WANT OF CHARITIE Iustly charged ON ALL SVCH ROMAnists as dare without truth or modesty affirme that Protestancie destroyeth Salvation In Answer to a late Popish Pamphlet intituled Charity Mistaken c. By Christopher Potter D. D. Chaplaine to his Maty in Ordinarie and Provost of Queenes Colledge in Oxford OXFORD Printed by the Printers to the University 1633. TO OVR MOST GRATIOVS AND MOST Religious Soveraigne King Charles c. Dread Soveraigne AMongst the many excellent Vertues which have made your Maties Person so deare to God and so precious in the eyes of all your good People the most eminent is your Piety which gloriously shines in the innocency of your Life in the constancy of your Devotions in the justice and mildenesse of Your blessed Government and especially in your tender cares thoughts for the conservation of true Religion and of the Peace of the Church in this crazy quarelling Age. This Piety in your Maty gives me the boldnesse humbly to lay at your Foote this unworthy Piece and the boldnesse also to hope that your Maty will graciously accept it Both because it was undertaken in obedience to your Maties particular Commandement and because in it I plead as well as my Weakenesses will permit for the Faith and Charity of our Church against the Faction of Rome who very falsely pretending to Truth and Vnitie are indeed the true Authors and Continuers of the miserable Schismes of Christendome If here in I have done any acceptable service to God and his Church and to your Maty I have my desire The Father of Mercies crowne Your Maty with all the comforts and Benedictions of Heaven and Earth and continue long the happines of these Your Fortunate Islands in the holinesse and health of their Gratious Soveraigne Your Majesties humble Servant and Chaplaine Ch. Potter Reader THis Answer had beene publique some Moneths agoe if it had not beene delayed partly by sicknesse and the indisposition of my Body and of my Minde also which was ever averse from Contentions in Divinity and now rather desirous to spend in Devotion the few and evill dayes of my life that remaine and partly out of the hope I had to see a second Edition of the Mistakers Work which the strong report of that Part promised or rather threatned But that hope failing and being loath to seeme to faile in my Observance I now commend it such as it is to the blessing of God and to the use and judgement of the Church My Answers without further affectation are true and modest I speake to the Cause not to the Person VVhosoever the Mistaker be he hath my pitty and my prayers He thinkes unworthily of Truth that beleeves it to have need of our Passions My desire is all Personall Defects may be charged on my Selfe none on the Cause I haue not followed the Mistaker in all his wandrings But let Him not take that for a pretext of clamour For if He will be ingenuous He must confesse that I have not omitted without Answer any one thing of moment in all his Discourse Or if He will not Our Readers will confesse it I have onely neglected his repetitions declamatory and injurious speeches and the like impertinencies which being set apart the true Summary of the rest is this that followes Charitie mistaken Chapt. 1. 2. ROman Catholiques judge that Protestancie unrepented of destroyes Salvation For this judgment the Protestants charge them with want of Charity This charge saith the Mistaker is 1. improbable 2. untrue 1. Improbable For the Catholique Church expresses and diffuses her Charitie for the temporall and spirituall good of men in all imaginable sorts Shee is charitable to their bodies in her Monasteries Hospitals redeeming of Captives providing for Orphanes c. and to their soules by converting of Heretiques and Infidels by teaching the ignorant by directing the scrupulous with books of Cases of Conscience c. Charitable to very Protestants their heresies are onely condemned and it is not said that they sin against the Holy Ghost because they may be converted to the faith reconciled to the Church and so may be saved Answer Sect. 1. SOme Roman Catholiques judge charitably of the Reformed Iesuiters furious and destructive in their censures against all that are not of their faction That Faction infamous for their cruelties charged with want of Charity not the Catholique Church The Catholique Church and the Romane ignorantly or cunningly confounded The Catholique truly and really charitable and so the English but not so the Romane not to her owne Children especially not to Protestants Of whom the Mistaker and Others speake and thinke no better then of Infidels Though we entirely professe and embrace the Catholique Faith in all the parts of it Charity mistaken Cap. 3. 4. 2. VNtrue The former judgement proceeds not frō want of Charity but from truth Which may appeare by these grounds of truth which follow 1. Almighty God hath founded but one Church and ordained but one Religion wherin he will be served and out of the communion of this one Church there is no salvation This Vnity of the Church is proved by many testimonies of Scripture and by the consent of the Fathers of the East and West And it is likewise proved by the same authorities that out of the Communion of this One Church salvation cannot be obtained Wherefore all Heretiques and Schismatiques being out of this Church Communion must needs eternally perish Answer Sect. 2. OF the Vnity of the Church VVherein it consists How it is violated Each discord in Opinion dissolves not the Vnity of Faith The Communion of the Church in what sence and how farre necessary Charity mistaken Chap. 6. 2. THis Vnity is directly broken betweene Roman Catholiques and Protestants who are not both Professors of this One Religion or members of this One Church For they differ in prime and maine points of Faith in which the Reformers have departed frō the Church Besides the Protestants are not at Vnity among themselves and therefore much lesse with Romane Catholiques Their bitter contentions speeches one against another declare them to be of different Churches and Religions Whence it followes that Roman Catholiques and Protestants are not both saveable in their contrary wayes Anwer Sect. 3. THe true difference betweene the Roman and Reformed Parts of the Church Protestants have rejected nothing but Popery that is corrupt superadditions to the Faith confessed by learned Romanists to be doubtfull and unnecessary novelties Errors and Abuses of Rome reformed by us without Schisme Those errors damnable how and to whom Of the dissentions of Protestants among themselves They differ not in any point fundamentall Charity mistaken Cap. 6. FVrthermore the Protestants are properly Heretiques at least if not Infidells Heretiques because they reject and disobey the judgement of the Catholique Church For it is not the matter or quality of the doctrine but the pride of the man who prefers his owne opinions before the
Equals the acts and vnion of Charity because they deny what they owe not to her their subiection and seruice this is an vnsufferable and schismaticall arrogance whereof the Church of Rome hath now for many ages beene deepely guilty Many other things are said against vs but surely the most capitall r Valent. in Th. 2. 2. Tom. 3. disp 1. qu. 1. punct 7. in explic quaest § Quibus amnibus Omninò verè Orthodoxè docetur ad Summum Pontificem pertinere explicationem editionem Symboli fidei id est eorum quae à fid elibus credi debent Quae veritas vsque adeo continet summam caput totius Christianae Religionis vt nemo Catholicus esse possit qui illam non amplectatur neque vllus sit Haereticus qui illam non neget Id. ibid. punct 7. §. 40. Postremo idipsum Ab exordio Ecclesiae constat controuersias omnes de religione motas ex D. Petri Cathedrâ fuisse judicatas eosquo tandem solos communi Ecclesiae judicio Haereticos esse habitos qui repugnârint definitioni ejus Cathedrae Heresy Schisme of Greekes Protestants c. is that they refuse to bee commanded and gouerned by him who will needs be perpetuall Dictator at Rome and from thence giue lawes to all the world Communion with the Catholique Church may bee distinguished and measured according to those different degrees of vnion which men may haue with Christ for vpon this vnion that communion is founded Christ may bee considered either as a King or Ruler in regard of the whole visible militant Church or as a Sauiour and Head in regard of his mysticall body or his true spirituall members Among the Kings liege people that liue in outward obedience to his Lawes some carry in secret euill and disloyall affections to him others loue and obey him with th◠heart So it is with our Lord. All tha◠liue within the pale of the Church professe to honour him as their Prince and Gouernour euen though they deny th◠power of godlinesse by hypocrisy o◠dissolution others constantly and vnfainedly serue him in all the duties of holinesse He rules them all as King they are his Subiects but he is a Sauiour onely to these latter who liue and dye in hi◠true faith and feare who are therefore liuing members of his mysticall body to whom he communicates by his Spirit effectuall graces spirituall motion and eternall life This blessed Company is said in Scripture s Col. 2. 19. to hold the head and is called t Heb. 12. 23. the Church of the first born who are written in heauen and u Gal. 4. 20. the Mother of vs all When some of the Ancients speake of the Catholique Church w Clem. Alexandr Strom. lib. 7. pag. 514. edit Heinsianae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iterum in fin libr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen contr Cels lib. 6. p. 318. Geaec. Haeschel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isidor Pelus lib. 2. Epist 246. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. de Bapt. cont Donat. lib. 5. cap. 27. Ecclesiam veram intelligere non audeo nisi in sanctis justis Et sic passim many times they vnderstand it in a strict notion onely for this fellowship of the Saints as it containes all and onely them that haue spirituall vnion and communion with Christ as their Sauiour When Saint Cyprian compares the Church to Noahs Arke the paraleil runnes most fully and properly on the Church in this sence For of the Arke and this Church it is true whosoeuer is without is saued whosoeuer is without perisheth neither of which perhaps is truly said of any visible Church And thus x 1 Pet. 3. 21. S. Peter seemes to apply that similitude and sayes the Arke was a type or representation of the inward Baptisme or the Lauer of regeneration wherein the sprinkling of Christs blood purges the conscience and saues the soule Communion then with this Church is no lesse necessary to Saluation then vnion with Christ nor can he haue God for his Father who hath not this Church for his Mother Which Sentence S. Cyprian the Author y Epist ad Pompeium vses not of the Church of Rome as the Mistaker seemes to beleeue but where he vehemently disputes against it Whosoeuer either wilfully opposes any Catholique veritie maintained by this Church or the Catholique visible Church as doe Heretiques or peruersly diuides himselfe from the Catholique communion as doe Schismatiques the condition of both these is damnable The Scriptures and Fathers cited here by the Mistaker proue this and no more and therefore proue nothing against Protestants who neuer denied it We deny that * What this importeth see the next §. pag. 58. Popery is any part of the Catholique Church or maintaines any one Catholique verity We deny also that Protestants are in any degree dislinked from the Catholique Church or from the Church of Rome it selfe or from any Church or Christian on earth so farre as they communicate with the Catholique The contrary is easily and vsually affirmed but not so easily proved by firme and conuincing Arguments Charity Mistaken Cap 6. 2. THis unity is directly broken betweene Romane Catholiques and Protestants who are not both professors of this one Religion or members of this one Church For they differ in prince and maine points of faith in which the Reformers haue departed from the Church The Protestants are not at unitie among themselues and therefore much lesse with Roman Catholiques Their bitter contentions and speeches one against another declare them to be of different Churches and Religions And hence it followes that R. Catholiques and Protestants are not both saueable in their contrary waies Answer Sect. 3. THe true difference betweene the Romane and Reformed Parts of the church Protestants haue rejected nothing but Poperie that is corrupt superadditions to the faith confessed by learned Romanists to be doubtfull vnnecessary novelties Errors and Abuses of Rome reformed by vs without Schisme Those errors damnable how and to whom Of the dissentions of Protestants among themselues They differ not in any point fundamentall THe a See D. Abbot True ancient Romane Catholique Ch. 2. p. 81. Ch. 3. §. 3. p. 111. p. 113. 114. Protestants never intended to erect a new Church but to purge the old the Reformation did not change the substance of Religion but onely cleansed it from corrupt impure qualities We preach no new faith but the same Catholique faith that ever hath beene preached Whatsoever is good and true in the Roman profession we approue Wee haue abandoned nothing but Popery which is no branch of Religion but the shame and staine of it nor any part of the Church but a contagion or plague in it which dangerously affected the whole body though by Gods great mercy the vitall parts kept out the poison Naaman was still the same man before and after he was cured of his ieprosie
vultis Vides frater Parmeniane sancta germanitatis vincula inter nos vos in totum rumpi non posse loued and pittied and prayed for them Though the peeuish Schismatiques did much abuse this Charitie of good Catholiques towards them For hence they tooke occasion to argue in fauour of their Schisme and Heresie as if their Aduersaries by their owne confession did justifie it and them reasoning thus o Aug. Cont. lit Petil. lib. 2. cap. 108. Petilianus dixit Venite ad Ecclesiam populi aufugite Traditores si perire non vultis Nam vt facilè cognoscatis quòd cùm ipsi sint rei de fide nostrâ optimè judicant Egoillorum infectos baptizo illi meos recipiunt baptizatos Quod omninò non facerent si in Baptismo nostro culpas aliquas agnouissent Videte ergo quod damus quam sit sanctum quòd destruere metuit sacrilegus inimicus Id. contr Crescon Gram. lib. 1. cap. 21. Intentio tua est in parte Donati hominem potius baptizari oportere hanc intentionem hins probare conatus es quòd etiam Nos esse illic Baptismum non negamus Id. ibid. lib. 4. cap. 4. Quaeris a me à quo to baptizari conueniat vtrùm ab eo potius quem ego Baptismum habere confirmo an ab co quem tuus hoc non habere contendit Vide eundem de Bapt. contr Donatist lib. 1. cap. 10. 11. Your selues said they to the Catholiques confesse our Baptisme and Sacraments and Faith for the most part to be good and auaileable We deny yours to be so and say there is no Church no Saluation amongst you Therefore it is safest for all to joyne with vs. Doe not the Romanists at this day in the very same manner abuse the Charity of Protestants And is not this directly that Charme wherewith they worke so powerfully vpon the Spirits of simple people Our answer is the same which S. Austin opposed to the Ancient Donatists in the places cited By the way from that fauourable judgement and opinion which good Catholiques in that age had of the Donatists esteeming them to be their Brethren notwithstanding their Schisme and Heresie these Corollaries may be probably deduced 1. It seemeth that an Hereticall Church where in some Heresy is publiquely maintained by the Guides and Pastors of it is in some kinde the Spouse of Christ and bringeth forth p August â—le Bapt. con Don. l. 1. c. 10. Ecclesia Catholica etiam in communionibus diuersorum ab vnitate separatis per hoc quod suum in cis habet ipsa vtique generat Filios Christo per Baptismum Children to God and Brethren to the Orthodox beleeuers Especially if She baptize her Children in the name of the Trinity as did the Donatists 2. It seemeth that euen in an Hereticall Church Saluation may be had as a child may be borne in a plaguy house and may liue though he hath a running botch on his body In such Churches the very ignorance and simplicity of the Vulgar is a preseruatiue to them against the poyson more hopes of them then of the Learned 3. It seemeth to some q Mr. Hooker lib. 3. §. 1. The Morton of the Church cap. 1. §. 4. cap. 7. §. 10. men of great learning and judgement but herein I had rather leaue the Reader to his judgement then interpose mine owne that all who professe to loue and honour Iesus Christ though it be in much weakenesse and with many errours yet are in the visible Christian Church and by Catholiques to bee reputed Brethren Or to the same purpose wheresoeuer say they a company of men do joyntly and publiquely professe the substance of Christian Religion which is Faith in Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world with submission to his doctrine and obedience to his Commandements there is a Church wherein Saluation may bee had notwithstanding any corruption of judgement or practice yea although it be of that nature that it may seeme to fight with the very foundation and so hainous as that in respect thereof the people stained with this corruption are worthy to be abhorred of all men and vnworthy to bee called the Church of God For further illustration and proofe of this opinion these things are said That to beleeue in Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world with submission to him is sufficient to constitute a Church wherein Saluation may bee had is warranted as they thinke 1. By Scriptures a 1 Ioh. 4. 15. Whosoeuer shall confesse that Iesus is the Sonne of God dwelleth in him and he in God Againe b ibid. v. 2. Vide in h. loc Tirinum Euery Spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God The like passages are c 1 Ioh. 5. 1. 5. elsewhere S. Peters Faith was the same d Matt. 16. 16 17. with this and the Faith of e Ioh. 11. 27. Martha and of the f Act. 8. 37. Eunuch And the Faith of all these is approued in Scripture 2. Heretiques themselues must bee acknowledged though a maimed part yet a part of the visible Church g Hooker vbi supr Magaltanus idem probat contra Bellar. in Tit. 3. vers 11. Ann. 2. For if an Infidell should pursue to death an Heretique professing Christianitie onely for Christian prosessions sake could we deny vnto him the honour of Martyrdome Yet this honour all men know to be proper vnto the Church Heretiques therefore are not vtterly cut off from the visible Church of Christ If the Fathers doe any where as oftentimes they doe make the true visible Church of Christ and Hereticall Companies opposite they are to be construed as separating Heretiques not altogether from the Companie of Beleeuers but from the fellowship of sound Beleeuers For where profest vnbeleefe is there there can be no visible Church of Christ there may be where sound beleefe wanteth Infidels being cleane without the Church denie directly and vtterly reject the very Principles of Christianity which Heretiques embrace and erre onely by misconstruction Whereupon their opinions although repugnant indeed to the Principles of Christian Faith are notwithstanding held otherwise and maintained as most consonanâ— thereunto To which purpose the words of h Salu. de Gubern l. 5. Eis traditio Magistrorum suorum doctrina inueterata quasi Lex est qui hoc sciunt quod docentur Haeretici ergo sunt sed non scientes Denique apud nos sint Haeretici apud se non sunt Nam in tantùm se Catholicos judicant vt nos ipsos titulo Haereticae appellationis infament Quod ergo illi nobis sunt hoc nos illis Nos eos injuriam diuinae generationi facere certi sumus quod minorem Patre â—lium dicunt Illi nos injuriosos Patri existimant quia aequales 〈◊〉 credamus Veritas apud nos est sed illi apud se esse
Scriptures and Religion must all stand at the courtesie and suffrage of the Roman Conclaue 2 They teach that much of the object or matter of faith is not contained in Scripture any way that the Church hath an unlimited power to supply the defects of Scripture and that she may propound any doctrines as necessary to salvation which haue no other ground but her owne authority which is equall to that of Scripture There are many things saith y Mel. Canus Loc. lib. 3. c. 3. fund 3. Canus belonging to the faith of Christians which are neither manifestly nor obscurely contained in the sacred Scriptures And Doctor a Princip Doctrin li. 12 c. 5. initio Stapleton Very many things necessary to salvation and necessarily to be beleeved are not comprehended in the Scriptures but are commended to us onely by the authority of the Church And againe b Id. Relect. Contr. 4. qu. 1. art 3. ad arg 12. Etiamsi nullo ScripturaruÌ„ aut evidenti aut probabili testimonio confirmetur The Church may propound define matters of faith without any evident nay without any probable testimony of Scripture Do not these words of Stapleton imply that the Church of Rome propounds many things to the beliefe of Christians without any probability from Scripture With what ingenuity then or conscience do they pretend Scripture in each Controversie against us since by their owne confession many of their assertions are meere unwritten Traditions leaning onely on the authoritie of their Church On the contrary for the fullnesse and sufficiency of Scripture in all necessary points we have the full consent of Antiquity and of many learned Writers of their owne even of Bellarmine himselfe whose plaine words to this purpose have been already noted And the same Cardinall though herein as not seldome contradicting both himselfe and his fellowes c Bellar. lib. 3. de verb. D. interpret cap. 10. ad arg 15. Sciendum est propositionem fidei concludita li Syllogismo Quicquid Deus revelavit in Scripturis est verum hoc Deus revelavit in Scripturis ergò hoc est verum Ex propositionibus hujus Syllogismi prima certa est apud omnes secunda apud Catholicos est etiam firmissimas nititur enim testimonio Ecclesiae Concilii vel Pontificis grants that a proposition is not de fide unlesse it be concluded in this Syllogisme whatsoever Gâ—â— hath revealed in Scripture is true but thâ— or that God hath revealed in Scripture ergâ— it is true If matters of faith must be revealed in Scripture as this reason supposes then the proposall of the Church cannot make any unwritten veritie to become matter of faith Yet to salve the soveraigne power of His Church he makes all the strength and truth of the minor in this Syllogisme to depend on the testimony of the Church and by consequence the truth of the conclusion which ever resembles the weake Premisse So as if this be true there is no truth in the Scriptures or in our Religion without the attestation of the Church 3. They teach that the Church is infallibly assisted in her proposalls and doctrines so as she cannot erre And this dreame hath made Rome sencelesse of her errours and careles to seek any remedie nay utterly incapable of remedie For to mindes really possessed with this fond persuasion and prejudice the most convincing reasons the most plaine Scriptures the most pregnant authorities of Fathers which proue the Church of Rome may erre or hath erred are all lost and made ineffectuall and seeme not strong arguments of the truth but strong temptations against it And this imagination of their Churches infallibility is to them at once both a sufficient reason of what is most unreasonable and a sufficient answer for what is most unanswerable That the Church is infallible we do not absolutely deny wee only deny the Church to be absolutely infallible Some of the most able Writers of the Roman partie do so fairly limit this priviledge that in their sence we do without difficulty admit it Their limitation is double regarding 1. the subject of this infallibility 2. the object of it First for the subject they plant this infallibility only in the Church Universall or the Catholique body of Christ on earth comprehending all his members not in any particular Church or any representation of the Church in CouÌ„cels Generall or particular much lesse in any one member of the Church no not in him who pretends to be the Head So d Walden lib. 2. Doct. fid art 2. cap. 19. §. 1. Ecclesia Universalis fideÌ„ habet indefectibilem non quidem in Generali Synodo congregata quam aliquoties errâsse percepimus Sylv. Sum. verb. Ecclesia cap. 1. §. 4. Ecclesia quae non potest errare dicitur noÌ„ Papa sed congregatio fideliuÌ„ Et vide gloss in cap. 24. qu. 1. call A recta Waldensis Sylvester and others 2. For the object or extent of this infallibility they grant it reaches not to all points or questions in Religion that may arise but only to such Articles as belong to the substance of faith such as are matters essentiall fundamentall simply necessary for the Church to know belleue To omit e Maldon in Iohan. 14. 26. Dubium est an illud docebit omnia referendum sit ad illud quaecunque dixi vobis quasi non aliud docturum Spiritum sanctum dicat quà m quod ipse anteà docuiffer Non repugnabo si quis ita velit interpretari Charron vetité 3. chap. 5. §. lc second poinct L infallibilité de l'Eglise ne s'entend que des choses qui concernent la substance de la foy laquelle ne reçoit point de contrarieté divet sité changement pource nulle correction reformation ou amendement estant vne tousiours immuable non reformable dit Tertullien de virg Veland Et ibid. saepe others Dr f Staplet Princip Doctrin lib. 8. controv 4. cap. 15. Stapleton is full and punctuall to this purpose He distinguishes controversies of Religion into two sorts Some saith he are about those doctrines of faith which necessarily pertaine to the publique faith of the Church Others about such matters as doe not necessarily belong to the faith but may be variously held and disputed without hurt or prejudice to faith To the first sort he restrains the infallibility of the Church But in the second he yeelds that the Church may sometimes erre either in her discourses or in her conclusions that without any violation of Christs promise made to the Church for infallibilitie And of this assertion He giues diverse good reasons The first and chiefest taken from the end for which infallibility was given to the Church It was given saith He for the common salvation of the faithfull and not for the satisfaction of unprofitable curiosities or for the search of unnecessary subtleties For as nature so God is neither defectiue in necessaries nor lavish in
us the like list of divine and infallible Traditions Is it because they are numberles and cannot be recounted Or because it may be a thing full of danger to confine them to any certaine number least some be omitted Or because they are not yet agreed which are divine Traditions Or is it as Dr. y Defens author Eccles l. 1 cap. 2. §. 5. Stapleton excuses his Church on the like occasion because that Church hath not yet throughly weighed all her Traditions either for want of opportunity or by reason of other thoughts distractions which have not permitted her seriously to consider of this busines But there cannot be a busines of greater moment in Religion or more worthy of the Churches care then to deliver the rule of truth clearely and precisely by which all doctrines in the Church are to be squared and examined And therefore the Church of Rome herein so carelesse cannot be excused from supine negligence Now to returne from this short digression So far as truth and reason will permitt we have yeelded an infallibility to the Church That is infallibility in the Essentialls of faith to the Church Vniversall And this confession satisfies the best of our Adversaries who demand no more But when our Mistaker talkes so often of the infallibility and supreme judgment of the Church He meanes somwhat els by the Church Though surely he knowes not well what he meanes or at least will not be forward to let us know his meaning whether he meanes the Church representative which is a Generall Councell or the Church virtuall which is the Pope in whether of the two he plants this infallibility as in the Proper Subject it will perplex him to say and whatsoever he say he shall touch a sore and find strong opposition within his owne partie First for Generall Councells we give them all the respect which is due unto them and much more then do the most of our Adversaries We say that such Generall Councells as are lawfully called and proceed orderly are great and awfull representations of the Church Catholique that they are the highest externall Tribunall which the Church hath on earth that their authority is immediately derived and delegated from Christ that no Christian is exempted from their censures or jurisdiction that their decrees bind all persons to externall obedience may not be questioned but upon evident reason nor reversed but by an equall authority that if they be carefull and diligent in the use of all good meanes for finding out the truth it is very probable the good Spirit will so direct them that they shall not erre at least not fundamentally But they are not absolutely freed from all error Such a Councell is but an assembly of men and those sometimes not of the most able and sufficient The Church Universall may have many more able members out of the Councell then she hath in it For though that represeÌ„ting body have all the legall power or binding strength of the whole yet it hath not all the naturall power or wisedome which is in the whole The Catholique Church cannot possibly communicate her strength or power in that kind to any Councell Yet suppose the best of men to be in that meeting even they are but men when all is done neither all of them equall in the endowments of nature or grace nor any of them perfect being every one subject to all the infirmities and passions which attend our nature Their meeting then cannot make them infallible in all things though the act that is hammered out by so many heads must needs in reason be perfecter then that which is the issue of one mans sufficiencie But happily they are infallibly assisted No doubt the holy infallible Spirit assists at all such holy meetings but how Math. 18. 20. far or in what manner is all the doubt The good Spirit ever assists the endeavours of the devout and diligent so far as is necessarie and is ready to guide them that are desirous to be guided by him But his guidance is not a violent rapture or a wild Enthusiasme but in searches of truth He ever directs us to the infallible rule of truth the Scripture And it is possible that a Generall Councell may misapply or misunderstand or neglect that rule weakly or wilfully and so erre notwithstanding the Spirits assistance A lawfull Councell may in some things proceed not lawfullie and so erre saith a Bellar. lib. 2. de Concil cap. 7. §. Respondeo Concilium Bellarmine nay saith he b Id. ibid. c. 8. § Alii dicunt it may chance to be most manifestly convicted of an intolerable error His meaning is they may be deceived where they follow not the instructions of the Pope as c Id. ibid. c. 11. in titulo elswhere he expresses himselfe We say and with more reason no Councell is further priviledged then it follows the instructions of Jesus Christ and of his Scriptures whose warrant all unerring Councells have had for their decrees and all Councells must have that will not erre Besides d Bellar. de Concil l. 2. c. 12. § Dicuntur igitur CoÌ„cilia per ratiocinationem deducunt conclusiones iterum ibidem §. AlteruÌ„ discrimen Patres in Concilâ—is debent rem ipsam quaerere id est conclusiones investigate disputando legendo cogitando the Fathers in a Councell are discursive in their deliberations they use the weights and moments of reason for the drawing out of conclusions from their principles Wherein e Staplet Relect Cont. 4. qu. 2. notab 2. Ecclesia in singulis mediis non habet infallibilem Sp. S. directionem sed potest in illis adhibendis probabili interdum non semper necessariâ collectione uti it is confessed they may mistake by ignorance or negligence being not herein infallibly directed and making collections sometime but probable Now falâ—ible principles can never produce an infallible conclusion Yet f Relect. contr 4. qu. 2. Notab 4. Stapleton here hath a new pretâ—y device that the Church though she be fallible and discursive in the Meanes is yet propheticall and depends upon immediate revelation and so infallible in delivering the conclusion Which is a fancy â—epugnant to reason and and to it selfe for to inferre a conclusion by argument or discourse and yet to expect the same conclusion from immediate revelation his is to argue and not to argue to inâ—er it yet not by inference A conclusiâ—n follows the disposition of the Means and results from them A proposition immediatly inspired without discourse may be a divine prophecy or an oracle but it is not a conclusion And what use can there be of diligence or discourse in Councells if all their conclusions come by divine inspiration Propheticke infallibility is a meere g 1. Cor. 12. 10. gift of God which cannot be acquired or increased by studie neither can a Prophet be discursive in that which he delivers from God as an infallible truth
12. pag. 480. ex edit Binn ann 1618. Colon Gr. Lat. Olim quilibet Arcl â—episcopus Patriarcha literas quae Synodicae appellantur inter se dabant nihil aliud continentes quà m rectfidei suique sensus confessionem quod in Orientalibus Ecclesiis hodiéque fit usque ad hoc tempus Patriarch immediately after his assumption to a place of so great trust and authority in the Church should render an account of his faith by his Synodicall or Circular letters called otherwise p Optat. Milevit lib. 2. Siricius hodiè Episcopus Rom. noster est Socius cum quo nobis totus orbis commetcio Formatarum in una communionis societate concordat literae formatae and q Aug. Epist 162. Communicatorias literas jam olim propter suam perversitatem ab unitate Catholica quae toto orbe diffusa est non accipiunt Donatistae Et saepe de illis in ea Epistola communicatoria directed to his Peeres and Companions in that dignity that by the sight of his profession his faith might be judged whether he were a sound Catholique or tainted with heresie and so whether he were fit or unworthy to be admitted into their Communion If in those Letters he did professe entirely to adhere to the Catholique Creeds his profession person was accepted as sound Orthodox The Circular Epistles yet extant of r Extant Concil 6. Gener Act. 11. Sophronius Patriarch of Hierusalem of s Conc. 7. sive Syn. 2. Nic. Act. 3. Tarasius Patriarch of Constantinople of t Apud Baron ad ann 556. num 33. Pelagius Patriarch of Rome of u Extat inter Epistolas Photii MSS. Graecè in Bibl. Bodleiana Photius of Constantinople and many others testifie this So truly said S. Austin w Aug. Epist 57. Regula fidei pusillis magnisque communis that the Creed is a rule of faith common to great and small The meanest Catechumen must beleeve so much and the greatest Patriarch can beleeve no more In those old and golden times those Articles were thought abundantly sufficient and it was thought a great sacriledge to adde any thing to them or diminish them No Catholique in the world was then required to beleeve the Popes Supermacie or his Indulgences or Purgatory or Transubstantiation or any doctrine now debated betweene us and Rome No such matter These things were brought in long after the beginning the Church of Christ was long without them and was well without them and happy had she been whether we regard truth or peace if she had still so continued Nor can it be reasonably said that all or any of these things though not expressed in the Creed are yet contained eminently in the beliefe of the Catholique Church For to omit that these are no traditions or doctrines of the Catholique Church but onely the partiall and particular fancies of the Romane unlesse happily the opinion of Transsubstantiation may be excepted wherein the later * Vide Nicetae Thesau Orthod Gr. Ms in Bib. Bodleiana Euthym. in panoplia tit 21. Hierem. Patr. CP in Resp 1. ad Lutheranos cap. 10. Resp 2. cap. 4. § 3. Nichol. Episc Methon Samonam Arch. Gaz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter Liturgica Graecè edita Parisiis 1560. Greeks seeme to agree with the Romanists 1. what reason can be imagined why amongst many things of equall necessity to be believed the Apostles should so punctually and distinctly set downe some and be altogether silent in others As well nay better they might have given us no Article but that and sent us to the Church for all the rest For in setting downe others besides that and not all they make us beleive we have all when we have not all 2. I suppose no learned Romanist will say that in the beleife of the coÌ„munion of Saints all the new doctrines of the Romane Church are virtually contained Yet the learned y Replique ch 1. Card. du Perron thinks it probable that the Article of the Catholique Church and the Communion of Saints is all one this latter clause being onely an explication of the other 3. Many of the Ancient Doctors have left us their expositions on the Creed Ruffinus S. Augustin Cyrill of Hierusalem Chrysologus Maxim Taurinensis others Where they speake of the Catholique Church all say we must beleive the unity universality perpetuity sanctity of the Church none at all say any thing of any soveraigne infallible power in the Church to prescribe or define what she pleases 4. Lastly Azorius the Iesuite gives a faire meaning to this Article of the Catholique Church and such as little favours the conceit of our Mistaker z Azor. paâ— 1. lib. 8 cap. 6. §. Sed mibi probabilius Substantia articuli quo credimus unam Sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam est neminem posse salvum esse extrà congregationem hominum qui Christi fidem religionem profitentur susceptam posse salutem obtineri intrà hanc ipsam congregationem hominum piorum fidelium I beleive the holy Catholique Church that is saith he I beleive that none can be saved out of the Congregation of those men who professe the faith and religion of Christ and that within that company of holy and faithfull people salvation may be obtained Now to the reasons alleaged for the full and formall sufficiency of this rule of faith to which nothing essentiall can be added or may be detracted we may adjoine the full consent of the Ancient Doctors Greeke and Latin who come in with one voice each one almost contributing his suffrage to testifie for this perfection of the Creed that in their dayes it was so acknowledged a Iren. lib. 1. cap. 2. 3. Ecclesia per universum orbem seminata ab Apostolis corum discipulis accepit eam fidem quae est in Deum omnipotentem Hanc fidem diligenter custodit Ecclesia in Celtis in Oriente Aegypto Cùm enim una eadem fides sit neque is qui multùm potest de ea dicere superfluit neque is qui parùm imminuit Irenaeus having repeated the most important Articles of it saith It is the faith which the Church throughout the world hath received from the Apostles being every where one and the same admitting neither addition nor diminution Therfore it is called by b Tertul. de vel virg cap. 1. Regula fidei una omninò est sola immobilis irreformabilis Hâc lege fidei manente caetera admittunt novitatem correctionis Tertullian one onely immoveable and unreformable rule which remaining safe other matters of discipline may be altered or corrected as occasion requires And the same Author againe c Id. de Praescript cap. 13. 14. Haec regula null as habet apud nos quaestiones nisi quas herefes inferunt quae haereticos faciunt manente form âejus in suo ordine quantumlibet quaeras tractes Fides in
descended aliue into the pit of hell is rashly and vncharitably said God is mercifull and who knowes whether some of them did not repent in the last moment All that this example teacheth is that men ought not to rend themselues from the Church of God or joyne in the despising of gouernment with them that seeke their owne glory and not the glory of God It is a certaine truth that m Matth. 28. 20. all things ought to be obserued which Christ hath commanded and that n Mark 16. whosoeuer beleeueth not in Christ shall be condemned But here is no warrant for the Church of Rome to force vpon the world her owne commandements and Creeds in stead of Christs That in S. Matthew o Matt. 18. 17. If thy Brother offend thee tell the Church is nothing to the point in hand Our Lord speakes of a brother wronging his brother and after priuate admonition refusing to obey the Church which may be vnderstood of an assembly as well Ciuill as Ecclesiasticall Howsoeuer it cannot be meant of the Church Catholique which cannot bee told of priuate injuries but of particular Congregations or as p Chrys hom 61. in Matth. vide etiam Tirinum in locum S. Chrysostome expounds it of their Pastors And if any disorderly or obstinato persons wil not be reformed by their good counsels they are to be esteemed as prophane Publicanes and sinners or to be punished with spirituall censures Yet in these censures any Church may erre through misinformation or ignorance and may sometimes strike the innocent as is confessed by Pope q Decretal lib. 5. tit 39. c. 28. A nobis Innocent the third and r Mag. lib. 4. dist 18. lit F. Lombard Whether in points of discipline or doctrine so long as any Church holds to the rule of truth gouernes her selfe by the word of God shee erres not We are to heare the Church our mother true that is not rashly to oppose her especially if shee be carefull to heare God our Father and Christ her Spouse of whom it was said s Matt. 17. 5. Heare him The Mistaker therefore vainly inferres from this place that the iudgement of the Church in all Controuersies is Soueraigne and Infallible and that absolute obedience is due vnto Her no appeale being allowed no not to Scripture though expounded in a Catholique sense and consonantly to the judgement of the most ancient and famous members of the Church The Text euidently speakes of particular Churches to which I suppose he will not easily yeeld these goodly priuiledges After his wont still when he talkes of the Church he meanes his owne and euer mistakes the Romane for the Catholique The Church Catholique or vniuersall is confessed in some sense to be vnerring as shall appeare hereafter and he is little better then a Pagan that despiseth her judgement For shee followes her guides the Prophets and Apostles and is not very free and forward in her definitions All this is as false of the Romane Church as it is true of the Catholique The Treatise of S. Cyprian of the vnity of the Catholique Church for that title a Epist 51. himselfe giues it is directed against the schisme error of the Nouatians who peeuishly seuered themselues from the Communion of Catholiques because they gaue the peace of the Church to such as repented after their fall in times of persecution There is nothing in that Treatise which the Protestants dislike saue onely the corrupting of S. Cyprians text by some Romish zelote b Cap. 3. secund Pam. these words added to the Text. Primatus Petro datur super Cathedram Petri fundata est Ecclesia super illum vnum aedificat Ecclesiam Christus who hath added and fourred in two or three false glosses of his owne in fauor of S. Peters Primacy Contrary to the faith of written copies and of the elder editions which were before Manutius and Pamelius contrary to the constant doctrine of that holy Martyr in other parts of his workes and even in that very place which is corrupted and contrary to the reading of their owne Gratian c Caus 24. q. 1. can Loquitur Dominus ad Petrum corrected by Pope Gregory 13. And in this vnworthy fashion they haue handled many other records and d Vide Rog Withring Apol. Bell. num 450. monumeÌ„ts of Antiquity adding altering razing them at their pleasure Sixtus Senensis highly commends Pope Pius the fift for the care which he had e Epist dedic ad Pium 5. P. M. Expurgari emaculari curâsti omnia Catholicorum scriptorum ac praecipuè veterum Patrum scripta to extinguish all dangerous bookes and to purge the writings of all Catholique Authors especially of the ancient Fathers from the filth and poyson of heresie At Rome they call it heresie not to speake the language of the Court or to say any thing in behalfe of Protestants A few yeares since when the learned Iesuite Andreas Schottus of Antuerpe published 600 Greeke Epistles of Isidorus Ielusiotes out of the Vatican Library never before printed Beyerlinck the Censor of Bookes there was content to passe them to the presse f In approbatione libri editi Antuerp Graecè 1623. because they contained nothing contrary to the Catholique Roman religion It seemes they had not passed but vpon that condition Though since on better consideration that vnwary clause is left out in the Approbation of the last edition of those Epistles in Greeke and Latine at Francfort This by the way Anno 1629. S. Augustine in his Epistle of the vnitie of the Church largely debates that maine controversie betweene the Catholiques and the Donatists concerning the Church Those Schismatiques pretended that the Catholique Church was perished in all other parts of the world and that it remained only in their factious Conventicles in some corners of Rome and Africa or as they loued to speake in the part of Donatus Against this fancy which is the opinion in effect of our Romane Catholiques at this day the learned Father proues that the Catholique Church may not bee confined to any corners or Countries but that it is vniversally diffused thorough all the world And hee constantly fetches all his proofes from the holy Scriptures often protesting that he will not fight with any other weapons g Aug. de vnit Eccl. cap. 6. Dicitis in nullis terris heredem permanere Christum nisi vbi cohaeredem habere potuerit Donatum Legite nobis hoc de Lege de Pâ—opheus de Psalmis de ipso Evangelio de Apostolicis Literis Legite credimus You say ô Donatists that Christ hath no inheritance but in the part of Donatus as now 't is said of the Popes party Read and proue this to vs out of the law the Prophets or the Psalms out of the Gospell or the Apostles Letters Read it thence and wee will beleeue you h Ibid. cap. 3. Non audiamus
sufficient to salvation and giue direction sufficient to every good Christian both for his knowledge and for his practise teaching him what to beleeue and how to liue so as he may be saued For Knowledge first it is confessed a very small measure of explicite knowledge is of absolute necessity Some a Apud Greg. de Val. Tom. 3. in Aqu. disp 1. qu. 2. punct 4. v. 10. Bergomens Concordant Contrad dub 419 Schoolemen thinke it needfull to beleeue only so much of the Creed concerning Christ as the Church solemnizeth in her Holidaies his Incarnation Passion Resurrection c. Some require an explicite beliefe of the whole Apostles Creed And some which goe highest adde to that the Nicen and Athanasian to make a compleat belieuer The Iesuite b Vbi supr◠Valentia mislikes this last imposition as too rigorous and seemes most to encline to the first most moderate opinion And c De verb. Dei lib. 4. cap. 11. initio Bellarmine is confident that the Apostles never vsed to preach openly to the people other things then the Articles of the Apostles Creed the ten commandements and some of the Sacraments because saith he these are simply necessary and profitable for all men the rest besides such as that a man may bee saved without them Thus for matter of beliefe Now secondly for matter of practise they cannot except against any part of the publique service of God in our Leiturgy They will grant I suppose that God may be worshipped without an image nay that the interior and spirituall worship is most acceptable to him that a Christian may comfortably and with successe call vpon God alone by the only mediation of Christ seeing the d Sancti caeperunt coli in Ecclesià Vniversali non tam lege aliquâ quam consuetudine Bellarm. de SS Beat. lib. 1. cap. 8. §. vlt. worship and invocation of Saints was brought into the Church rather by custome then any precept that inward repentance and confession of sinnes to God is of absolute necessity not so their auricular * Secret confession abstracting from the abuses of it our Church allowes and inioynes in some cases as very convenient for the comfort of afflicted consciences confession and penall workes of satisfaction that it is necessary to bee really vnited to Christ by his spirit and our faith and very comfortable to receiue both parts of the Eucharist but no way necessary to eat the flesh of Christ carnally in the Sacrament or to want the Sacrament of his bloud that those praiers must needs be most fruitfull and effectuall which are done with vnderstanding and in a knowne language that when a man hath constantly endeavoured with all his forces to obey God in all the duties of Piety and Charity yet it is not amisse for him after all this to confesse himselfe Gods vnprofitable servant and his e Bellar. de Iustif lib. 5. c. 7. §. sit 3. Propositio-Tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sold Dei misericordia benignitate reponere safest course not to trust to his owne merits but wholly and solely to cast himselfe on the mercy of God in Iesus Christ So then by the precepts and conduct of our Religion a Christian is fully instructed in all necessary points of faith and manners and directed how to liue religiously how to dy comfortably and all this without any addition of Popery and all this by the confession of Papists Hence it followes that by their owne Confession the doctrines debated are vnnecessary 3. They are also confessed Nouelties Themselues yeeld that for aboue a thousand yeares after Christ a Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 4. cap 2. §. Secunda opinio the Popes judgement was not esteemed infallible nor his authority b Bellarm. de Conc. lib. 2. cap. 13. aboue that of a generall Councell the contrary being decreed in the late Councels of Constance and Basil constantly defended by the ancient Sorbon and at this day by the c Reuision du Concile de Trent liur 4. best learned in the Gailicane Church d Bellar. de Indulg lib. 2. cap. 17. That Eugenius the 3. who began his Papacy 1145. was the first that granted Indulgences e Bellar. de Sanctorum Beat. lib. 1. cap. 8. §. Dices plur Leo the 3. who liued 800. yeares after Christ the first that euer canonized any Saint That not any f Greg. de Valent. in Thom. Tom. 4. disp 6. p 2. §. Tertio prob one ancient writer reckons precisely seuen Sacraments the first g Bellar. de Sacarm lib. 2. cap. 25. Author that mentions that number being Peter Lombard and the first Councell that of Florence That transubstantiation h Scotus apud Bellarm. lib. 3. de Euchar cap. 23. was neither named nor made an Article of faith before the Councell of Laterane That Antiquity euen till these i Lombard Sent. lib. 4. c. 12. Aqu. 3. p. qu 83. art 1. in corp latter times beleeued the sacrifice in the Eucharist to bee no other but the image or commemoration of our Sauiours sacrifice on the Crosse That in k Lindan Panopl lib. 4. cap. 25. Albaspin Obseru lib 1. cap. 4. former ages for 1300. yeares the holy Cup was administred to the Lairy And diuine seruice celebrated l Nic. de Lyra. in 1. ad Cor. cap. 14. Cassand in Liturgicis cap. 28. for many ages in a knowne and vulgar Language vnderstood by the people That m Polyd. Virgil. de Inuent lib. 6. cap. 13. the Fathers generally condemned the worship of Images for feare of Idolatrie and n Azor. Moral lib. 8. cap. 26. part 1. §. Respondeo allowed yea exhorted the People with diligence to read the Scriptures Many more confessions of this kinde might be produced If now the Mistaker will suppose his Romane Church and Religion purged from these and the like confessed excesses and nouelties hee shall finde in that which remaines little difference of importance betweene vs. But by this discourse the Mistaker happily may beleeue his cause to be aduantaged and may reply If Rome want nothing essentiall to Religion or to a Church how then can the Reformers justifie their separation from that Church or free themselues from damnable Schisme For surely to separate from the communion of the Church without just and necessary cause is a Schisme very damnable All this in effect is formerly answered Yet to satisfie our Mistaker if it may be we will here further say somewhat to the point more plainly and distinctly There neither was nor can be any just cause to depart from the Church of Christ no more then from Christ himselfe But to depart from a Particular Church and namely from the Church of Rome in some doctrines and practises there might be just and necessary cause though the Church of Rome wanted nothing necessary to saluation I said signantèr in some doctrines and practises For there is great
in Religion Now he pretends there is great Unitie in doctrine among his Roman Catholiques With little reason and with as little ingenuitie For certainly if in this point we be not innocent they are much more guilty The truth is that old complaint of Optatus fits our times better then his a Lib. 5. Omnes contentiosi homines sumus there is but too much quarrelling on all sides which exposes our holy faith to the scorne of Infidells and ill beseemes them that pretend as we doe all to serve and follow the Prince of peace But sure the Romanists are not in case to fasten this reproach on us since it will reflect more strongly on themselues who have many more and more weighty Controversies among their owne Doctors then those of ours For our dissensions I have already said enough if not to justifie yet to excuse them To which I now adde by way of just recrimination that they are both for their number and in their nature of farre lesse importance then the dissensions in his Romane Church But our Mistaker answers in the behalfe of his jarring Doctors two things 1. that they differ onely in some schoole-questions of opinion not in matters of faith 2. that they dissent in iudgement onely without breach of charitie But in both the parts of this answer I shall briefly let him see that he is Mistaken His first plea is a very true and reasonable Apologie for our Reformed Churches but not so for his Romane Our controversies are none of them in the substance of faith but onely in disputable opinions not cleerly defined in Scripture wherein learned and charitable men do each one abound in his ow◠sence still keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace The summe of our faith is the same which we have received from the Apostles We have no◠added any new Articles to the Creed nor do we differ about any of the old ones But they of b Bulla Pii 4. post Concil Trident. Rome have inlarged the Creed of Christians one moity and will needs have the world to beleive many things as points of faith which at the best are but doubtfull opinions among all which there is hardly one wherein themselves do fully agree The c The new title of Cardinalls by the decre of Pope Urban Jun. 10. 1630. See it in the French Merc. Tome 16. pag. 592. most eminent Cardinall Bellarmine in his Controversies against us hath fairly confessed as hath been formerly noted that each opinion almost is controverted amongst themselves A d Contradictiones DD. Rom. Eccl. ex Rob. Bellarmino Autore Joan Pappo Argentorati Ann. 1597. Vide etiam Matthiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sectis controversiis religionis Papisticae Basil 1565. German Doctor hath collected out of Him their contradictions and set them down in his owne words to the number of 237. and withall a Catalogue of such Romane Writers as Bellarmine himselfe hath contradicted and confuted which contains the most part of Writers in his owne Church famous for learning in later ages Ioannes de Radae hath filled two grosse volumes with the contentions of the Thomists and Scotists And the Dominicans and Iesuites have filled libraries with their quarrells in the matter of Grace and Freewill wherein either side pretends the definition of the Trent Councell for their contrarie opinions It seemes that Councell like the Devill in the old Oracles hath deluded them both with ambiguous sentences Or if the definition be cleare one of the Factions doth obstinately contradict it Why doth not his Holinesse all this while interpose and give out his infallible judgment in the questions If he will not he wants charity towards his owne children if he cannot how is he the infallible Iudge Or is it rather his wary wisedome not hastily to decide Controversies wherein witty and learned men on both sides are engaged * As Widdrington and his followers have done See Widdringtons Purgation against the Popes Decree wherein he was condemned for an Heretique and no child of the Church lest in stead of changing their opinions they should fall to challenge not onely the infallibility but which were more dangerous the authority of their Iudge and in stead of reforming their owne judgement despise his The most capitall point of all others in their new Creed is that of the Popes authority and that obedience which he challenges in spirituall and temporall matters yet of all others they are most at discord among themselves about this point The old doubts are not yet resolved whether he be under or above a Generall Councell and whether he may erre in his definitive sentence some advance him with priviledges above the condition of men Others thinke more soberly of his power and are bold to resist him when they see him abuse it In the Trent Councel the Spanish Bishops stood stoutly for the independency of Episcopall authority and strongly maintained residence to be de jure divino being overborne onely with most voices by the Italian faction The Divines of Venice in the late quarrells of pope Paule the 5. against that State neglected the Popes Interdict so that he was fain with shame enough to revoke his Censures e Voiez la Declaration de l' Assemblee Generale du Clergé de France An. 1625. Very lately the Bishops of France have brought the Regulars of that Kingdome under their jurisdiction notwithstanding their exemptions by the Pope And whereas his Flatterers tell him that he hath either directly as f Carerius Bosius c. some say or indirectly as g Bell. c. others to the same purpose a Tempor all Monarchy over all the earth that all Princes are his vassals and may be deposed when he thinkes fitt that he may dispense with subjects for their oath of Allegeance and license them to take armes against their Soveraignes Many good Catholiques detest these damnable doctrines and have h Barclay Withrington The Divines of Venice confuted them as tending to bring ruine and confusion on all states and in France the seditious bookes of Mariana Bellarmine Becanus Suarez Santarellus and such like containing these horrible Maximes of the Society have been cast into the fire by the hand of the publique Hangman But among their discords there is none more memorable or of greater consequence then that of the two Popes Sixtus 5. and Clement 8. about their vulgar See Dr James his Bellum Papale and Cortuptions of the Fathers part 3. Latin Bibles When the Councell of Trent declared that Translation only to be authenticall there were abroad in the World above 60. severall Editions of it each differing from other Which Sixtus taking into consideration with great diligence and advise of many Cardinals he compared the Copies and out of them all published one which he straitly commanded to be received as the onely true Vulgar by a solemne Bull abolishing all others which did not exactly ad verbum and ad
literam agree with that and was so curious as with his owne hand to correct many errors escaped in the Presse because he would have it more compleat This Bible was published with the Popes Declaration before it the yeare 1590. a Copy wherof is extant though they have consumed as many as they could in the publique Library of Oxford Clement 8. shortly after observing many defects and corruptions in that Edition published another with the very like Declaration wherein he authorises onely his owne Bible revoking all others These two Bibles infinitely differ not onely in words phrases and entire verses but in very many absolute and direct contradictions yet are they both equally justified and equally injoyned under the penalty of a curse to them that obey not So as hereby all Roman Catholiques are involved in a miserable necessity either to use no Bible at all or to undergoe the curse of Pope Sixtus if they use that of Clement or of Pope Clement if they use the other of Sixtus Nothing can be said with truth or reason to salve this contradiction Now I suppose our Mistaker will yeeld that the authenticall Edition of the Bible and the Popes Authority are not matters of opinion onely Their differences therefore are not onely in matters of opinion The second part of his Answer for his Doctors is that their differences are all fairely and peaceably carried without any breach of charity Happy were the poore Church of Christ if all Controversies in Religion might be so handled but it hath beene and is her misery that it is far otherwise And here againe the Roman Part is as guilty at least as the Reformed I love not to be raking in dunghills Yet to shew the Mistaker that Lutherans alone are not troubled with passions of the Spleene I will give him some few examples of Papists railing as unmercifully at their owne Brethren as they are wont to doe at us Alex. Carerius is so zealous for the Popes direct temporall Monarchie that all who deny it are in his language i Carerius in tit libri sui lib. 2. cap. 12. § Quorum impious polititians and heretiques and their reasons all false hereticall dotages Now it is denyed by the Cardinalls k Bell. lib. 5. de R. Pont. cap. 1. §. Tertia Bellarmin Turrecremata Cajetan and a great number of other learned Romanists In that bitter contention betweene the Seculars Iesuites of this Kingdome in the yeare 1600 and after about the authority of Blackwell the Archpriest the two Factions are notably deciphered each by other The Seculars by the l Parsons his Apol. for Subord ch 4. 8. c. and the Table prefixed Iesuites to be mad heads seditious libellers notorious calumniators factious turbulent obstinate brawlers tumultuous of scandalous life writing evident egregious malitious untruths impudent fictions and wicked slanders rebels betrayers of the Catholique cause c. On the other side the Iesuites by the m Watsons Quodlibet pag. 61. 151. passim Seculars to be Schismatiques Donatists Anabaptists Arrians Vipers men that runne such a desperate course as if Religion were but a meere politicall and Atheall devise living by the principles of Machiavell taught by their Arch-rabbies how to maintaine with equivocations dissimulation detraction ambition sedition surfeiting sorer then ever did Heliogabalus busied in setting division breeding of jealousie and making of hostile strife by opposition of King against King State against State Priest against Priest Peere against Peere Parents against Children raising of rebellions murthering of Princes making uprores every where Men unworthy to be called Religious or Catholiques or Christians For howsoever they boast of their perfections holines meditations and exercises yet their plots are heathenish tyrannicall satanicall and able to set Aretine Lucian Machiavell yea and Don Lucifer to schoole Wicked Iesuites who would have all Catholiques to depend on the Archpriest when as the Archpriest depended upon father Garnet Garnet on Parsons and Parsons upon the Devill c. These are our Mistakers friends whom he commends so much for unitie and charity But sure if this be charity it is such as he calls in the title of his booke Charity mistaken This very contention is now againe of late revived amongst them on the like occasion and pursued with the like intemperate bitternes both in * See the Treatise of Paul Harris Priest against the Excommunication published against him and D. Caddell by the Archbishop of Dublin Th. Flemming alias Barnewell a Franciscane Frier Printed Anno 1632. Ireland and especially in this Kingdome The present Pope Vrban hath given to one Richard Smith the title of Bishop of Chalcedon and hath sent him not to reside upon his See for that had beene to punish him and send him a begging but hither into England appointing unto him for his Diocesse the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland and investing him with the power and jurisdiction of Ordinary over all his Catholiques in these Kingdomes without any exception of Laitie or Clergie Secular or Regular The Jesuites cannot brook any subordination but where some of their owne command in chiefe Therefore being questioned by this Bishop for their Faculties they straightway question him for his Authority and publish to the world in divers n Discussio assertionum D. Kellisoni Autore Nichol. Smithaeo Apologia pro processione sedis Apostolicae Autore Daniele à Jesu Declatatio Catholicorū Laicorum Angliae Declarations that his power is meerly usurped and pretended that there is no necessity either of particular Bishops for the government of particular Churches or of the Sacrament of Confirmation especially in times and places of persecution for so these men speake of the most milde goverment of our most religious Soveraigne that the Regulars as such are proper and principall members of the Ecclesiasticall Hierachie that their state is a state of greater perfection then that of Bishops or Presbyters that their exemption from the power of Bishops is essentially annexed to their condition that their priviledges cannot be revoked no not by the Pope c. These Maximes and the like passe for Catholique doctrine among the Jesuited partie But on the other side they are condemned and censured not only by their owne secular Clergy here but in France by the Archbishop of Paris by 34 of their other Bishops in a full assembly and by the Sorbon to be o Censura quarundam propositionum per Facult Parisiensem Parisiis 1631. propositions rash presumptuous false absurd scandalous profane injurious to Episcopall dignity destructive to the Church and hereticall This Censure was quickly well washed with the bitter Sponge of Iohn Floyd a Jesuite p Aurelius in vindiciis pag. 385. lurking under the name of Hermannus Loemelius who charges the Sorbonists with malice ignorance stupidity schisme and heresie and with great scorne insults upon them But against him the Censure and Censors are defended by two Doctors of that Societie