extend vnto the generall practise iudgement of the Church it is not nor may not be iustified Whereas he sayeth it is not iustified by Protestants that is not true whereas he sayeth it may not be iustified that is very certayn Wherefore I desire you to stand constantly vnto this position and not to flye your ground The THIRD proposition 3. THe iudgement and purpose of the ancient CATHOLICK Church is discouerable vnto us by two meaenes viz. the perpetuall succession of PRACTISE and the conforme testimony of the FATHERS For where we find no substantiall mutation of PRACTISE All men know that the practise of praying for the dead is the same now sustaÌ„tially as in S. August time and I hope it was not begunne then but continued See before pag. 25. but see it perpetuated in all descents and deriued vnto vs by the long hand of time we may infallibly conclude that the later ages of the Church conspiring with the former are free from just reproof Agayn the testimony of the FATHERS conuaigheth vs vnto the knowledge of the Churches judgement so that we require fidelity in them authority in it they are the witnesses she the judge they relate hir voyce she pronounceth the sentence Theis propositions as they are very perspicuous ponderous so they will excellently and forcibly apply themselues in decision of this controuersy touching PVRGATORY and PRAYER FOR THE DEAD The testimony of S. AVGVSTINE The faithfull do know according to the instruction of the Church that when MARTYRS are recited at the Altar of God this is not done with intention to pray for them it being an injury to pray for a Martyr vnto whose prayers we ought to be recommended but we pray for other deceased men whose commemoration is there made Now for your full satisfaction in this poynt you must here obserue three things viz. the quality of the WITNESSE the competency of the IVDGE the resolution of the MATTER 1. Concerning the FIRST it importeth the witnesse onely to expresse what was the intentioÌ„ of the Church in this practise And as S. Augustine is a most faithfull witnesse of Antiquity in M. Inst l. 3. c. 3. §. 10. c. Caluins opinion so it goeth hard if for a MATTER OF HISTORY the Fathers can not find creditt at your hands they should know as well as you what was then in FACT Which sentence being very justly deliuered against the Presbyterians by the Suruay pag. 338. L. of Cant in the question of BISHOPPS c. ought to be considered exactly in this issue 2. Concerning the SECOND you see that the Churches instruction touching this matter was knowen familiarly vnto all the faithfull so that you must either vnnaturally and impiously as Aërian hereticks reiect your Mothers instruction or els as dutifull and obsequious children you must submitt your selues vnto hir doctrine Which least you should intemperately renounce I pray you to remember that famous sentence of S. Augustine viz. Ep. â—18 to call any thing in question which is frequented by the VNIVERSALL CHVRCH it is the part of most INSOLENT MADNESSE 3. Concerning the THIRD you can not but perceiue the clearnesse thereof expressed in this distinction VVe do not pray for Martyrs and VVe do pray for other men By which manifest difference S. Augustine doth sufficiently declare that the memory of Martyrs was celebrated at the Altar by way of THANSKGIVING and gladnesse but the names of other men were remembred by way of PETITION and desire The reason whereof ariseth out of their estate VVe pray not for a Martyr and it were an iniury to pray for him Why Because we know that he is in heauen and to haue any diffidence of his beatitude it were injurious vnto his cause and derogatory from his passion therefore we pray not FOR him as though he wanted our relief but VNTO him rather that he may assist vs with his charitable intercession But we pray for others that is to say for all them of whose actuall felicity the Church hath not yet attayned a secure and infallible perswasion otherwise if she knew that they were in present possession of ioy it were as great as injury to pray for them also as for the Martyrs themselues since the reason why she prayeth not for Martyrs is because she is confidently resolued that they being in heauen stand not in any exigence of hir deuotion Wherefore since the CATHOLICK Church prayed for other meÌ„ as not being in heauen or not certainly knowen to be there she did conceiue that they were or might be for ought she knew to the contrary in some third place and consequently in some temporall payn and so necessarily she did belieue that there is a PVRGATORY after this life To contend about WORDS and NAMES it is a vanity for it is sufficient to haue a sure apprehension of the THING it self To litigate about things ACCIDENTALL it is a folly for it is inough to be certayn of the SVBSTANTIALL point the rest haue their probability in their seuerall degrees and are permitted vnto free dispute Finally later ages may amplify not alter the doctrine of the former fayth hath an augmentation to perfitt hir progresse not innouation to chandge hir purenesse IESVS proficiebat sapientiâ Luca. 2.53 aetate c. Now since he that is WISEDOME it self did profitt in sapience and he that is ETERNITY did increase in age it may well become the Church to shew a conformity vnto hir head and Lord. The petition of S. AVGVSTINE Confess l. â— c. 13. Inspire o Lord my God inspire thy servants my brethren that at thy Altar they may remeÌ„ber Monica thy handmayd with Patricius sometimes hir husband FINIS TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST OR AN ADMONITION Vnto the credulous and seduced Protestants to examine the fidelity of their VVriters and particularly of tvvo principall Doctours viz. D. FIELD D. MORTON A Detection of their falsehood in some matters of great importaÌ„ce and a discovery of sondry vanities in the new Gospell according to LVTHER ZVINGL and others BY T. H. Maister of Arts and lately Minister Added by way of APPENDIX vnto his FIRST MOTIVE 1609. TO THE WORTHY GENTLEMAN Maister S. E. SIR though the propriety of this little Treatise be yours it being first addressed for your priuate information yet the vse thereof may be deriued vnto others vnder your honourable name buried here and intombed in a parcell of it self For as my hearty affection did single you forth to be the principall obiect of my thoughts so my compassion enlardgeth it self toward all my louing contreymen wholy insnared with you in the same danger and are held captiue therein by the same credulity and facility of belief Popidum qui sibi credat habet S. Bernard de Henrico haeretico ep 240. which hath preuayled with your noble heart to admitt the assertions of your guides without a triall of their exactnesse In which course though I may commend the goodnesse of your
pitifull coÌ„ceipts Wherefore I directed my thoughts vto theis 4. considerations which here ensue FIRST that it is a vanity in vs Protestants sometimes to * So doth D. Field here and Zanch. de Natura Dei l. 4. c. 4. and others accept this Liturgy as composed by S. Chrysostome and sometimes to * So doth M. Iewell M. Powell de Antichr p. 235. reiect it for our owne aduantadge because we can not iustly insist vpon the testimony of any Authour by way of proof which we our selues deny to be deliuered by him For though it hath force against him that admitteth it yet it is of no efficacy for him that refuseth it SECONDLY that S. * Iuuetur mortuus noÌ„ lachrymis sed prâ—cibus c. Hom. 41. in epist 1. ad Cor. Chrysostome did pray and exhorted others to pray for the soules of the dead and therefore in all probability his Liturgy and his doctrine do conspire substantially in this issue THIRDLY I found that when the Church offered the Sacrifice of our Lords body for the Apostles Martyrs c. it was by way of * See Gabriel Biel lect 85. in Can. Missae thanskgiuing not of petition and this was confirmed vnto me by the testimony of S. Augustine viz. The faithfull do know by the instruction of the Church that we pray not for Martyrs as we pray for other men that is to say the Martyrs are recognized by vs as Citizens of the heauenly kingdome but we pray for others as being yet in temporall payn or at least conceiued to be so by vs and thus to witt respectiuely vnto this end we make our supplications vnto God in their behalf Farther as it is not absurdly deliuered saieth l Parte 1. lect 2. super Marcum See Biel. in the aforesaid place Gerson by the learned Diuines that there is an addition or increase of accidentall felicity in the Saints so it is not inconuenient if in this respect also we recommend them vnto God in our deuotions 3. FOVRTHLY though D. Field in his greater wisedome then integrity doth conceale it and so the Tempter made his assault vpon our Sauiour cast thy self downe headlong for it is written Matth. 4. He shall geue his Angells chardge ouer thee that thou dash not thy foote against a stone but he omitted a principall poynt viz. that they may keepe thee in all thy wayes yet S. Chrysostome in the same Liturgy doth playnely refute his pretensed exposition of prayer for the dead For thus he saieth By the supplication of theis Patriarchs Apostles c. haue respect vnto vs o Lord If D. Field will stand vnto this Liturgy to gather the sense of Antiquity by it he must admitt also such an exaltation of the blessed Virgin as will hardly staÌ„d with his liking and he addeth immediately Remember all the faithfull departed who sleepe in the hope of resurrection and make them to be at rest where the light of thy countenance is seene 4. Thus S. Augustine and S. Chrysostome if their sayings be fully related and truly waighed do hold a iust correspondency herein and each of them in the essentiall point doth follow the instruction of the same Church Wherefore though * Contra Henric. 8. Luther did basely esteeme of a thousand Augustines and Cyprians if they were repugnant vnto his iudgement in the Scripture yet I saw necessary reasons why I should preferr one Augustine before ten thousand Luthers Fields and all such as are exorbitantly caried against the streame and course of the ancient Catholick Church §. 6. Reasons which mooued me rather to belieue and to follow S. Augustine herein and the Catholick Church in his time then D. Field and his reformed Churches A conclusion of the first Part with an admonition to all Caluinian Readers 1. VVHen I had brought my discourse vnto this effect as you haue already seene I considered seriously in my priuate meditations that whereas we Protestants make a glorious shew of Antiquity D. Field pag. 47. assumeth that he will prooue the Papists NOTES of Antiquity c. to be really the same with ours Vniuersality Succession c. to iustify our Religion thereby it would prooue a most ridiculous suggestion if in this particular it self we hold not conformity with the ancient Catholick Church Here also by the way I remembred that S. * heres 53. Augustine registring the heresies of Aërius in the number whereof is his derision of Prayer and Oblation for the dead concludeth in the peroration of his treatise that whosoeuer maintayneth any of the precedent opinions he is not a Catholick Christian 2. How nerely this censure appertayneth vnto vs Protestants the * See booke 2. Part. 1 chap. 2. sequele will declare Meane while it may please you to obserue with me how plausibly and artificially D. Field demeaneth himself to escape the pressure of that difficulty which is to heauy for him to beare It is most certayn saieth m pag. 98. he that many particular men extended the meaning of theis prayers for the dead * viz. then he hath deliuered before See §. 5. num 1. farther and out of their priuate errours and fancies vsed such prayers for the dead as the Romanists themselues I think dare not iustify And so it is true that many of the Fathers were led into errour in this matter of Prayer for the dead and not all as if the whole Church had FALLEN FROM THE TRVTH as Bellarmine * See book 2. Part. 1. chap. 3. falfely imputeth vnto Caluin who saieth no such thing 3. Now forasmuch as M. Doctour doth clearely insinuate that such Fathers as extended this religious duty prayer for the dead beyond the narrow compasse which is assigned by n Insi l. 3. c. 5. Caluin and o pag. 98. 139. himself did follow a priuate errour and fancy herein and that they did fall away from the truth I was desirous to know without Lies Obscuritie and Circuitions the best Sanctuaries of our euill cause either from D. Field or from any discreete Protestant in Christendome howbeit I may contract my speach and say in Europe for our new faith hath scarce peeped out of hir confines whether S. Cyrill of Hierusalem concurring absolutely with the Papists in this point See before §. 4. and whether S. Augustine conspiring with him and whether S. p lib. 1. de diuin offic c. 18. Isidore consenting with them both Vnlesse the Catholick Church did belieue that sinnes are remitted vnto the faithfull after this life she would not offer the Sacrifice vnto God for their soules finally whether all others ioyning with them herein fell away from the truth or not And if they did I was desirous to see what one man there was besides Aërian hereticks in whom the truth was visibly preserued 4. Here I gaue my self vnto a long and earnest meditation remembring a renowned sentence of S. epist. 118. Augustine
suspition of their integrity because S. Cyrill Archbishopp of Hierusalem gaue me this infallible prescription t Cateches 4. Hereticks hide the venime of their opinions grato nomine Christi vnder the acceptable name of Christ And as the dignity the glory the exaltation of Christ is the marke whereat they all preteÌ„d to shoote so they will take their ayme from holy Scripture alone Cap. 37. and as Lirinensis doth well obserue they spice and sprinkle their heresies with innumerable sentences of the word §. 4. The FOVRTH consideration touching the lardge diffusion of this doctrine receiued by the vniuersall Church VVhence it followeth that either Gods PROVIDENCE hath fayled and that he hath not performed his promise or that this doctrine of Purgatory is not erroneous 1. I Considered Fourthly that this doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead things of mutuall dependency hath bene spread ouer the face of the * See before pag. 16. 17. vniuersall Church both Greek and Latin 2. For though I was informed by our u D Field pag. 99. D. Abbot against D. Bishopp Part. 1. M. Rogers Cath. doctr pag. 120. c. principall Authours that the Greekes neuer intertayned this doctrine yet I found that their suggestion was vntrue inasmuch as the writings of the * See afterward Booke 2. Chap. 1. §. â—2 num 6. Ancient Greeks and the practise of the whole Church including them in that generallity did testify the contrary vnto me in most abundant manner And if any prejudice could accrew vnto this doctrine because it is denied by some men in the Greek Church a greater inconuenience by the Force of the same reason must ensue vnto the doctrine of the Procession of the holy Ghost from the FATHER and the SONNE because this is more generally and earnestly impugned their heresy also herein being such if we belieue the Creed of Athanasius which is accepted by our * English Church Artic. Relig 8. though sometimes ill expounded as excludeth men from the possibility of saluation 3. But whereas my learned Authours do extend the deniall of Purgatory generally vnto the Greeks they erre not knowing See the CeÌ„sure of the Orientall Church or els dissembling the truth For Ieremiah the Patriarch of Constantinople in his rescript vnto the Lutherans deliuereth clearely that the Greek Church prayeth for the dead with intention to relieue some soules afflicted with temporall payn and for a more copious explication of his mind he remitteth them vnto an w De fidel desunct oration of S. Iohn DamasceÌ„ wherein this matter is lardgely handled For he testifieth that in the vnbloudy Sacrifice the Catholick and Apostolick Church maketh a memoriall of the dead Why to relieue their soules Agayn God grant me so to fashion my life that I may not stand in exigence of theis helpes after death But if my lyfe be intercepted and cutt of before I can fulfill my duty God grant that my friends may intreat his mercy on my behalf And thus S. Chrysostome the diuine Preacher speaketh in theis golden words If in thy life-time thou hast not so exactly composed thy soule as thou oughtest giue commandement vnto thy friends to transmitt their helpe vnto thee by almes and oblations 4. Wherefore I conceiued that howsoeuer some Greekes did not or do not admitt the doctrine of Purgatory precisely vnder this * Quis nid haereticus negare audehit TransubstaÌ„t Pracess Sp. SaÌ„cti a P. F. Purgator quia apud priscos sub talibus NOMINIBVS non commemorantur Alfons à castro contra beres l. 8. titde Indulgent name with some other circumstances yet the Church of Greece generally doth retayn the thing it self And this was farther illustrated vnto me by the confession of the Greekes themselues in the Florentine Councell for it appeareth by their publick protestation that they agreed fully with the Romane Church in the essentiall doctrine hereof howbeit they dissented from hir in some points which are not absolutely pertayning vnto the necessity of faith 5. Now concerning such as haue denied this doctrine as well in nature as in name in substance as in circumstance I noted a great difference in the manner and course and reason of their deniall For some denied it Secondarily and by way of inference that is to say by reason of a precedent errour Thus the Armenians certayn Greekes haue bene devolued into a foolish imagination to conceiue that the soule hath no sense of ioy nor payn vntill hir reunion with the body and hence it followeth necessarily that there is no Purgatory after death Some haue denied it Primarily and simply that is to say not in regard of any precedent errour inferring this deniall but directly and precisely in regard of the thing it self Thus onely our Aërians Henricians VValdensians and finally we Protestants issuing from such Progenitours haue reiected this doctrine by a violent separation of our selues from the visible society of the Church 6. But forasmuch as theis Henricians and VValdensians in whom we glory and Catholicks do not enuy vs this honour were sometimes members as truly and really connexed vnto the Papists as any other men and fell away afterward from their communion as VVickliff also did I intertayned my self a while in this consideration viz. Since there was a time yea many hundred yeares when no VVickleuian no VValdensian or Henrician did appeare who did then deny Purgatory who did then oppose himself against this heresy this damnable and blasphemous doctrine as we call it for many generations Wherefore as Tertullian doth excellently say There was a time when such Praescript cap 30. and such heresies were not knowen Vbi tunc Marcion vbi tunc Valentinianus c. where was Marcion and where was Valentinian then It is manifest that they themselues were sometime no hereticks but that they obserued the Catholick Religion c. So I spake in my secrete thoughts and sayd there was a time when our opinions were not knowen where was Henricus or VValdo then It is manifest that they themselues were sometime no impugners of this doctrine but that they did meekely and dutifully obserue it as a part of the true and Catholick Religion 7. I proceeded yet a little farther and considered that we Protestants could not possibly assigne so much as the shaddow of any one man our Henricians and VValdensians excepted denying or doubting of Purgatory who was not hereticall in some other doctrine euen such as we our selues confesse to bring very great and eminent danger vnto saluation And what aduantadge or defence could I take from any heretick to secure my self in such a case For if any man did please me in denying Purgatory yet he did displease me also by some odious and hatefull opinion wherewith he was infected and then I could not find out any true and Catholick Church vnlesse I would distill it mystically out of sondry persons and compound their simples into one body of
Berengarius in a Synod at Rome o Admonit vltaâ—d We stphilum yet Iohn Caluin protesteth that he doth and will follow Berengarius in his opinion and it is cleare that our English Church concurreth with them both which brought many FRIVOLOVS reasons the very same which we now produce and alleadge at this day against the blessed Sacrament of the Altar deliuereth his mind herein fully and saieth that VVe ought to belieue this truth Transubstantiation and to giue creditt vnto Gods word without any pledges or depositions as Miracles are But if any man will desire theis things for his assurance he may haue a thousand and a thousand persons of most holy life and profound knowledge who haue testified this truth vnto death by a thousand and a thousand * Some are remeÌ„bred by Claud. de Sainct de Euchar. Also by Bellarm. de Euchar. l. 3. cap. â— MIRACLES 10. Wherefore being thus incompassed on euery side and hauing no possibility to escape the pressure of this difficulty nor to withstand the singular and effectuall power of this euidence for one of the greatest mysteries of popish Religion is now confirmed by many Miracles euen in Gersons testimony which I was bound to admitt because as his Person deserueth high respect so it deserueth farr greater with them that will so graciously applaud him I was forced either to disclayme D. Fields booke or to renounce my Protestanticall belief but yet the later seemed a more reasonable course because that Religion can not be good which is so falsely and absurdly defended by him and all the chiefest Authours that euer applied their paynes vnto this seruice 11. What remayned now but that I should conclude with S. AVGVSTINE the * D. Field greatest Diuine which euer liued since the Apostles time and the * Caluin best witnesse of Antiquity and say with p De vtilit credones cap. 17. him Since we behold such a speciall assistance of God such progresse and such fruict shall we doubt to hide ourselues within the lapp of * Not of Donatists Aërians Berengarians Lutherans c. that Church which hath obtayned the height of authority partly by the iudgement of the people partly by the grauity of Councells partly by the Maiesty of MIRACLES and is descended by the succession of Bishoppes in the APOSTOLIQVE Seate of S. Peter at Rome a poynt which * Velenus Funccius c. See Bellarm de Pontifice Rom. l. 2. c. 2. 4. c. some men filled with a spiritt of contradiction deny without honesty witt or learning frustrà circumlatrantibus haereticis the hereticks barking round about in vayn 12. Let your owne consciences kind Readers make a secret application of theis things in the closett of your hearts Which that you may more easily and effectually do I shall intreat you to cast back your eyes of consideration with me and to reflect vpon the premisses ingenious Academicks as it becommeth men that rather haue a care to see the truth then a desire to impugne the same CHAP. IIII. A Reflexion vpon the premisses contayned in this booke §. 1. Of the grounds which I followed in this discourse 1. FIRST I considered that the grounds and authorities vpon which I buylded my discourse were so cleare and solid that no witt could dissolue or impeach their strength For if I accepted the Fathers they did conuince me if I reiected them my folly would be great and my dispute vncertayn And thus I saw that the iudgement of q Ret. 5. Edm Campian must necessarily take place viz. AEternam causae maculam coguntur Protestantes inurere siue recusent patres siue deposcant nam in altero fugam adornant in altero suffocantur Which points I prosecuted yet farther though briefly in this manner 2. If I ACCEPT the Fathers to be be my Iudges as they are Churches VVitnesses I haue the face of all Antiquity confronting me and speciallly S. Augustine whom for some iust respects I do specially esteeme Was he a Protestant and a Papist then two different Religions are compatible in one soule whence must ensue as great a strife Genes 25.22.23 and colluctation as Rebecca felt in hir womb when two Nations contended in hir body Or was he a Protestant and not a Papist why then is he so perspicuous against me in this matter Or was he a Papist and not a Protestant why then do we so triumph and glory in his name Or finally was he neither Papist nor Protestant Then both theis Religions in all probability are false and then perhapps none is true Thus from an vncertainty men runne into a nullity of faith and so the end of heresy is Atheisme because there can be no other issue vnto which it doth finally propend And verily who doth not conceiue vpon due ponderation that if the CATHOLICK Religion being so spectable in dignity so continued in succession so enlardged in diffusion and so eminent in all respects should notwithstanding seeme false or dubious by reason of some cauillations framed against it by hir enimies it will rather come to passe that no Religion should be true then that the Protestants faith which hath such a late entrance such base founders such vncertayn grounds such infinite diuisions should be more credible and probable then the said CATHOLICK belief 3. I proceed Since I was so powerfully expugned by the Fathers as you haue seene how could I elude the grauity of their testimonies which pressed and oppressed me on euery side Should I Alexander-like cutt the knott insunder with violence which I could neuer vntye with skill 4. There remayned one principall shift for me but yet it was of no value or substance For though later ages speake more copiously in this particular and in many others then the former yet I saw that it was by way of explication not innouation of declaration not alteration of exposition not addition c. For it is an excelleÌ„t prescription which Lirinensis deliuereth in this case viz. Fides habet profectum 1 Cap. 29.30 non permutationem faith hath a progresse or increase but without any chandge Matters of Ceremony are in their nature indifferent and in their vse dispensable and herein no priuate man may prescribe vnto the wisedome of the Church or limit hir power Matters of Doctrine haue their inlardgement and amplification but yet so as that no other fundation be layed then the same which we receiued in the beginning Thus Pelagians may not complayn if the doctrine of Grace were more clearely illustrated by S. Augustine then euer it was discussed before Thus the Arrians may not complayn if the doctrine of Homousia were more fully explicated by the Fathers of Nice then euer it was vnfolded vntill that time Thus also we Protestants cannot iustly complayn if the Catholick doctrine in this particular were more abundantly expressed by S. Augustine and by succeding ages then euer it was resolued vnto his dayes Lirinens Intelligatur
willingnesse to belieue meeting with other mens facility to deceiue did captiuate my blind thoughts into the society of their errour For as Iudah committed folly with Thamar Genes 38. because hir habit was chandged and hir face couered so I was intangled with their conceipts because they maske their intolerable falsehood disguise it vnder the shape of great syncerity and truth Thus D. MORTON protesteth In Cathol Apol. Part. 1. Epist. ad Lector that he may call God to be a witnesse and reuendger against his soule if he deceiue any mā * Si sciens fallo vvith his knovvledge Nay God forbid that for defence of truth vvhich is life he should procure the assistance of a ly vvhich slayeth the soule But * Ipse legēdo reperiet c. See S. Aug Conf. l. 3. c. 12. discouering their vanities at the appoynted time and seing how pitifully I had bene * Vsque ad annūaetatis 28. c. See S. August Confess l. 4. c. 1. Ierem. 17.11 See S. Hierom. in hūc locum Also S. August contra Faustum l. 13. c. 12. seduced by them whose words seemed vnto me diuine Oracles I could not be any longer led by them vvho do so grossly abuse their ovvne knovvledge to deceiue poore ignorant credulous soules And thus as Nature teacheth the yong Partridge to forsake the false damme to receiue more sweet protection vnder hir wings by whom she was brought forth so Grace teacheth me to disclayme hereticall Congregatiōs and to submitt my self vnto the direction of that Mother-Church which brought me forth vnto God by baptisme and therefore doth challendge right in me as in hir owne child THE FIRST PART CONCERNING THE VNTRVTHS AND CORRVPT DEALING OF D. FIELD IN THE question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. How the 4. Doctors of the Church viz. S. Gregory S. Augustine S. Hierome and S. Ambrose are traduced by D. Field in this particular §. 1. S. GREGORY abused by D. Field A note concerning S. BERNARD THE substance of D. Fields discourse concerning the CHVRCH the greatest and most ponderous subiect in all religious disputes as he affirmeth * In his epist to the Archb. saying that men desirous of satisfaction in things of such consequence as the matters now controuersed are must diligently search out the true Church that so they may embrace hir communion follow hir directions and * Nota. rest in hir iudgement consisteth principally in this issue to witt that the opinions wherein the Papists dissent from the Protestants at this day were not the doctrines of the Church See his third booke chap. 6. 7. but of a faction onely predominating in the same 2. Now forasmuch as the copious declaratiō of this poynt would exceede the conuenient quantity Chap. 7. or compasse of that chapter wherein the seuerall differences betwixt the Papists and Protestants are briefly and * See one example afterward chap. 4. falsely also in some part sett downe it pleased him to frame a certayn Appendix which he annexeth vnto his third booke and therein he vndertaketh to iustify the aforesayd position by the testimonies of sondry Fathers Schoole-authours whom he there calleth worthy and learned men For so he is accustomed to speake honourably of his enimies for his owne aduantadge 3. Descending vnto the controuersy * Chap. 20. VVhether any sinnes be remitted after this life or not he vseth this pretense viz. Whereas Lombard and others do say that some veniall sinnes are remitted after this life we must so vnderstand their sayings that therefore they are sayd to be remitted after this life because they are taken away in the very moment of dissolution and the last instant of life is the first after life c. This is the summe of that exposition which he maketh of Lombards and other mens opinion concerning the remission of sinnes after this life wherein how syncerely and exactly he dealeth I will not now dispute 4. I come vnto his proof brought forth by him to corroborate the aforesaid exposition which I will here relate word by word as it standeth in his booke Hereunto seemeth * Dialog l. 4. cap. 46. GREGORY to agree saying that the very feare that is found in men dying doth purdge their soules going out of the body from the lesser sinnes Seeing therefore as * In Psalm Qui habitat ser 10. BERNARD sayth if all sinne be perfectly taken away which is the cause the effect must needs cease which is punishment it followeth that seeing after death there is no sinne found in men dying in state of grace there remayneth no punishment and consequently no Purgatory So he 5. But when I viewed the Author himself I found that the sentence of S. Gregory doth beare much otherwise then it is here deliuered by M. Doctors pen for thus it soundeth in a true and faithfull translation FOR THE MOST PART very feare alone doth purdge the soules of IVST men going out of their bodies from their LEAST sinnes Wherefore I noted three poynts of fraudulency committed by the Doctour in a few words First by an Omission for whereas S. Gregory sayth PLERVMQVE for the most part it is so he cashiereth this particular and vouchsafeth it no mention at all Secondly by his Reddition for whereas S. Gregory saieth MINIMIS the smallest sinnes he chandgeth the degree and translateth lesser sinnes which was no little deceipt in him that had a purpose to collude Thirdly by an Extension for whereas S. Gregory saieth IVSTORVM the soules of iust men he rendreth the speach in a more generall and vnconfined manner viz. the soules of men dying and thus he mangleth a cleare sentence to deriue a conclusion from it Many such tricks were discouered by the B. of Eureux in the writings of the L. Plessis See the defence of the Relation of a triall concerning Religion in France It is annexed to the Examen of Fox his Calendar-Saints Part. 1. a Cathol doctr pag. 121. contrary to the purpose of the author there and his doctrine in other places 6. For if not all light sinnes but the LEAST in the soules of IVST men to witt such as are of singular sanctity and not generally of men dying in state of grace are FOR THE MOST PART and not alwayes purdged out by feare at the time of their death then it followeth by ineuitable deduction that some sinnes are purdged in an other world and consequently there is a Purgatory for this vse This is the intendment of S. Gregory and therefore a M. Rogers that Catholick Authour dissembleth not this matter in S. Gregory but sayth plainely as the truth is which fault he is not much subiect vnto Some Papists viz. Gregor dialog l. 4. c. 39. do think that onely veniall sinnes are purdged in Purgatory 7. In which passadge three things offered themselues vnto my consideration First the limitation of his speach SOME a particle meerely superfluous
See afterward Part. 2. chap. 1. §. 2. For all Papists are of this opinion viz. that no sinnes but veniall onely shall be expiated in Purgatory fire Secondly the imputation of POPERY fastened vpon him from whom we English-men receiued our first instruction in the faith This was a good motiue vnto me to embrace Popery as passionate Sir Martin Luther phraseth the Catholick Religion whom I might more justly call a foule mouthed dogg then b Against D. Bishopp Part. 1. D. Abbott bestoweth this homely courtesy vpon a very learned * T. W. Priest since we were translated immediately from Paganisme vnto this belief by the wonderfull and gracious operation of almighty God Thirdly his confession of S. Gregories judgement concerning the remission of some sinnes after this life which D. Field would infrindge as you see by misinforcing his testimony against his euident purpose in that * Lib. 4. dial 39. place and his resolution elswhere 8. For in his exposition of the penitentiall Psalmes he deliuereth in * Psal 1. 3. in the beginning of each two seuerall places and strengtheneth himself in the first with the authority of S. AVGVSTINE whom he there expressly nameth that some men passe into heauen by the fire of purgation and are expiated thereby in the future life Could I desire a more copious satisfaction in the truth of this matter Or could I wish a more abundant redargution of D. Fields falsehood in traducing the Testaments of the dead for so their works are to establish that doctrine which they did wholly disclayme 9. Now a word or two concerning S. Bernard whom he coupleth very plausibly with S. Gregory as you may see to inferr a conclusion against that faith which they both professed I turned vnto the place in S. Bernard which truly can by no meanes admitt such an interpretation as M. Doctor doth colourably pretend For it is not the meaning of S. Bernard to deny that God doth at any time inflict a temporall payn after the remission of the guilt of sinne because this position were extreamely repugnant vnto Scriptures and Fathers and Reason as I shall briefly declare * Part. 2. chap. 1. §. 2. afterward and vnto the very condition of the Sacrament of Pennance it self wherein S. Bernard knew right well that sinne is remitted and yet all future punishment is not thereby taken away This was the conforme doctrine of the Catholicks in his time and who is so meanely skilled in S. Bernards faith as to conceiue that he would oppugne a matter of such sublimity and so correspondently intertayned by the Church 10. But the truth is this S. Bernard perswadeth men to flye from the contagion of sinne the effect whereof is such that as by naturall death it seuereth the soule from the body so by spirituall death it sundreth God from the soule And as sinne brought forth punishment so the cessation from sinne preuenteth punishment because no punishment doth follow where no sinne is gone before What then doth no effect of sinne remayn where the guylt of sinne is remitted S. Bernard * He esteemeth death it self to be a punishment of sinne as you may see by the sequele denieth it and therefore shewing in what sense he there intendeth that VVhen ALL sinne shall be * Prorsus D. Field himself coÌ„fesseth pag. 98. that Death tyrannizeth ouer the body c. Serm. in â—bitu Huberti VVHOLLY taken out of the way then shall no effect of it remayn he subnecteth this sentence in his sweet and diuine manner viz. Happy is our expectation and blessed is our hope whose Resurrection shall be much more glorious then our first estate of creation before our fall forasmuch as neither sinne nor punishment neither euill nor scourdge shall raigne or dwell or haue possibility to raigne or dwell either in our bodies or soules 11. To conclude it may please you to read and to ponderate this one little saying of S. Bernard by which you may take an estimate of his iudgement in theis matters My brethren while you think to auoyd a very small punishment in this world you incurr a greater in the next For you must vnderstand that you shall pay an hundred fold in * In purgabilibus locis Purgatory for those things which you neglect in this life 12. I know most kind Readers that you meruayle no lesse now then I did by what art D. Field can distill his Church out of the writings of theis worthy and learned men or how their authorities may be honestly alleadged to prooue that Papists are nothing els but a faction in the Church forasmuch as those Authors generally whom he produceth in his glorious Appendix are really interessed in that faction and enimies of our Protestanticall Church Wherefore I did now sufficiently vnderstand that we Protestants assuming the name of Israell vnto our selues and imputing the name of Philistims vnto the Papists could not iustify our affectation therein by any better resemblance then this viz. As the poore 1. Sam. 13.19.20 distressed Israelites were constrayned to repayr vnto the Philistims for the sharpening of their dulled tooles so we miserable Protestants hauing no better meanes are inforced to go vnto the Papists to procure some weapons for our defence from them which we turne vngratefully and vniustly against their owne bowells §. 2. S. AVGVSTINE abused by D. Field 1. YOu haue * Pag. 13. seene the goodly pretense of D. Field assuring you that the Protestants honour and reuerence the Fathers much more then the Papists do Which venditation if it did proceede from a syncere heart then D. Field should not stand in need of his inflexions and corruptions to sustayn his cause with their disgrace and much lesse with infaming the greatest of them all in this manner which I will here represent vnto your Christian view 2. The Romish manner of praying for the dead saith c Pag. 99. he hath no certayn testimony of Antiquity for NO MAN euer thought of Purgatory TILL Augustine to auoyd a worse errour did DOVBTINGLY runne into it d And none before that is false after whom e And not all that is false many in the Latin Church embraced the same opinion but the * See befor pag. 54. Greek Church neuer receiued it to this day 3. He is yet more seuere vnto S. Augustine vnto the Papists and vnto this doctrine saying that f Pag. 79. Augustine doubtfully broached that opinion which gaue occasion to the Papists of their HERESY touching Purgatory This imputation of heresy doth cleaue as strongly vnto the Fathers whom he pretendeth to honour and reuerence as vnto any Papist at this day for what should I speake of g Part. 4. Serm. de defunct in Querelâ defunct GERSONS heresy in this point whom he honoureth and reuerenceth so farr as to intitle him a * Pag. 85. worthy guide of Gods Church c. 4. Now though I obserued many
32. See also de curâ pro Mert. cap. 1. Non est dubium c. There is no doubt but that the dead receiue helpe by the prayers of holy Church by the healthfull Sacrifice and by almes The SECOND t De Ciuit Dei lib. 21. c. 24. Non veraciter diceretur c. It could not be sayd truly that the sinne against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiuen in this world nor in the world to come vnlesse some sinnes were remitted in the future life And in the same place he speaketh most constantly of temporall paynes which the soules of some men sustayn after their dissolution from the body 16. Wherefore I reflected now vpon D. Fields assertion and was amazed to behold such a repugnancy betwixt theis things viz. Augustine ranne doubtingly into Purgatory and yet he affirmeth There is no doubt but that some soules are relieued by the Sacrifice c. Agayn Augustine did broach this opinion doubtfully and yet he sayeth in great confidence It cannot be sayd truly that one sinne shall not be forgiuen in this world nor in the next vnlesse some sinnes not remitted here should be forgiuen there Was S. Augustine so simple as not to regard his owne positions or are not other men dishonest rather in contorting his words against his purpose and intention 17. But forasmuch as I knew that our best and most respected Authors do insist euerlastingly in this poynt I adhibited all possible diligence to find out the doubtfull sentences in S. Augustine which may seeme to giue way vnto this pretensed IRRESOLVTION and specially such as belong vnto this businesse directly without deductions inferences glosses interpretations NOT ◠or the like deuises whereby men are wont to heape vp many testimonies out of the Fathers and to make their conclusions against some doctrine which is not particularly handled by the Fathers in those places whence they assume such proofes 18. The principall therefore and most pertinent sentences which I could find are two which here ensue FIRST Some men are of opinion saieth u Enchirid. ad Laur. cap. 67. S. Augustine that such as are baptized and continue Christians not diuided by any schisme or any heresy from the Catholick communion how wickedly so euer they liue and neuer wash away their sinnes by repentance nor * Daniel 4.24 Is this doctrine repugnant vnto our Redemption by the bloud of Christ alone Truly as much as the former doctrine of Propitiatiō c. See before pag. 29. redeeme them with almes but persist therein most pertinaciously vnto their last day yet they shall be saued by fire howbeit their punishment shall be extended according to the quality of their offence But they who say thus and yet are CATHOLIQVES viz. not separated from the Church by any heresy as Arrians Marcionites c. seeme in my opinion to be deceiued by a certayn humane beneuolence 19. Here S. Augustine in his mild and gentle disposition though he reiecteth this conceipt in some priuate men yet he referreth the cause of their errour vnto the simplicity of their loue Neither doth he propound any scruple against Purgatory but onely he denieth it vnto such persons as by an euill life and impenitent death make themselues vncapable of this * Misericor Iudi◠cantabo tibi Domine c. Psal 101. Which S. Augustine and his cōpany did sing after his mothers decease See Confess l. 9. c. 12. mercifull iustice As for example The law in England doth prouide a mitigation of penalty for some offendours as burning in the hand pillory or some like chastisement and depriueth them not of their life because she would in hir justice punish sinne and yet in mercy she would preserue the person Now if any man would exceed the purpose of the law and in his affection would grant this indulgence vnto Murtherers also his errour must be corrected by such as are more equall in the courses of iustice then he is and yet they who deny this benefit vnto a Murtherer do not thereby subuert the Law which sheweth mercy vnto some transgressours but they reduce the practise of it vnto the intention of them by whom it was respectiuely decreed 20. The SECOND sentence in w Enchirid. cap. 69. S. Augustine is this It is not incredible that some such thing may be done after this life and yet it may be questioned whether it be so or not For it may be found out or it may lye hid whether many faithfull men shall be saued by a certayn Purgatory fire either more slowly or more speedily as they haue more or lesse affected theis temporall goods Howbeit theis men also are not such of whom the Scripture sayeth * 1. Cor. 6.10 they shall not possesse the kindome of God that is to say vnlesse their sinnes be remitted vnto them vpon their conuenient repentance 21. Here S. Augustine doth not leaue it as a thing vncertayn and disputable whether there be any temporall payn or penall expurgation of some soules after this life for he doth affirme it confidently in many places and doubteth of it in none but he leaueth it as a thing questionable whether any earthly affections remayning actually in the separated soule and cleauing thereunto be purdged out after this life He might doubt also de qualitate poenae viz. whether FIRE be the Instrument which God vseth in the purgation of soules or not For though this be most credible yet no man is obliged to receiue this opinion by absolute necessity of faith by affliction payn and sorrow as they are purdged out in this life very often by tribulation and grief This is clearely imported by his owne words TALE aliquid fieri c. It is not incredible that some such thing may be done after this life and yet we may doubt whether it be so or not 22. Wherefore as in the * num 18. former sentence S. Augustine disputed of the PERSONS vnto whom Purgatory may appertayn so here he disputeth of the QVALITIES which are to be cleansed out of their soules but he disputeth or doubteth in neither of Purgatory it self or a penall estate for to litigate concerning names words it were a childish folly wherein the soules of some men shall receiue a castigation for their sinnes That this is the true and genuine sense of S. Augustine in the aforesaid places all intelligent Readers will easily perceiue by the connexion and dependency of his discourse 23. But I proceeded yet a little farther and considered yet more exactly with my self that the very prescription ensuing x Cap. 110. there in S. Augustines profound discourse doth inuincibly and substantially demonstrate vnto me alwayes presupposing him to be no simple fellow nor grosse companion that he had no purpose nor intention in the aforesaid places to admitt any doubt concerning PVRGATORY really and purely conceiued in the nature of the thing it self but onely concerning some accidentall respects For sayth he
a sottishnes in me to conceiue that Saint Hierome let not D. Field nor Luther be offended with this reuerence and honour which I yeald vnto the Fathers by their just title of SAINTS is guilty of that errour which S. Augustine disprooueth since he also controlleth it by the validity of the same reason precisely which S. Augustine hath alleadged and vrged to this purpose Were there any congruity or coherence in such a fancy 10. Wherefore as I was directed by theis considerations to intertayn a more reuerent opinion of S. Hierome then euer I admitted vnto this time so that high conceipt which I had of D. Fields extraordinary value languished in me daily and the * The Protestants CHVRCH cause it self which he vndertaketh to defend seemed worse and worse in my thoughts forasmuch as the chiefest Patrones thereof are continually driuen vnto such dishonourable and vnworthy shifts § 4. S. AMBROSE abused by D. Field 1. SAint Ambrose maketh vp the messe and beareth his part of disgrace amongst his friends 2. But as the cariadge of this matter is very smooth so it seemeth to be very syncere and graue For when the learned Doctour hath layd forth the sense See before pag. 31. and intendment of Antiquity in hir prayers for the dead he goeth forward with a specious pretense Pag. 98. to vnfold the truth more amply and to detect such errours as were embraced by some men contrary vnto the designement and purpose of the Catholick Church 3. It was an opinion sayth he of many of the Fathers that there is no judgement to passe vpon men till the last day and that all men are holden either in some place vnder the earth or els in some other place appointed for that purpose so that they come not into heauen nor receiue the reward of their labours till the generall IudgemeÌ„t c. Of this opinion was Iustin Martyr * He taught the doctrine of Purgatory and so did Lactantius also by the confession of sondry ProtestaÌ„ts 1 De natué Dei l. 4. c 4. Tertullian Clemens Romanus Lactantius Victorinus Martyr AMBROSE Ioh. Pontifex Rom. and sundry other 4. Here I did suspect the integrity of D. Field in his manifold turnings and inflexions because I was informed long before by n Hierome Zanchy that prayer for the dead had not a reference particularly vnto the soule but rather vnto the body a poynt not omitted by o Pag. 98. D. Field himself and his collection is framed in this manner Ambrose in his funerall oration vpon the death of Valentinian the Emperour confesseth that * Aeterna vi â— fruitur viluptate aâ—e S. Ambrose his words his soule is in heauen and yet he addeth farther that he will be mindfull of him in his prayers and oblations Wherefore either Ambrose doth contradict himself which in so little a passadge is vnlikely or els he referred his prayers vnto the resurrection of the Emperour and vnto his corporall estate 5. But Zanchius is egregiously mistaken in this collection and his partition is vnsufficient for S. Ambrose doth not contradict himself neither yet did he referr the execution of theis religious duties vnto the body alone and resurrection of the Emperour as it appeareth by his expresse testimony in this oration viz. Let us prosecute the godly SOVLE with our oblations likewise in his oration for Theodosius he desireth God to take the Emperours SOVLE into his rest thus also in his oration for Satyrus he maketh a speciall commendation of his SOVLE vnto almighty God and this was the practise of the Church but as many probable reasons did induce him to conceiue that Valentinians soule was now in actuall possession of eternall joy so for want of infallible assurance in this behalf he would not intermit his duty nor neglect his office toward the dead which charity prescribed and the Church appointed in this case In like manner p In obitis Humberti S. Bernard out of his singular hope which was founded vpon very probable reason saith that Humbertus lately deceased iam obtinet gaudium c. doth now obtayn those ioyes which shall endure for euer Notwithstanding it were a folly to imagin that S. Bernard would neglect the accustomed piety and deuotion of the Church which haply might be expedient for his soule To conclude Hence it is that S. q Confess l. 9. c. 13. Augustine supplicating vnto God for his deceased Mother saith I belieue o Lord that thou hast already performed the thing which I desire for she was a woman of singular virtue and the premisses of hir good life inferred the conclusion of hir happy death but yet accept the voluntary petition of my lippes The first proceeded out of a pious belief the second out of a wise feare and there was charity in both Which point I wish that r Cathol Apolog Part. 1. l. 1. c. 87. q 2. D. Morton had duly waighed within his heart before he branded S. Augustine with this improper censure Magis affectionis quam rationis oratio the oraison of Augustine for his mother came rather from affection then reason I returne now vnto D. Field 6. Being tormented with a necessary suspition rather of D. Fields vnfaithfulnesse in his report then of S. Ambrose his folly in this matter I made hast vnto the Author whom he alleadgeth to iustify his assertion viz. SIXTVS SENENSIS bibliothec sanct lib. 6. annotat 345. I turned vnto the place where I found Senensis discoursing to this effect The opinion of Bernard viz. that the blessed soules content themselues with the aspect of our Sauiours humanity c. though it be condemned as Castrensis doth obserue yet I think that the Author is to be excused with a gratefull and benigne affection because many excellent Fathers in the Church SEEMED by their testimonyes to giue authority vnto his opinion as namely Irenaeus Iustin Martyr Lactantius AMBROSE Chrysostome Augustine c. 7. When I had diligently perused the place I noted a subtile collusion in the Doctour forasmuch as he singleth forth S. Ambrose omitteth S. Augustine knowing that the first might be jaded more coulorably then the second and that euery nose would not haue this crafty dealing so quickly in his sent because the sauour is not so strong I considered also if D. Field had neuer bene acquaynted with S. Ambrose his works or if he had not distinctly remembred his opinion in this poynt yet the learned Authour whose testimony he abuseth to the injury of an other did prohibit him to condemne S. Ambrose with such hast for he sayth that many of the Fathers * Visi sunt SEEMED to giue warrant vnto this opinion and therefore if Senensis had not added any interpretation to cleare S. Ambrose from that folly yet this limitatioÌ„ it self might haue mitigated his ceÌ„sure and it could be sayd at the vtmost that Ambrose did seeme to be of this opinion thus one half of the wrong had
vexe themselues and not I. Verily I will attempt by all meanes possible to cure theis euills but if I can not do it yet I will not be consumed with grief If one Munzer one Carolostadius one ZWINGLIVS be not sufficient for the Diuell excitet plures Zwinglius was raised by the Diuell to afflict the Church let him raise vp more 34. This is the perpetuall stile of Luther against the Sacramentaries whom he damneth vnto the lake of fire and brimstome as obstinate and malitious hereticks fallen away from his Church by apostaticall defection And here you may see how the nature of heresy is alwayes variable and vncertayn as Tertullian obserued long ago Praescript c. 4â— saying Hereticks differ amongst themselues while the scholler doth modulate at his pleasure that which he receiued as the Maister did compose at his pleasure that which he deliuered The progresse of the thing doth acknowledge the condition of it and the manner of its beginning The Valentinians and Martâ—onites may chandge their faith at their owne arbitrement as well as Valentine and Marcion themselues Denique penitùs inspectae haereses omnes in multis cum authoribus suis dissentientes deprehenduntur c. 35. Thus I haue truly discouered vnto you the deportment of your pretensed Reformers the crime and cause of whose implacable dissentions D. Field would vnconscionably deriue vpon the Papists by abusing the authority of Gerson whereas it is most euident that theis men sought not the end at which Gerson aymed nor followed the meanes which he prescribed but as Luther did boysterously impugne the Catholick Church so Zwinglius and all the troupe of Sacramentaries fell away seditiously and factiously from his society and communion And so much concerning the SECOND passadge 36. In the THIRD passadge there are some memorable poynts as namely the Doctour doth confesse freely and plainely that Gerson Grosthead c. 3. Reg. 2 2â— were of the TRVE CHVRCH But here I may say of D. Field as Salomon pronounced of Adoniah his brother contra animam suam locutus est Adonias verbum hoc against his life and the life of his Church hath D. Field spoken this word For was not Gerson and likewise Grosthead a member really and essentially of the Romane or POPISH Church The precedents may testify for the first and the * §. 4. sequele shall witnesse for the second wherefore I must inferr necessarily that the Popish Church was the TRVE CHVRCH in their time and that it is so at this day because it still continueth the same Finally as Wickliffe Husse c. were not of the true Church because they were not of the same Church with GERSON so the Protestants are not members of the true Church because they are excluded from the society of the Church of Rome which is the * See S. Cyprian l. 4. ep 8. roote and mother of the Catholick Church For in that See seÌ„per Apostolicae cathedrae viguit principatus as †epist 162. S. Augustine himself doth witnesse 37. A second poynt iâ— this Gerson Grosthead c. gaue testimony vnto the work which WE haue done What we LVTHER and ZWINGLIVS You know that the SACRAMENTARIES are exiled out of the fellowshippe of Luthers Church contra artic Louan thesi 27. Censemus serio c. We think seriously sayth Luther that all Zwinglians and Sacramentaries are hereticks and aliens from the Church of God Which seuere and true sentence of the great Apostle himself a Synod of Lutherans hath established by a solemne decree Epitome Colloq Maulbrunae Anno 1564. pag. 82. viz. Zwinglianis nullum locuÌ„ in Ecelesiâ concedimus c. we grant the Zwinglians no place in the Church To what purpose then serueth this particle of extension VVE haue done c But I will admitt that you and the Lutherans are of one Church howbeit I must absolutely and confidently deny that you or they or both haue the testimony of GERSON for the approbation of your worke and this is so copiously declared already that I need not alleadge new proofes noâ— reinforce the old 38. Thirdly it pleaseth M. Doctour to aduance Gerson Grosthead c. with the resplendent title of BEST men that liued in the corrupt state of the Church Truly they were so good that Luther your great Reformer was dirt and dongue to speake of him in * See before pag. 146 his owne phrases in comparison of their excellent demeanure and they shined as gold in respect of his ignoble conuersation And yet was he sweete Saint peculiarly inspired aboue them all 39. I am weary and I feare troublesome vnto you also in the prosecution of theis lamentable deuices but I am now come vnto the last and FOVRTH passadge wherewith I will briefly conclude this whole matter and then proceed vnto some farther issue 40. In this passadge there are 2 poynts which do specially require your very deliberate ponderation FIRST you shall there find that Cameracensis Picus Sauanarola GERSON he is the principall man and innumerable others for so the learned Doctour amplifieth his vanities were the WORTHY GVIDES OF * therefore the Protestants Church is not Gods Church GODS CHVRCH But what Church I pray you did they guide administer and direct That Church whereof the Protestants are members No for they detested your opinions That whereof the Papists are members Yea for they were firmely vnited vnto the Church of Rome and vnto the Pastour of that See and therefore hereticks and proud Romanists and Antichristian Vassals sworne to take the foames of the child of perdition and Vassals of the man of sinne c. all which hobgoblin-termes the Doctour hath congested vpon such men as now retayn the very same faith which Gerson constantly professed and are knitt vnto that Church which he humbly obayed And yet is a Gerson also a WORTHY GVIDE OF GODS CHVRCH You may remember that D. Field and hiâ— Church doth willingly admitt a triall of your cause by the testimony of the Fathers See before booke 1. Part. 1 chap 2. § 1. num 4. c. Do you admire that venditation and wonder at that assertion when Gerson himself shall be made a worthy guide of the Church c I leaue it vnto your ingenuity and wisedome since it doth import your eternity to consider what truth what solidity what assurance you or I or any other may expect at theis mens hands for the information of our vnderstandings the satisfaction of our doubts the direction of our soules in the way of secure and certayn peace 41. The SECOND particular is this It appeareth by that which we haue already deliuered touching that matter how nothing is done in our Reformation which theis men Gerson Grosthead c. long before thought not necessary to be done But where is that deliuered and how doth that appeare I know that the Doctour hath pitifully mangled some sentences and notably depraued the intention of GERSON
doth neuer loose grace also and consequently he doth neuer sinne mortally because a mortall sinne excludeth * grace inherent grace from the soule And this I will prooue vnto you by D. Field who †pag. 176. accusing the Papists to be liers of the worst memories whence it is saith he that euery secōd page in their writings if not euery second line pag. 147. is a refutation of the first doth perplexe himself about this matter very strāgely within the compasse of a few lines and inuolueth himself in manifest contradictions 4. For first he saith that the Elect notwithstanding any degree of sinne they runne into retayn that GRACE which can and will procure pardon for all their offences In which respect also he sayeth that the reprobate haue no GRACE in them which may cry vnto God for remission and hence it commeth to passe that all sinne is veniall vnto the one and all is mortall vnto the other But see how within 3. or 4. lines he contradicteth this assertion saying All sinnes that against the holy Ghost excepted are veniall ex euentu that is to say such as may be and oftentimes are forgiuen through the mercifull goodnesse of God though there be NOTHING in the parties offending while they are in such state of sinne that either can or doth cry for pardon Who are they vnto whom God vouch safeth this goodnesse Surely the elect for D. Field sayth that in other men who are strangers from the life of God as he speaketh all sinnes are mortall and not remitted for want of Grace which may cry vnto God for pardon Well then in the elect oftentimes there is * therefore no Grace NOTHING that can or doth cry vnto God for pardon and yet the elect also do still retayn that GRACE which can and will procure pardon for all their offences Is not this a reall contradiction Again he * lin 37. sayeth We confesse that all sinnes not done with full consent may stand with grace wherefore it followeth by the cōtrary that all sinnes done with full consent exclude grace Now since it is manifest that many elect after grace receiued do sinne with full Consent for such was Dauids case it is cleare likewise 2. Sam. 11. that they fall from grace which is restored vnto them afterward as †de corrept grat c. 7. S. Augustine doth excellently discourse and Catholicks concurr with his opinion 4. I conclude this passadge with the publick testimony of your Church * Artic. Relig 16. After we haue receiued the holy ghost we may depart from * if they loose their faith also then Caluin sayth falsely that true faith can NEVER be lost If they do not loose i◠thē Caluin saith falsely that true faith can not be separated from GRACE grace giuen and by the grace of God we may rise agayn Whereby it is playn against D. Field that the elect do not retayn grace in them notwithstanding any degree of sinne but they fall not from that grace of God by which they are infallibly destinated vnto saluation and therefore vnto a newnesse of life also which is necessary vnto this end 5. Thus much for S. Augustine The sentence of †Rat. 10. Campian is cited in theis words Nisi Diui è coelo deturbentur cadere ego nunquam potero and here your Doctour pretendeth that Campian euen as Caluin himself did belieue constantly that he could neuer fall from faith but was certayn of his saluation Which if it were so then iudge of the soundnesse of your Deuinity according to the principles whereof Campian a resolute Papist and opposite vnto your Religion might be infallibly secure of his saluation and the like all sectaries may as many do apply vnto themselues with a supposed certainty of perseuerance But as F. Campian doth * Rat. 8. Age somuiet hocised vnde c. post medisi· elswhere particularly reprooue this conceipt and taxeth your Caluin precisely for the same so in †in the cōclusion of his tenth Reason this place he is farr from that imagination howsoeuer it pleaseth D. Morton to propose his wordes by the halfe to peruert his meaning in the whole For that blessed Martyr hauing yealded a reason of his confidence which he deriueth from all kinds of witnesses in heauen earth and hell it self non diffiteor sayth he animatus sum incensus ad conflictum IN QVO nisi Diui de coelo deturbentur superbus Lucifer coelum recuperet cadere nunquam potero 6. Now I remitt me vnto your ingenuity and conscience whether D. Morton did not with voluntary and determinate malice as I sayd before abridge the sentence and violate the intention of Campian to deceiue the Reader with sciens fallit and against his knowledge For what doth F. Campian affirme but onely this since I haue theis testimonies of my religion it is not possible that relying thereupon I should euer causâ cadere be vanquished in that combatt which I do seriously desire 7. This may be a sufficient instruction for you and by it alone you may perceiue whether his heart be single and syncere in his impugnation of the Catholick faith which he laboureth to extinguish by theis miserable inuentions But it will flourish much more euen for his sake God of his infinite mercy will either mollify his affection or cohibit his purpose And now kind Maister S. I might ease my self and you from any more payn in this kind if one more vast vntruth then all the rest did not compell me to proceed yet a little farther the master being of great importance and for many respects not to be passed ouer in silence CHAP. 2. D. Mortons vntruth concerning the article of Christ his descent into Hell §. 1. The necessity and waight of this article 1. AMongst sondry difficulties which did sometimes afflict my conscience when I was a brother of your society this was not the least viz. What is that which doth properly and entirely make a man to be a member of your Church so that precisely for defect thereof he ceaseth absolutely from being of that communion In which argument though * booke 1. chap. 7. 8. c. D. Field hath bestowed his diligence and payne yet he is so full of perplexity and vncertainty that I could neuer settle my conscience firmely and vnmooueably in his dubious and enigmaticall resolutions †in his Reply Booke 2. chap. 6. num 11. D. Kellison hath lately proposed this question vnto D. Sutcliffe and though he hath handled it briefly yet he hath performed his designement with such facility and such grauity so appositely and so punctually that any man would be mooued thereby to pity and commiserate your chaos and Babylonian confusion 2. But this position with me is an impregnable bulwark of my Religion viz. Whosoeuer doth pertinaciously reiect any poynt of faith accepted by publick consent of the CATH Church he is