the one shal bee the great Doctor of the church S. Augustin who as I haue once before shewed doth teach in formall tearmes that person to bee no member of the Catholike church who doth beleeue obstinatly anie falshood in matter of faith knowing it to bee such And the second shal bee Martin Luther whom albeit wee take for an Apostate Augustine frier yet the protestants esteeme him as a great man of God Hee for want of one article of beliefe condemneth all the Sacramentaries to the pitt of hell these bee his words It shall nothing profit the Sacramentaries to speake of spirituall eating nor to beleeue in the father the sonne Luther lib. quod verba Christi Stent and the holy Ghost so long as with blasphemous mouth they denie this article of faith which Christ hath proposed to vs by his owne holy mouth This is my bodie that shal bee giuen for you Behold no saluation to be possible if you deny but that one article of faith Among manie other causes why such misbeleeuers are esteemed worthy of so grievous punishments there bee two principall the first is that they will not beleeue God himself revealing his diuine misteries vnto vs The second because they will not giue credit to the church proposing vnto them the same truth All Divines hold that there is no matter of faith which is not reuealed vnto vs by God himself whether the same veritie had need to bee put downe in writing as the protestantes seeme to require or that it sufficeth to bee deliuered by word of mouth as we hold is a question betweene vs But wee all consent that what soeuer is propounded vnto vs to bee beleeued must needs bee first reuealed by God whence it followeth evidentlie that hee who denieth to beleeue any one article of faith is conuinced not to beleeue God himselfe in that point for hee it is principally that tendreth it vnto vs to bee beleeued wherfore he that refuseth to beleeue it is forced to this exigent that hee must needes confesse himself to bee perswaded either that God teacheth not the truth alwaies or els that wee are not bound to beleeue him in all things either of which is most irreligious and a very blasphemous crime For as S. Iames disputeth Hee that hath kept the whole law besides and doth offend but in one point therof is made guiltie of the whole Euen so hee that beleeueth God in all other articles yet in some one refuseth to beleeue him is made guiltie of the whole That is as S. Iames expoundeth it offendeth against the Maiesty and veritie of the law giuer not reputing him worthy of credit in all matters what soeuer But to thinke God not worthie to bee credited in anie one word or title that shall proceed out of his diuine mouth is in truth to make him no God at all For hee is no God that either will or can bee vntrue of his word Here the poore Christian trembling at this consequeÌ„ce will crye out that hee doth beleeue God in all things and God forbid that hee should once imagine him not worthy to bee credited in whatsoeuer it shall please his diuine maiesty to reueale But hee will say that hee knowes not that God hath reuealed this vnto him or at least is not well assured that he would haue him to beleeue it This I grant is the lesser faut of the two yet not in any sort tollerable For if it hath pleased his diuine bounty to reueale vnto vs for his owne honor and our instructioÌ„ such heauenly verities and misteries how can hee take it well at our hands that wee either will not vouchsafe to take notice of them or which is worse will not beleeue them to bee true They that will not beleeue are in the holie scriptures worthely called rebells because they band themselues against Gods truth according to that of Iob Rebelles fuerunt Lumini Iob. 24. v 13. they were rebells against the Light and therfore as Rebels and traitors must looke to bee punished The others that will not take the paines to learne according vnto the small measure of their capacity all such matters as appertaine to their owne estate calling must needs acknowledg their extreme vndutifull carelesnes in the highest matter that can bee and that which doth also most concerne them to wit in the onely necessary busines of their owne euerlasting either saluation or damnation And withall confesse that they are vnworthy to bee knowne of God their Soueraigne Lord and maker at the latter daie for that they neglected to know their dutie towards him whiles they liued here on earth Of them the Apostle hâ—th alreadie pronounced this sentence 1. Cor. 14 38 If any man know not to wit the things belonging to his dutie towards God hee shall not bee knowne of God but shal bee shut out of the gate of heauen And if they stand knocking there thinking to get in by their ouerlate importunity they shal bee answered as the foolish virgins were Math. 25 12. with a Nesciovos I know you not the force of this discourse in brief is whosoeuer refuseth to beleeue God in any one article by him reuealed shall not be saued but they that think to be saued in any religion refuse to beleeue some articles of faith reuealed by God ergo they caÌ„not be saued The secoÌ„d cause why wilfull refusers to beleeue any one arttcle of faith do incurre that heauie iudgment is for that they do offer great wrong vnto the true church of God his deerly beloued spouse and our spirituall mistresse and mother It is agreed on by men of all sides that the holie Catholike church is the temple of the holie Ghost the mysticall bodie of Christ and the piller fortresse of truth wherfore to offer her that affront and disgrace as not to giue credit to her testimony speaking specially vnto vs in the behalf of Christ 2. Cor. 5.20 pro Christo legatione fungimur for Christ wee are legates and in the name of the holy Ghost visum spiritui sancto nobis It hath seemed good to the holie Ghost and vs it not onlie to contemne her Actor 15. but to despise Iesus Christ also that hath ordained her to bee our instructer and directer to set naught by the holie ghost that speaketh vnto vs by her wee caÌ„not bee ignoraÌ„t what our Saviour hath said of the governors principall rulers of the church you shal bee witnesses to mee in IerusaleÌ„ in all Iury Samaria Act 1.8 vnto the vttermost coasts of the earth If Christ hath made choice of theÌ„ as of substaÌ„tiall honest meÌ„ sit to bee his witnesses do not wee offer him a great indignity if wee refuse to beleeue them namelie when wee know him to haue said of them Luc. 10.16 Hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee and hee that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee Yea
acquaintance with the same whispering spirit with which they are so haunted that they haue almost hourely new illuminations and strange revelations See I pray you into what endles dissentions this doctrine of the spirit doth lead her folowers It being then most manifest that there is such variety and so great contradiction in the way of the private spirit everie man that hath a care of his salvation will I hope take heed therof and not suffer himself to bee abused therby Hee was inspired by the true spirit of God that gaue vs this faire warning 1. Iob. 4.1 My deerest beleeue not euerie spirit but prove the spirits if they hee of God because manie falâ—e prophets are gone into the world which deceiue many And Satan that trudgeth about so busily seeking whom hee maie deuoure finding so many readie to listen to the cursed councell of his wicked spirit transformeth himself often into an Angell of light that hee may the better beguile them that giue eare to such secret whisperings wherfore they that desire not to bee misled must follow Saint Iohns counsell try the spirits whether they bee of God or no. Ibidem If the priuate spirit do not agree with the publike spirit that conducteth the Catholike church in all trueth bee well assured that it is an erring spirit sent by Satan to deceiue you and to leade you into errour To recollect this point in briefe If no man may relie either vpon his owne learning or spirit not may safely trust anie priuate teacher or preacher then the protestants best meanes to obtaine salvation be very vncertaine and consequentlie they that wil bee assured never to erre in anie one article of faith must not relie vpon them but imbrace wholie and fully the doctrine of the Catholike Roman church and hold themselues close and fast thervnto Math. 16 That church is built vpon a rocke that alwaies hath and euer shall stand firme without flitting or tottering too and fro and Christ praied Luc. 22. for her governors faith that it should never faile Ioh. 16. The holie Ghost is alwaies with her to teach her all truth And in verie common sense when a controuersie riseth about any point in faith is it not much more probable that all the learned assembling together out of all coasts and countries of Christendome to conferre thervpon should boult out the truth of that question better then some few passionate and discontented men that oppose themselues against all the rest Thus verily stands the case betweene the Protestants and vs. for when Martin Luther Iohn Calvin and others discontented men and none of the best marke ranne out of our church and cried out that therein were manie errors taught and many foule abuses maintained a generall councell was called the best learned of all Christian countries were assembled to heare and determine those controuersies The ringleaders of the new Gospell were most courteously invited thither to shew what moved them to make that alteration but their consciences telling them that they were not able to iustifie their bad cause before so many learned men they durst not appeare in the councell wee then haue very great reason to follow the iudgment of the whole corps of Christendome but small probability haue the protestants to preferre the passionate opinions of a few malecontents flying from true triall before the calme and mature acts and definitions of all the rest that were ready to haue performed it God send them grace to see it in tyme least as they haue wilfully followed them in their errors so they bee not here after against their wills forced to folow them to eternall punishment I haue staid the longer to declare the commoditie and necessitie of submitting our vnderstaÌ„ding vnto the censure of the Catholike church because without that bee ioyned to Gods word to certifie vs both which is the word of God and what is the true sense and meaning thereof wee can haue no true faith at all for the declaration of the church is necessarilie required as a condition without which our faith cannot ordinarilie bee assured of that which it is to beleeue whervpon that great light of the world S. Austin was not ashamed to saie Evangelio non crederem August co Episâ— fundameÌ„tre 5. nisi me moveret Ecclâ—siae Catholicae authoritas I for my part would not beleeue the Gospell vnles the authoritie of the Catholike church did moue mee thervnto whence it is easie to gather that they who do not take their direction from the said church as all they do not who think euery Christian may be saued in his own religion haue no assurance in their faith and coÌ„sequently no true faith at all wherfore they cannot bee saued which I do thus confirme for the Apostle teacheth that Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo Hebr. 11.6 It is impossible to please God without faith which must needs bee vnderstood of the true faith because God is the God of truth and hateth all that is false but the true faith is but one onlie and of the same nature in all men which the said Apostle doth confirme when hee writeth that there is but one Lord one faith Ephes 4.5 one Baptisme but they that make account to bee saued in their owne religion bee not ordinarilie nor cannot bee all of one faith for one faith cannot teach vs to beleeue two coÌ„tradictory propositions to bee true by the same faith one may beleeue more and another lesse according to the measure of faith that it hath pleased God to bestow vpon them but one cannot beleeue cleane contrary to the other As for example That Saints are to bee praied vnto and that they are not to bee praied vnto That wee may praie for the dead and that wee may not praïe for the dead For one of those propositions must needs bee false wherfore they that beleeue men may bee saued in both these opinions haue no true faith at all because true faith cannot beleeue that which is false and one of these two must needs bee false This may bee yet further confirmed for that those men who thinke one may bee saued in any religion do want the aforesaid true and onlie meanes of vnitie and agreement in one faith for they rely not vpon the explication of the Catholike church which is the only way to hold all men in one faith no more then if they had neuer heard of that article of our Creede I beleeue the holâ—e Catholike church but take as it hath been before declared for their guides in matter of faith either their owne Iudgment skill or spirit or the advise of some of their friends which are much more like to leade them into a hundreth diverse opinions then to reduce them to vnity in faith and religion wherfore it is evident that the vniforme faith of the bodie of Christendome which alone is the true saving faith cannot dwell in one house with that
increase both the wealth and strength of our kingdome is to receiue or admitt of the Roman religion which spayne France and Flanders the richest and noblest regions adioyning next to vs do follow and vphold The ministers rare deuotions vnto the Almighty for the preseruation of the noble Princes life and encrease of honours were vayne and friuolous yea God send they were not hurt full and ominous for of such like the holie Ghost faith Prouer. 28.9 Oratio eius erit execrabilis their praier shal be accursed God comonly punishing them whom Satans seruants praie for and manie times cursing them whom they do blesse And what maruell if wee consider but the strange disposition of his Charitie shall I say or rather of his furie that would haue his Prince bath his sword in the bloud of innocēts and to sheath it in the Bowells not of some hundreds or thousands of such as neuer offended him but of innumerable hundreds of thousands of what sort nation or coūtrie soeuer so they be fauorers and supporters of the Roman religion was it any marvell I saie that the father of mercies and God of all comfort was highlie displeased at the pittiles petition of this bloudy Minister or rather monster From his deuotious and charity sutable to his profession let vs passe vnto his hope expressed in this passage his hope was that Prince Henries highnes should haue a chief part in the suppressing of this Roman religion Maie he not now as once he told mee crie out with the no-vaine poet O spes fallaces o false and deceitfull hopes o vaine confidence in earthly creatures be they neuer so noble and powerfull good reason hath he to do so seing he would not harken vnto the diuine prophet when he said Psalm 145. v. 2. Nolite confidere in principibus in filijs hominum in quibus non est salus Doe not put your trust in princes nor in anie sonnes of mortall men in whom there is no helpe principally for the atchieuing of any such vngodly merciles exployte I come now to the new article of M. Abbots belief that the vtter ruine forfooth of the Roman religion is not far of of which peraduenture he may bee as well assured as euerie protestant is of his owne saluation But bicause this seemeth to be rather a kind of prophecy then anie article of faith why maie not M. Abbot who is not yet knowne to be either a prophet or the sōne of a prophet as wel faile in this his beliefe as he was deceined in his hope And it being the diuination but of a blear eied if not of a blind prophet proceding rather out of his owne lōging then of anie foresight he hath of future euents no man I trow is bound to beleeue him vnles he list Some likelihoods there bee I grant in worldly mens opinions that the Catholike religion may be rooted out of England but when we lift vp our harts to heauen and weigh well the true qualities and nature of Christian religion we see noe euident cause to feare any such imminent daunger nay wee discouer rather motiues to perswade vs to the contrarie to witt that our redemption and the restauration of Catholike religion in our country is neere at hand Not to answer M. Abbot who hath brought no one reason for his surmise but for the consolation of manie heauily distressed and most pitifully afflicted Catholikes my most deare and best beloued countrimen I will briefly examine the causes that may moue worldlings to imagin their fathers old faith to be now in great hazard of vtter ruin and destruction that I may withall shew some reasonable grounds of hope for the speedie reparation therof The first principall cause of the decay of the Catholike faith in our coūtrie earthlie mē esteeme to bee the impouerishing of all them that constantly professe and maintaine the same for seing all Catholikes whom they call Recusants to bee fleeced and spoiled of all their goodes and to haue nothing left for themselues their wiues and their children to liue vpon they presentlie iudge that they cannot long hold out And all men of meanes being once impouerished neither priests who by doctrine administration of Sacraments and good exāple of life are great proppes and staies of religion can be harboured and interteined nor poore prisoners succoured and relieued and cōsequently all Catholikes in short space must needs be vtterlie extinguished Behold the presumptuous discourse of dust and ashes who being not able to raise their thoughts aboue the flatt of the earth or ouer the heades of their cattle doe seldome meditate vpon those words of our blessed Sauiour pauperes Euangelizantur the Ghospell is preached to the poore poore men do more readilie embrace the glad tidings of the ghospell then the rich or vpon that golden sentence of the chosen vessell of his grace videte vocationem vestram fratres 1. Cor. 1. v. 26. c. see your vocation brethren that not many wise according to the flesh not manie mightie not many noble but the foolish things of the world hath God chosen that he may confound the wise and the weake things of the world hath God chosen that hee may cōfound the strong and the base thinges of the world and contemptible hath God chosen and those things which are not that he may destroy those tings that are that no flesh may glory in his sight Being then assured by the truth it self that poore base contemptible creatures in the eie of the world be such as Christ maketh speciall choise of to receiue imbrace and preach his word How can it be probable to amy christian that the stripping men out of their goods is an assured waie to make them to flie from their faith If poore fishermen and others that voluntariely forsooke all they had were esteemed by Christ Iesus the grand master of that heauenly worke the fittest men to make pillers and chiefe members of his holie faith and religion how grosly are they deceiued in the estate and manageing of heauenlie affaires who do dreame that to make all Catholikes poore is to extirpate the Catholike religion when as it is in deed a readie way to make most absolute perfect christians discharged of all earthly clogges more nimble proper and at better leasure to employ themplues wholy and hartily in that spirituall busines And therby also indearing themselues vnto Almightie God for whose quarrell they haue lost all do become more capable and worthie of his greater giftes and blessings who can tell whither our forefathers did not through abundance and superfluitie of temporall wealth forget their dutie to God and by the sinnes that followed thervpon made way to that dissolution of religion which after ensued in our miserable countrie for so it hapned often in Israëll as Moises foretold my beloued waxed grosse and Kicked Deut. 32. v. 15. hee was grosse and exceeding fatt hee forsooke God his Creator and turned away from
seruice and loue towards him Ioh. 15. â— maiorem Charitatem nemo habet quam vt animam suam ponat quis pro amico suo wherfore in the primitiue church it was the common opinion of all Christians that sanguis Martyrum semen sit ecclesiae the blood of Martirs is the seede of the church the sence wherof is recorded in these words of ancient Tertullian directed to the Heathen persecutors Tertul in fine Apolog Neither doth your ouer curious and diligent crueltie preuaile anie whit at all against vs but is rather an allurement to our religion we are multiplied and made more as often as wee are mowed and cut downe by you for the blood of Martirs is the seede of Christians Matth. 13 yea it is compared by diuers holie fathers to that seed which was sowed in the best ground and brought forth an hundreth fold encrease Iustin in Apolog. That glorious and learned Martir S. Iustin comparing Christians to a vine as in the scriptures they be often resembled saith Esai 5. Ioh. 15. that as a vine euerie yeare must be pruned and haue all superfluous branches cut of to make it yeeld more stoare and better fruite so some Christians now and then cut downe and put to death for the Christian religion doth both multiplie and make more perfect Christians To be short I will rehearse but one passage vttered by that golden mouth of S. Io Chrisostome wherin all the forsaid branches of losse of goods losse of libertie and life are couched together without anie feare of losse of their religion Chrisost quod Christus sit Deus Albeit saith hee the faithfull Christians were disgraced despised lost their goods and were cast into prison yea were butchered burned drowned and put to all kind of tortures with the greatest shame and spite that could be deuised like Traitors and publike enemies of the comon weale yet did they alwaies encrease and multiplie As well Maisters as schollers Preists as Lay men were fettered and suffered a thousand kind of euills yet the number of both Maisters and Schollers did grow dailie greater and greater Thus Saint Chrisostome and much more to the same purpose And if it would please our owne Magistrates who are of greater yeeres to call to mind how few priests and recusants were in the daies of Queene Elizabeth when they began first to put priests to death and to heape such heauie penalties vpon recusants in comparison of them that now be they must needes if passion do not much blind them cleerlie see that their persecution hath mightilie augmented our number I out of my small experience may be bold to auouch that since I can well remember for one Romane priest that then was in England there are now litle lesse then twentie And for one recusant then now more then a hundred Haue we not therfore iust cause following euen the light of humane reason and policie to thinke that the Protestants themselues who sit at the helme of government yeelding vnto that sensible argument of their owne manifest experience will shortlie cease the heat of the persecution and bridle those distempered restlesse spirits that seeme to feed vpon other mens sorrowes if it be for no other cause but for the preservation of their owne religion I meane not here to propound to them who are without all comparison exceedinglie far wiser then my selfe how manie great comodities both at home and abroad they might reape by holding a milder course in matter of religion bicause I find small disposition in them to accept of that seruice but for the comfort of afflicted Catholikes my most deere countrimen and brethrene and for the fuller confutation of the new article of M. Abbots false beliefe I haue briefly shewed that to stripp Catholikes of their goods for their religion is to put them though perhaps against their wills to purchase the redemption of that with their penurie which their Ancestors lost through ouer much superfluitie To cast and keepe them in prison is to sequester them from their worldly occupations and therby to make them much apter for heauenlie meditations To hange them like traitors is to prefer them to the glorious crowne of Martirs And all this put together cometh so far to short from rooting out the Romane Religion or from daunting of others from the liking of it that it worketh marvelous effects in many good soules and procureth multitudes to embrace it wherfore M. Abbots dreame of the vtter ruine therof to be at hand maie be aptlie compared to the diuination of those pagans which S. Austin recorded as most absurd when the Gentiles saith hee saw that the church of Christ could not be rooted out with soe manie greiuous persecutions as it had endured Aug. l. 18. de ciuit 54. but that it was therby wounderously enlarged they neuer theles were so blindly bent against it that they would needes appoint a certain time wâ—thin the which it should be vtterlie rooted out which was expired before S. Austen had written those his worthie Bookes of the cittie of God the christian Church much more florishing and enlarging it self then before The like successe will be no doubt vnto M. Abbots dreame who would needes counterfait those malitious Pagans in prognosticating the vtter decay of the Roman religion to approch if wee remaine constant and doe with patience after the example of those ancient noble Christians beare the losse of our goods lands libertie and life in the quarell of Gods cause and for his sacred religion I am not of their mind who looking vpon the helpe of men doe out of human probabilitie either appoint some time when this shall come to passe or on the other side not seing anie mans aide readie at hand do vtterlie despaire of the recouerie of it but do like maruelously well of them who huÌ„blie acknowledging our owne and our forefathers manifold grieuous iniquites to be such that we haue not yet suffred the hundreth part of that which they and wee haue iustlie deserued yet lifting their harts towardes heauen and maturelie pondering vpon God almighties incompreheÌ„sible mercie wisdome and power do conceiue good hope of our speedie redemption for noe Christian can saie his creede but he finds in the first article thereof that God is Almightie he can doe all things when hee will and assoone as he will with one word of his mouth one fiat of his by which he made heauen earth is more then a thousand times sufficient to alter the whole course of the protestants proceeding yea to worke such a strange alteration that they who now be most earnest persecutors of the Romane religion maie after the manner of Saint Paul become most zealous professors and planters of the same for most true is that which good Mardocheus in his deuoute praier confessed Hester 13 O Lord God the disposition of all things doth he in thy hands and there is no man that can resist thy will
argument for the question is about tearmes and a stile of speach wherfore the conclusion must bee so it may not bee tearmed or so it cannot bee stiled and not passing from the tearme or stile to conclude so it is not here one may well demaund how things can bee so tearmed if they bee not so in themselves I answere that it often falleth out that one thing is called by the name of another thing though it bee not fully out the same for example some part maie bee called by the name of whole though it bee not the whole as a part of the aire is called the aire anie part of the water is called water Against which if a man should reason as M. Abbot doth no part is the whole but this is a part of water therfore it is not the whole the conclusion might bee graunted him and yet had hee gotten nothing therby but the imputation of misarguing and not concluding that which was in question the question being whether a part might bee called by the name of the whole which hee toucheth not and not whether it were the whole or noe which only hee disputeth it fareth even so in the former argument for the questioÌ„ being whether with the Catholike church might bee linked in the same stile the church of Rome hee concludes onlie that the church of Rome is not the Catholike church which if wee grant him he were never the nearer for albeit the church of Rome were not the Catholike church taken in vniuerso or absolutely yet may it be called by the name of the whole and much more be in stile linked with the whole first bicause everie particular church that keepeth coÌ„munion of faith and religion with the vniuersall Catholike church may bee called and tearmed the Catholike church which M. Abbot himself confesseth Page 17. and citeth divers good auctours to prooue it as a Leo Epistola 12. Leo pope of the Catholike church of Rome b Collat. cuÌ„ donat cognitione 1. c. 16. Aurelius Bishop of the Catholike church of Carthage c August coÌ„â—rescon l. 3. c. 13. All the Africane Catholike churches and so forth where you see by the ancient stile of approved prelates and Doctors Catholike Roman and Catholike African and such like may verie well in stile bee ioyned togither without any feare of being scorned by the vnskilfull for a particular vniuersall The second reason why wee rather ioyne Roman to Catholike then the name of anie other church is for that the RomaÌ„ church in faith and religioÌ„ never hath been nor never shal bee separated from the vniversall Catholike church as shal bee here after declared whervpon as they shall ever hold togither in soundnes of faith so maie they bee alwaies linked togither in veritie of stile Thirdly for that wee beleeve as euery good Christian ought to do which in this sectioÌ„ shal beproued the Roman church to bee the chief and as it were the head of the vniuersall church and therfore the Roman maie rather in stile bee coopled with the vniversall Catholike then anie other This then is the first fault and that a very foule one which M. Abbot doth committ in this argument he doth not conclude that which is in question but flitteth away from it and quite changeth the tearmes wherefore having altered it he doth say vntruly that hee hath reduced it into moode and figure which if he would haue done rightly thus hee should have framed his argument No particuler church can bee ioyned in stile with the Catholike church or can bee called the Catholike church but the Roman church is a particuler church Ergo it cannot bee ioyned in stile or called the Catholike church If it had been thus reduced into moode and figure as true scholasticall and plaine dealing required it had not had in it anie one good proposition I haue proved already that the maior is false because anie particuler church sound in faith and religion may bee called the Catholike church and ioyned in stile with the Catholike even as well and as truly as any part of the aire may bee called the aire And more specially the churh of Rome for the priviledges it hath of continuing alwaies in the true faith and for her superiority in governement The minor also or second proposition is not vniversally true for albeit that church of Rome that is conteyned within the walls and Diocesse of Rome bee a particuler church yet the church of Rome in a larger signification maie bee taken for the whole Catholike church and designe aswell the true church of fraunce of England or anie other nation as that of Italy which I will demonstrate in the next paragraff wherfore the minor proposition which is but the church of Rome is a particuler church is not absolutely true bicause it may aswell bee taken for the vniversall as for a particuler church both the premisses then and former propositions being subiect to reprehension the conclusion must needes bee starke naught Briefly in that argument wherof the Protestants do make such account there bee three foule faults Two bee in it as they frame it the first in that it mistaketh or changeth the tearmes and in steed of coÌ„cluding the Roman church not to bee called or stiled the Catholike church they conclude that it is not the Catholike The second in that they take for granted that the Roman church is onlie a particuler church when as it may and is often taken for the vniversall The third fault will shew it self in the first proposition when the argument comes to bee rightly framed thus No particuler church can be called or stiled the Catholike church which is most false bicause every true particuler church may bee called the Catholike church or stiled with the Catholike M. Abbots secoÌ„d argument being not much vnlike the first may in like manner bee defeated yet more shal bee said of it in the fourth paragraff Nowe to make good the reasons that I have given why the church of Rome may bee more speciallie linked with the Catholike in stile namely for her superiority in governement this present paragraff must bee employed where M. Abbot doth what hee can to infringe the same in the next section it shal bee proued that the Roman church may well signifie the whole Catholike church in the last sectioÌ„ of this chapter wee shall speake a word or two of M. Abbots later argument Concerning the supremacie of the church of Rome M. Abbot acknowledgeth to beloÌ„g vnto that church as it then was eminency of place precedeÌ„ce of honour authoritie of estimation but no authoritie of power or superiority in government over any of the rest which to make good hee instituteth a long disorderly discourse now carping at that which I said before in defence of that superioritie of government then powring forth many arguments confusedly some heere some there to disprove the same so that I can scarse devise how to range them in
vniforme in holie rites and māners should establish some one at the least to resolue infallibly all the rest in all doubtfull questions that should arise amōg them which he forsaw would be almost innumerable And to endow him with sufficient power and authority to kepe all the rest in order and due obedience This is that which wee maintaine he did for S. Peter and his successors the Bishops of Rome having his owne expresse word for our warrant being vnderstood according vnto the learned exposition and prudent practise of the most ancient holy pastors and prelates of Christs church as hath been before declared Thus much to shew how vnsoundly M. Abbot interpreteth that text of holy scripture and how vnproperly and feebly hee seeketh to shift from the most literall and vniforme exposition of the ancient Doctors Now I come to examine the exceptions that hee taketh against some sentēces that I alleaged out of the said holy fathers to the same purpose My first and principall author was the most learned and holie Archbishop of Lions S. Ireneus who with his blood sealed his doctrine 1400 yeares agoe Hee teacheth plainly that the Roman church is the greatest and most autentike and that hee and others by alleaging the traditions which the Apostles had lest to that church and their faith by succession of Bishops descending downe to his daies did confound and put to shame all wranglers who either of ignorance vaine glorie or envy did teach otherwise then they should haue done And for an vpshott addeth this reason which I did before cite to prove that wee must all ioyne in matter of faith with the church of Rome to witt For it is necessarie that everie church that is all the faith full everie where do agree with the church of Rome Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 3. Sed quoniam valde longum est in hoc tali volumine omnium ecclesiarum enumerare successiones maximae antiquissima omnibus cognitae à gloriosissimis duobus Apostolis Petro Paulo Roma fundata constituta ecclesiae eam quam habet ab Apostolis traditionem annunciatam hominibus fidem per successiones Episcoporum pervenientem vsque ad nos indicantes confundimus omnes eos qui quoqu◠modo vel per sui placentiam malam vel vanam gloriam vel per caecitatem malam sententiam praeter quam oportet colligunt Ad hanc enim ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire ecclesiam hoc est eos qui sunt vndique fideles in qua semper ab his qui sunt vndique conservata est ea quae est ab Apostolis traditio for her more mightie principalitie Bicause in it the traditions which descended from the Apostles hath been alwaies preserved round about Note first a most cleere proofe of that for which I cited it to witt that everie church yea everie faithfull man must not of curtesie but of necessitie accord with the church of Rome in matter of faith and religion Bicause in it as in a rich treasurie that doctrine which the Apostles taught is kept whole and sound to which M. Abbot saith that if wee take the reason added by Irenaeus but concealed by mee it will plainly appeare why it was necessarie for the other churshes to accord with the church of Rome for this church saith he for the renowme of the place being then the seat of the Empire was the most eminent church of the world I answere that I concealed nothing And this reason added by M. Abbot is wholie mistaken for there is no mention in Irenaeus of either the Emperors power or seate for that mighty principality is proper to the church of Rome for her spirituall dignitie And it is most absurd to thinke that the church of Rome in those ancient daies of S. Irenaeus when the Emperours were most deadly ennemies of the Christian name gott any reputation with other churches by the worldly renowme of those persecuting Emperors who raigned there for that their wicked glorie was rather a whetstone to hatred and contempt then anie allurement to loue and estimation This great respect then being borne vnto the church of Rome before the Emperors of Rome were converted to be Christians is a most manifest argument that the principality of the church of Rome was not gotten by the renowme of that city nor by the glorie of these heathen peesecuting Emperors but for that the best learned and most holie prelats of all countries were taught by the Apostles and their schollers that it was our blessed Saviours pleasure and ordinance that such regard and obediēce should bee yeelded vnto the church of Rome were the Emperors therof heathens or Christians good or bad It was in deed verie convenient that the prince of the Apostles and head of Christs church should be there seated where the Monarch of the temporall estate held his court to the intent that impietie being there crushed as it were in the head might the sooner decaie all the bodie over And true godlines being happely planted in the cheif place might with more facility and speed bee spred in all other nations and also that mē might bee more easily induced to yeeld religious obedience to the Bishop of that place vnto whose tēporall magistrates the whole world before had obeied in temporall affaires But this is to bee attibuted to our Saviours devine wisdome order institution Not vnto the greatnes or worldlie pollicie of anie earthly Emperors M. Abbot seing little hold to bee taken vpon the renowme of that place as the state of things went then doth acknowledg that in those daies the church of Rome was pure sound therfore fitt to be propounded as a patterne for other churches to imitate But now the case is altered as he saith bicause the church of Rome it self is now questioned for swarving from the tradition of the Apostles which being soe that cannot be said to bee necessarie now which was necessarie then This answer hath as litle solidity in it as the other For the church of Rome it self was as well chalenged in those daies for swarving from the Apostles tradition by the Mōtanists Marcionists and such like Heretikes as now by the Lutherans Calvinists and Anabaptists And neuertheles the renowmed prelates of Christs church and most firme pillers of our Christian religion did then teach all Christians to make their recourse vnto the same church for resolution of the true faith wishing them to conforme themselues therto and by avouching boldlie that doctrine which they found there maintained to confound all them that taught the contrary as yee haue heard out of Irenaeus Let vs therfore as kind children treading in the right steps of those our most laudable forfathers seeke with them vnto that same church of Rome for the veritie of that doctrine which descended from the Apostles imbrace it most willingly and professe it as constantlie though we heare our holie mother to be
but M. Abbot saīth ouer lauishly and as it were dotingly that I do report them falsly for he himself as you shall presently see cannot denie but that I alleage them truly Let vs examin the particulers Ambros in oratione de obitu satyri fratris S. Ambrose say I tooke it to bee all one to saie the Catholike or the Roman church yea he putteth the Romā church as an explication of the Catholike church His good brother satyrus after a shipwrack arrived in Sardinia which was infected with the Luciferiā heresie being carefull not to cōmunicate with any heretikes demāded of that Bishop whom he had sent for to baptise him Aduocauit ad se Episcopum nec vllam veram putauit nisi vera fidei gratiam percontatusque ex eo est vtrumnam cum Episcopis Catholicis hoc est cum Romana Ecclesia conueniret sorte ad id locorum in schismate regionis illius ecclesiae erat whether he did accord with the Catholike Bishops that is with the church of Rome He feared lest the name Catholike was not sufficient to describe true beleevers in an hereticall countrie bicause heretikes do oftentimes call themselues Catholikes and therfore asked whether they were such Catholikes as accorded with the church of Rome that is whether he was a Roman Catholike or no giving vs to vnderstand that they onlie were true Catholikes and onlie to be communicated withall in holie rites who accorded with the church of Rome in faith and religion All this is so true and evident that M. Abbot cannot denie any one word of it Did he not then spitefully over-reach when hee said that I reported my authors falsly He hath no other shift then to saie that in those daies the church of Rome as the most famous and chief church was most fit to bee named in such a case But now the case is altered bicause the church of Rome is fallen from that eminent perfection and is it self now called into question This answere is nothing els then in plaine tearmes petere principium that is to giue that for the solution as a confessed truth which is the maine question is he so destitute of cōmon sence as to thinke that we will or ought to take that for currant coyne and good paiment which we hold for very refuse and drosse All the world knowes that we beleeve the church of Rome not to be changed in any one article of faith wherfore he ought not to returne to vs for a knowen truth that the church of Rome is changed yet the poore mans feeble forces being quite spent he is constrayned to giue the same vnreasonable answere againe againe for he maketh the same answer vnto the like testimony taken out of S. Hierom who demādeth of Ruffinus speaking of his faith which he calleth his faith Hieron Apol. 1. c. Ruff. Fidem suam quam vocat eamne qua Romana pollet Ecclesia an illam quae in Originis voluminibus continetur si Romanam responderit ergo Catholici sumus qui nihil de Originis errore transtulimus either that which the church of Rome professeth or that which is contayned in the books of Origen If he answere the Roman faith then are wee Catholikes c. which doth implie that it was all one with S. Hierom to saie the Roman faith and the true Catholike faith All which M. Abbot confesseth to be true and therby cleereth mee from that imputation of misreporting my authors Afterward he asketh what is here said of the Roman church that might not likewise haue bene said of any other church professing the true faith well let vs admitt that the same might haue been said of any other church vnder that conditiō that they had professed the true faith yet because the ancient Fathers were not so well assured of the perpetuall infallibilitie of any other church as they were of the church of Rome therfore they preferred the communion of the Roman Church before all other and therin ordinarilie made their instances And for that M. Abbot doth euer and anone come in with this answer that the church of Rome was then the true Church but now it is cleane changed and takes this to be as sharpe as the sword at Delphos and as fit to cut all knotts asonder that can not otherwise be loosed I will here set downe some reasons which did induce these holy Doctors and much more ought to persuade vs to beleeue that the church of Rome shall euer continue firme in the faith The ancients made no doubte but that Christes Church should continue to the worlds ende and retaine the same forme of government which he him self had established in it which most Protestants now are also come to confesse but as I haue before prooued the same most learned and blessed fathers both beleeued and taught the Bishops and Church of Rome to be as it were the rock and foundation of Christs church wherfore like as the house must needes fall to the grounde whose foundation faileth so the catholick church could not stand inuiolable to the later day if the Roman church which is the chiefest member support therof should perish It were needelesse to repeate here those sentences of the ancient Doctors once before produced in confirmation of this argument I wil be cōtent with one text of S. Austin that doth both directly crosse M. Abbots supposition and manifestly prooue this my assertion These be his wordes If the Pedegree of Bishops succeding one another be to be considered August epistola 165. Si enim ordo episcoporum sibi inuicem succedentium considerandus est quanto rectius vere salubriterab ipso Petro numeramus cui totius Ecclesiae figuram gerenti Dominus ait super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam how much more rightly and assuredly do we recken frō S. Peter him self vnto whom bearing the figure of the whole church our Lord said vpon this Rock I will build my church To Peter succeeded Linus c. Behold how fully S. Austin had 1200. yeares before hand confuted M. Abbots proposition M. Abbot saith that the fathers might as well haue alleaged their communion with any other church as with the church of Rome Not so saith S. Austin but if the successiō of Bishops be to be regarded as it is very highly to be esteemed and the cōmunion in faith and Religion with thē then that of the Bishops and church of Rome is more right and better assured then any other Obserue also the same reason giuē by that most renowmed Doctor which I before deliuered because vpon S. Peter who was the roote and stock of the Roman Pedegree as vpon a Rock Christ built his church against which the gates of Hell shall not preuaile wherfore in another place he is bold to tell the donatistes that the see or church of Rome is that rock against which the proud gates of hell shall not preuaile Againe doth not our
barke against that so apparant truth which the sound corps of all true beleeving men do most constantly and gloriously confesse I hauing before shewed at large how neither S. Austin nor the African Bishops did deny anie one branch of the Bishop of Romes primacy no not so much as forbid their owne Bishops to appeale vnto the court of Rome And did otherwise in sundry sorts declare their dutifull obedience vnto the same sea of Rome M. Abbots inference out of his owne mistaking and error is wholy disappointed To conclude then this paragraff it doth remaine most assured and cleere that our blessed Saviour made S. Peter and his successors that rock vpon which he built his church therby giving them supreme power and authority to govern his whole church not for any limited nunber of yeares but for so long as his church should continue a church that is to the worlds end for against it the gats of hell shall never prevaile Secondly it is as certen that the Bishops of Rome be in that charge of government ouer all the church S. Peters lawfull successors with whom therfore whosoeuer ioyneth in matter of faith and religion shall never be deceiued nor fall in to schisme and against whoÌ„ whosoeuer barketh and opposeth himself hee not only barketh and laboreth in vaine as S. Austin speaketh but if he do obstinatly persever therin he therby to vse Optatus words before rehearsed becometh both a sinner and a schismatike From which most hainous crimes our sweet Saviour of his infinit mercie and goodnes deliuer all my most deere frinds and best beloued countrymen THE SVMME OF THE third paragraff or section W. B. ALBEIT the church of Rome strictly taken doth comprehend those Christians only that dwell within the citie and Diocese of Rome yet it is vsed by men of both sides to designe the faithfull of all countries that in religion do fully agree with the same and that specially because they do acknowledg the Bishop of Rome to bee vnder Christ the supreme governor therof As in times past the Roman Empire did not containe the territory of Rome alone or countrie of Italy but all lands and nations that professed obedience to the Emperor of Rome And like as in the primitiue church the title Catholike was added to Christian to distinguish true Christians from heretikes Even so now a daies when heretiks are growne so audacious as to arrogate vnto themselues the name of Catholiks though their religion bee nothing lesse theÌ„ Catholike the word RomaÌ„ is ioyned to Catholike to separate true Catholikes from counterfeit the Roman Catholike signifying those Catholiks that in faith and religion do perfectly agree with the church of Rome R. AB I Do confesse my self to bee one of those Doctors that know not this new found distinction of the Roman church to witt that it may bee taken either for the Diocesse of Rome or for all churches that in faith fully agree with the Roman M. Bishop can bring neither scripture nor any ancient writer for the warrant of it Secondly it being admitted that the churche of Rome may be taken for all churches agreing in faith with it yet it remaineth still a particular church bicause there be many other churches in Europe and Asia that do not agree with it in faith nor acknowledg her chiefty ouer their churches For example the churches of Luther Caluin and such like in Europe and certain other schismaticall churches in other parts of the world And as in the time of the Roman Empire there were many other kingdomes in the world so now besids the Roman church there be many other churches Moreouer the fathers haue told vs of the Latin and Greeke of the East and west churches Pighius Eccl. Hier. l 6. c. 3. but neuer specifie the Roman to signifie the whole church And Pighius asketh who did euer by the Roman church vnderstand the vniuersall church Albeit the Bishops of Rome wrote themselues Bishops of the Catholike church Yet they meant of that part of the Catholike church which was in Rome when the Catholike french man doth say we bee of the Catholike Roman church wee vnderstand them therby to take part with the church of Rome but the church of Rome is that of Rome only and is factiously called the Catholike church which is the whole and the Roman put to it is a tearme of diminution and abridgeth the whole to a part To them therfoee may be applied that of Optatus against the Donatists you would haue your selues Optat. l. 2. con Po rin only to be the whole who are not in all the whole And if in ancient times when there were so manie heresies it was thought a sufficient distinction to ioyne Catholike to Christian why is it not sufficient now a â—â—ies It is the Inuention of Antichrist and his badge to chalenge to himself and his only to bee the whole Catholike church That name Roman is a name of sect and schisme This is the summe of all which M. Abbot saith in this paragraff or section W. B. IN this section is discouered a second falacy of that false argument which they so often vse No particuler church can be the Catholike church but the Roman is a particuler church Ergo it cannot bee the Catholike church In the precedent section I haue laid open the manifold faults of this their argument shewing first the conclusion if it were granted not to bee to the purpose for the point in question was not whether the Roman church were the whole Catholike church or no but whether the word Roman in stile might bee couched with the Catholike church that is whether one might sensybly and trulie saie and write The Catholike Roman church they say yea we say no to make good their assertion they a vouch the church of Rome not to be the whole church we answere that the proof is not to the purpose albeit that were true for though it were not the whole church yet it might be called by the name of the whole not onely because euery part of that kind may be called by the name of the whole but also for that it is such a part as shall neuer be seperated from the whole and consequently as in existence it is alwaies close coupled with the whole so may it very well in stile be interlaced with it Secondly I affirmed that taking the church of Rome for a part yet it being the most eminent part it might very iustly giue name to the whole according to that axiome approued by all the learned A parte principaliore denominatur totum the whole is named after some principall part the whole land of Israël was called Iury of the principall tribe therof Iuda And our own country wherin dwelt both Saxons and Vites aswell as English men was named England when one of the English attained to the monarchy in like maner the church of Rome being the head of the rest as before I haue prooued though
it be not the whole yet may very well denominate the whole And so it hath done by the consent of both friends and foes for as we tearme all of our religion Roman Catholikes so the protestantes do nickname them Papists or Romanistes both taking the name from Rome or the bishop of Rome wherfore it is manifest that that common hackney of the protestants doth not conclude the point that was in question which no man doubteth to be one of the fowlest faults that cā be in arguing I laid in a second exception against the second proposition of that argument which is But the Roman church is a particular church For that the Roman church may bee either taken precisely for the Diocese of Rome or more largly for the faithfull dispersed through the whole world that do imbrace the same faith which they of Rome do professe The Roman church so taken say I is no particular church but extends it self vnto the vtmost bounds of the whole Catholike church to which M. Abbot doth make answere in this section And in the begining confesseth verie strangley that hee is one of those Doctors that do not vnderstand this new found distinction Hee might perhaps haue said truly that hee liked it not but for a Doctor to say that hee could not reach to that which a meanewitted scholler would make no difficultie to conceiue cannot bee but a great disparagement either to his witt or to his will or to both About the first acception of the Roman church there is no manner of doubt And touching the 2. what difficutie is it to vnderstand all those to bee members of the Roman church who take the Bishop of Rome to bee their chief pastor and besides are in all articles of faith and forme of government vnited with the Roman Do not the protestāts themselues in euery countrie by nicknaming vs Romanists and Papists giue all men to vnderstand that they take all such to be members of the Roman church If then both in England France Germany and other countries by the testimonie aswell of protestants as Catholikes all they that in faith and religion agree with the church of Rome bee taken for members of the same church would any man master of his owne wits make any difficultie to grant that all such may be said to bee of the church of Rome And that therfore the church of Rome may bee taken to cōprehend all them of what nation soeuer they bee what warrant I can bring for this out of the ancient writers shal bee shorrly after shewed though this matter be in it self so sensible and almost palpable that hee must needs confesse himself to be little better then a verie blockhead that cannot vnderstand it yea M. Abbot presently after shewes himself to perceiue that well enough for better aduised he admits it for true and disputs against it in this manner Be it so that the church of Rome is vsually taken to signifie other churches submitting themselues to the church of Rome yet it doth not comprehend other churches that do not submit themselues to the same nor acknowledg her chiefty As the protestant churches in Europe and some schismaticall churches in Asia Ah sir you shew cleerly enough that you vnderstood before that distinction of mine why then did you that wrong to your owne reputation as to confesse your self to be one of those Doctors that could not conceiue it You meant then belike to make some simple foole beleeue that I to vphold my part was forced to coyne a new found distinctiō neuer heard of before but the wind being presently changed it is but an ordinary and vsuall distinstion and may bee answered in the manner that you haue endeuored to answere it To which I replie briefly and roundly that those churches which acknowledg not the chiefty of the church of Rome or do obstinatlie denie any other article of the christian faith professed by the same church be no Orthodox nor true churches at all but either hereticall or schismaticall congregations members onlie of the malignant church And therfore though the church of Rome do not comprehend them yet it doth neuertheles comprehend all Orthodox and Catholike churches That all those malignant churches and euerie member of them that either err in matter of faith defined or are by schisme deuided from the church of Rome be no true churches at all To omit diuerse other arguments because this is not a place to handle at large that question let these few testimonies suffice Saint Austin saith He that beleeueth any false thing of God or of anie part of the doctrine that appertains vnto the edification of faith Aug. l. quest in Math. q. 11. Si enim falsa de deo credit vel de aliqua parte doctrinae quae ad fidei pertinet aedificationem ita vt non quaerentis cunctatione tentatus sit sed inconcusse credentis nec omnino scientis opinione atque errore discordans Haereticus est foris est animo quamuis corporaliter intus videatur that not doubtingly with a mind to bee better enstructed but resolutely obstinately hee is an heretike and in soule out of the church though in body hee seeme to liue in it which elswhere he repeats coupling schismatiks and heretiks together and declaring both their congregations to bee no part of the Catholik church in these words we beleeue the holie church that surelie which is Catholike Idem de fide Simbolo ca 10. Credimus sanctam Ecclesiam vtique Catholicam nam haeretici schismatici congregationes suas Ecclesias vocant Sed Haeretici de deo falsa sentiendo ipsam fidem violant schismatici autem discissionibus iniqùis a fraterna Charitate dissiliunt quamuis ea credunt quae credimus Quapropter nec haereticus pertinet ad ecclesiam Catholicam quae diligit deum nec schismatitus quoniam diligit proximum for heretikes and schismatikes do call their congregations churches but heretikes beleeuing false things of God do breake their faith and schismatiks by wilfull diuisions do leape from brotherly charitie wherfore neither doth the heretike belong to the Catholike church bicause shee loues god nor the schismatike for that shee loues heir neighbor which doctrine he might haue drawen out of Saint Ciprian who vnder the name of the Novatians doth teach That heretikes be like vnto Apes who though they bee no men Ciprian epistola 73. ad Iubaianum Nouatianus simiarum more quae cum homines non sint homines tamen imitantur vult ecclesiae Catholicae auctoritatem sibi veritatem vindicare quando ipse in Ecclesia non sit imo c. yet do counterfeit men so heretikes albeit they bee out of the church yet do chalenge to themselues the truth and authority of the church with them accordeth Saint Hierom saying when you shall heare of any Christians that take not their name from Iesus Christ Hieron co lucif in fine
Sicubi audieru eos qui dicuntur Christi non a Iesu Christo sed a quoquam alio nuncupari vtputa Marcionistas valentinianos montenses scito non Ecclesiam Christi sed Antichristi esse synagogam but froÌ„ other men as Marcionists valentinians or such like as are now a daies Lutherans Zuinglians c. be you well assured that they belong not to the church of Christ but to the Sinagogue of Antichrist Out of this sound doctrine of the ancient fathers and approued doctors M. Abbots obiection is easily solued For albeit there be many erring congregations which would gladlie bee called churches and do chaleÌ„ge to theÌ„selues the name and authoritie of the church which the church of Rome doth not comprehend yet those congregations being no more true churches then Apes be men the church of Rome maie bee truly said to compreheÌ„d all the Catholike church though it do not containe any of theÌ„ they being for their ertors in faith and disvnioÌ„ in matter of religion by the verdict of the auncieÌ„t fathers esteemed rather schismatikes parts of sathaÌ„s sinagogue then any members of Christs Catholike church I am not ignoraÌ„t that there be certain good fellowe Libertins who more willing to please men with plausible doctrine then to acquaint them with Gods iust iudgments And to make some shew that theire church hath been alwaies a member of the visible Catholike church do teach that even schismatikes and heretikes so they erre not in some fundamentall points of religion be notwithstanding reall and true members of the Catholike church Against whose error I meane god willing to make a chapter in this booke wherfore I will not here stand to confute it But admitting it here for passable I do not see any reason why in the waie of that opinion the Roman church may not comprehend even those vnpure churches too For albeit they do not acknowledg the chiefty of the Roman church nor agree with it in all articles of faith yet they acknowledging the Roman to hold all those fundamentall articles of faith must needs grant that they do agree with it in all points that are of necessitie to bee beleeued On the other side they cannot deny but that they are all descended out of the same Roman church not being able to shew any other stocke or pedegree out of which their church is issued and sprung why then should they not yeeld that honor vnto the same as to acknowledg themselues members of her from whom they deriue their descent and pedigree and with whom they do agree in all fundameÌ„tall points of doctrine though in some other not necessarie in their opinion to be beleeued they do dissent from her Neither is that example of the Roman Empire well applied by M. Abbot For albeit there were and bee many kingdomes in the world besids the Roman Empire not subiect therto nor any meÌ„bers therof yet there be not nor cannot bee many christian churches wherof the one is not a member of the other For all Christian creeds do teach vs to beleeue that there is but one only church not many Ephes 4. Cant. 6.8 One spouse of Christ one body of Christ vna est columba mea c. which is the common doctrine of the auncient fathers after S. Ciprian and Saint Austin who haue made whole treatises of the vnitie of the church So that though there be many distinct kingdomes independent one of the other yet there cannot bee many such churches but all and euerie particuler true church is a true member of the one only Catholike church All of them perfectly agreeing togither in society of faith in vnity of sacraments and in forme of government Consequently the head mother church such as before I haue proued the Roman church to bee may convenientlie bee vsed to signifie all the rest No man denies the more proper signification of the church of Rome to bee the city or Diocese of Rome it self in which sense Albertus Pighius doth truly say of it That it is a particular church and not to be taken for the vniuersall church Notwithstanding it is in more large signification often taken for the whole Catholike church not only of moderne writers but also of the most ancient and holy fathers to witnes wherof I take these few following Saint Ciprian sent the copie of Antonianus letter to Cornelius bishop of Rome Cipr. epistola 52. to assure him that the said Antonian did comunicate with him that is with the Catholike church vt scires illum tecum hoc est cum Catholica ecclesia comunicare where that most learned prelate and glorious Martir put as a thing by it self well knowen that to comunicate with the pope of Rome is to communicate with the Catholike church with him accordeth Saint Ambrose Ambros oratione defratic Satyro relating how his brother Satyrus was cast on shore in Sardinia or therabout where Catholiks and heretiks were blended and mixt together and being desirous to bee baptised by a Catholike Bishop when one was presented to him to do that good office he to trie whâ—ther he were Catholike or no demaunded of him Si cum Catholicis hoc est cum Romanis consentiret If he did agree with the Catholikes that is to say with the Romanes Putting as we do now Roman for a certaine marke and as it were an explication of a true Catholike The like doth Saint Hierom when he asked of Ruffinus what faith hee professed Hic oni Apol 〈◊〉 câ—â— Ruffinum whether that that florished in the church of Rome or that which was contayned in the bookes of Origine Si Romanam responderit ergo Catholici sumus If hee answere the Roman faith then bewe Catholiks and free from the errors of Origen where he setteth the Roman faith to signifie the Catholike faith yea sheweth that of the Roman faith Christians are denominated Catholikes The same doth the auncient christian poet Prudentius chaunt in these verses Fugite o miseri execranda Nouati Schismata Catholicis vos reddite populis Prudent in hymno de Hipolito Vnasedes vigeat prisco quae condita seclo est Quam Paulus tenuit quaÌ„que cathedra Petri. O poore soules from Nouatus cursed schisme do you flie And with speede yeeld your selues vnto the Catholike party That only seate florish which in auncient time founded S. Paul vpheld and where the chaire of Peter was grounded This godly and holy man esteemed it all one to yeeld your self to the Catholike partie and to vnite your self to the sea of Rome So did that puissant Christian Emperor Theodosius the younger when hee exhorted the Bishop of Berca and his followers to declare themselues approued priests of the Roman religion imploing the Roman for the Catholike religion which was with all persons so vsuall and current in those better times Concil Ephesin Tom. 1. c. 10. that even the old rotten Arrian heretikes did by the same name of Roman designe all true
three patriarchall seas Alexandria Antioch and Ierusalem as is recorded in the same councell In which faith continued the said three patriarchall seas till the yeare of our lord 1517 when Luther began his tragedy as stands of record in the generall councell of LateraÌ„ held vnder Leo the tenth where the obedience also of Peter Patriarch of the Armenians vnto the church of Rome was presented by his orators since which tyme as somtimes also before albeit those churches for the greater part fell often away into schisme and heresie yet there remained alwaies and do to this time continue still among them many good soules that do constantly retayne and keepe the true doctrine of the church of Rome in all points And the Greeke church hath in Rome it self a Seminary as many other nations haue at this daie to breed and trayne vp their young students as in all other vertues and pietie so principally in the true faith of the church of Rome wherfore albeit the publike face of religion be now in those churches as it is in our countrie yet there want not true Roman Catholikes in those parts no more then there do God be thanked in our country to baptise reconcile and to perfome all other christian duties appertayning to the rites of the Roman church whence it followeth that there are two vntruthes in the former part of M. Abbots new resemblance for we are so farr of from saying the Catholike church to be perished ouer all the world that wee affirme it rather to be at this present day much increased and multiplied which doth controwle the former part of M. Abbots position we say more ouer that in those verie patriarchall seas though the outward face of religion be disfigured and corrupted yet doth the Roman religion remayne there entire and sound though not openly countenanced by the state yet by the godly practised in secret Let vs now proceed to the second particularity to wit that the Donatists laide the foundation of their church in Africa and from thence would haue had all other churches to haue bene restored to their former integrity when did they begin to laie that foundation about 300 yeares after Christ in constantine the great his raigne who was he that laid that foundation One Maiorinus or Donatus of whom the rest tooke their name doth it not herehence that I go no further presently appeare a great difference between the church of Rome and the church of the Donatists The church of Rome began in the Apostles dayes and had for her chief Architects the princes of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul wheras the Donatists began their revolt from the said church of Rome 300 yeares after vnder the afore said blind guides wherfore there is no comparison to be made betweene either the foundation or founders of the one with the other But saith M. Abbot The Donatists gaue their church as gallant and braue a title as the church of Rome had for they called it the Catholike church and desired as earnestly as the Romanistes do to haue had it spred all the world ouer True for the title of Catholike true also that they had a feruent desire to haue had it spred farr and neare But their doctrine being the vaine leasings of feeble mortall men had too small force and vertue in it to disperse it self so farr abrode and not being planted by the heavenly father it did not take any deepe root so that albeit those busy fellowes laboured tooth and naile to in large the limits of their doctrine into the out most coasts of the earth that it might haue wonn the name of Catholike yet they could neuer obtaine it nor come within tenthousand mile of it wheras the doctrine and religioÌ„ of the church of Rome as a fruitfull tree plaÌ„ited by the watet side did spread her branches nto all nations and hath even since the Apostles daies even to our time continued a true part of the Catholike church by M. Abbots owne confession as you shall see heerafter in this chapter so that in fine there is left no resemblance at all in this reformed part of the comparison saving that the Donatists had a vaine desire to haue their sect dilated as amply as was the Catholike Roman faith But it began 300. years after the Roman and hath not by 1300 continued so long nor yet could for any short space of time dilate it self so largely wherfore it could not come neere vnto a shadow of the title of Catholike Touching the coÌ„uersion of the Indies it must needs grieve any good christian hart to heare how conteÌ„ptuously and prophaneliet his vnsanctified Abbot doth speake of it first he writes that we may say of their conversion what wee list because those countries are so farr of that they are not like to trauaile so farr to search whether we say true or no. They are peradventure more like to make some iournay thitherward to search out some of the IndiaÌ„ gold then to seeke after the conuersion of the poore Indian soules yet if they will not of themselues take the paynes nor vndergo the hazard to win soules let theÌ„at least afford others their good word that will refuse no paines nor perill in so blessed an enterprise If there were any sparke of Christian Charity in theÌ„ would they not rather reioyce then repine that the faith of Christ is so vniuersally embraced so religiously obserued in those most ample and rich dominions If M. Abbot hath not as hee here pretendeth inquired after the manner of their conuersion how knowes he that there bee so few and they so bad Christians should not an even mind out of commoÌ„ christian charity in cases vnknowne iudge the best and giue his sentence rather in fauour of the Christian Religion then against it but M. Abbot making out of his owne mind that bad construction may not that of the poet be iustlie cast vpoÌ„ him mala meÌ„s malus animus for vnles hee did cary a wicked affectioÌ„ towards the enlargemeÌ„t of Christs kiÌ„gdome not knowing how the case there standeth hee would neuer haue chosen to make the worst report therof that can bee imagined well he that doth not desire to remayne wilfully blind and altogither ignoraÌ„t in those happy tidings of the reducing of so many millions of soules from Idolatry to the knowledg of the true liuing God and vnto the participation of the merits of our most blessed Saviour Iesus Christ may read the histories of their coÌ„versioÌ„ coÌ„posed by men almost of all nations of whom many were eye witnesses of that they writ There shall they find manie notable monuments aswell of the holines of their preachers testifyed by miracles as of the devotion of the people newly converted and of their great sincerity If among the souldiers and marchants which went with the religious priests and preachers thâ—re were more covetousnes cruelty and disagrement then was convenient let not the disorders of those worldly and
churches saue the Roman do err as they say they maie how shall a man then in communicating with the Roman communicate with all other churches then must you needs saie that by communicating with that particular church of Rome you do become Catholike finally M. Bishop doth overthrow himself For if a man become a Catholike by communicating with the church of the whole world and by coÌ„municating with the church of Rome he doth communicate with the church of the whole world then communicating with the particular church of Rome the name of Catholike doth belong to him To be short if the Donatists could haue had their way they would not haue doubted to say asmuch of their church as M. Bishop doth hereof his to wit that men should bee called Catholiks by communicating with the African church not as it was contained within the bounds of Africa but for that in communicating with that church you did enter into communion with all other churches spred over all the world w. B. IN the forefront of this chapter M. Abbot ingraued this title The comparison betwixt the Donatists and Papists iustified And yet we see in the beginning of euery section an open confessioÌ„ of some fault made by himself in the same comparison I said the Donatists I should haue said the Rogatists c well though it cannot be denied but that this is a very simple kind of Iustification yet I am content it passe for some kind of satisfaction be it permitted to M. Abbot for a sory shift to flit vp and downe before from the Rogatists in Mauritania to the Donatists in Africa now back againe from the Donatists to the Rogatists who saith hee did expound the word Catholike of perfection of faith which to haue been otherwise I haue shewed in the second section of this chapter well those honest Rogatists affirmed themselues only to bee true Catholiks and by consequence held none to be Catholikes but such as ioyned with them So did the Donatists in Africa The Papists do the like for their church therfore they resemble the Donatists And do not the protestants put in the same plea for their church therfore they be also Donatists And did not the old Arrians affirme and say asmuch in favour of their church were they also Donatists Is not this then a proper resemblance betwixt the Donatists and Papists that will agree vnto all kind of sects yea vnto the true Catholike church it self to which alone in deed it doth rightfully apperteine yet it is vsuall to all sectaries that take their errors for truth to qualify and grace their sect with the title of the true reformed church This resemblance then is so triviall that a man of any sharpnes of wit would haue been ashamed to haue framed it But if M. Abbots inventioÌ„ were dry and dull when he proposed that we shall now find it fluent and acute in reproving what I answered of the church of Rome to wit If the communion of the church of Rome passed not out of the wals of Rome then by communicating with the church of Rome wee should not become Catholiks But bicause it is farr otherwise with the church of Rome then it was with the church of Cartenna and that in communicating with the church of Rome we enter into the communion of the church dilated all the world ouer therfore wee become Catholiks in communicating with the church of Rome about which M. Abbot makes a foule fumbling but in fine cannot impeach it hee saith first it is contrary to that which I had before taught viz to communicate with the church of Rome was to become Catholike But this hee saw to be so simple that hee corrected it himself presently for I never said otherwise but by communicating with the Roman church wee became Catholiks And my reason alwaies was bicause the communion of the church of Rome did reach into all the coasts of the earth He giueth the second assaut against it by averring that therof it would ensue that one became Catholike now a dayes otherwise then of old bicause then it was sufficient to communicate wâ—â—h the church dispersed ouer all and now wee must communicate with the church of Rome to communicate with the church spred ouer all Is not this a high point and a very great subtiltie when one doth communicate with the church spred ouer all doth hee not euen then communicate with the church of Rome also that is the chief of them all Or was there any time since the Apostles dayes when there was no church of Rome that one might haue communicated with the church spred ouer all and yet not haue communicated with the church of Rome Yea did not they that wrote against the Donatists I meane S. Austin and Optatus make speciall instance in the communion of the church of Rome aswell as I do now to proue their societie with the whole Catholike church S. Austin saith of Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage who was principally oppugned by the Donatists that hee holding communion with the church of Rome as with the chiefest Apostolicall chaire needed not care for the conspiracy of the Donatists agâ—â—nst him And Optatus speaketh iust to the same sence that I do In the Bishop of Rome the whole world doth accord together with vs in one society of communion Note how in those old daies by coÌ„munion with the pope church of Rome the prelatâ— in Africa esteemed themselues to hold communion with the whole world M. Abbot puts forth a new case what if the church of the whole world do not hold communion with the church of Rome as it was when Arrianisme did ouerflowe the whole world Then at least by holding communion with Rome one held not communion with the church of the world M. Abbot is content to leaue the Donatists to dreame awhile and flieth for aduantage to the Arrians but they will helpe him no more then did the Donatistes For though their heresies infected many cities countries and drew many Bishops to their party yet M. Abbot I thinke can hardly name mee any one city of the world so wholy possessed with that Arrianisme that it had not at the same time many true beleeuers in it that would not ioyne in faith and religion with the said ArriaÌ„s but stuck close to the church of Rome and to all other true beleeuers The like we say of the Easterne churches when they fell into schisme and heresie that albeit the outward face of their congregations were schismaticall yet there remained alwaies in those countries as there do now in England very manie that did coÌ„stantly defend and embrace the Roman religion The Indians for the most part of late time were converted yet many millions of soules were wonne vnto Christian religion in the west and East Indies by good priests Franciscan Fryers and other religious men before any mission of Iesuits were sent into that heavenly haruest as the Indian storie doth testifie yea before their
the head of the cause and propose one similitude betwene the Protestāts and Donatists of that nature and force that if it bee verified no vpright iudge can deny the protestants to bee Donatists indeed This it is S. Austin Optatus and all antiquity do testify that the maine point of the Donatists heresie consisted in this that they affirmed the church of Christ planted by the Apostles to haue perished all the world ouer saving in those coasts of Africa where their party remayned Therfore whosoever mainteynes this error obstinatly though hee faile in no other article of belief hee is a very Donatist And whosoeuer should vphold all the branches mentioned by M. Abbot or any other that any man els can produce if hee do not maintaine this to wit that the Catholike church is perished in most parts of the world hee can neuer be come a Donatist the reason is most euident because hee doth not concord with them in that error for which they were Christned by that name As for the error of rebaptization it sprong vp before their daies and was but an appendix to the other which the donatists vndertook to currie favour in that coūtrie where it had been taught before by great personages Now then to the purpose If the Protestants do teach the true church to haue perished all the world ouer for many hundreth yeres saving that it remayned among men of their religion in certaine darke and vnknowne corners who can deny them to bee as true Donatists as ever were any which M. Abbot perceiuing to bee as plaine as Dunstable high way maketh as though the protestants never taught the true visible church to haue faild at any time but to haue alwaies euen from Gregorie the great his time downe to our daies continued visibly in all these parts of the world though blemished with some corruptions yea that the church of Rome it self was a part therof as also the ancient church of England doth not this seeme strange was it not their common doctrine that from Pope Boniface his time that is for these nine hundreth yeres at least there was a generall Apostacy from the true church and that Antichrist with his band possessed the outward visible church Gods true church lying hid all that while invisible vntill frier Luther cast of his frock coupled himself with a Nunne and began to set abroach the true light of the new Gospell If M. Abbot will not acknowledg it let him and the reader that doubts of it but turne to those Authors of our owne country To omitt others M. Parkins in his reformed Catholike page 331. M. Fulke in his answere to the counterfeit Catholike and against Stapleton and M. Martiall page 377. M. whitakers de ecclesia contra Bellarminum page 144. M. Napper vpon the reuelations page 143. 126. who with the greater parte of Protestants do openly crie out that from Pope Boniface his raigne the visible church of God Perished from the face of the earth the pope of Rome and his adherents whom they make Antichrist and his ministers having deuowred and ruined the Gospell and in steed of it brought in Idolatry According vnto this opinion of those learned and famous pillars of the new Gospell which was in times past commonly taught among them The Protestants are Donatists and worse then Donatists for first they agreed with the Donatists in the essentiall point of their heresie that the true church of Christ was perished And in this they went farr beyond them for the Donatists did not affirme the church to bee perished in all places they thēselues having for a hundreth yeares and more some face of a church in many cities of Africa and aboue 300 Bishops of their sect But the protestants ancient churches were at the first so soare beaten vtterly blasted that they cānot so much as name one prouince where their religion had any bishops or florished for any one age of the nine hūdreth yeeres of that supposed defection wherfore M. Abbot to avoide the open profession of that damnable Donatisme is faine to fall into a newe phantasie that forsooth the Roman church notwithstanding all her grosse errors and fowle faults in their imagination is a true member of Christs Catholike church because she held alwaies the foundation entire though she built hay straw and stubble theron well fare your hart gentle sir wee are much beholding vnto you for the good opinion you haue of our church and religion but how comes it then to passe that our church her self being so hart-whole and tollerable the members therof bee by you esteemed so blasphemous horrible why are the lawfull pastors therof only for being consecrated priests and for coming into England to execute the anciēt and accustomed rites of priesthod made hainous traitors why are honest and otherwise harmles men for receiuing of priests and serving God after the old accustomed manner most grieuously punished by losse of all their goods lands libertie and life how vnreasonable and conscienceles men bee you Ministers to cry out for so severe lawes and most bitter execution therof against recusants for that religion which you your selues hold to bee Catholike If there were any good nature left in you or sparke of any kindnes you should rather intreat pardon for men of our religion of whom you now chalenge yourselues to bee lineally descended and in right of which descent you enioy many high Ecclesiasticall dignities and rich benefices This in courtesy you ought rather to do then for humane tollerable faults to incense the prince and state against vs. Tollerable I say in the course of mans law if Almightie God will beare with them And if they do not exclude a Christian man out of Gods Catholike church as they do not in the way of your opiniō why should earthly potentats depriue them of the commō benefits of their dominions and not rather after the example of the soveraigne Lord of heaven and earth suffer them to liue quietly in their kingdome and to enioy their owne livings which bee rightfully descended vnto them from their predecessors men also of the same religion I cannot see how M. Abbot all they that imbrace the same opinion can in equity require any recusant to bee so highly punished for that religion which they hold to bee good in all substantiall and fundamentall points therof though they thinke it in other of smaller moment to neede reformatiō well though that their opinion bee more fauorable and indulgent to vs yet in my poore iudgment it is farre of from being true And to my slender conceite it doth seeme as it were prodigious how they can take that church to bee a true member of the right church whose head they hold to bee Antichrist whose sacrifice and common service Idolatrie whose Sacraments sacrilegious superstitions the greater part of their doctrine blasphemies their pastors beasts foxes and swine as M. Abbot here out of his litle ciuility tearmeth them Briefly
fault as meriteth the losse therof much more the church of Rome being the most honorable congregation of Christendome ought to hold her due estimation and credit and enioy all her priviledges vntill it bee lawfully proved that it hath iustlie deserved to bee deprived of them for in dubijs mel or est conditio possidentis In all doubtfull causes shee that is and hath been fifteen hundreth yeres in possession is to keepe it still I grant that when S. Austin either defended the honour of the church of Rome or magnified the society and communion with it did thervnto ioyne some other church But the mention of them not being to our present purpose what reason had I to recite that which was needlesse when as every man knowes that aswell as then so now whosoever shall recōcile himself to the church of Rome hee shall therby reenter into communion with all other Catholike churches throughout the whole world And wheras M. Abbot would haue his credulous reader suppose that S. Austin made no more reckoning of the church of Rome then hee did of any others That is flat contrary to that which S. Austin setteth downe in the very same place who to prevent that Cavill doth enterlace this Parenthesis in the honour of the church of Rome where alwaies florished the primacie of the Apostolicall chaire And in his Epistle 165. being to giue an instāce of the perpetuall successiō of pastors in the church maketh choice of the church of Rome as of the better assured and more safe and sound there doth intimate that the Bishops of Rome though they might liue amisse yet should never faile to instruct aright all that seeke vnto them for resolutions of their doubts in matter of faith wherfore M. Abbot if hee will giue credit vnto that most holy and learned Doctor whom aswell protestants as wee do esteeme for one of the soundest recorders of antiquity hee must needs yeeld vnto the church of Rome both that it is the principall of all the rest and that it shall for ever continue the most assured Oracle of the holy Catholike faith which if hee refuse to do hee leaueth apparent proofe vnto all the world that hee had rather with the Donatists raile at her and revile her then with S. Augustine and other holy prelats extoll and magnify the primacy of that Apostolicall chaire and defend the ever durable succession of her pastors as wel in truth of doctrine as in order of persons of which I haue more largly spoken in the 2. Section of the first chapter n. 29. VVHETHER EVERY CHRISTIAN MAIE BEE Saued in his owne religion albeit therein bee some errors in matter of faith BECAVSE M. Abbot in the precedent chapter granteth that the Roman church and the church of our forefathers in England were true members of the Catholike church and consequently in the state of Salvation albeit hee esteemeth them infected with sundrie grosse Errors And for that I otherwise know that verie many remarkable persons in our countrie do greatlie desire to heare this question more exactly discussed I thought it more convenient to let the ensuing chapters of M. Abbors trifling booke to rest for a season and presently to fall in hand with this matter which is no lesse longed after then it is necessarie to bee knowen For the more particular explication of this weightie difficulty whether everie one maie bee saued in his owne religion or no I leaving a full treatise therof vnto them that haue better leisure thinke good to touch these three points I. First whether hee that beleeueth aright in the one living and eternall God and liueth honestly may bee saued without expresse beliefe in Iesus Christ our Saviour II. Secondly whether beleeving aright both in God almightie Creator of heaven and earth and in Iesus Christ our redeemer with all other fundamentall points of the Christian religion hee may bee saued that doth therewith beleeve amisse in some other articles of the Christian faith III. Thirdly I will adde a word or two about the publike profession of the same Christian faith because besides an honest life and a true belief that also is necessary to salvation I tooke it not amisse to handle briefly the first point although there bee few Christians that make any doubt of it because I my self haue heard some good soules verie vertuously given but not sufficiently instructed to bee of opinion that it made no great matter what religion they professed so they feared God and led an honest life amōg their neighbors Their opinion seemed to issue out of Good nature and a great loue of honest life and vpright dealing which they saw to bee wonderfully decaied and almost perished in our miserable coūtrie The best reason that I can frame in favour of their error is this Almightie God is most mercifull full of goodnes and compassion towards all his owne creatures hee knowes our inbred ignorance and weaknes and therfore is not likely to bee highly offended against them that do their endevour to serue him accordīg to their knowledge and capacitie how slender soeuer it be Now manie there bee in the wide world brought vp among Turkes infidells that never heard of or at the least never had sufficiently declared vnto them that Iesus Christ is the Saviour of the world wherfore it seemes that such may bee saued without faith in him And among vs Christians some bee so dull of capacitie and blockish or haue been so extreame ignorantly or evilly brought vp that they haue not been well taught to beleeve in the Saviour of the world Christ Iesus may not their grosse ignorance beg their pardon att our most mercifull Lord his hands Besides S. Paul declaring what is necessarie for him to beleeve that will approach vnto God seemeth to require but two things The one that hee beleeue that God is the other that hee is a rewarder of all them that seeke vnto him Hebr. 11.6 Hee that cometh to God must beleeve that hee is and is a rewarder to them that seeke him But wee maie well beleeue that God is to wit a spirit of infinite goodnes wisdome power the Creator conserver and soveraigne ruler of heaven and earth and of all things in them also that as hee hath created all things of his inestimable goodnes and preserveth and governeth all with incomprehensible wisdome and equitie So hee will in the end as high Iudge of the quicke the dead call all reasonable creatures to an account of their dutifull behauiour towards their so good and high maker preserver ruler and out of his immense bountie most aboundantlie reward all them that haue in this life sought vnto him and diligentlie serued him And on thother side severely punish them that haue neglected their dutie towards him and transgressed his holie commaundements All this I say and much mor◠one maie beleeue without the knowledg of Christ therfore it seemes possible that some men maie obtaine saluation
addeth in another place whosoeuer shall not receiue you nor heare your wordes Math. 10 15. going forth out of the house and citie shake of the dust from your feet Amen I say to you it shal bee more tolerable for the land of the Sodomits and Gomorrheans in the daie of iudgment then for that city Behold how straightly wee are charged to heare and beleeue Christs witnesses the pastors and Doctors of the Catholike church If wee do otherwise wee shal bee taken to despise Christ and to despise his heavenly father and shall find no lesse intollerable iudgment then did the stinking and abhominable Sodomites Moreouer the pastors of the Catholike church are not only Christs bare witnesses and Ambassadors but they bee also our spirituall governors Act. 20.28 Posuit vos Spiritus sanctus regere ecclesiam Dei The holie Ghost hath appointed you to gouerne the church of God If they bee our governors wee must obey them Hebr. 13.17 Obedite prepositis vestris subiacete eis Obey your Prelats and bee subiect vnto them hee that resisteth power Rom. 13.2 resisteth the ordinance of God And of all governors the spirituall that do represent our Saviour in a higher degree are most to bee respected Therfore more hainous is the offence of euerie one that doth obstinatlie withstand them then of others that withstande their temporall prince Math. 18.17 Qui ecclesiam non audiverit sit tibi tanquam Ethnicus Publicanus Hee that will not heare the church let him bee taken for a heathen and a publican whervpon there is commonly in all generall councels Anathema an excommunication and curse vpon all them that shall not beleeue all and euerie article of faith in the same generall couÌ„cell declared and determined which doth most manifestly demonstrate that any man who shall refuse to beleeue any one article of faith by the church declared to bee such is worthie to bee excommunicated that is to bee depriued of the societie of Christians in this world and consequentlie of the fruition of Christ in the world to come if they do not in time repent whence I gather this short argument hee that refuseth to beleeue Gods witnesses the pastors of his church and our spirituall governours in any one article of faith deserueth to bee condemned but they that hope to bee saued in their owne religion of whom wee now speake do refuse to bâ—leeue Gods church in some article or other of the Catholike faith therfore they deserue to bee condemned For the further explication of the great conveniencie and necessitie wee haue to beleeue and obey the Catholike church in matters of faith let is bee well weighed that it doth in manner as much import vs vpon whose credit wee beleeue anie thing as what wee do beleeue for such is the weaknes and vncertaintie of our owne Iudgment that wee neede nothing more then to haue an assured guid to coÌ„duct vs safelie in the high matters of divinitie which do farr surmount our naturall vnderstanding and capacitie Because as the Apostle discourseth divinelie faith is of hearing How shall wee then beleeue Rom. 10. without a preacher and how shall any man preach vnto vs without hee bee sent which is as much to say that without the helpe of some bodie sent from God to teach vs what wee haue to beleeue wee cannot beleeue aright wherfore it doth wonderfully much import vs to make right choice of this instructer for such as our guid and director is such is our faith If our guide bee blind wee following him shall blindly fall into the ditch with him If hee see cleare if he bee well aduised staid and certaine following him wee shall be assured to walke in the streight path For example The Turks beleeue in one God maker of heauen earth as wee do yet haue they not the true faith therof as wee haue because they haue not the same guid and instructer for that article that wee haue They be led to beleeue that by the credit which they giue to the ministers of Mahomet who out of his Alcaron teach them so to beleeue in God wee beleeue the same for that the Catholike church doth so teach vs in the first article of our Creed Ours is the act of true faith because wee are directed by the true church that cannot deceiue vs. The Turkes perswasion is no act of true faith for that hee taketh it on the credit of them that may deceiue him And do without doubt in manie other points deceiue him wherfore whether they do in this or no hee is vncertaine and consequently his persuasion being vncertaine hee cannot haue anie true faith which is certaine and without all peradventure In like manner the Iewes albeit they haue the old testament for their foundation yet being destitute of an vndoubtable directer and taking for their blind guides their Talmud and Rabbins are cleane voide of all true faith because their perswasion also relieth vpon them that may and do verie often misleade and beguile them For come to some other question of faith yea to the principall and ground of all the rest that is to beleeue Iesus Christ to bee the sonne of God and the true Messias and redeemer of the world The Turke not finding that in his Alcaron nor the Iew in the old testament according to the exposition of their Sinagogue do most blindly and obstinatlie refuse to beleeue it See then of what importance the direction of a true sincere guide is in all matters of faith wherfore it hath pleased the vnsearchable wisdome of our blessed Saviour to giue vnto all his faithfull servants for a most assured guide his best beloued spouse the Catholike church 1. Tim 3. the piller and ground of truth to whom hee being to depart out of this world bequeathed the holie Ghost to teach her all truth Ioh. 14.16 and that at all times vnto the worlds end I will aske my father and hee will giue you another Paraclete that hee may abide with you for euer Ioh. 16. when the Spirit of truth cometh hee shall teach you all truth Therfore it is great reason that wee should both acknowledge our blessed maisters carefull providence over vs in providing vs such a guide and also take our selues fast bound to obey the same holie church in all her declarations made to that purpose It is not then without exceeding great cause that all good Christians even from their infancy are taught to beleeue this that they neuer afterward faile therin And that they may the better remenber the same good lesson which doth so much import all men to learne perfectly they do from thence forth make dailie profession therof when they saie in their creed I beleeue the holie Catholike church That is I do not onlie beleeue that there is one holie Catholike church but I professe to beleeue what the same church doth teach mee to beleeue all and everie article of faith
without exception against any one of them for if I do beleeue her in one and not in another I am become such a chooser as the Latines following the Grecians call hereticus an heretike and do indeed shew that I do not assuredlie beleeue the church as Gods interpreter that cānot erre but onlie so farre forth as I thinke good And then it may bee asked mee why I do beleeue her at all if she do but now and then tell the truth for it may bee that then shee doth not say true when I do beleeue her To put vs out of all these doubts and difficulties the selected gouernours of the church the maisters of the world Christes hoy Apostles before they did depart to preach the Gospell to all nations set downe this for a most assured principle of the Christian faith I beleeue the holie Catholike church to teach all Christians that in those supernaturall misteries of the kingdome of heauen wee must not leane to the light of nature or trust to our owne Iudgments or follow the advise of everie one that will take vpon him to bee a maister but hold our selues preciselie to that which the holie Catholike church doth teach vs obeie her fullie and wholie in all things Out of the premises this argument may bee framed directly to our purpose No man can bee saued vnles hee follow the direction of the one holie Catholike church in all matters of faith but they that bee of opinion that euerie man may bee saued in his religion do not follow the direction of the Catholike church which doth teach all men to imbrace and follow one only faith and religion wherfore they that will not imbrace the said one only faith which the Catholike church teacheth cannot bee saued To make this more plaine and probable let vs in a word or two examine the speciall meanes that the protestants vse to attaine vnto the true vnderstanding of Gods word and therby vnto saluation where wee must obserue by the way that wee all agree in this that there is nothing to bee beleeued which is not by God reuealed vnto vs. The Protestants do hold all that to bee written either in the old or new Testament wherin wee dissent from them teaching all revealed verities not to bee written in the Bible but some of them to passe from father to sonne by word of mouth and by tradition Of which difference here I doe not dispute but wee all taking for our ground Gods owne and onely word revealed written or vnwritten do inquire how wee come to the true vnderstanding of it wee say by the explication and declaration of the Catholike church The Protestants approue not that meanes but vnder the colour of mans inuentions reiecting of it do either leane to their owne iudgment learning or follow the authoritie of their chiefe preachers or els runne to the revelation of the Spirit speaking inwardlie to their spirits Now if none of all these bee assured meanes to attaine vnto the true vnderstanding of Gods word then their faith that relieth principally theron cannot bee assured Some of them in great zeale simplicitie will say that they relie only on the word of God but good poore soules they know not well what they saie for the question being about the vnderstanding of the same word of God wee affirming the word to bee for vs they denying that and chalenging it to bee for them who shall iudge whether of our pretentions to the same word bee true they will conferre one texte with another so will wee and consider all circūstances too wee will repaire also to the originals haue respect vnto the Analogie of faith briefly wee will vse all humane diligēce pray also to God to assist vs supernaturally yet whē wee haue all done wee come to no agreemēt who shall thē agree vs If they would come with vs to the Catholike churches determination in some generall councell wee should quickly haue an end but they vpon one vaine pretext or other fly of and will finally follow no other then one of those three guids before named wherof the first which is their owne learning and Iudgment bee it neuer so great yet they maie mistake and fall into error Omnis enim homo mendax Rom. 3. For every man is subiect to bee deceiued specially when they bee in passion and striue to vphold and make good their owne conceites against others for then they do oftentimes run astray verie strangelie Secondly the Protestants that relie vpon the reputation and credit of their preachers how can they set vp their rest vpon them assuredlie for that first their masters being men may bee deceiued aswell as other men maie be and that they are in deed deceiued not only the Catholiks who are the farre greater and founder part of Christians do affirme but those also that they themselues hold for men of God do testify the same For example Martin Luther with his disciples repute Zuinglius Calvin and all the troupe of Sacramentaries to bee deceiuing masters and to erre damnablie in the matter of the blessed Sacrament On thother side the Sacramentarie protestants do all teach that Luther with all his followers erred as in many other points so principally in that matter of the reall presence which of these two to omit diuerse other their contradictions shall a poore protestant beleeue and follow both hee cannot because what the one affirmeth thother denieth and each of them saith that the other is deceiued Hee thē taking them both for true of their words must needs beleeue neither of them for that the one avoucheth the other to bee in error Hee maie leaning to his owne Iudgment and liking rather follow one of them then the other yet hee cannot do that without some feare of being deceiued himself because hee hath so many euen of his owne side to bee against him wherfore he can haue no faith at all in these points For faith is an assured perswasion of that to bee true which you do beleeue without anie doubt or feare of the contrarie Let vs now come to their last refuge and surest hold as some take it of the spirit which is indeed the most wauering and vncertaine guide of all the rest For doth not the Lutherans grosser spirit buzze into their braines that they haue found out the light of the Gospell yes I warrant you saies euery good Lutheran Not so saith the purer and nimblet spirit of the Calvinists it was but the dawning of the daie that appeared to M. Luther the light of the Gospell began then only to peepe vp but the bright beames therof brake not out till M Caluins doctrine glittered The more brisk spirite of the Brownists doth assure thē that the nooneday light of the same Gospell shineth onlie in their Horizon And what shall wee say to the Anabaptists who as they bee the most frantike of all other so they brag most of all of verie familiar
libertie of beleeuing what they like Moreouer all men seeke after the true Catholike church that they maie find out the true doctrine of the Christian faith and enioy the right vse and administration of the holie Sacraments This is so cleere and agreable vnto the Protestants markes of the true church that it cannot bee denied but if in the same church there may be errors maintained in matters of faith and the Sacraments maie bee corruptlie administred men should in vaine take so great paines to find out the true church and obey it because in the way of that opinion it is needles to salvation to bee free from error in faith or to haue the Sacraments sincerelie administred for one may bee saued say they in that religion where there bee errors in faith defended and the Sacraments vnpurelie handled This argument maie bee thus enlarged and inforced They that with the true beleefe of the fundamentall points of faith do mingle some errors in other articles for those their errors to what Maister do they belong Not to God who is the Author only of truth and light and in whom as Saint Iohn witnesseth there is no darknes Deus lux est 1. Ioh. 1.5 tenebrae in eo non sunt vllae He must needs therfore bee one of the devils retayners Ioh. 8.44 who is father of all liars and maister of them that do imbrace errors to say that hee is Gods for the truth which hee holds will not availe for God will not part stakes with the Devill but either hee will haue vs wholie his to wit if wee will loue him with all our harts and wholy beleeue in him or els he will wholy reiect vs if wee thinke to haue any other maister with him or beleeue in any other contrary to him God is so Soveraigne and Iealous a Lord that hee will not dwell in the same house with Dagon 1. Reâ— â—â— either wee must cast out Dagon or hee will cast vs of wee must not halt as the zealous prophet Elias warneth vs Betweene God and Baal but either wholie follow God 3. Reg 18 22. or els assure our selues that hee will wholy reiect vs. For as the Apostle argueth what societie is there betweene light and darknes â— Cor. 6 1â— what agreement betweene Christ and Belial none at all For our Saviour himself hath defined Math. 12 3â— Hee that is not with mee is against mee Luke warme fellowes that bee part of the one and part of the other hee will vomit out of his mouth as raw and vndigested humors that his stomacke cannot abide Because saith he thou art Lukewarme Apocal. 3.16 and neither hote nor cold I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth The foundation of this is drawne out of this maxime of morall philosophie and divinity recorded by S. Dennis the Areopagite c 4. diuinâ— 1. 2. 18 4. and seconded by S. Thomas of Aquine Bonum ex integra causa Malum ex quolibet defectu This is the difference betweene good and evill that to make a thing good there must concurre all things requisite both for substance and necessary circumstance but if one thing requisite bee wanting it maketh the whole action evill One bad hearbe marreth a whole pot of pottage and one spoonefull of gall a butt of Maulmesey even so if there bee one known error in matter of faith it corrupteth the whole substance of faith as if there raigne one sinnfull vice in a man it destroieth the whole frame of vertue and doth absolutely make him vicious and casteth him cleane out of Gods favour so long as hee continueth therin according to this sentence of the kingly prophet Odisti omnes qui operantur iniquitatem Psal 5. pordes omnes qui loquuntur mendacium Thou O god hatest all and euerie one without exception that worke iniquity and wilt destroy all them that speake lies mark attentiuely how our soueraigne lord doth hate and will destroy as all them that worke wickedly so all them that defend lyes which all they doe who vphold any falshood in matter of faith against Gods truth finally this positioÌ„ that euery Christian may bee saued in his owne religion is very pernitious and damnable were it for nothing els then for the manifold mischieuous sequeles therof for it cannot but breed in men a wretched carlesnes of what religion they be of which draweth after it a nuÌ„ber of sins and is the verie roote of Atheisme For if a man maie bee saued in any religion it maketh no matter of what religion hee bee wherof it will ensue that most men following the bad inclination of our corrupt nature will prefer before all other the worste loosest religioÌ„ that may be because that hath most ease libertie and carnall pleasure in it which wicked persuasion hauing once seised the hart farewell all painfull endevour to performe vertuous actions and welcome slouth case and fleshly libertie which cannot but in short space engender a lothsomnes and contempt of all religion and paue a faire broad high way vnto Atheisme wherefore this opinion is vtterlie misliked euen of many of the more discreet and better minded Protestants And in verie truth if wee would but lift vp our minds a little towards heauen and consider attentiuely either the infinite maiestie of Almightie God or his inestimable bounty towards vs how can a Christian let any such sinnefull thought sinke into our hart as though wee need not greatlie care how wee serue God whether wee beleeue in him fully yea or no O very evill aduised and base minded creature yea vnworthie the name of any of Gods Creatures that sets so little by so soueraigne a Lord and Creator Haue wee not at his bountifull hands receiued freely our soules and bodies our health wealth or whatsoeuer els in this world wee either haue or bee And is there any hope without his fauour and grace to attaine eternall blisse and all that our hart can desire in the kingdome of heauen yet so vnkind and vngratefull vnto such a diuine benefactor bee too too many so dull and senseles in matter of their own eternall either weale or woe that they seeme to stand at habberdupoise whether they should serue God or no or at most they wil bee sure not to ouershoote themselues in his seruice but to hold backe and afford him as litle as possible may bee Bee not these animales homines earthly minded men degenerated from the noble condition of reasonable creatures and made like vnto pecora campi cattle of the field who perswade themselues that it doth not belong to men of their calling to conuerse with spirituall persons or to spend much time in reading of spirituall bookes and learning their dutie to the Almightie but leaving those melancholy meditations to monkes do esteeme men of their quality rather borne and bred some to keepe dogs and to follow hawkes and hounds others to grase beasts and to
Hee hath shewed his good will I confesse by giuing the essay but hath done litle more therby then bewrayed how vnable he is to performe it so that one may wonder at his simplicity shall I say or at his audacity or rather at both at his simplicitie for wanting wit to vnderstand when it was so plainlie told him how impertinentlie he dealeth in the matter At his audacity if seing his rash and raw Enterprise succeed no better he would neuertheles hold on still and proceed farther Let it bee by the waie obserued that M. Abbots intention was and is to describe the true Roman Catholike for that you shall heare him hereafter in the heate of disputation verie busie to proue that there is such an incompatible repugnance betwene the very tearmes RomaÌ„ Catholike that they can no more be coupled together theÌ„ particuler and vniuersall yet here more calme and better aduised he acknowledgeth that they may stand well ioyned together and be attributed to one particuler person and by the like reason to one particuler Church so that howsoeuer hee crie there against vs for couchnig together the Catholike Roman Church yet here he must needs approue it or els contradict himself and giue ouer his intended description of the true Roman Catholike well be it pardonable for a new ghospelling Minister to vnsaie that in one place which he saith in another yet that calumniation of my poore labors imployed in the seruice of the Catholike cause for my bellies sake as he writeth is not tolerable but the imputation is so grosse and palpable God be thanked that M. Abbot cannot chuse but receiue shame by it which I will declare by this briefe Antithesis between himself and mee hoping that the good Reader will giue me leaue being put to it to relate that of my self which is coÌ„monly knowen It is not vnknowen to manie that I did forsake the apparaÌ„t hope of a poore gentlemans estate to become a Roman Priest he to escape miserie crept into the Ministery I wittingly and willinglie made my self therby vncapable of all spirituall liuings and promotioÌ„s which our noble countrie doth afford in great plentie vnto men of the Church he contrarywise as it seemeth followed the studie of new diuinity to fill himself with fat benefices if the greedie apperite which his former penurie bred in him can be satisfied for hauing three or foure liuings already he is thought to gape still after some greater In a word I doe striue to walke in the narrow and hard path of fasting praier and contineÌ„cie from all corporall pleasures he liueth at large following the carnall libertie of Luthers Ghospell of wiuing eating fulfilling the desires of the flesh All which being dulie coÌ„sidered let the indifferent Reader iudge whether of vs two be likelier to contend about matters of religion for our bellies sake The same may be said for the point of honor and reputation he runing the full carriere of our countrie to highe dignities and promotions I treading in their foosteps who be they neuer so learned or vertuous may trulie saie with the Apostle I thinke that God hath shewed vs the last 1. Cor. 4. v. 9. as it were deputed to death and the drosse of all euen vntill this daie wherfore all wordly credit and belly commodities lying in M. Abbots way and against my profession were his wits at home thinke you when he vpbraided mee with them And if I would make deceiuing of soules my occupation as he for his credits sake and gaine seemeth to haue made it his I might perhaps haue been litle behind him in wordlie wealth and reputation But god forbid that to gaine all the good in the world I should once goe about so much as to endanger the saluation of myne owne soule so far of am I our blessed lord be praised therfore from being any whit disposed to follow M. Abbots trade and occupation in deceyuing of others R. AB VVHICH worke I most humbly desire may goe forth vnder the protection of your highnes who according vnto that eminent wisedome and knowledge wherwith God hath endued your tender yeeres I make the iudge of this quarrell and therfore the first part therof I do now tender at your highnes feete for a testimonie of my loyall and dutifull affection and for acknowledgment of my deuotions vnto Almightie God for the preseruation of your highnes and the continuance and increase of his graces and blessings towards you that your princelie name maie more and more grow great and be a terrour vnto the self exalting kingdome and Monarchie of the great Capitolian Priest at length to worke the vtter ruine and confusion therof which as we beleeue not to be far of so we hope that in that glorious reuenge of the cause of Almightie God your highnes shall haue a chief and honorable part and that God will strengthen your arme and giue edge to your sword to strike through the loynes of all them that are the supporters of that Antichristian and wâ—cked state which all other additions of honour and renowme both with God and men I wâ—ll neuer cease to further by my praiers vnto almighty God so I rest alwaies to your highnes seruice most humblie and affectionately deuoted R. Abbot W. B. AS wee do most freely confesse almightie Gods exceeding bouÌ„tifulnes towards that our gratious yong Prince Henry now deceased in powring out vpon him plentifully singuler naturall gifts of both valor and vnderstanding do dolefullie bewaile the great losse of such a glittering ornament and comfort of our infortunate country so we hartelie wish and do daily praie that it may please the immeÌ„se divine bountie to blesse that tender young prince Charles his deare and noble brother with the true knowledg of the Catholike and Apostolike faith that he may to God Almighties glory to the true honor and peace of our countrie and to his owne eternall saluation returne vnto the ancient and holie Religion of his best renowmed and most puissant progenitors that growing as in age so in vnderstanding and true pietie hee may become though no competent Iudge in matter of faith as M. Abbot too flatteringlie would make his royall brother in his nonage for the iudgment of those high supernaturall points of religion do belong rather to the vocation of godly and graue learned Bishops than to youthfull princes yet to be a deuout imbracer and à zealous mainteyner of that heaueÌ„ly ingraffed word which only can saue our soules for the defence wherof the glorious title of defender of the faith was annexed to the crowne of England In which and for which principally his most royall and gratious Grandmother was put to death which to haue been the now Roman faith and Religion no honest man can or will I thinke deny And who is such a stranger in the estate of our neighbour couÌ„tries that doth not clearlie behold the readie way to aduance his princely name and renowme and to
his sauiour And may it not well be the iust iudgemēt of the same Almightie Lord to punish vs theire Children whom God often visiteth for their fathers faultes in the same kind according to that rule of the law in quo quis peccat in eo puniatur Let them be punished in the same kind that they did offend why should wee not then be content to redeeme our religion with penury which our Ancestors morgaged through their ouergreat superfluitie yea although that were not soe let vs imitate that wise and well aduised marchant cōmended in the Gospell who hauing found out the pretious pearle of the true Christian faith and religion went and sould all that he had and bought it I dare be bold bicause I haue the warrant of Gods word for it to assure all them that so doe that they therby make the richest purchase that can be made vpon the earth vnto which if the best bargaines that wordlings make be compared they are but shadowes and meere dreames If there were a statelie gallāt faire rich Lordshyp to be sold at two or three yeeres purchase what presse would there be of buyers how willing would the veriest pinchpennies in a conutry be to bestow their monie ther vpon and what is this earthly bargaine if it be paralleld to that heauenly of which our sauiour speaketh in the ghospell Matt. 19 v. 29. he that forsaketh father or anie other frind he that leaueth land or liuing or any other comoditie for my names sake he shall receiue not one for one but a hundreth for one and to boote in the world to come life euerlasting And they that doubt least in the meane season they shall want necessarie sustenance they must needes confesse themselues censured by our Saviour to be modicae fidei Matth. 6. v. 30. men of small faith that do not trust confidentlie in the prouidence of our heauenlie father who feedeth the foules of the ayre and clotheth the grasse of the field of which he hath not so much care as of vs Christians if they be worthie the name of Christians that dare not relie vpon Christes infallible promise quaerite regnum Dei Iustitiam eius Matth. 6. v. 33. haec omnia adijcientur vobis Let them that faine would yet with much adoe can ouercome this temptation of pouertie ponder these few points often and aduisedlie and praie to God to strengthen their weaknes then no doubt but they shall be able to prefer pouertie with Christ before the riches of this world with the losse of Christ and of their soules I that do but handle this matter by the waie may not dwell long in it but will make it vp with these memorable and comfortable wordes of the Apostle Heb. 13. v. 5. Let your manners he without auarice contented with things present for he that is the soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth said I will not leaue thee neither will I forsake thee so that we doe confidentlie saie Our Lord is my helper and I will not feare what man can doe to me To our purpose then M. Abbot how wise an Auguret soeuer he would seeme to bee cannot by the impouerishing of Catholikes diuine that the vtterruin of their religion as at hand when as by blessed pouertie patientlie endured for Christs sake it is much more like that the same holie religion shal be the sooner restored 1. Nor imprisonement Moreouer they cannot be assured to make an end of the said religion by imprisoning the constant professors therof If to be locked vp in prison were to be secluded from Gods help as they are debarred of their wordlie frinds companie or to be depriued of our heauenly fathers fauour as it is of some earthlie mens countenance then ther were no doubt but that poore weake mortall men would quickly wax wearie of their Imprisonment but if to be a ptisoner for that holie cause of the Catholike religion be rather a retreit from the conuersation of worldlings and a recalling of our minds from all terrestriall cares to be more neat pure and at better leisure to receiue and intertayne coelestiall inspirations then surely to him that knoweth to make the true vse of that inclosure imprisonment will seeme as a promotion in the fauour of God so an augmentation in the feruor of his religion Are we not by prison wayned from many vanities and follies yea preserued from diuers dangerous temptations which others liuing at their libertie and pleasure abroad do often fall into And how manie thousands of deuout soules haue of their owne free choice most willinglie forsaken all the world and shut themselues vp within religious Cloisters to be freed from the ordinary perils of wordly conuersation and to liue a more retired and religious life why then should not Christs prisoners make a vertue of necessitie and seing that now by Gods pleasure they are drawne from their owne houses and houshold affaires where they were perhaps to much busied about horses sheepe hawkes hounds or other like base or idle creatures let them hardely imploy their studie to make a good generall confession therby to enter assuredlie in to the fast fauor of the almightie let them studie to answere well according to that measure of vnderstanding and learning that God hath giuen them in the cause of religion for which they suffer Let them spend the most of their time in praier and other workes of Christian deuotion and pietie and then no doubt their imprisonment will not seeme tedious vnto them but must needes be verie comfortable fruitfull bicause therby they purge their soules from sinne make satisfaction for their faultes past breake of manie euill customes lay a good foundation for the time to come purchase the fauour of God and draw his manifold heauenly blessings vpon themselues their family and friends finally they shall serue for burning lampes to the world abroad and for good example to their neighbors and acquaintance at home for albeit their bodies be confined within a small compasse yet the fame of their constancy and vertuous retired life will flie abroad far and neare and carrie with it a verie sweet fragrant sauour vnto others animating them to suffer more willinglie and constantly what they see their honorable frinds or honest neighbours to haue well passed through before them Neither ought anie man to feare ouer much the laying vp in darke loathsome holes or deep dungeons 3. Not dungeous for if it please our heauenly father to suffer that rigor to be exercised vpon vs he will giue vs courage and strength enough to abide it The chast patriarch Ioseph was cast into a dongeon and it is recorded to our comfort Sapient 10.14 that the wisedome of God descended downe with him and did not forsake him in his fetters Daniel 6 22 That great Prophet Daniel was cast into a denne of lions And his God was with him there shutting vp the mouthes of those
beleeuers as may bee gathered by that godly Historiographer Victor Bishop of vtica in Africke who relateth how locundus to diswade the cruell Arrian Theodoricus Victor vti de pers vand l. 1. the kings sonne from putting a Christian to death vsed these words If you put him to the sword the Romans will honor him for a Martir By the word Romans signifying the true Catholikes And another worthy witnes heerof is Gregory that learned and Zealous Bishop of Toures who citing these words of the Arrians Greg de gloria MartyruÌ„ l. 1. c. 25. Quia ingenium est Romanorum doth enterlace this explication Romanos enim vocitant nostrae religionis homines they do coÌ„monly call men of our religion to wit the true Catholiks by the name of Romans These ancient graue and renowmed authors may serue to convince any reasonable man that the name Roman both anciently did and now verie well maie comprehend all the true beleeuers of the vniuersall world what shall we then say to M. Abbot that in all his reading as he confesseth to the reproch of his ignorance could never light vpon any one that by the Roman church did signify the whole Catholike church He must acknowledg either that there remaineth very much in antiquity which hee hath not yet read or that passing ouer much in post was not at leasure to marke that which made against himself Hee found the East and the west the Greeke and Latin churches but hee could neuer find that by the Roman church was signified the vniuersall church Be it so good Sir bicause you will needs haue it to be so that you through the dimnes of your sight could not discerne that which stands on record in Saint Ciprian Saint Ambrose Saint Hierome and diuers others well knowen and approued Authors doth it there vpon follow that no man els could do it or that I vpon the acknowledgment of your want of reading the fathers was presently blanked and had not a word to say Alas seely man haue you neuer heard of this triviall Adage Bernardus non vidit omnia If that enlightned and Eagle eied Abbot did not see all what maruell though a poore purr-blind Abbot ouersee mistake many things Learne gentle sir by this little not to beare your self to confidently vpon your owne reading be you well assured that there bee many worthy things in antiquitie that you haue not read manie also that you do not vnderstand and not a few if I do not greatly mistake that you having both read and vnderstood yet will not acknowledge for feare of hurting your owne cause Out of the premises it followeth most manifestly that the word Roman taken in that larger signification is no tearme of diminution nor abridgeth the whole vnto a part but is of as large extent and hath the same latitude with the whole Catholike and Orthodox church So that whosoeuer is of the Roman church is a true member of the Catholike church And on the other side whosoeuer will bee esteemed a meÌ„ber of the Catholike church must not refuse to be made a member of the Roman church It only seperateth Catholikes from heretikes Epist 73. who like Apes to vse S. Ciprians tearme counterfeit the Catholike would verie fayne bee so saluted but because they will not acknowledge Epist 45. radicem matricem as the said Doctor speaketh elswhere the originall mother church of Rome they cannot bee liuely branches true children of the same Optatus l. 2. co parmen The Donatists as Optatus wisely noteth because they seperated themselues from the coÌ„munion of the church of Rome avouching their particuler sect to bee the whole church were no part of the whole but lay like rotten boughes cut of from the body of the Catholike church In the same tearmes stand protestants all other sectaries of what sort soeuer they be that after the fashion of Donatists diuide themselues from the same church of Rome and make peculier seperations And if the particular church of Rome would and could forsake their Ancestors faith and divide it self from other Catholike churches as protestants do And neuertheles avouch it self alone to be the whole church then in deed it might well incurr that censure of Optatus But because it cannot so do being by the vertue of our Saviours prayer and continuall assistance of the holy Ghost alwaies preserued from all error in matter of faith therfore it cannot bee separated froÌ„ the rest of the Catholike church as the Donatists were but be perpetually so closelie vnited inseparably associated with it that whosoeuer ioyneth himself with the church of Rome doth euen therby enter in to societie of the whole catholike church which the same ancient prelate Optatus doth teach in these most expresse wordes which I haue cited before Siâ—icius that now sitteth S. Peters successâ—r in the chaire of Rome is our coÌ„panion with whoÌ„ the whole world by enter course of formed letters agreeth with vs in one vniforme societie of comunion Behold how by societie with the Bishop and church of Rome the Bishops of Afrike entred into coÌ„munion and kept correspoÌ„deÌ„ce with the vniuersall church dispersed ouerall the whole world 4 M. Abbot would gladly learne seing that in ancieÌ„t time wheÌ„ there were very manie heresies the additioÌ„ of Catholike was taken for sufficieÌ„t to distinguish the Orthodox from all kind of sectaries why it will not now serue the turne but that RomaÌ„ must bee added thervnto The answere is readie because sectaries bee waxen more audacious now theÌ„ they were of old for in S. Austins daies Aug 〈◊〉 til cred c. 7. albeit the heretikes c ueted to be called Catholikes and so did call themselues putting names of reproch vpon the true beleeuers as Protestants vse to do now yet as the same most trustie Doctor witnesseth when any stranger came to demaund of them which was the Catholike congregation Idem de vera rel c. 7. they alwaies directed and sent them to the true Catholike not to their owne well knowing that hee who enquired after the Catholikes meant not their sect neither could they otherwise bee well vnderstood vnles they called the true church by the same name as it was called all the world ouer But the heretikes of our times having put on more brasen faces then their predecessors though there be no vniuersality neither of time place or people in their congregations yet forsooth will needs bee called Catholiks by Antiphrasis or contraries belike vt Lucus dicitur a Lucendo quia minime lucet lucus that is Latin for a wood is deriued of lumen light because in it is litle light so Protestants may be named vniuersalists bicause there is among them litle or no kind of vniuersality To the purpose then to declare what manner of Catholiks we meane wee add Roman to signifie that we vnderstaÌ„d not a counterfeit or corner catholike that lay lurking in obscurity for a thousand yeres
the whole face of their church being as he raileth and writeth berayed with the filth of Idolatry if the church of Rome be such a monster as hee would make her I desire him to explicate in particular which be those fundamentall points that do constitute church a the true member of the Catholike church In the meane season it is pleasant to heare how roundly hee reckeneth vp without either staggering or blushing the Iolly agreement which hee takes to bee betweene their church and ours wee do not saith hee take vpon vs to bee any other church then that which they call the old but the same church reformed wee reteyne still the same scriptures which they acknowledge true saving that you haue cut of at one clap fiue books of the old testament wee retayne the same articles of faith which they professe you should for modesties sake haue added except some twentie or thirtie wee retayne the same sacraments of Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Iust if bread and wine bee the same with the blessed bodie and bloud of Christ Besids how do wee agree about the other five Sacraments which wee retayne and you haue cast away They finally retaine the same forme of service except that they haue cut of the best parts of it and as it were pulled out the hart and bowells of the sacrifice and consecration leaving to themselues and their miserable followers onely the paâ—ings and offals Behold the goodlie conformitie of the old and new English church of late devised and published by M. R. Abbot minister of the word and teacher of the reformed church of England Hee is so farr of as hee saies from Donatisme as that he doth teach the church never to haue perished no not in the City of Rome it self why then hath hee taken so much paines to proue the church of Rome to be turned Donatisticall vnles hee will now also in a very calme and pitifull humour allow even the Donatists church it self to haue been a part of the true Catholike church And so consequently like a good Atheisticall libertine allow all heretikes that professed Christs name to haue been true members of his church Hauing thus confuted that which M. Abbot had to obiect against their agreement in the maine point of the Donatists heresie I now come to the second resemblance that is betweene the Anabaptists an ofspring of the protestants and the Donatists who now do teach rebaptisation as the Donatists did then which M. Abbot granteth but saith my foolerie therin needeth no answere because the Anabaptists bee exploded out of all protestant churches And to that comparison which I made betweene the diuision of the protestants into Lutherans Sacramentaries and Anabaptists with the partition of the Donatists into Donatists Maximianists and Rogatists hee saith that I should rather haue devided Papists into Anabaptists secularists and Iesuists what voluntary light babling is this who ever before M. Abbot tooke the Anabaptists to bee papists when as they as stifly deny the popes authoritie the sacrifice of the Masse the reall presence the merites of good workes and most other articles of our religion as any other protestants And albeit they differ from the Sacramentaries in some few matters as the Sacramentaries do also from the Lutherans yet they bee descended from them and do agree with them in most points of religion wherfore they may bee aswell sorted and ranked with them as the Rogatists and Maximianists were with the Donatists neither will it helpe M. Abbot to say that they cast the Anabaptists out of their congregation For the Donatists did no lesse excommunicate and chace out of their churches the Maximianists and Rogatists then the Sacramentaries do the Anabaptists It was then rather a foolery of M. Abbots vpon so foolish a reason to deny the Anabaptists to belong vnto the common body of the protestants and more impudent folly is it to associate them to vs from whom they dissent further then the other protestaÌ„ts do And because wee bee now entred into degrees of comparison let it bee taken for a superlatiue folly in M. Abbot to divide all men of our religion into Anabaptists Secularists and Iesuists for to returne the Anabaptists to themselues as their owne sweet brood with whom they consent against vs in most controversies of religion Do the other names of Secularists and Iesuists comprehend all Romane Catholikes bee there no lay Catholiks at all nor any other religious persons in our church besids secularists and Iesuists what was become of M. Abbots senses when hee wrote this The Seminarists and Iesuists being compared vnto all other Catholiks both religious and lay do scarse amount as I gesse vnto the thousand part of that body So that here M. Abbot infabling fumbling and confounding rather then in diuiding surmounts the highest degree of comparison R. ABBOT THE third resemblance that M. Bishop mentioneth is this They held not the faith of the blessed Trinitie entire For some of them like the Arrians taught the sonne of God to bee lesser then the father Though as S. Austin noteth this was not marked of their followers This hee applieth to vs in this sort sundrie of their principall teachers as Melancthon Caluin and others do corrupt the sound doctrine of the holy Trinitie as I haue shewed in the preface of my second part of the reformatioÌ„ of a deformed Catholike though the common sort of their followers do not greatly obserue it In which third point hee verie wilfully belieth S. Augustin the Donatists and vs. For S. Austin doth not saie that of the Donatists but only of a second Donatus who was a follower of the first who had an vnsound opinion of the Trinity which the Donatists were so farre of from approuing that there was scarse one among them that knew that hee thought so to him only is that to bee referred which S. Austin saith If any of them haue said that the sonne is lesser theÌ„ the father yet they haue not denied him to bee of the same substance S. Austin never vpbraided the Donatists with this error Aug. Epistola 50 though Theodoret do But hee spake by hearsay How M. Bishop dealeth with Melancthon Caluin and others I haue fully declared in my answere to that preface W. B. HERE is a whot charge and a peremptory condemnation before due examinatioÌ„ as you shall heare that I haue at one clap belied S. Austin the Donatists and their good Maisters Melancthon Caluin and others But if M. Abbot can make good no one of those imputations then it must bee granted that hee hath at once let slip a leash of slanderous lies Let vs descend to the particulars I write that S. Austin reporteth some of the Donatists to haue had a bad opinion of the blessed Trinity M. Abbot taketh mee vp short auouching that hee affirmeth that of a second Donatus onely well was not that second Donatus a great famous Donatist and had hee not many followers but not
ouerlooke their shepheards pastures I speake not this to condemne the moderate exercise or pleasure that such wordly men may lawfullie take in their worldly busines and much lesse in reprehension of good husbandrie but I desire to leaue some impression in the harts of all Christians of tendring and attending with all the seruice of God and would gladlie perswade all sortes of men women and children that incomparably much more care diligence labor and study is to bee bestowed in procuring the saluation of their soules then in all other affaires whatsoeuer And that they are wonderfullie ouerseene exceedingly much to blame that make so small accompt to know their bounden dutie vnto the most glorious and blessed Trinity And because such men like not to bee troubled with much musing vpon long lessons I would counsell thē and all others to read often ouer ouer this one text of holy scripture to giue diligēt eare vnto it being indited by the holy ghost for our perpetuall profit Harkon O Israël thou shalt loue thy Lord God with all thy hart and with all thy soule Deut. 6.5 with all thy strength And these words which I cōmaūd thee this daie shal bee in thy heart and thou shalt teach thē to thy childrē thou shalt talke of thē whē thou sittest in thy house whē thou walkest by the waie and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp where is much more to the same effect If Almightie God required of euerie poore Israëlite a complete knowledg of his law and commaundements and a most carefull diligence both to obserue them himself and to teach them also to his children and family will hee require lesse of vs Christians whom hee hath called to greater perfection and to whom hee hath also made greater promises specially cōsidering that hee gaue vs his only begotten sōne our blessed Lord and saviour to bee our maister and instructor who refused no paines day nor night to walke vp and downe on foote in a rugged hillie countrie for thirty three yeares to teach vs those heauenly misteries and to make vs partakers of his inestimable graces what shame then shall they bee put to what punishment do they deserue that will not vouch fafe to harken after those heauenly lessons nor yet so much as receiue them willinglie of his seruants when they bee as it were put into their mouthes are they not sure to be with the slouthfull vnprofitable seruant cast into vtter darknes where shal be continuall lamētation weeping and gnashing of teeth This by the waie to awake those drowsy sleepers and to strike a due reuerent feare into the harts of such negligent and careles creatures that make so small reckening of learning their dutie vnto Almightie God Now I come to close vp my former principall question with some of the ancient fathers most learned doctors sentences who with full consent do teach that they shall not bee saued that do hold obstinately any one error in matter of faith Naie that everie good Christian ought rather to loose his life then suffer one word or sillable of his faith to bee blotted out peruerted or betrayed I will begin with that of S. Athanasius in his creede Athanasius creed because it is solēnely read in the church seruice as most sound and approued doctrine whosoeuer wil bee saued it is necessary that hee hold the catholike faith which vnles he do obserue wholie and inuiolably without doubt he shall perishe euerlastingly Greg. Naz. de fide S. Gregorie Nazianzen teacheth that nothing is more dangerous then those heretikes who holding all the rest soundly do in one word as it were with one drop of poison infect that true and approued faith of our Lord which the Apostles deliuered vnto vs. see how ane error in one word of faith Apud Theodoret lib 4. bist ecclesia ca. 17. doth poison all the rest S. Basil his best beloued and holy companion was of the same mind when hee said that they who bee skilfull in holy scriptures will not endure so much as one sillable of the diuine decrees to bee betraied but rather in defence therof if need bee will not refuse any kind of death Ambros de filij diuinitater 1. S. Ambrose consorts with them forewarning all Christians to stand vpon their gard most vigilantly and in no case to suffer such pestiferous and venemous errors to bee poured into their soules one drop wherof is sufficient to infect and poison the pure doctrine of Christ S. Hierom declareth Hieron co Ruffin Apolog. ◠vltra med that for one word or two that were contrary to faith many heretikes haue been accursed and cast out of the church S. Augustine more particularly fully then any of the rest August de here Hee that beleeueth anie one heresie that either hath been or shal bee deuised cannot bee a Catholike Christian Againe They that in the church do sauour of any thing that is attainted and ill if admonished to tast of that which is sound and right they do resist obstinatlie they become heretikes Idem de ciuit l. 18 c. 51. and going forth are to bee reckened for enemies thus much of the second question Now I come to that third part which I promised to touch in a word or two before I finished this chapter because it is not sufficient for a good Christian to beleeue all that is to bee beleeued and to haue a full resolute purpose to keepe all Gods cōmaundements vnles hee do also cary a willing mind to make open professiō of his faith whē time place do require it what soeuer losse of goods liberty or life hee is therby like to incurre I do not saie that euerie vertuous soule is bound to lay himself open at all times and to all sorts of men though hee may not at anie time deny anie article of faith or make profession of any false religiō but whē either the honour of God or the edification of our neighbor do exact the same at our hands then not to professe our faith openly is both shamefull before men and in the sight of God damnable The fundamentall reason hereof maie bee gathered out of this that as it hath pleased the soveraigne diuine maiesty to reueale many high misteries vnto vs seely mortall creatures to our exceeding great comfort and instruction so it is his blessed will and pleasure that the same bee divulged and proclaimed all the world ouer that all sorts of men maie if they looke well to it reape the manifold rich benefits that do ensue therof And contrariwise that they who will not giue care and credit thervnto and make the right vse of such a pretious and inestimable offer tendered vnto them from the Almightie maker of heauen and earth their most loving Lord and maister may for that their most sottish ingratitude be worthily for euer reiected and cast of whervpon it hath pleased our
diuine sauiour to testify of himselfe that one of the principall causes for which hee was made man was to publish and declare those heauenly verities vnto mankind Ioan. 18.37 for this saith hee was I borne and for this came I into the world that I may giue testimony to the truth and for the same purpose as hee was sent himself from his heauenly father so did he send his Apostles and disciples into all coasts of the earth that they might annouÌ„ce and preach the same diuine doctrine vnto all nations Math 24 14. This Gospell of the kingdome shal bee preached to the whole world in testimonium omnibus gentibus for a testimonie to men of all countries And as it hath pleased God to make choice of some certen persons to be principall preachers to the same his diuine word so his will and ordinaunce is that none of his seruants shall bee ashamed to make professioÌ„ of anie part therof wheÌ„ it shall concerne either the honour of God or the good of his neighbor The first reason therof may bee collected out of that which went before thus if our blessed Lord and redeemer Christ Iesus was borne to giue testimony to the truth everie good Christian that is a liuely member of his misticall bodie must needs take himself also to be borne anew to the same end and purpose and therfore when time and place do require it they must either testify the truth publikely or shew themselues bastards and cowards much vnworthie the name of Christians The chosen vessell of grace S. Paul speaketh learnedly and noblie when be saith corde creditur ad iustitiam ore autem fit confessio ad salutem By harâ— wee beleeue to iustification but by mouth confession is made to saluation Like as there must bee a pious and devout inclination of the soule to bow it to the obedience of faith wherby as by the prime meanes we attaine to Iustification even so to arriue happely vnto the hauen of saluation we must by word of mouth make open professioÌ„ therof For if one should bee conuented before the magistrate and questioned about his faith if he then do not stand to the profession of it he first depriues Almighty God of that due honour which wee all do owe vnto his diuine Maiestie for we shewe our selues to feare men more then him and do besides betray his truth and make it contemptible in the estimation of the beholders For how should other men be induced to value Gods testimonies at that high rate at which king Dauid who was a most cunning spirituall Ieweller set them when hee said They are to be desired much aboue Gold and the rich pretious stone If they see them that are accounted Gods seruants wisemen to set so light by them that they are euen ashamed to make profession of them Is it not a great dishonor to Gods cause to see his followers wheÌ„ it comes to the triall to turne the shoulder and shrinke awaie from it The vngodlie do assemble together to out-countenance the truth of God to reuile and vilify his seruants to terrifie all the beholders from the embracing of his truth And Gods vnworthy and faint-harted souldiers called thither to vphold his honor and to testifie the verity therof to all the assemblie be dumbe and dare not speake one word in defence of it Shall not such men in vpright iudgment bee conuinced to haue forsaken God when hee stood in most need of their seruice and to haue betraied his cause by not defending of it at all when they were called forth to haue â—â—oken in defence of it yes verily for their inditement is already drawen and registred by that great cleark S. Iohn the Euangelist vnder the name of certaine principall persons among the Iews in these words Ioah 12.42 Of the Princes also many beleeued in Christ but for the Pharises they did not confâ—sse that they might not bee cast out of the Sinagogue for they loued the glorie of men more then the glory of God Those Princes partlie to keepe their credit with that state and partlie for fearâ— of being cast out of the Sinagogue durst not confesse Christ though they beleeued in him Is not this the very case of them that beleeue our faith and religion to bee the true Catholike faith and religion yet to keepe their credit in the world or to avoide those discommodities which by professing of the Catholike faith they should incurre dare not come to that noble act of confessing it they must needs therfore yeeld theÌ„selues guiltie of that which foloweth in the same text that they loue the glorie of men more then the glory of God They had rather please bee well thought of by poore mortall creatures for condescending to do what they would haue them to doe then to bee highlie esteemed of their most dreadfull lord and Creator as his trustie faithfull seruants They do ouer and besides wonderfullie scandalise their poore brethren that bee of the same religion wherof the weaker sort are by their ill exaÌ„ple shaken and induced to forsake their faith And the stronger cannot but greatlie grieue to see Gods cause so wretchedly betrayâ—d and their infirme brethren scandalized To say nothing of the glory and triumph which they leaue vnto Gods enimies as conquerors ouer his feeble seruantes and the occasion they giue them to harden their harts in their errors wherfore as principally for the honor of God and his holie cause so also that we giue no offence vnto his faithfull seruants or occasion of ioy to his aduersaries wee must plucke vp our spirits when wee bee called to answere in matters of religion And not regard either the shame of the world or anie temporall losse that therby may betide vs but lift our harts to heauen and consider how honorable it wil bee in the sight of Angels how gratefull to God and acceptable to our glorious blessed Saviour to acknowledg him before men not to feare or be abashed to giue testimony to his truth in the presence of his enemies which we shall the sooner and more willingly performe if wee then call to mind these his most comfortable words Math. 10 22. Every one therfore that shall confessâ— me before men I will confesse him before my father which is in heauen Behold what esteeme and great reckening Christ maketh of this out ward confession of his truth though he shall get to himself litle or nothing therby yet wee shall gaine exceeding much in that we shall purchase his extraordinary fauour against the daie of our last reckening be therfore most gratiously welcomed of him and by himselfe be presented to his heauenlie father in the presence of that most glittering and noble company of heauen as verie faithfull and stout seruants that stood valiantlie for the defence of his cause in the face of the enemie we shall then heare these most confortable and ioyfull words Euge serue bone fidelis