haeretici c. De fide Symb cap. 10. both Heretickes Schismatickes are wont to call their congregations by the name of Churches Heretickes violate Fayth by belieuing false things of God and Schismatickes though they belieue the same things with vs doe yet fly from fraternall Charity by their wicked diuisions And therefore neither doth the Hereticke belong to the Catholicke Church because he loueth not God nor the Schismaticke because he loueth not his neighbour For how saith these Sainte elwhere shall the Schismaticke be esteemed to be in Charity with his neighbour who is out of Charity or Communion with the whole body of Christ which is his Church Epist ad Dam. Saint Hierome writing to Pope Damasus saith not only of the Catholicke Church indifinitely but denoting that to be the Romane that that Church is the Arke out of which whosoeuer liueth shal be drowned in the deluge and that that Church is the house out of which whosoeuer should eate the lambe were a prophane person Lactantius also sayth thus Lib. 4. cap. 30. Sola Ecclesia Catholica est c. It is the Catholicke Church alone which preserues the true worship of God this is the fountaine of truth this the house of faith this the Temple of God if any man either enter not into it or depart out of it Ibid. he shall be depriued of the hope of saluation and eternall life No man must flatter himselfe with an obstinate kind of contention for the questions here about saluation and life which if it be not watchfully and diligently prouided for it will be extinct and lost Saint Fulgentius hath this dreadfull saying wherewith I will conclude this point Firmissimè tene c. be most firmely persuaded and haue not doubt at all but that euery Hereticke or Schismaticke baptised in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost if withall he be not a member of the Catholicke Church can by no meanes be saued how great Almes soeuer he shall giue yea and though he should shed his bloode for the name of Christ For so long as the sinne either of Heresie or Schisme which drawes men downe to death shall remaine in any man neither Baptisme nor Almes nor death endured for the name of Christ can be of any benefit towards his saluation who houlds not fast the vnity of the Catholicke Church And now by this we see what the holy Scriptures and what the Fathers of the most primitiue time affirme concerning the vnsaueablenesse of any man who is not a member of that Church which formerly hath beene so cleerely proued to be but One Nor will I so much distrust either the attentiō or discretiō of my reader as to thinke that I neede presse this point any further Soe that now in the next place it will only remaine to be considered and resolued whether or no both the Catholickes the Protestāts cā be truly said to be parts mēbers of this One and the selfe same Church for if they can not the case in question is already iudged and there will be no colour of reason why either of vs should hereafter be charged with want of Charity for affirming that the other is not saueable without repentance of his Religion CHAPTER VI. That both Catholickes and Protestants can not possibly be accounted to be of one and the same Religion Fayth and Church HItherto I haue insisted vpō the former part of this maine discourse wherein I vndertooke to shew and doe conceaue my selfe to haue cōplyed with my word that there is but one true Religion one true Church out of which there is no saluation It will now remaine that I prooue the second part of my vndertaking which is that both the Catholickes Protestāts can by noe meanes account themselues to be professours of that one true Religion and obedient Children to that one true Church whichsoeuer be that true Church by the addresse cōduct wherof men may hope to saue their soules For cleare demonstration whereof it will be fit in the first place to shew what that is which makes a diuersity in Religion and without which men may still be of the same Religlon though there be difference of opinion betweene them The very name of a Christian Religiō whereby Almighty God is to be worshiped implyes a doctrine which must be beleiued Sacraments which must be receaued discipline which must be embraced Prelates or Gouernours which must be obeyed therefore that which make a Religiō to be entire is the beliefe of the same doctrine and the participating of the same Sacraments and obedience to the same discipline and Prelates or Gouernours so farre as men doe not obstinately reiect any part thereof or refuse to submit thereunto Whosoeuer doth this and cōformes his interiour by way of beliefe to the same doctrine and Sacramēts and his exteriour by way of obedience to the sayd Prelates and discipline may iustly be held to be one of the same Religion and whosoeuer refuseth to do this fayles of that But so also on the other side whensoeuer the Church hath not decided propounded and commaunded a doctrine to be belieued by her children and hath not enioyned such a part of discipline to be embraced a man so that he commit no scandall in the manner of it may varie both in the one and in the other from other men and may thinke and do as he sees cause without offending the vnity of Church or incurring thereby the crime either of heresie or schisme as I shall shew more at large afterwards vpon an other occasion It must therefore be considered whether Catholicks and Protestants be of one Church or not or rather it is to be seene for indeed in this case men haue not so much neede of their wits as of their eyes for the resoluing of the question But yet still to the end that euen the weakest stomackes may be made strong inough to digest that morsell which is coming toward it I will shew by seuerall arguments that we are farre from all possibility of passing for professours of the same Religion for members of the same Church so longe as we continue as we are For who perceaues not at the first sight that we resolutely differ from one another in the prime and maine points of Christian Religion We embrace not all the same Scriptures we differ about no fewer then fiue Sacraments of seauen which Catholickes belieue with all reuerence and they reiect withall contēpt Yea and euen concerning those two in the receiuing whereof we both agree namely the Sacrament Baptisme of the Cōmunion there are so many differences and debates amongst vs about the necessity of of the one and the reall presence of our Lord in the other that vpon the matter we can be thought but to agree in words We differ about the authority of all traditiōs vnwrittē which is the very foūdation of our
humane and fallible motiue whatsoeuer it is cleare that I could haue no supernaturall faith at all euen concerning that one single article of Catholicke doctrine And the same is to be said of the rest whether they be many or few great or smalle And the vndoubted reason hereof is because I giue not my firme assent to it vpon the only true infallible motiue which is the reuelatioÌ„ of God the propositioÌ„ of his Church For whatsoeuer is lesse then this cannot erect and qualifie an act of supernaturall faith with must be absolutely vndoubted and certaine and otherwise it is noe true faith at all but opinion and persuasion or humane beliefe He therfore with belieues not euery particular Article of Catholicke Doctrine which is reuealed and propounded by Almightie God and his Church doth no assent eueÌ„ to any one of them which he belieues vpon the sayd only true and infallible motiue For if he did he would as certainely or rather indeede could not choose but as willingly belieue all the rest since they all come recomended to him by the same Authority And now if there be truth in this which indeed cannot be called into any question the Catholikes and Protestants are farre inough from being of one faith and Church since it is demonstrated that besides the maine differeÌ„ces which runne betweene vs either they or we haue not really any true and supernaturall faith at all of any one doctrine of the Church wherein yet we seeme to consent together For as Turkes and Mores who belieue in God the Father haue yet no true supernaturall faith euen of that one single Article nor the Iewes of any thing contained euen in the old Testament so neither hath any heticke of any thing contained either in the old or new since they all resemble one another in this that whatsoeuer they belieue it is not done vpon that motiue which only can make an act of true and supernaturall faith And thus it shall suffice me to haue proued according to the maine proiect of this discourse that there is but one true faith which is the foundation of the only one true Religion which is exercised in one only true Church wherewith Christians are bound to communicate and that out of this Church there is no saluation to be found and lastly that both Catholicks and Protestants can by no meanes be accounted for members of one and the same true Church of Christ our Lord. But Protestants Qui nolunt intelligere vt bene agant though their reason tell them that al this is true do yet find their Religion to be so vnsoundly built that they can hardly be drawne to an acknowledgment thereof And therefore they are wont to say that such vnity of faith as this whereof we haue spoken is a kind of impracticable thing in this life that the holy Scripture speaking thereof is not to be vnderstood in such a rigid sense that the Fathers of the primitiue Church were too precise that way that their discourse of this kind was metaphysicall and that saluation is no so hard to be obtained but that there is roome inough in heauen for both Religions And finally they obiect that there is no such exact vnity as I haue her described euen amongst vs Catholickes and that theÌ„selues maintaine a sufficiency of vnity in faith both with the Fathers of the primitiue Church and with their owne fellow brethren the Lutheranes yea some moreouer will be so courteous as to professe that they agree euen with vs moderne Papists in all Fundamentall points of faith But I will consider in the next chapter both how litle reason they haue in what they obiect herein against vs and in what also they alleadge for themselues The auoiding of three obiections which they make against vs to disproue our vnitie in faith amongst our selues and of a fourth allegation whereby they would shew that they hold as much vnity both with the Lutherans and euen with vs Catholickes at this day as they are bouÌ„d to maintaine CHAPTER VII THey first striue to impeach our vnity in faith by obiecting that variety of opinioÌ„s in some points which they find by our books to be amongst vs whereby they would inferre that there is also amongst vs a diuersity of beliefe and faith and there is nothing more vsuall with them then this discourse But the answere is shortly and clerely this That wheresoeuer they find our Doctours to be of a contrary opinioÌ„ they shall also find those points in question not be haue bene defined by the Church but left at liberty to be debated and disputed as men see cause Such are a world of difficultyes betweene the Thomists and Scotists de auxilijs betwene the Dominicans and the Iesuites wherein either side defendes that which they take to be the truth opposing the contrary opinion by all the argumeÌ„ts that occure And both sides the while are resolued ready to submit to the iudgmeÌ„t definitioÌ„ of the Church whensoeuer it shall be declared so captiuating their vnderstanding to the obedieÌ„ce of faith as the Apostle exhorts And in the meane time they preserue the spirit of charitie in the bond of peace If our aduersaries could shâ—w that they erected Altare contra altare or that they were resolued not to obey to the definition of the Church when it were declared they should haue reason on their side but otherwise they are either very ignorant or els full of malice who make this obiection And let them either shew what Iesuite and Dominican breakes communion with on another or els betake theÌ„selues to some better prooffes The next obiection is yet more stupide then the former and I wonder how Caluins rage against the Church could put him so farre out of his wits as that he would euer take it into his mouth For it is he who being pricked by our noting their want of vnity towards their fellow brethren thinkes to reâ—ort it backe vpon vs by saying that we are not in case to obiect any such thing against them forasmuch as that forsooth we haue as many sects amongst vs as we haue seuerall Orders of Religious men and then he rekons vp Benedictans Carmelites Dominicans Franciscans whom els he will Wicked man who well knewe that no one of those holy Orders doth differ in any one point of doctrine from any of the rest are so farre from breaking communion with them as that still they preuent one another in all honour and good respects according to the aduice of the Blessed Apostle and much more do they exhibite all possible reuerence and obedience to the same Church and the Prelates thereof The difference which indeede raignes amongst them is who shal strip themselues soonest of all earthly incombrance and so fly the faster to heauen They haue seuerall Rules indeed which were framed by their seuerall Founders those men of God whereby they might the better direct their course to this iourneyes end according
to those seuerall spirits which our Lord imparts to seueral persons For though any man may be good in any lawfull state of life but especially in some holy Order of Religion yet because men are not only of seuerall constitutions in body but of as seuerall dispositions also in minde and that some are apter for contemplation others for a more actiue life some for corporall austerities others for mentall reflections and mortifications some for catechising preaching and coÌ„fessing others for silence and recollectioÌ„ Vt omnis spiritus laudent Dominum it was most agreable to the sweete prouidence of Almighty God to inspire his emineÌ„t seruants with seuerall spirits who might erect seuerall Orders at seuerall times which seuerall natures might affect and so apply themselues to God both more cheerfully more fruitfully therein especially if they conserue that spirit with which the Order was first indued And as wel wisely might Caluin haue coÌ„fest a differeÌ„ce of Religion amongst theÌ„selues because some men weare gownes others cloakes as to haue argued a disunioÌ„ amongst our Religious men because of their differeÌ„ce in habit or diet either froÌ„ other Orders or else from secular people I heare them also make a third obiectioÌ„ against our vnity in points of faith in regard of the difference betweene our learned and vnlearned men for in consequence thereof they say that some one of vs belieues incomparably more then an other For the clearing of this point I will open a certaine distinction the subiect whereof they are wont to lay to our chardge as a crime but if they lend me a litle patience the same will serue them for a light to let them see that theÌ„selues are out of the way This distinction is of Explicite and Implicite faith A man is sayd to haue Explicite faith of any Article or doctrine when he hath heard it particularly propounded to him and hath some particular knowledge thereof and giues particular assent thereunto But as for Implicite faith of any Article or doctrine a man is then sayd to haue it when he belieues that concerning it which the Church teaches them explicitly who are capable thereof although for his owne part he haue not perhaps so much as heard of it in particular or if he did he hath forgot it or if he remember it he hath not capacity inough to apprehend or vnderstand it But howsoeuer as I sayd he is resolued to belieue both of that and all things else as the Church teaches wil giue an Explicite consent to it wheÌ„ he shal be informed hereof be made abâ—e to vnderstand it hath this firme resolutioÌ„ that he will neuer hold he coÌ„trary either of that or of any other thing which they Church shal require him to belieue This I say is our doctrine concerning Explicite and Implicite faith and I dare confidently affirme that whosoeuer considers the same indifferently and with a resolution to receaue satisfaction if there be cause and not to be still cauilling whether there because or noe will confesse that not only the doctrine of Explicite and Implicite faith doth not only not impeach our vnity in beliefe in regard that some meÌ„ belieue some things more Explicitely â—hen others do but that if it were possible to aboâ—ish this doctrine which indeed it is impossible to do because it is rather deliuered vs by the voice of nature it selfe which hath ordained a different capacity in the mindes of men it would be wholly impossible to maintaine any Church in any vnity of faith at all For example will any man amoÌ„gst them be so absurd as to coÌ„ceaue that any plough man or Trades man or silly Woman doth belieue the same things Explicitely concerning Originall sinne or the relation which runnes betweene free will and grace and a hundred other questions of this nature which may be Explicitly belieued by some principall Doctour of diuinity amoÌ„gst them who haue particular studied these questions And if they confesse they cannot will they be content that we shall inferre thereby that there is no vnity of faith maintained amongst them Infallibly they will not and therefore it is but reason that they measure as they would be measured to and that they acknowledge that if dissension in point of faith could depend vpon the Explicitenesse or Implicitenesse of a mans belieuing seuerall doctrines there would be in effect as many seuerall faithes amongst vnlearned Christians as there are seuerall capacities For as much as we can hardly finde two such men whereof the one belieues iust as much Explicitely and no more then the other doth because the notice and the attention and the capacity and the memory and the profession is euer in effect more or lesse in one then in another and according to the more or lesse of these circumstance will the Articles Explicitely beleiued be either more or lesse The truth concerning this particular holds not only in the Catholicke Church but in all congregations which professe any Religion whatsoeuer consisting of seuerall Articles parts They who are learned and haue eminent endowments of nature and apply themselues with particular industry must euer belieue Explicitely more points of their Religion whatsoeuer it be and those others who are of contraries qualities must belieue Explicitely fewer points And this is also clear that the more points of any Religion which a man belieues Explicitely the fewer doth the leaue himselfe to belieue Implicitely and so on the contrary side the more he belieues Implicitely he reaches so much the fewer with an Explicite faith He may must belieue all the Articles and Doctrines of his Religion with a true entire most certaine and supernatural faith but that he should belieue them all with an Explicite faith is neither necessary nor possible But by belieuing as much as he can with an Explicite faith and what he can not with an Implicite a Cardinal Bellarmine and a Collier nay the simplest Catholicke woman in the whole world and the most glorious Mother of God if she liued still on earth should be absolutely fully of the selfe same Religion faith wiâ—h one another So that the swâ—rd of our aduersaries prooues a buckler to vs and that obiection which they make to disproue our vnity in faith vnder which they would both shelter their weaknes when we iustly obiect their departure from the Church against theÌ„ also authorize their malice when they haue a minde to cast the scandall of affected ignorance vpon vs prooues a foundation to vs of that truth which shewes how our vnity is made perfect These are the three obiections which Protestants are wont to make against our vnity in point of faith And now there remaines an allegation or argumt wherby they procure to defend themselues against our obiectioÌ„ that they want vnity amongst themselues For in vertue hereof they affirme that they ought not to be held in disunion either with the Fathers of the primitiue Church
or which the Lutherans or such other fellow ghospellers of theirs at this day or indeed euen with vs Catholickes if things as they say may be considered with moderation and all this they take to be secured by distinguishing points of faith into Fundamentall and not Fundamentall and then by saying that they agree both with the Fathers and Lutheranes and sometimes of their curtesie euen with vs in all fundamentall points of faith and that they differ but in points not fūdamentall It is a matter of great momēt that this particular conceit be carefully sifted and discouered and therefore I wil aske leaue that the next Chapter may be spent about it That Protestants haue no reason in alleadging the distinction of fundamentall not fundamētall points or faith as intending to prooue thereby that they are in vnity with the Fathers of the Primitiue Church of their fellow Brethren the Lutherans yea and some times with Catholickes at this day CHAPTER VIII BOth Luther and Caluin their next disciples yea and many Protestants also of these dayes haue familiarly in their sermons and no lesse frequētly in their bookes taken liberty with euery pennefull of incke to dash as it were damnation into our eyes and directly to affirme that they departed frō the Communion of the Church of Rome because forsooth they found it to be the seate of Antichrist the Synagogue of Satan the very Center of superstition and Idolatry and finally that bloody tyrant which exercised all immaginable cruelty against the Saints of God for many ages and which poisoned the world with false prophanes doctrines of extreme dishonour vnto Almighty God And indeede with what collour could certaine single base and filthie men haue presumed to depart frō the visible Catholicke Church of Christ our Lord and to erect their conuenticles as they did if they had not ar least professed that they could not finde saluation there For if they had said that they might haue found it there they could not so much as haue pretended to iustifie their departure from thence But yet neuerthelesse now that many moderne Protestants haue beene taught by time that the straits into which they fall are great by protesting against our saluatiō in that kind they haue been content now and then to desire better quarter at our hands and to affirme that the differences betweene them and vs concerne not the fundamentall points of faith but only such as are not fundamentall that therefore for their parts they hold we may be saued if we leade good liues in our Religion and that they desire the like attestation of vs for them and thas it is but tyranny and cruelty in the Catholicke Romane Church which keepes from allowing it since vpon the matter the Religions of vs both are the same the Churches in effect the same And this is that which lightens as they thinke our chardge of them and still keepes theirs heauy vpon vs as being vncharitable in not allowing them saluation This discourse of theirs and their standing so much vpon fundamentall points of faith in the sense which they vse is a mere Chimera but it is frequented by them through a high kind of craft For though it be most true that some doctrines are in themselues of farre more importance then some others because the knowledge thereof may be necessary for the performance of some duty which is required at our hands or else because they may containe the very heads and first grounds of Christianity more then others doe and therefore do exact a more explicite beliefe at the hands of Christians and consequently may be accounted in some respects more fundamentall yet so on the other side there is no doctrine at all concerning Religiō the beliefe whereof is not fundamentall to my saluation if the Catholicke Church which is the spouse of Christ our Lord propound and commande me to belieue it For there is no errour in faith which may not be made damnable by the manner of holding it when it is done so obstinately as that in defence thereof a man denies the authority of the Catholicke Church This is vnanswereably prooued by the meere Catalogues of heresies which haue been made by seuerall Fathers of the primitiue Church and especially by S. Austin in his treatise ad Quod vult Deū which I haue toucht before and which I earnestly exhort my reader to peruse at large For therein he noteth diuerse which consist but of single erroneous doctrines and they of litle importance in themselues as was declared in a former chapter But yet for as much as they were obstinately imbraced they were there declared to be so fundamentall as that he was noe Christian Catholicke who belieued any one of them yea or who should afterward belieue any other which might chaunce to be condemned by the Catholicke Church Looke backe vpon the example of S. Cyprian in the 6. chapter for there you will find that the selfe same doctrine of Rebaptization which was not fundamētall to him in regard that the Church had not then defined it the same I say was fundamentall afterward to the Donatistes and made them Heretickes because then it was defined and yet still maintained by them Looke backe to see in the same place what the nature of true faith is which is not only that it be absolutely entire in itselfe but that the meanes of propounding the Articles thereof be also both certaine and absolutely infallible or else there will be no faith at all See also in the same Chapter where the forme and spirit of heresie is found to consist in the pride and disobedience wherewith any doctrine or discipline of the Church is disobeyed and then withall cast an eye vpon that which you may find in the fifte Chapter of this discourse about the iudgment which is pronounced there both by Scriptures Fathers about the vnsaueablenes of any soule which is guilty of the least heresie or schisme and separation from the one and only true Church of Christ our Lord. For by this meanes it will appeare most euidently that the distinction of Faith into Fundamentall and not Fundamentall points to the purpose of permitting it in a mans liberty to leaue any one of them vnbelieued wirhout preiudice to saluation is both friuolous dangerous and vtterly false and so I shall be excused frō growing into length by making vnnecessary repetitions which I am most carefull to auoid But in the meane time I should be glad to know of the authours of this distinctiō what points of their faith which are controuerted eitheir betweene them or vs or betweene the Lutherans and them are fundamentall and which are not fundamentall The very nature of the words seeme to shewe that a fundamentall point of faith is such an one as is most necessarily to be belieued and that whosoeuer belieues it not cannot be saued And that so also on the other side a man may take his liberty either to belieue as he
making euery toy to be Fūdamentall Where by the way he takes his pleasure vpon vs sayes that we Papists will not let Protestants be saued though they belieue the same Creede and the same faith with vs vnles withall they will belieue the same Mathematicks and gouerne thēselues by the same Kalēders which to omit other poornesses of his was soe weake and meane a iest so misbecoming of that Audience and of the place he helde as being fitter indeed for some Ordinary thē for a Chappel or Church and withall so very vntrue if he were in earnest that vnles the pride of his owne conceit had raised vp a dust to put out his eyes he could not but haue seene the senselesnes of what he said euen whilest he was speaking since we the Romane Catholickes in this kingdome do rather gouerne our selues at this day by the lesse perfect Kalender which now is vsed in this place then by the other which is both the better euen by the iudgment of learned Protestants is authorized by the Catholicke Church abroade Letting he world see thereby how willingly we can accommodate to them in all things which belong not meerely to Religion But Maister Doctour forgot himselfe worse shortly after For hauing grauely admonished mē before not to account things arbitrary to be necessary nor to call superstructions foundations nor to esteeme that euery little thing in Religion should be able to depriue a man of saluation he takes the paynes to wipe out with a wet finger the whole substance and drifte of all his owne discourse by saying to his effect That differēce in beliefe in points which are not very important is not to preiudice a mans saluation vnles by not belieuing them he commit a disobedience with all for saith he Obedience indeede is of the Essence of Religion Which vpon the whole matter is the very thing we say and the very thing whereby he crosses the whole scope of his owne sermon For if a mans disobediēce to the proposition and direction of the Church concerning an inferiour point of Doctrine do impugne the very essense of Religion it will follow that their distinctiō of points Fundamentall or not Fundamentall wherby they would inferre that a man can not loose his saluation but for misbelief in some few mayne points of Religion and not in the rest is absurd and vaine and detractiue both of Doctour Dunnes Doctrine last mentioned and of their owne obiection of vncharitablenes against vs for saying that men dying in different Religions cannot be saued And withall that this distinction will not secure them from committing the crime of separation from the Church of Christ our Lord and in swaruing from the directions thereof in which case all the Doctrines of the Church are found to be Fundamentall towards saluation And this shall serue for a dischardge both of what they obiect against our vnitie in faith and of what they alleadge in the behalfe of theirs And in the meane time I conceaue that I haue also sufficiently secured and settled those two mayne groundes vpon which this whole discourse is turned Namely first that there is but one true faith and one true Religion and Church out of which there is no saluation and secondly that both Catholickes and Protestants can not possible be accounted to be of that one Religion Church Faith And now for the finall proofe of this last point according euen to their practise as well as ours let my Reader but looke vpon the body of their lawes made against vs and especially vpon the Preambles thereof wherein they plentifully shew how hatefull an opinion they haue of our Church Let him looke vpon the seuerall Acts of State which haue issued from my Lords of the Counsell Let him looke vpō the proclamatiōs which haue beene made and published from time to time Let him looke vpon the large cōmissions which haue beene granted to Pursiuants whereby that scume of the world hath been and is enabled both to ransome ransacke vs at their pleasure Let him looke vpon those speeches which haue been vttered in both houses of Parliament not only against the professours but euen the profession it selfe of our Religion and how his most excellent Maiesty hath been importuned by their Petitions to add more weight to our miseries for thus it will easily be seene how false how rotten how superstitions how Idolatrous how detestable how damnable and euen destructiue of all truth and goodnes they professe themselues to esteeme our Religiō and in fine that we carry such a marke of the Beast in our foreheads as must needs in their opinion shut vp the gates of Heauen against vs and set open the iawes of Hell to deuoure and swallowe vs vp So that certainely we are no more of one Church with them in their opinion then they are of one with vs in ours And now there will remaine noe more but a short Recapitulation of what hath been deliuered more at large for the finishing of this discourse to which I will now betake my selfe A recapitulatiō of the whole discourse wherin it followes vpon the confession of both parties that the Catholickes and the Protestants are not both of them saueable in their seuerall Religions without repentance thereof before they dy and that Catholickes must therefore be no longer held vncharitable for saying so but those Protestants are shewed to be Libertines who say the contrary CHAPTER X. SInce the Faith Religion Church hath beene prooued both by Scriptures and Fathers as also by vnanswearable reasons which haue beene drawne both from the very groundes of true Faith and from the nature and spirit of Heresy and Schisme and finally by the Confession of both parties to be but only one and that out of that one there is noe saluation to be obtayned Since the difference concerning the Doctrine of faith betweene Catholickes Protestants are so many so important and so resolutely maintained cōcerning both the Canon of Scriptures the number nature of Sacraments the authority of traditions the supreme Iudge of Cōtrouersies the visible heade of the Church the iustification of ouer soules the valewe of our good workes the liberty of our will the possibility of keeping the Commandements the relations which runne betweene the men of this life on the one side and both the soules in Purgatory and the Saints in Heauen on the other Since besides our differences in points of Doctrine we swarue also from one an other in points of discipline and haue separated our selues haue mutually excōmunicated one another Since we hold them to liue in heresie and schisme and they vs in affected ignorance grosse superstition and Idolatry and are dayly making Sermons and bookes and edicts and lawes against one another it is certaine that either both they and we must not be saued if we dy vnrepētant of our seuerall Religions or else that the whole world hath beene in a dreame of three thousand yeares old euer
world but yet that light which is cast so far abroad is but one and the same she spreads her brannches ouer the whole earth after a plentifull manner she extendes her flowing streames with greate abundance to a great distance but yet is she one head and one roote and one mother who is fruitfull by such store of issue Lib. 1. Epist 6. The same Saint also speaking of the sin of Core Dathan and Abiron implies that the one Church must not only be entirely belieued but followed also in all her doctrines and directions For he saieth that though Core Dathan and Abiron did belieue and worship one God and liued in the same law and religion with Moyses and Aaron yet because they deuided thēselues from the rest by Schisme resisting their gouernours and Priests they were swallowed vp quick into hell S. Basile puts such a value vpon the absolute integrity of all the whole Christian Doctrine which declares what he belieued concerning the necessity of vnity in the Church as to expresse himselfe after this manner S. Basil apud Theodoret l. 4. hist c. 17. Qui in sacris litteris c. They who are well instructed in holy writ permit not one syllable of diuine doctrine to be betrayed or yeelded vp but are willing to embrace any kind of death for the defence thereof if neede require That man of God had beene solicited by some to relent for a time and to yeeld though it were but to a litle he refused in such sort as you haue seene he did it much disdaine to be attēted in that kind S. Gregory Nanzianzene speaking of Hereticks who doe all breake the vnity of the Church seemes yet to apprehend them to be worste of all who whilest indeed they breake it Greg. Nazian Tract de fide Nihil periculosius c Lib. Apo cont Ruff. Propter vnū c. doe yet seeme to doe it least because so they will hardliest be perceaued And he deliuers himselfe in these words Nothing can be more dangerous then those Heretikes who whē they runne streight through all the rest doe yet with one word as with some drop of poison infect the true and sincere faith of our Lord. S. Hierome shewes that the vnity of the Church and faith thereof must be so perfect as that for some one word or two contrary to the same many heresies haue been caste out of the Church And S. Leo saith that out of the Catholicke Church there is nothing pure according to that of the Apostle whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and els where he saith also If it be not one it is no faith at all Cōcerning this one Church S. Augustine is also most expresse cleere For when the Donatists saith he calumniated the Catholickes In Breui collat collat dici tertiae as affirming that there were two Churches one vpon earth which contained both the good and bad and the other in heauen which contained none but good the Catholicks made them this answere That they did not make two Churches but did only distinguish the two times of the Church saying that the same One only Church was in one state now and was hereafter to be in an other that now it had a mixture of euill men but that hereafter it should haue none iust so as there are not therefore two Christs because once he could dye and now he can dye no more And thus the Catholickes refuted that slaunder which the Donatists had layed vpō thē expresly shewing what they had formerly sayed namely that there was but One and the same holy Catholicke Church And to shewe more ouer by the iudgmēt of S. Augustine In explicatione Psal 54. that the Church in her doctrine was to be truly One he spake thus of the Donatists who called vpon the same God preached the same ghospell sunge the same Psalmes had the same Baptisme obserued the same Easter and the like In those things they were with me yet not wholy with me in Schisme not with me in Heresie not with me in many things with me in a few not with me but in regard they were not with me in a few their being not with me in many could not helpe them Nay S. Ireneus whom I named before implies Lib. 2. cap. 3. not only That it is necessary for a true Christian Catholicke to differ in no one point of the doctrine or faith from other Christans but he must withall not beleeue any thing after a different manner that is to say vpon a different motiue from that for which it is beleeued by other Christians But this point I shall touch hereafter And for the present it may suffice to haue proued the necessitie of most perfect vnity in the Church and that indeede no reasō can be giuē why if there be allowed any more true Churches then One there should not be admitted as well two thousand as two So that now it remaynes for me to shewe also by the iudgment of holy Scriptures and Fathers that out of this One Church there is no saluation It is prooued both by holy scriptures and Fathers that out of One true Church of Christ our Lord no saluation is to be found CHAPTER V. SInce the Church of Christ our Lord is so truely One and but only One it followes easily inough that no saluation can be had out of this Church and that euery heresy or schisme is sufficient to depriue any soule thereof But yet neuerthelesse to the end that men may be wholy left without excuse or rather that they may be the better warned to take heede in time of those miseries which otherwise they are to feele for all eternity I will strengthen also this trueth by the authority of some few Scriptures and Fathers of the primitiue Church For so by degrees it will easily and of it felfe appeare that we Catholickes are not faulty in that wherewith we are so much charged The Prophet Esay thus foretelles the quality and condicion of the then future Church of Christ our Lord and what shall become of them who serue it not Cap. 60. Gens enim regnum quod non seruierit tibi peribit That nation and kingdome which will not serue thee shall perish And now if a whole nation and kingdome shall perish for not seruing what shall become of those priuate miserable people who blaspheme and rent it The same Prophet sayth else where to the same purpose Cap. 54. Omne vas c. Euery vessell or pot which is framed against the shall not succeede or proue well and thou shalt iudge euery tongue resisting thee in iudgment We haue seene already in the new Testament vpon another occasion to prooue the vnity of the Church that whosoeuer obeyes not this One Church is by the order of our blessed Lord himselfe to be held for no other then a Pagan or Publican that is to say for no better then a meere Idolater
seriously censure the Zuinglians and all the Sacramentaries for hereticks and as alienated from the Church of God And I protest before God and the world that I agree not with them nor euer will but will haue my haÌ„d cleare from the blood of those sheepe which these hereticks driue from Christ deceaue and kill And againe in the same place Cursed be the Charity and concord of Sacramentaries for euer and euer to all eternity And a litle before his death he protesteth saying I hauing now one of my feete in the graue will carry this testimony and glory to the tribunall of God That I will with all my heart condemne and eschew Carolostadius Zuinglius Oecolampadius their disciples nor will haue familiarity with any of them neither by letter writing words nor deedes accordingly as the Lord hath commaunded Thus he sayth with very much more to the same effect And to make this yet more euident by the like testimonyes of the Zuinglians Caluinists the Tigurine Diuines say thus Nos condemnatam execrabilem vocat sectam c. Luther calls vs a damnable and execrable sect but let him looke that he declare not himselfe an Archheretick since he will not nor cannot haue any society with those that confesse Christ. But how marueilously doth Luther here bewray himselfe with his diuells what filthy words doth he vses such as are replenished with all the diuells in helle For he sayth that the diuell dwelleth both now and euer in the Zuinglians and that they haue a blasphemous brest insathanized persathanized and supersathanized and that they haue besides a most vaine mouth ouer which Sathan beareth rule being infused perfused and transfused into the same Did euer man heare such speeches passe froÌ„ a furious diuell himselfe In so much as Zuinglius sayth of him Behould how SathaÌ„ doth endeauour wholly to possesse this man And Oecolampadius also forewarnes Luther least being puffed vp by arrogaÌ„cy pride he be seduced by SathaÌ„ Wherunto might be added suÌ„dry other like testimonies This contention betweene Luther and his followers on the one party and the Zuinglians or Caluinists on the other is yet further testified not only by the almost infinite writings of on against an other yet dayly encreasing but also by the knowne mutuall proscription or banishment of ech other from their seuerall territories or dominions So farre were they from reputing one another for members of one and the same Church Thus farre goe the words of the sayd Apoligie where you shall finde the places both of Luther and Zuinglius and Oecolampadius and the Tigurine diuines exactly cited Heare also further what Nicolaus Gallus saith who was an eminent Minister at Ratisbone of the difference amongst the Protestants themselues Non sunt leues c In The sib Hypothes The dissentions which are amongst vs be not light nor coÌ„cerning light matters but about the greatest Articles of of Christian Doctrine of the law and the ghospell of iustification and good workes of the Sacraments and vse of ceremonies Heare also what Conradus Schlussenburgus another famous Lutheran Protestant sayth in the very Title of his booke against the Caluinists Theologiae Caluinisticae libri tres c. Three bookes concerning CaluiniaÌ„ diuinity wherein it is shewed as in a Table to the eye out of two hundred thre and twenty publicke writers of the Sacramentaries with particular setting downe the pages the words the names of the authours that the said Sacramentaries haue no true belief of almost any Article of Christian Faith This booke was printed at Franckford in the yeare 1594. Reade also but the very Title of two of Grauerus his bookes who was a famous professour of Lutheranisme the one is this Absurda absurdoruÌ„ absurdissima Caluinistica absurda The absourd most absourd doctrines Caluin c. and the other Bellum Ioannis Caluini Iesu Christi printed 1598. The warre of Iohn Caluin against Iesus Christ. And lastly doe but read this Title of book writteÌ„ by Aegidius Hunnius who was a most famous Lutheran and succeeded next to Luther himselfe in possessing his Chaire at Wittenberge The Title is this Aegidij Hunnij Caluinus Iudai â—ans id est c. Caluin playing the Iew that is to say A discouery made by Aegidius Hunnius of the Iewish Interpretations and corruptions whereby Iohn Caluin â—ath not bene afrayde to corrupt after a detestable maÌ„ner most illustrious places and testimonies of holy Scripture concerning the glorious Trinity the Deity of Christ of the holy Ghost and especially of predictioÌ„s of the Prophets touching the coming of the Messias his Natiuity Passion Resurrection Ascension sitting at the right haÌ„d of God Printed at Wittenberge in the yeare 1592. I forbeare both to presse this euideÌ„ce I will no further seeke to prooue by way of Authority that both Catholicks and Protestants are not sauable as not being to be accounted to be of one and the same Church and Religion no not yet euen the Lutherans and Caluinists For in a word that reason strikes euen at the roote which is drawen from the nature propriety of faith it selfe And euen that alone if it be well considered will vnanswerably conuince not only that they are of differeÌ„t faith Church who differ in so many Articles of so great moment as these wherein we professe one selues to disagree but that they also who differ in any one single point which is propounded and commanded by the Catholicke Church yea and more ouer that they who differ not in any points at all if yet they assent not vpon the only true infallible ground which is as hath bene said the reuelation of Almighty God and the Proposition and Direction of the said Catholicke Churh not only haue the selfe same faith with that Church but that they haue no supernaturall and true faith at all euen of those other doctrines which they most earnestly thinke themselues to imbrace and coÌ„sequently that it is wholly impossible for them to be saued if they dye impenitent The reason whereof is excellently deliuered by S. Thomas and many other diuines who vnaunswerably prooue that whosoeuer belieues not the whole corps of Christian Doctrine hath no true supernaturall faith at all and doth not righly belieue any one Article thereof He may haue a kinde of materiall fayth concerning those articles to which he giues assent but not a certaine and true and supernaturall faith vnles he belieue them vpon the right grounde thereof which is The speech or reuelation of Almighty God propounded and commaunded to belieued by the Catholicke Church For example if I should belieue that Christ our Lord dyed for the sins of the world either because I had only read it in some learned booke or in regard that I had ben told so by some friend whom I much esteemed and loued or else because I thought it likely in respect of some coÌ„gruity thereof to other things or finally vpoÌ„ any other
the honour and pleasure of this world carryes noe proportion at all with that of the next any more then idle dreames doe with strong truthes or vaine shadowes with substance which is substance indeede For in this life whatsoeuer delight is felt the minde of man is still too hard for the body and ouer works it doth secretly either giue or take a kind of lye and insatisfaction euen in the topp of all the greatest pleasure which it feeles though dull people vnderstand not or obserue not this But if for any one instaÌ„t a soule could haue any one glimpse of celestiall blisse and be ingulfed with all the facultyes thereof vpon an obiect of such infinite perfection as God is and that this were done without the interposition or interpretation of any creature but that the whole soule might touch and mingle and vnite it selfe for that instant with that soueraigne obiecte O how fully would the soule be satisfied O how base how beastiall would all the delight and glory of this world both appeare and be in respect of that We may see some traces of this truth by a consideration of those supernatural visitations and spirituall illustrations eleuations whereby our Lord hath been pleased to descend into the soules of innumerable seruants and Spouses of his euen in this life that so they might be enabled to take in as it were some little sent and ayre of that eternall blisse which is prepared for them in the next Yea how many haue there beene who formerly being all immersed in the pursuite of terrene honour and delight haue by the meanes of some one celestiall visitation been instantly and for euer estranged and that with extreme contempt from the care of all the carnal ioye and greatnes which this world was able to afford them ane haue been fixed with a perpetuall eye vpon the most ardent loue and most loyall faithfull seruice of our Lord God The storyes of our Saints liues and our owne experience in conuersation with spirituall persons which through the goodnes of God are neuer wanting in his holy Catholicke Church hath made vs not only see this truth but euen as it were to touch it with our fingers ends And yet there can be no doubt but that all the spirituall visitations and consolations and extasies and rapts which euer shall be or haue bene felt and suffered in this life by all the seruants of God and yet in some one of them we know that S. Paule was taken vp into the third heauen and that he was possessed with the vnderstanding and feeling of so high mysteries as it was neither lawfull not possible for man to expresse are most poore and meane thinges in comparison of any one moment of ioy in Heauen And the reason hereof is cleare For whatsoeuer spirituall gift is imparted in this life is but by image and representation but in the next it is in substance and face to face with God himselfe where he is seene as he is indeede If then one instant of celestiall glory be not only so farre exceeding all carnall ioy and pleasure which is but dust and trash being compared with that other but that also euen the highest spirituall gust and ioy which is experimeÌ„ted in this life be not able once to subsist in sight of one moment of that glorious ioye which is felt in heaueÌ„ though it be but for one instant how infinitely must we find our selues obliged to this immortal God of ours who hath vouchsafed not to ty vs to instants of time in the fruition of that glory but to enlarge and extend it I say not to yeares or ages or worlds of time but as farre as perfect eternity it selfe In comparison whereof the time of all this world from Adam to this day and a million of millions as much time as that and as many more millions as all the hearts of all men can comprehend and count are not so much in durance as one minute is being compared with all those millioÌ„s of time And yet all this eternity of such glory as I haue described is vouchsafed to vs by the inexhausted goodnes of our Lord God for hauing produced any one single acte of Faith and Loue which yet we see may be innumerably multiplied with so much case For any one single thought which is directed to the glory of our Lord God doth increase the same grace in our soules and consequently layes vp a distinct degree of that eternall glory wherof we haue spoken So that it is a cleare and constant truth that for euery other good thought which may be conceaued in any one moment of time we shall haue an increase of eternall glory in a distinct degree beyond that which otherwise we should haue had and we shall for euer see more perfectly the immortall Essence of Almighty God and loue it more and enioy it more then we should haue done if we had not produced that one single act of minde which yet as I sayd may be done by any ignorant or silly creature in the world in any one moment of his time And yet withall we are so miserable as not to lameÌ„t that this time should be lost not only vpon toyes and consequently vpon not increasing this stocke of immortall treasure but euen vpon committing of sinnes which doe no thing but horde vp an eternity of immense torments for vs insteede thereof We Catholickes must be thankefull and beg grace withall that we may coÌ„tinue where we are and we must beg it also for such others as are not and will not be so happy yet to the end that contemning all the vaine delights and honours of this world which may intice them and all the disaduantages troubles which may threaten them they may giue themselues vp now at last to be receaued into the bosome of the holy Catholicke Apostolicke Romane Church and so to be embraced by those strong armes of that diuine protection and coÌ„fort which Christ our Lord her Spouse hath endewed her with for the sauing of those soules for which he died Our Lord God make them so happy as to receaue this blessing and let all his Saints and Angels euer glofiry his holy name for hauing imparted it to vs. FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS CHAPTER 1. THAT Catholickes are both improbably and vniustly charged with lacke of Charity for affirming that Protestancy vnrepented destroyes saluation Chapter 2. Of the intention of Catholickes when they say that Protestancy vnrepented destroies saluation how that speech is to be vnderstood Chapter 3. That our saying that Protestancy vnrepented destroies saluation proceedes froÌ„ want of Charity in vs is no lesse vntrue because there is but one true Church then already I haue shewed it to be improbable and first this is proued by holy Scripture Chapter 4. The expresse vnity of the Church is also proued by the authority of the Fathers of the most primitiue times Chapter 5. It is proued both by holy Scriptures Fathers that out of this one true Church of Christ our Lord no saluation is to be found Chapter 6. That both Catholickes ProtestaÌ„ts cannot possibly be accompted to be of one the same Religion Faith and Church Chapter 7. Three obiections ar auoided which they make against vs to disproue our vnity in faith amongst our selues and so also is an allegation about FundameÌ„tal points of faith wherby they would shewe that they hold as much vnity both with the Fathers and with the Lutherans yea and euen with vs Catholickes at this day as they are bound to maintaine Chapter 8. That Protestants haue no reason in alledging the distinction of fundamentall and not fundamentall points of faith as intending to proue thereby that they are in vnity with the Fathers of the Primitiue Church or of their fellow brethren the Lutherans yea and some times with Catholickes at this day Chapter 9. That Protestants neither do nor dare declare what are their fundamentall points of faith wherby yet they would pretend that they liue in the communion of the only one true Church of our Lord. Chapter 10. A recapitulation of the whole discourse wherein followes vpon the confession of both parties that the Catholickes and Protestants be not both of them sauable in their seueral Religions without repentance thereof before they dye and Catholickes must therefore be no longer held vncharitable for saying so but those ProtestaÌ„ts are shewed to be Libertines who say the contrary The Conclusion FAVLTES ESCAPED in the printing Faultes Corrected Pag. 8 l. 1 as man as a man 17 l. 2 we owne we owe 21 l. 29 haduÌ„ commaded had commauÌ„ded 24 l. 26 persisting persisting 30 l. 24 did it much did it with much 32 l. 28 doctrine or doctrine of 36 l. 16 of of eternall of eternall 38 l. 1. who forsake who forsakes 41 l. 2 these Saint elwhere the Saint else where 51 l. 10 to condemned to be condemned 55 l. 28 title of booke title of a booke 68 l. 9 particular studied particularly studied 70 l. 22 or argumt or argument 93 l. 9 execrable of execrable assertioÌ„ of 101 l. 4. of ouâ—â— soules of our soules 110 l 6 and Polycarpe and S. Polycarpe l. 28 scoffe as vs scoffe at vs 117 l. 17 first cleare first cleared 119 l. 28 case chat case that 124 l. 29 And yet meanes of high euen by this And yet euen by this meanes of high
CHARITY MISTAKEN WITH THE WANT WHEREOF Catholickes are vniustly charged for affirming as they do with grief that Protestancy vnrepented destroies SALVATION Printed with Licence Anno 1630. PREFACE HAVING obserued the liberty which men are growne to take in not holding it ne-necessary to belieue that any one Religion is precisely true that for the excusing of themselues from blame they thinke fit to lay the fault on others as being too strict in approuing and vpholding only one I haue thought fit to imply some of my houres vpon examining how much or little reason they haue in a case of this high importance either to bragge of their owne charity or to impeach the opiniō of ours And therefore I shall humbly pray all my Protestant Readers to bring attention without passion to the perusall of this ensuing discourse wherein I will hope they shall meet with cause to be as good to themselues as I wish or at least to giue ouer mistaking vs though perhaps they shall not care to mend themselues But certainly if there be any such thing as Heauen and God and Christ and Faith and Church that indeed there be but one not only shall they be miserable men in the next life vvho apply not thēselues intirely to the beliefe of that and that alone but they shall euen in this vvorld be vvorthily held ignorant and imprudent vvho taxe men as vncharitable for nothing but because they approue not many For let that vvhich follovveth be vvell vveighed and they vvill see that not only Catholickes affirme this truth but that the beliefe there of is also auowed both by the practise and principles of the chief Protestants themselues in their vvritings hovvsoeuer the contrary discourse raigneth too much in the minds and mouths of particular men of that profession vvho haue many times so much of the good fellovv that they haue too little of the good Christian But I remit my selfe to that vvich follovves vvhich againe I recommend to the Reader THAT CATHOLICKS ARE both improbably and vniustly charged with lacke of Charity for affirming that Protestancy vnrepented destroyes saluation CHAPTER I. IF it be a part of honour and iustice for a Cauallier of this world to defend the rights of the oppressed and to contribute if there be cause with particular care towards the protection and defense of some excellent but afflicted Lady whose fame were blasted by the ill tōgues of men how much more iust and honourable will it be for a Catholike who in this time and place may well goe for a Cauallier of Christ to defend the honour and fame of his Lady and Mother which is the holy Catholicke Church Shee being so innocent as the immaculate Spouse of Christ our Lord ought to be and yet with all so much wronged as to be taxed for wanting the very wedding ringe and the nuptiall to be it selfe of Charity whereby shee is best distinguished from all pretenders to that Mariage bed and most euidently marked out to be that very Spouse which indeed shee is For that the abounding in Charity should be the distinctiue signe of the Church of Christ our Lord from euery other congregation vpon earth he did by the Oracle of his owne blessed mouth declare expressely vpon record when speaking to the same Spouse of his in the persō of his disciples he sayd thus By this shal all men know Euan. Io. c. 13. whether you be my disciples or no if you loue one another And least by occasion of these words a man might chance to thinke that the Church were only bound to loue her owne children and consequently that Catholicks were but obliged to mainteine Charity towards their fellow Catholicks our Lord did elswhere teach vs that we were not only to loue our friends but our enemyes also by his owne example of bestowing his sunne Matt. c. 5. and rayne not only vpon the iust but vpon the vniust also and that it was to be a signe of a true Pastour if he were ready euen to lay downe his life for his slocke Ioh. 10. whereby in this case the spirituall good of no lesse thē the whole world is to be vnderstood So that to charge the Catholicke Church that shee proceeds vncharitably towards Protestants and that so far as through the want thereof to censure and condemne them to the paynes of hell is as good as hath bene said as to tell her to her teeth that she is but a harlot and strumpet and not indeed the Spouse of Christ as she pretends And now therefore I as a childe though an vnworthy one of this Church feeling the affront which his mother vndergoes vpon this occasiō will procure to remoue it the best I can and in the first place to shew how improbable the slander is and in the second place how vntrue First then at the very first fight it is wholy improbable euen supposing that the Catholicke Church should vniustly vntruly hold as shee is charged by her aduersaries to doe that Protestancy vnrepented destroyes saluation that yet this should be affirmed by her through want of Charity and not rather vpon some other motiue namely error in iudgment indiscreet zeale of soules immoderate feare of the iustice of God or the like For to see the holy Catholicke Church dissolue and euen as it were defeate her selfe of her very selfe for the acquiring of all imaginable both temporall and eternall blessing to mankinde then yet to say that because shee wants Charity shee will not allow men of different Religions a place in heauen where yet there is roome inough for all the world doth stampe the marke of absurdity vpon the very front of the proposition euen whilest it is deliuered Now to see that this Catholicke Church is after a most eminent manner so expressiue diffusiue of her selfe towards the good of others as hath bene sayd a man needes no more but to haue eyes in his head for the truth thereof is not only to be euicted by reason but it lies subiect euen to common sence and to the obseruation of euery ordinary looker on For what kinde of creature is there of what condition what sex what age whom the Catholicke Church doth not striue to wrap vp in the bowels of her pitty how restles is that solicitude wherwith shee doth it As soon as any childe is borne shee considering the precise necessity of Baptisme will be sure to initiate him with that Sacrament wherin other Religions are farre more remisse When he growes vp to yeares of discretion shee strengthēs him with the Sacrament of Conformation When shee findes him once to haue drunke of the poysoned cup of actual sin shee striues to make him cast it vp againe by the Sacrament of Confession and Penance To the end that he may not only enioy some proportion of health but be able to stand out and grow and passe on with strength and comfort shee feedes him from time to time
Iesus Christ and we pray and hope that before they part out of this life the merits of the said death passion of our Blessed Lord may be applyed to theyr soules by fayth and charity and penance by those Sacramēts and other conduits meanes of conueying and applying his grace and spiritual life to their soules which are onely to be found in the bosome of the holy Catholicke Church Without which Sacraments and other meanes the merits and blood of Christ our Lord though most apt and able in themselues to saue a thousand millions of worlds will neuer saue any one soule For in fine the merits of our Lord and the sinfull soules of men be two extreames of great distance from one another can neuer be brought to meet but by such wayes and meanes as the vnspeakeable power and wisedome goodnes of Almighty God hath found out for that purpose and those meanes are they which I haue already touched For if the merit of our Blessed Sauiours death were of it selfe to saue any one soule without the application thereof by the aforesaid meanes no reason at all could be assigned why any one soule should be lost as yet the farre greatet part of soules is sure to be So that we speake not so much of Protestants in thy kind as of the profession of heresy which they follow and we iudge no more of them vpon this reason but that whilest they liue in that Religion they estrange themselues from the right meanes of applying the merits of Christ our Lord to theyr soules whereby they might be saued But yet we hope neuertheles that God will haue so much mercy on many of them before they dy as to incorporate them into his mysticall body which is his true Church whereby they may partake the influence of that mercy and grace which is deriued from the head thereof Iesus Christ our Lord. And therefore it is plaine that we make not Protestācy to be at a sinne against the Holy Ghost which cannot be forgiuen because it will not be repented whereas Protestancy both may and often is repented of and consequently forgiuen to the end that it may be so we declare the grieuousnes of the sinne and we procure by all the meanes we can to remoue the same Nay we are so farre from accounting it a sinne against the Holy Ghost as that by our saying that Protestancy vnrepented excludes saluatiō we imploy no more then meerly that it is a mortall sinne For whosoeuer dyes impenitent of any one mortall sinne can neuer be saued S. Paul ad Galat and whosoeuer shall with true penance be sory and depart from his Protestancy though it be but in the last minute of his life will be capable of saluation So that we iudge not men in particular concerning their saluation of damnation but yet on the other side we must not be afrayd to affirme though we are cordially sory for hauing cause to doe it that they who dye impenitent either of Protestancy or any other sinne which depriues the soule of the grace of God cannot be saued For such men as these are iudged already in generall by the mouth of God but which of them in his particular shall be taken before he dy out of that vnhappy hearde of goates and placed in that blessed flocke of sheepe by the hād of the good shepheard we leaue to his owne vnsearcheable determinatiō And therfore as we take not the office of Iudge out of his hand because we cannot come to know whether this or that particular sinner may not repent before he dye so yet we may safely say that a man who liues in Protestancy or any other mortall sinne and who is so farre from repenting it though he be sufficiētly informed thereof as that he will not so much as acknowledge it to be a sinne and who for ought we know or canne learne did no way retract or reuerse it so much as at the hower of his death departs this life in a state which is greatly to be lamented and withall that if he repented himselfe as little of it indeede in the sight of God as in our sight he seemed to doe there canne be no doubt with vs so longe as we beleeue our Religion to be true but that such a person dyed without saluation as departing in the obstinate profession of a different Religion which we esteeme to be false And the same must they also beleeue of vs mutatis mutandis if indeede they beleeue their owne Religion to be true Christian religion of which Christ himselfe pronounced Qui non crediderit condemnabitur That our saying that Protestancy vnrepented destroyes saluatiō proceedes from want of Charitie in vs is no lesse vntrue because there is but one true Church then already I haue shewed it to be improbable and first this is proued by holy scripture CHAPTER III. HItherto I haue been shewing how vtterly improbable it is euen prima facie that we should censure Protestancy or Protestants through want of Charitie and withall what that motiue is which induces vs to let them know the extreamity of danger wherein they are or that when we hold any such discourse it is so farre from being an effect of want of Charitie in vs towards them as that it only proceedes from our deepe compassion of their case which is the most sweete pretious fruite of that soueraigne vertue My endeauour now shal be to shew that this charge of vncharitablenes against vs is not only improbable but vniust also vntrue And that in carrying our selues herein as we doe we not only not swarue from our duty to them but if we should doe otherwise we should fayle of that obedience which we owne to Almighty God himselfe who exacts the performance of this office at the handes of his holy Catholicke Church And now for the clearing of this point in such sort as that it may satisfie doubtfull mindes it will first be fit to premise some few groundes vpon which I may the better build vp that truth which I am about to declare I will not offer here to prooue that there is a God because now I haue not to doe which professed Atheistes nor yet that Christ our Lord is the true sonne of God who suffered death for the redemptiō of the world because we liue not amongst Iewes But for as much as there are such differences of opinion concerning that Religion and Church which was founded and framed by Christ our Lord I will briefely shew in the first place that Almighty God did found one Church and but one and that he ordained one Religion wherein he would be serued and but one and that out of that Communion there is no saluation In the second place I will make it appeare that the vnity which is to be maintained amongst the members of this one true Church and the professors of this one Religion is directly broken betweene Catholickes and
sees cause or not to belieue any doctrine which is not fundamentall without incuring the sentence of damnation Vpon this it followes that there is nothing in all Christian Religion which according to their groundes it imports a man more exactly to learne then what is fundamentall and what not nor which it more imports the Doctours and guides of the Protestant Church to make knowne to all that people which they pretend to guide in the way of saluation And yet neuerthelesse there is absolutely no one thing which hath beene so frequently importunately desired as that they would giue in some exact list or Catalogue of all and the only fundamentall points of faith and yet is there no one thing wherein we are so litle satisfied and which vpon the matter they doe so absolutely refuse And yet as hath beene here expressed if according to their groundes a man should faile of belieueing any one fundamental point of faith by his not knowing â—hrough their fault that the point which he belieued not was fundamentall he must be sure to perish and that for euer But the Protestants are wise inough in their owne waye and well they know what they do in order to their owne ends both when they frame the distinction of fundamentall and not fundameÌ„tall points of faith and when also they refuse to giue in a Catalogue of which is which For by making first the distinction and then by concealing the particulars contained vnder the branches thereof they saue themselues harmeles amongst ignorant people from being coÌ„uinced to be of a different Communion and Religion both from the Fathers of the primitiue Church on the one side and from their fellow sectaries of this age on the other Whereby they gaine a kind of reputation with their vulgar auditours and readers as if thâ—y maintained a sufficiency of vnity with both Whereas if either they framed not the distinction of fundamentall at all or else would clearly let men know which points alone were fundamentall then this would followe That whensoeuer we should conuince them of any particular doctrine which is denied by them and which yet was belieued by the ancient Fathers they would be obliged to professe that either that point was not fundamentall which would disable them from rayling at vs for belieuing the same or else that the Fathers were of a differeÌ„t Religion in fundamentall points from them and that in their opinion those very Fathers could not be saued which would put them to much preiudice another way And so vpon the same reason they would also either be forced to renounce the coÌ„munion of the LutheraÌ„s if they were found to differ from theÌ„ in fundamentall points of faith or else to avowe expresly that those points which they belieued differently from them were not fundamentall which would be of no lesse daÌ„ger disreputatioÌ„ to theÌ„ But now when we vrge them for example sake with the doctrine of praying to Saints of prayer for the dead or the like out of the ancient Fathers that once we bring them from denying via facti that the Fathers taught that doctrine which yet they will be sure to confesse as cautelously as they can they then tell vs streight that those Fathers were but men and had their errours We aske them then if those errours depriue them of saluation They say noe because those points forsooth were not fundamentall and thus as hath bene said they will seeme to keepe a kinde of quarter with the Fathers In the selfe same manner when we vrge them in the name of Lutherans with the Reall Presence of of the body of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar or with their casting the Epistle of S. Iames and diuerse others out of the Canon of holy Scripture by their forbearing to avowe and declare that these points of Religion are fundamentall they goe inuisible to the eyes of simple people and still make a shift to seeme to be in vnity with the Lutherans when yet the world knowes and we haue seene that Luther himselfe declared them directly to be heretickes Not only doth this distinction of their doctrines into fundamentall and not fundamentall saue their credits amongst weake meÌ„ by making them belieue that they ioyne in vnity of faith both with the Fathers of the primitiue Church and Lutherans but they enable themselues also thereby to affirme with some very litle shewe of colour though it haue no truth at all that they haue had a continuall visible Church in all the ages since Christ our Lord without being so easily detected to the contrary And their way is this When they are prest by vs to shew a continuall visible Church of their Religion which they know well inough that they are not able to produce those aduersaryes of ours who are of any ingenuity at all are wont clearely to confesse that indeede they haue had no continuall visible Church But so also they declare that there is no necessity at all that the Church must haue beene continually visible to the eyes of men The rest who see how absurde this doctrine is say that indeede there must alwayes haue bene a visible Church but then againe they subdiuide themselues in that opinion For some fewe of them affirme when they are vrged by vs to shewe that visible Church of theirs that theirs and ours do make but one true Church and so in shewing the visibity of ours they doe withall as they say shewe their owne to haue beene visible And these men treade in this way because they well know that no other Church but ours can indeed be shewed to haue beene visible through all ages since Christ our Lord. But a third sort of men there is who pretend to shewe a Church distinct from ours which hath continually been visible in the profession and practise of the Protestant Religion Wherein Fox hath shewed the way to the gees who follow him For in fine when they are put to name their particular professours of former ages they doe but muster vp those seuerall single false doctrines which haue been held by other heretickes by retayle during tenne or twelue ages since Christ our Lord many of which Doctrines together themselues doe now professe in grosse For what other men of former times did they euer or can they euer name as men of their Religion but such as belieued some one or two of those hereticall doctrines which now themselues embrace and wherein they are contrary to vs But by that reason our aduersaries might say as well that both they and we yea and all those others also are of one and the same Religion because we all agree together in many points though we differ in many more and though we be excommuâ—iâ—ated by one an other And if their belief may be examined whom our aduersaries cite out of former times as men to whose communion in ReligioÌ„ they now lay claime it will be found as hath aboundantly beene prooued that
both those former were expresse heretickes euen in the Protestants owne opinion as wel as ours for their misbeliefe of other things and that those doctrines wherein those former heretickes agreed with vs and dissented from the Protestants are now most vniustly condemned by them in our persons howsoeuer for the hideing of their owne misery they are content to winke at the selfe same opinions in them who were their predecessours in heresie But all this while it must still be noted that they make themselues able to daunce also in this Net by the distinctioÌ„ which they haue framed of fundamentall and not fundamentall For if this had not beene deuised but that it might haue beene declared that the obstinate beliefe of any one single heresie depriues a man of saluation and therefore that there is no meanes to make any one maÌ„ to be of the same Religion with any other but by being wholy of the same Religion so farre forth at the least as that he must not obstinately deny any one doctrine thereof whether it be important more or lesse when once as hath been sayed it is lawfully and sufficiently propounded and comaunded to be belieued by the true Church it would instaÌ„tly haue been made as patent and cleare as it is true certaine that neither when Luther rebelled from the Church of Christ our Lord nor in any age before his time there was in the whole world any one kingdome or country or citty or towne or family of men or pastour or flocke yea or any one single person so much as of Luthers owne and much lesse of the now Protestant Religion which is now forsoothe so farre refined beyond his To conclude the making of this distinction betweene fundameÌ„tal not fundamentall points of faith and the resoluing not to declare which is which doth saue them with a great part of the ignorant world from the imputation of Rigour in their proceeding with vs. For how could they persecute as they doe without extreame note of cruelty yea or euen how could they dissent without apparent impiety from our beliefe and practise of those doctrines wherein we haue had and still haue prescription of so many ages if the contrary thereof should be confessed by themselues not to be fundamentall We must not therefore wonder if that they sticke so fast as they do to this distinction for hereby it appeers that they haue wit inough to keep themselues warme which they could not do so wel without this cloake vpon their backs It is also more them probable that one reason why they are so vnwilling to giue in any Catalogue of the fundamentall points is because they know soe well how ridiculous they would make themselues by the infinite variety of their Catalogues For if it be so familiar with them to be of different mindes coÌ„cerning particular doctrines how much more would they be so in this which is a roote of many branches or rather a monster of many heads And so there can be no doubt but that some of them would not be more resolute in restraining the fundamentall points into a narrow compasse then others would be in enlarging them to a broader I will consider what is sayd by most of theÌ„ to this purpose because this chapter is growne into length you shall expect that which followes in the next That Protestants neither do nor dare declare what are their fundamentall points of faith whereby yet they would pretend that they liue in the Communion of the one true Church of Christ our Lord. CHAPTER IX IT is vsuall with many to affirme that the Apostles Creede containes all the Fundamentall points of Faith but these men when they are pressed grow soone ashamed of that opinion when they are tould that in the Creede there is no mentioÌ„ made at al either of the CanoÌ„ in holy Scripture or of the nuÌ„ber or nature yea or so much as of the name of Sacraments Besides that there are so great differences betweene them and vs about the vnderstanding of the Article of the desceâ—t of Christ our Lord into Hell and that other of the holy Catholike Church and that also of the communion of Saints which we belieue and they deny to inuolue both prayers for the dead prayers to Saints as that we should not be much the better either for our knowing or confessing that the Creede containes all the Fundamentall points of Faith vnles with all there were some certaine way how to vnderstand them right and especially vnles vnder the Article which concernes the holy Catholicke Church they would vnderstand it to be indued with so perfect infallibility and great authority as that it might teach vs all the rest For indeed according to that sense not only the whole Creede but euen that single Article of the holy Catholicke Church might be said to containe the reason of all our Faith so Fundamentally as that we should neede noe other guide then that But if we vnderstand it otherwise the Scripture it selfe speakes of particular errours which are daÌ„nable in them by whome they are embraced and yet they are not at all against any expresse doctrine of the Creede As namely where S. Paule calls it a doctrine of diuells to forbid marriage and meats which by the way is not to be vnderstood of the chastity and fasts of the Catholicke Church as Protestants do most peruersely affirme which knowes that those things are lawfull but that yet it is most gratefull to God when his seruants for his loue depriue themselues of those delights but of the heresie of the Mâ—niâ—hees as S. Austen doth expresly declare who forbad both marriage and meats as being abominable and impure through the institution thereof which they said was deriued from a certaine second ill coÌ„dicioned God of their owne making In like manner S. Peter saith that S. Paule in his Epistles had written certaine thinges which were hard to be vnderstood and which the vnlearned and vnstable did peruert to their owne destruction S. Austen declares vpon this place that the places misunderstood concerned the doctrine of Iustification which some misconceaued to be by faith alone by occasion of what S. Paule had written to the Romanes And of purpose to countermine that errour he saith that S. Iames wrote his Epistle and prooued therein that good works were absolutely necessary to the acte of Iustification Here vpon we may obserue two things the one that an errour in this point alone is by the iudgment of S. Peter to worke their destruction who embrace it and the other that the Apostles Creede which speakes no one word thereof is no good rule to let vs knowe all the fundamentall point of faith Others say that the booke of the 39. Articles declares all the fundamentall points of Faith according to the Doctrine of the Church of England but that also is most absurdly affirmed For as it is true that they declare in some coÌ„fused manner which yet indeed is
since Moyses time which furnished vs with the first proofe that there must be vnity in Religion and obedience in the professours thereof that such as should obstinately trangresse were ordained to be put to a first death which might serue them for a Preface to their second destruction Which truth being once graunted I trust they will not take it ill at our hands if we hope well of our selues in our owne way and consequently if we conceaue that we haue no cause to hope well of them if they dy impeditent in theirs they haue no reason to be offēded with vs and the lesse since the Lutherans declare so expresly and resolutely that the Resolution of the Sacramentaries that is to say of our English Protestants is also damnable as hath been seene And this not only for the heresie which they hold in point of the Sacrament but for many others also as appeares by those authours of theirs whom I cited before So that still I see lesse and lesse colour why they should except against vs as if we wanted charity for saying that of them which when they list they not only take liberty to say of vs but euen of one another also and yet do not thinke that they offend Charitie therein As for vs we neither do nor can with any reason conceaue that they breake the lawe of charity towards vs supposing their owne Religion to be true in that they allow not saluation to vs if we dye in ours which consequently must be false And if ours be a false Religion as it must needes be if their Church be true and that we obstinately refuse to obay it we cannot be saued by the profession thereof And so therefore on the other side if ours be true as euen they must giue vs leaue to thinke it and as infallibly we belieue it to be theirs must then be no lesse false then ours is true Now supposing this on both sides it will not be want of Charity in either of vs both to hold and declare the others Religion to be incōpatible with saluation nay it will be want of Charity if we do it not For men are not so made for them selues as that they must not also procure to do their neighbours good and especially in that which most imports And besides the generall tye of one part of mankind to another whereof we are put in minde so many wayes the holy Scripture it selfe is often pointing vs out to our duty in this kind and most especially it doth in one passage of Ecclesiasticus lay a direct obligation vpon vs in these most binding words Cap. 17. Mandauit vnicuique Deus de proximo suo God hath laied a charge vpon euery man that he looke to his neighbour Which as it warrants not the busie or medling humour of any priuate man to intrude himselfe into the secret affaires of another nor obliges him so much as euen to the reprooffe of his knowne sinnes when he hath neither charge ouer that person nor hath hope of amendement by it and when it is not agreable otherwise to the circumstāces and rules of charity which ought to be conducted and carryed on by Christian prudence so yet on the otherside it layes not only a Counselle but a strict commandement not only vpon some one but vpon euery one not to omit opportunity whereby a man may prudently be in hope either to doe his neighbour any important good or else to diuert him from any thing which may doe him any considerable hurt Now if a priuate man must not only be excused if according to the rules of Christian piety and prudence he assist his neighbour in doing well and declaring the danger wherein he is if he doe otherwise but he shall not be excusable in the sight of God if he dischardge not this duty how much more highly shall the Church of Christ our Lord be both authorized and obliged to instruct Christians in the right way and to reduce such others as are in the wrong by making them vnderstand their danger of euerlasting damnation Nay we see by that which past betweene Almighty God and the Prophet Ezechiel that he was appointed to stand Centinell ouer the house of Israel and to heare Gods word out of his owne mouth and so to announce it to his people in his name and that God said thus to him Si dicente me ad impium c. Ezechiel cap. 3. If when I shall say to the wicked mā thou shalt dye the death thou declare it not to him nor aduise him to returne from his wicked way that he may liue that wicked man shall dy in his iniquity but I will require his blood at thy handes But if thou anounce it to him and that yet he will not returne from his sinne and from his wicked way that man indeed shall dye in his owne sinne but as for thee thou shalt haue freed thy soule from death Now therefore if a single Prophet being called to that office by Almighty God be obliged vnder the paine of his owne damnation to aduise men to depart from their wickednes how much more precisely will this obligation lye vpon the Church of God which hath the chardge ouer all Christian soules to teach them that Doctrine which is true and to let them see the danger wherein they are of hell fire if they continue to professe that which is false For the word of God whether it be written in holy Scripture or vnwritten and so deliuered from hand to hand by Tradition is his reuealed will and the Church is his Embasadour Leidger in this world to declare and announce that word and will of his to mankind and to bring them into league with God as S. Paule affirmed of him selfe and of the other Pastours and Doctours of the Church 2. Cor. 5 Legatione pro Christo fungimur c. We are Embassadours on the part of Christ with instructions for the reconciling of man to God And accordingly S. Paule was carefull to let men see their case and to declare the danger wherein sinners were For we haue seene how he warned men to take heede of the speech of hereticks as of a Cancer and else where to auoid them if they did not first reforme them selues after they had beene reprooued once or twice as also that such as departed from the vnity of faith were people who attended to the spirit of Errour and to the Doctrine of diuells and a great deale more of that kind which you shall find related before in the ninth chapter which clearly and fully shewes what opinion the holy Scripture hath of heretickes Besides all this if a man shall eternally be damned for committing of one theft or one act of simple fornication vnles he repent himselfe thereof before he dy Gal. 5. Cōsulta decapes relig which is cleare by S. Paules expresse text much more as Father Lessius shewes shall he incurre those eternall torments