cruell hungrie beastes and deliuered him therhence safe and sound The farther wee are shut from all companie of men the nearer we are sett vnto the quiers of Angels As wee must heerin needs confesse and acknowledg our owne naturall weaknes and frailty and that we are not able so much as to thinke one good thought of our selues and much lesse to be able to endure any such great extremitie as so close an imprisonment would be to fleshand bloud so on the part of God for whom wee suffer we must be confident and saie after that most zealous Apostle Saint Paule Phil. 4. v. 13. Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat I can do all things with his heauenlie help and gratious favor that doth comfort and strengthen mee and be bold to praie with Saint Austin Da Domine quod iubes Iube quod vis giue me o blessed Lord force to doe that which thou commaundest and commaund me whatsoeuer thou pleasest Fidelis enim est Deus 1. Cor. 10 v. 13. qui non patitur vos tentari supra id quod potestis c. For God is faith full and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you are able to beare but will make also with temptation a way forth that you may be able to susteine It cannot but greatlie comfort all such prisoners to set before their eies the most noble example of that worthie spectacle of all retired persons Saint Anthony he hauing liued some yeres in the wildernes in very great austeritie and being for his singuler vertues Athanas in vita S. Antonij and most godlie instructions much sought vnto by manie that desired to imitate his holie life he I saie to avoid that resort would wander yet further into the wildernes At length it was his hap to light vpon the ruines of an old decaied castle in which the wild beasts venemous serpents had made their dēnes and nestes This was a place alone for a champion of his faith spirit and resolution There he taking vp his lodging the serpents and beastes as if they had knowen good maners avoyded suddenlie and gaue place to that honorable seruant of the most high god and the Citizens of heauen came often no doubt to visit him This holie souldier of Christ condemned himselfe to a hollow caue of the said ruined Castle and there liued full twentie yeres admitting no man to come to him saving one onlie who twice in the yeare brought him some poore prouision of bread and water At length being found out by the religious soules who sought vp and downe after him all the wildernes ouer at their instant entreatie to doe seruice to others he came out of that voluntarie prison as if it had bin out of a paradise so sound of body so fresh of colour with such a sweet mild countenance that all who beheld him were astonished to see it But what maruell for if the court be comonlie said to be there where the king is who can doubt but that caue might verie well be resembled to the court of heauen assuredly the king of heauen attended on by his celestiall trayne came thithe often to visit his be loued seruant and deare sonne Anthony And what comfort could he want that conuersed so familiarly with the courtiers of heauen can he that liueth in such speciall fauour of the Almightie at whose comaundement be all things both in heauen and earth be destitute of any necessaries This euerie man that shall stand in neede of it may verie well applie vnto himself with the help of these words taken out of the like in S. Austen Quod fecit vnus homo facere potest alter homo illius gratia per quem factus est omnis homo that which one man hath done a nother man may doe through his gratious aid and assistance that made all men Though Protestants cannot either by spoiling Catholikes of their goods 4. Nor death or casting of them into prisons and dongeons extinguish the Catholike Roman faith in our countrie yet by hanging and quartering of them as traitors maie they not bring that to passe for making awaie manie worthie priests in that cruell bloodie manner it may hap to fright all other out of the countrie and then the laitie wanting the gratious help of Sacraments and the necessarie comfort of their spirituall fathers will quicklie quaile and yeeld O wise folie or rather foolish wisdome of wordlings indeed if the course of the deuine prouidence were squared out by the leaden rule of our vaine discourses then it were not vnlike to fall out after the protestants imagination but god himself hauing reuealed vnto vs in his holie word that the putting to death of his faithfull preachers shall nothing hinder but much further increase and multiplie the fruite of their diuine doctrine Are they not rather to be esteemed Atheists then Christians that are perswaded that the waie to extinguish Christian religion is to make great havock and slaughter of Christs disciples doth not our blessed sauiour himself teach most plainly yea and bindeth it as it were with an oath Amen Amen dico vobis verelie verelie I saie vnto you vnles the graine of wheate falling into the earth do die it remaineth alone Ioan. 12. v. 14. but if it do die it bringeth forth much fruite by which similitude Christ giueth vs to vnderstand that like as one graine of corne mortified in the bowells of the Earth doth produce some thirtie some sixtie some a hundreth fold increase Even so everie holie Martir who is of the purest wheate of Christs flour powring out his innocent bloud in testimonie of the Catholike Roman religion doth through the vertue of Gods powerfull grace wonderfullie moue all well disposed minds to embrace the same religion for how can they be perswaded otherwise then that the Almightie hath giuen to them great assurance of a most happie estate in the life to come whom they behold in the midst of torments to depart this life so holily mildly and comfortably Pretiosa in conspectu Domini Psal 115. v. 5. mors sanctorum eius the glorious death of gods Saincts is so pretious in his sight hee soe dearlie esteemeth of them who endure death for his honor that not themselues onlie who die so happilie shal be highlie advanced in his heauenlie kingdome but for their sakes and at their requests God will ouer and besides convert multitudes of others the holie doctors were of opinion that the death and praier of S. Stephen was the speciall meanes of S. Paules Conuersion but what need wee anie testimonie of man for this matter when as God himself hath in expresse tearmes testified that he will shew mercie vnto thowsands Exod. 20 for ones sake that loues him and keepes his comandements And no man can better testifie his loue towards God then to laie downe his life for him and with his verie harts bloud to seale as it were his
seruice and loue towards him Ioh. 15. â— maiorem Charitatem nemo habet quam vt animam suam ponat quis pro amico suo wherfore in the primitiue church it was the common opinion of all Christians that sanguis Martyrum semen sit ecclesiae the blood of Martirs is the seede of the church the sence wherof is recorded in these words of ancient Tertullian directed to the Heathen persecutors Tertul in fine Apolog Neither doth your ouer curious and diligent crueltie preuaile anie whit at all against vs but is rather an allurement to our religion we are multiplied and made more as often as wee are mowed and cut downe by you for the blood of Martirs is the seede of Christians Matth. 13 yea it is compared by diuers holie fathers to that seed which was sowed in the best ground and brought forth an hundreth fold encrease Iustin in Apolog. That glorious and learned Martir S. Iustin comparing Christians to a vine as in the scriptures they be often resembled saith Esai 5. Ioh. 15. that as a vine euerie yeare must be pruned and haue all superfluous branches cut of to make it yeeld more stoare and better fruite so some Christians now and then cut downe and put to death for the Christian religion doth both multiplie and make more perfect Christians To be short I will rehearse but one passage vttered by that golden mouth of S. Io Chrisostome wherin all the forsaid branches of losse of goods losse of libertie and life are couched together without anie feare of losse of their religion Chrisost quod Christus sit Deus Albeit saith hee the faithfull Christians were disgraced despised lost their goods and were cast into prison yea were butchered burned drowned and put to all kind of tortures with the greatest shame and spite that could be deuised like Traitors and publike enemies of the comon weale yet did they alwaies encrease and multiplie As well Maisters as schollers Preists as Lay men were fettered and suffered a thousand kind of euills yet the number of both Maisters and Schollers did grow dailie greater and greater Thus Saint Chrisostome and much more to the same purpose And if it would please our owne Magistrates who are of greater yeeres to call to mind how few priests and recusants were in the daies of Queene Elizabeth when they began first to put priests to death and to heape such heauie penalties vpon recusants in comparison of them that now be they must needes if passion do not much blind them cleerlie see that their persecution hath mightilie augmented our number I out of my small experience may be bold to auouch that since I can well remember for one Romane priest that then was in England there are now litle lesse then twentie And for one recusant then now more then a hundred Haue we not therfore iust cause following euen the light of humane reason and policie to thinke that the Protestants themselues who sit at the helme of government yeelding vnto that sensible argument of their owne manifest experience will shortlie cease the heat of the persecution and bridle those distempered restlesse spirits that seeme to feed vpon other mens sorrowes if it be for no other cause but for the preservation of their owne religion I meane not here to propound to them who are without all comparison exceedinglie far wiser then my selfe how manie great comodities both at home and abroad they might reape by holding a milder course in matter of religion bicause I find small disposition in them to accept of that seruice but for the comfort of afflicted Catholikes my most deere countrimen and brethrene and for the fuller confutation of the new article of M. Abbots false beliefe I haue briefly shewed that to stripp Catholikes of their goods for their religion is to put them though perhaps against their wills to purchase the redemption of that with their penurie which their Ancestors lost through ouer much superfluitie To cast and keepe them in prison is to sequester them from their worldly occupations and therby to make them much apter for heauenlie meditations To hange them like traitors is to prefer them to the glorious crowne of Martirs And all this put together cometh so far to short from rooting out the Romane Religion or from daunting of others from the liking of it that it worketh marvelous effects in many good soules and procureth multitudes to embrace it wherfore M. Abbots dreame of the vtter ruine therof to be at hand maie be aptlie compared to the diuination of those pagans which S. Austin recorded as most absurd when the Gentiles saith hee saw that the church of Christ could not be rooted out with soe manie greiuous persecutions as it had endured Aug. l. 18. de ciuit 54. but that it was therby wounderously enlarged they neuer theles were so blindly bent against it that they would needes appoint a certain time wâ—thin the which it should be vtterlie rooted out which was expired before S. Austen had written those his worthie Bookes of the cittie of God the christian Church much more florishing and enlarging it self then before The like successe will be no doubt vnto M. Abbots dreame who would needes counterfait those malitious Pagans in prognosticating the vtter decay of the Roman religion to approch if wee remaine constant and doe with patience after the example of those ancient noble Christians beare the losse of our goods lands libertie and life in the quarell of Gods cause and for his sacred religion I am not of their mind who looking vpon the helpe of men doe out of human probabilitie either appoint some time when this shall come to passe or on the other side not seing anie mans aide readie at hand do vtterlie despaire of the recouerie of it but do like maruelously well of them who huÌ„blie acknowledging our owne and our forefathers manifold grieuous iniquites to be such that we haue not yet suffred the hundreth part of that which they and wee haue iustlie deserued yet lifting their harts towardes heauen and maturelie pondering vpon God almighties incompreheÌ„sible mercie wisdome and power do conceiue good hope of our speedie redemption for noe Christian can saie his creede but he finds in the first article thereof that God is Almightie he can doe all things when hee will and assoone as he will with one word of his mouth one fiat of his by which he made heauen earth is more then a thousand times sufficient to alter the whole course of the protestants proceeding yea to worke such a strange alteration that they who now be most earnest persecutors of the Romane religion maie after the manner of Saint Paul become most zealous professors and planters of the same for most true is that which good Mardocheus in his deuoute praier confessed Hester 13 O Lord God the disposition of all things doth he in thy hands and there is no man that can resist thy will
Rome were verie worthy successors of S. Peters fervour in faith coÌ„staÌ„cy in suffering great learning aboue thirtie of them in a rew shedd their blood most valiently in testimony of the ChristiaÌ„ religioÌ„ Manie of theÌ„ that liued after were verie great lightes of the world Doctors of the church as Leo the great Gregorie the great Damasus Innocentius Gelasius and diuers others To lett passe verie many among them of exceeding religious holy and exemplar life whom if one would parallell with the protestants chief governors men women and Children what odds between them would bee found I leaue to the discreete readers iudgment But be it so that some Bishops of Rome haue not liued so godly vertuously as they ought to haue done though M. Abbots proofe therof takeÌ„ vp of a hearsay out of M. watsons Quidlibets or quodlibets is too too simple yet it hath pleased god many times to serve himself of evill Instruments to do verie good offices The scribes and Pharises in Christs daies were very bad men yet our Saviour himself commanded the coÌ„mon people to hearken vnto them and to obey them Because they did sitt in the chaire of Moses it pleased god to assist them in their doctrine though their liues were naught Aug co eras Petil e. 2. ca. 51. S. Austin hath a passage to Petilianus the Donatist one of M. Abbots cosens so fitt for this purpose that wee neede seeke no further for the cleering therof Thus hee greeteth him and in him M. Abbot Quare appellas cathedram pestilen â—â—e cathedram Apostolicam si propter homines quos putas legem loqui non facere nunquid Iesus Christus propter Pharisaeos de quibus ait dicunt enim non faciunt cathedrae in qua sedebant vllam fecit iniuriam nonne illam cathedram Moysi commendauit illos seruato cathedra honore redarguit dicens super cathedram Moysi sedent quod dicunt facite secundum autem opera eorum nolite facere why dost thou call the Apostolike chaire of Rome the chaire of pestilence if for the mens sake that sitt in it what did our lord Iesus Christ for the Pharises sake anie wrong to the chaire wherin they sate Did hee not commend the chaire of Moses preserving the honor of the chaire reprooue the men saying They sitt vpon the chaire of Moses that which they saie do yee but doe not according to their workes These things if you did well consider you would not for the man whom you backbite blaspheme the sea Apostolike wherwith you do not communicate And in another place Into that pedegree of Bishops which is derived from S. Peter vnto Anastasius Aug. Epist 165. In illum autem ordinem Episcoporum qui ducitur ab ipso Petro vsque ad Anastasium qui nunc eandem cathedram sedet etiamsi quisquam traditor penilla tempora surrepsisset nihil praeiudicaret ecclesiae innocentibus Christianis quibus dominus prouidens ait de praepositis malu Quae dicunt facite quae autem faciunt facere nolite dicunt enim non faciunt vt certa sit spes fidelibus quae non in hominibus sed in deo collocata nunquam tempestate sacrilegi schismatis dissipetur who now sitteth in the same chaire albeit some traitour had crept it should not haue preiudiced or hurt the church and innocent Christians for whom our Lord providing said of evill prelates do that which they saie but do not as they do for they saie but do not That the faith full might haue assured confidence which placed not in man but in our Lord by no tempest of sacrilegious schisme can bee disappointed Behold out of saint Austin first that the Bishops of Rome are the true successors of S. Peter Then that in doubts of religion recourse is to be made vnto them for resolution And lastly that our blessed Lord hath taken such order for their sure directioÌ„ of others in the right waie that though some traitor or evill man should creepe into that chaire yet everie good Christian maie for ever repose assured confidence in them This being the auncient doctrine and assured perswasion of all good Christians M. Abbots stale iest of the popes sitting downe in a chaire when hee is to define a matter is to bee laughed at as an idle and ignorant imagination It were indeed verie simple to thinke that the only sitting downe of the pope in a chaire should bee a sufficient helpe to define hard and doubtfull questions But to define ex Cathedra as it is tearmed hath a farr other meaning among Catholike Doctors which may bee thus declared The pope as a learned Divine may write manie large discourses in matter of diuinitie and make goodly commentaries vpon sundrie bookes of holy scripture as S. Leo S. Gregorie and diuers other of them haue done in which his workes hee having no further assistance of the holy Ghost then another priuate Doctour of the same learning and holines of life hath may as a man mistake somethings and bee deceiued But when as chief pastor of Christs church hee comes to define any deepe question for the instruction of the whole church then hee hath through the vertue of our blessed Saviours praier assistance of the holie ghost First to cause that matter to bee dulie sifted and considered of by learned Divines according to the importance and difficultie therof either by the assistance only of his owne ordinarie councell in his courto of Rome if the question bee but ordinarie or if it bee of greater consequence and do concerne a whole nation or the vniuersall church then with the aid of a nationall or generall councell And finally after such mature aduise taken to giue his senteÌ„ce and to determine it this is that which wee meane when wee saie that the popes holines can never erre when hee comes for the information and instructioÌ„ of the church to define anie doubtfull question ex cathedra that is iudicially after due examination the infallibility of which sentence wee do not attribute to the learning wisdome or godlines of the pope and much lesse to the sitting downe in his chaire as M. Abbot dreamed who being a mortall man maie err and doe amisse but vnto our Saviours provident foresight and vnto the most assured verity of his promise made to S. Peter and his successors which prayer and promise of our blessed Saviour can neuer faile Against the evidence of which truth M. Abbot having nothing to saie in reason fals a railing at his owne misconceit of it and cals it a drunken mans dreame which if hee himself will needs haue to bee so who caÌ„ lett him to tearme his owne dreame as hee list Manie men of a more sober and advised spiritt can easilie vnderstand that there was verie great reasoÌ„ why our blessed Saviour being to establish an ecclesiasticall state which hee would haue tost and to the worlds end incorrupt in Doctrine
fault as meriteth the losse therof much more the church of Rome being the most honorable congregation of Christendome ought to hold her due estimation and credit and enioy all her priviledges vntill it bee lawfully proved that it hath iustlie deserved to bee deprived of them for in dubijs mel or est conditio possidentis In all doubtfull causes shee that is and hath been fifteen hundreth yeres in possession is to keepe it still I grant that when S. Austin either defended the honour of the church of Rome or magnified the society and communion with it did thervnto ioyne some other church But the mention of them not being to our present purpose what reason had I to recite that which was needlesse when as every man knowes that aswell as then so now whosoever shall recōcile himself to the church of Rome hee shall therby reenter into communion with all other Catholike churches throughout the whole world And wheras M. Abbot would haue his credulous reader suppose that S. Austin made no more reckoning of the church of Rome then hee did of any others That is flat contrary to that which S. Austin setteth downe in the very same place who to prevent that Cavill doth enterlace this Parenthesis in the honour of the church of Rome where alwaies florished the primacie of the Apostolicall chaire And in his Epistle 165. being to giue an instāce of the perpetuall successiō of pastors in the church maketh choice of the church of Rome as of the better assured and more safe and sound there doth intimate that the Bishops of Rome though they might liue amisse yet should never faile to instruct aright all that seeke vnto them for resolutions of their doubts in matter of faith wherfore M. Abbot if hee will giue credit vnto that most holy and learned Doctor whom aswell protestants as wee do esteeme for one of the soundest recorders of antiquity hee must needs yeeld vnto the church of Rome both that it is the principall of all the rest and that it shall for ever continue the most assured Oracle of the holy Catholike faith which if hee refuse to do hee leaueth apparent proofe vnto all the world that hee had rather with the Donatists raile at her and revile her then with S. Augustine and other holy prelats extoll and magnify the primacy of that Apostolicall chaire and defend the ever durable succession of her pastors as wel in truth of doctrine as in order of persons of which I haue more largly spoken in the 2. Section of the first chapter n. 29. VVHETHER EVERY CHRISTIAN MAIE BEE Saued in his owne religion albeit therein bee some errors in matter of faith BECAVSE M. Abbot in the precedent chapter granteth that the Roman church and the church of our forefathers in England were true members of the Catholike church and consequently in the state of Salvation albeit hee esteemeth them infected with sundrie grosse Errors And for that I otherwise know that verie many remarkable persons in our countrie do greatlie desire to heare this question more exactly discussed I thought it more convenient to let the ensuing chapters of M. Abbors trifling booke to rest for a season and presently to fall in hand with this matter which is no lesse longed after then it is necessarie to bee knowen For the more particular explication of this weightie difficulty whether everie one maie bee saued in his owne religion or no I leaving a full treatise therof vnto them that haue better leisure thinke good to touch these three points I. First whether hee that beleeueth aright in the one living and eternall God and liueth honestly may bee saued without expresse beliefe in Iesus Christ our Saviour II. Secondly whether beleeving aright both in God almightie Creator of heaven and earth and in Iesus Christ our redeemer with all other fundamentall points of the Christian religion hee may bee saued that doth therewith beleeve amisse in some other articles of the Christian faith III. Thirdly I will adde a word or two about the publike profession of the same Christian faith because besides an honest life and a true belief that also is necessary to salvation I tooke it not amisse to handle briefly the first point although there bee few Christians that make any doubt of it because I my self haue heard some good soules verie vertuously given but not sufficiently instructed to bee of opinion that it made no great matter what religion they professed so they feared God and led an honest life amōg their neighbors Their opinion seemed to issue out of Good nature and a great loue of honest life and vpright dealing which they saw to bee wonderfully decaied and almost perished in our miserable coūtrie The best reason that I can frame in favour of their error is this Almightie God is most mercifull full of goodnes and compassion towards all his owne creatures hee knowes our inbred ignorance and weaknes and therfore is not likely to bee highly offended against them that do their endevour to serue him accordīg to their knowledge and capacitie how slender soeuer it be Now manie there bee in the wide world brought vp among Turkes infidells that never heard of or at the least never had sufficiently declared vnto them that Iesus Christ is the Saviour of the world wherfore it seemes that such may bee saued without faith in him And among vs Christians some bee so dull of capacitie and blockish or haue been so extreame ignorantly or evilly brought vp that they haue not been well taught to beleeve in the Saviour of the world Christ Iesus may not their grosse ignorance beg their pardon att our most mercifull Lord his hands Besides S. Paul declaring what is necessarie for him to beleeve that will approach vnto God seemeth to require but two things The one that hee beleeue that God is the other that hee is a rewarder of all them that seeke vnto him Hebr. 11.6 Hee that cometh to God must beleeve that hee is and is a rewarder to them that seeke him But wee maie well beleeue that God is to wit a spirit of infinite goodnes wisdome power the Creator conserver and soveraigne ruler of heaven and earth and of all things in them also that as hee hath created all things of his inestimable goodnes and preserveth and governeth all with incomprehensible wisdome and equitie So hee will in the end as high Iudge of the quicke the dead call all reasonable creatures to an account of their dutifull behauiour towards their so good and high maker preserver ruler and out of his immense bountie most aboundantlie reward all them that haue in this life sought vnto him and diligentlie serued him And on thother side severely punish them that haue neglected their dutie towards him and transgressed his holie commaundements All this I say and much mor◠one maie beleeue without the knowledg of Christ therfore it seemes possible that some men maie obtaine saluation
increase both the wealth and strength of our kingdome is to receiue or admitt of the Roman religion which spayne France and Flanders the richest and noblest regions adioyning next to vs do follow and vphold The ministers rare deuotions vnto the Almighty for the preseruation of the noble Princes life and encrease of honours were vayne and friuolous yea God send they were not hurt full and ominous for of such like the holie Ghost faith Prouer. 28.9 Oratio eius erit execrabilis their praier shal be accursed God comonly punishing them whom Satans seruants praie for and manie times cursing them whom they do blesse And what maruell if wee consider but the strange disposition of his Charitie shall I say or rather of his furie that would haue his Prince bath his sword in the bloud of innocēts and to sheath it in the Bowells not of some hundreds or thousands of such as neuer offended him but of innumerable hundreds of thousands of what sort nation or coūtrie soeuer so they be fauorers and supporters of the Roman religion was it any marvell I saie that the father of mercies and God of all comfort was highlie displeased at the pittiles petition of this bloudy Minister or rather monster From his deuotious and charity sutable to his profession let vs passe vnto his hope expressed in this passage his hope was that Prince Henries highnes should haue a chief part in the suppressing of this Roman religion Maie he not now as once he told mee crie out with the no-vaine poet O spes fallaces o false and deceitfull hopes o vaine confidence in earthly creatures be they neuer so noble and powerfull good reason hath he to do so seing he would not harken vnto the diuine prophet when he said Psalm 145. v. 2. Nolite confidere in principibus in filijs hominum in quibus non est salus Doe not put your trust in princes nor in anie sonnes of mortall men in whom there is no helpe principally for the atchieuing of any such vngodly merciles exployte I come now to the new article of M. Abbots belief that the vtter ruine forfooth of the Roman religion is not far of of which peraduenture he may bee as well assured as euerie protestant is of his owne saluation But bicause this seemeth to be rather a kind of prophecy then anie article of faith why maie not M. Abbot who is not yet knowne to be either a prophet or the sōne of a prophet as wel faile in this his beliefe as he was deceined in his hope And it being the diuination but of a blear eied if not of a blind prophet proceding rather out of his owne lōging then of anie foresight he hath of future euents no man I trow is bound to beleeue him vnles he list Some likelihoods there bee I grant in worldly mens opinions that the Catholike religion may be rooted out of England but when we lift vp our harts to heauen and weigh well the true qualities and nature of Christian religion we see noe euident cause to feare any such imminent daunger nay wee discouer rather motiues to perswade vs to the contrarie to witt that our redemption and the restauration of Catholike religion in our country is neere at hand Not to answer M. Abbot who hath brought no one reason for his surmise but for the consolation of manie heauily distressed and most pitifully afflicted Catholikes my most deare and best beloued countrimen I will briefly examine the causes that may moue worldlings to imagin their fathers old faith to be now in great hazard of vtter ruin and destruction that I may withall shew some reasonable grounds of hope for the speedie reparation therof The first principall cause of the decay of the Catholike faith in our coūtrie earthlie mē esteeme to bee the impouerishing of all them that constantly professe and maintaine the same for seing all Catholikes whom they call Recusants to bee fleeced and spoiled of all their goodes and to haue nothing left for themselues their wiues and their children to liue vpon they presentlie iudge that they cannot long hold out And all men of meanes being once impouerished neither priests who by doctrine administration of Sacraments and good exāple of life are great proppes and staies of religion can be harboured and interteined nor poore prisoners succoured and relieued and cōsequently all Catholikes in short space must needs be vtterlie extinguished Behold the presumptuous discourse of dust and ashes who being not able to raise their thoughts aboue the flatt of the earth or ouer the heades of their cattle doe seldome meditate vpon those words of our blessed Sauiour pauperes Euangelizantur the Ghospell is preached to the poore poore men do more readilie embrace the glad tidings of the ghospell then the rich or vpon that golden sentence of the chosen vessell of his grace videte vocationem vestram fratres 1. Cor. 1. v. 26. c. see your vocation brethren that not many wise according to the flesh not manie mightie not many noble but the foolish things of the world hath God chosen that he may confound the wise and the weake things of the world hath God chosen that hee may cōfound the strong and the base thinges of the world and contemptible hath God chosen and those things which are not that he may destroy those tings that are that no flesh may glory in his sight Being then assured by the truth it self that poore base contemptible creatures in the eie of the world be such as Christ maketh speciall choise of to receiue imbrace and preach his word How can it be probable to amy christian that the stripping men out of their goods is an assured waie to make them to flie from their faith If poore fishermen and others that voluntariely forsooke all they had were esteemed by Christ Iesus the grand master of that heauenly worke the fittest men to make pillers and chiefe members of his holie faith and religion how grosly are they deceiued in the estate and manageing of heauenlie affaires who do dreame that to make all Catholikes poore is to extirpate the Catholike religion when as it is in deed a readie way to make most absolute perfect christians discharged of all earthly clogges more nimble proper and at better leasure to employ themplues wholy and hartily in that spirituall busines And therby also indearing themselues vnto Almightie God for whose quarrell they haue lost all do become more capable and worthie of his greater giftes and blessings who can tell whither our forefathers did not through abundance and superfluitie of temporall wealth forget their dutie to God and by the sinnes that followed thervpon made way to that dissolution of religion which after ensued in our miserable countrie for so it hapned often in Israëll as Moises foretold my beloued waxed grosse and Kicked Deut. 32. v. 15. hee was grosse and exceeding fatt hee forsooke God his Creator and turned away from
with milke and hony Like wise did his diuine wisdome permitt the cruell and bloudy Emperours Diocletian and Maximiniā to doe all the mischiefe that the malice of man could devise to make hauock of all Christians and a finall extermination of all monuments of Christian religion neuertheles when they had powred out the extremitie of their outragious malice they died most miserablie and the great Constantine our most glorious countriman that succeeded them did very shortlie after triumphantly set vp the Christian religion vnto the vnspeakable comfort of all Christians wherfore albeit to the eie of man there do not appeare anie present redresse of our miseries yet reposing our trust in the might mercies and promises of God let vs confidently saie with S. Peter 1. Pet. 3.9 Our Lord slacketh not his promise as some do esteeme it but he doth patiently for you not willing that any perish but that all returne to penance It maie be very well that he hath stayd the longer partlie to scoure our the rust of our former fautes partly that the number of those glorious Martirs and confessors wherwith he will haue our realme fenced adorned maie be accomplished or that the conversiō of many that wēt astraie might be wrought by beholding the constant suffering of his seruants finally that the full measure of the impenitent maie be made vp The soveraigne lord of heauen and earth having vpon these or the like considerations knowen only to his vnsearchable wisdome made staie of our deliuerāce vntill this present must not therfore be thought to haue cast vs of for euer and to haue wholie forgotten his mercies but we must with longanimitie attend his good pleasure and leasure and in any case not leese our confidēce in him which he doth not onlie expect at our handes but doth also so much respect it that for it alone he promiseth deliuerance Psal 90. Quoniam in mesperauit liberabo eum protegam eum quia cognouit nomen meum I will deliuer him bicause he put his trust in mee I will protect and defend him bycause he knew my name that is my might my mercie my loue to all that call vpon mee and put their trust in mee Againe Our Lord will helpe them and deliuer them Psal 36. and saue them Quia sperauerunt in eo euen for that they trusted in him The house of Israël trusted in our lord and he was their helper and protector the howse of Aaron trusted in our lord and he was their helper and protector they that feare our lord let themtrust in our lord Psal 113. for he wil be their helper and protector Call vpon me in the daie of tribulation and I will deliuer thee Psal 49. and thou shalt honor mee behold God takes it for honour done vnto him to call vpon him in our distresse and to be so well perswaded of his honorable care ouerall his people that he will not let them perish vnder his handes These being words of comfort vttred by the spirit of God and recorded in his holy word would it not grieue anie Christian heart to heare some other wise good soules to say oh I shall never see any amendement things will neuer goe better while I liue Now poore spirited people why doe you to your owne griefe and others discomfort take vpon you to determine that which you are altogether ignorant of who made you priuie to Gods counsells what can you tell how long you shall liue your selues or what shall happen in your daies you may verie well saie that we haue not deserued anie such great grace at Gods hands nay rather that we are most vnworthy of it wherfore if God deale with vs after our deserts we shall never see that happie day but do not take vpon you to sett bonds to Gods infinite mercies the highest pointe wherof is to surpasse infinitly and to prevent all merit of man and to goe far beyond all humane expectation It troubleth me not to heare our persecutors saie of vs Psal 70.11 God hath forsaken them come let vs persecute and apprehend them for there is no bodie to deliuer them or to crie out with the children of Edom against Ierusalem rase it rase it euen vnto the foundation therof Psal 1 6.7 for they doe but shew blind Zeale and ouer great confidence in their bad cause But to see Gods seruants not to be as couragious in his quarrell and as hopefull in his helpe succour is a great sorrow to my heart which pusillanimity of ours springeth from no other roote then from want of deepe and often meditation of our blessed lords soueraigne power goodnes and mercy and for want of due consideration that it is onlie the true honor of God and the restitution of his holy religion which we so vehemently thirst after and earnestly desire to see once againe florishing in our countrie which wee doing our parts God will no doubt for his owne glories sake in time performe To those puling and deiected spirits let me be bold to speake in these words of the Apostle Heb. 10.35 Doe not therfore cast awaie your confidence which hath a great recompence of reward for patience is necessarie for you that doing the will of God you may receiue the promise for yet a litle and a verie litle he that is to come will come and will not slack or tarie and my iust liueth by faith And if any man draw back he shall not please my soule But we are not childrē of withdrawing to perdition but of them that beleeue to the sauing of the soule which words of the Apostle are taken out of the like of the prophet Abacuc who saith If he make delaie waite for him for coming he will come that is he will not faile but surelie come and will not staie long Abac. 2.3 behold he that will not beleeue this his soule is not right but the iust man shall liue in his faith Out of both which the prophets and Apostles words I gather a necessitie imposed vpon all right and good soules if not to belieue assuredlie yet to liue in great hope and confidence of speedie succour frō God for their deliuerie otherwise they not onlie want that speciall vertue of hope but also are in daunger according to the foraleaged testimonie of the holy Ghost of drawing back and falling awaie from the state of saluation to their owne everlasting perdition After these plaine testimonies taken out of the word of God I hope the good Catholike Reader will giue me leaue to imploy one probable coniecture taken out of the prudent obseruation of some vertuous iudgements It cannot be denied that priests and religious persons bee vnder God the chiefe planters and waterers of the Catholike Roman religion for they by preaching teaching administring of Sacraments and trayning vp of others in vertue and by their good example do settle vphold and confirme all the rest in matter of faith and religion
It is long sithence it pleased God of his great goodnes to grant vs in forren nations some colledges and seminaries to breed and bring vp vertuous learned priestes And within these few yeeres since the persecution at home waxed hotter diuers houses both for religious men and womeÌ„ haue bin erected for our countrimen abroad and manie worthie persons inspired by God haue retired themselues into the same Behold then the foundation laid by the prouidence and mercie of God for the erecting and building vp of Christs Catholike church amongest vs againe Now I am well assured that no man dare saie that God is to be likened to that foolish builder repreheÌ„ded in the Gospell who having laid the foundation of a tower could not bring it to perfectioÌ„ and was therfore worthily mocked of the beholders saying Luc. 14. hic homo coepit aedificare non potuit consummare this man began ro build but could not bring his worke to an end Our saviour then having alreadie as we be verily perswaded planted the foundation of that most holie Edifice he will not faile in short time to bring it to perfection Manie goodlie great stones and faire tall timber trees with other necessary furniture to build vp the walles of Ierusalem are already prepared now to rough hew square and smooth them persecution is permitted And much blood of Martirs hath bin plentifully powred out to temper the lyme and sand that must vnite and ioyne fast togither all the parts of that spirituall building It may bee that some principall peeces or workmen do yet want whom when it shall please the great maister of the worke to convert assemble with ther est what let will there bee euen in maÌ„s iudgement for the accomplishement of this heauenlie worke wherfore with comfortable confidence let vs ride out the storme and with patient longanimitie persever faith full vnto the end with earnest devoute praiers craving the aide of our most mercifull father in heaven with humble obedient behauior towards our prince and his Magistrates seeke to asswage their wrath kindled as we knowe without cause so vehementlie against vs in earth then shall we both fulfill towards others and finallie by the grace of God shall see fulfilled towards vs that which the famous ancient Doctor Origen hath recorded of the best Christians in the primitiue Church in these memorable words with which I will conclude this Chapter Orig l 2. contracâ—â— summ responsione ad 2. Cal. Christians taught not to fight against their persecutors haue by obseruing dulie the mild temperate law of their sounder Christ Iesus more preuailed then if they had receiued commission from him to haue waged warr against their enimies God almightie defending them and fighting for them and at seasonable times restrayning the persecutors of the Christian name Some noble champions of his hee suffered for their greater approbation and glorie to bee put to death that the beholders of their constant valour and sweet mildnes in that bloodie agonie might therby bee the sooner induced to embrace their religion yet God so mitigated the matter that he permitted not all that holie kind of people to be cut downe for his diuine purpose was that they should grow and that all nations should bee replenished with their godlie and saving doctrine And sometimes he gaue calmes that the weaker sort and wearied might haue respite to breath to repaire their losses and to gather new forces vntill at length it pleased his diuine Maiestie of his infinite mercie and compassion towards his faithfull seruants so to defeate all their aduersaries plotts and deuises against them that neither the king nor the presidents and Iudges nor anie other Magistrates no not the common people could bee exasperated and stirred vp to persecute them anie longer which wonderfull grace the omnipotent that hath set boundes vnto the billoes of the roaring seas saying hitherto ye shall passe but go no further out of his most tender mercies grant vnto his much afflicted yet very faithfull servants in our poore countrie Amen AN ANSVVERE TO M. ABBOTS PREface to the Reader MR Abbot to make his reader vnderstand the manner of his proceding in this booke of his relateth what he had done before in this manner First saith hee I haue challenged the name Catholike from the popish vse and proued that the papists could no more take that title to them but by meere vsurpation Afterward I entred into a comparison consisting of three partes wherof the first was to declare that neither S. Pauls nor S. Peters Epistles conteine anie defence of the doctrine now taught at Rome the second that sundrie definitions of the ancient Roman faith were wholie agreeable to that which the protestants teach and is impugned by the church of Rome that now is the third and last was to proue that sundrie heresies condemned of old by the Roman church be now defended by the same church of Rome which pointes being as euerie man seeth all and euerie one of marvellous great moment yet M. Abbot doth here confesse and acknowledge that in his answere vnto my Epistle to his Maiestie he handled them onelie positiuelie that is to saie brieflie and superficiallie the occasion then as here he saies requiring no more purposing afterwards when oportunitie should serue a longer treatise therof in the meane time saith hee Doctor Bishop published a reproofe of my defence of the reformed Catholike setting vnder this title a Gorgons head to affright all men concerning mee as having abused Gods sacredword mangled misapplied and falsified the ancient fathers sentences so that whosoeuer hath anie care of his owne salvation can never hereafter credit mee in matter of faith religion Concerning which hideous out-cry of my falsifications I refer thee to the aduertisment which I haue added to the third part of that defence where I haue scourged him accordingly this is the effect of M. Abbots entrie into this his worke W. B. THIS being but a preparatioÌ„ to make waie to that which followeth I neede not stand long vpon it that vaine and vntrue vant of his that the hath woone the name and title of Catholike from vs I passe ouer here as a vanitie because it is elswhere to be handled more at large but I maie not omit to put the Reader in mind how contrarie M. Abbot is to himself in his owne iudgment about his owne worke here he saith as you haue heard that he did sett downe in his answere to my Epistle those three branches of comparison betweene the ancient and moderne church of Rome onlie positiuely yeelding also the reason bicause the occasion then required no more yet whosoeuer pleaseth to reade his preface of the same a defense of the reformed Catholike worke to the reader shall find him there to speake in an other keie I haue saith hee there had care to giue the reader satisfaction in the questions heere discussed of which these comparisons were a great part
sed etiam discipulo suo buius vocabuli gratiam non negauit dicens illi super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam portae inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam S. Augustin Peter did confessâ— Christ to bee the sonne of God and in that confession was called a rocke vpon the which Christ was to build his church Paulinus Christ is the rock and yet he denied not the grace of this name to his disciple peter saying to him vpoÌ„ this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Petrus Chrisologus Peter is the keeper of the faith Petrus Chrysolog serm 107. Petrus est custos fidei petra ecclesiae â—anitorque coelorum Leo hom de transfigurat Tantum in hac fidei sublimitate comâ—laâ—rit vt beatitudinis faelicitate donatus saâ—rae â—nviolabilis Petrae acciperet firmitatem supra quam fundata Ecclesia portis inferi â—â—ortis legibus praâ— aleret the rock of the church the porter of the heauens Leo the great Peter did so much please â—n the sublimity of this faith that hee being rewarded with the felicitie of blessednes receiued the holie â—ouÌ„dnes of an inuiolable rocke vpon which the church being founded doth preuaile against hell the lawes of death Gregor lib 6. regiâ— epist 37. Quis enim nescit sanctam ecclesâ—am â—n Apostolorum principu solidâ—tate firmatam qui firmitatem mentu traxit in nomine vt Petrus à â—â—tra 〈◊〉 â—retur Gregory the great who knoweth not the holy church to be setled in the soundnes of the prince of the Apostles because hee in his name hath drawen firmeness of mynd that of a roâ—ke was named Peter S. Isidore Simon Peter the sonne of Iohn Isidor de vita sanctorum cap. 69. Simon Petrus filius Ioannis frater Andreae Apostolorum princeps est pastor humani gregu petra ecclesiae Clavicularius regni c. Idem de officijs eccles lib. 2. cap. 5. In novo testamento post Christum sacerdotalis ordo à Petro Apostolo caepit ipsi enim primus pontificatus datus est in ecclesia Christi Sic enim loquitur ad eum dominus Tu es Petrus super hanc petram adificabo ecclesiam meam c. Prosper de vocatione gentium l. 2. cap. 28. Quis ergo ambigat quis ignorat hanc fortissimam petram Petrum qui ab illa principali petra communionem virtutis sumpsit nominis hoc desiderium habuisse c. the brother of Andrew is priÌ„ce of the Apostles pastor of the flocke of meÌ„ the rocke of the church Againe in the newe testament priestly order after Christ began of S. Peter for to him was giuen the chiefest byshoprick in the church of Christ for thus doth our lord speak vnto him Thou art Peter and vpon this rock I will build my church Prosper who can doubt that this most valiant rocke Peter who received of that principall rocke Christ participation both of name and vertue had alwaies a burning desire to die constantly for Christ Maximus this is Peter Maximus sermone 51. de Petro Paulo Hic est Petrus cui dominus communionem sui nominis libenter indulsit vt enim sicut Apostolus Paulus edocuit Petra erat Christus ita per Christum Petrus factus est petra dicente ei domino tu es Petrus supra hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam to whom our lord fauorably gaue the felowship of his own name for as the Apostle S. Paul teacheth Christ was the rock euen so by Christ Peter was made the rock our lord saying vnto him thou art Peter and vpon this rock will I build my church Lower I will not descend for these Latin fathers doe suffice to certifie any reasonable reader that this was the common opinion of the most approved writers in the west church which being linkt vnto the other dozen of most renowmed Grecians all famous Authors and for the greater part the most godly and best learned prelates of most Christian nations of the world These I say such excellent qualified personages the masters and mirrours of Christian Religion with one consent agreeing that our Saviour Christ Iesus did coÌ„municate his owne name of Rocke vnto S. Peter and vpon him as vpon a most sound rocke built his church by which as they vnderstood it he gave vnto him the Charge over the whole church to governe and rule it as chief pastor therof to containe and vphold the whole frame of that heavenly building and holy howse of God next vnto Christ the principall foundation and head cornerstone All this and much more they whom both Catholikes and Protestants hold for the best learned and most worthy prelates of Christes church teaching so plainly what Christian hart that hath anie sparke of godlines or any care of embracing the trueth when it is shewed him had not rather believe and follow their Iudgment therin then the new opinions of late writers partially pleading for their owne fancies specially if they please to consider what weake reasons they alleage to delude that comon exposition of the ancient faâ—hers Amonge which these as principall M. Abbot hath heere made choice of The first is that Christ is the rocke vpon which hee built his church vpon this that thou hast confessed saith saint Austin and acknowledged that is vpon my self I will build my church I Answer out of the fathers before rehearsed that both be true Christ is the rock and yet he gaue the same name and title to S. Peter as both S Hierome Paulinus Prosper and Maximus abouecited do testify with whom a Ambrosi l. 6. in Lucam cap. 9. Tertul. l. 4. Co. Marcio c. 13. Christus chariss discipulo nomen communicauit suum S. Ambrose doth agree affirming our Saviour to haue communicated most of his titles to his disciples b S. Basil homil 29. ex varijs ad populum de poenitentia Licet Petrus sit petra non tamen sicut Christus nam Christus vere est immobilis petra Petrus vero propter petram axiomata namque sua Iesus largitur alijs non evacuatus sed nihilominus habens luâ—e est vos estis lux mundi inquit Sacerdos est facit Sacerdotes petra est petram facit qua sua sunt largitur seruis suis argumentum hoc est opulenti and in particuler to S. Peter that of a Rock and so doth Tertullian to whom S. Basil addeth Christ is the rock and Peter is the rock Christ an vnmoveable rocke of himself But Peter through Christ Christ saith this great doctour imparts his dignities vnto others without depriving himself of them hee is the light of the world yet saies to his Apostles yee are the light of the world hee is the priest and hee maketh priests hee is the rocke and hee maketh a rocke with whom accordeth S. Leo saying I am saith our Saviour a rocke S. Leo 3.
A DISPROOFE OF D. ABBOTS COVNTERPROOFE AGAINST D. BISHOPS REPROOFE of the defence of M. Perkins reformed Catholike THE FIRST PART wherin the now Roman church is maintained to be the true ancient Catholike church and is cleered from the vniust imputation of Donatisme where is also briefly handled whether euery Christian can be saued in his owne religion BY W. B. P. AND D. IN DIVINITY Ex Augustino con epist Pelag. lib. 1. cap. 1. Cum non desinant fremere ad dominici gregis caulas atque ad diripiendas tanto pretio redemptas oues aditum vndique rimari commune nobis est c. pestilentibus infidiantibus eorum scriptis medentia munientia scripta praetendere quibus rabies qua furunt aut etiam ipsa sanetur aut à laedendis alijs repellatur AT PARIS Printed by CLAVDI MORELL M.DC.XIV CVM huius libri Auctor nobis infra scriptis de fide eruditione sit probe cognitus alijque S. Theologiae linguae Anglicanae periti contestati sint nihil in eo contineri quod non sit Catholicae fidei pietati consentaneum ex ipsorum fidecensemus eundem vtiliter excudi publicari posse MICHAEL AVBRY NICOLAVS ISEMBERT Doctores Sorbonici Idem ex propria scientia Testor ANTHONIVS CHAMPNEVS Doctor item Sorbonicus To fill vp this spare roome I set this sentence of S. Austins against the Donatist Petilian that it may be added vnto the resemblances between the Donatists and the Protestants touched in this booke page 364. l. 3. c. 40 co lit pet Then he went on with a slaunderous tongue in the dispraise of Monasteries and Monkes blaming me also that I had instituted that kind of life Of which manner of life either he is vtterlie ignorant or rather he faynes himself ignorant of that which is famouslie knowen all the world ouer Obserue that it is a Donatisticall trick to inveigh against religious houses and religious persons by the Protestants reuiued and much augmented ILLVSTRISSIMO ET REVERENDISSIMO S. R. E. CARDINALI D. D. Francisco de Ioyeuse Episcopo Ostiensi Sacri Cardinalium Collegij Decano Guilielmus Bishop Anglus aeternam foelicitatem CVM amplissimo ac nobilissimo Clero Gallicano nos plurimum debere agnoscamus ingenue perlibenter praedicemus quod nos Anglos patria quidem religionis Catholicae ergò pulsos eiusdem defendendae causa I arisus collectos annua sua pensione subleuare atque cohonestare vóluerint tum vestram certe illustriss dignitatem quae summum inter illos locum merito iure obtinet singulari quadam beneuolentia complecti eximio etiam honore prosequi quam aequissimum esse censent omnes Hinc factum est vt interim dum opus Latinè elaboratum paremus quod omnibus quoquo modo possit inseruire libellum hunc Anglicana lingua conscriptum Celsitudini vestrae dedicarem quo appareret nos tempus non conterere otio sed aliquid in singulos dies meditari quod publicum Catholicae Ecclesiae bonum promoueat Si vero initium a charissima nobis patria ducamus quo parentibus simul prodesse poterimus nemo aequus rerum aestimator vti speramus id aegrè feret nec vulgarem certescio Galliae vestrae afferret vel voluptate veletiam commoditatem si Anglia nostra ad Catholicam religionem dei praepotentis gratia reduceretur Praeterea praecipuus huius libelli scopus hic est summi Pontificis Sacrosanctae Romanae Ecclesiae integritatem dignitatem auctoritatem a maleuolis aduersariorum calumnijs obtrectationibus non tueri modo conseruare sed eandem etiam nonnullis è sacris literis sanctorum patrum monumentis petitis argumentis illustrare atque propugnare cui igitur potius opuscalum hoc inscribendum fuit quam eiusdem S. R. E. lumini splendissimo firmissimoque columini qui Illustrissimum esse Cardinalem quae in ecclesia clarissima est dignitas pro paruo ducere possit cum celeberrimi sanctissimi totius orbis terrarum supremi illius Senatus primum etiam locum obtineat Decanus dignissimus Nec Christianissimi tantum ac amplissimi Galliarum regni in Romana curia Protector iamdiu extitit potentissimus sed in summi◠Apostolicae sedis cum florentiss Venetorum statu difficultatibus mediator adfuit summus veluti moderator gratiosissimus Adeo vt Catholici omnes non minus fere Illustrissimae D. vestrae debeant quod ingruens illud bellum Reipub Christianae periculosissimum sapienter auerterit quam quod ad obtinendum totius Ecclesiae Primatum Sanctissimum Dominum nostrum Paulum Papam quintum primo illo honoris gradu vtique dignissimum praecipuè adiuuerit Si igitur aliquid summi Pontificis principatu dignum mea quam exilis industria elaborare possit quod sentio quam sit exiguum digniorem cui illud dicaretur D. vestra Illustrissima reperirem neminem Huc accedit quod Diaecesi Rhotomagensi nobis proximae sacrosanctus praesis Archiepiscopus in altissimo illo munere administrando tam multa adeo praeclarè gesseris vt nostros oculos animos ad Illustrissimam D. vestram suspiciendam colendamque attraxerint Egregiā vestram in templa aliaque pia loca opera magnificentiam tacitus praeteribo quia ad maiora quae disciplinam Ecclesiasticam propius spectant festino Salutem populi ex sacerdotum honestate scientia industria dependere plurimum nemo est qui nescit Quam ob causam semmarium vestris fundastis sumptibus in quo melioris notae ac indolis iuuenes ad diuinarum rerum cognitionem morum probitatem recte instituantur vt boni effecti pastores commissum sibi gregem in via mandatorum dei ad gloriosissimū caelorum regnum faeliciter perducant Insuper cum venerabiles ac pios congregationis Oratorij patres spiritu imprimis feruere oratione pollere animaduerteritis domicilium illis perquà m commodum in Diaecesi vestra collocastis quo doctrinae lumine vitae exemplo tam eos qui in virtutum stadio decurrunt vt vehementius currant incitarent quam vt illos qui haereticorum retibus irretiti de via veritatis aberrant ad Catholicae Ecclesiae caulas suis humeris reportarent Nec his solum qui in communi vitae genere deo deseruiunt consuluisse singulari vestrae charitati satis fuit nisi monasterium etiam dotaret in quod sanctissimae virgines quae crucem Christi mundi delitijs anteponentes sese è mari hoc procelloso quasi in tranquillum portum reciperent vt liberiùs pleniùs sponso suo caelesti vacare pro huius miserrimi saeculi peccatis ardentiùs interpellare possent Cum his qui in saeculo illis quae in Claustro sanctè viuere studēt a prudente vestra pietate adeo affluenter prouisum sit an hic tandem fuit vigilantissimae vestrae curae pastoralis finis Minime vero
his sauiour And may it not well be the iust iudgemēt of the same Almightie Lord to punish vs theire Children whom God often visiteth for their fathers faultes in the same kind according to that rule of the law in quo quis peccat in eo puniatur Let them be punished in the same kind that they did offend why should wee not then be content to redeeme our religion with penury which our Ancestors morgaged through their ouergreat superfluitie yea although that were not soe let vs imitate that wise and well aduised marchant cōmended in the Gospell who hauing found out the pretious pearle of the true Christian faith and religion went and sould all that he had and bought it I dare be bold bicause I haue the warrant of Gods word for it to assure all them that so doe that they therby make the richest purchase that can be made vpon the earth vnto which if the best bargaines that wordlings make be compared they are but shadowes and meere dreames If there were a statelie gallāt faire rich Lordshyp to be sold at two or three yeeres purchase what presse would there be of buyers how willing would the veriest pinchpennies in a conutry be to bestow their monie ther vpon and what is this earthly bargaine if it be paralleld to that heauenly of which our sauiour speaketh in the ghospell Matt. 19 v. 29. he that forsaketh father or anie other frind he that leaueth land or liuing or any other comoditie for my names sake he shall receiue not one for one but a hundreth for one and to boote in the world to come life euerlasting And they that doubt least in the meane season they shall want necessarie sustenance they must needes confesse themselues censured by our Saviour to be modicae fidei Matth. 6. v. 30. men of small faith that do not trust confidentlie in the prouidence of our heauenlie father who feedeth the foules of the ayre and clotheth the grasse of the field of which he hath not so much care as of vs Christians if they be worthie the name of Christians that dare not relie vpon Christes infallible promise quaerite regnum Dei Iustitiam eius Matth. 6. v. 33. haec omnia adijcientur vobis Let them that faine would yet with much adoe can ouercome this temptation of pouertie ponder these few points often and aduisedlie and praie to God to strengthen their weaknes then no doubt but they shall be able to prefer pouertie with Christ before the riches of this world with the losse of Christ and of their soules I that do but handle this matter by the waie may not dwell long in it but will make it vp with these memorable and comfortable wordes of the Apostle Heb. 13. v. 5. Let your manners he without auarice contented with things present for he that is the soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth said I will not leaue thee neither will I forsake thee so that we doe confidentlie saie Our Lord is my helper and I will not feare what man can doe to me To our purpose then M. Abbot how wise an Auguret soeuer he would seeme to bee cannot by the impouerishing of Catholikes diuine that the vtterruin of their religion as at hand when as by blessed pouertie patientlie endured for Christs sake it is much more like that the same holie religion shal be the sooner restored 1. Nor imprisonement Moreouer they cannot be assured to make an end of the said religion by imprisoning the constant professors therof If to be locked vp in prison were to be secluded from Gods help as they are debarred of their wordlie frinds companie or to be depriued of our heauenly fathers fauour as it is of some earthlie mens countenance then ther were no doubt but that poore weake mortall men would quickly wax wearie of their Imprisonment but if to be a ptisoner for that holie cause of the Catholike religion be rather a retreit from the conuersation of worldlings and a recalling of our minds from all terrestriall cares to be more neat pure and at better leisure to receiue and intertayne coelestiall inspirations then surely to him that knoweth to make the true vse of that inclosure imprisonment will seeme as a promotion in the fauour of God so an augmentation in the feruor of his religion Are we not by prison wayned from many vanities and follies yea preserued from diuers dangerous temptations which others liuing at their libertie and pleasure abroad do often fall into And how manie thousands of deuout soules haue of their owne free choice most willinglie forsaken all the world and shut themselues vp within religious Cloisters to be freed from the ordinary perils of wordly conuersation and to liue a more retired and religious life why then should not Christs prisoners make a vertue of necessitie and seing that now by Gods pleasure they are drawne from their owne houses and houshold affaires where they were perhaps to much busied about horses sheepe hawkes hounds or other like base or idle creatures let them hardely imploy their studie to make a good generall confession therby to enter assuredlie in to the fast fauor of the almightie let them studie to answere well according to that measure of vnderstanding and learning that God hath giuen them in the cause of religion for which they suffer Let them spend the most of their time in praier and other workes of Christian deuotion and pietie and then no doubt their imprisonment will not seeme tedious vnto them but must needes be verie comfortable fruitfull bicause therby they purge their soules from sinne make satisfaction for their faultes past breake of manie euill customes lay a good foundation for the time to come purchase the fauour of God and draw his manifold heauenly blessings vpon themselues their family and friends finally they shall serue for burning lampes to the world abroad and for good example to their neighbors and acquaintance at home for albeit their bodies be confined within a small compasse yet the fame of their constancy and vertuous retired life will flie abroad far and neare and carrie with it a verie sweet fragrant sauour vnto others animating them to suffer more willinglie and constantly what they see their honorable frinds or honest neighbours to haue well passed through before them Neither ought anie man to feare ouer much the laying vp in darke loathsome holes or deep dungeons 3. Not dungeous for if it please our heauenly father to suffer that rigor to be exercised vpon vs he will giue vs courage and strength enough to abide it The chast patriarch Ioseph was cast into a dongeon and it is recorded to our comfort Sapient 10.14 that the wisedome of God descended downe with him and did not forsake him in his fetters Daniel 6 22 That great Prophet Daniel was cast into a denne of lions And his God was with him there shutting vp the mouthes of those
if thou please to saue vs. yea the stronger the more emineÌ„t subtle and vehement Gods enimies be to oppose against his seruaÌ„ts the sooner are they ouerthrowen for he delights sometimes to giue his aduersaries all the aduantages they can require that they maie be many against few mightie and rich against weake and poore wise and politike against simple and plaine men to the end that a few weake simple and poore people vnder his conduct ouercoming manie strong wealthy wittie aduersaries all the glorie may redound to God alone and others vnderstanding therby who be the true people of God may wholie and hartelie ioyne with them in his seruice here to preveÌ„t the cauills of the malitious I would haue it obserued that we Catholikes do not put our trust in any forreine invasious or domesticall garboiles but in the meere mercies and might of the soveraigne Lord of heauen Earth who as we hope will for our blessed saviours sake at the intercession of the most holie mother of God whose dowry England hath bin and is esteemed and of all the blessed Saints turne the hearts of our persecutors and effectuallie move even them who now are most greedie to spoile Catholikes of their goods to bestow their owne towards the restoring of the Catholike Religion And they that are now so hastie to cast Catholikes into prison and to seeke their deathes shal be so zealous and forward for the setting vp of the same that they will therfore most willinglie lose their owne libertie and liues And albeit this may seeme strange vnto the dull and darke vnderstanding of worldlinges yet the faithfull must needes confesse that he whose words laid the blustring winds and calmed in an instant the raging waues of the sea can no question as easily and as speedily turne the harts of our persecutors and make them in a moment our honorable frinds yea make them as freely and largely to spend their owne riches in favour and defence of the Catholike cause as now they do couetously hunt after the spoile of others for profession of the same of gods power to bring this to passe there can be no doubt among the faithfull but all the question is whether he will doe it or noe or how soone it shall please him to doe it I can scarse vnderstand how the true faithfull soule casting her eie vpon the inestimable mercies of the Almightie can stand in any doubt whether he will haue compassioÌ„ of vs or no Let the deiected for their consolation weigh well these comfortable sentences taken out of holie scriptures Can God forget to haue mercie Psal 76. or will he burie his mercie in his wrath Nothing lesse as it is said in an other place Our Lord is mercifull and gratious Psal 102. flow to anger and plenteous in mercie he will not alwaies chide nor keepe his anger for euer and Psal 2. when his wrath is kindled it will last but for a little while Againe when he hath bin angrie Abaruc 3. Psal 144 he will remember to shâ—w mercie his mercies are aboue all his workes he will therfore sooner forgett all other his woÌ„derfull workes then his most excellent mercies which Esay the prophet doth recoÌ„meÌ„d to vs by the tender compassion of a mother ouer her infant in this maner can a woman forgett her sucking babe that she should not haue compassion on the sonne of her owne wombe yea she may forgett him Esay 49.15 yet I will not forgett thee for I haue grauen thee in the palmes of my hands and thy walles are continually before mee Behold how many causes of confidence this one senteÌ„ce of holy scripture doth close togither as it were in one Cluster first the father of mercies and God of all consolation doth assure vs that though the kind tender harted mother should so much forget her self as not to shew compassion to her owne Infant crying vnto her for reliefe which is in any good nature impossible yet God so tenderly affecteth his spirituall Children his creatures made after his owne image likenes that although shee should yet he will not shutt vp the Bowells of his teÌ„der mercies towards his infantes hartly repenting them of their sinnes and humbly flying vnto him for succour secondlie the print of the nailes graven in the palmes of our blessed saviours hands alwaies present before the face of God are both most assured pledges of his inestimable kindnes shewed towards vs and be most forcible sutors to his heavenly father to move him speedilie to bend his forces to our aide yet farther the holy Angels patrons of our countrie in generall and guardians of all English in particuler And all the valiant Martirs and other saints of our nation who in holie writt bee resembled to walles of defence and safegard are continuallie before God both gratiously tendring our prayers paines patientlie endured for his holy names sake and praying also themselues most feruentlie for the restitution of Christs religion in our countrie All these motiues concurring must he not be very lumpish or rather ouerwhelmed with heavines that cannot perswade himself hopefully to attend and expect his owne release and redemption from the omnipotent and mercifull hands of his heauenlie father so inclinable of himself and so provoked thervnto through the merites of our Redeemer intercession of his saints Specially if he do remember that it is not anie earthlie good but Gods owne honour and glorie that we seeke after that he may be trulie knowen loved serued of all meÌ„ that our whole couÌ„trie maie be once againe blessed with the happy fruition of his holy religion that all maÌ„ner of vice which now raigneth there in a verie high degree may bee rooted out and the seeds of all holy vertues soweÌ„ in a most fertil soile This being I saie the summe of all that we most instantly do sue vnto his divine maiestie to obtaine how can we but liue in great hope to see it brought to passe by God Almightie that doth infinitelie more then we our selues desire it And can by ten thousand manner of waies more then our dull wits are able to compreheÌ„d effect and performe it true it is that the graue maiestie of the Almightie with whom a thousand yeares are as it were yesterday seameth to our shuttle short capacitie to proceede verie slowly in this busines Notwithstanding hee is most sure in his courses and will in due season recompence his slownes with abundance of favours far surpassing the expectation and hopes of all men yea manie times when he seemeth most to haue forgotten his humble seruants and to be fardest of from their helpe then is their deliuerance neerest at hand Hee suffred the Egiptians to doe their vttermost endevour to oppresse and make an end of all the Israëlites yet when they were euen at the very brim of desperation he sent them a saviour who out of that their miserable bondage brought them into a land flowing
and to bee handled after another manner for I doe in one chapter ioyne Issue with M. Abbot therin and doubt not to make it good against anie protestant that the Catholike Roman faith is much more sutable even vnto the verie true text of tke Bible then the Protestants and that by conference of our doctrine word by word and sentence by sentence with the verie words and sentences of holy writt But to prove our faith to bee Catholike wee take another course and do demonstrate that the chief prelates and Doctors of the Catholike church who have florished in most Christian countries since the Apostles time have taught the verie same doctrine which wee teach and maintained the same faith and served God with the same Religion that we do which M. Abbot must performe for their faith and religion if hee will haue any wise men beleeue them to bee Catholiks even by his owne explication of the name Catholike in his answer to my Epistle and by his owne confession heere when hee faith that wee cannot find out the Catholike faith before wee have found out the Catholike church of which the faith is named Catholike Now no man can find out the Catholike church but by tracing out that companie of the faithfull who have peopled all Christian nations which M. Abbot not being able to do for the protestaÌ„tes faith doth returne the same questioÌ„ to mee and would haue mee to do the same for our doctrine and namely for that point of the popes power to depose Princes which as hee saies Cardinal Bellarmine doth hold to be one of the chief points of our faith Bell. Epistola ad Aâ—b apud â—ath Toâ—um and the verie foundation of Catholike religion Albeit M. Abbot would not at my request do that honor to his own religion and right to himself as to satisfie my iust demaund hee having before also vndertaken it yet I will not refuse at his instance to demonstrate that article of faith which Cardinall Bellarmin there mentioneth to have been beleeved taught and practised in most christian countries in the most florishing time of the Catholike church And that by the testimonie of the best renowmed fathers of the verie same age I will bring him in more authentik evidence for this issue then would be the hands and seales of the moderne churches of Grecia Armenia Ethiopia Russia and such like schismaticall and erring congregations which M. Abbot here demaundeth as the reader shall see in the next paragraffe or division where that question of the supremacy shal be treated of But honest sir why do you by the way so wound your credit in misalleadging that most learned Cardinals wordes doth he in the place by you quoted saie that the supremacly of the pope for the deposing of kings is one of the chief points of the Catholike faith will no warning serve the turne to make you cite your authors sincerely if this bee the shuffling wherin your best skill consisteth the reader in deed hath great need to looke well to your fingers Card. Bellarmine both there and elswhere doth teach that the popes supremacy is one of the principalle heads of our religion But hee doth not affirme there that the popes power to depose princes is any chief article of our faith though hee taught that to bee a most probable opinion and in some sort to appertaine to the supremacie as a dependant thervpon Now to that which followeth out of an other place of Card. Bellarmin hee you saie shall free vs from need to travell for this proofe to wit that our English faith hath been spred all the world over who saith that though one only province did retaine the true faith yet the same might properly bee called the Catholike church and therfore their faith the Catholike faith so long as it could bee cleerly shewed that the same is one and the same with that which at anie time was spred over the whole world whervpon M. Abbot infers that to prove their faith to bee the Catholike faith it wil bee sufficient to prove that is was that which once was spred over all the world Now with the proofe therof M. Bishop saith hee is chooked already Behold the babling of this vaine man first the Cardinall doth not ease him anie whitt at all from proving their faith to have been spred over all the world but only saith vpon supposition Si sola vna provincia retineret veram fidem if one onlie province kept the true faith that then it might bee called Catholike yet so that it could bee cleerlie shewed to haue been spred in times past over all the world where you see that hee requires of necessitie that it must bee cleerly shewed that the same faith which wil bee accounted Catholike hath been before at lest spredd over all the world so that M. Abbot is as farr to seeke as hee was before and that hee must needes come to this stake how vnwilling soever hee bee and either shew that their faith hath been receiued all Christendome over or els confesse that it cannot bee called Catholike Come of then gentle Sir flie not from the point seek not to hide your head in a corner but performe that peece of service bravely and then hardlie talke of chooking M. Bishop but to avouch that M. Bishop is chooked already long before anie proof thereof be brought with onlie hearing you to speake of it is too too childish and full of doting vanitie I found fault with M. Abbot for shuffling and flitting from the faith and religion of the Romanes vnto the particular persons that inhabit the cittie of Rome bicause their faith maie bee Catholike and spredd over all the world albeit their persons bee confined within the bounds of one countrie or cittie hee answereth that hee hath shuffled amisse for vs for that hee hath shuffled vs from bâ—ing Catholikes and the Roman church from being the Catholike church which is not to the purpose And how true it is shal bee tried in the next chapter In the meane season it must needs bee taken for a foule fault in arguing to change the tearmes and to flitt from one thing to another and for the faith of the Romans to take the persons that inhabit Rome there being no lesse difference betweene the person of a man and his faith then there is between a fox and a fearnebrake finally M. Abbot saieth that his shuffling will yeeld vs but a bad game if I cut not wisely And if wee haue no better Cards saieth hee wee shall sâ—rely leâ—se all well gentle sir seing you confesse your selfe to bee such a cunning shuffler and giue mee so faire warning of it before hand I wil take the paine to shuffle your Cards after you or els will cutt them in such sort that your skill in packing shall stand you in litle steed If there bee no remedy but that you will needs haue about with the church of Rome bee it by
others as hath been before declared To imagine Saint Peter to bee called a rocke because hee is a patterne of imitation is as dull and blockish as to call a duske darke stone a cleere looking glasse Abraham was more properly by the prophet called though in another sense a rocke out of which the Iewes were hewen and a pitt out of which they were digged bicause all the Israëlites descended out of his loynes as stones are hewen or digged out of a rock 10 M. Abbot not being able to disprove S. Peter to bee the rocke bicause our Saviour Christ alone is the rocke turnes himself on the other side and will needes prove that all the Apostles were rockes and Peter therin not to haue beeÌ„ alone but that as hee spake in the person of all the Apostles so Christes wordes returned in answere to Peter should appertaine to them all for saies hee Saint Austin affirmeth that Peter answeâ—ed for all a Aug. in psal 8â— one for vnitie And Hierome by the words here spoken to Peter concludeth b Hieron in Amos l 3 c. 6. that Chrâ—st the rocke gave not to one only Apostle but to his Apostles that they also should bee called rockes And in like sort Origen conceiueth when he saith c Orig in Math. c. 16. If thou thinke that the church was built vpon Peter only what wilt thou saie to Iohâ— the sonne of thunder and to every of the Apostles c. wee must rather say that in all and evâ—rie one of thâ—m is verified vpon this rocke I will build my church and in a word hee reasoneth thus bicause that which followeth after I will giue to thâ—e the Keies of the knigdome of hâ—aven is coâ—â—on to them all therfore that going before is also coÌ„mon to them all and this the scripture confirmeth in that it saith d Ephes 2.20 the houshold of God are builded not vpon the foundatioÌ„ of Peter only but vpon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophets e Reuelâ—t 21.14 And not Peter onlie but the lambes twelve Apostles haue their names written in the twelue foundations of the Citie of God hitherto M. Abbot Doth not this great inconstancie in answering argue plainly that there is no setled soundnesse in the protestants doctrine but that they are caried about with the wind Before you heard that no other bodie saving Christ alone could bee that rock and to make that good M. Abbot was verie earnest there now the wind blowing in an other dore not only Peter is the rocke but all the Apostles aswell as hee yea and euerie Christian man too is a rock as you shall heare heereafter And all this to make men beleeve that it is but an ordinary matter to bee that rocke vpon which Christ built his Church wee that hold it to bee one of the greatest priviledges that could bee graÌ„ted to a mortall man do notwithstanding graunt that the Apostles may be called rockes as they are called foundations after a certaine proportion that is as S. Peter was the fundamentall rock placed next vnto our Saviour over the whole Church So the Apostles were constituted principall pillers or rockes of certaine countries laying the foundation of Christian religion in them by preaching the Gospell and by ruling the severall flockes coÌ„mitted to their charges As Metropolitans primates may bee said to bee the rockes and foundations of Christian religion in their provinces bicause they do principally commaund over all Ecclesiasticall persons therin and do keepe all vnder them in vnitie of faith In like manner to preserve all Christian countries in the said vnitie of faith and vniformitie of religion there ought to bee one supreme pastor over all the world who first was S. Peter and ever since have been his lawfull Successors the Bishops of Rome All this is good doctrine but to saie that these words in S. Mathew were spoken aswell to the rest of the Apostles as to S. Peter which M. Abbot would faine haue his reader believe is flatt against the evidence of the verie text For S. Peter is there severed from the rest by all circumstances that can bee devised in so few words first by his owne proper name for our Saviour said to him happie art thou Simon then by the name of his father the sonne of Ionas thirdly by mention of a speciall revelation made to him for flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee fourthly by expresse direction of this speech to him I say to thee not to all the Apostles thou art Peter none of the rest were so called Out of which it doth ensue most cleerly that the words immediatly following and vpon this rocke I will build my church were particulerly spoken to S. Peter and not to any other of the Apostles To the others afterward was given the power of binding and loosing remitting of sins and retayning yet with out any mention made of the keies of the kingdome of heaven which albeit they do signify there a supreme coÌ„maunding power yet they maie in a certaine sence bee said to bee given vnto the other Apostles as is the title of a rock though they bee not that principall rocke vpon which Christ built his church so they had not the prime vse of the keies which was appropriated to S. Peter I do also further grantâ— that the name of a rock maie bee in a good morall sence applied vnto everie constant Christian that doth confesse the true faith with S. Peter and is constant and vnmoveable in the same confession like vnto a rocke And this is all which Origen and S. Ambrose cited by M. Abbot do saie as may bee seene by him that pleaseth to read the circumstances of those places for Origen discourseth how all may bee called rockes that have this effect of a rocke And that the gates of hell cannot prevaile against them that is all that do perseuere constantly to the end in the true faith S. Ambrose exhorteth all men to endevour to bee roâ—kes that is to haue soundnes in constancie and stedfastnes of faith Origen addeth that which I before said that the Apostles and Prophets maie bee called rockes in a higher degree bicause they are the foundations of others that are builded vpon them but these expositions as M. Abbot saith bee Allegoricall or rather morall explications of these our Saviours wordes that do not destroie the prime litterall sence therof which according vnto the generall consent of the ancient fathers is that Christ built his church vpon S. Peter as the supreme governor therof as hath been alreadie proved Now to M. Abbots last evasion that the fathers in all this matter make Peter to beare the figure of the whole church and therfore that to bee applied to all and everie one in the church which was there spoken to Peter for these fathers hee alleageth only S. a August Epist 165 Idem de verb Domini ser 13. Austin and S. b Gregor expos in
giue mee leaue to imploy one probable presumption that in my poore opinion doth much fortifie the same It is collected out of those letters which in ancient time were called literae formatae and granted either vnto Bishops at their first creation or vnto priests that were dismissed by licence from their ordinary This kind of letters was in great vse in the primitiue church for no stranger was admitted into communion among the Catholiks without them The invention of these leters is referred to the first generall councell holden at Nice and the forme of them is recorded authentically in the end of the Chalcedon councell immediatlie before the letters of the Illustrious persons that wrote in or about that councell vnder this title Atticus Episcopus qualiter formata Epistola fiat In this epistle fower letters principally were set for an assured token that hee in whose favour they were granted was a sound Catholike The three former letters were the first letters of the father of the sonne and of the holy Ghost to testifie that hee believed aright in the blessed Trinitie and therfore was no Arrian Sabellian Macedonian or such like heretike the fourth letter in that formall Epistle was a the first letter of S. Peters name therby to signifie that the bearer was receiued into the vnitie of that church of which S. Peter as chief governor kept the keies the other letters of his name that graÌ„ted that Epistle Distinct 73. ca. 1. to whom it was granted I omitt as not necessary to this purpose hee that will may see a copiâ— of such an Epistle sett downe at large in Gratian where the misterie also of these letters is deciphered to bee such as I haue declared namely that the fourth letter was put for S. Peters name to make knowen that the bearer therof was a true member of that church in qua Petro datum est ius ligandi atque absoluendi in which to S. Peter was giuen the right of binding and loosing Out of which notable monument of antiquitie I draw this argument so well assured it was and a thing so notoriously knowne and approved in those purer daies of the primitiue church that S. Peter and the popes of Rome his successors were the chief governors of Christs church and the insoluble band of the vnitie therof that the first letter of S. Peters name was chosen for an vndoubted badge and token of being a sound member receiued into the vnity of the said Catholike church for why should the first letter of S. Peters name rather then any other of the Apostles bee taken for such an infallible marke of society with the catholike church had it not been a cleere overuled case that hee who like an even squared stone lay vpon that rocke and did adhere vnto the head of the church was vndoubtedly a true member therof This argument as it shall serue for a coÌ„clusion of that which goeth before so it will make a conuenient passage to that which followeth in M. Abbots text 15 There was saith hee a church when there was no Roman church at all how then could that church bee builded vpon the Roman church This is a verie poore obiection for speaking as wee now do of the church which was since our Saviours time if hee take that season next to Christs ascension S. Peter was head of that church during his owne life and after him the Bishops of Rome his lawfull successors No man ever said that the church or Bishop of Rome was head of the church before S. Peter had placed his seate there If M. Abbot will accord vs that ever since that time the church of Rome hath been head of the rest as in truth it hath been wee will easily grant him that before it had no such priviledg Another like slugg M. Abbot thrusteth forth thus If the church of Rome bee that rock and other churches bee builded thervpon then it would follow that the gates of hell should never haue prevailed against any other of those churches but it hath prevayled against them Ergo. True good Sir if those other churches had stuck close to the said rocke the gates of hell had never prevailed against them but they foolishly flitting from that firme rocke were sowsed in the surging seas and swallowed vp by the gulfe of hell M. Abbot saw this to bee so full an answere that hee could not tell what to saie to it but that wee haue no assurance that the church of Rome shall continue alwaies builded vpon Christ Iesus this is M. Abbots last refuge and to it as to a safe anchor he doth twenty times fly in this book wherfore it shall haue a full answer in its due place but let vs first see whether the Bishops of Rome be S. Peters lawfull successors because that comes next M. Abbot doth either graunt it to bee true or at least hee supposeth it for true for hee disproues it not wherfore I need not staÌ„d loÌ„g about it so much the rather because it is recorded by S. Iraeneus Iren. l. 3. v. 3. Tertull. de prescr 36. Euseb l. 2. hist c. 2. Epiphar heres 27. Optat. mi leuit l. 2. perm Hieron de viris ill 1. August Epistola 1â—5 Tertullian Eusebius Optatus mileuitanus S. Hierom S. Austin and briefly by the full consent of all that haue made anie Catalogue of S. Peters successors It is evident and confessed by both sides that our Saviour established such a forme of government in his church that hee would haue to continew as long as the same church continued that is alwaies to the worlds end which was according to our doctrine that one should bee head and supreme gouernor over all the rest to preserue vnity in faith and conformity in rites of religion And by name that one was S. Peter for his life time All which I haue before proved out of holy scriptures and the ancient fathers S. Peter finally making choise of Rome for the seat of his Bishoprick liued there many yeres and in the end died Bishop of Rome wherfore they that were choseÌ„ Bishops of Rome were to succede him as in that seate so in that supreme governmeÌ„t of Christs church which daily experience teacheth vs. for wee see that whosoever is chosen bishop of any place for example of Canterburie hee presentlie vpon his installing entreth vpon all the priuiledges of honour and government which the former Bishops his predecessors died possessed of so that no sooner any man is created Archbishop of Canterbury but that imÌ„ediatly hee is therby Metropolitane of England and hath comanding authority ouer all the Bishops of that prouince with law full Iurisdiction to heare and determyne all such causes that by appeale do come to his courts In like maÌ„ner Linus being chosen Bishop of Rome after the death of S. Peter entred into possession of full power authoritie not onlie ouer the Diocese of Rome but also over all the Bishops of Christs church
vniforme in holie rites and māners should establish some one at the least to resolue infallibly all the rest in all doubtfull questions that should arise amōg them which he forsaw would be almost innumerable And to endow him with sufficient power and authority to kepe all the rest in order and due obedience This is that which wee maintaine he did for S. Peter and his successors the Bishops of Rome having his owne expresse word for our warrant being vnderstood according vnto the learned exposition and prudent practise of the most ancient holy pastors and prelates of Christs church as hath been before declared Thus much to shew how vnsoundly M. Abbot interpreteth that text of holy scripture and how vnproperly and feebly hee seeketh to shift from the most literall and vniforme exposition of the ancient Doctors Now I come to examine the exceptions that hee taketh against some sentēces that I alleaged out of the said holy fathers to the same purpose My first and principall author was the most learned and holie Archbishop of Lions S. Ireneus who with his blood sealed his doctrine 1400 yeares agoe Hee teacheth plainly that the Roman church is the greatest and most autentike and that hee and others by alleaging the traditions which the Apostles had lest to that church and their faith by succession of Bishops descending downe to his daies did confound and put to shame all wranglers who either of ignorance vaine glorie or envy did teach otherwise then they should haue done And for an vpshott addeth this reason which I did before cite to prove that wee must all ioyne in matter of faith with the church of Rome to witt For it is necessarie that everie church that is all the faith full everie where do agree with the church of Rome Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 3. Sed quoniam valde longum est in hoc tali volumine omnium ecclesiarum enumerare successiones maximae antiquissima omnibus cognitae à gloriosissimis duobus Apostolis Petro Paulo Roma fundata constituta ecclesiae eam quam habet ab Apostolis traditionem annunciatam hominibus fidem per successiones Episcoporum pervenientem vsque ad nos indicantes confundimus omnes eos qui quoqu◠modo vel per sui placentiam malam vel vanam gloriam vel per caecitatem malam sententiam praeter quam oportet colligunt Ad hanc enim ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire ecclesiam hoc est eos qui sunt vndique fideles in qua semper ab his qui sunt vndique conservata est ea quae est ab Apostolis traditio for her more mightie principalitie Bicause in it the traditions which descended from the Apostles hath been alwaies preserved round about Note first a most cleere proofe of that for which I cited it to witt that everie church yea everie faithfull man must not of curtesie but of necessitie accord with the church of Rome in matter of faith and religion Bicause in it as in a rich treasurie that doctrine which the Apostles taught is kept whole and sound to which M. Abbot saith that if wee take the reason added by Irenaeus but concealed by mee it will plainly appeare why it was necessarie for the other churshes to accord with the church of Rome for this church saith he for the renowme of the place being then the seat of the Empire was the most eminent church of the world I answere that I concealed nothing And this reason added by M. Abbot is wholie mistaken for there is no mention in Irenaeus of either the Emperors power or seate for that mighty principality is proper to the church of Rome for her spirituall dignitie And it is most absurd to thinke that the church of Rome in those ancient daies of S. Irenaeus when the Emperours were most deadly ennemies of the Christian name gott any reputation with other churches by the worldly renowme of those persecuting Emperors who raigned there for that their wicked glorie was rather a whetstone to hatred and contempt then anie allurement to loue and estimation This great respect then being borne vnto the church of Rome before the Emperors of Rome were converted to be Christians is a most manifest argument that the principality of the church of Rome was not gotten by the renowme of that city nor by the glorie of these heathen peesecuting Emperors but for that the best learned and most holie prelats of all countries were taught by the Apostles and their schollers that it was our blessed Saviours pleasure and ordinance that such regard and obediēce should bee yeelded vnto the church of Rome were the Emperors therof heathens or Christians good or bad It was in deed verie convenient that the prince of the Apostles and head of Christs church should be there seated where the Monarch of the temporall estate held his court to the intent that impietie being there crushed as it were in the head might the sooner decaie all the bodie over And true godlines being happely planted in the cheif place might with more facility and speed bee spred in all other nations and also that mē might bee more easily induced to yeeld religious obedience to the Bishop of that place vnto whose tēporall magistrates the whole world before had obeied in temporall affaires But this is to bee attibuted to our Saviours devine wisdome order institution Not vnto the greatnes or worldlie pollicie of anie earthly Emperors M. Abbot seing little hold to bee taken vpon the renowme of that place as the state of things went then doth acknowledg that in those daies the church of Rome was pure sound therfore fitt to be propounded as a patterne for other churches to imitate But now the case is altered as he saith bicause the church of Rome it self is now questioned for swarving from the tradition of the Apostles which being soe that cannot be said to bee necessarie now which was necessarie then This answer hath as litle solidity in it as the other For the church of Rome it self was as well chalenged in those daies for swarving from the Apostles tradition by the Mōtanists Marcionists and such like Heretikes as now by the Lutherans Calvinists and Anabaptists And neuertheles the renowmed prelates of Christs church and most firme pillers of our Christian religion did then teach all Christians to make their recourse vnto the same church for resolution of the true faith wishing them to conforme themselues therto and by avouching boldlie that doctrine which they found there maintained to confound all them that taught the contrary as yee haue heard out of Irenaeus Let vs therfore as kind children treading in the right steps of those our most laudable forfathers seeke with them vnto that same church of Rome for the veritie of that doctrine which descended from the Apostles imbrace it most willingly and professe it as constantlie though we heare our holie mother to be
barke against that so apparant truth which the sound corps of all true beleeving men do most constantly and gloriously confesse I hauing before shewed at large how neither S. Austin nor the African Bishops did deny anie one branch of the Bishop of Romes primacy no not so much as forbid their owne Bishops to appeale vnto the court of Rome And did otherwise in sundry sorts declare their dutifull obedience vnto the same sea of Rome M. Abbots inference out of his owne mistaking and error is wholy disappointed To conclude then this paragraff it doth remaine most assured and cleere that our blessed Saviour made S. Peter and his successors that rock vpon which he built his church therby giving them supreme power and authority to govern his whole church not for any limited nunber of yeares but for so long as his church should continue a church that is to the worlds end for against it the gats of hell shall never prevaile Secondly it is as certen that the Bishops of Rome be in that charge of government ouer all the church S. Peters lawfull successors with whom therfore whosoeuer ioyneth in matter of faith and religion shall never be deceiued nor fall in to schisme and against whoÌ„ whosoeuer barketh and opposeth himself hee not only barketh and laboreth in vaine as S. Austin speaketh but if he do obstinatly persever therin he therby to vse Optatus words before rehearsed becometh both a sinner and a schismatike From which most hainous crimes our sweet Saviour of his infinit mercie and goodnes deliuer all my most deere frinds and best beloued countrymen THE SVMME OF THE third paragraff or section W. B. ALBEIT the church of Rome strictly taken doth comprehend those Christians only that dwell within the citie and Diocese of Rome yet it is vsed by men of both sides to designe the faithfull of all countries that in religion do fully agree with the same and that specially because they do acknowledg the Bishop of Rome to bee vnder Christ the supreme governor therof As in times past the Roman Empire did not containe the territory of Rome alone or countrie of Italy but all lands and nations that professed obedience to the Emperor of Rome And like as in the primitiue church the title Catholike was added to Christian to distinguish true Christians from heretikes Even so now a daies when heretiks are growne so audacious as to arrogate vnto themselues the name of Catholiks though their religion bee nothing lesse theÌ„ Catholike the word RomaÌ„ is ioyned to Catholike to separate true Catholikes from counterfeit the Roman Catholike signifying those Catholiks that in faith and religion do perfectly agree with the church of Rome R. AB I Do confesse my self to bee one of those Doctors that know not this new found distinction of the Roman church to witt that it may bee taken either for the Diocesse of Rome or for all churches that in faith fully agree with the Roman M. Bishop can bring neither scripture nor any ancient writer for the warrant of it Secondly it being admitted that the churche of Rome may be taken for all churches agreing in faith with it yet it remaineth still a particular church bicause there be many other churches in Europe and Asia that do not agree with it in faith nor acknowledg her chiefty ouer their churches For example the churches of Luther Caluin and such like in Europe and certain other schismaticall churches in other parts of the world And as in the time of the Roman Empire there were many other kingdomes in the world so now besids the Roman church there be many other churches Moreouer the fathers haue told vs of the Latin and Greeke of the East and west churches Pighius Eccl. Hier. l 6. c. 3. but neuer specifie the Roman to signifie the whole church And Pighius asketh who did euer by the Roman church vnderstand the vniuersall church Albeit the Bishops of Rome wrote themselues Bishops of the Catholike church Yet they meant of that part of the Catholike church which was in Rome when the Catholike french man doth say we bee of the Catholike Roman church wee vnderstand them therby to take part with the church of Rome but the church of Rome is that of Rome only and is factiously called the Catholike church which is the whole and the Roman put to it is a tearme of diminution and abridgeth the whole to a part To them therfoee may be applied that of Optatus against the Donatists you would haue your selues Optat. l. 2. con Po rin only to be the whole who are not in all the whole And if in ancient times when there were so manie heresies it was thought a sufficient distinction to ioyne Catholike to Christian why is it not sufficient now a â—â—ies It is the Inuention of Antichrist and his badge to chalenge to himself and his only to bee the whole Catholike church That name Roman is a name of sect and schisme This is the summe of all which M. Abbot saith in this paragraff or section W. B. IN this section is discouered a second falacy of that false argument which they so often vse No particuler church can be the Catholike church but the Roman is a particuler church Ergo it cannot bee the Catholike church In the precedent section I haue laid open the manifold faults of this their argument shewing first the conclusion if it were granted not to bee to the purpose for the point in question was not whether the Roman church were the whole Catholike church or no but whether the word Roman in stile might bee couched with the Catholike church that is whether one might sensybly and trulie saie and write The Catholike Roman church they say yea we say no to make good their assertion they a vouch the church of Rome not to be the whole church we answere that the proof is not to the purpose albeit that were true for though it were not the whole church yet it might be called by the name of the whole not onely because euery part of that kind may be called by the name of the whole but also for that it is such a part as shall neuer be seperated from the whole and consequently as in existence it is alwaies close coupled with the whole so may it very well in stile be interlaced with it Secondly I affirmed that taking the church of Rome for a part yet it being the most eminent part it might very iustly giue name to the whole according to that axiome approued by all the learned A parte principaliore denominatur totum the whole is named after some principall part the whole land of Israël was called Iury of the principall tribe therof Iuda And our own country wherin dwelt both Saxons and Vites aswell as English men was named England when one of the English attained to the monarchy in like maner the church of Rome being the head of the rest as before I haue prooued though
Sicubi audieru eos qui dicuntur Christi non a Iesu Christo sed a quoquam alio nuncupari vtputa Marcionistas valentinianos montenses scito non Ecclesiam Christi sed Antichristi esse synagogam but froÌ„ other men as Marcionists valentinians or such like as are now a daies Lutherans Zuinglians c. be you well assured that they belong not to the church of Christ but to the Sinagogue of Antichrist Out of this sound doctrine of the ancient fathers and approued doctors M. Abbots obiection is easily solued For albeit there be many erring congregations which would gladlie bee called churches and do chaleÌ„ge to theÌ„selues the name and authoritie of the church which the church of Rome doth not comprehend yet those congregations being no more true churches then Apes be men the church of Rome maie bee truly said to compreheÌ„d all the Catholike church though it do not containe any of theÌ„ they being for their ertors in faith and disvnioÌ„ in matter of religion by the verdict of the auncieÌ„t fathers esteemed rather schismatikes parts of sathaÌ„s sinagogue then any members of Christs Catholike church I am not ignoraÌ„t that there be certain good fellowe Libertins who more willing to please men with plausible doctrine then to acquaint them with Gods iust iudgments And to make some shew that theire church hath been alwaies a member of the visible Catholike church do teach that even schismatikes and heretikes so they erre not in some fundamentall points of religion be notwithstanding reall and true members of the Catholike church Against whose error I meane god willing to make a chapter in this booke wherfore I will not here stand to confute it But admitting it here for passable I do not see any reason why in the waie of that opinion the Roman church may not comprehend even those vnpure churches too For albeit they do not acknowledg the chiefty of the Roman church nor agree with it in all articles of faith yet they acknowledging the Roman to hold all those fundamentall articles of faith must needs grant that they do agree with it in all points that are of necessitie to bee beleeued On the other side they cannot deny but that they are all descended out of the same Roman church not being able to shew any other stocke or pedegree out of which their church is issued and sprung why then should they not yeeld that honor vnto the same as to acknowledg themselues members of her from whom they deriue their descent and pedigree and with whom they do agree in all fundameÌ„tall points of doctrine though in some other not necessarie in their opinion to be beleeued they do dissent from her Neither is that example of the Roman Empire well applied by M. Abbot For albeit there were and bee many kingdomes in the world besids the Roman Empire not subiect therto nor any meÌ„bers therof yet there be not nor cannot bee many christian churches wherof the one is not a member of the other For all Christian creeds do teach vs to beleeue that there is but one only church not many Ephes 4. Cant. 6.8 One spouse of Christ one body of Christ vna est columba mea c. which is the common doctrine of the auncient fathers after S. Ciprian and Saint Austin who haue made whole treatises of the vnitie of the church So that though there be many distinct kingdomes independent one of the other yet there cannot bee many such churches but all and euerie particuler true church is a true member of the one only Catholike church All of them perfectly agreeing togither in society of faith in vnity of sacraments and in forme of government Consequently the head mother church such as before I haue proued the Roman church to bee may convenientlie bee vsed to signifie all the rest No man denies the more proper signification of the church of Rome to bee the city or Diocese of Rome it self in which sense Albertus Pighius doth truly say of it That it is a particular church and not to be taken for the vniuersall church Notwithstanding it is in more large signification often taken for the whole Catholike church not only of moderne writers but also of the most ancient and holy fathers to witnes wherof I take these few following Saint Ciprian sent the copie of Antonianus letter to Cornelius bishop of Rome Cipr. epistola 52. to assure him that the said Antonian did comunicate with him that is with the Catholike church vt scires illum tecum hoc est cum Catholica ecclesia comunicare where that most learned prelate and glorious Martir put as a thing by it self well knowen that to comunicate with the pope of Rome is to communicate with the Catholike church with him accordeth Saint Ambrose Ambros oratione defratic Satyro relating how his brother Satyrus was cast on shore in Sardinia or therabout where Catholiks and heretiks were blended and mixt together and being desirous to bee baptised by a Catholike Bishop when one was presented to him to do that good office he to trie whâ—ther he were Catholike or no demaunded of him Si cum Catholicis hoc est cum Romanis consentiret If he did agree with the Catholikes that is to say with the Romanes Putting as we do now Roman for a certaine marke and as it were an explication of a true Catholike The like doth Saint Hierom when he asked of Ruffinus what faith hee professed Hic oni Apol 〈◊〉 câ—â— Ruffinum whether that that florished in the church of Rome or that which was contayned in the bookes of Origine Si Romanam responderit ergo Catholici sumus If hee answere the Roman faith then bewe Catholiks and free from the errors of Origen where he setteth the Roman faith to signifie the Catholike faith yea sheweth that of the Roman faith Christians are denominated Catholikes The same doth the auncient christian poet Prudentius chaunt in these verses Fugite o miseri execranda Nouati Schismata Catholicis vos reddite populis Prudent in hymno de Hipolito Vnasedes vigeat prisco quae condita seclo est Quam Paulus tenuit quaÌ„que cathedra Petri. O poore soules from Nouatus cursed schisme do you flie And with speede yeeld your selues vnto the Catholike party That only seate florish which in auncient time founded S. Paul vpheld and where the chaire of Peter was grounded This godly and holy man esteemed it all one to yeeld your self to the Catholike partie and to vnite your self to the sea of Rome So did that puissant Christian Emperor Theodosius the younger when hee exhorted the Bishop of Berca and his followers to declare themselues approued priests of the Roman religion imploing the Roman for the Catholike religion which was with all persons so vsuall and current in those better times Concil Ephesin Tom. 1. c. 10. that even the old rotten Arrian heretikes did by the same name of Roman designe all true
that I will do that for him which hee blinded with self loue imagined impossible for any man to do to wit I will put downe his argument more cleerly and formerly then he hath done himself as every scholler that can Iudge of the forme of an argument may easily perceaue in this manner No part can be the whole but the church of Rome is but a part to wit the head of the church Ergo it cannot be the whole This his so often repeated argument without any new fortificatiō needs no other refutatiō than that which hath been once or twice giuen before Thus at length we come to the end of M. Abbots first chapter which was diuided into fower sections or parts and haue by the helpe of Gods good grace both defended and proued that supreme commanding power of Iurisdiction which consisteth in the chief government of Christs church vpon earth to haue been by our blessed Saviour first established and placed vpon the person of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles that there should be perfect vnity in his Ecclesiasticall kingdome then that the same might endure not for tearme of S. Peters life only but alwaies continue vnto the worlds end He ordained that S. Peters successors the Bishops of Rome should enioy the same soveraigne authority ouer the whole Catholike church vntill the worlds end which I made good specially by the confession and acknowledgment of the greatest Patriarks most learned and best approued Prelats of the East churches because the better learned Protestants do after a manner grant vnto the Bishop and pope of Rome Of this read more in the note at the end of this chapter as patriarch of the west supreme authoritie and Iurisdiction ouer all the west churches Moreouer because the protestants do all and some obiect that fact of the African Bishops wherin they seemed to deny appeales of all vnder the degree of Bishops vnto the court of Rome as an argument of great moment against the said supreme commanding power of the sea of Rome I haue produced testimonies of the most ancient and best learned Bishops and Doctors of the African church averring the Iurisdiction of the church of Rome ouer themselues and their countrie So that there can remaine no scruple in the vpright and iudicious Readers vnderstanding but that the Bishop of Romes supremacy hath been acknowledged witnessed and obeyed all the world ouer even in the pure times of most florishing Christianity And consequently that all they who desire to bee sound and perfect Catholiks must imbrace and professe the faith and religion of the same Roman church or els be content to bee reckened in the rew of hereticall or schismaticall Congregations And as in this life they willingly take part with them in their schisme and errors so they may assure themselues vnles God giue them grace to repent to bee against their wils sorted with them in the finall separation at the last day and to haue their vnlucky lott with them in the lake euer burning with fire and brimstone from which our most mercifull Lord and sweet Saviour Christ Iesus deliuer all them that professe his truth and holy name Amen M. Richard field Doctour of diuinity in his fift book of the church printed at london 1610. of the bishop and church of Rome hath these positions FIrst in the 32. chapter that the Bishop of Rome doth succeed S. Peter in the Bishoprique of the City and in the honour of being one of the prime Bishops of the world Secondly in the 34. chapter that the church of Rome was head of all churches that is first in order and honour among them but not in absolute supreme commaunding power 3 That the same church was in more speciall sort head of such churches as were within the Patriarchship of Rome as was all the west church To which effect his maiesty of England our soueraigne lord writeth to all Christian Monarches Pag 46. If there were yet question among the Patriarches for the first place I would with all my hart giue my consent that the Bishop of Rome should haue the first seat I being a westerne king would go for the patriarch of the west 4 That the Bishop of Rome had the care of all churches not as absolute supreme commaunder but as most honorable among the Bishops who were first to be sought vnto in matters requiring a common deliberation and from whom all things generally concerning the state of the whole church were either to take beginning or at the least to seek confirmation before they were generally imposed and prescribed The same Doctour in his preface to the reader teacheth that to compose variances rising between Patriarches and their Bishops or among themselues he that was in order and honour before the rest might lawfully interpose himself and in his synode iudg of such differences And in such cases as could not be so ended or that concerned the faith and the state of the whole vniuersall church there remained the iudgment and resolution of a generall councell wherin the Bishop of the first sea that is the Bishop of Rome was to sitt as President and moderatour Obserue how easily that which we teach of popes the supremacy may be gathered out of these principles for if it appertaine vnto the Bishop of Rome as prime Patriarch to compose the differences rising betwixt other Patriarches and their Bishops if he must be principally sought vnto for finall resolutions in matter of faith if care of all churches belong to him and from him all thinges generally concerning the state of the whole church were either to take beginning or els to seek confirmation let any vnderstanding man exercised in gouernment tell me how Patriarches and Bishops may be conuented to appeare without commaunding authority and how without compelling power the popes finall determinations would be of all parties obeied THE SECOND CHAPTER M. ABBOT The comparisons betweene the Donatists and Papists iustified and enlarged page 51. R. AB IT is a meere vsurpation wherby the Papists call the Roman church the Catholike church and the same that the Donatists of old did They held the Catholike church to be art Cartenna in Africk and the Papists hold it to be at Rome in Italy W. B. THis cōparison is a fond new deuise of M. Abbot wherin there is skarce one spark either of wit or learning wherfore it deserued rather to be abridged or wholy cāceld then to haue been enlarged Iustified it can never bee because it hath not many true words in it Take a tast of this first branch which is false on both sides for neither was Cartenna in Africa but in Mauritania nor did the Donatists hold their pretended Catholike church to bee at Cartenna but esteemed the Rogatists who so much magnified Cartenna to be wicked Schismatiks altogether vnworthy the name or communion of their supposed Catholik church as S. Austin M. Abbots owne author doth testifie Aug. Epist 48. in the place
three patriarchall seas Alexandria Antioch and Ierusalem as is recorded in the same councell In which faith continued the said three patriarchall seas till the yeare of our lord 1517 when Luther began his tragedy as stands of record in the generall councell of LateraÌ„ held vnder Leo the tenth where the obedience also of Peter Patriarch of the Armenians vnto the church of Rome was presented by his orators since which tyme as somtimes also before albeit those churches for the greater part fell often away into schisme and heresie yet there remained alwaies and do to this time continue still among them many good soules that do constantly retayne and keepe the true doctrine of the church of Rome in all points And the Greeke church hath in Rome it self a Seminary as many other nations haue at this daie to breed and trayne vp their young students as in all other vertues and pietie so principally in the true faith of the church of Rome wherfore albeit the publike face of religion be now in those churches as it is in our countrie yet there want not true Roman Catholikes in those parts no more then there do God be thanked in our country to baptise reconcile and to perfome all other christian duties appertayning to the rites of the Roman church whence it followeth that there are two vntruthes in the former part of M. Abbots new resemblance for we are so farr of from saying the Catholike church to be perished ouer all the world that wee affirme it rather to be at this present day much increased and multiplied which doth controwle the former part of M. Abbots position we say more ouer that in those verie patriarchall seas though the outward face of religion be disfigured and corrupted yet doth the Roman religion remayne there entire and sound though not openly countenanced by the state yet by the godly practised in secret Let vs now proceed to the second particularity to wit that the Donatists laide the foundation of their church in Africa and from thence would haue had all other churches to haue bene restored to their former integrity when did they begin to laie that foundation about 300 yeares after Christ in constantine the great his raigne who was he that laid that foundation One Maiorinus or Donatus of whom the rest tooke their name doth it not herehence that I go no further presently appeare a great difference between the church of Rome and the church of the Donatists The church of Rome began in the Apostles dayes and had for her chief Architects the princes of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul wheras the Donatists began their revolt from the said church of Rome 300 yeares after vnder the afore said blind guides wherfore there is no comparison to be made betweene either the foundation or founders of the one with the other But saith M. Abbot The Donatists gaue their church as gallant and braue a title as the church of Rome had for they called it the Catholike church and desired as earnestly as the Romanistes do to haue had it spred all the world ouer True for the title of Catholike true also that they had a feruent desire to haue had it spred farr and neare But their doctrine being the vaine leasings of feeble mortall men had too small force and vertue in it to disperse it self so farr abrode and not being planted by the heavenly father it did not take any deepe root so that albeit those busy fellowes laboured tooth and naile to in large the limits of their doctrine into the out most coasts of the earth that it might haue wonn the name of Catholike yet they could neuer obtaine it nor come within tenthousand mile of it wheras the doctrine and religioÌ„ of the church of Rome as a fruitfull tree plaÌ„ited by the watet side did spread her branches nto all nations and hath even since the Apostles daies even to our time continued a true part of the Catholike church by M. Abbots owne confession as you shall see heerafter in this chapter so that in fine there is left no resemblance at all in this reformed part of the comparison saving that the Donatists had a vaine desire to haue their sect dilated as amply as was the Catholike Roman faith But it began 300. years after the Roman and hath not by 1300 continued so long nor yet could for any short space of time dilate it self so largely wherfore it could not come neere vnto a shadow of the title of Catholike Touching the coÌ„uersion of the Indies it must needs grieve any good christian hart to heare how conteÌ„ptuously and prophaneliet his vnsanctified Abbot doth speake of it first he writes that we may say of their conversion what wee list because those countries are so farr of that they are not like to trauaile so farr to search whether we say true or no. They are peradventure more like to make some iournay thitherward to search out some of the IndiaÌ„ gold then to seeke after the conuersion of the poore Indian soules yet if they will not of themselues take the paynes nor vndergo the hazard to win soules let theÌ„at least afford others their good word that will refuse no paines nor perill in so blessed an enterprise If there were any sparke of Christian Charity in theÌ„ would they not rather reioyce then repine that the faith of Christ is so vniuersally embraced so religiously obserued in those most ample and rich dominions If M. Abbot hath not as hee here pretendeth inquired after the manner of their conuersion how knowes he that there bee so few and they so bad Christians should not an even mind out of commoÌ„ christian charity in cases vnknowne iudge the best and giue his sentence rather in fauour of the Christian Religion then against it but M. Abbot making out of his owne mind that bad construction may not that of the poet be iustlie cast vpoÌ„ him mala meÌ„s malus animus for vnles hee did cary a wicked affectioÌ„ towards the enlargemeÌ„t of Christs kiÌ„gdome not knowing how the case there standeth hee would neuer haue chosen to make the worst report therof that can bee imagined well he that doth not desire to remayne wilfully blind and altogither ignoraÌ„t in those happy tidings of the reducing of so many millions of soules from Idolatry to the knowledg of the true liuing God and vnto the participation of the merits of our most blessed Saviour Iesus Christ may read the histories of their coÌ„versioÌ„ coÌ„posed by men almost of all nations of whom many were eye witnesses of that they writ There shall they find manie notable monuments aswell of the holines of their preachers testifyed by miracles as of the devotion of the people newly converted and of their great sincerity If among the souldiers and marchants which went with the religious priests and preachers thâ—re were more covetousnes cruelty and disagrement then was convenient let not the disorders of those worldly and
vnrulie creatures bee brought to disgrace the good meaning godly endevors of others most godlie and religious persons who in true Apostolicall maÌ„ner haue through Gods inestimable mercy converted infinite multitudes of those heatheÌ„s vnto the Christian religion I haue staid the longer in this paragraff bicause M. Abbot by the way touched many great matters in it rather to giue the Reader reasonable satisfaction therin then that his resemblance deserued half the paines which holdeth no proportion at all in the mayne point The reader shall do well to note by the way how many vntruthes M. Abbot le ts slip in this section bicause he doth in the end of this chapter bragg that he hath not once lied in all this discourse hâ—re we haue these I. that we teach the Catholike church to be in closed within the wals of Rome and do tie the seat therof to one partâ—culer place secoÌ„dly that we hold no man can be baptised to saluation vnles he meet with a priest 3. That no man can obtaine saluation vnles hee repaire to Rome or meete with a Roman Priest wheras we hold millioÌ„â— to be saued that neuer saw Rome Againe that any true repentant soule that cannot meetâ— with a Roman priest to make his confession may nevertheles by true contrition obteyâ—e pardon of his sinnes and eternall saluation I omitt as fleabitings those other his peccadilia of taking Donatists for Rogatists and Cartenna for Africa bicause M. Abbot by coÌ„fessing that oversight hath made satisfactioÌ„ THE SECOND SECTION of the second chapter W. B. THE second branch of M. Abbots comparison between the Roman church and the Donatists is as faulty as the first Thus he proposeth it The Donatists would haue the church to be called Catholike Aug. in bre collatâ— diei 3. c. 2. not by reason of the communion therof throughout the whole world but for the perfection of doctrine and Sacraments which they falsly chalenged to theÌ„selues The same perfection doth the church of Rome arrogate to her self This halteth on both sides as the former did for the Donatists as S. Austin M. Abbots Authour relateth did not call their church Catholike for perfection of doctrine or Sacraments as M. Abbot fableth Epist 48. but for the fulnes of Sacraments and for observation of all gods commandements they were not so dull and blockish as S. Austin noteth to argue an vniuersality out of perfection which is seldome vniuersall but aymed alwaies at some kind of vniuersality On the other side there is no RomaÌ„ Catholike that would haue the church be called Catholike rather for her perfection in doctrine and Sacraments then for her communion over all the world R. ABBOT §. 2. IT is true that S. Austin chalenged vnicentius the Donatist for interpreting the word Catholike Aug. epistola 48. Idem in Breuic collat die 3. cap. 2. not for the communion of the whole church but for the obseruation of all Gods coÌ„maundements or for the fulnes of Sacraments yet I did not amisse to put perfection for fulnes because they do both signifie the same thing for is not fulnes of Sacraments the same with perfection of Sacraments and observation of all gods commaundements with perfection of observing them Collat 3. cuÌ„ donat cap. 102. like as perfection of doctrine is to teach all truth Besids Gaudentius a Donatist doth tell vs that by Catholike they vnderstood perfect when he said the word Catholike importeth Replito fulc c. 10. dem 6. that which is full in Sacraments which is perfect and which is vnspotted To the second member I say that Bristow a great Romanist granteth the church to bee called Catholike bicause she is vniuersally perfect halteth in nothing and is spred ouer all the world and Austin himself in his younger daies did so expound the same word though in his further experience and Iudgment hee abhorred from it and left it wholy to the Donatists So did Ciril of Ierusalem and also Pacianus wherfore M. Bishop sheweth himself scarce wise in denyall of it W. B. I haue M. Abbot guilty and confessing that hee changed his Authors words yet never without one idle excuse or other he hath forsooth given another word but which signifieth the same in effect If the words had been of the same signification yet it had been plainer dealing to haue kept the authors owne words but if there be great diuersity betweene them then there was litle shew of honest dealing to shift from the one to the other who but M. Abbot will say that perfection of Sacraments and fulnes of Sacraments bee all one where fulnes is referred to the compleat number of Sacraments and perfection may bee attributed to the right vse of them or to the vertue and efficacy of them For they bee two distinct controversies betweene the Protestants and vs. The one how many sacraments there bee the other of what perfection and efficacy they are That is whether they conferre grace or no. wherfore it was not well done to thrust in perfection for fulnes there being such ods betwene the nature and vse of those two words Againe betwene the obseruation of all Gods coÌ„maundements and perfection there is a notable difference in the way of our religion for it appertains to all the faithfull to obserue all Gods commaundements but the counsels of perfection are left to the free choice of them whose harts it shall please God to dispose that way wherfore if M. Abbot had had an honest good meaning he would not haue so changed his authors words but hee more like a Ioly wise politike protestant that beleeveth neither the full number of the sacraments nor thinketh it possible to keepe all Gods coÌ„maundements flieth from those tearms of fulnes of sacramentes and obseruation of all the coÌ„maundements as froÌ„ checks and reproues of their new belief and choppeth in perfection of doctrine bicause he can therin better wrangle And albeit Gaudentius did ioyne perfect and vnspotted with fulnes yet it followeth not therof that he tooke those words for all one but rather ioyned together many words of diuers significations to explicate more fully the force of the word Catholike Now to the second member albeit Doctor Bristow a man of singuler vertue and learning and some others haue taught the word Catholike to comprehend within the latitude of his signification that which is vniuersally perfect and halteth in nothing yet no one of them doth exclude the more vsuall and better allowed signification of the same which is to designe the communion and society of the whole world Nay Doctor Bristow in the very wordes cited by M. Abbot doth expresly include it and is spred over all the world and that after the example of Saint Austin euen by M. Abbots owne confession For albeiâ— that great Doctor in his youth vsed the worâ— Catholike to signifie perfection of doctrine yet growing to riper iudgment and being of better experience he abhorred that signification of the
churches saue the Roman do err as they say they maie how shall a man then in communicating with the Roman communicate with all other churches then must you needs saie that by communicating with that particular church of Rome you do become Catholike finally M. Bishop doth overthrow himself For if a man become a Catholike by communicating with the church of the whole world and by coÌ„municating with the church of Rome he doth communicate with the church of the whole world then communicating with the particular church of Rome the name of Catholike doth belong to him To be short if the Donatists could haue had their way they would not haue doubted to say asmuch of their church as M. Bishop doth hereof his to wit that men should bee called Catholiks by communicating with the African church not as it was contained within the bounds of Africa but for that in communicating with that church you did enter into communion with all other churches spred over all the world w. B. IN the forefront of this chapter M. Abbot ingraued this title The comparison betwixt the Donatists and Papists iustified And yet we see in the beginning of euery section an open confessioÌ„ of some fault made by himself in the same comparison I said the Donatists I should haue said the Rogatists c well though it cannot be denied but that this is a very simple kind of Iustification yet I am content it passe for some kind of satisfaction be it permitted to M. Abbot for a sory shift to flit vp and downe before from the Rogatists in Mauritania to the Donatists in Africa now back againe from the Donatists to the Rogatists who saith hee did expound the word Catholike of perfection of faith which to haue been otherwise I haue shewed in the second section of this chapter well those honest Rogatists affirmed themselues only to bee true Catholiks and by consequence held none to be Catholikes but such as ioyned with them So did the Donatists in Africa The Papists do the like for their church therfore they resemble the Donatists And do not the protestants put in the same plea for their church therfore they be also Donatists And did not the old Arrians affirme and say asmuch in favour of their church were they also Donatists Is not this then a proper resemblance betwixt the Donatists and Papists that will agree vnto all kind of sects yea vnto the true Catholike church it self to which alone in deed it doth rightfully apperteine yet it is vsuall to all sectaries that take their errors for truth to qualify and grace their sect with the title of the true reformed church This resemblance then is so triviall that a man of any sharpnes of wit would haue been ashamed to haue framed it But if M. Abbots inventioÌ„ were dry and dull when he proposed that we shall now find it fluent and acute in reproving what I answered of the church of Rome to wit If the communion of the church of Rome passed not out of the wals of Rome then by communicating with the church of Rome wee should not become Catholiks But bicause it is farr otherwise with the church of Rome then it was with the church of Cartenna and that in communicating with the church of Rome we enter into the communion of the church dilated all the world ouer therfore wee become Catholiks in communicating with the church of Rome about which M. Abbot makes a foule fumbling but in fine cannot impeach it hee saith first it is contrary to that which I had before taught viz to communicate with the church of Rome was to become Catholike But this hee saw to be so simple that hee corrected it himself presently for I never said otherwise but by communicating with the Roman church wee became Catholiks And my reason alwaies was bicause the communion of the church of Rome did reach into all the coasts of the earth He giueth the second assaut against it by averring that therof it would ensue that one became Catholike now a dayes otherwise then of old bicause then it was sufficient to communicate wâ—â—h the church dispersed ouer all and now wee must communicate with the church of Rome to communicate with the church spred ouer all Is not this a high point and a very great subtiltie when one doth communicate with the church spred ouer all doth hee not euen then communicate with the church of Rome also that is the chief of them all Or was there any time since the Apostles dayes when there was no church of Rome that one might haue communicated with the church spred ouer all and yet not haue communicated with the church of Rome Yea did not they that wrote against the Donatists I meane S. Austin and Optatus make speciall instance in the communion of the church of Rome aswell as I do now to proue their societie with the whole Catholike church S. Austin saith of Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage who was principally oppugned by the Donatists that hee holding communion with the church of Rome as with the chiefest Apostolicall chaire needed not care for the conspiracy of the Donatists agâ—â—nst him And Optatus speaketh iust to the same sence that I do In the Bishop of Rome the whole world doth accord together with vs in one society of communion Note how in those old daies by coÌ„munion with the pope church of Rome the prelatâ— in Africa esteemed themselues to hold communion with the whole world M. Abbot puts forth a new case what if the church of the whole world do not hold communion with the church of Rome as it was when Arrianisme did ouerflowe the whole world Then at least by holding communion with Rome one held not communion with the church of the world M. Abbot is content to leaue the Donatists to dreame awhile and flieth for aduantage to the Arrians but they will helpe him no more then did the Donatistes For though their heresies infected many cities countries and drew many Bishops to their party yet M. Abbot I thinke can hardly name mee any one city of the world so wholy possessed with that Arrianisme that it had not at the same time many true beleeuers in it that would not ioyne in faith and religion with the said ArriaÌ„s but stuck close to the church of Rome and to all other true beleeuers The like we say of the Easterne churches when they fell into schisme and heresie that albeit the outward face of their congregations were schismaticall yet there remained alwaies in those countries as there do now in England very manie that did coÌ„stantly defend and embrace the Roman religion The Indians for the most part of late time were converted yet many millions of soules were wonne vnto Christian religion in the west and East Indies by good priests Franciscan Fryers and other religious men before any mission of Iesuits were sent into that heavenly haruest as the Indian storie doth testifie yea before their
circumstance of the very same Epistle S. Ierom finding the Bishops of the East vnder whom hee then liued to bee at fowle square about the word Hypostasis which may signifie either a substaÌ„ce or a person and being vehemently sollicited as a very learned man to deliuer his opinion whether they should say one or three hipostases would neither trust his owne learning which was singular nor rely vpon the iudgment of Paulinus by whom hee was made Priest who was both a very learned man and the patriarch of Antioch his proper pastor and prelate but knowing well that the finall and infallible resolution of all such doubts appertained vnto the Bishops of Rome addressed himself vnto him as vnto Christs vicar and S. Peters successor And was so far of from saying that hee would follow it no farther then hee followed S. Peter or from taking vpon himself so much as once to iudge of the popes senteÌ„ce that hee would beleeue and embrace whatsoever hee should determine Hiâ—ron epist 57. ad dama sum papam Disâ—ernite si placet obseero non ti meho tres hypostases dicere si iuhetis Ibidem Obtestor beatitudineÌ„ tuam per crucifixum vt mihi Epistolis tuis siue tacendarum siue dicendarum hypostaseon detuâ— auctoritas Ibidem Non nouivitalem miletum respuo ignoro Paulinum Quicunque tecum non colligit spargit hoc est qui christi non est Antichristi est and most instaÌ„tly besought Pope Damasus to commaund him and give him authority to say either three hypostases or but one And finally doth conclude that hee who would not be ruled by the pope in such doubtfull causes was none of Christs flocke but belonged to Antichrist Let S. Hierom then bee taken for a perfect patterne of true obedieÌ„ce vnto the popes senteÌ„ces and let M. Abbot staÌ„d for an exaÌ„ple of wranglers and perverters of the ancieÌ„t fathers true meaning And for that M. Abbot brags in the end of this discourse that hee told not one lie in it which might bee taken for a miracle if it were true Let the reader know that hee belieth here that worthy patriarch Paulinus Ex phan heres 77. wheÌ„ he saith of him that hee taught not the doctrine of Peter in that questioÌ„ For Paulinus was of no other opinioÌ„ touching the blessed Trinity then was that great light of that parte of the world S. Athanasius as witnesseth that sound recorder of antiquity most holy Bishop Epiphanius So that for no other cause in the world did S. IeroÌ„ write vnto pope Damasus for finall resolutioÌ„ of that difficulty theÌ„ for that hee was fully perswaded that it beloÌ„ged vnto the Bishop of Rome rather theÌ„ to any other Patriarch to determine all such hard doubtfull questioÌ„s M. Abbots key-cold glosse takeÌ„ out of Erasmus his scholies vpoÌ„ that Epistle is not worth the answering for hee being but a late and slipperie writer no fast hold can bee taken on him Againe his words bee as vncertaine as hee that spoke theÌ„ he supposeth that the Cyty of Rome may hap to degenerate in the end May hapso may hap no. So the Bishop of Rome do continue alwaies Orthodox as we make no doubt but through the vertue of our Saviours praier hee shall our pole-starr in darke questions shall alwaies remayne firme and cleere Though the city of Rome which god forbid should bee ouerrun either by the Turke or by any other wicked race of misbelieuers to wars the later end of the world as it was in the beginning of the Christian religion ruled by heathen Emperors Of M. Abbots interpretation of S. Peters faith and coÌ„fession hath been spoken sufficiently I hope in the first chapter whither I referre the Reader Hitherto of M. Abbots former resemblances betwene the Donatists and the Papists in steed of iustification wherof hee hath in each of them confessed some one oversight or other besids hee hath made many sorie shifts to vphold them And hath poudered them also with diuers vntruths M. Abbot hauing acquited himself so brauely in his precedent braÌ„ches of comparison now hee will no doubt as worthily and wisely multiply and increase them The first staffe of his multiplication staÌ„deth vpon Donatus the pope as hee stileth him but hee might more modestly haue termed him the Abbot of the Donatists R. AB THAT Archheretike exalted himself aboue the Emperor Optatus l. 3. co â—arm and therby as Optatus reporteth made himself more then a man euen as it were a God bicause there is none aboue the Emperor but God And albeit hee did not expresly call himself God yet he did that which was aequivalent for hee made his party to stand in more feare of him then they did of God Hee advanced himself aboue all other Bishops thinking none comparable to himself Is not the pope of Rome such another Hee hath exalted himself aboue all other Bishops he hath lifted himself aboue the Emperor and therby as Optatus concludeth made a god of himself Extrauag Iohis 22. Cum interim in glossa in edit Par. 1601. cuÌ„ priuilegio Gregorij 13. besids he in effect taketh vpon him to bee God by dispensing against the law of God and by disanulling the institution of Christ yea in very words hee hath yeelded to be called a god leaving yet standing in the glosse of the Canon Law vncorrected Our lord god the pope he will haue men stand in no lesse awe of him then of God himself whiles he maks shew of Gods anger at his coÌ„maund to inflict it where hee will W. B. IF mens owne inventions how silly soever seemed not vnto themselues ouer daintie pretious M. Abbot would haue chosen rather to haue blotted out his former childish resemblances then to haue added new vnto them of the like light nature This his first is so generall on the parte of the Donatists and so vnproper to bee applied to the pope and papists as he tearmeth them that it is worse then naught was there ever any Archheretike that preferred not his owne iudgement and inuention before both Popes and Emperors too if they could not get them to imbrace their heresies and in this high kind of pride and disdaine there was never any perhaps that passed the protestants Grandsier and Ringleader Martin Luther who with his Bible Luther libro aduersus Regem Angliae Ibidem was in his owne conceit to be preferd before a thousand Austins a thousand Ciprians and a thousand churches In the eie of the world I wil be saith hee so honest that they shall not be worthy to loose the lâ—â—chet of my shoe And touching my doctrine I am to Deuils Kaysars kings princes and to all the world too too froward and proude In glossa co praeten sum edictum Imperiale And in another place I Doctor Martin Luther of Iesus Christ an vnworrhy Euangelist do say that the Emperors of Rome Turky and Persia the Pope Cardinals Bishops priests fryers and
blood the picture of Christ in the forme of a good shepheard carrying home the lost sheepe on his shoulders Tertul. de pudicitia cap. 7. 10. as witnesseth Tertulian And that the Crucifixe was set vp in churches in S. Hieroms daies Hieron epist 27. de Epitha Paulae cap. 3. he declares plainly where he recordeth how the most holy widow Paula visiting the holie places was wont to fall downe prostrate before the Crosse and to adore as if she had seen our Lord Iesus hanging on it And Gregory Nazianzene reporteth that his father built to the honor of God a stately church Naz. oratione 19. in laude prat Bas con Iulianum Imper. citatur ab Adriano Act. 2. Niconi 2. Nissen de laudibus Theodor. Chrysost in Liturgia and among other ornaments did decke it with verie goodlie Images S. Basil testifieth the same saying in all our churches wee do set vp the Images of Saints So doth Gregorie Nissene in his oration made in the praise of the Martir Theodore And in the beginning of S. Chrisostomes Liturgie translated by Erasmus it is recorded how the priest turning towards the Image of Christ was to say a certaine praier whence it followeth evidently that the Image of Christ was by the Aultar where that Liturgie or Masse was said wherfore when so many worthy Prelates and Doctors of both greek and Latin church do teach holy pictures to haue been vsuall ornamentes of ChristiaÌ„ churches in those ancient and pure times it remaineth most certaine that true Christians could not bee frighted from Catholike churches by setting any pictures of saints in the same and consequently that which the Donatists spake of must needs bee the Image of some false God or of some monster which they did so much abhorre R. AB 5. THe Donatists alleadged their owne councels assembled by their owne authority against the Maximianists their owne schismatiks August epâ—st 162. and against the Bishops of the Catholike church Even so do the Papists alledge against vs their owne conventicles W. B. HEre is falshood vpon falshood for albeit the Donatists did alleadg their owne couÌ„cels against the Maximianists that were fallen from them as the protestants do their new articles and Canons against their schismatiks the Puritans yet M. Abbot cited no place to proue that they alledged their owne councels against the Catholiks No more do wee vse to produce against Protestants any late councel of ours or any late Catholike Author otherwise then to verify what our doctrine is and what they do teach neither can hee take any iust exception against the councell of Trent if it should bee produced against them as consisting wholy of men of our religion because men of their party might haue been there present if they had so pleased For they were requested to come and safe conduct was offered them the surest that could bee devised to perswade them to haue appeared there in their liknes to haue defended their new devised religion but they like valiant men feared to shew their face before that most learned assembly They lay barking at home out of their owne kennells against it but durst not in disputation encounter with the Catholike Doctors there assembled R. AB 6. THe Donatists not knowing how to make good their rent from the church by argument August epist 137. devised crimes and slaunders against their persons that defended the Catholike partie In the same steps walke the Papists who labour to blemish the names of Luther Calvin Beza and others by whom the Gospell of Christ hath been defended W. B. THis proper resemblance is borrowed out of the common of Dunses and by none more practised then by protestaÌ„ts who litle spare the name or fame of any Catholike writer against them how high in dignity how holy and learned soeuer hee bee Nay they are not ashamed to professe openly to the world that they take a speciall pride in railing against vs. Luth. Con. Sicarium Dresdâ—nsem Let this one sentence of their great maister Martin Luther serue for a pregnant proofe therof I saith hee regard not his complaints that in my booke there are few other things then taunts reproches and devils for this ought to bee my glorie and from henceforth so will I haue it reputed of mee that I am full of revyling taunting and cursing the papists for I will exercise my self against those knaues in taunts and curses even to my graue And out of Calvins sweet workes may be piked a volume of vile railing words as big as the bible as Sieur de meres relateth Manifi n. 17. As for Luther himself Calvin and Beza to omit others because M. Abbot for honors sake nameth these three as the three worthies of their new Gospell they are euen by principall men of their owne religion so curried and reuiled that in comparison therof all that the Catholiks do say of them are but fleabitings Take a tast of these fewe First of their holy father frier Luther thus writeth his sanctified sonne Zuinglius in his answer to Luthers book of the Sacrament Resp Zuingly ad l. Luther de Sacrament Here the word of God shall obtayne the victory and not those frantike reproches wherwith thou criest out that wee bee Lutters Devils Lunatike mischievous robbers rebels dissemblers Hyppocrites and what not Thou coynest rules after which the scriptures must bee vnderstood which otherwise thou couldst not alledge for thy purpose c Then he comes to his commendation Thou canst not deny thy self seised with the passion of Anger to rage and to bee mad If thou wilt but soberly vew ouer thine owne booke such a multitude of reproches and swarme of perverse opinions could never flow out of the fountaine of charitie or any reposed premeditation In the meane season I will make it more cleere then the daie light that thou never yeâ— didst know the glittering brightnes of the Gospell Mark this censure of Zuinglius of his master Martin vnles thou hast cleane forgotten it c. Thou adulteratest and corruptest the word of God thou dost imitate the Marcionists and Arrians Thus much out of Zuinglius may serue for blasoning and displaying the armes of his reverend maister Frier Martin Luther Now let vs heare how Doctor Hunneus a very learned Lutheran doth describe and paint out the man of God Iohn Calvin I suppose HuÌ„naeus de Calvino Iudaisante fol. 181. saith hee that Angel of darknes Iohn Calvin to be sufficiently discouered who peeping out of the pitt of hell parâ—lie by his detestable frantike lust of wresting the scripture to the subversion of those fortresses which the Christian religion had against the perfidious Iewes and Arrians Partly by his writing against the sacred Maiestie of Iesus Christ exalted and in part also by his perverse opinion of the whole matter of the Sacraments Finally by his horrible paradoxes of inevitable predestination hath in these latter times darkned no small part of the
heads of virgins that were veiled drawing from them the markes of their profession which were inuented to declare that in will and professiō they were maried to Christ By these few resemblances hitting the protestants so right on the thumbes to omitt many other the indifferent reader may see whether my retorting of M. Abbots comparisons were to the purpose or no and whether of vs haue more fortunatly travailed therin §. 6. W. B. TO conclude this passage seing M. Abbot went about to prove the church of Rome to bee like that of the Donatists by no one sound argument but by diuers trifles and vntruthes hee must looke vnles hee repent to haue his part with liars in the poole burning with fire and brimstone And if it please the reader to heare at what great square the Donatists were with the said church of Rome to which M. Abbot would so fayne resemble them I will briefly shew it out of the best records of that time L. 2 co lit Petil. c. 51. S. Austin speakes thus to the Donatist Petilian what hath the church or sea of Rome in which Peter sate and now sitteth Anastasius done vnto thee why doest thou call the Apostolicall chaire the chaire of pestilence See how friendly the Donatists were wont to salute the church of Rome stiling it the chaire of pestilence That noble prelate Optate to this Issue hath thus deposed whence is it that you Donatists take vpon you to vsurpe the keies of the kingdome and that presumptuously and with sacrilegious audacity you do wage battell against the chaire of Peter If the Donatists did wage warre against the church of Rome surely there was no likelihood of any good intelligence betweene them wherfore like as the Catholiks of Africa then so they were linked in communion with the church of Rome sett light by the outcries of the Donatists against them as witnesseth S. Austin when hee said of Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage Epist 162 one of the princes of the Catholike party hee needed not to care for the multitude of his conspiring enemies the Donatists when hee saw himself by communicatorie letters ioyned with the Romane church in which alwaies florished the primacie of the Apostolicall chaire c. Even so wee at this time need as litle to esteeme of the bitter reproches and deceitfull arguments of the protestants So wee stand vpright and firme in the like society of faith and religion with the same church of Rome R. AB MIstake I did in some circumstance but lie I did not because to lie is to go against a mans owne mind and knowledge That the Donatists were at square with the ancient church of Rome wee confesse But what is that to the latter church of Rome which is degenerated from the old and in tying the Catholike church to her owne place and function doth rather resemble the old Donatists besids the Donatists were at as great square with all other Catholike churches some of which were also mentioned by saint Augustin in that and other places why then doth M. Bishop make that peculiar vnto the church of Rome which S. Austin leaueth indifferent to that and other churches and as other churches afterward became chaires of pestilence so might the church of Rome for ought that S. Austin there saith of it The like is to bee answered vnto Optatus who teaching the Donatists to haue been whole enemies vnto the church of Rome doth not hinder but that the latter church of Rome might agree well enough with them Finally S. Austin doth not say that Cecilianus ioyned with the church of Rome alone but ioyning with that and other Catholike churches needed not to care for the Donatists So that there is no more there for the cōmuniō of the church of Rome thē for the cōmuniō of other churches Hee will say that a principality is there attributed vnto the church of Rome I answere as before I haue done that a principality of honour may bee givē to it but not a principality of power And doth it follow that because the principality of the Apostolike chaire florished there till that time therfore it should do so ever vnto the worlds end These are loose and vaine collections vnfit to stablish the conscience of sober and advised men W. B. FOr a conclusion of this chapter M. Abbot tells vs that albeit hee mistooke somethings yet hee did not lie in any part therof and the proofe in part is very prettie because for sooth hee went not against his owne mind His mind and pleasure then being to say that the Donatists taught the true church to bee only at Cartenna Secondly That the Papists do teach now that the same true church is conteyned within the wals of Rome only 3. That no other mans Baptisme besids a papist priests is avaylable to Salvation 4. That none among the Indians bee truly converted to the Christian faith but all of them are forced to receiue baptisme with out religion when hee I say wrote these and twentie mo such like most luculent lies yet in all this hee did not once lie the reason is in readines bicause hee never went against his owne mind His mind then giving him belike that to vilify and slaunder the Papists he might tell a hundreth worse tales of them then those are Good Sir if vpon Etymologies of words you presume to deliuer such senseles and wicked doctrine it may trulie bee said to you for ought I see Domine mentiris whether you teach it against your owne mind or no. For although a man that of meere ignorance telleth an vntruth doth not properly lie yet when hee presumeth to shoote his bolt to giue his censure rashly of things commonly spoken of contrary to the truth as M. Abbot hath done then hee may bee said to lie though hee know not perfectly the contrarie Because hee might and ought to haue learned out the truth therof before hee presumed to deliuer his Iudgment theron in such absolute and peremptorie tearmes As the Donatists were at open warre with the old church of Rome So doth the moderne church of Rome as greatly as the old detest the same positions of the Donatists To wit that the church of Christ is perished all the world ouer saving in some odd corners 2. That men baptised by vnsanctified Ministers ought to bee rebaptised And so of all the rest which either Optatus or S. Austin then recorded for speciall points of the Donatists doctrine That the now church of Rome doth differ in any one article of faith from the ancient is that which M. Abbot doth often say and repeate but never yet could nor here after shall ever bee able to bring any one sufficient proofe therof wherfore by all right and reason the said church is to retaine her former good reputatiō and credit with all honest and vpright consciences For if everie man haue title vnto his good name vntill hee bee conuicted to haue committed some such
Math 25 21. well fare thy hart good and faithfull seruant because thou hast been faithfull to mee in tyme of triall temptatioÌ„ I will be as faithfull to keepe promise with thee in this day of iust retribution Thou was put to shame and confusion before men thou shalt now haue honour and glory in the presence of Angels thou was content for my sake to leese the good countenance of thy Prince but therby thou hast purchased the favour of my father king of heauen Earth they for thy noble confessioÌ„ haue thrust thee out of thy lands and liuings enter therfore into possession of the most Ample rich and glorious kingdome of heauen supra multa te constituam I will place thee ouer manie things and giue the a recompence that shall a hundreth fold surmoÌ„t thy losses for the short and light paines that thou didst then suffer for mee receiue from this time forth for evermore no lesse then the very self same ioy though not in the same degree of thy said Souereigne Lord and Maister Intra in gaudium domini tui Enter into the ioye of thy Lord. which are so great so delitious so pretious and perpetuall that neither eye hath seen nor care heard nor hart of man is able to conceiue whâ—t good Christian had not leifer to incurr the danger of an open confession of his faith here on earth then to forgoe so high and inestimable a recompence therof here after specially if he lay ther vnto the other part of our Saviours sentence Math. 10.33 Luc 9.20 He that shall denie mee before men I will deny him before my father which is in heauen Or as S. Luke relateth He that shal be ashamed of mee or of my words him the sonne of man shal be ashamed of when he shall come in his maiesty Observe that it is all one to be ashamed of Christs word that is of his faith and religion as to be ashamed of his owne person and that he who shall not for feare of the world make open confession of them in time and place Christ at the last daie when he comes to iudg the quicke and the dead wil be ashamed of that person that is look heauely vpon him reiect him and condemne him for euer and euer This is so evident and playne out of Christs owne mouth that it requireth not anie confirmation or testimony of man And if need were I could shew that it was in the primitiue church holden for an accursed heresie and condemned in the name of the Helcesaites to thinke it lawfull for them that in hart beleeue in Christ to deny him with their mouthes when they stand in danger of losing their goods therfore See Eusebius in the 31. chapter of the 6. booke of his Ecclesiasticall history To close vp this chapter euerie good Christian must take for most assured that it is not sufficient to saluation to beleeue in Christ and to hold the fundamentall points onlie of our Christian Religion but rest perswaded that the wilfull refusall of beleeuing any one Article of faith declared by the Catholike church to bee such and to vs well notified wil be at the last daie euidence enough to cast anie Christian otherwise manie of the old reproued heretikes were in the state of saluation and very vniustlie by the most holie and learned Prelates of Gods church excommunicated and condemned which once to imagine cannot be but great impietie And if anie subiect how great and noble so euer he be for one fact of treason or felonie doth iustly deserue death by the censure of all lawmakers and a man making the law of Moises frustrate Hebr. 10.28 without anie mercie died as the Apostle witnesseth how much more worthie is he to die the death that shal be convinced not to beleeue the fountaine of all truth Almighty God himself in some thing not to giue perfect credit to his chosen messengers and infallible witnesses and to disobey them whom he hath appointed to be our spirituall pastors and gouernors And when our blessed Saviour who loued the eternall saluation of our soules so deerelie that to make a full purchase therof for vs was content to giue his most pretious bloud when he I say to whoÌ„ we are so exceedingly much beholding and bound hath out of his incomprehensible wisdome prouided the best and most assured meanes that may be to hold all Christians in vnitie of faith and religion by tying them to beleeue and obey his one holie Catholike church those libertines will not hold themselues to his assigned ordinance but out of their owne presumption beleeue whom and what they list and so by litle and litle grow at lenght to beleeue nothing at all wherfore to auoid all these most dangerous inconveniences and to escape Gods iust indignation let vs submit our vnderstanding wholie vnto his diuine reuelations and be most vigilant and carefull to learne out what his blessed will and pleasure is that we should beleeue and be as forward and readie to beleeue it without anie resistance or staggering for the soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth is a iealous God and will not part stakes with anie or be serued to the halues His high and inviolable decree is that we both loue him with all our heart and also beleeue in him fully and wholie yea ouer and besides when we be called to it he will haue vs not be abashed to coÌ„fesse his holie name but to stand valiantlie to the publike profession of his sacred faith and religion whatsoeuer it cost vs. and then will he without all doubt in time most conuenient call vs to the possession of his heaueÌ„ly and euerlasting kingdome to liue for euer and euer in all ioy honour and glorie with his most holie Angels and all blessed Saints To which most hâ—ppy resting place Almighty God of his infinite mercy through the inestimable merits of our most glorious Redeemer bring vs all in the end AMEN I desire thee courteous reader to beare with the faultes in printing which be very many through the composers ignorance in our language the grosser are to be amended thus For page read wo 10. who Pselues 31. themsel Ther est 64. the rest wr 69. warning wr ibid writ boo 70. book desirer 75. desire wn 76. own thee 77. the. Gods ir 76. good sir 851. 78. 85. donasti 88. donatist chook 92. choking construct 118. consumat de 119. fide 51. 123. 1. hom 1. ibid. 9. disco 132. dioscorus And 138. to be put out mise 144. 155. ipse cap 99. 158. 9. flock 164. flock Alhi ibid. Alchimist tost and 172. to stand courto 171. court lest 172. lost ditous 173. ditious others 180 other dipro ibid. dispr boh ibid. both these ibid. the. Innocentin 16. tius iustly 189. iustly nous ibid. house or 214. of ane ony 226. any one no 250. yea yea ibid. no. by th 241. both popes the 273. the popes both in 284. in both in 287. l. 2. to be put out ferneut ibid. feruent suto 288. into biet his ibid. bie this word 300. world seetes 301. sectes haue 307. hanc qui 328. to be put out qua ibid. quae do 336. doth do 342. do not church a 350. a church wholy 367. whot ofo 308. of dat 320. orat cem 225. catum ibidem in his successors tobe put out