alleadge M. Bellarmines reasons though not alwayes because he is accounted learned amongest vs and also commeth after others so that he hath seene what others haue and hath taken out of them what he liketh And as in all this treatise my endeuour is to proue I trust with some good effect that the doctrine of the church of Rome is not catholike so that it may the better appeare I haue towards the end set downe an abridgement of Vincentius Lyrinensis whereby I trust the meanest that seeth it shal be able to iudge how they make an vniust claime to the catholike religion And although I know my own wants and could rather submit my selfe to be a scholer vnto many than a teacher almost of any yet because I know not how my minde giueth me that this manner of writing may do some good especially among the vnlearned that are desirous to be taught I thought my duetie forced me to take this in hand though I want many helpes and meanes that other haue And to whom should this my labour such as it is be due rather than vnto you next after that place where I did sucke as it were my first milke of learning and laid almost the foundation of that knowledge such as it is that God hath indued mee withall By your good liberalitie I confesse my selfe to be the better inabled to do any good be it neuer so little that I can do in the church of God To your Worships therefore I confesse this my trauell to be due as a simple token of my sincere heart which would haue yeelded a better remembrance if my abilitie could haue affoorded it And the rather do I dedicate this Booke vnto your W. Company that you seeing the meaning of bestowing your exhibition which is to bring vp Labourers in Gods haruest teachers in his church to be in some part performed in me who first in Oxford receiued your liberalitie as I doubt not but you haue seene much more plentiful fruit in many other you may the more willingly continue your godly course and not be weary of your wel-doing Accept in good part I pray you this simple gift and if you see in it but my desire to doe good giue glo◠y to God to whose good grace I commit you and yours and my selfe to your good prayers From my house at Ryton in the Bishoprike of Durham Anno 1595. ⧠A necessarie Table of all the principall matters contained in euery chapter of this Booke THAT the Scriptures or word written is onely Gods word and not traditions Chapter 1 That this word is sufficient Chapter 2 The Scripture a sure rule Chapter 3 Scriptures easie Chapter 4 That onely the canonicall bookes of the old and new testament are this written word or Scriptures Chapter 5 What the catholike church is that in the creede is mentioned Chapter 6 That the catholike church mentioned in the articles of our creede is not visible or to be seene Chapter 7 The church here militant vpon the earth may erre Chapter 8 Of the markes of the church or how we may know the true church Chapter 9 What a sacrament is what is the effect of it or what it worketh how many sacraments there are Chapter 10 Of the sacrament of Baptisme Chapter 11 Of Confirmation Chapter 12 Of the Lords supper and Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ and namely of transubstantiation Chapter 13 That the wicked receiue not in the sacrament Christs body and bloud Chapter 14 That the cup ought not to be denied to the lay people which thing the papists do Chapter 15 Against their sacrifice of the Masse or of the altar as they call it Chapter 16 Of true and christian repentance and of the Popish Sacrament of penance Chapter 17 Of lawfull calling into the ministerie and against the sacrament of Orders as they call it Chapter 18 Of matrimony that it is not a sacrament and that it is lawfull for all Chapter 19 Of anoiling or extreme vnction that it is not a sacrament Chapter 20 Of originall sin what it is and whether concupiscence be sin or not Chapter 21 Of the works of infidels and such as are not regenerate Chapter 22 Of Baptisme whether it doe extinguish and kill in vs originall sinne or not Chapter 23 That we haue not of our selues free wil or power to deliuer our selues from sinne Chapter 24 That by our workes we cannot bee iustified and against the doctrine of merites Chapter 25 Of iustification by faith and what faith is Chapter 26 That good works are necessary duties for all christians to perfourme Chapter 27 Of prayer to whome and how we should pray Chapter 28 Against Images in churches or anie where else for religions cause Chapter 29 What fasting is and of the true vse of fasting Chapter 30 Of Purgatorie Chapter 31 An Abridgement of Vincentius Lyrinensis with obseruations vpon the said Author Chapter 32 An exhortation to christian magistrates for to defend this truth Chapter 33 FINIS That the Scriptures or written word is onely Gods Word and not traditions CHAP. 1 THE PROTESTANTS The rule of faith life BEcause it is confessed of al that gods worde must bee the rule and square of our faith and life of our religion and conuersation It is very meete that first wee enquire what is this word of God And wee affirme What is gods word that that onelie which is contained in the Bookes of the old and new Testament is the very true word of God First bicause we are so often earnestly charged not to adde any thing to it or to take any thing from it Secondly this is prooued by the practise of the godlie of all times The Iewes most religiously kept the word written with great sinceritie and made it the Touchstone to try their actions by and by it they reformed such things as were amisse in religion especially As in Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias and others it may appeare Christ also and his Apostles confirmed that which they taught out of the Scriptures yea they confirmed and expounded the Lawe Mat. 5. and preached no other gospell thā that which before was promised by the Prophets Rom. 1.2 And accounted them accursed that shoulde preach any other Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Lastly the Fathers of the purer times of the Church did not only with open mouth submit their writings and doctrines to the iudgement of the Scriptures but also they tried doubts established all trueths and confuted all heresies onely by this word written THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of ROME not suffering herself to be hemmed in within so narow lists Prou. 22.28 hath remoued the ancient bounds which their fathers made and faineth that God who hath hitherto had but one voice now in our dayes shoulde speake with two tongues What is gods word in the Ro. church For they make Gods word to consist of two partes namely of the word written which we
we derogate anie thing herein from the power of the spirit whose direction if we could follow we should neuer do amisse but impute it to our owne weaknes ignorance corruption whereby it commeth to passe that euen the godly many times grieue Gods spirit and suffer him not to haue his perfect worke Other arguments also they haue but they haue scarce any shew of truth and therefore I thinke them not worthie answering for their places out of the fathers doe commend the faith of Rome that then was and their constancie in the same but what is that to this degenerate church of Rome that now is of the church whereof we may say as one saith of their citie that a man will seeke Rome in the midst of Rome So a man will seeke the church euen in the midst of their most shewe of religion and yet not finde it Of the markes of the Church or how wee may know the true Church CHAP. 9. THE PROTESTANTS WE must iudge of the tree of the church by the fruits that she bringeth foorth that is by the faith or religion that shee teacheth the confession or profession of the same that she maketh the exercise of the same that she vseth but we cānot iudge truely of these her fruits but only by the scriptures as in the fiue first chapters hath beene shewed therfore the true and infallible tokens or markes of the true church are to be had out of the word of God or the Scriptures THE PAPISTS NOwe the Papistes will haue their church to bee the true church because shee hath by vniust claime a good name to bee called Catholike Name catholike Antiquity Continuance Greatnesse Succession because shee is ancient and hath lasted long she is great and hath alwayes borne fruit such as it was for these are the first fiue notes reckoned vp by Bellarmine Lib. 4. de notis eccles and indeede their chiefest which especially they rest vppon And may not an euill tree haue all these properties Yes verely And as for the rest of his marks in the iudgement of an indifferent Reader they will neuer be accounted true markes of the Church excepting those notes wherein he seemeth to consent with vs to try the church by the word namely by holinesse of doctrine Because I haue in another treatise shewed I trust sufficiently that those markes of the church which they make greatest account of neither are any true markes and that we may make as good claime to them as they can it shall now be sufficient briefly to passe ouer this point and with one or two arguments to answer this question The scripture the true note of the true church Those markes of the church whereby wee may truely know the church and not be deceiued those I say onely are the true markes of the church But the scriptures onely are such Therefore they onely are the infallible markes The maior or first proposition no man will deny And that the Scriptures are such may appeare by infinite testimonies De pec merit remiss lib. 1. cap. 22. Saint Augustine saith it can not deceiue nor be deceiued And against the Donatists de bapt lib. 2. cap. 6. calleth the Scriptures the holy wey-scales or ballances Cap. 1. And in his booke de bono viduitatis he saith that the holy scripture doth set him his rule how to teach And to be short writing vpon saint Iohns Epistle he saith that Against deceitfull errours In Ioh. epist tractatu 2. God would set a strength or stay in the scriptures And Chrysostome saith vpon Genesis Hom. 12. in Genes that the Scripture wil not suffer him to erre or go astray that heareth it And therefore Gregory Nazianzene sometimes calleth the Scriptures The Kings high way Matth. 24. And our sauior Christ although he foretold the danger of error a litle before he suffered yet doeth hee not giue the Disciples any such markes whereby they should know the true Christ or true church as the Papistes speake of but he earnestly commendeth his word vnto them Ioh. 14.15 23. 15.7 And feruently prayeth vnto his father to sanctifie them with his trueth Ioh. 17.3 17 namely with his word for he knew that to be the way to keepe them from errour By all which it appeareth that the scriptures onely are accounted that perfect rule not only by the iudgement of the fathers but also by the practise of our sauiour Christ But most plainly S. Chrysost saith Opere imperf hom 49 That the true Church can be knowen only by the Scriptures I know that Bellarmine answereth this place in his 4. booke de verbo Dei ca. 11. after two sorts First that the booke sauoureth somwhat of Arianisme But in these words what Arianisme can Bellarmine finde Yea Bellarmine himselfe doth in other places alleage this booke But his second answer I confesse is very forcible For he telleth vs that in a booke printed of late that place is left out Haue they not thinke you answered the place strongly when they haue thrust it quite out of the booke If they had vsed Chrysostome onely in this sort yet were it too bad dealing but it may appeare by Franciscus Iunius his preface before the booke called Index Expurgatorius that they haue left few of the Fathers vncorrupted I would to God therefore that this and such other gelding and falsifying of the fathers by that deceiuing church of Rome which seekes to make them al say as she doth could stir vp the christiā princes that professe religion in a godly care to prouide for the safetie and maintenaunce of religion and the trueth thereof in time to come Which in my iudgement can not well be perfourmed except that to preuent the credite of those falsified copies which within short time are almost onely like to remaine because the ancient which are the truest wil be worne out the godly Princes by common consent woulde take some speedy order for printing of al the fathers according to the ancientest and most pure copies that might be found The second argument is this Whatsoeuer notes do not teach it to be euidently true that the church whereof they are the notes is the true church of God may deceiue and therefore are not certaine notes of the true church But such are the notes that the Papists would haue vs to beleeue therefore they are but deceitfull notes De verbo de◠lib. 1. cap. 2. The maior or first proposition is most true and may well bee prooued out of that axiome or rule that Bellarmine setteth downe saying De notis eccles li. 3. ca. 3. That the rule of the catholike faith must bee sure or certaine The minor or second proposition is Bellarmines owne confession euen in the selfe same words that I haue set downe Therefore it followeth necessarily that we must not trust the notes of the catholike church set downe by them CHAP. 10. Before I beginne
Gods spirit to deliuer to vs such trifling toyes thereby to comfort the afflicted conscience And thus I trust it appeareth that this their sacrament of anoyling is but a deuise of their owne braine hauing neither institution from Christ neither any commaundement from his apostles or example in the scriptures especiallie as it is now vsed in the church of Rome either for the matter whereof it must consist or the manner how it must bee done or the end vnto which they especially haue regard in that ceremony I had thought here to haue ended both this treatise of the sacraments and this chapter but before I go anie farther I would haue the christian reader to marke the euill dealing of the popish church who with their tongues and pennes proclaime as lowd as they can that our doctrine is not catholicke it is new is lately deuised And yet we appeale to the scriptures haue testimony for vs also the cōsent of the fathers of the purer times And on the cōtrary the church of Rome crieth stil they are the catholick church they haue the catholicke religion yea all that is with them is catholicke But if by the rules of catholicke which Vincentius Lyrinensis giueth Commonitorio adversus haereses with whose authority they seek often to stoppe our mouthes we examine their doctrines we shall finde them as farre from the catholicke religion as the priests and rulers amongst the Iews were from the truth For whereas he accounteth no doctrine catholicke but that which hath beene taught at all times in all places and by all men or at the least by the most and the best learned and godliest men wee might by this rule reiect manie of their doctrines which they deliuer to vs as catholicke and necessarie so that without beleeuing them there is no saluation For shortnesse sake let vs looke into this that last I handled They will haue it a catholicke doctrine to teach that anoyling is a true and proper Sacrament yea and the councell of Trent curseth them that saie the contrarie And yet maister Bellarmine who saith as much in effect as they all can saie in this point how catholickely doth hee proue it He with much adoe wresteth for it one place out of Saint Iames and hath not one mo in all the Scripture for him Then leapeth hee more then foure hundreth yeares after Christ and picketh out one pope Innocent who saith it is a kinde of Sacrament If he had proued it to be a Sacrament properly so called yet had he beene but one witnesse in foure hundred yeares Then about 1200. years after Christ he hath gotten another witnes and he is a pope also Innocent the third Then he telleth vs of the 69. canon of the councell of Nice which had in al but twenty canons Al aboue twenty were fetched out of Arabia but are neither mētioned in the Nicene councel set forth by thēselues Li. 1. cap. 6. neither yet of Ruffinus in his ecclesiastical history where he setteth downe the canōs of that councel who although he make 22. in nūber Yet is the matter no other than is set downe in the 1. booke of the coūcels in those 20. chapters Besides there are many other strong reasons pregnant presumptions to proue those 50. canons for they haue 70. to be falsly added to the councel therfore they deserue no credit He also alledgeth some particular councels which he commendeth for their antiquitie and yet the ancientest of them is about 800. yeares after Christ And about that time also are the most ancient fathers that seeme to say any thing for him Then if thou knowest the sunne to shine at noone day thou maist also know that this is not a catholicke doctrine neither can be so accompted It hath not beene taught at all times not in al places not by al or the most of the learned No it hath had scarce one sufficient witnes in 1200. yeares But for the substance of religion which we teach if we haue not a vniuersal consent of the scriptures and also the testimony of the fathers of the church in her most pure times we craue no credit we aske no hearing Therefore that which wee teach is the only catholicke faith because it hath the vniuersall consent of the purer times that which for the most part they teach is but new not warranted by the word not known or not taught amongst the godly fathers at the least for 400. or 500. yeares Which I thought good vpon this occasion thus offered to note vnto the christian reader that I might pull away from the faces of those counterfeites the visard of catholicke vniuersality antiquity and consent that their religion may appeare indeede as it is new not old particular not catholicke false not true because it is the deuise of man whose wisedom is folly whose words are lies and not the wil of God which is the infallible rule and of whose word not one title shall perish And thus I trust it appeareth that they who brag most of the name of catholicke church are the greatest enemies to true catholicke religion teaching that which is nothing lesse then catholicke Of originall sinne what it is And whether Concupiscence be sinne or not CHAP. 21 THE PROTESTANTS THat all mankind which is conceiued of vnclean seede is also infected with original sinne no man denieth but the question is what this original sinne is which we confes to bee in vs. Originall sinne We therefore say It is a generall corruption of our whole nature which corruption as an inheritance we receiue from Adam In our minde is ignorance where was light knowledge In our heart is vnaptnesse and vnreadinesse to any thing that is good in steade of an earnest forwardnes to serue God sincerely whereby it commeth to passe that by concupiscence and lust wee are inticed to sinne Which concupiscence because the Apostle to the Romanes doeth often call ◠in we also say it is sinne not only because it proceedeth from sin and also proceedeth from it but also because it is a thing in it selfe contrary to Gods Lawe THE PAPISTS BVT the Papistes although they can not deny but that wee all haue originall sinne yet woulde they haue the force therof as litle knowen as may bee And therefore some of them haue taught that it is nothing else but the imputation of Adams sinne vnto vs and not any corruption in our selues as Ambrose Catharinus Andrad Orthod expli l◠b. 3. de axiom 3. Cens Colon. dialog 2. Pighius two notable papists And others find fault that we do so amplify the corruption of the nature of man by original sin as though nothing that is good could come from it As for cōcupiscence they wil not grant that it is sin in the regenerat And yet the Apostle S. Paul being a man regenerate confesseth it to be sin in himselfe very often as may appeare Rom. 7. The reasons which moue vs thus
But themselues thinke it only at certaine times vnlawful Admit it be so If they wil not goe in the rancke with the old heretickes let it then be an heresie deuised in such sort as now it is by popish heretickes De violandis virginibus For if heresie be Whatsoeuer sauoureth against the truth although it be euen an olde custome as Tertullian very wel defineth it then doubtles this popish forbidding of certaine meats for conscience sake wil be found heresie For the truth saith that they who commaunde to abstaine from meates which God hath created to bee receiued with giuing of thankes 2. Tim. 4.1.2.3 depart from the faith giue heede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of diuels and that they speake lies through hipocrisie and haue their consciences burned with an hote iron But the church of Rome teacheth that this is a catholike doctrine a sounde religion And they that teach it are good catholickes The church of Rome then sauoureth against the truth as in manie other articles so in this also and therefore it is hereticall But I knowe their answere that Saint Paul speaketh against the Eâ—bionites Tatianites and such heretickes as did vtterlie condemne flesh as an vncleane thing of it selfe It is true hee doth so but not against them onlie but rather against the popish heresie than against anie other And that for these reasons First the circumstance of the time moueth me to it 1. Tim. 4.1 For he saith that these men shal be in the latter time Nowe it were absurde to thinke that he that speaketh heere by the spirite of prophesie of this false doctrine should account for the latter times the times of those heretickes the world induring so long after as now it hath done And Ebion that was the first as I remember that deuised that heresie liued in the daies of the apostle and did sow his seede of that heretical doctrine verie soone after the apostles death Yea and Tatian also taught the same heresie about some seuentie yeares after Saint Paul If therefore had saint Paul ment of that heresie especially he woulde neuer haue pointed so farre as to haue tolde vs of the latter daies but rather woulde haue said that it were at hande The apostle therefore had respect chieflie to more dangerous heretickes than they were that could carry the matter more cunninglie than wholy to condemne the creature His wordes also are verie plaine if wee marke them well For he doth not saie that they shal condemne or dispraise meates which God hath made which was the heresie of those olde heretickes But they shall commaunde others to abstaine from them to refuse them not to receiue them and this is flat the heresie of the papists And the apostle confuting this heresie doeth not commend the goodnesse or purenesse of the creature as it had beene needefull for him to haue done if hee had chieflie ment his wordes against them but hee sheweth the lawful vse of the creature that it is to bee receiued and it is not to be refused Which especially armeth vs against the Romish infection for to speake as Saint Ambrose doeth vppon these wordes Ambrose vpon these words When such doctrines are hearde we maie knowe the diuel hath deuised them Thirdly the apostle seemeth to haue regard vnto such as shoulde teach the doctrine vnto that ende that some in his daies did among the Colossians to put some religion in these outward and bodily exercises exhorting them thus Touch not tast not handle not which all perish with the vsing Coloss 2.21.22 and are after the commaundements and doctrines of men And thefore the apostle saith by and by after 1. Tim. 4.8 that Bodily exercise profiteth little Amongst which bodily exercises saint Ambrose counteth fasting And thus in deed doe the papists vse their fasts thinking that a little pinching of their body should satisfie for their sinnes Against which foolish persuasion it is a sufficient confutation to saie with the apostle Coloss 2.16 Let no man iudge you in meates and drinke Let no man thinke you worse for eating or better for not eating Rom. 14.17 1. The. 5.22 For the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnes and peace and ioie in the holy ghost Now I cannot but maruel seeing the apostle willeth vs to abstaine from all appearance of euil what is the reason that our aduersaries wil come so neere those heretical opinions which are so condemned by the godly of al ages Iohn 4.24 and doe not rather seeke to worship in spirite and truth as our sauiour Christ telleth vs we must doe than to put any holinesse in these external obseruances which wee see so many heretickes haue delighted in I would therefore exhort our aduersaries to be more wise in that point for they get them an euil name by hauing so great a smacke of such corrupt opinions and haue had lucke in the choice of their obseruances wherein they notwithstanding repose a great piece of holines For those two things wherein they suppose they commend themselues very much vnto the world which is forbidding of marriage to some sort of men and meates at some times to al and at al times to some men doe most euidently bewray their superstitious religion Wherein they are not only noted before of the apostle and pointed at to be had teachers but also almost al those heretickes that condemned flesh as vnholy were also enemies to marriage as in part at the least the papists are And thus whilest they will seeme more holy then others in not vsing holily and with thankes giuing Gods good ordinance and creatures they come so neare those prophane and wicked heretikes that haue gone before them that al good men take them to be a branch out of that roote and water of the same spring Bellar. de bonis operibus in part li. 2. cap. 5. But what arguments haue they to iustifie this their doctrine Master Bellarmine can affoorde vs but one that maketh any shewe of proofe that flesh is more vnlawfull to be eaten than other meates and that but a simple one Dan. 10.3 It is out of Daniel where he saieth I haue not eaten any pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth Master Bellarmines arguments are like to fruit that sheweth faire at the first but is rotten at the heart For what can hee prooue out of this Daniel abstained from flesh therefore no man that will chastice his body must eate flesh First that that Daniel did is no lawe to vs because it is not commanded vnto vs. Secondly he did it but for a time namely for three weekes what is this to prooue that it must be a continuall lawe for fasting He did it voluntarily what warrant can that be to force other men to it But to come to the very point I would aske of our aduersaries whether they thinke that Daniel commendeth vnto vs his fast in that
Which as it is true in all matters of religion so especially in the Sacraments wee must take heede lest in adding any thing to them wee change thereby the vse of them In this thing if in any de Coron Mil. is that true that Tertullian hath said It is forbidden that is not frankely permitted And that also that in an other place he hath de Monog The Scripture forbiddeth whatsoeuer it noteth not Secondly master Bellarmine thinketh it to bee a thing belonging vnto the substance of the Sacrament that the partes wherein the fiue senses are shoulde bee annointed that is the eies the eares the nose the lippes and the handes Then let the councell of Trent shew this commaunded by saint Iames but that can neuer be perfourmed so that wee see that bolde affirmation of the councell of Trent was rather to blind the eies of men vnder a shew of good words seeking thereby to make the world beleeue that they adde no materiall point vnto that which saint Iames commaundeth and that is most false as hath beene shewed and might also further be prooued For where is that forme commaunded by Saint Iames that is prescribed by the councell of Trent By this holie ointment c. Sess 14. ca. 1. de sacr vnct He had no minde of any such matter Besides this their adding to that which saint Iames hath willed to be done which is but a small matter with the church of Rome for all their religion wherein wee differ from them is nothing else but additions to Gods worde their owne diuersitie of opinions concerning this their sacrament doeth shew it to be a deuise of their owne for they knowe not what to say for the institution of it They haue not so much as any shew or colour that it was instituted by Christ or before his death but onely that place of saint Marke Mar. 6.13 where it is saide that the Apostles annointed many that had infirmities and healed them And therefore Thomas Walden Alfonsus and others doe seeke for the institution of the sacrament out of that place But master Bellarmine seeing what danger may come to their sacrament De sacr vnct cap. 2. if they should seeme to make that the ground of their sacrament because sundry of the auncient fathers seeme to make that vnction that saint Iames speaketh of to be none other but that which saint Marke mentioned hee seeketh to prouide a plaister for that sore And he will not in any sort haue those wordes to bee the ground or institution of the Sacrament And for that cause hee prooueth by many reasons that they are not all one For hee seeth that it can not be denied and therefore himselfe graunteth that that vnction which the Apostles in that sixt chapter are saide to vse was onely or especially for bodily diseases and therefore that the sacrament cannot bee prooued out of it for the sacraments as there he also confesseth are belonging principally to the soule Therefore hee will in no wise like of them that alleadge this place of saint Marke for this their sacrament although they bee many yea and those great pillers of Poperie and no small fooles I warrant you But such as Eckius Decree 10. De Sacram. vnct sess 14. cap. 1. the Scotish man Nicoll Burne the prouinciall Councell called Senonense yea and the Councell of Trent although it set it downe somewhat fearefullie for it saith it was insinuated by our Lorde Christ in Saint Marke all these with others I say establish their sacrament of Vnction and ground it vpon that place yet Bellarmine as I haue sayde will not in any wise yeeld vnto it And for my part I thinke hee saieth truely when hee sayeth it is not grounded vpon that place And as truly also if hee should affirme that it hath no warrant out of that place of saint Iames. For that place of saint Marke and that other of saint Iames speake both of one sort of annointing as Beda Theophilact and Occumenius doe testifie But saint Markes wordes can not proue the sacrament of Vnction De Vnct. cap. 2. as maister Bellarmine doeth not confesse onely but hee taketh much paines to prooue it also by foure or fiue arguments therefore that place of saint Iames prooueth not their sacrament of annoyling And then is it destitute of all proofe by Gods worde and so must bee accounted but a foolish toy as nowe it is vsed of mans braine Neither are they agreed vpon that other high poynt what parts must be anoynted of necessitie whether all those seuen parts before mentioned or els only those fiue first which are the instruments of the senses Bel. de Vnct. Cap 10. Some thinke that there is not necessitie that anie one part shoulde bee anoynted rather than other And others thinke that the anoynting of euerie of these seuen places is so necessarie that it is not a perfect sacrament if any be omitted But maister Bellarmine out of Thomas Aquinas telleth vs that onely the fiue first are of the essence of the sacrament Nowe in this diuersitie of opinions I knowe not whose part Laurence Vaus will take but he resolueth vs of one great doubt If a man want eyes eares nose mouth or handes what the Priest should then doe Hee must oynt the part next to the place where these members should bee So it seemeth hee alloweth of the first opinion But are these such matters as should busie mens mindes so as they doe No no it is the subtiltie of Sathan to occupie mens heades about such trifles that in the meane time hee may by false teachers steale from the heartes of the people the trueth of all christian Religion They teach also that this their sacrament of annoyling or vnction may be often receyued In the life of Pius 2. And yet how long they haue beene of that minde I knowe not nor find menâ— ioned But if wee will beleeue Platina Pope Pius the second seemed not to bee resolued of that poynt nor so perswaded For hee at the poynt of death disputed with a learned man the Bishop of Ferrara earnestly whether hee might againe bee annoyled seeing hee had once before beene annoyled By all which diuersities of iudgements in the most materiall pointes of this their Sacrament they giue vs iust cause to doubt of their Sacrament it selfe that it is not of God And by the way I cannot but wonder with what faces they can obiect to vs our diuersities in opinions seeing that they in such materiall poynts of Religion and in their doctrines that concerne the verie substance of their sacraments are so verie farre from being of one iudgement And thus briefly we see how the Papists differ from the scriptures whereupon themselues indeuor but al in vaine to ground the institution of their Sacrament and also disagree amongest themselues about the same De Sacram. vnct sess 14. can 1. And yet with great boldnesse they cursse all them that
Rome is too too foolish when thus they reason This religion is olde and hath had approbation of the greatest number for some hundredes of yeares therefore it is good For Vincentius did looke vnto that faith that was then ancient and catholicke many hundred yeares before many articles of popish religion were hatched But the papistes thinke it enough for them if they can proue their religion to bee nowe olde Whereas in trueth and according to Vincentius his rule also that which was not then olde is not now good That which was not then catholicke is nowe of all good men to bee reiected But let vs see what Vincentius saith After that hee hath declared how that by opportunity of time and place hee was mooued to write hee sheweth that to finde out the falshoode of heresies there are two waies The one by the authoritie of Gods word Gods word sufficient Whose rule is perfect and of it selfe sufficeth for all thinges aboundantly Yet because it is diuersly expounded such is the depth thereof as by example of sundry heresies doeth appeare The seconde way to finde out heresies hee maketh this By the tradition and rule of the catholicke Church to interpret that which is set downe in the writings of the Prophetes and apostles But so as wee take heede that wee receiue not for Catholicke euery thing that is holden in the Catholicke Church Catholicke but that onely that is beleeued in all places and so hath vniuersality at all times and so hath antiquity of all or almost all the godly and learned and so hath consent So that a Catholicke Christian must more regarde the soundnesse of the whole body than a parte thereof that is corrupted And where the infection is generall that which hath beene taught of olde is to bee preferred before the new But before the auncient errour of two or three or of one citty or cuntry a man must preferre that which vniuersally the vniuersall Church hath decreede if anie such bee If not then hee must consider of the iudgementes of the sincerest fathers not of a fewe of them but of all What they haue holden written taught When the fathers aâ—â— to be beleeued with one consent plainely often not changing their minde that hee may boldely beleeue So did the godly fathers in Affrica against Donatus and also others against that heresie of the Arrians that had infected almost al christendome and caused great destruction and cruelty because there were brought in superstitions inuented by men in steede of the Heauenly doctrine as is proued out of saint Ambrose and newe deuises for ancient decrees Yea so they withstoode all heresies whilest in the verie antiquity of the church they defended that only that was also vniuersal that is to say Ancient Vniuersality Ancient vniuersality And the more deuout that men were the more stifly did they oppose themselues to new inuentions As for example Stephen bishop of Rome with his associates did set themselues against the new opinion of Agrippinus bishop of Carthage yea and against the councell of Carthage For hee knewe that nothing can in account be godly We must follow religion and not lead her Vnlesse all thinges were sealed vp to the children as faithfully as the fathers receiued them And that we must not leade religion which way we will but followe her which way shee wil go And that it be seemeth not christian modestie or grauitie to deliuer to their posterity any thing of their owne but to preserue that which is receiued from the fathers And by occasion of the Donatistes who vnder colour of the decrees of the councell of Carthage saide that they baptised againe such as were baptised by heretickes hee teacheth that some deceiuers going about in some other bodies names to set forth their owne heresie A liuely description of popish teaching Doe snatch some of the writings of the ancient fathers such lightly as are most obscurely written which for their obscuritie maie after a sort agree with that they teach to this ende that whatsoeuer they say they may be thought neither first nor onlie to saie it Whose fault is double both in that they broach heresies and also open that in the fathers which shoulde bee hidden as did Cham whose rewarde vpon him and his posterity should feare them But to alter the faith or corrupt religion men should be afraid not only in respect of ecclesiasticall discipline but also in regard of the censure of the apostle against such Gal. 1.6.7 2. Tim. 4.3 1. Tim. 5.12 Rom. 16.17 2. Tim. 3.6 7. Tit. 1.16 1. Tim. 3.1 1. Tim. 6.4 5. 1. Tim. 5.13 1. Tim. 1.19 1. Tim. 2.16 17. 2. Tim. 3.9 Such aâ—â— our Seminary prists who for their owne benefit indanger many not men only but euen countries And because there came amongst the Galathians such as carried about errours and set them on sale whom the Galathians hearing did loathe the trueth vomiting the Manna of Apostolike and catholike doctrine liking well of the filth of nouelties the apostle denounceth that they should not heare either the apostles or an angell from heauen if he should preach any thing besides that hee had preached Gal. 1.8 9. And this caueat belongeth not to the Galathians only no more than the other precepts of godly life so that it hath not beene is or shall be lawfull for catholike christians to teach any thing besides that that they haue receiued And to hold accursed al those Take heed of beleuing vnwritten traditions who preach any thing else than that which is Once receiued it alwayes hath beene is and shall be our duetie So that to preach any thing else is too much boldenesse and to heare any thing else is too much lightnesse Althogh some frogges midges and flies of a short time such as the Pelagians crie against it seeking to drawe vs from that which hath beene committed vnto vs by our fathers and notable persons are thus many times infected Why the learned are heretikes because God will by them proue whether men loue God vnfainedly or not Deuteronomie 13.3 But this is a dangerous tentation and may deceiue many as by Nestorius Photinus and Apollinaris may appeare whose heresies he describeth as also the catholike doctrine with some confutation of Arrianisme and Manicheisme and the other forenamed heresies Against which danger of being by such men deceiued he would haue vs to holde this propertie of true catholikes How â—â— rre the fathers are to be heard with the Church to receiue the Doctours but not with the Doctours to forsake the faith of the Church Then hauing shewed the daunger that the great learning of Origen and Tertullian brought vnto the Church when they erred hee repeateth triall to bee cause of heresies many times A true catholike and then gathereth Him to bee a true catholike who loueth Gods truth the church the bodie of Christ who esteemeth nothing more than Gods religion than
the catholike faith Not the authoritie of any man not the loue that he beareth him not his wit eloquence or philosophie But despising all these stedfast and setled in faith doeth make reckoning that hee must hold and beleeue onely whatsoeuer he knoweth the catholike church of olde beleeued Hee confirmeth also that heresies are for the triall of the godly by S. Paul 1. Cor. 11.19 with a long and liuely description of such as are wauering and doubtfull in faith maruelling much at their madnes that content not themselues with the rule of faith The Papists are possessed with this mad spirit which of old once hath beene receiued but day by day seeke new things and delight alwayes to put something to or to change or to take somewhat from religion Not remembring that it is a heauenly doctrine which once to be reuealed sufficeth but as if it were an earthly institution which cannot be perfected but by continuall mending or rather controlling it This chopping chāging in religion he proueth to be dangerous by three other testimonies of scripture Prouer. 22.28 Eccl. 8 17. Eccle. 10.8 but especially insisteth vpon that of Saint Paul 1. Tim. 6.20 O Timothe keep that which is committed vnto thee and auoide prophane and vaine babling and opposition of knowledge falsly so called And sheweth what is meant by this word depositum What is meant by That which is committed to thee That which is committed that is that which thou art trusted with not that thou deuisedst that thou hast receiued not inuented a matter not of thine owne wit but of an others teaching not for thy priuate vse but for to deliuer to all A thing brought to thee not brought forth by thee wherein thou maiest bee not the Author but the keeper not the teacher but the scholler not the leader but the follower This as pure gold must be kept pure without corruption It must be beautified and fitted but in any wise we must So teach that wee haue learned Wee must teach no new thing Growing in faith but no changing that when we speake after a new manner yet we bring no new matter Yet we must grow and the faster the better So that it bee but growing and not changing In the very same doctrine the same meaning the same vnderstanding Euen as children grow in their body but are the same that they were But if any partes or members should be added or turned into another shape it were a monstrous thing Such and no other must be our growing in religion to no other but to more perfection in the same which hee also maketh manifest by the example of wheat Which being sowen by our fathers in the primitiue church must bee husbanded and dressed by vs but the seede must not bee changed Yea in these plantes of religion we maie nay wee must vse all diligence to trimme them and dresse them but to change them to mangle or maime them it is great wickednesse Yea they must still keepe their Fulnesse sincerity and property He seemeth to haue prophecied of the mischiefes of popery For doe but once giue libertie to this deceit of cutting or corrupting the Scriptures and religion is in danger to bee quite ouerthrowne If some maie bee cut off nought will be left if some maie bee mingled nought will bee pure and sincere The true church keepeth safely her owne But the Church of Christ is a carefull and warie keeper of doctrines lefte vnto her shee neuer changeth any thing diminisheth it not addeth nothing Shee cutteth not of thinges necessarie Shee putteth not to thinges needelesse Shee doeth not leese her owne shee will haue nothing that belongeth to others Yea and in all her Councels the church did nothing else but set downe that in writing which before was knowen onlie by tradition and vtter by newe termes The councels taught nothing in faith new Teachers of newes must bee auoided matters of faith not new We must also by all meanes possible shun and auoid such as bring not the catholicke and vniuersal doctrine which hath continued one and the same from age to age by one vndefiled tradition of the truth and shal continue for euer without end And this newnesse of wordes the Apostle calleth prophane because it hath in it nothing holy nothing religious These prophane nouelties therefore we must auoide for to receiue them is the maner not of catholikes but of heretikes The words thus included I was loath to leaue out because the Papists bragge much of them as though they did mightily conuince vs to be heretikes And yet if a man do well consider of them hee may iustly doubt whether they be Vincentius his words or added since because they are brought in so impertiuently to his matter and nothing in all the booke either afore or after that soundeth that way But admit that they are his words it is no hard matter to prooue this in very many of the doctrines of the church of Rome bicause therein they do iumpe and drawe in one yoke with the olde heretikes of whome the stories mention by whome how and when they beganne But they will tell vs their doctrines were not condemned by any councel which they professe And how could they when they that taught them had gotten the soueraignty ouer princes and prelats Yea he whom they call the catholike king as in some respects they may truely not because he loueth catholike religion For in a man of so excessiue greedinesse intollerable pride and vnnaturall crueltie as many of his practises and purposes shew him to be what religion can there be but because hee scarcely can coment himselfe with the whole world this man I say vsurpeth Nauarre and intrudeth himselfe into the kingdome of Portingal And yet so long as he ruleth them their parleaments or councels dare not no they can not proclame him to be an vsurper or an intruder into other mens right although hee is so neither would our sauiour Christ haue regarded any thing this defence that the Scribes and Pharises and Priests of the Iewes might haue vsed In what coun◠el was that condemned that we teach but on the contrary he telleth that by their power and authoritie they shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men and suffer not them that would enter Math. 23.13 And so did the Church of Rome What heresie hath beene at any time but it hath beene vnder some certain name in some certayne place at some certaine time And no man doeth maintaine any heresie but that hee first separateth him selfe from the consent of the vniuersality and antiquitie of the catholike church As hee prooueth by the examples of Pelagius Celestius Arrius Sabellicus Nouatianus Simon Magus Priscilianus Yea but Heretikes doe alleadge Scripture for al in a maner that they say and therefore are they the more dangerous And that practise did Sathan vse before against our sauiour Christ But how then shall catholike men know
how to iudge betweene truth and falshode in the holie Scriptures Interpreting scripture euen by interpreting the same according to the traditions of the vniuersall church and the rules of the catholike doctrine and the consent that hath beene at all times and in all places amongst the teachers And yet not euery question must be thus decided This way is to be vsed onely in the greatest matters but only matters of faith such as the very foundation of catholike doctrine resteth vpon for so he saith after fol. 50. neither are al heresies thus to be confuted and at al times but only new heresies euen at their first beginning And lately sprung vp heresies Before they haue falsified the rules of the ancient faith and the writings of the fathers But old heresies which haue had long time to steale away the truth must be coÌ„uinced if need be Stealing the truth such thenâ—â— are the papistes as their coorupting the fathers proueth When the fathers must be heard by the only authority of scripture or must be shuÌ„ned as being condeÌ„ned in the old councels As for heresies newly sprung vp they by the iudgements of the fathers are to be reiected of those fathers I say that continued in the faith so that al or most of them haue set it down in one and the self same meaning plainly often continuing in it as it were in a councell of such masters agreeing in one And such a ful consent must not be despised Then he maketh a recapitulation of that which he hath said in these two caueats and induceth the example of the councel of Ephesus wherein the iudgement of the ancient fathers being examined Nestorius was found to be against the catholike old faith and Cyril to agree with holy antiquitie And to make the matter more plaine he setteth downe the names of those holy fathers by whose vniforme consent and iudgement both the testimonies of Gods lawe were expounded and also the rule of the holy doctrine was established And so reckoneth vp sundry of the Greeke church then also of the Latine and west churches wherein he maketh mention of certaine leters written vnto some from Foelix and Iulius two bishops of Rome And Bellarm. de Roman pontif lib. 2. cap. 16. endeuoureth by this testimonie to prooue the Pope to be head of the church But consider I pray you how negligeÌ„tly he performeth it Vincentius saith that the city of Rome was the head of the world and we confesse whilest the empire flourished it was so called as by the stories appeareth Now he proueth by this that the pope is head of the church by a strange Metamorphosis changing the citie into the Pope and the world into the church contrary to the Author his words or meaning that not only The head of the worlde but the sides also might yeelde their testimonie to that iudgement Cyprian and Ambrose consented thervnto And lastly he confirmeth this by the iudgment of Capreolus bishop of Carthage who endeuoured to ouerthrow newnes and to defend antiquitie Which was also approued by Cyrils testimonie who would haue the doctrines of the ancient faith confirmed New doctrine condemned and that which is new and superfluously inuented and wickedly published to be reiected and condemned wherunto the whole councell agreed And though there were many in that Councell The councell of Ephesus â—â— rst deuise no new doctrine men of singular great learning in such sort gathered togither which might haue imboldned theÌ„ to decree somwhat of their owne yet would they alter nothing but tooke all heede possible that they deliuered nothing to their posteritie but that they had receyued of their predecessours leauing also to them that example Ancient faith the onely good faith He inueigheth against the pride of Nestorius in defence of antiquitie alledging that of Xistus bishop of Rome Let not newnesse doe any thing because it is not fit any thing should bee added vnto antiquitie And that of Caelestinus who would not haue Newnesse to trouble antiquitie Whose meaning is not that antiquitie should cease to ouerthrow newnesse but that newnesse should cease to molest antiquitie Which thing whosoeuer will not yeeld vnto he must despise the authoritie of Celestinus Xistus Cyril Capreolus the councell of Ephesus who all had learned of God to decree that not any thing should bee deliuered to their posteritie but that onely that sacred antiquitie of the holie fathers and agreing with it selfe in Christ did holde yea not to yeeld vnto this is to iustifie Nestorius by them condemned and to despise the whole Church of Christ The praise of the church to keepe the faith deliuâ— red to her not to inuent a new and the teachers therein the Apostles and Prophets but especially the Apostle saint Paul The Church of Christ I say that neuer yet departed from a religious reuerencing and adorning of the faith deliuered to her by saint Paul who said O Timothie keepe that which was committed to thee auoyding newnesse of wordes And Ifanie preach to you any other thing than that you haue heard let him be accursed And if neither the lawes of the apostles nor decrees of the church are to be broken according to which heretikes are worthily condemned it behoueth all men that will bee accounted the true children of their mother the church to sticke euen to the death True children of holy church vnto the sacred faith of their holy fathers and to hate that that is newe Thus haue I set downe I trust truly and faithfully the summe of this whole treatise of Vincentius Lyrmensis especially whatsouer may be thought pertinent to the matter for which the Papists so triumphingly alledge him And as I endeuoured to be short yet so that I omit not any materiall poynt by him touched so that his meaning may the better appeare I haue as neare as I could kept his owne wordes yea I haue set downe euen his most materiall sentences that his whole minde and intent may the better bee knowne vnto the Reader Iudge nowe I pray thee Christian Reader what Catholike and auncient faith it is that the Church of Rome so much braggeth of Compare it with this that Vincentius commendeth If they bee any thing like I desire no credite I will but giue thee a taste hereof euen out of one of their chiefe poyntes of their Religion Cap. 2. I haue shewed before euen by their owne confession that traditions must needes bee admitted or else the Church of Rome must needes faile in proofe in many articles of their Religion Their Religion therefore in such poynts cannot be Catholike It cannot be that which was Committed to Timothie which was Once deliuered as Vincentius speaketh often whose growing is without change whose perfection is without addition so that their doctrine of traditions is a strong argument to proue that their faith is not Catholike according to Vincentius rules Then also we see how plainly he
sentence of scripture a man may gather diuerse good lessons and that with good fruit to others and approbation of all men so long as those interpretations are agreeable to the rule of faith yet when any euill thing in faith or life is thereby maintained without all doubt the words are then wrested and it ceaseth to bee Gods word Now this is not the fault of the word but of mans corrupt affections which abuse the same Rom. 7.12 For the Lawe truely is holy and the commandement is holy iust and good And as Epiphanius saieth Heres 70 There is no discord in the Scripture nor one sentence disagreeing from an other And in an other place Heres 76 All things in the holy Scripture are cleane enough to them that with godly consideration will come vnto that diuine word and haue not conceiued in themselues the worke of the Diuell indeuoring to throw themselues into the pit of death Euen as saint Paul saith If our gospell be yet hid 2. Cor. 4 3 4 it is hid in them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded their minds And what is Gods word the worse if the wicked will not know it 2. Pet. 3.16 or the vnlearned or vnstable peruert it to their owne destruction I wil therefore conclude with that golden saying of Iustine the martyre I would wish others to be of that mind Iustin Col. cum Tryphone Iud. that they would not swarue from our Sauiours wordes For they can put religion into them that wander from the right way and refresh with most sweete rest them that are exercised therein The Scriptures easie CHAP 4 THE PROTESTANTS Scripturs easie WE also teach the scripturs to be easie not bicause we thinke nothing to be hard in them or that they are easy to euery one but we affirme with Chrysostome 2. Thess 2 hom 3. All that is necessary is easy in them So that with a mind humbled and crauing of God to be instructed men study them The simple may learn by them their duety towardes God and man and how to behaue them selues in their particular dueties And whereas by the Papistes own confessiō the x commandements are very easie Bellarm. de verbo Dei lib. 3. cap. 2. no man can deny but that Gods threatnings against sin the promises of mercy and many other things in this writtē word are as easie Yea why were the prophets sent vnto all sorts of men why do the apostles write vnto all but because much if not all that they do write or say might be vnderstoode euen of the simple THE PAPISTS ANd on the contrary the church of Rome fearing least the light of the worde should discouer the darkenes of their blind deuotions doe what they can to discourage the people from being exercised in the Scriptures lest knowing the truth they shuld detest their superstitions and idolatries and for this cause they cry out with opē mouth that the scripture is too hard to bee vnderstoode and too darke for ignorant men to meddle with the same Wherby they haue brought many ignorant and lay men into that foolish and vnchristian conceit that they thinke it a great deale more dangerous for them euen for their soules health to be occupied in reading or hearing some peece of holie Scripture than the wanton and vnchaste Bookes of prophane men which corrupt good manners and breede noysome lustes that fight against the soule But because this is a great stumbling blocke in the way of the ignorant it shall not be amisse somewhat particularly to examine the Arguments that are vsed to prooue the hardnesse of the scriptures Argument The first argument of Bellarmines is this Dauid prayeth thus Giue me vnderstanding and I wil search thy law Open mine eies Lib. 3. cap. 1. de verbi Dei interpr and I will consider the woonderous things of thy lawe shew the light of thy countenance vpon thy seruant teach me thy statutes therefore the Scriptures are hard Answere It is certaine that Dauids prayers were not to haue his naturall or outward man only instructed for who can imagine that the prophet Dauid being so well acquainted in Gods booke could not vnderstand Gods lawe but to haue his mind and inward man lightned and directed and therefore this proueth not the sense of scripture to be hard for the like prayers are to be vsed of them that thinke it to be most easie Secondly euen the lawe which they confesse to be easie hath not only the literall sense but should also be a bridle vnto the affections and thoughts of men Matth. 5 as most plainly appeareth in those Commentaries which our Sauiour Christ maketh vppon the sixt seuenth and fourth commandements Rom. 7.14 In which respect also S. Paul doth call it Spirituall although Bellarmine seeme to account the commandements to be but Natural The Precepts saith he of the x. Commandements seeing they are natural may easily be vnderstood Dauid therfore may there pray as all christians ought to doe that he may know by Gods word not only how to rule his actiōs but also his words affections This thē doth not proue the scripturs to be hard concerning such good lessons as out of the literal sense may be learned but he proueth that vnlesse God lighten vs we cannot see the spirituall meaning Psa 119.27 which he calleth the maruellous things of the law Arg. 2 His second argument proueth some parts of Scripture to be hard which we denie not and therefore deserueth no answere Arg. 3 Lib. 2. ca 47 Contra Celsum lib. 7 In Exod. hom 12 His third argument is taken from the Fathers Irene saith in the scriptures I commit many things to God Orig. saith the scripture is darke in many places And in another place that we must pray night and day that the lamb of the Tribe of Iuda will come and that hee will vouchsafe to open the booke that is sealed Answere That many things in the scripture are hard we neuer denied as before I said and that with Reading wee should ioyne Prayer therefore Bellarmine when he took these weapons in hand did but feare his owne shadow That Basil and Gregory Nazianzene did seeke not by their owne presumption but by other mens writings that were before them to attaine to the vnderstanding of this written word Ruffinus doth well to commend them But I am sure that Bellarmine himselfe will not thereof conclude that they vnderstoode nothing of themselues or without teachers or that all the scriptures are hard He bringeth in Chrysostome saying that the deepe things therein cannot be attained vnto without great labour and that Christ would haue the Iewes not to reade onely but to search them also If of this hee conclude therfore al the scriptures are hard his argument is to be denied for that it hath no trueth in it if hee say therefore many things are hard we say
of them O blasphemie intollerable if this their argument might bee allowed then the church of Rome which falsely challengeth to bee the church Caus 15. Quaest 6. ca. Autoritatem Dâ— st 34. c. sector dist 82. presbyt would soone prooue their abhominable Idolatries and heresies to be true religion And therefore doe they challenge this authoritie and striue for it And the Pope sometimes dispenseth against the Apostle as their Canonists doe note and sometimes a Councell dispenseth against the apostle and all this is to challenge vnto their church this prerogatiue that it may deale with Gods word as it will When Gregorie the thirteenth pope of that name confirmed the order of the fellowship of the blessed virgine Marie a new deuised order and come vp since the order of Iesuites in his Bull hee confirmeth and ratifieth all such priuileges as they haue or shall haue Notwithstanding anie Constitutions or Ordinances Apostolike or whatsoeuer may be against it Did you euer reade or heare any speake more like the beast mentioned in the Apocalips Apoc. 13.5 6 who had a mouth giuen vnto him that spake blasphemies But to be short I will against their argument oppose this Whatsoeuer scriptures are not giuen by inspiration of God spirit and by the godly receiued into the canon of the scripturs those are not the word of God though they haue the approbation of the latter churches but such are the Bookes which wee call Apocrypha which the councell of Trent would make of like authoritie with the canonicall Scriptures therefore those Bookes are not the vndoubted word of God And howe can any body imagine that that which once hath beene not canonicall can by continuaunce of time and confirmation of men become canonicall or that which God hath not vouched woorthy to bee his word in times past that nowe at the last he should acknowledge the same as though hee were nowe chaunged or had repented him of his former opinion Admit once this doctrine of theirs and farewell all certaintie in religion For men will wander from one thing to an other as wee see in the kingdome of darkenesse and Poperie where there is no ende of deuotions deuised and inuentions of men So that that which was good christianitie in the dayes of Christ and of his Apostles is nowe holden to be farre from the perfection of a godly life vnlesse wee doe helpe it with our will-worshippings and by the obeying the preceptes of the church Nay graunt them this and then that worde written that wee haue it shall speake nothing but Romish so that whatsoeuer is the meaning and true sense of the scriptures yet God must be taught to speake as the church of Rome will haue him De verbo dei lib. 4. cap. 11. To this ende tendeth that common axiome receiued of them all and vsed by Bellarmine The true sense of the Scripture hangeth of vnwritten traditions So that beleeue them and they will easily confute any aduersaries For first they alow for scripture what they will Secondly that which they must needes confesse to bee Scripture must bee expounded by their vnwritten Traditions That I say that is written by that which is vnwritten the certaine by the vncertaine Like to Procustes his bed which who so lay in it if he were too long he was cut shorter if he were too short he was stretched out longer So must all be made fit to their traditions Seeing therefore the Canonical Bookes haue so manifest a testimonie not onely of the godly but euen of the aduersaries themselues and the credite of the Apocrypha by so great authorities is suspect I will conclude with belâ— armines words That he is not well in his wit that not regardâ— ng â—â— e Scripture the surest and safest rule wâ— ll refeâ— re hâ— mself to the iudgement of the inward spirâ— t which is often deceitfull and alwayes vncertaine as in truth the Papists do For they will make you beleeue that because they are guided by the holy Ghost they cannot erre in their traditions This rule then of Gods written word in the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament being set downe as a rule most sure to trâ— e all doctrines with let vs now proceed to examine other matters in controuersy among vs when I shal first haue answered a common obiection wherein all the most ignorant sort especially of Papists doe maruellously trust and triumph and doe therewith deceiue others such as them selues are How shal I know the scriptures say they to be the scriptures but by the authoritie of the Church I will not answer although I might very well that absurdly they call that in question whereof there is no doubt among vs. For neither we nor they denie Gods word It is knowne of all it is receiued of vs all Therfore they put case of that there is not neither is likely to be amongs vs. But for their sakes that are ignorant I answer plainely and shortly out of Saint Augustine Coâ— feâ— li. 6. cap. 5. Thou Lord hast perswaded me that they are blame worthie not who haue beleeued thy bookes which thou hast so setled almost in all nations but they that haue not beleeued them And that I should not heare them if perchance any would say to me How knowest thou that those bookes the scripture are giuen to mankinde by the spirite of one very and most true God Yea Saint Augustine there confesseth that when he was but a nouice in religion yet was he perswaded that God would neuer haue made the whole world so to reuerence the Scriptures but that he meant to be beleeued in them and to be sought out by them We see then by saint Augustine that not onely that common account that the whole world not the Church onely maketh of the Scriptures should be sufficient to stop our mouths for asking that question but also that he flatly telleth vs that God would not haue vs to heare such faithles and fruitles obiections But I know they will by and by come vpon me with that place of Augustine Cont. epist 〈◊〉 c. 5. I would not beleeue the Gospel vnlesse the authoritie of the Church should moue me thereto Out of which they will perchance conclude as grosly as you heard Eckius hath done That the Scripture it selfe hath no credite but as the Church will bestow it vpon the same But Melchior Canus a learned Papist doth gather otherwise out of that place and doth in deed truely answere this common obiection for vs out of the said words of S. Augustine concluding thus Therefore it teacheth not Locor Theo lib. 1. cap. â— that beleeuing the Gospel is grounded vpon the authoritie of the Church but onely that there is no sure way whereby either Infidels or Nouices in faith may come to the holy Scriptures but the consent of the Catholike Church Yea he hath taught a little before in that Chapter that although to haue faith
certaine external meanes and helpes are required yet those moue vs nothing without the working of Gods holy spirit And he much misliketh of them that teach that our faith must rest vpon that point That we beleue that the church is true or cannot erre For therevpon he gathereth this absurditie that our faith should be grounded vpon the truth not of God but of man He also plainly affirmeth that if a man should aske how the faithfull do know that God hath reuealed that which they beleeue they cannot answere by the authoritie of the Church but it is by the inward light of Gods spirit that they know the same If now thou aske me how I know the Scriptures to be the Scriptures I answere out of Canus not by the authority of the Church but by the motion of Gods spirit and witnesse thereof If thou vrge that place of Augustine Canus telleth thee that they who are become Christians are not so brought to beleeue the Scriptures but onely Infidels and Nouices in religion So that this place serueth nothing to obiect against vs who professe Christianitie alreadie and beleeue the worde which the Manichies did not of whom and to whom Saint Augustine there writeth But we had neede out of that place to admonish you that in respect of that reuerence which with one consent al that professe Christianitie doe yeeld vnto the scriptures you would be ashamed so to depraue and despise them so to abuse and reiect them at your owne pleasure as you alwayes haue done You make vnlawfull that which God hath mad lawfull as for example It was lawfull in the Apostles time for euerie Priest Dion Carth. 1. Tim. 3. Bishop and Deacon to haue one wife but now by the appointment of the Pope they may not haue a wife sayth a friend of your owne a bird of your owne nest So that not the scripture or the will of God but the worde of the Pope must be the rule of our life so that whereas Augustine for the Church beleeued the scriptures you for your Churches sake controll the scriptures and disobey them And for the establishing of that vndue honour which they would bestow vpon the most happie mother of Christ the virgin Mary Marke the boldnesse of Durand a great piller in the Popish Church Rathon◠di◠li. 4. rub 6. who writeth thus Although it is said in the Scriptures that Christ rising did first appeare to Marie Magdalen yet it is more truly beleeued that first of all he appeared to his mother Is it not plaine how that to establish their foolish toyes he giueth the lie to that word that is onely true O grosse boldnesse Seeing therefore this worde hath not onely testimonie within vs which is the strongest witnesse but also with so great consent is knowne to be Gods worde be ashamed now to call it into question or to put it to the triall of the Church by which the Papists alwaies vnderstand the Romish Church whether it shal be allowed for currant or not For in deede this blasphemous sense which as I haue shewed euen their owne friends can in no wise like of is now the cōmon exposition of those words of S. Aug. I will not beleeue the scriptures vnlesse the Church of Rome do allow the Bookes for Canonicall and expound them as she shall thinke good And thus much to answer this their common obiection What the Catholike Church is that is mentioned in the Creede CHAP. 6 THE PROTESTANTS VVE say with the Apostle Saint Paul that the catholike church which is spoken of in the Creede s. Tim. 3. Is the house of God the pillar and ground of truth And with the fathers that it is the companie of all the faithfull of all times and of all places And with Saint Iohn The Bride of the Lambe Apoc. 21 9. and the bodie of Christ And therefore that the wicked and faithlesse are not of this Church nor can be counted of this companie THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of Rome to get a Catholike Church admit good and bad to be of their Church namely reprobates wicked Bellar. de Eccle. li. 3. cap. 2. and vngodly ones Neither do thinke that they neede any inward vertue to bee of their Church but onely that they professe religion and be vnder the Pope Well may they in some sort seeme to haue a Catholike Church because all is fish that comes into their net but holy apostolike it shal not be nor Catholike as in the Creed is meant Wherein this is worthie to be reproued in them that whereas they crie out in worde and writing The Catholike church of Rome and vnlesse you beleeue the Catholike Church you cannot be saued And for proofe hereof they alledge this article I beleeue the Catholike church yet when they should tell vs what this Catholike church is wherevnto we must so necessarily be subiect they onely paint vnto vs I know not what Romish Church The catholike church in the Creed and the Romish contrary which is no more like the true Catholike church than that church of Israel when it was started aside from the true worship of God was like to the true church of God that remained amongest the people of the Iewes as by these few reasons may appeare The catholike church is One One that is to say one companie and vnited and knit togither by one spirite and the selfe same graces but the reprobate and vngodly who fill vp a place in the Romish catholike church neither are one company with the Saints nor vnited to them by the same spirit and graces to be partakers of the communion of Saints Therefore that catholike and the Romish catholike Church are not all one Secondly that Church is Holy Holy and that not in part but perfectly euen without spot or wrinckle Ephe. 5.26.27 For in our Creed we doe not speake of the church that is but that shal be not that which we see with our eye but by faith not that which is perfected but hoped for which we shall not in deede behold with our eyes Reuel 21 vntill it come downe from heauen as saint Iohn speaketh of the heauenly Ierusalem Apoc. 11 which as witnesseth saint Ambrose doth represent the Church that shall bee after the ende of the world Apoc. 21 Of which minde is also saint Augustine But the Romish catholike church is of omnigatheroms as people goe to faires or markets of all sorts and qualities And although a man haue not one good thing in him not one crum of honestie hee is good enough to make vp a number in the Church of Rome but such a church is not holy and therefore not that that is mentioned in the Creede Thirdly that church is catholike Catholike that is as all the godly haue acknoledged it the mother of all Christians the companie of all the saints both in heauen and vpon earth But the Romish catholike church
they can sinne actually because they are baptized must needs be saued although they bee not of that number which God hath chosen vnto himselfe before the foundations of the worlde were laide Which to affirme is nothing else but to tie our saluation Ephes 1. not to Gods grace in electing in Christ whome hee would but to such externall meanes as haue alwayes beene accounted but helpers to our faith as the Apostle teacheth by the example of Circumcision in Abraham Ro. 4.10 11. but no workers of saluation And to be short how agreeth this that they say that the Sacrament hath strength or force to worke Holinesse or Righteousnesse with that which they also say That infants when they are baptized De Sacram. Bapt. lib. 1. cap. 11. haue not any new motions or inclinations like vnto the actions of faith and loue If the Sacraments worke not in them such effectes who haue not anie actual sinne to let or hinder how shal we think they work in others that are stroÌ„gly assaulted with the lusts of sin Therefore let vs not ascribe such working vnto them but vnto Christ who is made vnto vs righteousnesse and holinesse 1. Cor. 1.30 As for the number of seuen Sacraments two of them wee acknowledge with the Fathers of the Primitiue church Baptisme and the Lordes Supper As for the other fiue either they haue no commaundement in the word or no visibl signes or to be short no warrant in the word or Primitiue church to bee such Sacraments as the other two are Although wee deny not but the things haue had and many of them yet haue their godly vse in Gods Church Of the Sacrament of Baptisme CHAP. 11. THE PROTESTANTS WE acknowlege Baptism to be as it were a Gods-peny and earnest of our entrance into Christes family Wherein wee are both fully assured that by the blood of Christ which is figured by that water our sinnes are so washed away that they shall not bee imputed vnto vs and also the promise of that spirite of regeneration whereby wee growe to be new men is sealed vp in our hearts so that therein the faithfull are ingraffed into Christ to be made partakers of al his treasures and namely that hee may bee vnto vs sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 And as therin our faith is thus norished so is it also a publike testification and witnessing of our profession so that wee doe not only beleeue with our heart vnto righteousnesse but also shew that wee are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for that cause wee weare that badge of our profession and cognisance of our religion THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of Rome lest we should constantly beleeuing the promises and vsing the Sacraments according to Christs institution take sure hold of Iesus christ and to acknowledge our saluation to bee by him onely in whome the word and Sacraments send vs to seeke it teacheth vs that the very Sacrament of it selfe hath such force and vertue as that it doth extinguish and quite abolish Andrad Orthod Explic. lib. 3. not onely the daunger and condemnation the rewarde due to sinne but also the verie corruption of the same And on the contrarie that the verie infants that die before they bee baptised Bellarmine de purgat lib. 2. cap. 6 haue their place of torment appointed vnto them where they must bee purged So that as they giue the power of killing sinne in vs vnto the Sacrament which onely belongeth vnto Christ Rom. 6. so in this latter point they doe in a manner make Christ scant able for to saue without the sacrament and teach sinne by other meanes than by Christ only to be purged De sacr baptism li. 1. ca. 4 Now the first reason whereby Bellarmine wil prooâ—â— that the Sacrament of it selfe hath such force of thâ—◠〈◊〉 doth worke in vs holinesse and abolish sinne and therefore that without it no man or woman can be saued is that place of saint Iohn Ioh 3.5 Vnlesse a man be borne againe of Water and of the Spirit he can not enter into the kingdome of God And for the better credite of his assertion he telleth vs De peccatorum merit remiss lib. 1. cap. 30. that saint Augustine in his first booke of the merites of sinnes and the forgiuenesse thereof the thirtieth chapter doth shew that these wordes are not a commandement but declare the means of saluation as though saint Augustine would make the Sacrament as necessary to saluation as meate for our life or physicke for recouery of health for these are the examples alledged afterwardes by Bellarmine But he belieth that learned father for hee hath not any such thing in that place although indeede hee handle that place of scripture largely there But first before I enter any further into the consideration of this point lest I should bee mistaken as though I accounted the Sacrament of no necessitie I affirme it to bee so necessarie that if it may bee had according vnto Christes institution and any man or woman shall wilfully refuse the same by this their contempt they doe wilfully cut off themselues from the body of Christ and so make themselues vncapable of such graces as God in Christ bestoweth vpon his But if otherwise any man woman or childe being desirous to enter into the felowship of the holy couenant and to be incorporated by that Sacrament into the presence of Christ shall die or depart out of this life before they can attaine thereto God forbid that we should thinke either so vncharitably of them as to iudge them vnworthy of Gods mercy or so hardly of God as that hee would alter his eternall councell for want of this external sacrament or so slenderly of the vertue of Christ his blood as that without this water it can not wash vs from sinne No doubt many died in the wildernesse before the Israelites came to the land of promise that had not the sacrameÌ„t of circumcision and also afterwards by all likelihoode in Babylon The thiefe vpon the crosse of whose saluation we make no doubt was not baptised Yea the order that God vseth in sauing vs doeth teach vs that without the Sacraments we may be saued Rom. 8.30 Ephes 1.4 because that election or predestination goeth before calling whether it be internall by the spirit or externall by the word and Sacraments Therefore wee must either imagine Gods election not to be certaine which is blasphemous or else that all that are elect are saued although they haue not oportunity to receiue that externall seale of Gods couenant Therefore I say that Baptisme is very necessary and in any wise to be vsed and receiued of them that may according to Christes institution haue the same But we detest that doctrine of the Papists that teacheth it to be so necessary that whosoeuer is not baptized can not be saued whereupon they permit lay men yea women to baptise whereas the
virgin Mary might not baptize as Epiphanius noteth haeres 97. and so prophane that holy sacrament in altering Christes institution But rather we say with Tertullian de paenitentia Wee are not washed that wee may cease to sinne but because we haue ceased to sinne seeing in heart wee are washed Which words because Bellarmine lib. 2 de effect sacrament cap. 10. can not answere he full wisely maketh as if hee neuer sawe them and saieth nothing vnto them And nowe to returne to the Obiection Howsoeuer saint Augustine esteemeth of the necessitie of Baptisme he teacheth with vs the true vse of Baptisme against the Papists euen in the booke alleaged by Bellarmine speaking of the infants hee saieth thus Lib. 1. ca. 26. They stand in neede of those benefites of the Mediatour That they beeing offered by the Sacrament and charitie of the faithfull and so beeing incorporate into the body of Christ which is the Church may be reconciled vnto God that they may bee made in him liuing safe deliuered redeemed and lightened Marke that Saint Augustine most plainly ascribeth vnto the sacrament to offer and incorporate vs into the church but to God not to the sacrament to quicken saue deliuer redeeme and lighten vs. And seeing we see that S. Augustine in the place alleged by Bellarmine maketh nothing for him but in the same booke in an other place maketh much against him let vs see what other of the ancient Fathers doe gather out of that place of saint Iohn whether they reason out of it as Bellarmine doeth Chrysostome out of this place sheweth Homil. 24 in Ioh. that in that water spoken of there is represented vnto vs our Buriall Mortification Resurrection life and addeth As it is an easie thing for vs to bee dipped in and being pulled out to breathe againe euen so is it for God to burie our old man to put on vs the new man And hereby thou mayest vnderstand that the vertue of the Father the Sonne and of the holy Ghost fulfilleth all these things What can be more plaine than these words of Chrysostom to teach vs that this working vertue is ascribed vnto God and nothing at all to the Sacrament Theophilact in Ioh. 3. as the Papists teach vs. And yet Theophilact is more plaine Euen as in this bodily seede Gods grace worketh all euen so in Baptisme the Water is but an vnderling and it is the Spirite that worketh all So that I cannot see how this ancient Father if he had directly spoken against this popish doctrine whereby they ascribe so much vertue vnto the Sacrament coulde haue vsed if hee had liued in our time more effectuall wordes to reprooue the same If then wee graunt that that place speaketh of Baptisme as many of the Fathers haue thought yet that which the Papistes inferre thereupon followeth not for wee see the working of grace is onely attributed to the spirite of God contrary to that they doe teach Bellarm de Sacrament lib. 2. cap. 3 For they will needes haue vs to beleeue that the Sacrament it selfe by receiuing of it giueth grace But good reasons may be yeelded why by water in that place the water of Baptisme can not be meant First because our sauiour Christ spake there to Nicodemus who knew nothing of the principles of religion and therefore Christ teacheth him that we haue not in our selues any thing to worke our saluation but wee must be borne anew It is vnlikely that our sauiour Christ would instruct him of the necessitie of baptisme who as yet neuer knewe the promises which in baptisme are sealed vp vnto vs. Secondly Verse 6. Christ going about afterwardes to explane his meaning in the next verse maketh mention of the spirite onely and not of the water whereas if he had spoken of baptisme and had made it of such absolute necessitie that in no case a man might be saued without it hee would not haue left it out in that place especially where hee sheweth how we are borne anew Thirdly that which is done in the sacramentall water may very well be perceiued both of them that feele it and of them that see it or heare it but this new birth that is spoken of in that place how it is wrought a man can not perceiue as our sauiour Christ telleth vs Therefore by likelihoode Verse 8. not the water of baptisme is there spoken of but that water which God promiseth by his Prophet Ezechiel and is called Ezec. 36.24 the cleane water because of that notable cleansing and holinesse which no materiall water be it neuer so excellent can worke but onely Gods cleansing spirit that is The cleane water there spoken of And this is the onely argument out of the scriptures which Bellarmine hath for the necessitie of Baptisme But in his second booke where he speaketh of the sacraments in generally what force they haue hee alleageth some moe Lib. 2. cap. â— de Sacram. as that of saint Iohn the Baptist Hee speaking of Christ baptizeth with the holie Ghost and with fire Matth. 3.11 His reason is sufficiently answered by gathering it into an argument Christ baptizeth with the holy Ghost therefore baptisme of it selfe giueth grace For the question among vs is what vertue is in the Sacrament it selfe and he telleth vs what Christ can do in it As if he should say Christ when hee healed him that was borne blind made clay of spittle and bade him go wash in Siloam Ioh. 9 therefore the clay put vpon the eies and the water of Siloam by their vertue made him to see Mar. 16.16 Againe He that beleeueth and is baptized shal be saued By this wee may as well conclude that faith saueth which in any wise the papists like not of as that baptisme saueth for it is said of both indifferently But let vs marke his argument againe that we may see how hee prooueth his assertion Hee that is baptized shall be saued therefore the sacrament of baptisme hath of it selfe that vertue to saue For this is it that hee must prooue But see how weakely hee performeth it First whereas Christ promiseth saluation to them that beleeue and are baptized Bellarmine draweth these words to declare how this saluation is wrought in vs which is not here handled Secondly Christ speaketh here of beleeuing or faith which directeth vs vnto him in whome our saluation that is promised in the word apprehended by faith and sealed vp in the sacraments is performed and perfected that is Christ Iesus And how doth this prooue the vertue of the sacrament in it selfe The like is to be saide of that place that he bringeth out of the Actes Actes 2.38 Amend your liues and bee baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes As for his last place out of the scriptures which is out of Peter marke I pray you how he seeketh to hide the trueth saint Peter saith
there is no sacrifice vpon a table but onely vpon an altar De missa lib. 1. cap. 17. Yet master Bellarmine roueth againe with his vncertaine proofes The fathers saieth hee speake of priests therefore they will haue a sacrifice in the eucharist And why may not the fathers vnderstand priests as wee doe in our booke of making of ministers and in our booke of common prayer who succeede in the publike ministery in the church the priests of Leui Leuit. 10.11 Deut. 17.5 mal 2.7 not in sacrificing for the sacrifices are ended but in teaching for that was also the priests office and is now the office of them that we sometime call priests And yet we although we vse the name do not alow that popish sacrifice which Bellarmine would haue And why then should this be holden for a good argument The fathers speake sometimes of priests Therefore the eucharist is a reall sacrifice or a sacrifice after the proper signification of that word As for that which hee hath in the eighteenth chapter of that his first booke of the masse is almost all one with that which hee saide in the fifteenth chapter and therefore it is answered before But his last proofe Chap. 19 whereby hee will out of the fathers prooue a sacrifice is as himselfe saith vnanswerable vnlesse we do vtterly reiect the fathers The fathers desire not to be credited against the trueth They were men they might erre Onely Gods word is perfectly true And therfore as wee do them no wrong to trie and examine their doctrine by that rule and square that cannot deceiue How the fathers are to be receiued so if it be not agreeable to that word of trueth wee must rather confesse all men to be liars than swarue one iote from that perfect way And therefore it is not absurd if wee leaue the fathers when they goe without their guide of Gods written word or speake without their warrant of Gods infallible trueth So that although wee are content to shew how the father 's wrested by them either must or may be vnderstoode that by that meanes wee may pull from them that visard of antiquitie consent of fathers wherewith they cloke and colour their dangerous and deceitfull heresies yet we receiue the fathers but as men and therfore no masters to giue vs new lawes but yet men of excellent gifts in their time and alwayes worthy of much reuerence and honour But yet this is not a good argument The fathers haue somctime written this or haue done this Therefore it is true or it is good But let vs view his vnanswerable argument If the eucharist were not a sacrifice the fathers would not haue offred the same for peace safety and sundry such things but they did therfore it is a sacrifice Marke howe hee prooueth that they did offer the eucharist for such things Hee first alleageth Chrysostome in his homilies to the people of Antioch Hom. 79. Hom. 7â— and then also vpon Mathew most notably belying that father as though he spake thereof the sacrifice in the eucharist whereas the first whole Homily is altogether of praier and Chrysostome there sheweth that they pray in deed for the whole world and for sundry persons but of standing at the altar not a word And therefore master Bellarmine belieth that father And in the second place Wee pray first for them that are possessed the second for the penitent c. Is this good dealing to auouch that that ancient father saith in those places that the Eucharist was offered for such things Other falsifications of these very places I omit as not much materiall When I heard his great cracke I imagined this shot would haue made a great breach but it is like to doe no hurt at all Then for that which he alleageth out of same Augustine that the Eucharist was offered by one for freeing a certaine house from euill spirites De ciuit Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. It is true that he reporteth such a thing and addeth That hee prayed as earnestly as he could that that vexation might cease First it is not saint Augustine himselfe that doth this but another and this fact is not either commended or allowed to be wel done of saint Augustine But they wil answere The euill spirits left the house And therefore the euent prooueth the fact to be good Not so but it is an argument of Gods might and mercie that can and will by euill or the abuse of good meanes bring to passe good things Secondly it may iustly be doubted whether saint Augustine did impute this effect vnto that sacrifice that he speaketh of or the earnest prayers that were made for it Yea it seemeth rather that he imputeth it vnto the sacrifice of prayer than any other sacrifice Moreouer it seemeth that as in the dayes of saint Paul there were that were baptized ouer the dead either to declare their hope of the resurrection or to testify their dying vnto sinne or for such other considerations so in these dayes of S. Augustine some vpon such occasions would celebrate the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ by that assurance and pledge of Gods loue to stirre vp and confyrme their faith that with more earnestnesse and faith they might craue Gods helpe But if master Bellarmine would haue this to be a catholike doctrine that hath but one or few examples he will haue Vincentius Lirinensis flat contrary to him Confess li. 9. cap. 12. So that also that is alleaged of the oblation for his mother it can not bee denied that there were at that time some such abuses creeping into the church of God concerning that charitable superstition that I may so terme it of prayer for the dead of the which some had good liking some liked not But out of them it is hard to establish a strange doctrine in Gods church and such as Gods word is not acquainted withall But euen by that booke of S. Augustine it is plaine and namely by the next chapter to the place alleadged that S. Augustine did not once thinke of any propitiatory sacrifice that was in the masse And I would also desire the indifferent Reader to iudge how litle such matters sauour of the maiestie of that spirit which is seene in the scriptures Bellarmines last sort of arguments are drawen from reason The first is grounded vpon this principle De missa lib. 1. cap. 20. there is no religion without an externall sacrifice which is most false for God when he seeth his people to whom he commanded those external sacrifices to repose themselues too much vpon them doeth not onely reiect those sacrifices which himselfe appointed but also teacheth wherein true religion consists Isa 1.15 16. and Mich. 6.8 Yea marke the whole scriptures it wil appeare that faith obedience are the especiall things that god requireth of vs that the sacrifices directed therto His second argument taken from reason is this The
readinesse to heare vs. Yea many times men speake the words of prayer neither considering what they aske or howe greatly they stande in neede to be heard or to whom they speake or with what boldnesse they may come vnto him in respect of his abundant mercies But because this is rather the fault of the men than of the doctrine I will not meddle with it But yet I cannot but maruell at master Bellarmine De bouis operibus in particulari lib. 1. ca. 9. who thinketh that a man needeth not in prayer to haue such fayth as that he is assured thereby that God will heare him but onely a generall perswasion of his power will c. Against which daungerous doctrine I will for this time onely say thus much Our faith the more particular it is the stronger it is and the stronger it is the better holde shall it take of Gods mercies and the more readily obtaine at Gods hande Therefore still weaknesse of fayth is reprooued Iames. 1.6 And saint Iames willeth vs to pray in fayth without wauering But this their generall or hystoricall faith is sufficiently confuted if we compare it with that exceeding great and particular perswasion of Gods goodnesse which the Apostle did feele in the eight to the Romans where hee assureth himselfe that no bodie can condemne him no neither yet accuse him Rom. 8. nothing can separate him from Gods loue which his particular faith also appeareth in many other places and did make him pray with assurance And thus I haue I trust proued that wee must pray to God onely I can aske these things saith Tertullian of none but of him In Apolog. ◠Tim. 2.5 of whome I knowe I shall speede for it is onely he that giueth it And that by one onely mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus And wee must pray in humilitie and yet faithfully Because although our prayers are not of themselues worthie to bee heard yet Christ shall offer them vp vnto God as a sweete perfume Apoc. 8.3 as saint Iohn in the spirit of prophecie did see Against Images in Churches or any where else for Religions cause CHAP. 29 THE PROTESTANTS ANd as wee must haue one onely God in whome we must trust to whō onely we must pray so we dare not make vnto our selues any Image of God or of any creature to doe any kinde of worship vnto the same For first God hath commanded vs that wee should not haue anie grauen thing no nor yet the likenesse of any thing in heauen in the earth or in the waters to worship it Then also mans great weakenes maketh vs afraide to haue them Because more easily we wil worship the thing that we see thē that which we see not Thirdly the godlie among Gods people did alwaies carefully take heed therof coūting it a thing most vnlawfull Lastly the best teachers of truth Christ his apostles did neuer cōmēd thē to vs but rather the contrary Which doubtlesse they would haue done if they had bin needefull THE PAPISTS BVt the Papists whom neither Gods commaunment can restraine neither experience that teacheth euē fooles can admonish though they may dayly see if themselues were not like their Idols hauing eyes and see not eares and heare not the manifest and manifolde superstitions that by them are crept into their Churches and although they want all warrant of the word and haue no example of the purer times of the primitiue church to induce them thereto yet doe they dailie set vp those dangerous stumbling blockes in their churches I mean◠the Images before which men doe pray vnto which men doe bowe and kneele and serue And that they might the easlier lead men and women to superstition they will sometime make them to wag their head moue their eies fome at the mouth or shew other such signes that they are either pleased or angry with such as come to them And if in anie article of their religion then sure in this in my iudgement they haue a most miserable defence seeing they cannot commend their Images as thinges commended to them of God or vsed of the Godly They can only plead not guilty Our Images are not Idols We worship them not with any vnlawful worship And so all that they can doe is to excuse themselues from being Idolaters No it is more then they can doe considering howe God hath forbidden them and good men haue detested them Are they not carelesse thinke you of their owne or other mens saluation that will commend that to the people as good and necessary whereof when they haue spoken the best they can they cannot truely saie it is not euill But let vs see by what arguments they will proue that images are not euil images I saie that haue anie worship done vnto them For such images as are not in danger to be worshipped we speake not against First they put a difference betweene an Idol and an image saie that an Idol is a false likenes of a thing an image doth truely represent thinges vnto vs. Bellar. lib 2. de Imag. c. 5. First in matter or substance they will confesse that there is no difference betweene them For both are made of gold siluer wood stone or such like Secondly in forme they agree for they are like some man or woman Thirdly they are of like might or power either against mise or rats or dust and cobwebs and alike able they are or rather vnable to helpe themselues or others Fourthly the vse of the Idols that the gentiles had De preparat Euang. lib. 3. and that the papists haue is all one For Eusebius sheweth that the gentiles did vse their Idols as bookes to learne by them God himselfe and his power Contra gent. lib. 1. and to expresse and set forth the inuisible things of God by their images And Athanasius a little before him affirmeth the same For he reporteth that such as were the wiser sorte of them said they were as bookes or letters wherein they might read and learne to know God And are they not vsed in the popish church to be laie mens bookes Let themselues speake We desire in this cause no other witnesses Why then saith Athanasius in the place before alleadged what is there in the image that doth represent God Is it the matter What neede was there then that a shape should be giuen vnto it Or what need we seeke that in few places that is in many For stone wood gold and such like maie easlier els where be found then in churches Is it the forme the likenesse of men or other creatures Why then shoulde it not bee thought that men themselues or other creatures shoulde more liuelie represent God than their image Is it the cunning or workemanship Then men that deuised this skill maie rather teach vs than the image which they made Thus we see how this ancient writer doth confute soundlie not only the opinion that
haue too good experience heereof For meekenesse some call it but I take it to bee an excessiue want either of care or courage in the Lordes cause hath brought these countries to that passe that the sinnes of the countrey as murder whoredome thefts and spoiling do abound more than euer they did for many yeeres As for recusants not men onely and women but euen in sundry places the children also either may not or will not come at the church And that more is and to be wondered at there are that dare reprooue them that will perfourme that duety And yet the church of Rome hath not much to brag of this their plentifull haruest as in many of their bookes they doe for it is full of filthy weedes For euen the better sort of them rest vpon I knowe not what name of conscience without any reason of their religion or ground of their faith And they being deceiued through their ignorance doe fall into the pit which false teachers as ignorant almost as themselues haue made to catch thē in And though amongst thē that do professe religion there are too many that doe know too little yet for them to seeme to haue a better perswasion in religion than the common sort who haue scarce so much knowledge as the common sort hath to ground their religion vpon is a great skorne Yea many there are whose conscience as it is thought will serue them some to take their neighbours horse cow oxe or sheepe by stealth some to beare with and winke at such as doe such things and yet their conscience will not suffer them to come to the church Others haue conscience that will suffer them to liue in continuall whordome and to lead a most filthie life euen almost in the sight of the sunne but to shew themselues dutifull to God and man it will not suffer them Seeing therfore that as in a sore if the surgeon forbear to search it to the quicke it doth but corrupt and putrifie so in this our malady nothing hath so much increased the same as too much lenity there is now no other way to mend that is amisse but by some due punishments to beate downe the pride of the obstinate and to restraine their insolencie I meane not that life or limme of anie should be touched for religion only vnlesse perchaunce the word of God expreslie doe commaund it for as mildnesse hath been a precious ornament to her maiesties person So I am well assured that it hath beene as a strong pillar to vpholde her estate Prou. 20.28 For mercie and truth preserue the king and his throne shal be established with mercie yet would I haue manie pittied rather than one That is that one or some few should rather be punished than whole multitudes by too much gentlenesse should be imboldened to follow that which is euil Neither are the punishments for religion by our law of such qualitie as that there is iust cause to complaine of the rigour of the same although the papistes that they may seeme to haue a great number of martyrs and confessours with manie a loude lie crie out against the crueltie that is vsed amongst vs. Restraint of libertie only would not in the late time of persecution in Queene Maries daies haue beene thought crueltie when most sharpe and vncomfortable imprisonments and in the ende cruel death was thought too little for them that could not be charged with any thing but onely dissenting in religion from the Church of Rome The paiment of a little money would then haue beene thought an easie redemption for the libertie of conscience and these are the most grieuous punishments that our lawe in such case hath set downe And that these chasticements should nowe with some seueritie be executed it is high time when as so many vpon a meere will or to please some other will not sticke to reuolt from that holy profession which once they followed Yea it seemeth vnto me a necessarie policie that that penal statute against recusants should more seuerely be executed not onely to haue the greater treasure in store for the necessarie defence of the realme but also to withdrawe from hollow hearted subiects that wherewith they do either vnmeasurablie inrich and furnish themselues against that euil day which so long they haue looked for or in the mean time relieue bad persons to be trumpets of rebellion For howsoeuer those lying spirits blow it abroad that catholiks for so they falsely tearme them are in most cruell maner persecuted in England for religion yet it is most certaine that there are an infinite number of knowne and stubborne recusants among vs that feele no smart at all Which thing also I would wish that by some meanes they might bee made publikely to confesse therby to confute and confound the shamelesse slaunders of their lying masters And such as are imprisoned can not iustly complaine of want of anie thing necessarie vnlesse it be libertie They are not forced to lie vpon the ground or to sit vneasilie in the stockes They are not loaden with boltes and fetters or anie other way cruelly handled as many good men were in the dayes of our late persecution No no we willingly leaue those cruel torments to the bloudie papists to that purple Harlot that sitteth at Rome who is euen drunken with the blood of the saints and hath a delight to torment and make hauocke of the people of God Lib. 2. To such as Dinothus in his storie of the warres of Fraunce speaketh of For hee reporteth that when the papists that sauage generation had woonne Aurasia they spared no sexe no age no estate no not sucking babes they deuised new those cruell torments for to kil only cannot suffice that catholike humor And towarde women when they were dead they passed the limits I will not say of christianitie or of humane modesty but they shewed themselues more beastly thā beasts And that they might the rather be incoraged impudently to commit all these excesses they had a fit watchword for their purpose which did both shew their meaning and with what spirit they were guided which was this I curse god thrice O catholike watch word It seemeth they were at defiance not with good men only but with God also Of like beastly cruelty also and shamelesse despiting of the dead bodies the same authour writeth in the verie latter end of that his second booke euen such as anie man excepting Romish catholiks would be ashamed to commit But the more shameles in crueltie that they are the more like them selues For if we will beleeue euen their owne stories we shall find that they alwaies made litle accoumpt of that which is pretious in Gods sight Such crueltie I say beseemeth that popish crue but we hate and detest the same We are content if they be not dangerous to the state that they liue at ease and in libertie also so long as it confirmeth not themselues in their errour
saint Augustine by this prison meaneth hell De salut docu cap. 64 from whence the sinner shall neuer come Now what is this to purgatorie The fift place alledged by master Bellarmine is out of the same chapter Mat. 5.22 Whosoeuer is angrie with his brother c. Here master Bellarmine gathereth out of S. August that all these punishments belong to the life to come Then also that there are three sorts of sinnes De ser dom in mont li. ◠He might also haue told vs out of S. Augu. that in Gods iudgement anger that is the least of these sinnes deserueth hell But that maketh against purgatory and therefore he would not see it And it is most certaine that our sauiour Christ there teacheth vs that the cōmandement Thou shalt not kill is sundry waies broken Neither can out of these words be gathered that there must be satisfaction after this life which Bellar. would proue Moreouer he reasoneth out of S. Luke Make you friends of riches of iniquitie Luke 16.9 that when you shall want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations If by friends in this place we should vnderstand the saints yet it maketh not for purgatory as may appeare For in this argumēt there can be no necessarie cōsequence The saints must receiue vs into heauen therfore we must go by purgatory but the saints cānot neither must they haue that honor giuē to thē that they shuld receiue vs into the euerlasting habitations Mat. 25.34 it is Christ that must say Come ye blessed He must giue that inheritance that hath bought it with his pretious bloud or else a man may giue it vnto the wicked that shall neuer come there or to such as out liue him neither of which can bee there to receiue him By al which reasons it appeareth that in those words our sauior Christ doth but allude vnto such as whilest they haue ability doe make others their friends So would hee haue vs whom God hath made his stewards with well vsing of our riches to please God that hee also of his gratious goodnes may shew mercy to vs. Luk. 23.42 Seuēthly Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome saide the thiefe that was put to death with Christ therefore saieth maister Bellarmine he thought that sinnes might be after this life remitted So that this is his meaning as the papistes would perswade vs remember me that is let me be praied for when I am dead Vers 43. But they doe not remember how Christ promised he should not come in purgatory but be with him euen that day in Paradise His eight place He loosed the sorrows of death so it is in greeke Act. 2.24 but M. Bellarmine that hee might get an argument out of that place woulde haue vs reade the sorrowes of hell It is not worth answering because hee must alter the wordes or els he must haue one argument fewer than hee looked for His last place himselfe misliketh and thinketh it not to proue any thing for them and therefore I will not speake of it Now for their argumentes out of the fathers hee that will but indifferentlie consider of them shall finde the fathers to be in this point verie vncertaine And the question being amongst vs whether purgatory bee a catholicke doctrine wee haue not to regard what they in their priuate and doubtful opinions doe set downe but what with one consent and constantly they teach Seeing therefore that neither the fathers with one consent teach it neither themselues knowe well what to saie of it as in many places of maister Bellarmine his two bookes of purgatory may appeare I wil conclude with that golden saying taken out of Gelasius a pope We reade that Christ raised the dead Causa 24. Q. 2. ca. legitur but that hee absolued such as died in error wee doe not reade And afterwardes speaking of the authority of binding and loosing giuen in those words Math. 16 1◠Whatsoeuer thou shalt loose vpon earth shall bee loosed in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth c. Gelasius thus inferreth In earth saith he for he that is dead being bound he said not that he should be absolued or loosed An abridgement of Vincentius Lirinensis with some obseruations vpon the saide Author CHAP. 32. NOw in steede of a conclusion vnto this treatise of controuersies I haue thought good to draw into a briefe summe that booke of Vincentius Lyrinensis against heresies which is so much alleadged against vs. Whom because they so confidently produce against vs in defence of their cause I take his authority to be so much the stronger against them that euen by the iudgement of their owne witnes for so they recken him they may bee conuinced of newnesse and falshood in their doctrine and of vntruth in challenging to their errours the name of catholicke faith and to themselues of catholicke men or women But before I come to the treatise it selfe that we may the better vnderstand vpon what occasion he so greatly accounteth of the ancient tradition of holy men for the interpretation of the scriptures first wee must perswade our selues that this learned father coulde not bee ignoraunt of that way to finde out the true meaning of the scriptures which the godly fathers a little before his time had set downe namely by conferring one place with another and by waying the circumstances of the place it selfe As S. Hillary de trin li. 1. Ambr. in Psal 118. Serm. 8. Hierom vpon Esay 19.1 Basil in reg breu quaest 267. Chrysostome vpon Gen. hom 12. And saint Augustine in many places haue plainly taught Neither yet must we imagine that Vincentius contrary to that which himselfe teacheth throughout this whole booke would that this his rule shoulde bee accounted the onlie way to finde out the trueth of Gods worde and that which so many before him with such a ful consent haue taught vs shoulde bee reiected Therefore it is cettaine that his meaning is to such godly waies as others before him haue vsed for trial of the truth to adde this also as a rule that may bee profitable and doe much good if it bee vsed wisely and truly considered of And the rather did hee teach vs this way because the Pelagians so boldly and confidently preferred their newe doctrine before the ancient faith whereof this authour complaineth fol. 15. And Nestorius condemned all that were before him as if they knew nothing in comparison of himselfe as wee maie see fol. 54. For this cause Vincentius teacheth vs in this his booke which hee therefore calleth Commonitorium an admonition or caueat to auoid the new deuises of priuate men and to holde fast the ancient faith of the vniuersal church And yet although Vincentius Lyrinensis did then see that that which was then catholicke and auncient it was also true and therefore that then it was a good rule to trie doctrines by yet the argument of the Church of