Paul calleth the Church so surely on a Rock as Hell-gates Heresies to wit Schismes Scandals Persecutions or any hellish power else should not prevail against it as he expressily promised if he Mat. 6. likewise intended to remain with it to the worlds end by his power to wit of guiding and protecting it if he Mat. 28. performed his repealed promises of sending the holy Ghost to abide ever with it for no other end but to coÌ„fort Jo. 16. 17. guide and lead it unto all truth how without blasphemy and plainly accusing him of falsehood in his promises Can any Christian affirm her to have been idolatrous and Antichristian in her Religion for many ages together evacuating so the glory of Contra Luciferianos our Saviours Crosse saith St. Hierâ—m and subjecting himself to the Devill as able to bereave him of his Church and Kingdome God forbid saith the same Father that Christ should be said to have died in vain and his Passion become at any time fruitlesse and ineffectuall to save us No no the eternal Fathers promise is fulfilled willing his Son to ask him and he would give for an inheritance all nations of the Gentiles unto him and the utmost bounds of the earth for his possession Esay 62. called therefore by the Prophet Esay Lord of the whol earth and it will be Apoâ— 7. a joâ—fâ—ll and eternall cry of Saints in Heaven Thou hast redeemed us O Lord God out of every Tribe Tongue and People c. So as I may say here to Protestants what St. Optatus told the Donatists if you seek to shut up the Catholick and Universal Church into corners and Lib. 2. coâ—tra Parmenionem seclude all nations besides your selves from the communion thereof where is that then which the Son of God hath merited for us How then will his Fathers promise be fulfilled of giving all Nations unto him Why do you infringe his promise and seek to streighten his ample Kingdom why do you deny his Fathers great love and bounty to him why do you war against his merits and not permit him to enjoy what was promised unto him why do you limit to places and times his Universal and everlasting Dominion Wherefore to finde out this true Church of Christ and distinguish the same from heretical conventicles and Congregations the Apostles in their Creed and the two first general Councels of Nice and Constantinople have fitly assigned these foure marks of being one holy Catholick and Apostolical which no other Church but ours can in their true sence colourably claim here briefly declared by me She is said to be one and the same in her Faith amongst all Nations communicating Lib. de unitat Ecclâ—s with her so that illuminated by our Lord saith St. Cyprian as a Sun she spreadeth her Rayes throughout the world yet so as her light is one as a fruitful Vine she extendeth widely forth her branches but as from one root and body which they grow in as a full and flowing fountain she powreth out her streams yet so as there is still one head and origine of them And according to St. Optatus his comparison the multitude of particular Churches remaineth in her as many fingers in one hand distant in places but united in Doctrine for that the very name of a Church importeth Union and collection of many together in faith government and practices of Religion as all those things do unto which Christs Church is likened for example to a kingdom to a City to a house or family to a flock to a body consisting of different members ordered and compacted together She is one by a continuall Succession of Pastors and faithfull people in her still professing the same faith whereas Hereticks are choosers of what they will believe and divided into so many sects as there are heads almost amongst them She is called holy as the mysticall body of Christ vivificated by his holy Spirit governed by a holy Law sanctified by Sacraments continually by him having none but faithfull servants of their divine Lord remaining within her amongst whom there are still to be found many holy Persons whilest others are like fruitlesse branches in a Vine and dead members in a living body She is said to be Catholick for her large extent embracing many Countryes and Kingdomes of the world united in faith and governed by her so that she is still greater than any sort or Sect of Hereticks opposite unto her She is Apostolical in her descent as being able to prove her Origine from the Apostles themselves according to Tertullians prescription saying The Apostles founded Churches in divers Cities and appointed Bishops to govern them and from these latter Churches by receiving and persevering in their faith become Apostolical also which prescription is used by ancient Irenaeus instancing against Hereticks Lib. 3. c. 3. lib. 4. c. 36. of his time the succession of Roman Bishops in one Sea and Faith without any mutation different from that first professed by them St. Optatus likewise and St. Austin have done the samâ— and pressed the Donatists with this prescription who like to the Hereticks of this time wanted antiquity and had no unity amongst them Wherefore our Adversaries fly from those ancient marks of a true Church and assign two others of their own devising true preaching of Gods word and a due administration of Sacraments against which we object first that the essence rather than the sigâ—es of a true Church consisteth in them Secondly that all sorts of Hereticks do equally claim them so as no Church can be known to be a true Church certainly by them Thirdly that any man desirous to be a Christian must first know the Church before he can know the truth of her Doctrine c. Fourthly that this judgement of the Churches true doctrine and due manner of administration of Sacraments cannot be made by ordinary persons but by such as are learned whereas the signâ—s of a Church are to direct all sorts of persons to the knowledge of her Fiftly these marks may be found amongst Schismaticks damnably separated from a Catholick and charitable communion with other Christians as S. Austin in sundry places proved against the Donatists who at their first rising at least wanted neither a true Doctrine nor Sacraments but a will onely to live peaceably with their Brethren so as to speak truly Protestants have purposely devised these marks of a Church as otherwise knowing that the great division which is amongst them in points and practises of faith novelty of rising the smalness of their extent hitherto in the world and want of pastorall succession would convince them to be a rabble onely of Hereticall Conventicles jarring one against another Yet rather than they will admit ours to be the true Church of Christ in whom these signes may be found confessedly by themselves and all predictions of the Prophets exactly fulfilled concerning the amplitude glory and continuance of Christs
therein of whom Christ said He that heareth Epist 1. c. 4. you heareth me and of whom St. John said He that knoweth God heareth us and ho who knoweth not God heareth us not in this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour Christ having before told his Apostles and such no doubt as succeeded them in the government Joan. 15. of his Church I will send unto you the Holy Ghost and he shall give testimony unto me and so shall you c. joyning so together the inward teaching of the Holy Ghost and outward teaching of the Church both to be embraced and obeyed by all her children For albeit saith St. Austin he uttered all Enarrat in Psal 47. these promises to his Apostles cum illis loquebatur noâ— intelligebat yet speaking to them he meant us also who were to the worlds end to succeed them for whom he prayed and obtained the Holy Ghost of his heavenly Joan. 77. Father not to remain for a time but for ever with them The third Controversie Of the Bishop and Church of Rome NOt as it is the Patriarchial and particular Church of that City but as it is head and chief of all other Churches subjected unto it And I do not here without hearty grief entâ—r into this Controversie whilest I consider with my self how violently and virulently our Adversaries have after the accustomed manner of other Hereticks before them by preaching and writing slanderous untruths made not to men and women only but even unto very children the name of Pope Papistry as they call our Catholick Faith hatefull and scarcely with patience to be mentioned amongst them notwithstanding all learned men know that antiently the Church of Rome hath been for the profession of her faith and glory of her Martyrs renowned above other Churches so as thirty three Bishops successors of S. Peter in that Chair were slain in that City for Christ amidst their flocks and innumerable Martyrs with them after the two chief Apostles Peter and Paul had planted by their preaching and watered with their bloud the true Doctrine of Christ therein thus extolled by Calvin himself after many Lib. 4. insti tut c. 6 â— untruths uttered by him I deny not saith he but that thâ— ancient Fathers do yeeld every where great reverence to the Church of Rome and speak highly of her calling her for honours sake the Apostolical Sâ—e of the West as freer from troubles and more firmly retaining her first Faith than other African or Grecian Churches Wâ—ence it came to passe that holy Bishops injured and driven from their Sees retired thither as unto a Port of Safety and have been from time to time by the Authority of Popes righted and restored to their Churches Others also in questions and doubts of Religion have repaired unto them St. Policarp for example Disciple to John and ordained Bishop of Smyrna by him came to Pope Anicetus about the due observance of Easter aâ— St. Irenâ—us Eusebius and St. Hieâ—â—me have left written And St. Irenaeus after him came to Rome as Tertullian recounteth about condemning some Heresies then nâ—wly rising Origen likewise as St. Hierom testifieth submitted Epist. ad Pâ—machiuÌ„ Ocâ—anum himself to Pope Fabian and recanted some doctrines written by him Saint Cyprian in like manner wrote many Epistles to Pope Cornelius about sundry businesses of his Church and the Novations then beginning to be troublesome unto him St. Athanasius and many other Bishops of Aegypt and Libia together addressed themselves by a most humble and earnest Epistle to Pope Foelix the second to crave of him a true Copy of the Nicene Councel which the Arians had in all places burned and suppressed to demand also a restitution to their several Churches and to be redressed in other wrongs done unto them for that the relief of wronged Bishops and other chief businesses of the Church for the eminency of hiâ— authority over all Churches and Bishops belonged unto him as it had been declared by the Fatherâ— of the Nicene Councel at which some of them selves had been present And accordingly he that will read the Epistles of St. Leo and St. Gregory both surnamed great for that high and holy esteem which the Christian world is known to have had of them shall find them as other Popes had done before to have exercised authority over all Eastern and Western Bishops as Causes happ'ned even Patriarchs themselvâ—s without exception howsoever this certain truth be by Calvin impudently denied Insomuch that the very next Popes to St. Peter so holy in their livâ—s and glorious in their Martyrdomes for Christ that it would be an impious temerity for any man to object as some of our Adversaries have done any affectation of Pride and Ambition unto them are known by the prerogative of their Chair to have both claimed and exercised this Universal Authority Tom. 1. Conciliorum Epis 3. Saint Anacletus for example the fourth Pope after S. Peter hath these words This holy and Apostolical Church of Rome hath obtained not from the Apostles but from our Saviour himself a Supream and eminent power over all Churches and the whole flock of Christ when he said unto the most blessed Apostle Thou art a rock and upon this rock I will build my Church c. S. Victor likewise so claimed this power and exercised the same over other Churches as he excommunicated all Bishops of the lesser Asia for their Judaical and obstinate observance of Easter for which S. Irenaeus blamed him not because he wanted authority but for that he had used therein overmuch severity S. Calixtus in his Epistle ad Benedictum expresly affirmed the Church of Rome needfully to be obeyed and followed by all Churches as Head and chief of them The like authority was challenged and exercised by all these holy Popes living within the first 300. years after Christ Antherus Fabian Lucius Dionysius Foelix the first Marcellus and others Neither were holy Fathers in that time lesse earnest in defending the Supream and Universal Authority of the Roman Church than Popes themselves S. Irenaeus for example calleth Lib. 3. c. 3. the Church of Rome the greatâ—st most antient and best known Church founded by the two most blessed Apostles Peter and Paul c. Whereunto for her more powerfull principality all other Churches were to be conformed in the doctrine of Faith and practice of Religion naming Popes untill this Li. de pudicitia time succeeding each other Tertullian likewise from the succession of Bishops in that See numbred by him prescribeth against Hereticks the truth of Christian Doctrine calling the Bishop of that Church Episcopum Episcoporum Bishop of Bishops and Father of the Catholick Church S. Cyprian in a like manner after he had declared how Christ promised to build his Church on S. Peter and commended the government Lib. de unitat Eccles of his flock unto him saith that albeit all the Apostâ—es received
as may be instanced in all â—â—â—â—ticks of former times whereby the other three Patriarchical Seats of Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem have been first corrupted and afterwards with Mahumetiâ—m overwhelmed as now likewise hath almost happened unto the Churches of Greece after they had been ten severall times unitâ—d to the Church of Rome and faln again from it who yet never arrived unto that fraâ—â—tick and witlesse folly of Protestants affirming the Succession of Popes in S. Peters Chair even almost since the Apostles time for 1000. years at lâ—ast past to have been Antichrist that single man and professed enemy of Christ mentioned by S. Paul who is certainly to be received by the Jews to raign in Hierusalem and tread the holy City under his feet to sit as a God in the Temple reedified by him to kill Enoch and Elias there the two faithful witnesses of Christ lying afterwards three dayes together naked in the Streets of that City the glory of whose raign is to continue but three years and a half called by Daniel and S. John a time two times and half a time numbred by forty two months or which is all one by 1260. dayes when Christ shall shorten the rage of his persecution for the good of his elect and kill this wicked man with the breath of his own mouth All which particulars contained in Scripture one by one can no more agree to the whole Succession of Roman Bishops than to the Turkish Emperours for these thousand years past nor indeed so much because these have had the possession of Hierusalem for many ages together and ever have been enemies to Christ and Christians whereas Popes have ever been his faithfull Servants his Vicars here on earth and chief Pastors of his flock by his own Ordination So as â—othing could have been devised more injuriously to Christ or more derogating from his glory in redeeming us than to affirm as in effect they do that the Devill timely prevailed against him for the overthrow of his Church and that also by the Roman Bishop and Chaire of Peter whereon as a Rock he promised to build so firmly as hell gates to wit no power of men or Devils should prevail against it In the mean time if ad Thess 2. we will with holy Fathers and all antient or modern Interpreters examine that obscure place of S. Paul concerning the mystery of iniquity working in his time it was not understood of Popes but of Hereticks beginning then to rise and preparing a way for Antichrists coming for which cause they are called by S. John Antichrists as by corrupting the true faith forerunners of him And never any Sect or sort of Hereticks did perform this wicked Office against Christ his Church more than modern Hereticks have done in their pretended reformation of our Church and Religion Whose malice against the Bishop of Rome is so far extended as even that blessed Apostle himself whose Chair they succeed in is so undervalued by them that they seek to deny many especial privileges of our Saviours love towards him magnified by all ancient Fathers and Interpreters of Scripture before them as his having been from his first calling by the imposall of a new name designed by Christ to be the head foundation of his Church and under the title of his Flock thrice commended the same to his government prayed for him that his faith might not faile willing him to confirm his Brethren He prayed not In quaest Novi testamenti q. 75. saith S. Austin for James or John or any of the rest but for Peter alone that his faith might not faile because on him as a sure foundation next to himself the firmity of his Church chiefly depended So as from this Text the unâ—rring judgment of him and his Successors in points of Faith hath been as well by ancienâ— Fathers as later Divines rightly gathered Neither can it be convinced that any Bishop of Rome hath as a private Doctor erred in any point of Faith much lesse guided the Church amisse by falsly declaring any point or practice of Christian Doctrine And if amongst such a multitude of most Learned Holy and eminent Persons which in the See of Rome have from age to age succeeded each other some few have been blamefull in their lives as one amongst the twelve Apostles was a Judas and another amongst the first seven Deacons is commonly held to have been horribly vicious in his life and doctrine yet prejudiced not the sanctity of the rest nor the holinesse of their Function for why should the glory of other good Popes come to be obscured or the high authority of that See be lessened by them Such scandals being some of those gates of Hell which were permitted by Christ to be opened against his Church but never to overthrow it Yet I may truly say here that in numbring and naming such Popes Protestants have notably erred and with great malice made Boniface the eighth and other Popes black and abominable in their lives who by the certain testimonies of most holy and learned persons living in the same age and time with them were very good holy and zeaâ—ous Bishops and wrongfully defamed by unconscionable wicked men professed adversaries unto them And should any Pope swarve in any point from the professed and known faith of Christs Church and in any publick manner profâ—sse his error there would not as our Adversariâ—s teach be wanting in the Church authority or means enough to â—eâ—ose or rather declare him to be no true member of the same and so no more hâ—ad thereof which is spoken of a thing in the ayre and that will never hâ—ppen Nâ—ither is it to be marvelled at that we Christians should bâ—lieve that the cheif Pastor and Head of Christs Church for whom himself prayed that his faith might not faile for the confirmation of his Brethren in their Christian and Catholick profession should be inâ—allible in his publick teaching sithence the High Priest of the Jews a type onely and figure of ours was to be so strictly followed and obeyed in his doctrine as the refusers of his sentence were by death and no lesse penalty to be punished and such as sate in the Chair of Moses and exercised that power which was provided by God for the instruction of his People were by our Saviours command notwithstanding their bad lives to be followed in their doctrine and can we think that he would leave his Church void of such an external and infallible means in all points and practices of faith to rely on For should the Churches teaching be held fallible and uncertain even scriptures themselves might be questioned in their authority approved as I have said before by her testimony and tradition as other declared points of doctrine And to say that this infallible authority should be more in the flock than in the chief Pastor thereof more in the body than in the head more in the family than in the father and governour
themselves in their Translations of Scripture follow sometimes the Greek sometimes the Hebrew and somtimes neither but other extravagancies yea and often our Vulgar Translation as they finde this or that or a third or fourth most convenient for them Secondly we tell them that we hold it more wholesome for us to drink the water of a pure stream then of a troubled fountain for that all learned and impartiall men know the Hebrew and Greek Originals to have been by Jewish Rabbins since St. Hierom's time and Grecian Hereticks altered and corrupted in many places whereas our Vulgar Edition is held in most parts thereof to be the same which that great Doctor at Pope Damasus intreaty corrected in the new Testament according to the Greek and translated in the Old out of the Hebrew by St. Austin in sundry places Lib. 10. de Civit. dei cap. 43. highly extolled thuâ— also mentioned by Doctor Whitaker against Reignalds Hierome I reverence Damasus I commend and the work I confesse to Pag. 241. in cap. 1. Luc. v. 1. be godly profitable for the Church So as Beza himself is inforced to confesse our Interpretor to have translated the holy Books with marvelous sincerity and religion And Pelicanus in his Preface on the Psalter which in our Edition is not St. Hieroms affirmeth the Interpretor thereof to have expressed the Hebrew Text with great learning and fidelity not doubting him to have been some propheticall person And many other cheif Protestants have highly commended the whole Edition generally used in the Church as Doctor Covel against M. Burges hath affirmed for 1300. past whereas Protestants with sharp and virulent censures mutually condemn each others translations Zuinglius for example and very justly condemneth Luther for having in his German Bible changed and left out not onely words but whole Sentences And Oecolampadius his Bible printed at Bazil is censured by Beza to be a sacrilegious corruption of Scripture Betwâ—en himself also and Castalio like censures have passed and been published of their different versions with greater bitterness then beseemed Christian Doctors Carolus Molineus condemneth Calvin and saith that in his Harmony he maketh the Text to leap up and down as he pleaseth Broughton hath noted multitudes of errours in all our English translations and King James in the conference at Hampton-Court affirmed plainly that he had never amongst them all seen a good one and judged that of Geneva to be the worst amongst them So full of incertainties are these new Doctors in the total summe as I may say of their Religion wholy depending upon the true knowledge of Scripture For that in their opinion no point or practice of Faith is to be admitted which is not expressed or gatherable by a clear and immediate consequence out of Scripture a tenent which shall be by me afterwards in every controversie disproved In the mean time to their pretence that St. Hierome denyed those very Books to be of a sacred and infallible authority which they have rejected from the Canon of Scripture I Answer first that St. Hierom as a private Doctor might easily erre in his opinion of these Books before our Churches Canon was fully declared and accepted Secondly I Answer that when Ruffinus objected this unto him In Apologia 2a contrâ— Russinum he called him Sycophant and said that he had onely uttered what the Jews not himself thought of those Books and professed to translate Judith because the first Nicene Councel had declared the same to be canonical albeit the Jews then denyed it to be so Neither doth it make much against the sacred authority of those Bookes that the Jews admitted them not into their Canon of Scripture because all or most part of them were written since Esdras composed their Canon and who can doubt but that Christs Church might better from them Apostles than from the Jews come to know true Scriptures And whereas some Protestant Divines pretend against those Books because they were not written in Hebrew as though no Scriptures could be written in any other tongue I can tell them here also that it hath been discovered and confessed of late even by Protestants themselves that the two Books of Machabees were first written in Hebrew and so was Ecclesiasticus which S. Hierom testifieth himself to have seen in Hebrew bound up together with the Proverbs of Solomon As for the absurdities pretended by our Adversaries to be found in those Books of Tobias Judith and Hester many of our chief Divines as Canus Bellarmine Serrarius and others have cleared them and shewed no lesse difficulties to be found in other confessed Books of Scriptures That some ancient Fathers also when many forged Scriptures were extant not distinguish'd from canonical writings doubted of or denied the authority of some Books admitted by us is an argument that proveth over much or just nothing for that we know many undoubted parts of Scripture have been questioned in a likâ— manner the Churches Examen having in time discovered the verity of them And albeit no one of those Books denied by Protestants wanteth the testimonies of antient Fathers to prove the said sacred Authority yet are there two of them in former times especially so approved Sapientia and Ecclesiastiâ—us the first of them was written as St. Hierome witnesseth in his Preface on the Books of Salomon by Philo a Jew long before our Saviours time wherein he compiled the Sentences of Salomon not conteined in his own Books but by tradition other wise conserved this Book is cited for true Scripture by S. Hierome himself yet with this restriction Cui In c. 8 12 Zacha. iae in cap. Esaiae in 18. Hâ—â—râ—â—iae tamen placeâ— librum recipere if any man will receive this book and without it in his latter Writings for then perchance he saw the Canon of Scripture more fully declared St. Ireneus Apud Eusebi um li. 5. Hist c. 8. l. 5. 6. stomatum bomil 12. in Leviti cum lib. 8. in epist. ad Romanos Heâ—â—si 63. homilia 33. 34. in Math. also long before him cited it for sacred so did St. Clement of Alexandria so did Origen so did S. Athanasius in Synopsi orat 2. contra Arianos so did S. Basil lib. 5. contra Eunomianos so did S. Gregory Nissen in testimoniis ex veteri testamento cap. de Nativitate Christi ex virgine so did S. Epiphanius S. Chrysostom S. Ciprian S. Hilary in Psal 127 S. Ambrose li. de Salomone cap. 1. S. Austin and others highly extolling the Book as Exhortatione ad martyrium teaching all sorts of vertue under the generall notions of Wisdome and Justice and conteyning in the second Chapter thereof a clear Prophesie of our Saviours Passion killed by the Jews because he made himself the Son of God c. which alone is sufficient to prove the divine authority of this Book Ecclesiasticus also was written by Jesus the Son of Sirach in
earthly inheritance and kingdome they will make him a King without any Dominion a Head without a body a Father without a family and a Pastor without a flock for many ages together Yâ—a if we will believe some of them Christs Church was no sooner settled in the truth of heavenly Doctrine but it dâ—clined superstitiously and wickedly from it The Centurists for example in their second â—â—p 4. Century after a deniall of Saint Denis Areopagita his known Works becauâ—e they contain many points and practices of Doctrine against them have accusâ—d St. Ignatius who lived with our Saviour himself and waâ— both for his life and death gloriously renowned for speaking of Priests Altars Sacrifice and severall Orders of Church Ministers not admitted by them of Colledges of Virgins and Widdows vowing to live chastly concerning the merit of good works and other declinings from the first purity of Christian Doctrine They accuse St. Irenaeuâ— for mentioning a Sacrifice according to the Order of Melchisedeck instituted under the forms of Bread and Wine by our Saviour himself in his last Supper taught by him to the Apostles and offered since in all parts of the World according to Cap. 1. Malachies prediction thereof and figured long before by Melchisedeck's oblation c. Others say Christs Church failed in Constantines time when it first began as a bright Sun to break out of the â—ark clouds of ten horrible Persecutions and spread its beams clearly throughout the world to the excessive joy of Christians as if at that very time Antichrist had begun his raign when Christs Church most flourished because then Pope Silvester a most glorious Confessor of Christ had the City of Rome for his residence assigned unto him by that glorious Emperour and they are inforced to this Blasphemy or else to allow of our present Church and Religion undoubtedly professed in Constantines time by the Sacrifice of the Mass solemnly celebrated with lights on the Altar with Prayer for the Dead Honour done unto Saints adoration of the sacred Host and kneeling before it images used in Churches c. as is in the Protestants Apologie for Catholicks plainly proved in a whole Chapter together Others affirm the utter overthrow of Christs Church to have happened in the time of Pope Boniface the third so as it hath been no where since vouchable and visible in any part of the world but wholly râ—tired to the hearts of some faithfull Persons knowing but not daring to professe true Religion members indeed of a Church framed onely by imagination and fancy and living perchance in the land of Faries or â—ome inchantâ—d Ilands or in Concaves of the Moon out of this world where there is no memory to be found of them whereas our Catholick Church even in the horriblest times of persecution was by the glorious Martyrdoms of innumerable Saints men and women children also amongst them Apologies written in defence of our Christian Religion meetings of Bishops learned expositions of Scriptures and in many other manners maintained as is now testified unto us Wherefore other Protestant Doctors not to trouble themselves with such fopperies of an invisible Church remaining still in ours for so many ages together affirm our Catholick Church at all times to have been the only Catholick and known Church of Christ but not to have been altogether free from erroneous Tenents and practices of doctrine reformed forsooth by them since Luthers and Calvins departure from it Yet so as the Authors of this opinion differ about the imagined errours of our Church some affirm them to have been fundamentall damnable idolaâ—rous and Antichristian which is the same as to say that during so many ages Christ had no true Church at all whilest others make a milder judgement of them and say that the being of a true Church was not hindred by the belief and practice of them so as they agree not in the very being before Luther of their Church and Religion The second part AND because they pretend our Church and Religion to have been resormed by them they shall give me leave here to declare what manner of men these Reformers were how they were first called to make this Reformation How they began it And to what antient Faith and Form of Church government they sought to reduce it And to discuss these points Comment in cap. 1. ad Galatas orderly my Reader must know that the first father of these Reformers was Martin Luther an Apostate Friar of St. Austins order who as he writeth himself lived chastely and well in his Monastery for fifteen years together but after his departure from it he became Sâ—â—m de Matrim by his own confession a very monster of Lust no more able to live without a woman than he could leave to be a man or forbear natural necessities of eating drinking spitting c. and luxury at one time so raged in him as for eight dayes together he could neither pray nor study and shortly after to asswage the heat thereof one night after Supper he married forsooth and took for his Bed-fellow Katheriue Bore a lusty Nun after eight years of her religious profession which troubled so much his friends and Melancthon chiefly that in an Epistle to Camerinus You know saith he the manner of Luthers life wherefore I had rather you should conjecture the rest then I write thereof onely I may say Luther is not a man made to live without a woman which surely was no great commendation for an apostolicall man as he by his discipâ—es is pretended to have been Carolastadius Luthers first Schollar Priest and Dean of Witâ—enberg Church and Father of modern Sacramentarian Hereâ—icks fierce unlearned and void almost of common judgement as Melanctâ—on described him prevented his Master in a like marriage and was quickly followed therein by Peter Martyr a Priest and Canon Regular by Martyr Bucer a Dominican Friar who both took Nuns for their B dfellows and soon after Oecolampidius a Brigitan Monk did the same and Bernardius Ochinus a Capuchin with him drawing others like themselves to follow their example insomuch as Zuinglius Priests and Canon of Constance Operum ejus tom 2. sol 110. with the rest of his fâ—llows in Swizzerland so much longed to have this Evangelical liberty of wiving also granted unto them as they humbly petitioned the Mâ—gistrates of that country for the same as having already not without scandal of others experienced their own infirmity and unablenesse to live without women Calvin in like manner an under-Pastor of Noion after he became Luthers disciple had his Idoletta a Widdow of Strasburg and Beza his Candida truly called Claudia de Nossa with whom he lived four years before he married her enjoying her and Audibert his boy at the same time as himself in a wanton Poem expressed his lustfull delights wherein he seemed to have had most pleasure in his Boy to be much troubled that he could not enjoy them both together
like Authority from Christ yet that Peter was ordained chief of them and that all faith was from his Chair chiefly to be received saying That no Heresiâ—s would rise in the Church if this one Priests Authority were duly acknowledged and obeyed as it ought to be S. Hilary having praised S. Peter for Can. in Mat. 16. his Confession of Christ cryeth out Oh happy foundation of the Church designed by that new name Cephaâ— a rock imposed on him worthy of that building which shall stand firmly against Hell gates c. Saint Chrysostome in more than ten several Hom. 87 in Jâ— ad populum Antioch 39 42 49. 80. 87. places plainly acknowledgeth the preâ—minency of the Roman Church and Bishop above other Churches and Bishops by the dignity of Peters Chaire therein continued S. Hierome professed himself albeit he lived in the East under other Patriarcks to be a sheep of Peters flock and to be conjoyned Epist. 2. ad Damasum with his Chair and succession of Roman Pastors therein as knowing Lib. 2. c. 51. Christs Church on this Rock to have been raised And S. Austine demanded of Petelian a chief Donatist why dost thou call this Apostolical Chaire the Chair of Pestilence as now our Adversaries do the Seat of Antichrist the Beast of seven heads whereon the Whore of Babylon is said to have ridden not distinguishing between that City and Church therein ever most holy and renowned whilest that City Mistresse of the world when S. John wrote his Apocalips persecuted the same for 300. years together purpled her self with the bloud of Martyrs making all Nations of the earth drunk with the poysonous cup of her Superstitions so as Rome was to the Church of Christ in that City and other places as Babylon was anâ—iâ—ntly to the Jewish Temple a powerfull and hatefull Enemy and is called therefore Babylon by S. Peter in the end of his Epistle when he wrote The Church which is in Babylon saluteth you Which is so clearly acknowledged in her supream and Universal Authority by S. Austine S. Optatus S. Ambrose and a multitude of other Fathers as I could produce here a double Jury of them Wherefore Calvin dissembled and lied notably when in his Epistle to Cardinal Sodalet he pretended to ayme at no other reformation of our Church but to reduce it to that belief and practice of Religion which was in the Greek Church whilest Basil Chrysostome and the Fathers of that time lived and used in the Latine Church whilest Ambrose Austine and Hierome were in it Whereas he rejecteth in innumerable places the coÌ„fessed doctrine both of these and more ancient Fathers and many times with plain conâ—umelies and reproaches vented against them as will appear afâ—erwards in each Controversie When also he professed no lesse fraudulently and falsely to believe and admit of all doctrines and practices embraced in the Church of Rome during the first 500 years after Christ he meant nothing lesse for that when the Belief and practice of the Church in the three first Ages is objected against him and new points of his Doctrine his answer is that even then the Church of Rome was not so pure as it might in all doctrines and practices of Religion be securely followed With the same fraud also he maketh Lib. 4. instit c. 9. num 8. profession to embrace the first four generall Councels as teaching and decreeing nothing but conformable to Scripture Yet wherâ— it is urged against him even in this very Controversie that in all these four Councels the Popes supream and universal authority is plainly acknowledged Chastity injoyned to Priests Vows taught to binde in Conscience and the like points of Catholick doctrine proved out of them he rejecteth their authority farther than it is by Gods word warranted unto him and not onely deniâ—th what they teach of the Popes authority but most impudently averreth many notorious falshoods For example he denith Saint Peters having been at Rome no lesse testified by antient Authors and monuments than that Augustus once raigned in that City and despairing to make good such an impudent assertion he denieth him at least to have been Bishop of that City for 25 years together against the clear testimony of S. Hierom following Eusebius writing In Cronic Anno 44. thus long before him Peter a Galilean by his country the chief Bishop of Christians after he had founded the Church of Anâ—ioch went to Rome where having preached the Gospel as Bishop of that City for twenty five years was crucified there under Nero with his head downwards because himself desired to die so Serm. de SS Petro Paulo And S. Leo of S. Peters first coming to Rome mâ—keth this speech unto him Thou hadst already most blessed Apostle established the Church of Antâ—och and by thy evangelical pâ—eaching converted unto Christs law Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithania when thou broughtest the Trophy of Christs crosse into the Roman arches whether by divine ordination the honour of power and glory of thy passion went before thee that the faith of Christ might there chiefly flourish where the Devils Tyranny had chiefly raged extending from thence thy spirituall Power into more kingdomes and Countries than formerly the Roman Captains by their many conquests had Ser. 3. de assâ—m ejâ—s ad Pontific obtained Christ having especially chosen thee to govern all Nations converted unto him and preferred thee before the other Apostles and governours of his Church when he thrice committed the feeding and government of his flock unto thee and promised to build his Church firmly upon thee Which high Office and Power was no doubt to be extended to all true and lawfull Successors of him For as Christs Church and Flock was still to continue as hath been already proved to the worlds end so were the Governours and government thereof to be in the same manner still continued and not during S. Peters time onely whose authority given by Christ differed in this from that which his fellow Apostles received likewise from him that theirs was delegated onely and to end with their Persons whereas his was ordinary and to be derived so farre as the government of the Church required to his Successors after him which whosoever denieth proudly unto them saith S. Leo he damneth himself but lesseneth not that authority which is given by Christ unto them And that which was uttered by our Savior and understood chiefly of himself may be truly applied unto S. Peter and all lawful Successors of him Vicarial heads and secondary foundations of his Church established on them wherefore he that falleth on this Rock shall be bruised and on whom it falleth it shall crush him For that all such as have at any time heretofore forsaken the unity of this Church and refused obedience to S. Peters Successors in that Chair departing from the faith thereof have dashed themselves against this Rock and onely foamed out their own confusions
Epist 87. ad Casulanum and antient Ordinations are to be maintained and observed as laws prescribed unto us Neither doth Calvins denial of them to be lawfull because they are not expressed in Scripture derogate any thing at all from the antiently allowed authority of them and the want of them in his reformed or rather deformed Conventicles is a notable blemish unto them insomuch as a great Lord of France beholding another Hâ—gonet Lord his friend after a Pompous Funeral caft like a Dog into the Earth by two ordinary labouring men without any Prayer or Ceremony used in the Burial of him sware that Calvins Religion was like a bald mans head without any hair upon it and another Lord there present said merrily in answer of him not without an Oath that it was a Religion if you will call it so fitter for Beggers than Gentlemen The fifth Controversie Of Protestancy begun here in England under Queen Elizabeth ANd since continued untill now when Puritanism by covert means at home and help of Scottish neighbours abroad came to overtop it and made an open way to the destruction of all setled and constant professions of Faith by the power of such as call themselves Independents as depending on none but themselves in the choice of their Religion Queen Elizabeth intended not this freedome of Sectaries now licensed unto them nor did she of her self so dislike Cathâ—like Religion but that she could have been contented to have continued the same in her kingdome if the Flaw of her Mothers marriage contrary to the Popes order and the act of her own father excluding her from the Crown had not caused King Henry the second of France whose eldest sonne Francis had newly then married Mary Queen of Scotland and next heir to the Crown of Engand to proclaim her a Bastard and resolved to maintain the right of his Daughter in law against her By which unfortunate occasion her ears were opened unto bad Councellors then about her and for their own ends busily perswading her that if the Popes power were still obeyed and Catholick Religion continued among her Subjects she could not have any certain hope of enjoying her Crown quietly and upon this ground chiefly she was moved to change the ancient Religion of her Kingdom which could not be done but in Parliament of which I have seen a daily Relation gotten from Mr. Camden by a Protestant Bishop and lent by him for some daies unto me So as out of the same I can truly affirm that such Burgesses and Knights were cunningly packed out of every Shire and Burrow-town in the lower House as for their incâ—ination to Protestant Religion or other private respects would easily conform themselves to the Queens intentions And amongst the Lords in the higheâ— House many great ones loth to be long absent from their Country Sports or by their first Acts to distaste the young Queen absented themselves from Parliament and gave their Proxies to the old Earl of Arundell a known Catholick and the Duke of Norfolâ—â— his Son in law not doubting but that they would do all things to maintain their Religion against all uncermining thereof But it proved not so for the Earl put in to a vain hope of marrying the Queen when by his age he might have been more than her father and the Duke of Norfolk being neither sound in Religion and for other ends of his own not sincere in his proceedings prevailed by their many Proxiâ—s to exclude the Bishops from sitting in Parliament all holy and learned men able to have turned the businesse as they listed after which Vote passed the Queens party in both houses still prevailed so as not long after new Bishops in place of the old were chosen some come â—râ—m Geneva others out of Germany of different Religions yet contented for honour weâ—lth and wives to joyn in any profession Seven of them were Apostata Monks and Friars and most of the rest meer Lay-men having neither Ordination nor Jurisdiction besides that which the Queen and Parliament could give them commonly therefore called the Parliament Bishops and Patent Prelates I know they have tried many waies and fained an old Record to prove their ordination from Catholick Bishops but it is false as I have received from two certain witnesses the former of them was Doctor Darbishire then Dean of S. of Pauls and Nephew to Doctor Boâ—ner Bishop of London who almost sixty years since lived at Meuse Pont then a holy religious man very aged but perfect in sense and memory who speaking what he knew affirmed to my self and another with me that like good fellows they made themselves Bishops at an Inn because they could â—â—t no true Bishops to consecrate them My other witnesse was a Gentleman of known worth and credit dead not many years since whose Father a chief Judge of this Kingdome visiting Archbishop Heath permitted by Queen Elizabeth his god-childe to live in Surrey at the Parsonage House of Cobham saw a letter sent from Bishop Bonner out of the Marshalsey by one of his Chaplains to the Archbishop read whilest they sate at Dinner together wherein he merrily related the manner how these new Bishops because he had disswaded Oglethorpe Bishop of Carlile from doing it in his Diocesse ordained one another at an Inn where they met together And whilest others laughed at this new manner of consecrating Bishops the Archbishop himself gravely and not without tears expressed his grief to see such a ragged company of men come poor out of Forraign parts and appointed to succeed the old Clergie in rich Deanries Prebendaries and Canons places who had such ill luck in meeting with dishonest Wives as an Ordination was put out by the Queen and Parliament That no woman should for a wife be commended to any Minister without her honesty could be testified withall sufficiently unto him and many who had been Clergie men before were urged either to take Wives or loose their Benefices as many were contento do and follow these Bishops examples The Tenents of Faith imbraced by the Queen and Parliament were Calvinian Doctrines but the form of Church Government was seemingly Catholick and the Title of Lord was to the new Bishops constantly to be continued and all other Officers under them as Deans c. And when some for their own ends would have had the new Bishops put to pensions the Queen would not hear of it as affecting the ancient splendour in her new Clergy And albeit Altars were pulled down and in place of the Masse a Book of Common Prayer ordained yet the Bishops were to keep their habits and the Ministers appointed to use Caps and Surplices for Decencies sake in time of Service much disliked afterwards by Puritans at home and Protestants abroad So that such professors are called usually by them Calvino-papiste Calvinian Papists Samaritans half Jews and half Gentiles And the Queen her self was for such ecclesiastical authority assumed by her so much disliked abroad
as a chief Protestant Doctor wrote thus to the Elector Brandeburg of her Elizabeth Queen of England hath with a temerity never before heard of made her self Papissam a she Pope in all Churches in her kingdome And all her Subiects must under great Penalties swear it to be so And had she not been for her power usefull in those times to the Hereticks of France Scotland and the Low-Countries in Rebellion against their Sovereigns she had been more than she was cried out against by them So as it is evident that in this change of Religion secular policy chiefly prevailed to the perpetual disgrace and shame of such as since have imbraced it And a mixture was made therein of many Religions as the Queen and her bad Councellors listâ—d wholy different from any other Protestant Reformâ—tions dâ—sliâ—â—d therefore extremely by all several Professors of them yet so by prejudice of opinion education and custome imbraced by many in their affection at least thereunto albeit the use thereof be in these times debarred unto them as with those foolish Idâ—laters they still cry out that their gods are taken from them some affecting it the more because it is forbidden unto them others also because the Elizabethian Church Service and Government carried a greater decency and outward shew of Religion with it than that which amongst later Sectaries is now used in a Song and a Sermon onely ended without any set form of praying together not barer of ceremony than void of devotion and many times in ex tempore praying and preaching wholly ridiculous like it so much as they cannot be drawn from it even now when it is taken from them by a prevailing power unexpectedly raised to depresse Protestants and Puritans together to end also Bishops and Bishopricks with them Insomuch as in these miserable times I deem it to be a needfull and high point of Christian wisdome for Dialogo ultimo contra Luciâ—â—rianos each one according to S. Hieroms rule to leave all new Sects and betake themselves to that Church which hath unalteredly continued one and the same profession of faith since the Apostles time whilest Novilists have in vain laboured to change it and are come themselves to nothing so as wise men will in succeeding ages with grief and compassion conclude and deplore the eternal damnation of such as have lived and died in the profession of them Was there ever for example any Heresie since Christs time so powerfully broach'd subtly defended so lastingly continued as the Arian Heresie for a long time together in so many parts of the world by whole Countries and Nations imbraced with such a shew of Scriptures making for it and other arguments produced by learned men to prove it yet we see now the same by all good Christians worthily hated and detested as all modern Sects of Protestants will after an age or two come to be abhorred and accounted to have been miserable Seductions of Souls and damnable professions of different beliefs before in the world not so much as heard of time and truth prevailing to discover the falshood of them The sixth Controversie Of the Holy Eucharist 1. PART Concerning our Saviours reall Presence therein PLâ—inly imported in these words when of brâ—ad blessed in his last Supper he said this is my body c. and of Wine this my â—loud of the new Testament which shall be shed for many in remiâ—sion of Sinnes ever literally understood and believed saith Luther Lâ—b de interpret vâ—rborum Caenae by Christian Pastâ—urs and People since the Apostles calling his Sâ—cramentariâ—n Adversâ—ries Corruptâ—rs of Christs plain words and muâ—derers of souls by new and false interpretations of them and I would have saith he these brave men who from Sense and Reason chiefly imâ—ugn the literal understanding of them to tell me why God by his infinite and unconceiveable powâ—r cannot make the same body to be at once in many places sithence our Saviours râ—peated and expresse promises of giving us his flâ—sh to â—at and his bloud to drink plainly require this miracle to bâ— done by him for the fulfilling â—f thâ—m Not distributed by parts and in their proper formes as the Carpharnites carnalâ—y and grossâ—ly understand them but Sacramentally and hiddenly under the forms of Bread â—nd wine communicatâ—d unto us In which sâ—nse St. Paul asked of thâ— Corinthians the Chalâ—ice of benediction which we bleâ—â—e is iâ— not the communication of Christs blâ—ud and the Bread which we break is it not the participation Ep. 1. c. 10. of our Lords body to wit under the forms of Bâ—ead and Wine wont tâ— be consâ—cratâ—d by the Apostles themselves and distributed to the People according to St. Justins words where speaking of the Primitive Christians Apologia 2. ad Antonium in their Sinaxâ—s and publick meetings we receive not in them saith he common Bread and Wine but we believe them to be the Flesh and bloud of our incarnat Lord. For the Bread Serm de Coena saith St. Cyprian which our Lord gave unto his disciples was not in shew but in the nature thereof changed made flesh by the omnipotency of Christs words from whom we are warranted to drink bloud by Moses in his law so strictly forbidden And St. Catech. 1 3 4. Cyrill having affirmed the same Doctrine addeth albeit sense suggesteth the contrary unto thee yet let faith confirm thee that Bread and Wine after the invocation of the blessed Trinity are made the Body and Bloud of Christ and he who refuseth to believe In ancorato so of them saith Epiphanius loseth grace and salvation St. Ambrose likewise thus plainly Lib. 4. de Sacramentis c. 4 5. delivereth the same Doctrine Bread distributed at the Altar is Bread before Consecration but after Consecration of Bread is made the Flesh of Christ and let us certainly believe it But how can that which was Bread be made so by Consecration by what words then and by whose is Consecration made by those words of our Lord Jesus this is my body c. for when the venerable Sacrament is to be made the Priest useth not his own words but the words of Christ c. and St. Hierome to the same purpose that Bread saith he which our Lord brake and gave to his Disciples was as Epist 1â—0 quae est ad Hedibiam we believe his own flesh and the Challice which he blessed was his Bloud neither is it man now that consecrateth the Bread and Wine laid on the Altar and maketh them the Body Homil. de proditione Judae and Bloud of Christ but himself who was crucified for us Saith St. Chrisostome the words are pronounced by the mouth of the Priest but the Elements are consecrated by the power of Christs words and as the speech of God increase and multiply once pronounced hath force still to effect what he intended by them so have Christs words this is my body still power at all
Saints as S. Justine Apolog. 2. ad Anteninum witnesseth in these words we are callâ—d saith he athiests because we worship not your Gods it is true we acknowledge no such Gods but one true God alone c. and his only Son who came from him and taught us to seâ—ve him we reverence the whole Army of his angels and blessed Spirits of the Prophets c. which honour yielded unto Saints is by St. Deunis in his celestial and Ecclesiastical Hierarchies by St. Ignatius in his Epistles and in all ancient Liturgies peculiarly expressed and in this we believe communion between them and us that as we rejoyce in their felicity and greatnes so they secure now for themselves saith St. Cyprian are sollicitous for us and the higher they are now in their own Heavenly glory and greatnesse the more clearly do they know our necessities and are ready from their divine Lord and ours to obtain remedies for them And if whilst they lived here on earth they might lawfully pray for us why may they not now do the same in their happier estate not hindering but increasing their Charity towards us sithence especially their locall remotenesse from us hindereth not their hearing of our prayers directed unto them no otherwise than angells know by the testimony of our Mat. 22. Lucae 10. Saviour himself the secretest conversions here of sinners and rejoyce in them Saints being in their blessed estate like and equall unto them and those who together behold the Charity of their heavenly Lord in whom Morali 14. lib. 4 Dialog all things are contained can be ignorant of nothing saith St. Gregory belonging unto them in which sense St Paul telleth us that we are come to Mount Sion heavenly Jerusalem and City of the living God to the frequency of millions of Angells and the Church of those who were first conscribed amongst them c. so gone before us as we are hopefull to arrive unto them and become as now they are fully united unto him qui est caput super omnem Ecclesiam who is head of his whole Church so as they and we belong to one body and have some communion as fellow members under one and the same head together Calvin therefore without book and out of his own hereticall fancy affirmed the Saints of heaven to be secluded from having any commerce at all with us and that they pray in generall but not in particular for us because forsooth they cannot hear us for how saith he hath it been revealed unto any man that Saints have ears so long as to reach down from heaven unto us whilst we pray unto them Which Question had been better made by some Infidel than any Christian Authour of learning or judgement proposed for who knoweth not that pure Spirits such as are souls separated from bodies have a spiritual manner both of hearing and speaking without ears tongue or other corporall senses so as it would be no absurd thing if I should tell Calvin that Lucifer in hell knew him very well and such Heresies as were to the ruine of souls broached by him albeit he had no eyes to view his papers or ears to hear his Doctrines preached by the naturall light of his understanding in absence also penetrated by him which is as ears and eys unto him whose substance as we conceive not so is the spiritual manner of his understanding things hidden wholy from us wherein Angels and Saints in heaven do far no doubt exceed him because they have a purer and higher light to wit of glory communicated by God unto them and according to his absurd question of long ears for Saints to hear our prayers directed unto them a man may well conceive him to have scarcely believed that our Saviour as Man according to his humane and glorified soul heareth the prayers of men here on earth directed unto him or knoweth their actions according to which notwithstanding he shall judge them Calvin in the mean time could not but know when he impugned our invocation of Saints that we in our addresses unto them intend nothing else but to obtain more easily at Gods hands by their intercession blessings and benefits needfull for us For if the joynt Prayers of two or three here on earth be more gratefull to God than of one alone and more effectuall to obtain what we ask of him how can it be but profitable for us to have with our own prayers the suffrages of Angels and Saints holily conjoyned we of our selves bâ—ing sinful wretches and wholy unworthy to obtain any thing of him Wherefore as Malefactors here on earth think themselves happy when any favourite of their Prince will be pleased to sollicite their pardon for crimes committed against him so are we in a like manner humble suiters unto these Courtiers of heaven to become unto their divine Lord and ours Mediators and Intercessors for us Neither doth this Mediation of Saints derogate any thing at all from the mediation of Christ For that he immediately by himself and in the right of his own merits advocateth and obtaineth at his fathers hands what graces he will himself and blessings for us Whereas Saints in a mediate and subalternate way of Mediation by him to wit and his merits who redeemed them and us also become intercessors for us And this custome of praying in this manner unto Saints hath been so anciently used in Christs Church as all Greek and Latine Fathers almost whose works are now extant have approved and practiced it Angels saith S. Ambrose are to be Lib. de Viduâ—â— invoked to our help the Martyrs are to be sought unto whose bodies we keep as pledges of their love towards us And S. Hierome disputeth thus against cap. 3. Vigilantius as now I may doe against Calvin or any other Protestant Thou sayest in thy Book that whilest we live we may pray for each other but not after death But I tell thee that if the Apostles and Martyrs living here in bodies could pray for others when they cared for themselves how much more may they now do that after their Crowns and victories So that if our Adversaries would admit any true Church or prâ—ctice of Religion before them they could not but acknowledge this doctrine and custome taught and practiced in our Church to have ever been truly Christian and Catholick but as their heretical Conventicles are newly raised so will they have a new Religion believed and practised in them The eighth Controversie Of reverencing of Saints Reliques AS we yeeld not unto Saints themselves now in heaven a divine honor but onely a reverend respect infinitely inferiour unto it so likewise their Reliques are not but by the same reverenced by us And our Adversaries sencelesly abuse words when they accuse us of Idolatry for yeelding this reverence unto them these Reliques being not false Gods or things belonging unto them but Reliques and parts of their bodies who were Gods true Servants and either