboue S. Iohn to rule or direct him If he say they were men are in danger to fall into the chincough with laughing if he say they were not then the supremacie fancied died with Peter and Christ gaue his successor none of it when he said to Peter Feed my sheepe Thirdly the words themselues Feed my sheep import no more but that he should be diligent in ouerseeing the flock of Christ committed to the generall care of him and his fellow Apostles as is proued by this that the people to be taught are ordinarily called n Cant 1.7 Iâ—h 10 16. the fold o Ezech 34.2 Act 20 28. the flocke p Psal 77 20. Ioh. 10.11 the sheepe of Christ and q Ier. 3.15 preaching to them is called feeding and r Eph. 4.11 the preachers Pastors The which words if they be racked to signifie ruling as the Pope claimeth with fulnesse of power then others were made Popes as well as Peter For Å¿ Act. 10.18 1. Pet. 5.1 Ezech. 3 4. Ier. 3 15. all pastors are commaunded to feed the stocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made them ouerseers and they reproued that feed not Feeding therefore signifieth no more but to preach the Gospell and to giue good example as Cusanus t Concord l 2. c. 13. expoundeth it and before him u Defens part 2 c 28. Marsilius two learned Papists who vtterly disallow this exposition of the Iesuites and thinke this text proueth not the Supremacy 24 The last part of my answer is that although it were granted the texts alledged pertaine to Peter alone and containe the Primacy in question yet can the Pope reape no benefit thereby because we deny him to be Saint Peters successour the which point seeing the Iesuite hath onely assumed and not proued therefore neither will I touch it any further here but referre my selfe ouer to the 29. Digression where the reader shall plainely see vpon what silly grounds the Popes succession is beleeued the which notwithstanding is a point of such consequence that if it be not throughly proued all Popery will be void and without foundation at the first sight in that all arguments made for it of what sort soeuer are at the last resolued into the Popes authoritie and this authoritie is confessed to depend vpon his succeeding Peter as vpon the beginning and foundation thereof 25 Thus we see the vnitie of Papists is auouched vpon grounds meerely false the Pope neither succeeding Peter nor Peter being aboue the other Apostles in infalliblenesse of faith or power of gouernment All the Iesuites conclusions therefore that the Church hath alway submitted her selfe to the Popes definitiue sentence that the Pope caÌ„not erre that it is his office to direct all good Catholickes that the Church should erre yea be bound to erre if he might fall into error I say these and the like conclusions scattered all ouer his discourse are vanitie for the disproofe whereof the euent of things and experience of all ages is sufficient without any more ado which giue plentifull testimony that he is neither free from error not receiued as supreme iudge nor admitted as the head of vnity but contrariwise in all ages he hath bene detected of error yea resisted iudged condemned and deposed for heresie The discourse whereof I put ouer to the Digressions following that the reader may haue some light concerning this matter Digression 27. Shewing that the Church Primitiue acknowledged not the Popes Primacy 26 This I will demonstrate onely by foure experiences of those times First that whereas there were foure or fiue Patriarks among whoÌ„ for the better gouernment all the Churches of the world were deuided the other three were made equall by the Church-gouernment and practise of
l 1. art 6. One saith We are to stand to the Popes iudgement alone rather then to the iudgement of all the world besides a Greg. à Val. to 3. pag. 293. Another that when the question cannot be fitly decided by the opinion of the Doctors then it is free for the Pope to interpose his authoritie Another b Turrecrem Sum. l 3. c 44. Bell. de conc l. 2 c. 17. that the Pope is aboue all Councels and the vniuersall Church and acknowledgeth no iudge vpon earth ouer him c Quanto de translat Episc in Gloss Another that he hath a heauenly iudgement and maketh that to be the meaning that is not d Caiet 27. q. 1. art 9. Another that the authoritie of the vniuersall Church and of a Councell and of the Pope is reputed to be all one Whereby you may see that whatsoeuer the fathers say or howsoeuer they consent yet it is in the Popes power to assigne the meaning And as if all this were too little e Index expuâ—gat Belg. p. 12. they openly professe that in the ancient Catholicke writers they tollerate many errors they extenuate and excuse them and oftentimes deny them by deuising a shift and faining some handsome sense to giue them when in disputations they are opposed against them and in conflicts with their aduersaries What needed all this if they followed the fathers as they pretend and why vse they this excusing shifting denying eluding them and why are they faine to call in the Pope to charm them if they think they haue their vniuersall consent as they preteÌ„d Nay let them say bona fide why haue they purged and razed and changed the writings of their owne Schoolemen and later Diuines and in later impressions changed them in infinite places from that which the authors writ but that their conscience telleth them they are shrunk from that which the Church of Rome held euen in their daies 12 But all this will not serue their turne neither though men not acquainted with the practise of hereticks would haue little looked for it at their hands that so insolently bragge of the fathers You shall now see in that which followeth that they openly reiect them also and deny their doctrine as ordinarily as euer any did And iudge thereby if it were possible the Centuries should be more negatiue then themselues In the question touching the cause of Predestination f Sixt. Sen. bib l. 6. annot 251. one of them hauing reckoned vp eleuen fathers chargeth them that they held the prescience of merits The which opinion saith he was condemned in Palagius g Mich. Medin Orig. sacr hom l. 1. c. 5. Another saith that Hierome Austin Ambrose Sedulius Primasius Chrysostome Theodoret Oecumenius Theophylact which are the chiefest of the fathers in the question concerning the difference betweene a Priest and a Bishop held the same opinion that Aërius the Waldenses and Wickliffe did whom he counteth for heretickes and chargeth those fathers with the same heresie In the matter touching the baptisme of Constantine the great h Baron an 324 n. 43. 50. inde they reiect Eusebius Ambrose Hierom Theodoret Socrates Sozomen and the whole Councell of Ariminum and say They deserue no credit because they haue written the truth that he was baptized by Eusebius the Bishop of Nicomedia In the question about the conception of the virgin Mary i Almain potest Eccl. c. 16. Clictou super Damascen l. 3. c. 2. Fra. Titl Ioh. 2. they hold she had no originall sinne and that it is a point of our faith so to beleeue and that it is impietie to think otherwise and yet k Bann part 1. pag 75. they acknowledg all the fathers with one consent held the contrary l An. 395. n. 42. Baronius censureth all the Historiographers of the fourth age both humane diuine He saith Though there were abundance of them yet some were too obscure some too short some wanted order some diligence some pietie and truth and some for priuate affection writ lies Thus they encounter whole troopes of fathers together 13 Now you shall see how they entertaine them at single hand one by one or a few together as they meet them m Stapl. iustif lib. 2. c. vlt. Austin went beyond all good measure in this dispute with the Pelagians n Sixt. Sen. bibl lib. 5. pref he attributeth sometime too little to mans will o Alphons adu haer verb. Episcopus I will beleeue Anacletus a notable counterfet better then either Ierome or Austin No maruell if Ierome were deceiued when good Homer sometime is taken napping p Turrian scol Graec. in const p. 172. Though Chrysostome and Austin and some other fathers say Iudas receiued the sacrament yet the constitution of Clement q Balsam resp apud ius Graecorum tom 1. p. 363. another egregious counterfet is rather to be beleeued r Ban. 22. p. 630 Certaine moderne Diuines haue forsaken Saint Austin and Thomas in a matter of great weight and haue followed their owne false imaginations Å¿ Tolet. Rom. 9 p. 421. I do not in this point allow the doctrine of Austin Ambrose Chrysostome Theodoret and Photius t Maldonat Ioh. 6. Let the reader beware that when he readeth Chrysostome vpon this place he fall not into Pelagianisme u Baro. an 216. n. 16. An euill spirit so caried Tertullian that of euill being made worse and most filthy he spued out most horrible blasphemies x Bellar. Rom. Pont. l. 4. c. 8. Little credit is to be giuen Tertullian in this matter for he was a Montanist And yet y Baron ann 201. n. 7. I would not deny Saint Ieromes authoritie but that Tertullian saith otherwise z Errores articulat à Parrhisiens p 139. Cyprian and Ierome writ erronious and hereticall opinions which we do not reade they euer retracted a Ibid. It is plaine that Ieromes doctrine was erronious in some part and that in things pertaining to the faith and teaching of the Apostles b Can. loc l. 11. c 6. Pope Gregory and Bede the one in his dialogues the other in his English history misse it now and then c Baron ann 433. n. 30. They are deceiued which thinke Cassian was in euerie part a Catholicke And Gennadius was a Pelagian as well as he d Bellar. purg l. 2. c 8. Origen was seene in hell burning with Arrius and Nestorius e Baron ann 256. n. 40. I wonder certaine new writers dare still put forth apologies for him f Posseuin bibl sel l. 1. c 25. Eusebius was an ArriaÌ„ in al his works a man of a double mind g Baron annal tom 1. prefat He lied in many things he was full of Arianisme h Baron ann 324. n. 48. No remedy but we must needes say Eusebius lied falsely i Baron ann 395. n. 41.
Romish multitude and though their persons were not the rule yet when they followed that which is the rule we beleeued them § 13. The fourth and last conclusion of this question is that this infallible rule which we ought obediently to follow in all points of faith is the doctrine and teaching faith and beliefe of the true Church This I proue Because to this agree all the conditions which I said to be requisite in the rule of faith First this is a thing infallible as shal be proued Secondly it is a thing easie to be knowne Thirdly it is such a thing as may vniuersally resolue and determine vs in all questions and doubts and instruct all sorts of men in all points of faith And consequently whosoeuer will obediently yeeld assent to this rule in all points as we all professe in our Creed saying Credo Ecclesiam catholicam shall not erre in anie point That these three conditions of the rule of faith agree to the doctrine and teaching of the vniuersall or catholike Church I proue The Answer 1 We would not stand with the Iesuite about this conclusion but freely grant it if no more were meant thereby then the words make shew of that the doctrine and faith of the vniuersall Church is the rule of faith For that doctrine is onely the contents of the Scripture which we yeeld to be the rule For a In 1. Ep. Ioh. tract 3. Austin saith Our mother the Church giueth her children milk out of her two brests the old and new Testament But he hath a further reach and meaneth a higher matter First that the Churches word and authoritie is the rule without referring the same to the Scripture Secondly that the Church of Rome is this true and vniuersall Church Thirdly that all the authoritie and efficacy therof is in the Pope alone This is the plaine English of the conclusion howsoeuer the words be faire and cleanely and the Iesuite defending it must shew all the properties of the rule to appertaine to the present Church and Pope of Rome or else he doth but trifle and spend time Digression 16. Shewing how the Papists pretending at euerie word the Catholicke Church meane nothing thereby but the Popes determination 2 First howsoeuer these words be tollerable the doctrine teaching faith and beliefe of the true Church is the infallible rule in all points to be followed yet the Popish meaning is absurd that whatsoeuer the Church teacheth though it be not contained in the Bible must be accepted as matter of faith and that vpon her owne authoritie Yet thus they hold as I haue b Digress 1. c. 6.9 shewed and may further be perceiued by the Iesuites words in this section Whosoeuer will yeeld assent to the Church in all points as we professe in our Creed saying I beleeue the Catholicke Church shall not erre in any point Which words of the Creed meaning no more but c Ruffin expos Symbo that we beleeue there is one holy Catholicke Church whereof our selues are members he expoundeth of yeelding assent in all points to it which exposition may be further vnderstood by that which d Staplet def eccles potest adu Whitak l. 1. cap 9. Rhem. annot 1. Tim. 3.15 Bristo dem 44. other Papists say more fully I beleeue the Catholicke Church the literall sence whereof is that thou beleeuest whatsoeuer the Catholicke Church holdeth and teacheth are to be beleeued Which exposition is a glosse beside the text And yet this is tollerable in comparison of the next 3 For hauing deuolued all power ouer to the Church in the next place they define this Church to be the Romane company For e Mot. 12. in marg Bristo saith The Romane Church is the Catholicke Church and f Annot. Rom. 1 8. idem B. roÌ„ Annal. tom 1. an 58. nu 49. See Posseu bibl select lib. 4. c. 13. â— Interdum quoqueâ—aud sâ—â—iâ— the Rhemists The Catholicke and Romane faith is all one Wherein their meaning is to win authoritie to the Romish faction perswading men there is no saluation but in that religion and making roome for themselues in all those places of Scripture which commend vnto vs the Catholicke Church of Christ Which is a iest so grosse that it deserueth to be smiled at rather then confuted And yet it stayeth not here neither but goeth a degree further which me thinketh is a note aboue éla 4 For as they take all authoritie and sufficiency from the Scripture and giue it the Church so all the Churches authoritie they giue to the Pope So saith Gregory of Valence g Dispuâ— theo tom 3 â—isp 1. â—u 1. punct 1. p. 24. Item Cater 22 q. 1. art 9. 10. Dom. Ban ibid. apud D. Tho nam Pro eodem omnino reputatur authoritas Ecclesiae vniuersalis authoritas concilij authoritas sum mi pontificis By the Church we meane her head that is to say the Romane Bishop h Analys fidei pag. 136. In whom resideth that full authoritie of the Church when he pleaseth to determine matters of faith whether he do it with a Councell or without Thomas saith i 22. q 1. art 10. The making of a new Creed belongeth to the Pope as all other things do which belong to the whole Church k 22. qu 1 â— art 2.3 Yea the whole authoritie of the vniuersall Church abideth in him l Defens fid Triâ—ent lib. 2. Andradius saith All power to interpret the Scripture and reueale the hidden mysteries of our religioÌ„ is giuen from heauen to the Popes and their Councels Yea m Decis aur cas part 2 l. 2. c 7 nu 40 saith Graffius The common opinion is he may do it without them And so n De Christ l. 2 c. 28. saith Bellarmine Himselfe without any Councell may decree matters of faith And o Sum Syluest verbo fides nu 2. Syluester The power of the Catholicke Church remaineth all in him And p De Planctu Eccl. lib. 1. artic 6. Aluarus Pelagius We are bound to stand to his iudgement alone rather then to the iudgement of all the world beside And the canon Law saith q In Sext. extt. Ioh. 22 tit 14 c. cum inter in gloss It were heresie to thinke our Lord God the Pope might not decree as he doth r Dist 19. in Canonicis glos ibid. Yea his rescripts and decretall Epistles are canonicall Scripture Stapleton Å¿ Praefat. Princip fidei doctrinal saith The foundation of our religion is of necessitie placed vpon the authoritie of this mans teaching in which we heare God himselfe speaking And finally the Iesuite himselfe t §. hereafter saith All Catholicke men must necessarily submit their iudgement and opinions either in expounding the Scripture or otherwise to the censure of the Apostolicke seate and God hath bound his Church to heare the chiefe Pastor in all points By all which we see what is
faith The Answer 1 The Iesuite hauing immediatly before propounded the vnitie of his Romane Church affirming that therein onely the vnitie of faith and concord of the learned is to be found now proceedeth to proue it by shewing the meanes which they haue for the preuenting of discord which he thinketh so all-sufficient that it were impossible there should be any dissention among them The summe of that which he saith is briefly this They which acknowledge one chiefe Pastor to wit the Pope to whose definitiue sentence in all matters they submit themselues cannot possibly dissent But all Catholickes acknowledge this chiefe Pastor and submit themselues to his definitiue sentence Therefore how is it possible they should dissent The second proposition he assumeth as granted though indeed it be vntrue as I will shew the first he proueth thus They cannot dissent who submit themselues to him that hath authoritie and infallibilitie of iudgement But the Pope hath this authoritie and infallibilitie Therefore they which submit themselues to the Pope cannot dissent The second proposition he confirmeth thus We know that to S. Peter and his successors Christ promised the keyes and sayd vpon them as vpon a rocke he would build his Church praying for them that their faith should not faile and bidding them strengthen their brethren and feede his sheepe which importeth this authoritie in ruling and infallibilit it in iudging But the Pope is S. Peters successor The Pope therefore hath this authoritie and infallibilitie This being the summe of his discourse I answer first to that which he assumeth so confidently that all Catholicke men submit themselues to the Popes definitions acknowledging the same to be of infallible truth For whatsoeuer his authoritie and iudgement be yet the Catholickes do not so vniformly as the Iesuite pretendeth submit their opinions to him but contrariwise when occasion is offered they vtterly refuse both him and his definitions and this is so true that he which will denie it must be reputed ignorant of all sense and experience the which manifestly shew that not onely the Christian Catholicks of the Primitiue Church but the Popish Catholickes of the Romish Church this day themselues haue reiected his determinations and held opinion against him Digression 25. Wherein it is shewed that in the Primitiue Church the Popes determination was not thought an infallible truth neither did the Christians for the maintenance of vnitie submit themselues thereunto 2 For many Catholicke Bishops in those dayes dissenting from the Bishop of Rome and refusing his decrees were not thought therefore to breake any vnitie in the Church For Aeneas Syluius who was himselfe a Pope about seuen score yeares since a Epist 301. writeth that before the Councell of Nice euery man liued to himselfe and small respect was had to the Church of Rome b Sozom. l. 3. c. 8. The Bishops of the East withstood Iulius in the cause of Athanasius and charged him that he had done against the lawes of the Church c Theod l. 5. c. 23. Sozom l. 7. c. 11. Flauianus the Patriark of Antioch about his succeeding Meletius in that sea against Paulinus resisted foure Popes one after another when they would haue had him giue roome to Paulinus d Epi. ad Vrsac Valent. Germin apud Baron annal to 3. ann 357. nu 44. Liberius who was Pope in the yeare 360. confessed that Athanasius was separated from the communion of the Church of Rome Yea e Baron ibid. nu 43. 46. the Papists themselues acknowledge this Liberius condemned Athanasius and entred communion with the Arrians which sheweth against all exception that in those dayes the godly Christians did not thinke either that the Pope was the head of vnitie or that all were of the true Church that held communion with him for then the Arrians had bene good Catholickes and Athanasius with all that tooke part with him had bene hereticks which no man dareth say About the yeare 450. f Act. 16. the Councel of Chalcedon wherein were 630. Bishops withstood Leo then Pope of Rome in the question of his supremacie Concerning which matter g Concor Cathol l. 2. c. 20. pag 748. Cusanus a Cardinall beareth witnesse It is manifest saith he that Pope Leo would not in certaine points receiue the constitutions of the Chalcedon Councell specially that the Church of Constantinople should go before the Church of Alexandria but alwayes gainsaid them as some other Popes did after him and yet the decree of the Councell alwayes preuailed Which experience proueth that in those times the Bishops ouer all the world would as occasion serued refuse the Popes iudgement and yet they were counted good Catholickes for all that So likewise in the yeare 418. h Cap. 105. the sixt Councell of Carthage hauing in it 217. Bishops resisted three Popes one after another decreeing things contrary to the authoritie of the Church of Rome as i Contaré sum Concil magis illustr pag. 263. the Papists themselues expound the Councell whereof Cusanus k Vbi supra writeth thus The Councell of Affricke withstood Celestin in that he would do against the Councell of Nice and Celestin replied not that he might do it but alledged for himselfe the Councell though corrupted Which opposition made against the Pope is so apparent that many Papists indeed labour to excuse it but none denie it and l Sic vndique CarthagineÌ„ses patres constringuntur vt elabi nullo modo possint quis iam ferat crassissimae ignoâ—antiae illam vocem in tot tantis patribus vbi illa Augustini reliquorum prudentia Alan Cope dial pag 76. 77. the despitefull speeches of some Papists against S. Austine and the Bishops bewray that they discouer the same resistance made by the Councell against the Pope that I mention 3 Againe in the yeare 167. m Euseb hist l. 5. c. 23. inde Niceph. l. 4. c. 37. inde there arose a contention in the Church about the keeping of Easter whereby the Bishops of the East and West were deuided in which contention the Popes definitiue sentence was not receiued but refused without any offence against the vnitie of the Church For first Polycarpe coming to Anicetus that was Bishop of Rome in his time would not yeeld to him neither could Anicetus perswade Polycarpe to lay by his maner of obseruation n Euseb li. 5. c. 26. saith the story and yet both sides retained vnitie About thirtie yeares after the question was renewed o Cap. 25. and Victor the Bishop of Rome being earnest against the Easterne Bishops excommunicated them But this saith Eusebius pleased them not for they wrote vnto him reprouing him sharply and bitterly as namely Polycrates the bishop of Ephesus and Irenaeus the bishop of Lyons here in the West These had many on their side that stood against the Bishop of Rome and that which afterwards tooke vp the controuersie was not his
in Bonif. 3. Marian. Scot. an 608. Martin Polon an 607. Vrsperg in Phoca Naucler gener 21. in Bonif. 3. all Historiographers with one consent haue left written in these words Boniface with great ado obtained of the Emperour Phocas that he might be made the vniuersall Bishop of the world the which authoritie his successors not onely held fast euen with their teeth but also wonderfully increased The Reader by all this that I haue touched may soone discerne the Popes moderne authoritie exercised among his owne and claimed ouer all to be swolne farre bigger then it was in ancient times But after swelling cometh bursting whereof I reade his followers beware in time Digression 28. Shewing that the Pope is not of infallible iudgement but may erre and fall into heresie as any other man may 32 This point is certaine enough to vs who haue cast off both him and his teaching for no other cause but this that we are assured he is Antichrist and his faith heresie But it may be shewed in another sort also that the Papists themselues may not denie it by making demōstration of his errors in such cases as they allow to be the truth Which they skilfully foreseeing haue lately inuented the distinction vsed here by the Iesuite that he may fall into heresie but he cannot teach it è cathedra that is by way of definition to offer it the vniuersall Church he may erre in his owne person but not as Pope to define and teach error The which is a sensles ridiculous shift though the desperatenesse of their cause haue put them to it For they think their Pope to be a publick person and his whole office to teach the Church wherupon his priuate errors as they cal them cannot but go with him into the chaire and Consistory For he that erreth in iudgement must of necessitie erre also in his determinations because no man can determine otherwise then he thinketh Neither is it likely that God will put him in trust with the faith of his Church that cannot guide his own For the rule must not only make straight that which is crooked but be straight it selfe Therefore if the Popes faith cannot direct himselfe much lesse shall it be able to preserue others Besides n Tom. 2. de sign eccl l. 18. c. vlt. Bozius saith He may be an hereticke yea write teach and preach heresie Which is all one as if he had said he may erre iudicially è cathedra because these three writing teaching or preaching are iudicial exercises of the chaire directed and reaching themselues to the Church for this speciall end to informe men Againe they haue erred in Church canons dispensations Decretals and matters defined by them in Councels therefore they haue erred è cathedra The consequence is proued o D. 19. in Canonicis Et si Romanorum because all these tend to the teaching of the Church and are the meanes whereby he publisheth his iudgement Of his dispensations Franciscus Victoria p Relect. 4. nu 6 saith The Pope in dispensing against the decrees of Councels and former Popes may erre and grieuously sinne Would it were so that we might doubt of this conclusion but we see dayly such large and dissolute dispensations proceed from the court of Rome to the ruine of small and great that the world is not able to beare them Thus Pius Quartus q Sess 8. can 3. sub Pio 4. decreed at Trent that it should be lawful for him to allow those degrees to marry together which God in Leuiticus had forbidden and to forbid those which God had allowed This was an hereticall decree è cathedra and according to it diuers Popes haue taught their people to marrie against the faith r Sum. Angel verbo Papa nu 1. Martin the fift allowed one to marry his owne sister germaine Another allowed K. Henrie the eight to marrie his brothers wife ſ Osor de gest Eman. l. 2. A third taught Emanuel the King of Portugall to marry two sisters Touching decrees t Alphon. adue heres l. 1. c. 4. Celestin ordained for example the mariage to be void when either of the parties fall into heresie u Sigeber chro an 768. 902. Sigon de Reg. Ital. l. 6. an 896. Baron tom 10. an 897. nu 6. Stephen the sixt decreed in a Councell that such as were ordained Bishops by Formosus his predecessor were not ordained lawfully because Formosus was an euill man This is plaine Donatisme x De consecr d. 4. A quodam Pope Nicolas decreed that to baptize onely in the name of Christ is good baptisme contrary to the decrees of y Ibid. Hi vero Gregorie and z Ib. Multi sunt Pelagius a 32. q. 7. Quod proposuisti Pope Gregorie decreed that a man might take another wife in case his wife were so diseased that she could not yeeld him the debt of mariage the which b Ib. §. Sed illud Ambr. saith Gratian is altogether contrary both to the sacred Canons and to the doctrine of the Apostles and Euangelists But what need we be curious in reckoning vp instances when it is a thing granted c D. 4. Si Papa that he may be found negligent of his owne and his brethrens saluation drawing innumerable people by troupes with himselfe to be damned in hell For doth not he erre perniciously enough that may thereby damne himselfe and others or were it possible he should do thus if Christ had priuiledged him as the Papists fancie 33 Moreouer it is granted by the Papists themselues that he may erre in faith not in manners or opinions onely For Occham d Q. 1 de potes sum Pont. c. 9. saith and sheweth that many things are contained in the Decretals which sauour of heresie And Almaine e Qu. in Vesper that the power of not erring in the faith is not alway in the Pope And I haue shewed out of Bozius that he may write and preach heresie and heresie is in matter of faith whereupon it followeth that his iudgement cannot be infallible when he cometh to proceed in determining because the true faith wherein he erreth is it that should rectifie the determination The which consequence f Relect. cont 3 q. 4. concl 4. arg 4. Doctor Stapleton granteth yeelding that if he erre in faith the whole Church also should with him be led into error and so the vnitie of faith should be vncertaine But granting this he denieth that he can erre in faith which is contrary to that which all others confesse and dayly experience demonstrateth 34 The last reason to shew he may erre euen when he teacheth the Church is this that there may be diuers instances giuen when the Church refused to heare him yea cast him out and deposed him as an hereticke which was needlesse if there had not bin a purpose in him to seduce the Church and danger lest his teaching should