A TREATISE OF THE NATVRE OF CATHOLICK FAITH AND HERESIE WITH Reflexion upon the Nullitie of the English Protestant Church and Clergy By N. N. Printed at ROÃœEN in the yeare 1657. Permissu Superiorum THE PREFACE TO THE READER IF Heresie could have been brought to a stand in its owne opinions it would long since have been sunke in the opinion of all but finding it selfe upon quick sand it is forced to change footing and not to stay long upon the same ground for fear of sinking under ground and falling from its present state of improbabilitie to its ancient state of invisibilitie And albeit by this often shifting it appeares to be brought to desperate shifts yet is it content rather to appeare any thing then utterly disappeare into its owne nothing A Cheate must often change his disguise a Mountebank his market a Sophister his Medium and an Army of defeated disordered Troopes can not long with securitie keepe the same place and posture It is not so hard to rout them as to find them out so unarmed unfortified so disbanded and scattered they are for want of a Commander in chiefe that they are no sooner in sight then put to flight and forced to retreate to some new passage of lesse perill First Scripture alone was thought a sufficient defence but finding it failed them they found it necessary to change and even cut off some parts of this fortification which were of advantage to their enemies After an outwork of Tradition was judged expedient for more securitie although in effect nothing proves of more danger unto them Bishops and Priests formerly cast out as of more expences then profit were soone called back and desired to appeare armed with true Orders received not by extraordinary vocation but by legall succession Faith alone was thought armour of proofe before they had found by experience the need of good workes The Church which in the beginning they gave out for lost and utterly perished for many ages they came at length to seeke out with more solicitude then successe being resolved not to find it in that place in which alone it is to be found and now they seeme willing to open the doores of the Church to all Christians that they in the croud may get in with the rest The pretended clearnesse of Scripture in it selfe or at least as subsigned with the testimony of the private spirit made the definitions of Councells seeme of no use now upon better consideration foreseeing the prejudice they doe to their cause by appealing from the verdict of all Councells in generall they thinke expedient to admit of some in particular but namely such as treated of matters not apertaining to our present controversies by which evasion they engage themselves in greater difficulties then those they pretended to avoyde for no just exception was or can be alleadged against the Councell of Lateran deciding the question of Transubstantiation which may not be urged against those Councells which obliged all Christians to believe the mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation They have been so beaten from place to place and so battered and broken in every place they undertooke to maintaine that divers of the best understanding and least passion would be glad to capitulate and come to an accommodation with us as farre as it may stand with their honour and interest They are content to wave that maine article of the Popes Antichristian tyranny and yeeld him a preeminencie in stead of a supremacie The respect we give Images most will free from the sinne and many from the danger of Idolatrie so it may be left as a matter of superfluitie in which rank they will place our prayers to Saints without imputing hereafter unto us any injury done to Christs mercies or merits Upon the score of Tradition they will graunt us prayer for the dead provided we leave it to their private intention whether it be to diminish their paines or increase their glory As to the reall presence so much excepted against by their Predecessors they refuse not to accept of upon condition they may shape Christs power and words to the narrow model of their own senses and be exempted from the labour of searching so farre into Metaphysick a science not sutable to the grosser heresies of this age as to finde a distinction betwixt the appearance and substance of bread Notwithstanding their want of speculation in the Theoriques they might in this mystery as well as in that of the Trinitie have learned this practicall morall Lesson that Reason is never more reasonable then when it leaves reasoning in things above reason Auricular Confession heretofore traduced for a torture of Consciences and Tyranny of the Clergy many confesse to be of good use but few of necessity and none can be brought to descend to particulars for want of humility in themselves and for want of secrecy in their Ministers Reason of state will make them subscribe to the article of Bishops that the Prince may have so many Peeres of his owne creation and at his owne devotion and a chaine of consequence drawes after them Priests and Deacons for to say the truth their winking so long at the cleare signes of their Bishops invalid Ordination is a shrewd signe of their looking more upon their Votes in Parliament then their functions in the Church They are willing to fall thus farre and yet further from their ancient Tenets with hopes to be admitted as part of our Church and cleared of the reproachfull name of Hereticks as not dissenting in the fundamentall points of Catholick Faith But whilest they talke of fundamentalls they never passe the meere superficialls and they are farre from digging so deepe as to come to the maine foundation of Faith It is in vaine to decide fundamentall matters before we resolve upon the fundamentall motive of Christian beliefe No man calls in question the truth of Gods Word but the question is about the sufficient proposall of it That is a fundamentall article of Faith and undeniable under paine of damnation which is sufficiently proposed as revealed by God we relying upon the infallible and unchangeable Truth of the Churches proposall remayne setled in the same Tenets notwithstanding the opposition of Luther Calvin and other Sectaries whilest they on the contrary accepting Gods Word upon the proposall of private inspiration or human persuasion neither agree with us nor with one another nor even with themselves in different times As to our new English Religion it is very remarkable how the pretended supernaturall inspiration and naturall persuasion hath beene alwayes flexible to temporall respects First they were inspired and persuaded to pull downe Monkes and cry downe the Pope and proceed no further this being sufficient to comply with King Henry the Eighths lewdnesse and coveteousnesse After they went on as farre as they were led by the interest of the Protector Seamour But when Queen Elizabeths illegitimacy made the Popes authority be judged wholy inconsistent with
her securitie then was it time to make him Antichrist and to pursue his party with fire and sword The title of the ensuing Kings not being questioned by the Pope made him an object of lesse hate and his adherents subject to lesse crueltie and the Religion was fashioned to the humor of the Prince yet with some regard to popular faction Lastly the liberty of warre giving licence to those infinite Sects which lay lurking in every corner of the English Church to sally forth and to appeare to the world in their different colours every one tooke notice how few were grounded on those Tenets whereon the Church of England is built and how by leaving the true proposall of Gods Word and the ancient rule of Divine Faith men come to be so unsetled in all points of Faith that their Religion is as changeable as private fancies and publike factions And that all may see how the curse of Cain the first father of Hereticks as being the first opposer of Gods true Worship is fallen by inheritance upon our English Protestants their last change is to turne into Quakers whose Sect is nothing else but Protestancy fallen into a Paulscy and inclining to a suddaine Apoâ—lexy THE INDEX OF THE CHAPTERS CHAP. I. How Protestancy begunne and came into England CHAP. II. Of the nullitie of the English Protestant Clergy CHAP. III. Of Heresie CHAP. IV. In what doth the obstinacy of Heresie consist CHAP. V. Of the Catholick Church CHAP. VI. VVhether all Christians be thâ— Catholick Church or whether it may bâ— composed of any two or more Congregation of them if agreeing not in all matters whatse ever which any one Congregation or Church pretends to be revealed by God CHAP. VII VVhether the testimony of tâ—â— Catholick Church be infallible not onely 〈◊〉 Protestants terme them in fundamentall bâ— also in not fundamentall articles of Faith CHAP. VIII VVhether any reformed 〈◊〉 Protestant Church of the world be the Catholiâ—â— and Apostolick Church And whether thâ— pretended clearnesse of Scripture doth sufâ—â—ciently propose their doctrine as Divine reveâ—â—tion CHAP. IX VVhether any Puritanicall Congregation be the Catholick Church by reason of their pretended spirit CHAP. X. VVhether that Congregation of persons which live in communion with and subjection to the Roman Church be the Catholick and true Church of God CHAP. XI VVhether Transubstantiation and the lawfulnesse of the worship of Images be sufficiently proposed by the testimony of the Roman Catholick Church as Divine revelation and whether Protestants have any lawfull exceptions against them CHAP. XII VVhether Protestancy be Heresie CHAP. XIII VVhether any Protestants may be saved CHAP. XIV VVhether Protestancy be manifestly against reason and common sense and how may the most learned Protestants be convinced in disputes of Religion by every illiterate Roman Catholick SECT II. A Dialog between a learned Protestant Minister and a Catholick Cloune CHAP. XV. Of the difference between Christian Faith and the historicall beliefe of Protestants A TREATISE OF THE NATURE OF CATHOLICK FAITH AND HERESIE WITH Reflexion upon the Nullitie of the English Protestant Church and Clergy CHAP. I. How Protestancy begunne and came into England IN the yeare 1516. there was no other Religion in our parts of the world acknowledged Catholick and Apostolick but that which Protestants are now pleased to call Popery In the yeare 1517. Leo the X. Bishop of Rome following the â—cample of other Popes granted and published Indulgenâ—â—s to all such as voluntarily contributed towards the war â—gainst the Turke who at that time was growne formiâ—able and threatned all Christendome having added Syria â—â—d Egipt to the Otteman Empire 2 The Archbishop of Mentz to whom the Pope comâ—itted the businesse of Indulgences in Germany appointed one Iohn Tetzel a Dominican Friar to preach in the publishing of them notwithstanding that for a long time before this office had beene given to the Augustin Friars The preferment of Tetzel was ill taken by Martin Luther who being an Augustin Friar and a famous Preacher expected himselfe should have beene the man named to preach and publish the Indulgences but seeing his hopes frustrated he resolved to write as much against Indulgences and the Pope as he had prepared to preach in favour of both 3 Therefore taking occasion of some abuses which are unavoydable in things that passe through many hands he printed certaine Conclusions and Libells against Indulgences These were condemned and burnt as hereticall by Iohn Tetzel Luthers Competitor who at the same time exercised the office of Inquisitor in Germany This fire did so warme Luther and added such flames to his hot disposition that most parts of Europe felt the smart of it For being once engaged and enraged by Tetzels Declaration against him he would not recant his first error but added others by denying Purgatory the Popes authoritie merit necessitie of good workes c. 4 Amongst others who writ against Luthers novelties one was Henry the VIII King of England composing a learned Booke in defence of the seaven Sacraments the Popes supremacy and his spirituall jurisdiction over all Christendome this Booke moved the Pope to adde to Henry the VIII titles that of Defender of the Faith which had beene the most glorious of all his titles if he had not so violently opposed afterwards the Popes primacy which he then so piously maintained against Luther But being weary of his wife Queene Catharine despairing to have issue male by her and enamoured of Anne Builen because the Pope refused to declare his marriage with Queene Catharine invalid he made himselfe Pope of England challenging all spirituall jurisdiction within his owne Kingdomes and by Act of Parliament made it treason to acknow ledge any spirituall jurisdiction of the Pope in his Dominions himselfe being proclaimed spirituall Head of the English Church This was the occasion and beginning of the pretended Reformation Henry the VIII notwithstanding did stick to the old Religion in all points the Popes primacy onely excepted because he thought no other of the new Religion was necessary to marry Anne Bullen and to enrich himselfe by the spoile of Monasteries He persecuted all other novelties and herefies in such a degree that though many crept into England in his reigne yet very few durst professe them because as many as did were burnt by his command 5 To King Henry the VIII Sect. 2 succeeded his sonne Edward the VI. a child of 9. years old his unkle the Earle of Hartford was made Protector both of the King and Kingdome he was inclined to Zuinglius his heresie Twenty dayes had scarse passed after his Protectorship but his fingars did so eagerly itch to be doing and tampering about innovation in Religion Horinshed Stow and others an 1547. as upon the sixth of March next following he sent away Commissioners into all parts of the Realme to pull doâ—â—ne Images and other Ecclesiasticall ornaments He also invited out of Germany divers Sectaries of what Religion soever but especially
he desrred to have Apostata Friars that had tyed themselves to Sisters assuring himselfe that they would be most plyable to his purpose And so there came into England Martin Bucer a Dominican Friar who had beene an earnest Lutheran Peter Martyr a Cannon Regular that inclined to Zuinglius his opinions but yet came with great indifferency to preach and teach what he should be appointed as afterwards appeared being a Lector in the University of Oxford when the Parliament in London was debating what opinion the Kingdome should followe concerning the Reall presence Peter Martyr kept all his Schollers in suspence untill newes came of the Parliaments resolution to which he accommodated himselfe for having detained his Schollers with tedious glosses upon the words precedent to This is my body not to declare his sense of them before he understood the sense of the Parliament which having received by the Post to be interpreted in a â—gurative not reall way he was presently inspired that this was the cleare sense of the Scaipture and wondered now any could be so blind as not to see a thing so maniâ—est Bernard â—chinus was the third who had beene a Caâ—eclâ—in but being weary of that austere life tooke a woman Annal. Cap. 1543. and writ a Booke in defence of having two wives at 〈◊〉 Some say he died a Jew but the Annalls of the Capuchins testifie that he repented and died a Cathâ— lick 6 These three Apostles of the Reformation were dâ—stributed into three principall fountaines of the Land London Oxford and Cambridge With these joyned Coverdaâ— an Augustin Friar Bale a Carmelite and other Apostates who did so vary in their Doctrine and Religions which they preached to the people that all was in confusion iâ— so much that the Protector writ to Cranmer and Ridley that they should make hast to end the common Servicâ— booke or of Common prayer Doctrine and Rites which they had begunne 7 But from hence arose a great Controversy for thaâ— Bucer would have one thing Peter Martyr another Ochinâ—â— a third Iohn Bale and Miles Coverdale would saine put iâ— their opinions also Above all others did trouble the market two heady Priests Iohn Hooper and Iohn Roger comâ— from beyond Seas the one from VVittenberg the other from Strasburg These two dissenting wholy from thâ— course begunne by Cranmer and Ridley made a great faction against the Common prayer booke especially afteâ— that Hugh Latimer sided with them who was of great regard with the common people 8 The Protector seeing such differences in Religions and confusion called a Parliament an 1547 but the Common prayer booke could not then passe this onely waâ— determined about Religion that none should speake irreâ— verently of the Sacrament of the Altar and that all for mer Statuts made by the Kings of England against what soever Hereticks or Sectaries namely against Lohards VVickliffians Hussits Anabaptists c. should be recalled and annulled So as now every man might thinke say preach or teach what he thought fit 9 But in the next Parliament the Common prayeâ— booke was approved because it seemed in matter of thâ— Sacraments to favour and humour divers Sectaries whâ— before had opposed it Yet the common people in man shires of England tooke armes in defence of the old and Catholick Religion complaining that most Sacrament were taken from them and they had reason to feare thâ— rest if they did not looke to it would follow within short time This was King Eduards Reformation which he could not perfect because he died within six yeares after he had begunne 10 It is very remarkable how in this Kings time it was resolved that whatsoever should be determined by six Bishops such as they were and six men learned in the Law of God or the major part of them concerning the Rites and administrations of Sacraments that onely should be followed so that seaven men in England were thought a sufficient number to change the whole frame of Christian Religion by changing the matter and forme of Sacraments abolishing the Sacrifice of the Masse and the ancient Rites and ceremonies of the Catholick Church which had beene practised for so many ages and reverenced by all the pious and learned men of the world Heresie is alwayes accompanied with presumption yet never did any Sectaries before this time attribute to themselves so much as ours did preferring the judgement of seaven men to that of all the world confirmed by so many generall Councells and holy Fathers The forme of consecrating Priests set downe in the new Ritual is this Receive the holy Ghost whose sinnes thou dost forgive they are forgiven and whose sinnes thou dost retaine they are retained and be thou a faithfull dispenser of the Word of God and of his holy Sacraments in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost See the Ritual printed at London 1607. and for the Act authorising it see Kallend an 3. Ed Vâ— cap. 12. and Mason pag. 94. 11 After King Eduard the VI. reigned his Sister Queene Mary who being a Catholick her selfe restored the Catholick Religion by Act of Parliament Cardinal Poole the Popes Legat absolving the Kingdome from the excommunication and schisme incurred Some Histories of that time relate that 30 thousand Sectaries all strangers Were banished out of England and amongst the rest the two holy Apostles Peter Martyr and Bernard Ochinus All King Eduards pretended Bishops were deposed and imprisoned the Catholick Bishops set at liberty and restored to their Seas This Queene is as much condemned by Protestants for crucltie against their Religion as Queene Elizabeth is censured by Catholicks as if forsooth there were no difference betweene punishing upstart seditious novelâ—ists and the maintainers of that Faith Which had beene in possession from the time Christianity was brought into the Land 12 Queene Mary deceased without issue her Sister Elizabeth was proclaimed Queene notwithstanding that all Catholicks knew Mary Steward the Queene of Scots to be the lawfull heire of the Crowne Queene Elizabeth shewing inclination to the new Religion all the Catholick Bishops refused to crowne her yet at length by great adoe she was crowned and anointed after the Catholicke manner by Oglethorp Bishop of Carlile The Reformation was by Act of Parliament againe established notwithstanding the great opposition made by all the Bishops and others in the upper House The Queene was resolved to puil downe Catholick Religion because Cecill and others of her Councell perswaded her that she could not be secure as long as the Popes authority was acknowledged in England seeing the Sea Apostolick had declared her a bastard and all Catholicks looked upon the Queene of Scots as the true heire to the Crowne 13 Notwithstanding it was the Queenes temporall interest to pull downe Catholick Religion in England yet it was much for her quiet and peace of the Realme to keepe alwayes a resemblance of it in the Clergy as the best remedy against Puritanisme which
well versed in Scripture have so much honesty as not to conceale from the world that true sense of Scripture which seemeth to themselves cleare and evident after the combination and examination of all controverted texts But to be briefe and decline all comparisons which are odious let us suppose for the present which Protestants ought to take as a courtesie that learned Protestants and learned Catholicks are equally honest and equally learned both honest and both learned if the contrary be not made appeare by the ensuing demonstration 5 It is impossible for men equally learned and equally honest to have any controversie about the sense of any words of Scripture if the sense be cleare and evident But Protestants and Catholicks who are supposed to be equally learned and equally honest have controversies about the sense of such words of Scripture as concerne Transubstantiation worship of Images and other controverted points Therefore its impossible that the sense of such words of Scripture as relate to Transubstantiation c. should be cleare and manifestly against the Doctrine of Catholicks Therefore the testimony of all Protestant Churches maintaining the clearnesse against them is not onely incredible but manifestly false Because the testimony of Catholicks though in their owne defence is made evidently true by the controversie it selfe a visible and undeniable effect that can proceede from no other cause amongst learned and honest men but from the obscurity of the words and sense wherein their judgements differ If they squable about what is cleare both parties or at least one is ignorant or not honest We Catholicks have no reason to thinke that all our Doctors want knowledge and sincerity its cleare to all Christenâ—ome that in our Church we have in all parts of the world â—oth learned and honest men and if Protestants thinke â—he same of themselves they must grant that our controâ—ersies do manifestly demonstrate the obscurity of Scripture 6 Seeing Scripture is obscure and in no place cleare against Transubstantiation worship of Images Purgatory c. what ground or warrant had the first Protestants for their pretended Reformation would not all the world have reason to laugh at us Catholicks if we should part with that ancient sense of Scripture in favour of Transubstantiation Purgatory c. which we received from the Church that went before us assuring it was revealed by God upon the bare word of Luther Calvin Knox or the â—2 persons that made the Ritual and pretended to reforme in Edward the VI. time the Sacraments both in matter forme and number What signes or miracles did they shew for their extraordinary Mission and Apostleship of reforming the Doctrine of the Catholick Church If any man who received his Land by inheritance from his Ancestors ought not to part with it if not forced by better evidence then his owne how can we part with our Faith and sense of Scripture which is the ground of all our supernaturall inheritance and happinesse untill Protestants shew a better title then the inheritance or continuall succession of our Doctrines from the Apostles They must produce better evidence then their pretended clearnesse of Scripture If they laugh at Quakers notwithstanding all the texts of Scripture which they have at their fingers ends against Protestant Doctrine how do they imagine did Catholicks looke upon the first pretended Reformers One advantage these new Quakers have against all Protestants which Protestants have not against Catholicks and it is that a new Quaker may say with truth to an old or new Protestant he hath as prudent ground and as good evidence for his owne interpretation of Scripture and Religion as the Protestant hath for his their fancies the onely ground of both their Faith being much alike and their Mission being not warranted by any precedent Church This the Protestants can not object against Catholicks because we had alwayes the word and warrant of a precedent visible Church for our interpretation of Scriptures and Religion CHAP. IX VVhether any Puritanicall Congregation be the Catholick Church by reason of their pretended spirit 1 THere not a trades-man or simple woman amongst the purer sort of Protestants who do not imagine themselves to be more infallible in interpreting Scripture then the Pope and all the generall Councells together This infallibility they attribute to the Spirit of God which they all pretend to have But this fond imagination is as easily refuted as the clearnesse of Scripture hath beene in the former Chap. because every pure Protestant or Puritan pretends to have the Spirit of God but that Spirit contradicting it selfe according the diversity of Tenets which the purely inspired hold it is impossible it should be the Spirit of God who can not inspire contradictions Yet they are so obstinate that its impossible to perswade them to the contrary though you may clearly convince them The Pope must be Antichrist Catholick Kings the horns of the Beast religious Orders rags of Rome wherewith the VVhore of Babylon adornes her selfe The Puritans must onely be the Elect the Saints and pure Zealots of the beauteous discipline of Sion which to carry on though whole Nations be extirpated their holy Spirit doth not onely rid them from any remorse of conscience but assures them no worke can be more meritorious If you inquire of them how they know whether this spirit of theirs be good or bad of God or the Divel Calvin their Patriarch and Master answers that they do discerne it as clearly as they do white from black sweet from sower and light from darknesse his proofe is the experience and testimony of every one of the faithfull Brethren concerning the purenesse of his owne spirit 2 This Calvinisticall and private spirit being so hidden and undiscernable can not be a sufficient and prudent ground at least for any man that hath it not to believe it is the Spirit of Truth and of the Catholick Church Men who are not in the true Church must be led into it by some credit and exteriour signes And though Faith be a gift of God yet it is communicated by preaching and hearing Rom. 10. We do not deny that God must helpe all Catholicks interiourly with his supernaturall grace and spirit but the difference between the Puritan and Catholick spirit is that the Puritan spirit inspireth a beliefe contrary to reason the Catholick spirit inspires a beliefe non contrary but agreable to reason Though Christian Faith be above reason it is not unreasonable But it can not be agreable to reason that any person believe a Puritanicall spirit without any more proofe of the goodnesse of it then a Puritans word against a sense of Scripture which hath beene continued in the Roman Churches since the primitive times as is evident by tradition testimony of Fathers and acknowledged by the Magdeburg Centuries and other Protestant Writers Therefore the private spirit can not be a sufficient proposall of the true Faith or a credible and convincing signe of the true Church
against our Doctrine Cath. So have ye against ours and by your consequence ye must not judge of it Ye are best be judged by the great Turke if ye will not admit of the Pope to be Judge of Controversies in Religion Yet it s not credible that God would have us be judged by Turkes or Jewes What thinke you Master Doctor Min. But why should the Pope or Roman Church judge us Protestants and we not judge them Cath. Your Protestant Churches are not yet come to yeares of discretion Our Church was in possession of judicature before yours was born ye must produce better evidence then we can shew before you can rationally pretend to deprive us of what we possessed these 16. hundred yeares 19 Min. I never met with a more obstinate Clowne then thou art Cath. Why do you say I am obstinate Is it because I take not the word of your English Church that is of 12. or 7. men in matters of Faith and Sacraments against the testimony of all Catholick Councells and the tradition of the whole Church Min. I wonder that thou didst not make mention of tradition before now Woe to them that prefer the traditions of men before the Word of God! Cath. I do not take Scripture as you interpret it to be the Word of God Our Preachers teach us that the Word of God must necessarily involve Gods meaning and sense But ye Protestants intrude your own fancies and dreames and make them a part of Gods Word rejecting the true sense and meaning of Scripture which the Catholick Church had learned of the Apostles and preserved from the first age of Christianity to this present Minist What a calumny is this Name but one fancy or new interpretation of ours intruded into Scripture Cath. Do not ye say that the respect we give to Images is idolatry or at least forbidden in Scripture as a thing inclining men to idolatry The Catholick Church condemned long since this fancy of yours as heresie and ye make the common people believe that we are idolaters for holding that sense of Scripture which hath been taught and practised in the Church since the beginning as learned men assure us and they say the second Councell of Nice do testifie 20 Min. Worship of Images is dangerous and therefore forbidden in Scripture Cath If that be so how did all the Church approve of it for so many ages and stick to it still notwithstanding your contradictions We have men of conscience and learning how is it possible they should damne themselves and others for worship of Images Min. I see there is no ground to be expected by discoursing with thee because when thou art pressed with Gods cleare Word thou dost recurre to the tradition and practise of the Church and to I know not what miracles Therefore I fear God hath delivered thee over to Sathan as an obstinate and reprobate Heretick Cath. Make it appear to me that your sense of Scripture is Gods meaning and then I will not contradict your Doctrine But I see no prudent ground to believe that your new interpretations contrary to the practise and tradition of the ancient Catholick Church should be dictated by God On the contrary side ye can not deny that we Catholicks have all the reason in the world to stick to our old sense of Scripture confirmed by so many miracles and testimonies of antiquity 21 Let this suffice to shew how illiterate Catholicks may convince the most learned Protestants Our cause is so good and cleare that common sense is enough to defend it and confound our greatest and most able adversaries No Catholick Clowne can be convinced by any learned Protestant if he be not more then ordinarily simple Truly there is nothing more incredible then that all the visible Churches of the world should have beene forsaken by God and in damnable errours for so many ages as Protestants pretend and that to reform the world God should pick out amongst all men the most â—icked who continued or rather encreased their abominable and scandalous conversation after they begun to preach their new Ghospell See the lives of all new Reformers in the three Conversions of England and in the prudentiall Ballance if you doubt of this assertion Is it not a meere foppery to thinke that 12. or 7. men who modeld the new Church of England in Edward the VI. time should judge better of Christian Faith matter and forme of Sacraments and of religious ceremonies then the Councells of Lateran and Trent and all the world in former ages Is it not impossible and contrary to Christs owne promises that the exercise of true Religion and Faith should be as invisible as the English Church is at this present in times wherein Christianity through the mercy of God doth flourish in all parts of the world The Catholick Church was never brought to be invisible by the Arrians though by them much persecuted Let any Catholick Clowne but reflect upon these and other things visible to all the world and he may confidently dispute and convince the most learned Protestant CHAP. XV. Of the difference between Christian Faith and the historicall beliefe of Protestants THat supernaturall Faith is a speciall gift of God is granted even by Protestants themselves The superuaturality of it consists not in believing an extravagant and improbable object because that may be done naturally For there is nothing however so false and improbable to the understanding that will not at length be believed by men if constantly reported to them by others of whom they have a good opinion and not contradicted by any whose testimony they value The Turks believe that Mahomet was a great Prophet and Saint The Jews believe that the Messias is not yet come The Puritans believe that every one of themselves is inspired with a Divine spirit c. And though every one of these stories be false improbable and also contradicted by Catholicks yet because these Sectaries have a good opinion of their owne Congregation and a very bad one of us Catholicks they believe the first reject and contemne the second Turks Jews and Puritans do not believe these fond articles of their own Religion with any supernaturall Faith their beliefe is meerly historical just as children believe the history of the Knight in the Sunne Don Quixote de la Manche c. All Christians have not supernaturall and Christian Faith Many who received it in their Baptisme loose it by heresie Hereticks are called Christians because they are baptized and not because they are endued with Christian beliefe They believe some mysteries of Christian Religion but with a meere historicall Faith They assent to the mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation not because God revealed them but because they are pleased to judge it very probable or certain that God revealed some such thing That their owne fancy or opinion and not Gods Revelation doth move Protestants to believe what they do believe of Christian Religion is evident
both may be part of the Catholick Church Protestants as wâ— have seen in the former Chapter say that aâ—â— Christian Congregations are parts of the Catholick Church as well as we Roman Catholicks Thiâ— assertion they ground upon the signification of the worâ— Catholick which is as much to say as Vniversal In the saâ— me sense they explicate Catholick Tradition to be onelâ— that which is contradicted by any Christian Church According to this opinion no Congregation of Christian can be Hereticks because Hereticks must be obstinate against the Doctrine of the Universall or Catholick Church but no Christians can be obstinate against thâ— Doctrine of the Catholick or Universall Church seeinâ— themselves are part of it and they can not be obstinate against themselves or their owne Tenets and Doctrine therefore none can be Hereticks This absurd and hereticall sequele is a sufficient refutation of the Protestant principle and their explication of the word Catholick 2 But let us prove directly that neither all Christians nor any two Churches dissenting in their testimonies concerning whatsoever matters of Faith can be the Catholick Church My proofe is this The testimony of the Catholick Church concerning what is pretended to be revealed or not revealed by God must oblige all persons who are informed of it to believe what it saith and proposeth But if all Christians or any two Churches not agreeing in their testimonies suppose Roman Catholicks and Protestants be parts of the Catholick Church the testimony thereof can not oblige any sober person to believe what both say and propose First because one Church contradicts the other and its impossible to believe contradictions at one and the same instant Secondly when witnesses do not agree in their testimonies if they be of equall authority no man is obliged to believe either side but rather is bound in prudence to suspend his judgement Therefore if the Catholick Church be composed of all Congregations and Churches of Christians or of any two Churches not agreeing in their testimonies concerning matters of Faith no man is obliged to believe the testimony of the Catholick Church but rather to suspend his judgement and credit nothing which sequele is absurd and contrary to the Doctrine not onely of Catholicks but also of Protestants Therefore the Catholick Church must not be all Congregations of Christians or any two dissenting but one onely Congregation of persons who agree in one Faith CHAP. VII VVhether the testimony of the Catholick Church be infallible not onely as Protestants terme them in fundamentall but also in not fundamentall articles of Faith 1 THough we Catholicks say that all articles of Faith if once sufficiently proposed are in one sense fundamentall because under paine of damnation they must be believed yet in ananother sense we admit a distinction betweene fundamentall and not fundamentall articles of Faith Fundamentall articles may be called such as no ignorance of them can excuse men from damnation for not being believed Not fundamentalls may be called such articles as if proposed must be believed but if not proposed sufficiently the ignorance of them is excusable 2 But whether these articles be both called fundamentall or onely the first sort of them our controversie with Protestants is the same and the question is not set here out of its proper place because the resolution of it is necessary to answer an objection which Protestants make against the Doctrine of the former Chapter All Christians say they do agree in fundamentall points of Faith as in the Trinity Incarnation c. what great matter is it if they agree not in other things of little importance without the knowledge and sufficient proposall whereof they may be saved as Purgatory Transubstantiation c Why should we be obliged to believe things that are not absolutely necessary for salvation especially seeing Roman Catholick Divines do not deny that ignorance of not fundamentalls is not damnable Therefore all Christians though dissenting in not fundamentalls may be called Catholicks and the universall Church because they agree in all necessary articles of Catholick Religion and though their testimonies do not agree in Purgatory v.g. being an article of Faith why should their disagreement in that petty point invalid their testimony concerning the mystery of the Trinity Incarnation and other fundamentall articles 3 This discourse and objection of Protestants hath damned many a soule because they did not examine the truth of it as they ought But to declare the fallacy of it something must be said of the Churches infallibility Most Protestants do grant that the testimony of the Church is infallible in proposing the fundamentall articles of Christian Religion as in delivering Scripture to be Gods Word and in declaring the mystery of the Trinity c. because Christian and Catholick Faith must admit of no doubts concerning the truth of fundamentalls and if the Church be not infallible in proposing those to us we must necessarily doubt of their truth for though we doubt not that whatsoever God said is true yet we can not but doubt whether he revealed or meant any such thing as the mystery of the Trinity or Incarnation if we do not believe that the Church is infallible in proposing the said mystery God therefore in his Providence can not permit the Church to erre or deceive us in fundamentalls seeing its necessary for our salvation not to doubt of the truth of fundamentall mysteries but if the Church may erre in proposing them we can not but doubt of their truth This reason say Protestants can not be applyed to not fundamentalls because they are not absolutely necessary for salvation and our salvation is the onely motive that God had to make the Church infallible in proposing articles of Religion Therefore none is bound to believe that the Church is infallible in not fundamentalls 4 If the onely motive that God had to make the Catholick Church infallible were our salvation this discourse of Protestants might have some colour of truth but Gods motive in all his actions is not onely our salvation but in first place his owne honour and glory There is nothing concerns Gods honour more then that whatsoever is sufficiently proposed as revealed by him be credited by us without the least doubt whether the matter be great or of little importance Therefore the Churches infallibility and our obligation of believing it ought not to be measured by the greatnesse importance or absolute necessity of the matter proposed in order onely to our salvation but also by the sufficiency of the proposall in order to Gods honour and veracity If a matter not absolutely necessary for salvation be as sufficiently proposed to be revealed by God as the mystery of the Trinity the obligation is as great of believing the one without any doubt as the other The reason is cleare because there is as great an injury done to God by denying or doubting of his veracity and revelation in a small matter as in a great In believing
we are as much bound to have a regard to Gods honour as to our owne salvation and his honour is as much concerned in being believed without the least doubt concerning Purgatory as concerning the Trinity if both mysteries be equally or sufficiently proposed as Divine Revelation 5 Seeing therefore that the selfe same Roman Catholick Church and testimony which proposed sufficiently in the yeare 1516. to Luther and all other Protestants since that time Scripture the mystery of the Trinity c. to be Divine Revelation did in the same yeare and doth now also propose Purgatory Transubstantion and other points which Protestants call not fundamentall to be revealed by God its evident that there is as great obligation of believing without any doubt Purgatory Transubstantiation and others not thought fundamentalls by Protestants as the fundamentalls But these articles which Protestants call not fundamentall can not be believed without some doubt if the Church be not infallible in proposing them as they themselves must grant by force of the parity made with their fundamentall articles Therefore the Catholick Church is as infallible in its testimony concerning not fundamentall articles being Divine Revelation as it is in fundamentalls or if not it must be fallible in both 6 Yet if matters be well considered we shall finde that its impossible to deny any article of Faith though not absolutely necessary and therefore in the opinion of Protestants of little importance but a necessary and fundamentall article must be denyed together with it There is no article of Faith more fundamentall and necessary for salvation then Gods veracity They who deny Purgatory v.g. deny Gods veracity because they who deny any thing that is sufficiently proposed as Divine Revelation deny Gods veracity whether the matter proposed as revealed by him be great or small Neither can Protestants give any other reason why by denying the Trinity Gods veracity is denyed but because the Trinity is sufficiently proposed as Divine Revelation Therefore if Purgatory or Transubstantiation be as sufficiently proposed as the Trinity by denying them and others the like Gods veracity is also denyed So that all articles of Faith if sufficiently proposed are fundamentall and necessary for salvation 7 My second answer to the discourse and argument of Protestants is that witnesses contradicting themselves in circumstances though of little importance are not to be prudently credited in the maine points wherein they agree The testimony of the two old Judges was not valid in the crime of adultery objected by them against Susanna Dan. 13. because though their testimonies did agree in the crime and in what was materiall to condemne her yet they varied in some circumstances not materiall What did it import as to the guilt of Susanna whether she committed adultery under a Fig-tree or a Pine Though it was a circumstance very indifferent and of little importance in it selfe yet the incoherency in it did prove that the two old mens testimonies in the maine were invalid Therefore although not fundamentall articles were not necessary for salvation yet the incoherency in such little matters doth invalid the Catholick Churches testimony even in fundamentalls and the maine points of Christian Religion Therefore it must be granted that the testimony of the Catholick Church either is not prudently credible and infallible in necessary and fundamentall articles or that it is prudently credible and infallible in not fundamentalls It followeth also out of the premises that the Catholick Church can not be all Churches of Christendome because there are not two of them whose testimonies concerning Faith do not differ at least in not fundamentall points of Religion and by consequence the testimony is absolutely incredible because incoherent Against what hitherto hath beene said some may object that the Fathers unanimously testifying fundamentall articles to be revealed by God ought to be credited though they contradict one another in matters not fundamentall Therefore the same may be said of many dissenting Churches or Congregations of Christians why should not the Catholick Church be composed of all Christians agreeing in the principall points of Christian Religion though they agree not in others of lesse importance The example of tke Babylonian Judges in the case of Susanna can not be applyed to the Catholick Church they were not credited by Daniel in the fact which they unanimously testified because the circumstance wherein they varied was so concomitant and connected with the fact it selfe that it was impossible to see one and not the other Therefore the contradicting themselves in the circumstance of the tree did demonstrate that they never saw Susanna commit adultery But no such connexion appeares betweene fundamentall and not fundamentall articles of Christian Religion the Trinity or Incarnation may be sufficiently proposed as Divine Revelation by the testimony of both Protestant and Roman Church though Purgatory or Transubstantiation be onely held by Protestants to be onely a probable opinion of the Roman Clergy and consequently not sufficiently proposed as Divine Revelation because it wants the concurrence of a considerable part of Christianity in the testimony which it gives of those and the like not fundamentall Tenets To the first part of this argument I say that the Fathers in their greatest differences agree in submitting their judgements to the Sea Apostolick or to a generall Councell as to the visible and infallible Judge of Controversies Not to Protestant Churches each one pretending to be Independent of the other and of the Roman also Such independency and obstinacy of judgement is wholy inconsistent with unity of Faith and identity of Church Now to the second part concerning Susanna and the two old Judges I answer that all mysteries of Christian Religion are connected in the motive of beliefe so that we can no more discover a matter of Faith without the motive then a matter of fact without its circumstance Wherefore the motive being the same in all they are all united to the motive and consequently so inseparable one from another that denying one you deny all as denying the motive whereon all and every one do rely If the greatnesse of the matter proposed or the number of proponents and not the quality of the proposall did authorise and induce the obligation of believing whatsoever the Catholick Church testifieth to be Divine Revelation the aforesaid argument might trouble Catholicks but seeing that both the testimony of few and matters not absolutely necessary for salvation may be confirmed with supernaturall signes and with true markes of the Catholick Church and Doctrine there is no necessity of obtruding upon it any Protestant Congregation thereby to give more credit Christians were not very many in the beginning of the primitive times and yet they filled up the number of the Catholick Church The Arrians were thought to be more numerous then the Catholicks and yet it was never thought necessary by any Orthodox to have the concurrence of their suffrage or testimony concerning Religion and declaring what
3 Another proofe that no private spirits interpretation of Scripture can be the true one being contrary to the publick testimony of the Church which went before it and Puritans pretend to reforme may be borrowed from Saint Peter who giveth to understand Pet. 1.20 that no private interpretation can be the true sense of Scripture The reason is cleare because there is none if not confirmed in grace who may not be an obstinate Heretick against the true sense of Scripture in controverted texts but no man can be obstinate against his owne private interpretation and the sense of his private spirit Therefore he can not be an Heretick if the private interpretation of Scripture against the publick testimony of the precedent or present Church which he impugneth be the true meaning and sense of Gods Word 4 Perhaps Puritans will grant that its impossible for any of them to be an Heretick seeing their spirit is infallible If this be granted it s also impossible for any other to be an Heretick or obstinate against their spirit or interpretation because he who is obstinate may be convinced and it s not possible to convince any man but by cleare reason or at least by lawfull witnesses Cleare reason Puritans can not pretend for their spirit because it s against reason to believe it Lawfull witnesses for it there can be none or no more then one which is not enough nor allowed as lawfull in a mans owne case Though every Puritan giveth not onely a testimony of his owne but also of his Brethrens spirit yet he is no lawfull witnesse for any other mans spirit because he hath no better evidence or ground for the testimony he gives then the other mans owne word in commendation of his owne spirit he neither seeth the spirit of the other nor any signe whereby it may be made credible onely he may witnesse that the man whose spirit it is sayeth it is of God but one mans word in his owne case is no sufficient evidence for a lawfull testimony Therefore there are no lawfull witnesses for the private spirit and consequently none can be obstinate against us because none can be convinced that it is of God Whence it followeth that the spirit can be no sufficient proposall of Gods Word or sense and therefore no inspired Congregation of Protestants can be the Catholick Church CHAP. X. VVhether that Congregation of persons which live in communion with and subjection to the Roman Church be the Catholick and true Church of God 1 THis question seemeth to have beene resolved by what is said in former Chapters Because iâ— there be a Catholick Church Vide summam Concâ—liorum A.F. longo in Conâ—il â—â—orâ—n 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 and that is noâ— all Congregations of Christians taken together nor any Protestant Church in particular the dispute can onely be now between the Greek Church and the Roman but the Grecians having so many times altered their Faith so many of their ancient Patriarchs being condemned Hereticks and all their Church being legally convicted of Schisme and Heresie in three generall Councells of Florence Lions and the Lateran they can not pretend to be the true Church which never erred I do not speake of that part of the Greeke Church which communicates with us Roman Catholicks because that is part of the Roman But suppose the Roman Church were not the Catholick I see not what advantage Protestants may have by pleading for the Grecians seeing these agree not with them but are altogether against the pretended Reformation and condemne it as Heresie as appeares by the answer of the Patriarch of Constantinople to the Protestants of Germany mentioned by Bellarmine lib. 3. de Euchar cap. 21. in fine 2 To prove therefore that the Roman Church is the true Catholick it must be made appeare that it proposeth sufficiently its Doctrine of Faith as Divine Revelation this sufficient proposall can not be done by cleare and evident reason because the mysteries of Christian Religion are above humane capacity Therefore it must be done according to what hath beene said in the 4. Chap. by authority and the testimony of lawfull witnesses But lawfull witnesses in matters of Faith are onely they whose testimony hath beene confirmed by miracles as hath beene demonstrated in the 2. Chap. Therefore we must prove also miracles if we intend to prove that the Roman Church is the whole Catholick and that it proposeth sufficiently its Doctrine as Divine Revelation Now to the proofe of the assertion 3 That Doctrine is sufficiently proposed as Divine Revelation which is delivered to us as such by the testimony of lawfull witnesses confirmed by miracles But the Doctrine of the Church of Rome is delivered to us as Divine Revelation by the testimony of lawfull witnesses and their testimony is confirmed by miracles Therefore it s sufficiently proposed as Divine Revelation and by consequence the Church of Rome is the true Catholick 4 If the Minor or second proposition be proved my intent is concluded That the Roman Church hath lawfull witnesses of its Doctrine to be Divine Revelation hath this difficulty A lawfull witnesse requires not onely knowledge of what he testifieth but also honesty both qualities are necessary an honest foole being as little to be credited as a knowing knave But how can the Roman Church now extant in the 17. age of Christianity have lawfull witnesses of the Doctrine and sense of Scripture which Christ and the Apostles taught the world so long since Though honesty can not be denyed to many Roman Catholicks yet the knowledge what the Apostles taught which is required for a lawfull witnesse of the true Church can not be granted to any seeing none is now living on earth that conversed with the Apostles This argument doth equally impugne all Churches yet none can answer it but we Roman Catholicks 5 It concernes all the world even our very adversaries to grant that the Roman Catholicks have lawfull witnesses with sufficient knowledge of what Religion and sense of Scripture was taught by the Apostles in the primitive Church nay which is more that no other Church pretending to Reformation can have sufficient knowledge required for lawfull witnesses of the true Religion sense of Scripture and Doctrine of the primitive Church If the Roman Church hath not sufficient knowledge for lawfull witnesses of Christ and the Apostles Doctrine no hereditary King or Prince can have a title or right to his crowne because the right descended to them by inheritance doth depend upon a lawfull testimony averring that they are the true heires of such a man who reigned perhaps three or four hundred yeares ago Henry the IV. of France proved himselfe by lawfull witnesses to be the heire of Saint Lewis But who couldbe a lawfull witnesse that Henry the Great descended of Saint Lewis All France did give a lawfull testimony of it because it was a constant tradition in the whole Kingdome descended from Saint Lewis his time to this present
age That is to say in every Century or age there were honest men and lawfull witnesses who testified that Henry the IV Ancestors descended from Saint Lewis though one onely age could remember or see Saint Lewis yet the next ensuing did see the first and heard their testimony the third did see the second c. In every age did live men whose testimony might be relyed upon It must be granted therefore by all that the knowledge which is grounded upon a continuall and never interrupted tradition is sufficient for lawfull witnesses 6 That the Roman Catholick Church hath a continuall and never interrupted tradition of its Faith and sense of Scripture being taught by Christ and the Apostles can not be denyed by our adversaries it being evident to the world that they who contradicted any article of this Faith we now professe in former ages were looked upon and condemned as Hereticks which is an infallible argument that we in every age received our Doctrine from the former not as the word of men but as the Word of God or as Divine Revelation for if it were not believed as Divine Revelation why should we condemne men as Hereticks because they denyed it Neither do Protestants deny that we believed our tradition and the testimony of our Church to be grounded upon Divine Revelation they onely say we were mistaken and that both our tradition and testimony of the Roman Church was fallible But then we urge that they acknowledge both were infallible in delivering to them the Scripture and testifying that it was the Word of God therefore in delivering and testifying all the rest seeing the same testimony delivering many things together must be of equall authority in all and equally believed by them who accept of it as a lawfull proofe All our pretended Reformers had no other ground in the yeare 1517. to believe Scripture as Divine Revelation but the testimony of the Roman Church Therefore they ought to believe all the rest or not to believe Scripture 7 I said it concernes also our adversaries to grant that their reformed Churches have no lawfull witnesses in matters of Faith because there can not be that sufficient knowledge which is required in a lawfull witnesse of Faith without tradition whereby it may appeare that the Faith and sense of Scripture of this age doth agree with that of the primitive Church If once our adversaries acknowledge lawfull witnesses of things past long since without a constant and never interrupted tradition every man whose spirit of ambition moves him may pretend to be true heire of any hereditary crowne or estate and without further proofe then his owne word and spirit or some obscure text of Scripture will exclude Kings and others whose rights are grounded upon tradition But if tradition be so necessary to preserve and make credible the testimony of men in matters of estates and rights in the Common-wealth it can not be superfluous to make credible the testimony of men concerning matters of Faith 8 It remaines now we prove that the testimony of the Roman Catholick Church hath beene confirmed with supernaturall signes or miracles But seeing there are in the Roman Church lawfull witnesses who prove that the Faith which they now professe is the same with that of the primitive Church miracles also are proved by the same witnesses it being granted by Protestants themselves that miracles were wrought in the primitive Church to confirme the Faith which Christ and his Apostles taught Yet in the Roman Catholick Church there are now lawfull witnesses and have beene in every age since Christs preaching that there have beene miracles done in confirmation of the Roman Faith This is evident to all who read the Ecclesiasticall Histories of present and past times Neither can our adversaries deny that we have lawfull witnesses for miracles now wrought in our Church even in confirmation of that Doctrine wherein we differ from them and reported by so credible testimonies See the 13. Chap. that it were imprudence in any person whosoever to deny them which is enough to propose sufficiently our Doctrine as Divine Revelation But Protestants do not believe our miracles because they imagine that they are against Scriptures that is against their owne interpretation of it and that some miracles have beene false and forged We do not say that all things which the common people thinke to be miracles are really true miracles but we affirme that true miracles there are in our Church and very frequent confirming that very Doctrine which Protestants reject the forgery or knavery of some particular wicked men in feigning miracles can not prejudice all especially such as are seene and experimented by persons of knowne integrity and learning able to discerne betweene true and false miracles otherwise it will follow that all the new Testament must be called in question or denyed to be Gods Word because Saint Thomas his pretended Ghospell or Nicodemus his writings are condemned as forged or Apocryphall That no reformed Church of Protestants can have lawfull witnesses to propose sufficiently their Doctrine as Divine Revelation is evident because for the space of 1500. yeares they were without any visible Church or tradition therefore their witnesses also are invisible and by consequence not lawfull or credible Fox and others made a certaine Catalogue of men who opposed the Doctrine of the Roman Church in former ages but they were known Hereticks and did neither agree amongst themselves nor with Protestants in their Tenets or Religion as hath beene demonstrated by Father Persons in his Examination of Fox his Kalendar and by many others 9 I conclude therefore that seeing Protestants grant there is and hath alwayes beene a Catholick Church upon earth and that Church must have lawfull witnesses testifying their Doctrine to be Divine Revelation it being evident that no Congregation of men can produce any such lawfull witnesses but the Roman Catholicks amongst whom I include also them of the Greeke Church who agree with us it s also evident that there can be no Church Catholick but the Roman CHAP. XI VVhether Transubstantiation and the lawfulnesse of the worship of Images be sufficiently proposed by the testimony of the Roman Catholick Church as Divine revelation and whether Protestants have any lawfull exceptions against them 1 THere are so many Bookes printed in defence of these Catholick Tenets that I judge it superfluous to treate of them ex professo I will onely answer some exceptions that Protestants have made against them to my selfe in diverse occasions That the Roman Church doth propose these articles sufficiently as Divine Revelation is cleare because it proposeth them by the same testimony and confirmed by the sames signes whereby it proposeth Scripture to be Gods Word this last proposall Protestants themselves grant to be so sufficient that no man may in prudence deny it Therefore the same must be said of all the rest and in particular of Transubstantiation and worship of Images 2 But let us
to judge that God will do so extraordinary a favour to Protestants who are out of the Church and have not the helpe of the true Sacraments as to give them an act of contrition in the last houre 4 I have often said that I can not but admire to see any person of solid judgement and good understanding a Protestant The more I consider the grounds beginning and progresse of these new Religions the more I am confirmed in my admiration What matter can then be of greater wonder then to see wise men preferre the testimony of some few wanton and dissolute Priests and Friars to the testimony of the grave and ancient Fathers of the Catholick Roman Church Let the Councell of Lateran be confronted with Cranmer and the six or seven Ministers who invented the English Church and with the Parliament that confirmed it Let both the Councells of Lateran and that of Trent be compared with the petty Assemblies of Ministers in the English Protestant Church or in the Kirke of Scotland Dort or any other pretending Reformation Shall a few Ministers know better the Catholick tradition the sense of Scripture and Fathers then the Councell of Lateran wherein sate two Patriarchs and the Pope 70. Metropolitans 400. Bishops 800 Conventuall Priors all learned men out of the most parts of Christendome Shall one Apostate Paulo Dolce his word be taken concerning the Councell of Trent and preferred to the testimony of all the Catholick Churches which hath accepted all its Decrees in matters of Faith I speake not of other Councells nor of the cleare testimonies of Fathers which are obvious to all persons who understand Latin in Bellarmine Coccius and other Authors 5 Most of all I admire to see any person stick to the Common prayer Booke or to that Church as if it were the true Catholick How is it possible that God should permit the publick exercise of Catholick Religion and Church to be brought so low and to so narrow a compasse as we see the Common prayer If Antichrist reigne were come or the Turke had possessed the whole world then it might be thought that the Church fled to the wildernesse and became almost invisible but when through the mercy of God we see Christianity flourish not onely in Europe but in all other parts of the world how is it credible that God should permit the true and pure exercise of Catholick Religion to be invisible 6 Therefore I judge it a duty of conscience and charity to warne all Protestants that they may be pleased to reflect upon the Authors and first Apostles of their Reformation Is it credible that God would make choice of such wicked persons as they were knowne to be to reform his Church Suppose there were some abuses in the Court of Rome must therefore the Popes authority be tread under foot Must Kings loose their Crownes because some Courtiours are lewd If Luther had beene appointed to preach for Indulgences he had never writ against them the Pope or the Church of Rome If Henry the VIII had prevailed with the Pope to declare null his mariage with Queene Catharine of Spaine he had never made himselfe spirituall Head of the Church of England If Calvin had obtained the Bishoprick of Geneva Puritans had never beene so fierce against Episcopacy If Queene Elizabeth had not beene declared illegitimate by the Doctrine and Church of Rome the Common prayer and Reformation had ended with Edward the VI. who begunne it Doth not the world see that these pretended Reformations of Religion were onely pretexts for Princes to obtaine their politick ends and for dissolute and incontinent Clergy to gaine authority whereby their liberty and vices might not onely be excused but applauded by the ignorant and common people Let Protestants therefore examine how things past because ignorance in so important a matter can not be warranted by relying upon other mens judgements seeing they may so easily informe their owne 7 Neither ought they to sooth themselves with that no lesse usuall then groundlesse excuse Agree you Clergy men amongst your selves and we will agree submit our judgements c. But untill then we are not obliged seeing our Ministers are learned and honest men We Catholicks declare to all the world and the same must Protestant do that the Church out of which there is no salvation may be so easily discerned from all false Sects by signes so visible and obvious to all persons though illiterate that to trust to Ministers testimony in so important a matter is damnable negligence especially seeing we charge them of not believing Clergy men nor ordained As for the Protestant Ministers being learned and honest men its certaine that either we or they want learning or honesty and that either they or we impose upon the people manifest falshoods which may easily be discovered by any person that desires to be saved Let our Doctrines and Tenets be examined and it will clearly appeare that the Protestant Faith doth tend to liberty of believing and doing what every man thinkes convenient which is an infallible marke of Heresie and damnation CHAP. XIV VVhether Protestancy be manifestly against reason and common sense and how may the most learned Protestants be convinced in disputes of Religion by every illiterate Roman Catholick SECT I. 1 THe true Christian and Catholick Religion is so evidently credible that all others must necessarily be evidently incredible It is not in Religion as in cases of morall Divinity Two contrary opinions in morall matters may be prudently followed each of them as probable because there are learned men that patronize both If there were two or more Gods and they could differ in opinion or judgement men might accommodate themselves to which they pleased But seeing there is but one God there must be but one Faith and one Religion This one Faith is more then any probable opinion it is an undoubted and prudent assent of the understanding to whatsoever is sufficiently proposed as Divine Revelation An undoubted and prudent assent doth suppose there can be no prudent probability in any other contrary Faith or Church for if once we grant that two Religions are probable or prudently credible we have none at all because we reserve a doubt of both and are indifferent for any True Faith admits no doubts or indifferencies Supposing this no prudent Protestant can take ill that which I intend to prove in this Chap. unlesse he will have Catholicks acknowledge that they have one true Faith or Christian Religion 2 If it be proved that Protestancy is contrary to reason it s evidently demonstrated to be a false Religion because whatsoever is against reason can not be true The true Christian Faith doth perfect the understanding and not deceive that faculty of man whereby he is distinguished from brute beasts God is the Author both of Reason and Religion one must be subordinate to the other its true Faith is above Reason but never stands in opposition with it
inchanted that no Writer had the use of his fingers to set downe in writing a matter of so great consequence having notwithstanding the free use of their penne in relating a thousand other changes of lesse importance We have no reason to judge that former ages were lesse vigilant and carefull in preserving the purity of Christian Religion and the true sense of Scripture then the present is because their vigilancy appeareth by their suppressing of Heresies in every age which suppression and protestation against the said Heresies of every respective age was never judged or condemned for an innovation against the Doctrine received from former times but rather is a confirmation of it so that the exceptions made by Berengarius VValdo and other such persons against Roman Catholicks doth rather strengthen then weaken the Doctrine of the Roman Church seeing their exception was so strongly and constantly cryed downe by all the world for innovation 6 Some have said that as gray heares grow in a mans head and the corruption of a language growes on by little and little without particular notice taken of the precise time so the change and corruption of Religion hath crept in insensibly in the Roman Catholick Church But this is a most silly similitude as if men were as much concerned to watch the new growth of every gray heare or the mispronunciation of every word as the Pastors and Doctors of the Church and all Christians are concerned to observe the beginning of a new article of Faith or as if this were no more observable or making no more impression upon mens mindes or no more change in the practise of the Church then a gray haire in a mans head or an odde word in common speach Put the case that in this age to fertile of sopperies some great and considerable part of Christianity should set up a calfe to be adored for the God of the Christians would this be no more remarkable then a gray haire in a mans head No lesse remarkable is it to hold up a wafer cake for the like adoration and over and above to oblige people to sweare that it is no bread Is it credible or possible that if in Berengarius his time this had beene begunne that the whole world would not have cryed out against it and not onely the Doctors out of Scriptue but the very children out of their Cathechismes had cryed it downe or that so many Bishops and learned men assembled in so many Councells namely in that most univerfall compleate Councell of Lateran should have declared so hard a matter to be a necessary pâ—int of Christian Faith and that so many ages since should have universally accepted it and defined it againe in other Councels if it had been a meer innovation and not an ancient tradition and beliefe of the Catholick Church The like may be said of the respect we give to Images or any other articles of our Faith 7 Another evident and visible signe confirming the testimony of the Roman Catholick Church alone Ioan. 14.12 is Miracles whereof in all ages we have good store to spare to the Protestant Churches which never could produce one cleare Lib 22. de Civit. Dei cap. 8 prope sinem and undeniable Miracle whereas Saint Austine telleth us how that in the presence of him and othes a devout woman called Palladia who being sore diseased and repairing for her health to the monument of Saint Stephen recovered suddainly her health by praying to the Saint a thing now condemned by Protestants as superstition or idolatry and injurious to God Ad sanctum Martyrem saith Saint Austine orare perrexer at I. Aug. lib. 22. de Civit Dei cap. 8. II. Nazian in Cyprian saith Omniapotest pulvis Cypriani cum fide c. miraculum usque ad nos transmiserunt Chrysost in libro contra Gentiles III. Eusebius hist l 7. c. 14. Athan de Passione imaginis Christi in Berito alleaged in 2 Concil Nicen. act 4. IV. S. Chrysost de Sacerdot to lib. 6. c. 4. V. VI. S August de Civit. Dei l. 22. c. 8. circa mediuw S. Gregor hom 37 in Evang. S. Beda hist l. 4. c. 22. ante med VII S. Hieron in vita Hilarionis versus finem S. Athanasius in vita Antonij VIII Epiphanius haer 30. ante med Theodoret. hist l. 5. c. 21. IX Cyprian in serm de lapsis post med S. Ambros in Orat. funebri de obitu fratris sui Satyri cap. 7. X. Optatus lib. 2. contra Donatistas Bernard in vita Malachiae XI Evagrius l. 4. c. 25. XII Ioann Clymachus in lib. Climax grad 4. Beda hist l. 5. c. 14. XIII S. Bernardus in vita Malachia quae mox ut cancellot attigit collapsa similiter velut ad somnum sana surrexit c There is not any point of our Faith wherein Protestants differ from us but God hath worked miracles in confirmation of it against our adversaries See the Saints and Fathers cited in the margen for proofe of this Assertion and in particular concerning 1. Prayer to Saints 2. Reliques 3. the Image of Christ 4 reall presence 5. Sacrifice of Christs Body 6. Purgatory and prayer for the dead 7. the great vertue of the signe of the Crosse 8. Holy water 9 reservation of the Sacrament 10. Holy Chrisme 11 Adoration of the Crosse 12. Confession of sinnes to a Friest 13 and extreme vnction 8 Another cleate and visible signe of the true Church is the conversion of the Kings Apocal 20.11 Esay 49.24 and Nations of the Gentiles Onely the Roman Catholicks can challenge this marke not onely in former ages but also in this present as is notorious to our very adversaries in both the indies Iason China Persia c I have heard of some Catholick Countreys perverted by Protestants as England Scotland Sweâ—â—land c. but never of any converted to Christianity It were tedious to runne over all the signes of the true Church these are sufficient to demonstrate that the testimony of Catholicks ought to be preferred in matters of Religion before the testimony of Protestants because outs is confirmed by visible and supernaturall signes their 's with none unlesse you will take for true miracles Iohn Fox his ridiculous dreames and stories which he relates in his Acts and monuments a Booke so condemne by most wise men that one of them hearing a certaine person to be much taken with the reading of it concluded him to be a very silly man and of lesse judgement then he was esteemed by others that were ignorant of his being so addicted to Fox 9 If Protestancy be as contrary to reason and common sense as hath beene hitherto proved what wonder is it that any illiterate Catholick should convince the most learned Ministers and pillars of Protestant Churches unlesse it be supposed that we are deprived or at least know not how to make use of our reason and common sense Controversies of Christian Religion are not to be decided
by examining the truth of the mysteries we believe that is to be supposed and not disputed To be a good Controvertist is not to give reason of what you believe but to give reason why you believe what you understand not this last requires no Greek or Hebrew nor Schoole learning and therefore may be as well performed by a Catholick Clowne is by a Bachelour of Oxford or Cambridge 10 Now to descend to particular methods hereby the learned Protestants may be convinced by illiterate Catholicks I will onely mention two both of them very ordinary and usuall amongst the most vulgar sort of people The first is by asking of Protestants What newes of Religion The second by inquiring of them by what right or warrant do they condemne any article of the Roman Catholick Faith I do seriously averre that every Countrey-man who hath wit and judgement enough to except at the Assises against an illegall and false witnesse hath leaming enough to convince in controversies of Religion the most learned Protestant Minister And every carrier or husbandman who hath so much wit and judgement as not to believe an extravagant and incredible history or ballads of some strange feigned Monster hath wit and judgement enough to convince any Protestant whosoever The reason of this Assertion is very cleare because there was never so incredible a Monster or Chymera composed of so many contradictions and impossibilities as this new fangled Religion framed by the fancies of a company of dissolute Priests and Friars pretending to have beene enlightened by the Spirit of God and sent by an extraordinary calling without miracles to reforme not onely the manners but also the Doctrine of the Catholick Church What Countrey Clowne amongst Catholicks can be persuaded to believe that all this which the first Protestants pretend is true Is it not obvious to every rationall creature that God never made use of so wicked instruments to reforme the world and plant the true Religion What evidence do Reformers produce against the Doctrine of the Roman Church what witnesses what signes to confirme their testimonies Do Protestants agree amongst themselves All this will be more clearly understood by the ensuing Conference betweene a Catholick Clowne and a learned Protestant Minister SECT II. A Dialog betweene a learned Protestant Minister and a Catholick Clowne 11 CAth. What newes good Master Doctor of your English Protestant Church Minist As much persecuted as ever Bapists were by Queen Elizabeth There is liberty given to all Sectaries Anabaptists Quakers c. we onely are excepted against Cath. I see no reason why ye Protestants should not be reformed by Puritans and Quakers as ye reformed us Catholicks I am sure they bring as many texts of Scripture against your Doctrine and Discipline as ye did against ours Minist We reformed onely your Papisticall abuses that were contrary to the cleare Word of God Cath. The same thing do Puritans or Presbyterians say against you But it s incredible newes to me that which you tell me of any abuses we should have in our Church contrary to the expresse Word of God Minist Didst thou ever read the Scripture Cath. No truly Minist I knew so much the reason why ye are not permitted to read the Bible is that ye may not discover the errours which Jesuits and other Masse Priests teach ye as the respect to Images and Statues praying to Saints Purgatory c. These and many more are clearly contradicted by Scripture Cath. Though I were permitted to read Scripture I can not because I never learned to read Yet I have spoken with many learned men who read Scripture and they all unanimously assure me that there is not one word in all Scripture contradicting worship of Images praying to Saints or Purgatory Now I see no reason why I should reject their testimony and take yours 12 Minist Faith is a gift of God thou must not tye it to any mans sleeve pray to God that he may give thee his Spirit Cath. I have heard much of a Spirit that every one of ye Protestants and Puritans pretend to have but I could never see any effect or signe of it Minist We Protestants pretend no such Spirit Cath. How come ye then to alter the old sense of Scripture which was in England for a thousand yeares before Edward the VI. if no Spirit did inspire or interpret the Scripture after the reformed fashion why did ye not stick to the old way Minist Because we could not in consciences there being so many cleare texts against Popery Cath. That is incredible for in the space of a thousand yeares some man or other would meet with those cleare texts Minist Well thou art an honest fellow we will not dispute thou art not capable of understanding what I have to answer to that objection of thine Cath. Nay good Master Doctor trust my understanding for once I pray resolve my doubt Min. Truly I must deale clearly with thee I am of opinion that for the space of one thousand yeares past all Roman Catholicks did hold damnable Doctrine manifestly contrary to Scripture yet I believe their ignorance did excuse them from damnation 13 Caeh How is it possible that there should be so much ignorance in all the world for the space of a thousand yeares that none could see those cleare texts of Scripture which you and other Protestants pretend to see Min. Mistake me not Countreyman the texts of Scripture which we produce against your errours and superfluities are not so very cleare but that they may be misunderstood if God doth not enlighten the understanding as he hath done to us Protestants Cath. I thought you pretended no such Spirit or private inspiration I heare reported by credible Authors that the first Protestants or Reformers in every Countrey were dissolute Piests or Friars who married and lived not so exemplarly as the Catholick Clergy doth Therefore I can not persuade my selfe that God would enlighten them more then us at least I am not bound to believe it unlesse I see miracles or some other markes of sanctity which is more then ever I perceived as yet in any of your Religion I hope you will pardon my freedome Min. I warrant thou dost believe all the miracles that are reported to have beene done at Loreto Sichem and other Chappell 's Didst thou ever see any miracle thy selfe Cath. No indeed but I have seene others who were present at the working of strange miracles as that of Naples when the Jefuit Mastrilli was cured on a sudden by Saint Francis Xaverius and sent by him to lapon where he dyed a Martyr Many others I have heard testified by credible Authors that I have as much reason to believe as any who should endeavour to persuade me the contrary therefore trouble not your selfe in this matter unlesse you will have me doubt of all things I heare because I have been deceived in something Min. Why believe not ye our miracles as ye would have us believe
yours Cath. Because we never heare of any cleare and undeniable miracles I am sure ye have none to confirme the articles wherein ye Protestants differ from us no nor any that lookes like miracles when they are compared with ours 14 Minist Seeing thou dost not desire to speake of miracles let us returne to Scripture Grant that the texts of Gods Word which we bring against Popery were not cleare must they not therefore be believed because forsooth they are obscure Christian Faith must be obscure honest fellow Doth not thy Parish Priest instruct thee thus Cath. My Pastor and Confessor both tell me that the mysteries of Christian Faith are obscure but never incredible Min. Now friend I have caught thee Is it not incredible that there is no bread in the Sacrament of the Altar Why therefore dost thou believe Transubstantiation as a mystery of Faith Cath. It is rather incredible there should be any bread in the blessed Sacrament for if there were why should all Catholicks deny a thing that hath so great appearance Whether bread be there or no Priests have the same almes for saying Masse no gaine acrues to them by Transubstantiation On the other side its impossible that all Catholicks should be so mad as to contradict their own senses if God had not commanded them not to credit their eyes and tast in this Divine mystery but rather to rely upon his words and believe that the blessed Sacrament is his Body if it be Christs Body it can not be bread because our bodies are no bread and Christs Body is of the same nature with ours 15 Min. Alas poor ignorant soule Christs words must be understood spiritually he himselfe told the Disciples that his words are spirit and life Cath. Iohn 6. I heard our Pastor the last Sonday explaine that same text to confirme Transubstantiation For he said that Christ is in the Sacrament truly and really but with a spirituall presence and that we receive his very Body and Bloud though not in a corporall manner there is some difference quoth he betweene eating of Christs Flesh and eating a piece of beefe This onely was Christs meaning when he said that his words were spirit and life which no way can prejudice Transubstantiation though some Puritans thinke that they are contrary to the reall presence Whether bread be there or no Christs true Body and Bloud is received in the Communion according Protestants so that it concerns them as much as Catholicks to interpret these words of Christs as we do unlesse ye will become Calvinists by saying that ye eate Christs Body by Faith that is ye believe to receive him when ye do not which is a lying and false Faith or that ye receive his grace but not himself and that is to deny in plain termes the reall presence All this did our Pastor teach in the Cathechisme 16 Min. Well in this matter none is bound to believe your Pastor or his Cathechisme we believe that Christ is really present in the Sacrament but how he is there we do not examine neither ought the Roman Church or the Councell of Lateran impose Transubstantiation upon us as a thing necessary to be believed Cath. I have heard talke much of that Councell of Lateran they say there were present thereat the Pope and two Pattiarchs of the East 70. Metropolitans 400. Bishops and 800 other learned men out of all parts of the world If Transubstantiation was not a necessary article of Faith they did very ill to declare it one and condemne as Hereticks all such as denyed it Yet me thinks the testimony of so many learned men is of greater weight I pray Sir pardon me if I offend you I do not intend it then the testimony of any reformed Church to the contrary I never heard of such a Councell in any Protestant Church It s true I heare that the Ministers of Stratzburg and of the Church of Zurick look as reverendly as the Protestant Church of England and have set forth as exact a Confession of their beliefe as ye have done of yours in the 39. articles but I could never learn that any of you had such an Assembly as the Councell of Lateran or of Trent Therefore ye can not blame Catholicks to preferre the testimony of these Councells before the testimonies of the Church of Stratzburg Zurick or that of England which was modeld as our Priests tell us by six Bishops and six other men or the major part of them seven of them were sufficient to cast Christian Religion take away Sacraments alter the matter and forme of them and change the ancient ceremonies Without doubt its more reasonable to rely upon the Councell of Trent then upon the twelve or seven persons that invented the Common prayer Booke and the Ritual of the English Church 17 Min. Hast thou ever heard of one Fr. Paulo who writ the History of the Councell of Trent and describes how the holy Ghost was sent in a bag thither from Rome Cath. I have heard much of that man they say he was no Saint at least of our Church and had a spleene against the Pope If what he writes were true not onely the Bishops and others who were in the Councell of Trent had beene mad or Impostors but all the Catholicks of the world who accepted the same as a true Councell ought to be declared and recorded naturall fooles It s more credible that Fr. Paulo was a lying Knave then that all the Catholicks of the world are naturall fooles or that all the Bishops of the Couuncell were Impostors Therefore I can not believe his History of the Councell of Trent Truly his expression of the holy Ghosts journey in a bag proves him to have been a profane fellow They say his history is both solidly and elegantly confuted by Palavicini the Jesuite It s strange to me how sober Protestants can believe such fopperies and wicked practises of the chief Prelats and persons of the Catholick Church 18 Min. Hold there friend Dost thou thinke that onely the Roman Catholicks are the whole Catholick Church ye are but a part Cath. I am sure Roman Catholick alone were the whole Catholick Church before that Luther and Calvin begun their pretended Reformation They and all ye Protestants differ from us in Faith Therefore ye are no part of the Catholick Church that was called so in the year 1516. If God hath Instituted another Catholick Church since and ye make that appear I am content to call ye Catholicks but untill then Master Doctor you must excuse me Min. Ye and we believe the same things onely ye differ from us in some petty matters not necessary to be believed as Transubstantiation Cath. Do you call that a petty thing which the Catholick Church defined to be a matter of Faith who shall be the Judge of what is necessary or not necessary to be believed Min. Not your Pope nor his Councels because y are a part and have a prejudice
because they choose to themselves amongst all articles which the Catholick Roman Church proposed to the first Authors of ProtestaÌ„cy Luther Cranmer Calvin c. before the pretended Reformation what they think fit and most probable All the rest though equally proposed to them by the testimony of the said Roman Church as Divine Revelation they reject as fabulous or apocryphall because it suites not with their liberty fancy and manners Hence it is that all Hereticks are damned by their owne proper judgement and opinion for he that makes choice of some articles and rejects others when all are equally testified to be revealed by God doth not believe the very articles he chooseth because God revealed them but because he is of opinion that God revealed them and not the others which he rejects not regarding the testimony of the Church proposing all equally as revealed A Jew believes that the Messias is not come because he thinks God revealed Christ not to be the Messias and yet his Faith is not supernaturall Protestants therefore may believe what they please because they think God revealed it and yet their Faith be neither Christian nor supernaturall their owne persuasion alone is not sufficient 〈◊〉 supernaturalize their beliefe The difference between historicall and Christian or supernaturall beliefe is not that Christian beliefe alone hath for its object supernaturall mysteries a man may believe the mystery of the Trinity or Incarnation with as historicall a beliefe as the history of Iulius Cesar The difference consists in this that the understanding doth meet with so great and manifest difficulties in crediting what is sufficiently proposed as Divine Revelation to be really revealed and true that it may appear to any indifferent and rationall man God doth concurre more particularly to the assent of what is proposed as Christian Faith then he doth to the assent we give stories Chronicles or any other human history though containing never so strange and extraordinary events To believe not onely strange and to the sense of man improbable things but also to believe them with a prudent beliefe not out of ignorance or misinformation without the least doubt or suspicion of falshood is so much above the way and faculty of nature that the Faith whereby this is done must of necessity be an extraordinary and supernaturall gift of Gods omnipotency Now let us examine whether Protestants do so straine their understanding by their beliefe even of supernaturall mysteries that it may be evidently called an extraordinary gift of Gods omnipotency To be brief I do say that Protestants have no more supernaturall Faith in believing the Trinity or Incarnation c then in believing any strange or extraordinary accident that Iohn Stow recounts in his Chronicles and consequently their Faith is meerly historicall My reason is this Protestants believe as articles of Faith onely those points wherein all Christian though hereticall Churches agree to be clearly contained in Scripture or to be delivered by Tradition of the said Churches Whatsoever is controverted amongst Christians they look upon it as not necessary to be believed It s true most of them tell you they believe the Apostles Creed others come as far as Saint Athanasius his Symbol some are pleased to admit of the 4. first generall Councells The motive of this their beliefe is not because the true Catholick Church testifieth that God revealed what they believe but because no Christian Church or Sect wherewith they converse â—oth contradict any of these points Such things as are contradicted or controverted by any are not believed as articles of Faith If this be not meerly historicall and human belief there is none at all What man is there whether Turck or Jew that doth not believe after this manner whatsoever is reported by many and condicted by none whose authority hath any weight in his opinion The reason why Turcks stick to their Alcoran and the Jews to the Law of Moyses notwithstanding all our contradictions and testimonies of the one being wicked and the other abolished is that they have a prejudice against us Christians they value not any thing we say in matters of Faith If Protestants had not the same prejudice by their education against Turcks that Turcks have against Christians they would make the Catholick Church yet more universall then at the present they do the Alcoran perhaps should be part of the Bible those onely should be articles of Faith wherein both agree not onely all Hereticks but Turcks should be members and part of the Catholick Church Many are of opinion that the liberty of life which Protestants have warrante by their new Religion is the strongest motive of their obstinacy in it and of propagating the same Though this be true in some persons it can not be applyed to all Protestants some of them give the Devil his due have morality and come near the old Pagan Philosophers in their life and conversation But there is not one amongst all the Protestants of the world especially of the English Church or Common prayer men that is not inveagled and carried away with a liberty of believing onely that as an article of Faith which is not contradicted by any Christian Congregation or Church however so different from his owne Why should Papists saith every Protestant impose unnecessary articles of Faith upon us why should any one be obliged to believe what is not clear in Scripture There is no liberty more earnestly sought after then that of the understanding all men are naturally taken with it no captivity is more troublesome then that of proper judgement its impossible without a supernaturall favour and grace of God to bâ—dle the inclination and ordinary course of that faculty which of its own nature is so curious and vehement that it can not be quiet untill it knowes the reason of what we heare To believe is to captivate and confine the understanding to a dungeon of darknesse Not to believe is to leave it at its own choice and liberty this last is naturall and agreable to our inclination and by consequence is no proper effect of a supernaturall power It s impossible therefore that it should be Christian Faith or a supernaturall gift of God In this sense the way of heaven is straight because Christian and not historicall beliefe is the foundation or first step to salvation we must force our selves to it by straining our understanding to believe and not give it liberty to accept and reject what we please making our selves Judges of all Controversies concerning Scripture and Christian Religion Let the negative articles of Protestancy be examined as Protestants they have no affirmative and we shall finde that nature and not grace leads them to that liberty which they assume to themselves of shaking off not onely the yoke of interior acquiescence and exterior obedience to the decrees definitions of the Catholick Roman Church but also it will manifestly appear that Protestants and all men are solicited by a naturall
propension to make our selves Scripture as our selves shall interpret it or which is the same the Rule or Judge of Controversies Therefore it s no supernaturall action nor no meritorious act to believe after this manner as Protestants do for men have no difficulty in believing themselves and they believe themselves not God when their own interpretation of Scripture is followed against that of the Church It remaines now a reason be given Why do Protestants believe the most obscure and difficult mysteries of Christian Religion if their Faith be meerly historicall How can they without a supernaturall power and favour believe that the Scripture is Gods Word the Trinity the mystery of Incarnation c. To this doubt I answer that as I said in the beginning of this Chapter there is no difficulty in believing the most improbable and extravagant things when they are told us by persons we credit and are not contradicted by any whose testimony we value In matters of Religion Protestants value no men but Christians and such mysteries as they believe are not contradicted by any Christians at least in our parts of the world They believe therefore all they believe because they have been told so by their Parents and others who had the charge of instructing them and not because God revealed it which is the onely motive of Christian and supernaturall Faith It s a received principle that he who denyes one article of Christian Religion believes none at all It can not be said that he believes none with historicall beliefe as Protestants believe the mystery of the Trinity Incarnation and Scripture to be Gods Word The meaning of all Divines is that he who denyes one article of Faith believes none at all with Christian or supernaturall beliefe This is most true for to believe like a Christian is to believe the mysteries of Christian Religion because they are sufficiently proposed as Divine Revelation by the testimony of the Church not of every Church but of the true Catholick one which onely giveth lawfull authority and sends Preachers and Doctors to instruct the people God hath not promised his helpe and supernaturall inspiâ—ations which are necessary to believe with Christian Faith to them who are unsent uncalled unconsecrated but onely to such lawfull Ministers as are appointed and ordained by them who derive their Doctrine and succession from the Apostles through a never interrupted line That no Church but the Roman Catholick doth propose sufficiently as Divine Revelation the Doctrine which they preach hath been proved in the 8. Chapt. whence it followeth that out of the Roman Catholick Church there can be no true Faith nor salvation and that to deny one article of Faith in the least matter is to deny all because the motive of our beliefe is denyed as much in a little matter as in the greatest See the 7. Chap. The motive being denyed or rejected nothing can be believed with Christian Faith because of the motive depends all An infallible argument of denying the motive of Christian Faith is to contemne the testimony of that Congregation of men which hath the signes of being the true Catholick Church as a legall and orderly succession of Doctors and Doctrine conversion of Nations Miracles and markes of so eminent and extraordinary sanctity of life that the like was never found in Heathen Philosophers but farre exceeds all that hath beene discovered in any that wanted supurnaturall grace as is the entire renunciation of all the worldly pleasure profit and honour an inflamed affection towards God and his glory with an unfatigable zeale of the salvation of soules and desire of suffering for Christs sake whereof we Catholicks alone have an infinite number of undeniable examples No other but the Roman Church can as much as pretend to have the signes of the true Church as miracles remarkable either in number or quality c. Therefore whosoever denyes one article of the Roman Religion denyth also the motive of Catholick Faith which as we have proved is proposed onely by the testimony of the Roman Catholick Church and consequently he who doth not stick to it believes nothing at all with Christian and supernaturall Faith The very Devils and damned soules have the Protestant or historicall beliefe God who is Author of all graces and favours both naturall and supernaturall grant to all Protestants that pretious gift of Faith without which it is impossible to please His Divine Majesty or to obtaine the end whereunto we were all created FINIS