12. VVhat as Tertullian sayth meane they otherwise then they write masters of deceit not of truth 10. If any demaund how it came to passe that Protestants should so often and so plainly say that their Church and religion was perished before Luther appeared Wherfor Protestāts say their Church was perished I answeare that there were many causes thereof First because it was so euident that their Church and religion was not at all when Luther began that as themselues haue confessed they cannot deny it It cannot be denyed If any deny it he may be conuinced All men must confesse it The matter it selfe proclaimeth and proueth it Num. 1.4.5.7 And finally that it is manifest both to learned and vnlearned Secondly they sayd so for to moue men to hate the Pope and Papists whome they affirmed to haue destroyed the fayth and Church Thirdly for to purchase the loue of the people as who had restored to them againe the Church and Religion Fourthly they sayd so for to excuse their preaching and playing the Pastours without ordinary calling as if forsooth when they began there had byn no church which could giue them cōmission Finally as phrantike men so Protestants sometymes are in good fittes in which they see and confesse the truth But at other tymes when Catholiks out of this perishing and destruction of their Church and religion do inferre that it is not the Church or religion of Christ Matth. 16. against which as he hath promised the gats of hell shall not preuaile but some other Church religion either first began by Luther or else restored and renowed by him after that it was substantially perished and destroyed then they mollify and glose their former sayings deuise strange violent senses of their words and euery way seeke out shiftes and sleights whereby they may auoyd the force of their owne testimonies which we shall rehearse and refute in the next chapter The Protestants shiftes for to delude their foresayd Confessions touching the substantiall decay of their Church and Religion refuted CHAP. II. 1. ALBEIT the foresayd confessions of the Protestants touching the substantiall decay of their Church and religion before Luther arose be so plaine and euident as we may well say with Tertullian VVho will not acknowledge these rather then expound thē De Resur c. 21. Yet because the obstinacy of heretiks is so great as it may be sooner ouercome then persuaded is wont to seek out all shifts to auoyd the force euen of their owne words I will heare set downe their shifts and confute them 2. Their first shift is Their first shift that the forenamed Protestants by the words of fayth religion and the like when they say that they perished did not meane the inward fayth of the heart as if no man in his heart had held the Protestant fayth or religion but only the outward profession thereof and so meane only that the outward profession of Protestancy was perished or that none professed it I graunt indeed that somtyme they speake of outward profession of faith but this commeth all to one purpose That they say inward faith perished Because the profession of faith can no more perish in the church then the fayth it selfe as hereafter we shall proue by the confessions of Protestants themselues But that they speake not also of the inward fayth or of fayth it selfe is most false First because they say so without all proofe neither can they proue it otherwise then because perhaps the same Protestants haue other where sayd the contrary which kind of proofe we hereafter shew to be nothing worth Lib. 2. c. vl Againe it is credible vnlesse one will belieue what he list that by so many words of light clarity religion worship of God truth of God Ca. 1. n. 2. 3. sayth true knowledge knowledge of fayth Christian fayth knowledge of Christ as they haue vsed and we repeated they meant not fayth it selfe but only the outward profession of faith Besides they sayd plainly That none belieued to be iustified without workes That the doctrine of Iustification by sayth was blotted out of the memory of men Cap. 1. nu 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 that holesome truth perished from earth and that it was taken from men that Christ was buryed and taken out of the world and the Church that all Protestant consolation was vnknowne that without Luther one iot had not byn knowne that the knowledge of Christ the knowledge of sayth fayled and lastly that Christ was not vnderstood but vtterly vnknowne Which words are manifestly spoken meant of true or inward fayth I adde also that it is a rule of ciuil law approued by Luther and Protestants Luther de abrog mis epist ad Amsd. Schusselb tom 4. Catal haeret that who cold speak clearely and yet spake obscurely should haue his words expounded against him Seeing therefore Protestants could haue spoken farre more clearly if they had meant only that outward professiō of faith had perished we may lawfully expound their words against themselues 3. To this shift is another like wherewith they say that the foresayd testimonies of Protestants touching the destruction or decay of their Church are not to be vnderstood of their inuisible Church The secōd shift which they say is the company of only true faythfull and predestinate men but of the decay of their visible Church which they say is the company of al those that professe true doctrine and is the Church not in the sight of God but only in the eyes of men I do not deny that sometymes they speake of the visible Church notwithstanding as before I sayd it comes all to one purpose because as shall be proued hereafter there can be no inuisible Church without a visible nor a company of faythfull and predestinate men but they must professe their fayth The Protestāts say the true Church hath perished But most false it is that they speake not also of the true Church which they will haue to be inuisible to any but to God alone For first as before I argued this cannot be proued otherwise then that perhaps the same men haue at other tymes sayd the contrary which will proue that they like lyers haue contradicted themselues not that they haue not sayd this which they haue as clearly sayd as euer they sayd any thing else Besides in saying according to their meaning that the Church hath not perished or cannot perish they do not indeed cōtradict themselues when they say that it hath or can perish For when they say that the Church cannot perish by the name of the Church they vnderstand not the Catholike Church that is the Church spread throughout the world Cap. 1. n. ◠for as we saw they teach that the Church may consist or be reduced to one or two and that Elias thought there was none of the Church but himselfe Whereupon D. Whitaker Cont. 2. quest 3. pag.
contrary opinions Thirdly we see how infamous a society Protestancy is into which all heretikes and Schismatikes likewise Idolaters Infidels Antichrist Atheists are admitted What sinke euer did receiue such filth Surely such a rable deserueth better the name of hell then of the holy Church Fourthly we see how monstruous a company it is which consisteth of so different and opposite members What they meane by a Protestant in tymâ—past Fiftly we may gather what Protestants meane when they say Protestants haue byn alwayes or before Luther For they meane not that there haue byn alwayes some who belieued at least all their fundamentall articles but that there were alwayes some who as they speake opposed themselues against the Pope or his errors whether they were otherwise Schismatiks Heretiks infidels or Atheists Of which kind of men I deny not but there haue byn alwayes some rable but none but a mad man will say that it was the holy Church spouse of Christ Sixtly we see how litle ProtestaÌ„ts account of their Church fayth and religion and belieue nothing lesse then that it is the church of God or fayth of Christ For who doubteth but Schisme heresy infidelity Atheisme are most pestilent plagues and infernall darknesse directly opposite to ecclesiasticall Communion and fayth which are the forme life soule of the Church And who can imagin Note that he can associate and vnite together formes so contrary as are light and darknesse life and death truth and lies or that the society in darknesse lies and death as are the societies in Schisme Heresy and infidelity can become one with the society in light life truth as the Church is If therfore seriously they belieued their Church to be the church of Christ they would neuer thinke that she could become one with the society in Schisme heresy and infidelity And this sometymes Protestants themselues perceiue For Brentius in Appendice Recognit thus speaketh to the Sacramentaries when they desired to be held for brethren of the Lutherans whome yet they condemned of heresy If they iudâ—e our opinion to be impious with what face do they desire to ioyne themselues with that Church which maintayneth impious doctrine and to be held of her for brethren VVhat fellowship sayth Paul is there of iustice with iniustice or what CoÌ„munion of light with darknesse or what agreement of Christ with Belial or what for the saythfull with the infidell VVherefore if they desire this sincerely and in earnest they manifestly shew that they make mockery of religion as if it skilled not which one follow so he may passe his life peaceably and quietly In like manner those of Wittenberge in their Refutation of the orthodoxall consent pag. 636. say VVe cannot wounder inough that seing they not only accuse the doctours of our Church of horrible and damned heresies but also haue long since condemned them to wit of Arianisme Nestorianisme Eutichianisme Marcionisme Manicheisme and the Monothelites heresies neuerthelesse they dare account vs for brethren and desire our brotherhood VVho that is carefull of piety and truth can persuade himselfe that these Sectmasters do in earnest handle religion For if we be such as we are iudged of them our friendship and fraternity is to be detested not desired Thus speake the Lutherans to the Sacramentaries which no whit lesse falleth vpon theÌ„selues because they also challenge the Hussites and other old heretiks whome they cannot excuse from holding vile heresies Finally we see how vncertaine Protestants be in determing what a Protestant is and what is necessary to the essence making of a Protestant consequently how vncertaine they must be whome to hold for one of their houshould whome for a stranger whome for a brother whom for an enemy which church or company they must imbrace which they must fly which they must account the spouse of Christ which the Synagogue of Satan Then the which vncertainty nothing can be more miserable in matter of religion Wherefore sith they are so vncertaine in this matter we must therin setle some certainty and that according to their own principles That it is necessary for a Protestant to belieue with only speciall fayth that himselfe is iustified CHAP. VI. 1. ABOVE all things it is most necessary to an inuisible or true Protestant in the sight of God as they terme him that with only speciall or peculiar fayth he belieue some thing belonging to himselfe to wit that he is iustified in Christ or as they vse to speake that with fayth he apprehend Christs iustice and apply it vnto him elf in particuler And to a visible Protestant in sight of men it is in like sort necessary that he professe himself to belieue with such a fayth that he is iustified in Christ For example For Luther to haue byn a true Protestant before God it is needfull that he haue truly belieued himselfe to be iustified by only the foresayd speciall fayth which he had of his own iustice which faith they call speciall or particuler because it was particuler to Luther no man being bound to belieue Luther to be iustified besides himselfe And for Luther to haue byn a visible Protestant in the sight of men it was needful in like manner to haue professed himself to haue belieued that he was iustified by only the sayd fayth The same I say of Caluin and of euery Protestant in particuler That according to their doctrine it is most necessary to a Protestant that he belieue himselfe to be iustified by only speciall fayth is manifest First because they teach that a man is iustified by only speciall fayth wherwith he belieueth something belonging to himselfe alone not by an vniuersall or Catholike fayth whereby he belieueth the mysteryes of Christian religion common to all and which euery one must belieue for this fayth they call historicall and say it may be in such as are not iust yea in hipocrites and Deuills Seing therefore in their opinion no man is a true Protestant in the sight of God but only he that is iust nor any iust but who hath a speciall or peculiar fayth wherewith he apprehendeth Christs iustice to himselfe it is manifest that according to their principles none can be a true Protestant before God vnlesse he haue the foresayd speciall fayth and in like manner that none can be a visible Protestant before men vnlesse he professe to belieue iustification by only speciall fayth because none can be accounted to be of any religion vnlesse he professe to belieue those meanes of obtayning iustification and remission of sins which that religion teacheth Caluin 3. Instit cap. 2. § 16 None is a true faythfull man None faythfull without speciall fayth but he who with a solid persuasion that God loueth him assureth himselfe of all things from his goodnes c. And § 39. he sayth VVithout this Christianity standeth not And in Rom. 1. v. 7 Hence we gather that none do rightly account themselues faythfull vnlesse
at least virtually and implicitly all their articles and wittingly deny none of them because as we see they are fundamentall articles of Protestancy without which one cannot haue the whole essence or substance of a Protestant nor be an entire and absolute Protestant We speak of any who are ProtestaÌ„ts only in part but only in part and in some sort And we as hath byn often sayd treat here only of an entire and absolute Protestant such as at least hath all the substantiall parts of a Protestant and endeauour to proue that Luther was the author of such a company and of such a faith and religion and regard not whither that before his tyme there were any who were Protestants only in part and in some sort and held only some part of Protestant religion but not the whole substance thereof And hereupon we frame an inuincible argument to proue that there was no true Protestant or Protestant church before Luther The definition of a true ProtestaÌ„t Euery true Protestant belieueth Iustification by only speciall faith and at least virtually and implicitly belieueth the articles of the Confession of Auspurg or of Saxony Scotland Strasburg or Bohemia But there was no man no Church before Luther who thus belieued Therefore no true Protestant or Protestant church The Maior is the very definition of a true Protestant gathered partly out of the common doctrine of all Protestants partly out of the foresayd Confessions of their fayth The Minor being negatiue is sufficiently manifest by that neither Luther nor any in his tyme or to this day could produce any one man or company who before Luthers preaching had belieued in that sort This foundation therefore touching the essence and substance of a Protestant and Protestant Church being layd to wit that he only is a true absolute Protestant who belieueth Iustification by only speciall fayth and the foresayd other fundamentall points of Protestancy and that the Protestant Church is a company of such belieuers and the Protestant religion such a beliefe and worship of God I will endeauour in this next book out of Protestants testimonies and Confessions to proue that Luther was the first beginner of their Church and Religion The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE Of the Author or Beginner of the Protestant Church and Religion CHAP. I. That Protestants confesse that the substance of their Church and Religion was perished when Luther began THE first demonstration wherewith we will proue that Luther was the author and first beginner of the Protestant Church and religion we will take out of Protestants Confessions of the substantiall destruction of their Church ProtestaÌ„ts confesse their religion was perished religion principall article of Iustification by only fayth before Luther arose For of the destruction of their fayth and religion thus writeth Luther himself tom 1. Proposit 62. fol. 375 Certaine it is that our Apostaticall Bishops raigning Gods fayth perished Perished And lib. de Captiu Babylon tom 2. fol. 77 The Popes tyranny hath many ages agone extinguished the fayth Extinguished And lib. de abâ—og Mist fol. 249. he sayth to the Catholikes Ye haue extinguished the Ghospell And lib. de pijs ceremon is fol. 387 alià s 393 Destroyed The doctrine of the ghospell lay destroyed by humane traditions Tom. 3. in psalm 1. fol. 126 VVhat thinkest thou was in the Church but a whirle wind of Gods wrath by which we were thrust into so many so different so inconstant so vncertaine and those infinite glosses of Lawyers Christ altogeather vnknown and opinions of Deuines in the meane tyme Christ being altogeather vnknowne stumbling into many quicke sands gulfes and snares of conscience were knockt together And in psalm 22. fol. 345 Christ together with fayth is now extinguished Christ and fayth extinguished And fol. 348 Fayth lyeth extinct And in psalm 51. fol. 460 The former age could neither vnderstand nor soundly teach the greatest and weightiest points Praefat. in psalm Grad fol. 509 God punisheth contempt so as he plainly taketh away his word whereof Popery is a notable example Al knowlâ—dge of Christ wholy extinct in which we see it hath so fallen out And fol. 568 Fayth it selfe was plainly extinct Tom. 4. Praefat. Eccl. fol. 1 The schooles of Deuines haue wholy extinguished most assured fayth in Christ togeather with all the knowledge of Christ Tom. 5. in cap. 2. Galat. fol. 306 The Papists with their impious and blasphemous doctrine haue not only obscured but simply haue taken away Not only obserued but simply taken away the Ghospell and ouerwhelmed Christ And fol 322 Christs ghospell being obscured yea truly ouerwhelmed the Pope c. In c. 4. fol. 376 This most common and most receiued opinion of the vncertainty of the remission of sinnes was surely an article of fayth in all Popery Christ shut out of the Church wherewith truly they ouerwhelmed the doctrine of fayth destroyed fayth and shut Christ out of the Church Fol. 400 The Pope hath vtterly extinguished Christian liberty In cap. 1. Petri The sincere knowledge of fayth was extinct In cap. 15.1 Cor. fol. 134. VVithout our helpe they had neuer learnt one word of the Ghospell Without Luther not one word or iot of the Ghospell And fol. 141 They had not knowne one iote of the Gospell vnlesse by our labour and study it had byn brought forth into the world â—om 6. in cap. 3. Genes fol. 43 Holesome doctrine was by little and litle extinct In cap. 4. fol. 57 The light of the word was extinguished by wicked Popes In cap. 17. fol. 199 That I may say all in one word the Pope hath truly buryed Christ In cap. 48. fol. 643 The Pope hath obscured nay destroyed the doctrine of sayth In cap. 49. fol. 660 The Pope hath truly obscured the doctrine and taken away the Promises Christ truly buried that we knew not what Christ was Fol. 666 He hath extinguished the Gospell Tom. 7. lib. de Missa fol. 230 The knowledge of Christ was truly abolished and destroyed This ye Papists ye cannot deny the matter it selfe proclaimeth it And fol. 231 All true VVorship of God being extinct from the bottom c. Epist ad Fredericum Electorem fol. 506 Knowledge of Christ truly destroyed The Pope of Rome hath most plainly rooted out the Ghospell truly oppressed and ouerthrowne lib. cont Papatum fol. 469 Fayth was weakened choaked and extinguished and Christian liberty lost Thus plainly speaketh Luther almost in all his Latin comes of the substantiall destruction of his fayth and Ghospell before that as he sayth he brought it againe into the world Ghospell most plainly rooted out To which he addeth in his 7. Dutch tome in his admonition to the Germans This abomination was increased so that they blotted out and supprest the words of this Sacrament and fayth so that neither a letter nor point of them remayned in all Popery in all
masses and bookes Thus Luther 2. In like manner the Protestants in Sleidan lib. 1. fol. 258 The Pope made lawes by which true knowledg was vtterly oppressed Melancthon tom 2. Lutheri fol. 192 Scholasticall diuinity being receiued fayth was destroyed the doctrine of works being admitted The Magdeburgians Praefat. Centur. 5 Extreme abolitioÌ„ of religion There was an extreme abolition of true Religion and the word of God vnder Popery Caluin Praefat. Institut In former ages men had extinguished the light of God And 1. Institut cap. 11. § 9 Many ages since true religion was drowned and ouerthrowne 4. Institut cap. 2. § 2 The substance of Christianity buried Vnder Popery that doctrine without which Christianity cannot consist was all buryed and shut out Respons ad Sadolet pag. 128. he sayth that the necessity to leaue the Roman Church was That the light of diuine truth was extinct the word of God buryed c. And p. 130. Cheifest points of doctrine ouerthrowne from the root maketh this speach vnto God in defence of his forsaking the Roman Church There were not a few profane opinions which euen by the ground ouerthrow the cheifest points of that doctrine which thou diddest deliuer vnto vs by word Lib. de necess Refor pa. 49 VVhen the word of God was choaked with these so many so thick darknesses Luther stept forth c. pag. 62 None prayed to God with assured sayth that is in earnest neither could they for Christ being buryed in that manner as he was c. Word of God ended Respons ad Versipell pag. 358 They haue extinguished the doctrine of saluation In Psycopan pag. 388 The word of God being ended by peruerse vse and sloth now returneth to light In Rom. 11. vers 22 The truth was taken away The light put out S. deel de vocat Minist pag. 552 God suffered that light to be put out which should perpetually haue lightned vs in gouerning our life Pure worships banished Crispin Praeâ—at operum Occolampadij Both the doctrine of saluation and piety were taken away they banished out of the Church all pure worship of God Celius secundus Cario de amplitudine regni Dei lib. 1. pag. 33 True Christ taken out of the world And so by litle and litle true Christ was taken out of the world and Antichrist put in his steed And Hospin part 1. Histor lib. 4. pag. 291. writeth that after 800. yeares after Christ the light of the holesome and true doctrine began to be darkned till it was vtterly put out The light cleane put out Thus forraine Protestants both Lutherans and Sacramentaries 3. Amongst English Protestants thus writeth M. Bale Cent. 4. c. 6 Holesome truth perished from the earth Cent. 1. pag. 69 From this tyme anno 607 purity of heauenly doctrine vanished out of the Church The truth perished froÌ„ earth In his Apology against Priesthood and vowes fol. 3 Two things haue cheifly byn the cause of the vtter decay and full destruction of Christian religion c. Vanished out of the Church M. Powell in â—tinerarium Cambrâ—ae lib. 2 cap. 7. sayth that about the yeare 1189 There was the cheife raigne of darknesse in so much that not only preaching of the true word but also the true religion was banished and scarce the name of Christianity remayned Vtter decay full destructioÌ„ of religioÌ„ M. Fox in the Protestation before his Acts affirmeth that about the yeare 1215. and 1080 Christian sayth was extinguished And pag. 840. that Christian Religion was wholy changed into Idolatry D. Fulke ad Cauillat Sâ—apletoni Scarse name of Christianity remayned Scarce could he fiue hundred yeares after banish the true doctrine of saluation out of the Churches of Europe And finally the Apology of the English Church part 5. cap. 13. diuis 1. sayth that Papists haue broken in peeces all the pipes and conduicts haue stopped vp all the springs and choaked the fountaine of liuing waters and by damning vp all the fountains of Gods word haue brought the people into a pittifull thirst Item Not a sparck of diuine light found VVith great distresse went they scattering about seeking some sparck of heauenly light to refresh their consciences withall but that light was already throughly quenched out so that they could find none This was a rusull state this was a lamentable forme of Gods Church It was a misery to liue therein without the Ghospell ProtestaÌ„ts light thoroughly quenched out without light without all comfort Thus write these learned Protestants both English and strangers of the destruction of their doctrine their fayth their religion and Ghospell before Luther arose which do so plainly testify the substantiall destruction therof as I may well vse S. Augustins words in the like occasion If I should speake thus they would resist and cry Lib. 1. de pec mer. c. 9. that I speake not truly thought not truly For in these words if they were spoken by others they would imagin no other meaning then that which in the foresayd Protestants they will not vnderstand 4. ProtestaÌ„ts confesse their lundam art perished Neither write they otherwise of the destruction of their principall and most fundamentall article of Iustification by only fayth For thus the Confession of Anspurg cap. 20 VVhen the doctrine of fayth which ought to be principall in the Church lay so long vnknowne Sole faith vnknown as all must needs confesse that there was a most profound silence of the iustice of fayth that in sermons only the iustice of works was spoken of in Churches c. And tit de bonis operibus pag. 25 Horribly ouerwhelmed In tymes past certaine absurd opinions horribly ouerwhelmed this doctrine in which the vnlearned faigned that men did satisfy the law of God In the meane tyme there was great silence how Christ is to be apprehended by fayth And pag. 27 The was no word of fayth which is necessary for remission of sinnes And pag. 19 In tymes past there was great silence in Churches of the exercises of sayth And Praefat. Apol. Confess August in Melancthon tom 3. fol. 27 All Churches Monasteries schooles briefly all bookes of late diuines No man taught c All Prot. coÌ„fort vnknown were before mute of the iustice of fayth No man taught sinnes to be forgiuen by fayth in Christ Sacraments were impiously profaned after that opinion that they iustify by the work wrought was receiued And this opinion did wholy oppresse the doctrine of saith Praefat. Conf. Saxoniae All this comfort which is necessary to euery one how a man conuerted to God is iustified was vnknown The Protestant Princes and Cities in Sleidan lib. 21. fol. 240 The contention is about the doctrine of sayth and of the true knowledge of God which is the cheifest head of Christian life and of pure religion Vtterly extinct And it cannot say they be denyed that this doctrine was vtterly extinct and
is not at all tymes subiect to the eyes of men as the experience of many ages witnesseth Againe Elias thought himselfe only left of the Church falsly indeed but that is a proofe that she may lye so hidden And in his 4. booke of Institutions cap. 1 § 3. he affirmeth that it is not needfull to see or to feele the Church and that she may passe our knowledge Beza in his Confession cap. 5. § 9 Diuers tymes the Church seemeth to haue perished vtterly Iunius in his 3 book of the church cap. 16 The Church shall neuer end but shall lye hidden according to her visible forme Chassanio in his common pâ—aces loc 2. of the Church pag. 148 The Church is not alwayes visible Danaeus in his 3. booke of the Church cap. 2. Bellarmine will haue that only to be the Church which is visible which is most false Cap. 12 God oftentymes will haue some visible Church on earth and often tymes none VVhen there is no visible Church OfteÌ„tyms no visible Church on earth then this precept of adioyning himself to the Church ceaseth And cap. 13 Bellarmine laboureth to proue the true Church of God on earth to be alwayes visible That being most false c. And cap 16 VVe say we affirme we auouch that the Church may so faile on earth not that there is none at all but that there is none in respect of vs that is of men that there be none visible to vs on earth Againe S. Paul inferreth generally that the whole Church may leaue to be visible And lib. 4. cap. 8 The true Church may sometymes faile to be visible Son is in his answere to Sponde cap. 2 pag. 33 The whole Church may haue to be visible God maketh that the Church is not alwayes visible Plessy Mornay in his booke of the Church cap. 1 Oftentymes the good corne is hidden vnder the chaffe without any appearance of the Church Polanus in his Antibellarm Colledge disput 14 The visible Church may faile Bucanus in his common places loc 41. sect 9 It oftentymes happeneth that there is no company of men extant which publikely and visibly worshippeth God purely The visible church may faile And sect 12 There is alwayes on earth some number which worshippeth Christ piously but this number is not alwayes visible Trelcatius in his 2. booke of Theologicall Institutions maketh rhis title of one Chapter That the visible church may fayle against Bellarmine Hyperius in his Methode of diuinity lib. 3. pag. 548 VVhiles Elias wandred here and there there appeared no face of the Church Sadeel in his refutation of the 61 â—rticle pag. 531 They are deceiued who think there is no Catholike Church vnlesse they measure it with their eyes And pag. 535 The true church maybe conserned without any visible state And in his repetition of Sophismes pag. 610 It is plaine Wanteth outward forme that the Church is not so to be tyed to any outward forme whatsoeuer that it ought to be denyed to be a Church as often as that forme shall not be extant And of vocation of Ministers pag. 543 The Church sometyme wanteth the externall forme Againe It is cleare that the Church hath sometymes byn without visible and personall succession Pag. 550 Mens wickednes doth sometymes take from vs the visible face of the Church And againe It is sometymes so darkned that it appeareth not to our eyes The whole visible Church may perish Scharpe of Iustification Cont. 5 The visible Church as such may perish The members of the visible Church may perish yea the whole visible Church as such Bastingius vpon the Catechisme title of the Church pag. 227 VVithout doubt in euery age things haue byn so troubled as like a graine couered with straw there appeared no face of the Church Vorstius in his Antibellarm pag 133 A litle before the calling of Abraham no where appeared any visible Church And pag. 136 Hereupon it followeth that the visible church of Christ not only in a great part The whole visible Church may faile but also taken whole in her vttermost extent may for some tyme faile from the true sayth and be wholy darkned The outward church of Christ may perish And pag. 424 Neither did Christ promise that he would absolutely and perpetually hinder the perishing and corruption of the outward Church The Flemmings Confession article 27 The Church in the eyes of men for sometyme seemeth as extinguished And Napper vpon the 11. chap. of the Apoc. pag. 186 They erre who think that the true Church is alwayes visible And vpon 12. cap. pag. 195 The visible Church wholy imbraced the errors of merits of indulgences c. And Proposit 20. pag. 41 The true Church was inuisible and the true knowledge of God so couered with darknesse that none could visibly enter Thus foraine Protestants Of our couÌ„trymen D. Whitaker Contr. 2. quest 3. cap. 2. pag. 470 Sometymes obscurity most of all helpeth the church For at some tyme she could not be safe vnlesse she lay hid And cap. 3. pag. 474 VVe say that sometyme the Church may auoyd the sight of men hide it selfe in corners Cap. 1. pag. 466 VVe confesse that euer more there is on earth some number of them who piously worship Christ hold the true fayth and religion but we say that this number is not alwayes visible Their Papists opinion is that there is euer more on earth a visible church Not alwayes visible It may fall out that there cannot be fouÌ„d out and knowne any true and certaine visible church And cap. 2. cit pag. 468 Our aduersary would proue that there was alwayes in the world some visible church And pag. 469 Hence inferreth Denis the Carthusian not as our aduersaries do that the visible church can neuer perish The visible church may perish or that there is euer more in the world some visible church but that sayth shall neuer perish wholy but that Christian religion shall still perseuer in some to the end of the world This sayth Whitaker is plainly that which we say and defend Marke how plainly he professeth that they do not teach that the visible Church cannot perish Note or that there is alwayes some visible Church on earth but only that some shall alwayes belieue the Christian religion The same doctrine he teacheth pag. 470. 473. 475. 476. and 479. And q. 6. cap. 2. pag. 559. And in his third booke against Duraeus sect 5. 6. 7. 11. M. Perkins in his problem title of the church The ancients do acknowledge that the church on earth is not alwayes visible D. Willet in his Synopsis Cont. 2. q 1. pag. 67 VVe say the church is not always actually visible to the world nay it may sometyms be so hid and secret that the members know not one another Againe In Elias tyme not visible In the dayes of Elias the church was not visible And quest 2. pag. 74 A visible
28. fol. 396 If the Pope must be worshipped Christ must be denyed And de Missa priuata tom 7. fol. 475 VVhosoeuer is vnder the Pope and obeyeth him cannot be saued Caluin against Seruer pag. 607 Is it not a profanation of the sacred vnity to professe one God and faith with an impious and prophane company And Respons ad Versip pag. 362 How wicked and soule treachery is it to abide in that sacrilegious company of Papists And D. Whitaker ad Rat. 3. Campiani None abide with the lambe in the mountaine who haue any commerce with Antichrist And Caluin in Confutat Hollandi lib. de vitandis superstitionibus bringeth many proofes to shew that the faithfull may not communicate with the false Church and therto citeth the letters of Melancthon Bucer Peter Martyr and those of Zurich and the same is commonly taught of Protestants How then did not those Protestants separate themselues from the body of Christ how were they saued who in tymes past communicated with papists How were they saued vnlesse God be an acceptour of persons and tyms that he will cut of some from his body and from hope of saluation who communicate with Antichrist and not others at these and not in former tymes Againe Protestants teach that the Church ought to professe her fayth as besides the testimonies before repeated the Preface of the Confession of Saxony sayth They that are demaunded must needs tell the doctrine And the CoÌ„fession of Bohemia art 2 They teach that they must vndoubtedly belieue all the articles of the Creed and confesse them with the mouth Luther in 1. Petri cap. 2. tom 5. fol. 464 If any now as the Emperour or other Prince should aske me my fayth I must plainly confesse it to him And de Scru. Arbit tom 2. fol 432 Truth and doctrine must alwayes be preached openly and neuer kept secret or crookt and turnd awry D. Feild lib. 1. de Eccl. cap. 10 For seeing the Church is the multitude of them that shall be saued vnlesse he mak coÌ„fession vnto saluation for fayth hid in the heart and concealed doth not suffice it cannot be but they that are of the true Church must by the profession of the truth make themselues knowne in such sort that c. And the Preface of the Syntagme of Confessions VVhen euery one ought according to the Apostles precept giue a reason of his hope how much more the Church And D. Whitaker Cont. 4. quest 6. cap. 2. pag 696 True sayth can no more be separated from confession with the mouth then fire from beat or the sunne from its brightnes and beames What fayth then had those protestants which as is sayd durst not professe their mind And Cont. 2. qoest 3. cap. 2. pag. 472 It is not lawfull for the godly to dissemble true Religion or make shew of false nor to conceale what they think of Religion if they be examined of them who haue authority to aske them of their fayth But it is not credible that in so many ages in no part of the Christian world no Catholike Magistrate should aske any protestant of his fayth especially if it be true that Luther writeth in psalm 22. tom 3. fol. 344. that Papists do so examine the body of the Church that all her bones may be counted that is none of them can by hid VVherefore we must not imagine that there are any hidden bones of Christ all are bewrayed and counted wheresoeuer they are either by the espials of secret confession or by the tortours or examiners Which sheweth that if there had byn any true protestants heretofore they would haue byn discouered 11. Finally they are brought to these straights that sometymes they say that the protestant church which they imagine was heretofore in popery did consist of those who were papists both in opinion and profession This Caluin intimateth in the words before cited when he sayth that his church was corrupted with pestilent doctrine And Luther de Missa priuata tom 7. fol. 231. saying The very elect were seduced in that great darknesse And in cap. 9. Isaiae tom 4. fol. 95 Behold sayth he the whole face of the Churches vnder Popery Did not they all who truly felt the burden of sinne imagine that they should by good works satisfy for their sinnes Which thing alone would suffice to blot them out of the role of protestants D. White in defence of his way cap. 36. pag. 350. sayth those imaginary protestants were corrupted some more some lesse with those errors which sayth he now we fly And cap. 40. pag. 394. graunteth that they were infected with damnable heresies D. Whitaker lib. 2. de Scriptura cap. 8. sect vlt. sayth They were beset with most thick darknes Nappâ—r in cap. 12. Apocal. pag. 195. that their visible Church in tymes past VVholy embraced the errors of merits and indulgences c. And Morgersterâ—â— tract de Eccl. pag. 41 These things were in tymes past to be forgiuen the godly that they belieued the Pope to be â—hrists vicar and head of the church Popery to be the church Saints to be prayed vnto Masse to be the Lords supper Are these men think you in their wits who call them godly and say they must be pardoned who belieued Antichrist to be Christs vicar Antichrists Synagogue to be the Church of Christ and horrible idolatry such as they account Masse prayer to Saints to be seruice of Christ The same also they meane when they challenge the simple ignorant Papists for theirs or confesse the vulgar Roman Church to be the true Church or as others of them speake graunt the Roman Church but deny Popery the Popish or Roman Popish Church For they imagine that the simple Catholike people neither doth now nor in former tyms did belieue those points of fayth which themselues deny But this they feigne of the simple Catholike people and cannot proue it Besides there is no Catholike â—o simple as doth not vertually belieue all points of Catholike fayth which Protestants deny sith he actually professeth to belieue whatsoeuer the Catholike Church teacheth Neither is there any at all who doth not belieue iustification by good works which point alone would suffice to make them no Protestants Besides Caluin 4. Institut cap. 8. sayth that we affirme him to be no Christian who doth not vndoubtedly agree to all points of doctrine as well affirmatiue as negatiue And the same sayth D. Whitaker Cont. 2. quest 5. cap. 8. pag. 519. D. Morton part 1. Apol. lib. 1. cap. 9. and D. Willet in the Preface of his Synopsis Yea as before we rehearsed Cap 2. they confesse that before Luthers reuolt all from head to foot were drowned in the pudles of Popery that none dreamed of that which is the cheifest point of Protestancy Wherfore Schusselburg tom 8. Catal. Haeret. pag. 440. seemeth to say That befor Luther arose Popery was the true church like as the Synagogue of the Iewes was before the comming
religion of Protestants Christ borne againe Vsher de Success cap. 8. In the beginning of the Ghospell born againe Scult in Praesat 4. partis Medullae Thou wert in the floure of the Church borne againe In the floure of the Church Moreouer Luther tom 1. in dis fol. 410. calleth his doctrine A doctrine repayred in this age And Praefat. ad Galat. tom 5. fol. 270. sayth In these later tymes the holesome knowledge of Christ was againe resuscitated Iames Andrewes lib. cont Hosium pag. 1 The Lord by the Ministery of Luther hath resuscitated the doctrine of the Ghospell And pag. 349 Repaired Among our men after the doctrine of the Ghospell was resuscitated Kenice Praefat. in lib. de vnione hypostat Resuscitated It is now three score yeares since the ancient serpent raised againe the heresy of Berengarius for to oppresse as they say in the hlade the doctrine of the Ghospell then first restored by Luthers Ministery Ghospell in the blade Caluin l. de Coena cap. 10 This controuersie began betweene them who were the chiefest captaines in restoring the doctrine of the ghospell and bringing it backe as it were when it was lost Restored Lib. de libero arbit pag. 147. The purity of the Ghospell was restored by Luthers labour especially Et epist ad Ducem Somerseti God would haue me to be one of those by whose labour he restored this tyme the sincere doctrine of the Ghospell Danaeus in method scripturae pag. 400 There are 54. years past since that tyme that the pure light and doctrine of the Ghospell was first restored to the world Apol. Eccles Angl. part pag. 64. It is no new thing though at this day the religion of Christ be entertained with despits and cheks being but lately restored and as it were comming vp againe a new Ibid. cap. 17. Our desire was to haue the temple of the Lord restored a new Iezier de bello Euchar. fol. 72 Euen from the beginning of the restored Euangelicall light M. Bancroft in his Suruey cap. 8. In this later age of the world it hath pleased God to restore vs the light of the Ghospell And M. Alenson in praef contro 4. Whitakeri After the restauration of the Ghospell And many more as we see in the chapter following call their ghospell restored Religion By which it may appeare that D. Andrewes Respons ad Apol. Bellarm cap. 1. did vntruly deny that their men call their fayth a restored fayth But whiles he denyeth that their men termeth it so he clearely sheweth what those meane who terme it so to wit that they meane a religion borne or framed a new according to the very substance thereof And in truth what els could they meane by so many termes and so often repeated of a religion greene in the blade borne againe rising againe resuscitated renewing reuiuing recalled repaired brought backe againe restored but a religion substantiall produced instituted and founded a new 3. Thirdly this is proued because they write that in the tyme of Luther of Melancthon of Zuinglius of the Anabaptists and such others was the beginning the very beginning the first beginning the originall the entrance the cradle the dawning the new rising of their Church and religion as appeareth in the aforesayd testimonies of Luther Melancthon Besoldus Kemnicius Musculus Gualter Peter Martyr Danaeus Vsserius Gezler And besides Luther in cap. 3. Genes tom 6. fol. 33. hath these words In the beginning of the Ghopell Carolostadius c. Georgius Fabritius lib. 8. Orig. Saxon. pag. 13. God would that true and holesome doctrine should haue her beginning in the vniuersity of VVittemberg Caluin epist ad Montis belgardenses col 590. ProtestaÌ„cy had its beginning in WitteÌ„berg edit 1617 In this our age the ghospel did slow out of the church of VVittemberg Brentius Praetat lib. Andreae contra Hosium Did not we all in the beginning of the reuealed ghosâ—ell with one mouth disproâ—e your Popish impietyes And in Recognit pag. 327 They cannot deny that euen from the beginning of the reborne ghospell the Zuinglians c. And I. de Maiest Christi pag. 109 Euen from the beginning of the reuealed ghospell Melancthon c. WitteÌ„â—ergenses in Resur Orthodoxâ— consensu pag. 22. Luther recaÌ„ted some things which in the beginning of the reborne doctrine of the ghospell he graunted to the Papists Lobechius disput 12. Straight after the beginning of the shining truth in the yeare 1520. c. Pappus defens 1 cont Sturmium pag. 19. Thou saydst that there were no such Theses published since the beginning of reâ—â—gion I shew thee the contrary that Luther and Philip held the â—â—me Sleidan prefat histor The beginning of Protestanâ—y was slender and almost contemptible and one only Luther â—â—re the brunt of all the world Zanchius lib. de perseueâ—at 192 Anabaptists in the beginning of ProtestaÌ„tisme In the beginning of the Ghospell the sect of Anabaptists â—â—ose Caluin epist 63 If in the first beginning of the church â—ising againe this example of tyranny doth now peep what will 〈◊〉 shortly And epist â—78 In the beginning of the ghospell â—â—rne againe Epist 269. The beginnings of the kingdome of Christ euery where in our ages were almost base and contempâ—â—ble Respons ad Sadoset p. 133 New rysing After the new rising of be ghospell Plâ—ssie de Eccles cap. 11. VVhat shall we thinke â—at the new starre anno 1572. did signify but the new birth of â—hrist on earth by preaching of the word And he addeth New birth â—â—at as Christ first borne put the Idols oracles to sâ—â—nce so borne againe he hath made the Popish miracles to vanish Scultete part 1. Medullae in Irenaeo cap. 9. The dawning In this age the dawning of the Euangelicall truth hath shined a new vnto vs. Zuinglius lib. de Prouid tom 2. fol 352 The Lantgraue laboureth that the infancy of Religion be piously nourished The infaÌ„cy And Gesner in Bibliotheca sayth Luther did happily set forward the infancy of Religion The Alogy of the Church of England part 2. c. 2. diuis 1. writeth that Anabaptists and Libertynes haue beene stirring in the world euer since the ghospell did first spring M. Powel de Antichristo c. 32. How many wars haue beene since the light of the ghospell arose the Heluetian the Protestant warre c. Vsserius I. de Success Eccl. c. 8. At the beginning of the ghospall borne againe Thomas Bilney c. M. Bale cont 8. cap. 68. speaking of the beginning of protestancy calleth it The rising of the new Hierusalem Horne in his harbour Second birth The second birth of Christ And Brocard in cap. 2. Apocal the second comming of Christ But surely if the yeare 1520. were straight after the beginning of Protestancy If Luther Second comming Melancthon Zuinglius the Anabaptists and such like were from the beginning at the beginning and straight after the Rising of Protestancy If the dissention amongst Protestants
OF THE AVTHOR AND SVBSTANCE OF THE PROTESTANT CHVRCH AND RELIGION TWO BOOKES Written first in Latin by R. S. Doctour of Diuinity AND Now reuiewed by the Author and translated into English by VV. Bas Euery thing must be reduced to its beginning Tertull. Praescript cap. 20. Permissu Superiorum M.DC.XXI The Scope of this Worke. IF both Luther himselfe and the famousest Protestantâ— of all sorts haue many wayes most plainly and most freely confessed that Luther was the Author and Beginner of the Protestant Church and Religion as in this worke doth manifestly appeare then vndoubtedly he was so And if Luther were the Author and Beginner therof assuredly it is not the Church and Religion of Christ. Read therefore and iudge indifferently and thereby an end may be made of all Controuersies in Religion betwixt the Catholiks and Protestants THE PREFACE OF THE AVTHOR TO the Reader Wherein the manner and profit of this Worke is declared THERE are two kinds of questions gentle Reader which are in controuersy betwixt the Catholikes and Protestantes the one kind is of fact to wit Whether Luther was the Author and beginner of the Protestants Church and ReligioÌ„ whether before him it were visible and had Pastours whether he and the first Protestant Preachers were sent to preach Protestancy and the liâ—e The other kind of question is of Christs doctrine or law For example whether Christ taught good workes do iustify be necessary to saluation meritorious and such others Why a a question of Fact is handled rather theÌ„ of doctrin At this present I treate not of this second kind of question but only of the former and that for three causes First the questions of Doctrine are innumerable but the questions of Fact few And many haue handled them and that most exactly but these few haue touched and for ought that I know none of purpose hath hitherto written of the Authour of Protestancy and in that manner as I intend to write Secondly there are few questions of doctrine of that nature that all other controuersies of faith depend vpon them but the most questions of Fact are such as if they be well decided al other Controuersies of religion are at an end Such kind of question this especially is which now I handle VVhether Luther were Author and beginner of the Protestant church and Religion For if it be made manifest that he was the Author and Beginner of it euery one will straihgt see that it is not Christs Church Religion but Luthers deuise and inuention Thirdly in questions of doctrine or law Protestants want not some pretext of Scripture as neither any Heretikes wanted and therfore diuers tymes they are ready to debate these kind of Questions in which as Tertullian sayth they pretend Scriptures Prescrip c. 15. and with this their boldnes shake some and in the dispute weary the constant catch the weake send away the midalâ— sort with scruple and douâ—ts But in questions of Fact they are destitute not only of al pretence of Scripture vnles it be some most vaine but also of all testimony of men and help of reason and stand only vpon their owne sayinges are conuinced by the testimonies of the whol world and sometyme also by their owne confessions and therefore are brought to debate these kind of questions no more willingly then is a theefe to his tryall Neither do they in these disputs either weary the constant or catch the weake but shew their owne weaknes and wilfullnes vnto all kind of men And this is the cause why Ministers are so loath to dispute of the Church because the Church being a company of men includeth many questions of fact as of antiquity succession continuance visibility mission ordination of Pastours and such like in which points there is little colour or shew on their part 2. Fourthly Protestants exact more difficult poofes in questions of doctrine then they can demand in matters of Fact For in matters of Fact wherof the scripture speaketh nothing they must be content with testimonies of men against whome no iust exception can be made or they must refuse all triall of these kind of questions But in controuersies of doctrine they account those only to be lawfull proofes which are taken out of the scripture Neither doe these satisfie them vnlesse they be plaine (a) Melan. Brent in Hospin fol. 107. Colloq Ratisb sess 11. expresse and as they say word (b) Vorst respons ad Slad for word containe that which is in question or at least be so pregnant and strong that they (c) Luth. de seru arbitr fol. 440. Lib. 6. confess c. 4. stopp all mâ—ns mouths that they can gainsay nothing For it is the common fault of Protestants which S. Augustin saith himselfe was guilty of whiles he was an heretike that they will be as certaine of all things as that seauen and three make ten Nay they yield not alwayes to these kind of proofs For what can be sayd more expressy more plainly more literally then the scripture saith that man is iustified by workes and not only by faith that that which our Sauiour gaue with his hands to his Apostles after his last supper was his very body and bloud and such like yet the Protestants yield not to these kind of testimonies but deuise figures and shiftes to delude them Catholiques proofes in controuersies of doctrine are certainly Theological demonstrations because they are clearly drawne from the proper principles of Diuinity to wit from cleare words of God confirmed by the tradition of the Church and vnanimous exposition of the Fathers which kind of proofe is as great and strong as either Diuinity or law or any Science whatsoeuer which is founded in words either doth affoard or the nature of any law or science which is grounded in words as Diuinity is can beare or affoard And as the Philosopher saith well it were starck madnes to exact any other kind of proofes of any Profession then the nature therof can affoard 1. Eth. 1. But because heretiques expound what words soeuer as they list and litle set by the authority of the Church or Fathers and the vnlearned hardly perceaue what kind of proofe is a Theologicall demonstration such as Diuinity can affoard no greater or which is the true sense of Gods word or how great the authority of the Churh and Fathers ought to be therefore with them Catholiks proofs in points of doctrin albeit in truth they be Theological demonstrations take litle effect Wheras on the other side Catholique proofes in matter of Fact are not only Theologicall but also that I may so speake Mathematicall demonstrations because they consist of one principle which is grounded not only vpon the foundations of Diuinity to wit the word of God together with the expositioÌ„ of the Church and Fathers but also is manifest by the light of reason which kind of principles these are That Gods Church hath alwayes him
that it is one that it is the auncientest of all Churches that it is alwayes visible hath alwayes Pastors and the like And of another principle which may be tryed by our sense and experience as that the foresayd properties agree neither to the Protestants nor to the Anabaptists nor to any hereticall company And therfore these kind of demonstrations moue euen the most obstinate heretiques and are euident euen to the most ignorant and vnlearned persons 3. And hence ariseth a fift cause of handling rather questions of Fact then of doctrin because the fruit of debating those questions is reaped with more facility and of far more For wheras few but diuines do themselues perceaue the true meaning of the testimonyes of Scripture wherwith the questions of doctrin are debated as the true meaning of the law few but lawyers theÌ„selues do see all perceaue the meaning of those testimonyes wherwith the questions of fact are disputed Epist dedicat exercit cont Baron who will affoard an atteÌ„tiue eye to see or eare to heare And heer upoÌ„ Casaubon wrote that for to insinuate into the mind of the Reader any opinion now in controuersie Baronius historyes are of greater force D. Flauignie then Bellarmines disputes And sayd also sometyme as one most worthy of credit who heard him told me that whiles he read Bellarmines disputations he began to doubt of all Religion but whiles he perused Baronius Annales he felt himselfe by little little drawn towards Papistry which thing might wel haue befallen him and such others not because Cardinall Bellarmine proueth lesse soundly for the nature of the matter the truth of Catholik Religion in questions of doctrine then Cardinall Baronius doth the same in questions of Fact but because such is the nature of the testimonyes wherewith the truth of Catholike fayth in questions of doctrine is proued that they are lesse euident then the testimonyes wherewith the Catholike truth in matters of Fact is proued and also haue many thinges which seeme to be contrary and repugnant to them Whereupon it falleth out that some hearing or reading controuersies of doctrine disputed between Catholikes and Heretikes and not being able of theÌ„selues to discern betwixt truth shew of truth either follow neither party but become vncertaine or Atheistes or content with any shew of truth take that part to which any affection of their will doth draw them Whereas none by hearing or reading controuersies of Fact becommeth not more confirmed in the Catholik faith or more auerted from heresy And therefore Tertullian counsaileth vs Praescrip cap. 1â— not to dispute with Heretikes out of Scripture by which questions of doctrine are disputed but aduiseth vs to appeale to antiquity succession and such like which concerne questions of fact 4. Lastly though the fruit of disputing both those kind of questions were equall yet sith the Author by order of nature goeth before the thing whereof he is Authour according to the order of Nature we ought to intreate of the Author of Protestancy before we dispute of Protestancy it selfe For as well sayth Tertullian nothing but God alone is without beginning which how much it goeth before in the state of all thinges so much ought it to go before in the handling of them Lib 5. cont Mar. Lib 3 cont Mar. that the state may be knowne And other where Nothing is knowne before the beginning is knowne Wherfore I will begin my first dispute concerning the Protestant Religion of the Authour therâ—of Yet before I do that I must set downe and determine what a Protestant or the Protestant Church and Religion is and what is necessary for one to be a Protestant and discouer the vncertainty of Protestants And this much touching the matter which I haue made choice of to handle in this little worke and the causes thereof VVhy proued only out of Protestants 5. As for the manner wherwith I vndertake to discusse this question of Fact whether Luther was the first Author beginner of the Protestant Church and Religion I purpose to proue it only out of the confessions of Luther himselfe and of the three sorts of Protestants to wit Lutherans who professe to follow Luther in all points of doctrine Sacramentaries who notoriously dissent from him touching the reall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament and our English Protestants who differ from both the former at least in discipline gouerment of their Church because this kind of proofe out of their owne wordes I find to be both necessary and most effectuall with Protestants Necessary because of this question of Fact neither the Scripture Necessary or the Fathers say any thing as also because seeing Protestants deny part of the scripture and interprete the rest as they please and will not stand to the sentence of the Church Councels or Fathers account reason Sophistrie contem me the testimonies of Catholique writers they haue left nothing but their own coÌ„fessioÌ„s by which we may dispure with them And I pray God they do giue place to their own most frequent and most plaine confessions and not delude them by voluntary and friuolous interpretations for then hope may be that there wil be some end of these controuersies At least we shall reape this profit by this labour that by it shall be manifest to all that either Protestants will heare no testimony admit no iudgement no not their owne which is a most euident argument of a most desperat cause or that they shall be condemned by their owne verdict sentence or lastly that there can be no forme of speech so plaine no words so cleare no sentence so manifest which they with their faigned figures deuises will not wrest frustrate and delude which is in effect to disanull al kind of proofe which is taken out of words or testimonies whatsoeuer For I will bring so plaine testimonies of theirs as plaine can scarce or not at all be deuised I will bring so many as themselues will require no more I will bring so weighty as themselues will demaund none more weighty I wil bring them also most freely and often iterated and repeated lastly I will bring not only those which indirectly and by consequence proue that which I would but those also that especially oftenest which directly testify that which they are brought to confirme Wherfore either they will not delude these words of theirs or they wil delude all wordes whatsoeuer And either they will not refuse these their owne testimonies and confessions or they will reiect all testimonies and iudgements whatsoeuer which is in effect to confesse that their cause is most desperate and most worthy to be reiected and condemned of all Most effectuall 1. This maÌ„ner also of proofe is most effectuall for what can be of greater force to conuince a man then his owne iudgement and acknowledgement of the truth Surely vnlesse a man will professe himselfe to be en enemy
thought not that he was otherwise vnderstood None was yet troubled with such a question you not yet iangling he spake more securely But the ProtestaÌ„ts which we produce liued al after that protestancy was both bred and hatched after the Catholike fayth had for many ages shined through out the world and therfore could not be ignorant what wordes of theirs might make for the Catholike fayth Cassander Erasmus-Cornelius Agrippa Marsil of Padua and preiudice their owne cause Another difference is that none of the Catholikes whose testimonyes Protestants alleage against vs is accounted of vs for a man sent extraordinarily of God and much lesse for a Prophet Euangelist or Apostle Nay Beatus Rhenanus Faber Stapulensis Orthuinus Gratius many of them are obscure writers and of small or no reckoning among vs some of them are not held for Catholikes of vs and some of them euen by the iudgments of Protestants themselues are our open enemyes But the confessions of fayth which we cite against ProtestaÌ„ts containe their faith so that they cannot be reiected of them vnles they will renounce their fayth And of the men whose testimonyes we produce one is accounted of them a (e) Humf. ad Rat. 4. Camp God another a Prophet an (f) Colloq Aldebur Schusseâ—b Catal. 13. Hunius praefat de liber arbit Euangelist an Apostle a third Elias an Angell His writings are held for inspired from heauen for a rule of fayth and equall to the writinges of the Apostles Another is called a (g) â—â—anae lib. 4 de Eccles c. 9. Beza ep 6. great and admirable Prophet others are esteemed for lights lampes bright starres props founders parents renewers of the Protestants church and religion Others are men extraordinarily sent and diuinely raised to lighten the world most of them for very learned famous well deseruing of the Protestant religion finally all for sincere Protestants The holy Fathers were wont to refute both the (h) Iustin dial cum Tryphon August l. de ciuit Chrysost hom 26. in 2. Cor. Cyril l. 6. in Iulian. Pagans superstition and the (i) Hier. cont Vigilant Ambros serm 5. de Sanctis Hilar. l. 1. 6. de Trinit heretikes errours out of the Diuels confessions Of which kind of proof (k) Apol. cap. 22. Tertullian vsing it maketh this account What more manifest then this fact what more sure then this proofe Belieue them they speake true of themselues who vse to credit them when they lye No man lyeth to his owne disgrace And S. (l) Lib. ad Demetr Cyprian VVho so sayest that thou worshipest the Gods belieue euen them whom thou worshippest And likewise Minutius in Octauio Neither do they lye to their owne shame especially if some of you be by Belieue themselues witnessing that they are Diuels and confessing the truth of themselues But our proofe taken out of the Protestants confessions of faith out of Luther such like famous Protestants testimony against Protestancy is much more euident and stronger both because it is more likely that men will confesse the truth though against themselues then the Diuell the father of lyes and sworne enemy of truth as also because the confessions of the Diuel were extorted from him by force as the Fathers themselues doe acknowledge but these of Luther and his mates come most freely from them Belieue therefore O Protestants your chiefe leaders Note your founders Instructors Prophets EuaÌ„gelists Apostles in that which they freely of their own accord coÌ„fesse of themselues of their doctrine Euen by the testimony of your own Prophets teachers belieue that ProtestaÌ„cy is newly risen first founded by Luther before knowne to none No man willingly lyeth to his owne shame no man freely confesseth that which ouerthroweth his owne cause but which he cannot deny No man knew protestancy better then they no man fauoured it more then they VVho sayth Caluin is to be credited touching Popery more then the Pope himselfe De ver â— Eccles reform And whom shal we belieue touching the author and hatching of protestancy amongst the Lutherans rather then Luther himselfe Melancthon the Century-writers Kemnice Schusselburg and the like Or amongst the Sacramentaryes rather then Zuinglius Bullinger Bucer Peter Martyr Caluin Beza Plessie and such others or amongst English Protestants rather then Iewell Fox Whitaker Fulke Humfrey Perkins and the like whose frequent and plaine confessions we heerin produce A third difference between our and the Protestants manner of proceeding in this kind of proofe is that Protestantes oftentymes alleadge Catholikes testimonyes corrupted mangled and falsifyed and sometymes also the obiections which they make against theÌ„selues insteed of their answeres as Cardinall Peron not long since shewed Plessie to haue don before the French King conferenrence at fountaine Bel-caue euen by the iudgment of Protestant themselues And it were easy to demonstrate that D. (m) Apol. part 1. l. 1. c. 23. l. 2. c. 41. part 2. l. c. 35. l. 2. c. 41. Morton hath done the like in his Apology But I produce the testimonyes of Protestants certaine and entiere at least for that sense for which I alleadge them For I haue cited none in this worke which either I haue not seene with myne owne eyes and for the most part haue quoted not only the bookes and chapters but also the leaues and pages or if I haue wanted the booke I haue cited them out of some good Author The fourth difference that of great moment is that the Catholiques whose testimonyes Protestants alleadge against is if so be they were true Catholikes were alwayes ready to reuoke and recall whatsoeuer they had written contrary to the catholik fayth to submit all their wordes or writings to the censure of the catholike Church which to be the mind disposition of all Catholiks Protestants themselues confesse For thus writeth D. (n) Contr. 2. q. 5. c. 8. Whitaker This is the condition this the consent of the Popish Church that all hang their saluation vpon one man and submit themselues to one mans iudgment And D. (o) Apol. part 1. l. 2. cap. 31. Morton Is there any Papist that thinkes any decree of the Pope can be contemned or broken without cryme or heresy Which sith it is so in vaine do they obiect any Catholikes words against the Catholike fayth For either they are not contrary thereto or if they be they are already reuoked recalled and disanulled by himselfe But the mind and proceeding of ProtestaÌ„ts is far otherwise who subiect not their opinions to the iudgment of the Church but as they thinke that she may erre so will they hold their opinions notwithstanding her sentence to the contrary and therfore iustly may we produce their testimonies against their owne Church 9. The fift difference which is much to be noted is that Protestants alleadge Catholik witnesses in matters of doctrin in which some tymes by reason of
that Protestants as (u) Lib. 2. c. 9. Lactantius wrote of Cicero cannot be more sorely confuted then they are by Protestants themselues Faults escaped in the printing Page Line Fault Correction 8â— 11. himelf himselfe 82. 27. vnles he vnles he be 96. 6. numb 66. numb 96. 107. 19. The There 109. 23. light of dele of 120. 4. credible incredible 127. 7. the these 23â— 6. dele haue bin 237. 2. be be by 140. 6. fourth third 147. 33. waye waxe 154. 7. in is 168. 23. sonde sponge 169. 3. one our 170. 33. 1525. 1535. 181. 14. should only should only say 184. 27. predigious prodigious 205. 31. boasteth boasteth that â—19 vlt. Taye Faye 211. 33. of fayth faith of 222. 21. first fifth If any other faults haue escaped it is desired of the Gentle Reader to correct them of his courtesy the Author being far absent from the Print THE FIRST BOOKE Of the substance of the Protestants Church and Religion and of their vncertainty therein CHAP. I. BECAVSE as after Plato and Aristotle Tully sayth very truly VVhosoeuer will according to the order of reason treat of any thing Lib. 4. must first define or explicate the nature thereof that it may be knowne what it is whereof he speaketh and Protestants agree that the definition is the very ground of all disputation before I do shew Caluin 3. Institut cap. 4. §. 1. Sadeel in Refut Thes â—osnan cap. 2. who was the first author of the Protestant Church and Religion which I will do in the second booke I will in this first define and determine what is a Protestant and what is the Protestant Church and Religion And because Protestants in this matter as in all others are variable and inconstant sometymes requiring many things to the making and constitution of a Protestant sometymes being content with very few things sometyms stretching the bounds of their Church most largly otherwhiles drawing theÌ„ very strait according as it serueth to their present purpose I will first discouer this their vncertainty about so weighty a matter afterward out of their owne principles and confessions of fayth set downe what is indeed necessary to the very substance and being of a Protestant and of their Church and Religion And in this Chapter I will shew how few they sometymes do admit to be of the Church and how many things they require to the making of a Protestant and in some chapters following how many they at other tymes do graunt to be of their Church and how few things they account necessary for to be a member thereof That done I will make manifest what is indeed necessary thereto They exclude Papists 2. First of all therefore they sometymes exclude Catholiques whome they terme Papists out of the Church as is manifest by all their writings in so much that the French Protestants in the 28. article of their confession say VVe openly affirme that where the word of God is not receiued nor there is any profession of obedience due thereto nor any vse of Sacraments there properly speaking we cannot iudge to be any Church VVherfore we condemne the Popish Conuenticles And D. Whitaker in his second booke against Dureus 2. section is so earnest that he sayth I will not allow the very name of a lawfull Church vnto the Roman Church because it hath nothing which a true Church ought to haue And both he in his 2. Controuersy 6. question 3. Chapter D. Sutliue in his first booke of the Church 3. cap. and lib. 2. cap. 9. M. Perkins in his reformed Catholique towards the end Caluin in his book against the Chaunter of Lions Beza in his of the notes of the Church the Confession of Saxony in the Chapter of the Church and many others do reckon diuers articles or euery one whereof they pronounce Papists to be â—ut of the Church And because their opinion hereâ—n is well inough knowne and hereafter also we â—hall haue occasioÌ„ to shew how haynously they conâ—emne the Popedome or Papistry I will heere reâ—earse no more of their sayings touching this point The like sentence they sometymes pronounce of the â—nabaptists Anabaptists and Atians For thus speaketh the conâ—ession of Auspurg Cap. 9. They condemne the Anabapâ—â—sts who disallow the baptisme of infants and think them to â—â—e faned without baptisme And the Confession of Switâ—erland cap. 20. VVe condemne the Anabaptists who deny â—at infants ought to be baptized The same is manifest by â—he English Confession c. 38. by the Confession of â—asse c. 24. others Of Arians Arrians they giue this verâ—ct in the forsayd Confession of Auspurg in the first â—rticle They condemne all heresies risen against this article of the Trinity as the Manichees Arians Eunomians c. â—nd in like sort the French Confession art 6. the â—nglish art 1. the consent of Poland and others in 〈◊〉 much as in England the Protestants haue burnt me Arians 3. Sometymes also they thrust out all hereâ—ckes Heretiks For thus writeth Luther in his explication of â—e Creed Neither Gentile Iew Heretike LutheraÌ„s or any sinner is â—ued vnlesse he make attonement with the Church and in all â—ings thinke do and teach the same And the Magdeâ—â—rgians in the preface of their 6. Century Neither â—eretikes nor deuisers or patrons of sanaticall opinions are of â—â—rist but they are of Antichrist and of the diuell and apperâ—â—ne to Antichrist and the diuell they are the impostume and â—â—e plague of the people of God The ministers of the Prince Elector of Saxony in the Conference held at Aldburg in the 3. writ cast out of the Church all VVho say they wittingly and willingly defend such corruptions of doctrine as haue byn condemned by the lawfull iudgment and consent of the Catholike Church And the Ministers of the Duke of Saxony in the 4. writ of the sayd Conference pronounce this sentence VVhosoeuer they are that do cloak and defend corruptions of the word of God that is of the articles of fayth after they haue byn admonished we iudge not to be true members of Christ vnlesse they repent And Vrbanus Regius one of the first and cheifest scholers of Luther in his Catechisme sayth All Heretikes are out of the Church The same teacheth Schusselburg a principall superintendent amongst the Lutherans in his Catalogue of heresies and many others As for the Sacramentaries SacrameÌ„taries thus professeth the French Confession in the 6. article VVe detest all Sects and heresies which haue byn reiected by the holy Fathers as S. Hilary S. Athanasc S. Ambrose S. Cyrill Whereupon Sadeel in his preface of his answere to the abiured articles sayth Our Confession of fayth condemneth all Heretikes Likewise the Confession of Basle in 24. article writeth in thiâ— sort VVe driue away all whosoeuer dissenting from the society of the holy Church do either bring in or follow strange wicked doctrines And Peter Martyr in his Commoâ— places in the title
that before Luthers tyme they seeke their Church in Popery and amongst the Papists 2. Secondly I prooue this same out of that which diuers tymes they graunt that the Roman Church holdeth all the fundamentall articles of fayth That Papists hold the foundation of fayth which themselues commonly teach as hereafter shall be shewed to suffice to make a Church Their Confession of Auspurg in the 21. chapter hath these wodrs This is almost the summe of doctrine among vs in which as it may seeme there is nothing which differeth from scripture or from the Catholike Church or from the Roman Church LutheraÌ„s so farre as it appeareth by writers All the dissention is about some few abuses which haue crept into Churches without certaine authority Whereby we see that the first and auncientest Protestants The suÌ„me of faith in Popeâ—y publikly professed that they differed not from the Roman Church in the summe of doctrine but that all their disagreement was about some few abuses And albeit the wordes be somewhat altered in the printed copies yet that they were in the originall copie which was presented to Charles 5. Emperour is manifest by Fabritius who repeateth them so out of that copie by Pappus in his 3 defence against Sturmius who so also reporteth them by Zanchius in his dispute between two Deuines where he repeateth these wordes out of the said Confession There is nothing in our doctrine which differeth from the church of Rome as far as it is knowne by writers and finally by Hieremias Patriarch of Constantinople in his censure vpon the said Confession it being sent vnto him by the Protestants where he thus writeth to them Yee say yee agree in all things with the Latins Cocleus anno 1â—28 VseÌ„berg causa 17. and that the difference betwixt you and them is only touching some abuses likwise Luther in his foresaid epist cont Anabap VVe confesse that in Popery is much good belonging to Christians yea all Christian good All ChristiaÌ„ good to wit that in Popery is the true Scripture true baptisme the true Sacrament of the altar the true keyes for remission of sinnes the true office of preaching the true Catechisme as the Lords prayer the ten commaundements and the articles of faith Whereupon Schusselburg in his 8. tome of the Catalogue of heretikes pag. 439. saith VVe deny not but that Luther sayd that all Christian goods are in Popery What was needfull to saluation and came from thence vnto vs Iohn Regius in his consideration of the censure c Albeit the Ministery of Papists be corrupted with many traditions and inuentions of men yet it had that which was necessary to saluation to wit the Canonicall scripture the Creed c. Leonard Crenâ—zen The bishop of Rome holdeth the same foundation of the Catholike faith 1. Cor. 3. The fouÌ„dation of Fayth which I and the Catholik Apostolik Church do acknowledge although there be some difference of opinions in certaine circumstances Thus the Lutherans Of the Sacramentaries SacrameÌ„taries Iunius in his 5. controuersy lib. 3. cap. 19. writeth thus of Papists Lutherans and Caluinists VVe agree in the essentiall foundation Essentiall foundation Zanchius in his foresayd preface In despite of the Diuell that Church of Rome hath kept the principall grounds of fayth Principall grounds of fayth Boysseul also in his forenamed confutation pag. 79 VVe acknowledge that it is pure in the cheife articles of Christian Religion And Vorstius in his Anti-bellarmin pag. 188. It is manifest that there are many in that company of Papists who rightly hold the fundamentall points The fundamentall points of our Religion And of the English Protestants his Maiesty in his monitory epistle pag. 148. plainly intimateth that Papists do stick vnto the auncient foundations of the old true Catholike and Apostolike fayth M. Hooker in his 3. booke of Ecclesiasticall policy pag. 128. sayth Touching those maine points of Christian truth wherein they constantly still persist English ProtestaÌ„ts we gladly acknowledge them to be of the family of Iesus Christ D. Whitaker in his 2. cont quest 5. cap. 14 Papists haue the Scripture Baptisme Catechisme the articles of fayth the ten commandments the Lords prayer The main points and those things came to vs from them D. Whitgift in his answere to the admonition pag. 40 Papistry confesseth the same articles of fayth that we do although not sincerely And pag. 62 Papists belieue the same articles of fayth that we do M. Perkins in the preface of his reformed Catholike By a reformed Catholike I vnderstand any one that holds the same necessary heads of Religion with the Roman Church The necessary heads yet so as he pares of and reiects all errours in doctrine whereby the sayd religion is corrupted D. Morton in his answere to the Protestants Apology lib. 3. cap. 18. sect 1 VVe may graunt that God may cooperate with them to the conuersion of Infidels The ghospell of saluation so far as the Ghospell of Christ which is the power of God to saluation is preached by them D. White in defence of his way cap. 38 In the substantiall articles of fayth we agree with them Lastly D. Hall in his foresayd booke sayth The substantiall articles that the Romane Church is one touching the common principles of fayth Those things which she holdeth together with vs make a Church As farre as she holdeth the foundation she is a church 3. Thirdly the same point is proued The articles which make a Church by that they graunt some to be saints whom they acknowledge also to haue liued and died Papists For of S. Bernards holines thus writeth Luther vpon the 4. cap. to the Galathians Bernard a man so holy pious chast c. The Apology of the Confession of Auspurg in the chapter of answere to the ArgumeÌ„ts Antony Bernard That they say some Papists be saints Francis Dominicke and other holy Fathers Brentius in his Apology for the Confession of Wirtenberg pag. 297 I iudge Bernard to haue byn a man indued with great piety and to liue now happily with Christ Caluin in his 4. booke of institutions c. 7. num 22 Gregory and Bernard holy men Vorstius in Anti-bellarmin pag. 181 VVe graunt Bernard indeed to haue byn pious Lubbert in his 6. booke of the church c. 7 VVe think Bernard to haue byn truly holy D. Whitaker cont 3. quest 5. c. 14 I take Bernard to haue byn holy indeed And D. Morton in his Apology part 2. lib. 2. c. 23 I confesse Bernard was a Saint And as plainly do they confesse that he was a Papist For thus Luther in the place now cited Let vs imagine that Religion and discipline of the ancient Popery to flourish now and to be obserued with that rigour with which the Eremits Hierome Augustin Bernard Francis and many others obserued it And in his booke of abrogating Masse Bernard Bonauenture Francis Dominicke with their
de natura Dei Hospin part 1. Histor lib. 1. cap. 2. Vorstius in Anti-bellarmin pag. 116. and others moe And as their iudgements are different touching the fundamentall articles of fayth so in determining who are to be accounted members of their Church their opinions are vnlike Some of theÌ„ say that the summe the cheife and principall heads of fayth and all things necessary to be belieued are comprized in the Apostles Creed The Apostles Creed The principall heads of fayth sayth Caluin 2. Institut c. 16. § 8 are set downe in the Creed And it is as D. Whitaker sayth lib. 3. de Scriptura cap. 3. sect 1. a list of the cheife heads of fayth It containes sayth M. Perkins in his Reformed Catholik col 476. all points of Religion which we are necessarily to belieue Hemingius in Syntagmate pag. 196 It containes the ground-work of the whole frame of Religion Vrsinus in Cathechesi The summe of those things which the Ghospell proposeth vnto vs to belieue that we may be partakers of Gods couenant is comprehended in the Apostles Creed Pareus lib. 1. de Iustificat cap. 9. hath these words In the Creed is layd open the summe of that doctrine which we must belieue to saluation The same teacheth Luther tom 7. in 3. symbol fol. 138. Confessio Pasatina in initio prefat Syntagmat Confes the French Catechisme Brentius in Prolegomenis pag. 244. The Catechisme of Heidleberg part 2. Bullinger in compendio fidei lib. 6. cap. 2. and tom 1. decad 5. serm 2. Polanus in Analysi Catechismi Basse Boysseul in confutat Spondei p. 10. Raynolds in Apol. Thes pag. 241. Carleton in Consensu tract de Eccles c. 9. The same is intimated by Zanchius lib. 1. epist pag. 219. and by Musculus in locis tit de Eccles pag. 309. These men then if the sequele of their doctrine be correspondent to the premises must needs acknowledge that the profession of the Apostles Creed though ioyned with the denyall of whatsoeuer other articles of fayth sufficeth to make a Protestant and a limme of their Church And some of them there be who confesse it For Bullinger lib. cit cap. 11. fol. 83. sayth All that we comprise in the 12. Beliefe of the Apostles Câ—eâ—d sufficient to saluation articles is the true and Christian fayth vnto which whosoeuer cleauech he beliueth right is approued of God is iustified and made partner of euerlasting life Caluin cont Gentil pag. 659 The confession of fayth contayned in the Apostles Creed ought to be inough for all modest Christians And Musculus in the place last quoted They are wonderfull vnreasonable and vnaduised who not content with this beliefe exact of the faythfull that they belieue yet other things which are neither mentioned in the Apostles Creed nor in baptisme Aretius in locis part 3. fol. 67 The articles necessary to saluation are those which the Creed hath set vs downe As for the rest since the matter cannot be decided variety of iudgements must be borne with all Polanus also in the place before cited These articles of the Creed if they be vnfaynedly belieued suffice to purchase saluation nor is it required we should belieue ought besides And Hall in â—ua Roma irreconcil sect 1 VVe are all one and the same Church as many as in any part of the earth worship Iesus Christ the only Sonne of God and Sauiour of the world and professe the same common beliefe comprised in the Creed The Creeds 2. Some of them will haue the grounds of fayth to be contained in the Creed as Plessy lib. de Eccles c. 5. Hereupon Marke Antony de Dominis in consil suae profect pag. 18. 20. sayth Restore peace and charity to all Christian Churches which professe Christ by the essentiall cognisances of beliefe Others ad to the Creeds the 4. generall Councels or at least one of them as D. Andrews in Respons ad Apol. Bellarmin cap. 1. pag. 52 That which is set downe in the Creeds and 4. generall councells The Creeds the 4. generall â—ouncels is to vs a sufficient obiect of fayth And in Tortura Torti pag. 127 Nor do we lightly discerne and try heresy by other touch-stone then by examining whether it be repugnant tâ— any of the three ancient Creeds or 4. ancient generall councells And Melancthon tom 3. l. de iudicijs Synodorum fol. 389. sayth of himself that he is not without the Church because he faythfully imbraceth all the articles of the Apostles and Nycen Creed Musculus also in the place aboue quoted puts downe this conclusion As many as belieue the Apostles and Athanasius Creed hold all the Catholike fayth and are not heretkes but Catholiks Some of them are of opinion that al the fundamental points of beliefe are contayned in the Creed and decalogue The Creed and Decalogue as Melancthon tom 1. in cap. 7. Matth. pag. 402. tom 3. in respons ad artic Bauar fol. 363. Vrsinus in Miscellaneis Thes 8. pag. 1â—4 M. Perkins in his exposition of the Creed col 789. Some of them say they are in the Creed the decalogue and Lords prayer The creed Decalogue and Lords prayer as Luther tom 7. in Enchirid. fol. 118. Beza lib. de notis Eccles pag. 52. Keckerman lib. 1. System Theol. 201. D. White in the preface of his way and in his defence of the same cap. 8. pag. 54. Others reckon the 10. commandements the Creed the Lords prayer the Sacraments as D. Whitaker cont 1. quest 4. cap. 4. The creed Decalogue Lords prayer Sacraments And the Ministry pag. 342. howbeit quest 5. cap. 9. pag. 362. he omitteth Sacraments putteth in Catechisme in exchaunge Vorstius in Antibellarm pag. 24. vnto which Ieslerus lib. de bello Euchar. pag. 40. adioyneth the ministry And these men according to their seuerall decisions concerning the fundamentall points of beliefe must with like diuersity require in a limme of the Protestant Church either the beliefe of the Creed alone and decalogue or must adde besides as each think it needfull the Lords prayer the Sacraments Baptisme and worship of Christ the Catechisme and the Ministery 3. But sometymes they giue larger scope demaund farre lesse to wit Baptisme only or faith in Christ Let him let Chrâ—sâ—ianity staÌ„d saitâ— D. Andrews in respons cit cap. 5. pag. 126 in baptisme and worship of Christ. M. Morton in his booke of the Kingdome of Israel and the Church pag. 91 In what place soeuer any society of men adore true God in Christ they professe the substance of Christian Religion Baptisme alone Ierlach us disput 22. de Eccles pag. 662 VVheresoeuer baptisme remaines curier in regard of its substance thither reacheth the territory of the Catholike Church Luther de Notis Eccl fol. 150. Againe If they acknowledge true baptisme both in oâ—rs and in other congregations they must yeld that in the same there is likewise the Catholike Church And Hurterus in his
common both to good and bad touching his ascending vp to heauen and his sitting at the right hand of his Father of all these points they contend and that with such exceeding heat of disputation as that old heresies not a few long since abolished and condemned begin againe to lift vp their head as if they were recalled from hell The like they haue ibidem in Prolegomenis Of the controuersy which is betweene the Lutherans Sacramentaries about the â—eall presence of Christs body in the Eucharist Martyr in locis tom 2. p. 156. giues this iudgement The contention and difference therein concernes the cheife heads of Religion Caluin epist 292. sayth that the opinion of the Lutherans doth By mischeiuous iuglings and legierdemains ouerturne the principles of fayth Beza in his 5. epist that it destroyeth the verity of Christs body And epist 81. that it recalleth from hell the folly and doting errours of Marcion and Eutiches Bucer cited by Hospin part 2. Hist fol. 84 It followeth thereupon that Christ is not true man Paraeus in cap. 3. Galat. lection 37 There is nothing more directly opposite to Christian Religion then to think that the body of Christ doth indeed lye hid really vnder the bread and that the same is truly eaten with the mouth Sadeel in tract de Coniunctione c. pag. 369. that it ouerthroweth the true nature of the true body and bloud of Christ VVhich thing sayth he we still lay to their charge And tract de Sacramentali manducatione pag. 26. that it is a word of euils pag. 267 That it traines after it idolatry And pag. 268 that it â—annot stand with the verity of Christs body Hospin part 2. citat fol. 2. that it is the foundation of Papistry And fol. 181 The base and pillar which sustaineth all the whole blended and disordered heape of abuses and all the bread-worship whicâ— hath vnder the Popedome byn deuised and brought in Lauaterus lib. de dissid Euchar. fol. 7. that it is the Foundation of the Popedome Cureus in Spongia that it is the foundation the strength the throne of the God Maozim and of the Popish state Caluin de Coena p. 8. in CoÌ„s pag. 754. Beza in fo 6. v. 23.62 ad 4. Demonstr Illyrici Zanâ—hius in Confess c. 16. sect 12. And Vrsinus in Catechism quest 78. cap. 3. sayth As long as the opinion of the corporall presence is maintained Popish adoration and oblation and the whole Popish masse is kept on foot And there is not one Sacramentary but thinks the verity of Christs body and his ascention sitting at the right hand of the Father cleane taken away if he should say he were substantially in the Eucharist Whereupon Zanchius tom 1. Miscell in iudicio de dissidio Coenae pag. 553. sayth There are two maine reasons why the one party to wit the Sacramentaries renounce the presence of the body The one that the article of Christs ascension into heauen may be kept entire the other that the nature and verity of his humane body be not destroyed Nay some of the Sacramentaries in their Confessions of faith condemne the opinion of the Lutherans as mad and blasphemous For Confess Crengerina cap. de coena Domini sayth VVe condemne their madnes who auouch and maintaine flesh-eating that is who hold that Christs naturall and very body raw and bloudy without any change or transubstantiation at all is receiued with the very mouth And the Scots in their Confess pag. 159. say they Detest that blasphemous opinion which auoucheth Christs reall presence in the bread wine and that he is receiued by the wicked or taken into the belly This and much more of the like is sometymes the Sacramentaries plea against the reall presence of Christs body in the Eucharist and yet at other tymes they professe that this controuersy is not of so great weight and moment as that it should dissolue Ecclesiasticall Communion and fellowship For so teacheth Martir apud Simlerum in vita eius the author of the orthodoxe Consent Prefat Apologet. Hospinian part 2. Histor fol. 78. Caluin de scandalis pag. 95. In Consens p. 764. Beza lib. de coena cont Westphalum pag. 258. M. Perkins in his exposition of the Creed col 792. and others Nay as we sayd before these men besought the Lutherans who stedfastly maintaine the reall presence to hold them for brethren and members of their Church They can then find in their conscience to haue fellowship and Communion with those men whose doctrine they condemne As Frantike blasphemous whose doctrine they say destroyeth Christs ascension What kind of men Sacramentaries challenge for brethren and the verity of his humane nature subuerteth the principles of fayth and cheifest points of religion recalleth the doting follies of Marcion and Eutyches establisheth the Kingdome of Antichrist traines after it idolatry and a world of euills Fy on these meÌ„ beliefe who think the maintenance of an opinion which as themselues professe ouerthroweth the principall articles of Christian fayth drawes after it idolatry and most foule heresies layeth the foundâ—tion whereon Antichristianity is raised of so sleight consequence as it ought not to dissolue fraternity and Communion What regard of fayth or saluation may we think these men haue There is yet another point oâ— Luteranisme touching the vbiquity or presence of Christs body euery where reproued of the Sacramentaries and held in extreme dislike of which they likewise exclaime that it is (a) Beza respons ad acta montisb l. pag. 252. forged and composed of Eutychianisme and Nestorianisme that the heresies of (b) Caluin 4 Instit c. 17. p. 17. Marcion and Eutyches yea well nigh (c) Hosp pref par 2. all old heresies are by it raised againe from hell that it subuerteth the whole (d) Perkins expos Symb. coll 792. Creed that it takes away the (e) Sadeel de verit hum nat cheife heads of Christian Religion that there is scant any one article of Christian beliefe which it doth not vtterly abolish And yet these selfe same Sacramentaries stile them who defend this opinion (f) Sadeel sup Most flourishing Churches and made earnest sure to be held for (g) Beza in colloq moÌ„tisbel pag. 462. brethren of those very men who vpheld this doctrine against them and maintayned it to their face Nay the particuler Churches of Sacramentaries themselues consist of parts mainly disioyned in matters of beliefe SacrameÌ„taries say there is fundameÌ„tall differeÌ„ce amoÌ„g them Examples hereof we need not seeke a broad Our owne Protestants tell vs how the Puritans their brethren allow not of the booke of common prayer but hold it to be full of (a) Whitgift resp ad Admonit p. 145. 157. corruptions and all abominations and teach that Protestants (b) Ib. resp ad schedas wickedly mangle and wrest the Scriptures that they haue no (c) Resp cit pag. 6. Pastours that they haue not a true Church
of the building is set vp And Zuinglius Respons ad Billi tom 2. fol. 261. When one obiected vnto him the dissention amongst the Sacramentaries in expouÌ„ding Christs words of the supper answereth No man ought to be offended with this diuersity more then with the difference among many captaines Tertull. praes c. 41. Athanas orat 1. coÌ„t Arian Hieron ad Cresiphont August in Psal 80. Beda l. 1. in Iob. c. 7. who go about to conquer a castle whiles one would haue it battered another vndermined and a third would haue it scaled For all agree to destroy the castle the difference is only about the way not about the summe of the matter And so concludeth that if any SacrameÌ„taries haue erred They erred sayth he in the letter not in spirit in the summe they agree all The summe therefore wherein all Protestants agree is to ouerthrow the Popish castle and Catholike fayth in which also the ancient heretikes agreed amongst themselues as the holy Fathers do testify and who attempteth that by what meanes soeuer erreth not in spirit but in letter only not in the summe but in some circumstance only of ProtestaÌ„cy But with what spirit they are led herein let them heare of their owne Prophet Luther defens verb. coenae tom 7. l. 411 VVhat a kind of spirit is that sayth he which hath no other end but to weaken the aduerse party without all doubt it is no other spirit then the Diuell 3. Fourthly because they describe paint name a Protestant by departure from the Pope and Popish doctrine The Confession of Wittenberg in Prefat describeth Protestants to be such as haue changed in their Churches a kind of Popish doctrine which had byn vsed for many yeares and some other ancient ceremonies M. Perkins in the Preface of his Reformed Catholik sayth By a Reformed Catholike so he termeth a Protestant I vnderstand any one that holds the same necessary heads of Religion with the Roman Church yet so as he pares of and reiects all errors in doctrine whereby the sayd religion is corrupted D. Willet in the Preface of his Synopsis A Protestant is he that professeth the ghospell of Iesus Christ and hath renounced the iurisdiction of the Sea of Rome and the forced and vnnaturall obedience to the Pope Schusselburg tom 13. Catal. Haeret. pag. 23 A Lutheran or true Christian is he who hath seuered himselfe from Papists c. And tom 8. pag. 363 True Lutherans are they who imbrace the doctrine of the ghospell amending Popish abuses You see how in all these descriptions of a Protestant the denyall of the Pope and Popish doctrine is put as a certaine difference which concurreth to the making and distinguishing of a Protestant from all others Hereupon D. Audrews Apol. Cont. Bellarm. cap. 1. sayth Sauing this Protestation that they will not suffer certaine Popish errors and abuses our fayth is no other then yours is or ought to be And he addeth that they call their religion reformed only because it is purged from certaine deuises and corruptions which had crept into it And sayth that Bucer and Peter Martyr did only pluck vp certaine cockle which Papists had sowed In like sort Boysseul in his Confutation of Sponde pag. 724. sayth Take away your Popery that which dependeth thereof and you and we shall be but one church because we shall haue but one Confession of fayth Moreouer Plessy in the forefront of his mystery of iniquity painteth a Protestant with a torch in his hand setting fire to the tower of Babylon by which he vnderstandeth the Popedome And finally Luther in exempl Theol. Papist tom 2. fol. 401. calleth himselfe an Anti-papist as of his principall end or office and sayth that he was called by diuine reuelation to destroy the Popes Kingdom D. Humfrey also termeth Ochinus a stout Anti-papist as if to be a Protestant and an Anti-papist were all one 4. Fiftly because the same opinions which in Papists they detest in other who are opposite to the Pope they dissemble or extenuate Lubbert lib. 1. Replicat cap. 4. sayth The Lutherans dispute not with vs about the Canon of Scriptures nor we with them And lib. 4. de Concil cap. vlt VVe contend not with the Churches of Saxony which keep images in the Churches And yet they dispute most eagerly against Catholiks about the Canon of scriptures and images The Scots in their general Confession professe to detest Popery for maintayning the reall presence of Christs body in the Eucharist for making the signe of the Crosse for denying infants without baptisme to be saued And in their other Confession c. 22. they say they shunne the Communion of the Popish Church Conf. Augustus â—visit â—axon Liturgia Augliaâ— Conference at Hampt Court because her ministers are not Ministers of Christ because the permitteth women to christen in case of necessity and yet dissemble that the Lutheran Protestants allow all these points and that the English Protestants admit Popish Priests for sufficient ministers command the making of the crosse in baptisme allow womens baptisme in case of necessity but because they are against the Pope as well as the Scots their opposition to the Pope like sole fayth couereth all and maketh that the Scots impute not these matters to them And if at any tyme the Catholiks do set before their eyes the errors or dissentions amongst them either they impudently (a) Laâ—ko Erastus in Schussel l. 4. Theol. Caluin p. 310. Feild l. 3. of the Church cap. 24. deny them or greatly extenuate them saying that they are not about the (b) Apol. Anglis foundation not of (c) Whit. CoÌ„t 2 q. 5. cap. 8. weighty matters of light matters not of the (d) Bucer in Schussel lib cit Caluin de rat concord p. 862. matter but of the manner of (e) Epist Monitor things indifferent of I know not what titles and finally only of (f) Mart. in loc tit de Euchar. §. 65. Hosp part 2 fol. 134. 163. 109. BruÌ„sfeld resp ad Erasm words Surely I imagine as they say that all sinnes in the elect faythfull are veniall but in others all are mortall so they deeme that all errors in those that are opposite to the Pope are veniall and light but in Papists all are haynous and mortall So much the alteration of the person changeth the case with them Hereupon Q. Elizabeth enacted not that it should be treason for any one to dissuade froÌ„ that religion which she had established vnlesse it were done with intention to induce him who was dissuaded to the obedience of the Bishop of Rome And hereupon also some of them openly professe that they more esteeme Turks then Papists forsooth because the Turke agreeth with them in hatred of the Pope and Popery in respect whereof they little regard the consent in the mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation and Passion and other articles of Christian fayth Sixtly they make the forsaking of Popery an
euident argument of true religion and oppose their consent therin as a sufficient cloake to couer all their dissentions in other matters Zuinglius Prefat Ecclesiast tom 1. fol. 39 It is an euident argument of true Religion among you that you cast out all the filth of Popish idolatry and bridle the sloathfull company of Priests and put them from the Church And when Cardinall Hosius obiected to Protestants their disagreement about the Eucharist Iames Andrews in his answere pag. 367 sayth In what ProtestaÌ„ts especially agree VVhat is this dissention to you Papists Be it we truly disagree in this point yet in that we especially agree that with one mind we impugne your Popery as true Antichristianisme And Drentius in the Preface of the same booke Otherwise with one consent they fight against Popery And to the same obiection Caluin in Confutat Holland pag. 576 sayth thus True yet with one consent we all teach that Popish idolatry is to be detested In like manner Beza in Hospin part 2. Hist fol. 300 I confesse yet in this we all agree with vnited minds to impugne your transubstantiation Sadeel also Respons ad Sophism Turriani pag. 562 Yet neuerthelesse this my litle booke will be witnesse with how conioyned strength all our Churches do set vpon the Popish errors And in in dice Repet pag. 808 It is well that all they who conioyned themselues to the reformed Church with one consent reiect the Popes Primacy And D. Whitaker Contr. 2. quest 5. cap. 8. pag. 521 Yet in the meane tyme we all agree against the Pope And in this vnity of theirs to be against the Pope they greatly triumph His maiesty in his monitory epistle p. 174 Almost the halfe part of the Christian world is gon out of Babylon And D. Andrews respons ad Apol. Bellarm. cap. 14 Almost False of the Christian world is so farre vnited in one profession as that they are gon out of Babylon And when Becanus had found fault with him because he sayd The King of great Britany and the Kings of Denmarck and Sweden with the Princes of Germany who are of one beliefe with him are a part of the Lords flock because the Kings of Denmarck and Sweden be Lutherans and therefore are not of one beliefe with the King of great Britany Burhill in defence of him cap. 15. answereth That who are of one beliefe with King Iames is put in steed of who with him refuse to be vnder the Pope They meane then that all those are of one beliefe with them and be part of the Lords flock who refuse to be vnder the Pope Which kind of vnity is that which his Maiesty in his declaration against Vorstius noted Heretiques to keep saying pag. 49 There are in Hungary and Bohemia innumerable Heretiks who agree together only in hatred of the Pope But not only Heretiks but also Iewes Turcks and Infidells agree with Protestants in this point An excellent vnity surely worthy of Christians wherein they shall haue such partners and fellowes Seauenthly I proue it because when they be asked who were Protestants before Luther they produce no other then such as were aduersaries to the Pope Illyricus being to make a role of witnesses dares not call them Protestants or witnesses of the Protestant truth Editio Lugdun but simply witnesses of the truth or witnesses who reclaymed against the Pope and Popish errors And in the Preface professeth that he gathereth as farre as he cold all those who in any sort did before Luther giue testimony to the truth of Christ against the errors and furies of Antichrist And l. 20. col 1951. after he had brought forth all his witnesses he sayth of them thus They desired a fuller manifestation of the truth which at last sayth he we in this sixteenth age haue obtained That is his witnesses attayned not to the knowledge of Protestant truth which was reuealed but in the sixteenth age Neuerthelesse they seemed witnesses good inough for Illyricus because in some sort they were opposite to the doctrine and deeds of the Pope Beza also lib. de notis Eccles pag. 80. when he had obiected to himself that in former tymes their Church was not visible answereth I say that from the Apostles tyme there was scarce any age in which as soone as this Antichrist the Pope began to put out his head God did not raise some who opposed themselues against his tyranny And to the same question thus answeaâ—eth Sadeel in Refutat art 6â— Posnan pag. 851 VVe are ready to shew that there was no age in which there were not some who reproued your false Church Surely these men imagine Protestancy to consist in opposition to the Pope and Popery or they say nothing to the question proposed Likewise D. Whitaker Cont. 2. quest 3. cap. 2. pag. 474. proueth that the Protestant Church hath alwayes byn in Popery because therein haue byn some who though they communicated with Papists yet before death reiected their opinions which kind of proofe supposeth that it sufficeth to a Protestant to reiect Popish opinions 5. You see then that the cheife ring leaders of the Protestants confesse that theirs and their followers end was to abate the authority of the Pope that they deeme the forsaking of the Pope to be the foundation a good part and summe of the Protestant building that they account the leauing of Popery an euident argument of true religion that they define describe paint and name a Protestant by opposition to the Pope that they say their faith differeth not from ours but in denyall of some of our articles that they deny dissemble and extenuate whatsoeuer they dislike in those who are aduersaries to the Pope that they oppose their consent in opposition against the Pope as a buckler against all obiections about their dissentions in other articles finally that being bidden to produce Protestants before Luther they name such as any way opposed themselues against the Pope What do all these things declare but that which some of them say in plaine words that the Protestant Church is a rable of all sects which are not Papists 6. But out of all things which haue byn sayd in this and the former chapters First we see what great power Protestants take to themselues What followeth of all hitherto sayd that according as they please they include or exclude the same men out of the Church VVho will not to vse S. Augustins words feare these men who haue receiued such wonderfull power ouer men Secondly we see that they imitate the old heretiks lib. 3. cont Crescon c. 20. Praescript c. 41.42 L. 18. de Ciuit. c. 50. who as Tertullian sayth make peace generally with all and with whome diuision is their very vnity For as S. Augustin noteth the diuell hath stirred vp heretikes as if they might be indifferently permitted in the citty of God without amendment as the citty of confusion indifferently had Philosophers of different yea of
saluation wholy ouerturned And lib. de Necess Reform fol. 47. that the safety of the Church dependeth vpon this doctrine no lesse then mans life dependeth of his soule Pareus in Prooem lib. de Iustificat On this alone the hinges of our comfort and saluation do hang. And lib. 2. cap. 2. affirmeth that it was the cheifest cause of the separation of the Protestant Church from Popery And lib. 4. cap. 2. sayth The only doctrine of obtayning iustice and saluation by only sayth and of loosing them by incredulity is the sincere and proper ghospell all other doctrine in the scripture belongeth to the law And those of Geneua Prefat Syntag. Confess auouch that this article is the groundworke forme and soule of Christian religion The soule the summe of Euangelicall doctrine of which men are called faythfull and true Christians without which the knowledge of other articles hath no holesome fruit For it is the substantiall inward and formall cause of saluation of which all Sacraments instituted by God are and were pledges and seales vnto which article all the other do tend as to their center and in which mans felicity consisteth 5. Neither do our English Protestants make lesse account of this their article of iustification by only fayth For D. Whitaker Cont. 2. quest 6. cap. 3. pag. 562. sayth It seemes to be the cheifest of all and most fundamentall The Prore Puppe as in which the Prore and puppe of our saluation consisteth and who faine any other meanes of Iustification do ouerthrow the foundation and most necessary heads of Christian religion and are fallen from saluation and euerlasting life And Respons ad Rat. r. Camp he writeth thus of their doctrine of Iustification by only fayth If Iames or a heauenly Angell disallow it he is impure wicked and to be detested to hell D. Humfrey in his oration de vitando fermen to calleth this article The cheifest point and hinges of fayth D. Fulke de Success pag. 4. The principall head of the ghospell M. Fox in his acts pag. 440 The foundation of all Christianity And pag. 770 The fouÌ„dation The only principall origen of our saluation And finally M. Powell lib. 2. de Antichristo cap. 5 The summe of the doctrine of sayth Neither is it to be merueiled that Protestants so highly esteeme this their article both because it is the cheifest bait wherwith they draw men vnto them as also because as Luther confessed it is their cheife defence without which they had long since perished and finally because Iustification being one principall end of religion if speciall fayth be the only meanes to attaine to iustification vndoubtedly it ought highly to be esteemed of that religion which belieueth it to be such a meanes ProtestaÌ„ts esteeme of only faith Thus we see that according to the common opinion of Protestants to belieue himselfe to be iustified by only fayth is the cheifest article the foundation the stay the head the fountaine the summe the last end the prore and puppe the hinges the proppe the castle the bulwarck the essentiall difference the definition the soule the forme the formall cause the only rocke the only safegard of Protestancy the only way to heauen which falling the church yea God himselfe falleth But none can be a Protestant without the foundation head soule forme summe definition c. of a Protestant Therefore none can he held for a Protestant vnlesse he professe to belieue to be iustified by only speciall fayth Whomesoeuer therefore Protestants cannot proue to haue held this article they cannot with any reason and coulour challenge for Protestants And because as it shall hereafter appeare they cannot proue that any one before Luther held this article nay on the contrary we will proue that Luther first deuised it they cannot with any appearance of truth auouch that there was any Protestant before him And in like sort whome we can proue not to haue belieued this article we may euidently conclude that they were no Protestants That it is necessary for a Protestant to belieue all the fundamentall articles of Protestancy CHAP. VII â— BESIDE the foresayd article of Iustification by only fayth it is also necessary to the making of a Protestant of a member of the Protestant Church Vâ—â—â—d l. 3. de Eccles c. 2. that he belieue at least all the fundamentall points of Protestancy either explicitly or implicitly so that he obstinatly deny no one of them This is manifest First because as I shewed before cap. 1. it is the common opinion of Protestants that all those are out of the Church whosoeuer deny one fundamentall article Num. 3. Againe because themselues say that the name of a fundamentall article doth insinuate that it sustaineth the Church as the foundation sustaineth the house Besides all Protestants assigne truth or purity in doctrine for the mark of the Church As the Confession of Ausparg cap. 7. The English Confession cap. 19. The Suiâ—zers cap. de Eccles and other Protestants commonly and their meaning is Truth essentiall to the Church that it is the essentiall marck Wherupon D Whitaker Controuers 2. quest 5. cap. 17. pag. 541. sayth that it is absolutely necessary and the essentiall marck And at Rat. 3. Campiani that it is the substantiall note His Maiesty in his epistle to Cardinall Peron that in is the substantiall forme of the Church Caluin epist 190. The purity of doctrine is the soule of the Church And the same say Sadeel ad Sophism Turriani loc 1. Author de Eccles in Danaeo pag. 1029. Vorstius in Antibellarm pag. 145. D. Willet cont 2. quest 3. pag. 102. Yea D. Morton part 1. Apos lib. 1. cap. 6. affirmeth that Protestants account the truth of Euangelicall doctrin the cheifest and almost only essentiall inseparable and perpetuall marck of the Church And hence it proceedeth that they put the truth of purity of doctrine in their definition of the Church as an essentiall part thereof as the French Confession cap. 27. The Magdeburgians Cent. 1. lib. 1. cap. 4 col 140. Melancthon tom 1 in cap. 16. Matthaeâ— D. Whitaker Cont. 2. quest 5. cap. 20. pag. 552. Sadeel ad Sophism surriani loc 21. and others commonly But this purity of doctrine if it must be in any articles especially it must be in those which are fundamentall as is manifest and the Protestants do graunt For thus writeth D. Morton part 1. Purity in fundameÌ„tal points essential to the Church Apol. lib. 2. cap. 38. Purity in the fundamentall principles of fayth is necessary to the being and making of the Church And D. Feild lib. 2. de Eccles cap. 3 Purity from fundamentall errour is necessarily required to a Church And the like hath Vorstius lib. cit pag. 148. Nay the English Confession art 19. defineth the visible Church of Christ to be a congregation of faythfull men in which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments duely ministred according to Christs
ordinance in al those things that of necessity are requisite to the same And his maiesty ep cit Whitâ—k Cont. 2. q. â— c. 18. Sutla l. 1. de Eccl. c. 1. Mort. Apol. l. 2. cap. 3â— It is needfull that the churches be vnited amoÌ„g themselues in vnity of saith and doctrine in those points which are necessary to saluation And hereupon diuers Protestants deny those Corinthians who denyed the Resurrection and those Galathians who ouerturned the Ghospell of Christ to haue byn members of the Church because they denyed a fundamentall point point of Christian fayth Wherefore vnlesse Protestants will deny their common doctrine in this matter reiect their owne definition of the Church cast away their only marke of the Church and leaue no marke of her at all they cannot auouch any one to haue byn a Protestant who dissented from them in any fundamentall point of doctrine 2. If any one say that although he who denyeth any fundamentall point of Protestancy cannot be of the visible Protestant Church yet may he be of their inuisible Church I answeare that as shall be shewed hereafter there can be no Church which is inuisible in profession of fayth howsoeuer it be inuisible in iustice and predestination and therefore none can be of the inuisible Church who is not also of the visible Againe Protestants will haue none to be of the inuisible Church but such as are iust But how is he iust who denieth Gods faith and maketh him a lyer and that in a principall point of religion Besides Protestants say that none can be a member of the inuisible Church vnlesse he be also a member of the visible Church if so conueniently he may 3. Moreouer the holy Fathers most frequently Leo. Ierm 4. de Nat. Hier. lib. 3 â—oÌ„t Ruffi Aug. l. de haer q. 11. in Mat. 18. de ciuit c. 51. Basilius in Theodor. lib. 4. c. 19. and sometymes also Protestants themselues do teach that it is necessary to a faythful and belieuing man that he deny no one article of fayth and much lesse a fundamentall or principall article Finally Protestants are wont to laugh at Catholiks if they proue any Father to haue byn a Papist because he held some fundamentall point of Papistry For thus writeth Pareus lib. 1. de amiss gratiae cap. 1 It is ridiculous for him to conclude S. Augustin to haue byn a Papist because in this errour he agreed with them no lesse them if you inferre that we are Papists because we agree with Papists in some truth And D. White in defence of his Way cap. 45. pag. 432 His holding of some things superstitiously which the Church of Rome hath entertayned proues not that he professed the same fayth the Church of Rome now doth because the fayth of the sayd Church comprehends much more then he held and what he held is now otherwise expounded and applyed then by him it was And in his Way pag. 298 If he would deale faythfully and to the point he should not say Bernard professed the Roman fayth and was a monke but he should haue shewed that be professed the present Roman fayth as the Councell of Trent and the Iesuits haue set it downe at least in the fundamentall points thereof Let them then abide the law which themselues haue made and let not them conclude any one to haue byn a Protestant because he agreed with them in one or more points vnlesse he agreed with them at least in all fundameÌ„tall points of their doctrine I adde also that against Protestants we do rightly conclude that the holy Fathers were Papists if we do shew that they dissented from Protestants in one or more fundamentall points For they will not deny but that the Fathers were either Papists or Protestants But Protestants they were not if they denyed their doctrine in any fundamentall point thereof therfore they must needs be Papists And the like is not of others whome Protestants cannot coÌ„clude to haue byn theirs if they can proue that they were none of ours Because neither we wil graunt nor they can auouch that such were either ours or theirs as they graunt of the holy Fathers What is necessarily required to a ProtestaÌ„ts Be it therefore certaine and assured that to a Protestant is necessarily required that either explicitly or at least implicitly and vertually he belieue all the fundamentall points of Protestancy and willfully deny no one of them And that therefore Protestants can no way challenge any who reiected any one of their fundamentall and principall articles It remayneth that we set downe the fundamentall articles of Protestancy lib. de vnie baptism c. â—â— because Protestants themselues agree not herein but as S. Augustin sayd that the Donatists did concerning sinnes which they would haue to exclude men out of the Church so Protestants in a strange fashion distinguish the fundamentall points of their fayth deuising rules of distinction amongst them not out of the scriptures but out of their owne heads Which be the fundamentall heads of Protestancy CHAP. VIII 1. THAT we may determine which be the fundamentall articles of Protestant religion we must first shew How much ProtestaÌ„ts esteeme the Conf. of Ausp that all Protestants professe to receiue the Confession of Auspurge at least in the principall and fundamentall articles thereof Of the Lutheran Protestants this is manifest For in their conference at Aldeburg both parties of them agreed to admit it for a rule of their disputation And ibidem pag. 404. those of the Electors side do say VVe referre our selues and do looke vnto the Confession of Auspurg as to the foundation of religion next after the word of God And other Lutherans in Zanchius in Supplicat ad Senat. Argentinens pag. 70. The fouÌ„dation of Religion do appoint that it be taught according to the Confession of Auspurge presented to Charles the 5. anno 1530 and the Apology thereof subscribed at Numberg and that it be the square and rule of all religion in all articles The square of religion Heshusius lib. de present corp Christi in caelo affirmeth that amongst the Lutherans all that are promoted to degrees and cure of soules do sweare to the Confession of Auspurg and the Apology thereof They sweare to it The same testifyeth Lobechius disp 1. pag. 12. and as Lauatherus addeth anno 1530 The lawes of the vniuersity of VVittemberg do streightly forbid to defend any opinions which are contrary to this Confession Heâ—â—â—sius also lib. cit writeth The authority thereof most holy that the authority thereof ought to be most holy amongst all godly men Westphalus cont Laskum affimeth that it containeth the summe of doctrine founded in the word of God Ernestus Regius in vita Vrbani that it is the square and rule of controuersies in the Church Lobechius lib. cit that it is the rule of sayth and doctrine distinguishing the orthodoxall Church from the heterodoxall Reineccius in armatura tom
worship God And M. Iewel in Defe Apol. part 4. c. 4. diuis 2. Elias thought all the godly in Israel had byn slaine and not one left aliue D. Fulke ad Cauillat Stapletoni It sell to Elias that he seemed to be left alone of all the number of the Godly which sincerely worshipped God M. Hooker in his 3. booke of Eccles policy pag. 126 He tooke it as though there had not byn remayning in the world any besides himselfe that caryed a true and an vpright hart towards God with care to serue him according vnto his holy will D. Sutclife lib. 1. de Eccl. cap. 6. pag. 95 The church in Elias his dayes did seeme to him so destroyed that he thought he had byn left alone D. Whitaker Cont. 2 quest 3. cap. 3. pag. 476 Elias thought the whole Church of the saythfull was perished in his tyme. Elias belieued that none remayned besides himselfe Elias thought that he alone was left a true worshipper of God And pag. 475 Elias sayd that he was alone left the true seruant of God I dispute not now how falsly they impose vpon Elias this blasphemous opinion of the church perishing or destruction only I note how vnder the name and authority of that great Prophet they teach that the church may perish which sometymes they are ashamed to auouch in their owne names 9. Moreouer they teach that the Church may consist of one or two which is in effect and in other words to say that it may perish Luther lib. de notis Eccles tom 7. fol. 148 ProtestaÌ„ts Chuâ—câ— may 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 child This is called the Christian society it is necessary that there be alwayes such men in the world albeit of them there be only two or three or children alone Aretius in locis part 3. fol. 50 Any number though neuer so small sufficeth to the Church for externâ—ll matters Iuniuâ— cont 4. lib. 3. cap. 16 Of any number Two men ordered towards God are a Church D. Whitaker cont 2. quest 3. cap. 3. pag. 474 It is false which he sayth that two men cannot make a Church And pag. seq he graunteth that Protestants teach that ech man is a seuerall Church And pag. 478 Of two only If in the most forlorne tymes of the Church there be one or another faythfull seruant of God it is inough If one or two Which also Bucanus saith loc 41. de Eccles sect 14. Nay Luther in cap. 7. Gen. tom 7. fol. 107. sayth If I were the only man in the whole world who did hold the word I alone should be the church Of one alone And Riuet in Epitom Cont. tract 1. sect 27. The Church subsisteth in euery one of her members Finally they think ProtestaÌ„ts belieue not the coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce of their Church that their Church and religion shall not alwayes endure For thus Luther writeth in cap. 2. Mathaeâ— tom 4. fol. 438 VVe cannot comfort our selues so as the Papists do with that consolation that the Church shall not perish For whersoeuer we cast our eyes we are diuersly terrified the fury of Satan and the world is extreme wherewith he endeauoureth to extinguish this doctrine But the Popes boast and that with full mouth that the Church shall not perish In cap. 55. Isaiae fol. 226 There is danger least it shortly fall out that the word be againe taken from vs. Tom. 3. in psalm grad fol. 489. alias 508 The Pope obstinatly keepeth those promises with which Christ did comfort his followers that he would be with them to the end of the world That S. Peters boat althought it be in danger shall neuer be drowned But the true ProtestaÌ„t Church to which alone that was sayd doth not so belieue that nor so cheare vp her selfe with the trust of those promises Kemnice in locis part 1. tit de Iustificat pag. 216 I often tremble that Luther oftentymes I know not with what abode repeateth those words This doctrine after my death shall be darkened againe The Confession of Mansfeld It is euident what shall follow at length to wit a horrible destruction of pure doctrine which suddenly we shall leese beyond all expectation The Magdeburgians Praefat. Cent. 5 The reuealed truth is already periâ—hed and that vpon the suddaine what remayneth but vtter abolition of true religion Caluin in his Catechism I am so doubtfull touching posterity that I scarce dare thinke thereof Author Praefat. in Syntag. Confess VVe haue cause to feare that matters will returne to the darkenesse of former tymes And Paraeus in Miscellanca Vrsini pag. 39. sayth that all good and wise men do easily perceiue that there hangeth ouer their heads some dreadfull night and darcknesse M. Iewell in his sermon in cap. 1. Aggaei This Ghospell which ye now loath shall be taken from you D. Whitaker cont 2 quest 5. cap. 4. pag. 503 That which he sayth that neither Lutherans nor Zuinglians nor Caluinists shall last euer is vncertaine And lastly D. Morton part 1. Apol. lib. 1. cap. 31. sayth Protestants say not that their Church cannot faile Thus ye see that Protestants cannot comfort themselues that their Church shall not perish that they do not belieue that they shall not be drowned that a horrible destruction and vtter abolition of their doctrine is to follow that they dare scarce thinke of posterity that it is vncertaine whether they are to last for euer and that they belieue not that their Church cannot faile Consider now diligently good reader First how not few but very many Protestant writers haue confessed that their Church and religion was then perished when Luther began Secondly Note that not obscure writers but the most famous amongst them Thirdly that they haue not seldome confessed it but oftentymes Fourthly that not in obscure or generall termes only but in plaine and most particuler words Lastly that not only in their contentious writings against their aduersaries or in their sermons to the people in which speaches some vse to speake hyperbolicaly but also in their most sober and temperate writings as in those wherin they deliuer their doctrine or relate histories in their commentaries vpon the scripture in their Confessions of fayth and in their speaches vnto God himself Be it so that one or two or some few in heat of contention should haue hyperbolically sayd that their church and religion was perished without meaning so But that so many and so great masters so often and in so many kinds of writings so plainly and so particulerly should say that their Church and religion was perished and yet not meane so cannot be sayd vnlesse we will graunt that so many so great Maisters of Protestants in so great a matter haue deceiued their Readers and haue written one thinge and meant another and that their meaning is not to be gathered out of their owne most frequent and most plaine words vttered in all kinds of writings but out of our fancie and pleasure Scorp c.
but euen to Infidels and of the opposite ignorance or inuisibility we speake in this matter and Protestants also as appeareth by their testimonies already rehearsed shall yet more by those which we shall repeat hereafter That they say their Church was simply inuisible 5. Further more therefore Protestants do not only teach that their Church may and hath byn inuisible respectiuely that is to this or that kind of men as we haue already heard but also they graunt that it may be simply and absolutely inuisible Luther vpon the 90. psalm tom 3. fol. 493 The Church was and abode in Popery but truly so hidden as to one that would iudge by the appearance the seemed to be no where at all Seemed to be no where And vpon the psalm 22. fol. 344 The Church is brought into the dust of death so that no where there appeareth any shew or trace of her And vpon the first chap. of Micheas tom 4. fol. 434 No trace of church appeared In the former ages there was no true forme of religion extant The Magdeburgians in the preface of their 10. Century It is very hard to find where which the Church was in this age No forme extant Likewise in the Preface of the 11. Century Euery where was darknes neither durst the Church mutter any thing Gerlachius in his 22. disput of the Church pag. 927. writeth that before Luther The true Church withdrew it selfe from the eyes sight of men into lurking holes and hid her selfe in darknesse Zuinglius in his supplication to the Bishop of Constance tom 1. fol. 120 The heauenly doctrine lay a long tyme hid Hospinian in the epistle dedicatory of the first part of his History From the yeare 1200. vntill the yeare 1515. the Church lay miserably ouerwhelmed as it were with a most deep and most strong deluge Caluin in the Preface of his Institutions God permitted that in former ages there should be no face of the true Church extant No face of the church extant And addeth of his owne doctrine It lay a long tyme vnknowne and buryed Againe For some ages all things were drowned in deep darknes And vpon the 23. chapter of the Acts vers 6. he sayth The Church was hidden from the eyes of men And in his Preface vpon Isaias Touching the oueward shew of the church nothing for many ages appeared but desolate and confused wast on all sides Beza in his book of the notes of the church pag. 99 The Church lurked in the wildernes Pareus in his 4. booke of grace and freewill cap. 6 In Constantines tyme the church began to waâ— sick to death notwithstanding the Catholike Church remayned But where In the desert as in the world withdrawne from the eyes of men Sadeel in his treatise of the vocarion of Ministers pag. 533 After the Church had a long tyme lurked the Lord called her at this tyme into light Could not be discerned Voyen in his Preface of Catalog Doct The true visible Church could not be discerned no tract of Gods grace appeared in his Church The Apology of the English Church part 4. cap. 4. diuis 2. sayth that 40. yeares agoe truth first began to spring vnknowne at that tyme and vnheard of Vnheard of D. Humfrey vnto the 3. reason of F. Campian pag. 286 VVhy the picture of the Church in these later tymes cannot be seene of our aduersaries or drawne of vs c. And pag. 288 If the only names of our Fathers were extant who eyther by teaching Not so much as their names extant or monishing or writing did help the Church of Christ we should see another ranck and progresse of the Church another succession of Bispops another picture of Protestants And pag. 291 And yet they will obiect that our Church was hidden which they no where suffered aliue D. Whitaker Controu 2. quest 3. pag. 479 VVhen they aske of vs where was our Church in tymes past for so many ages we answere that it was in a close wildernesse that is that it was hidden lay secret fled the sight of men And quest 5. c. 3. pag. 499 Luther brought the fayth out of darknesse wherein before it lay drowned And cap. 4. pag. 502 Our Church was then but you will say it was not visible Not visible VVhat then therefore was it not No. For it lay hid in the wildernesse M. Perkins in his exposition of the Creed colum 788 VVe say that many ages past before this our age that vniuersall defection ouerwhelmed almost all the world Not visible and that our Church was not visible at that tyme. M. Base in his 1. Century of the writers of Britanny cap. 4 From Phocas vntill the renewing of the Ghospell the doctrine of Christ lay so long in lurking holes M. Downham in his 2. booke of Antichrist cap. 2 The generall defection of the visible Church began to worke in the Apostles tyme. M. Powell in his 1. book of Antichrist c. 23 Our religion lay long tyme vnknowne and buryed vnknown buried And M. Cox Chancellour of Oxford in King Edward 6. tyme exhorting the vniuersity men to Protestantisme biddeth them pluck out truth lying long tyme lurking in Trophonius denne Thus clearely and thus many wayes they simply and absolutely graunt that their Church was inuisible vnknowne and buryed before Luther arose 6. The same also they intend They teach the Church may be simply inuisible when they say that the Church either was or can be inuisible For they would neuer say so vnlesse they knew that such was the condition of their Church before Luther began Luther vpon the 90. psalm tom 3. fol. 495 Sometymes the Church was most weake and so dispersed as it appeared no where Hutter in his Analysis of the Confession of Auspurg pag. 448 No where appeare It is certaine that it may fall out that the true Church may ly hidden and her visible forme not at all tymes appeare to the eyes Herbrand in his Compend of diuinity place of the Church pag. 502. writeth That the faythfull sometymes appeare not to the eyes euen of the Godly Not to the Godly Kemnitius in his common places tit the epistles of the Apostles pag. 78 Sometymes the true Church another bastard and company preuailing and ouertopping doth so as it werely hid that Elias may say I am leâ—t alone Gerlachius in his 22. dispute of the Church pag. 946 No surely if at some tyme the Church be not seene with corporall eyes therefore she is not Caluin in the Preface of his Institutions Sometyme God taketh away the outward knowledge of his Church from the sight of men Sometyme the Church hath no apparent forme And in his treatise of the true Reformation of the Church pag. 332 The Church sometyme lyeth hid and flieth the sight of men And in his Antidote of the 18. article of the Vniuersity of Paris VVe gather that the Church
be seene by corporall eyes that the externall knowledge therof may be taken from men that it may consist of no apparent forme be without any visible condition without visible succession and destitute of outward forme That the visible face thereof may be taken from vs that it may seeme to haue vtterly perished that the visible Church may perish the outward Church perish that it may wholy leaue to be visible and the whole visible Church perish and finally that there be no true visible Church in the world 10. Besides it is cleare that they teach that not only some part of the visible Church but also as they speake the whole and all the visible Church may perish and that it may fall out that there be none De grat lib. arb c. 8. none at all no visible Church in the world Certainly as S. Austin speaketh these words need no witty interpreter but only an attent hearer 11. Whereby also it is euident Protestāts vntrue shifts refuted that D. White in the defence of his way cap. 38. and 40. sayd vntruly that Protestants imagine not the Church to haue byn at any tyme simply inuisible For as we haue heard they oftentymes professe openly the contrary Vntruly also D. Whitaker auoucheth Cont. 2. quest 3. cap. 2. pag. 472. that we slaunder them when we say they make such a Church as sometymes can be seene of none For as hath byn seene many Num. 5.6 and he amongst the rest haue taught so But D. Whitaker by the name of a visible Church vnderstandeth not a company visibly professing their fayth but one or two or some few visible men who keep their fayth secretly in their harts But this is not the church to haue byn visible but the men to haue byn visible Besides that it is inough for vs that the Protestant Religion and manner of worshipping God was before Luthers tyme altogeather inuisible and only secret in the hearts of some few For thence it will follow as shall appeare hereafter that it is not the religion of God which can neuer be kept so secret and inuisible Vntruly also sayth Iunius Cont. 4. lib. 3. cap. 16. when he writeth This only we say the visible manner of the Church may ly hid or faile to the vngratefull world not that it can become inuisible in it selfe For that which is so inuisible as the Protestants haue sayd the Church may be is in it selfe inuisible Lastly some do vntruly expound the foresayd words of Protestants as if they had only sayd that their Church had byn inuisible in some sort not simply and absolutely because their words were most absolute and it is sophisticall to expound so many absolute speeches only in some sort Besides hereafter we shall see that sometymes they confesse that their church was so inuisible as it implyed contradiction to haue it seene and those who limitate the former speaches agree not togeather in their expositions For D. Whitaker loc cit sayth they only meane that the Church is not alwayes to be seene glorious and of euery one D. White lib. cit cap. 37. that they meane that the Church is not alwayes to be seene a part and free from all errour D. Morton Apol. part 1. lib. 1. cap. 13. that they only meant that the church is not alwayes to be seene publikely of all men by her visible rites and visible succession which shift he calleth the Bulwarck of Protestants But this Bulwarck is built of him without all foundation and is manifestly ouerthrowne by the former Confessions D. Feild sayth they meane not that the Church is wholy inuisible at any tyme but that it is not alwayes to be esteemed by outward appearance But what more manifest then that they teach that the Church may be wholy inuisible as appeareth by their words already rehearsed The Protestāt Church impossible to haue byn seene and shall yet more appeare by and by 12. For they not only confesse that their Church was altogeather inuisible before Luther arose but also they affirme that it is a most vniust and impudent demaund to request them to shew it before that tyme. Hutter in his Analysis of the Confession of Auspurg pag. 448 Impudent demaund It is an impudent demaund of the Romanists to request to haue shewed vnto them such a church in former ages which touching the publike ministery and visible forme agreed in all things with Luther For we haue demonstrated that the true Church then lay hid D. Fulke in his booke of Succession pag. 19 But you bid me bring forth those elect Protestants which lay hid through all the world Good God how vniust a thing do you demaund Vniust that I should bring forth them whome I say lay hid And Sadeel to the Repetition of Turrians Sophismes pag. 766 But I promised not as you say that I would answeare to this your question where those inuisible remnants lay hid as if I had not sufficiētly answeared when I sayd that they lay hid by the vnsearcheable counsaile of God And in his answere to Theses Posnan cap. 8. He will haue them to haue layne so closely that it cannot be knowne what they did And in his booke of Vocation of Ministers pag. 551 At last came that generall Apostasy which the Apostle foretold For then the outward light of the Church being quite extinct Only shadow and name of visible Church there remayned the only shadow and name of the visible Church The same also intimateth Plessy Mornay in the Preface of his Mystery of iniquity when he sayth VVe are not bound to shew the Church it sufficeth that God knew his owne And Iohn Regius in his Apology pag 176 You deny that Luther sound a company of his sect I say there was an ecclesiasticall company of true religion and which agreed with Luther in all points But when the Iesuits vrge to shew a follower of religion they would that Luther shew that which implieth Implied to be visible and proue the inuisible to be visible Napper vpon 12. cap. Apocal pag. 294 From the yeare 316. God with drew his visible Church from the open assemblies of men to the hearts of particuler men and from that tyme the Church lay hid and was inuisible The same he sayth pag. 188 But if so it be an impudent and vniust demaund to haue their Church shewed before Luther if it were withdrawne from open assemblies to the hearts of some if her outward light were quite extinct and the only shadow and name of the visible Church remayned and lastly if it implyed contradiction that she should be shewed it is most euident that she was altogeather inuisible The same also they intimate when they say that the Church either hath byn at any tyme or may be thus inuisible Luther vpon the 90. psalme tom 3. fol. 495 Church no where but in the sight of God The Church was then in Elias tyme but so hidden as it was
no where but in the sight of God Hyperius in his Methode of diuinity lib. 3. pag. 349 VVas not the true Church at that tyme of Elias altogeather inuisible to men and knowne to God alone The Switzers Confession cap. 17 The Church hidden from our eyes and knowne to God only Knowne to God alone doth often fly the iudgement of men Besnage in his booke of the state of the visible and inuisible church cap. 4 The Church is eftsones knowne to God alone Son is in his answere to Sponde cap. 2. pag. 32 VVe say the state of the Church is such as is sometymes known to God alone And D. Whitaker Cont. 2. quest 3. cap. 3. pag. 478 VVe say that the externall state of the Church doth cease and that the faythfull and godly may be so scattered that they worship God only in heart and mind Worship God in heart only But who seeth not that it implieth manifest contradiction that a Church which is no where but in the sight God which is knowne to God alone which flyeth mans iudgement and which worshippeth God only in heart and mind should be visible or seene of man How long the Protestāts Church was inuisible 13. If any aske them how many ages their Church was thus inuisible Luther vpon the 1. cap. to the Galat. tom 5. fol. 214. sayth that she lay hid aboue 300. years To whome commeth neere Danaeus in his 3. book de Roman Pontif. cap. 8. saying the Church was in banishment 350. years But Luther better thinking on the matter in his booke of the Popery tom 7. maketh her to haue lurked 600. years And with him agreeth Hospinian in his epistle dedicatory of the 1. part of his History Melancthon in his oration for Luther tom 2. will haue this lurking to haue byn 400. yeares But Caluin his booke of Scandals Perkins and Bale in the places before cited will haue it to haue continued 900. years Parcus aboue cited will haue it to haue begon in Constantines tyme and Napper from the yeare of our Lord 316 With whome consenteth Brocard vpon the 11. Chap. Apocal. pag. 110. Fuccius in his Cronology fetcheth the beginning of this lurking a litle higher from the yeare 261. and finally Curio of the largenesse of Gods Kingdome pag. 33 Almost from the Apostles ages euen to our tym Which they also intimate who say that Popery began in the Apostles tyme. O Christ most patient Lord that I may cry out with Tertullian who so many years yea so many ages diddest suffer thy doctrine to be turned vpside downe till Luther came to helpe thee 14. Luther Author of the visible Protestāt Church Of all things which haue byn related in this Chapter it is most cleare that Luther was at least author of the Protestants visible Church and if not the first which founded it yet the first which after it was fallen in substance perished did rayse and restore it againe For when Luther began first to preach there was no visible Protestant Church at all and by his preaching there became such a visible Church Therefore vndoubtedly he was the author thereof And if any Protestant against so many and so open Confessions of his Fathers and brethren will say that there was a visible Protestant Church before Luther he shall first gainesay so many witnesses without all exception in this matter who hauing searched all corners and enquired of all men haue neuerthelesse confessed that at that tyme no such visible Church appeared Besides he shall say that without all either diuine or humane testimony which to do of tymes before his age is to play the Prophet or rather the mad man For it is not the part of a man in his wittes to affirme without all kind of testimony especially such a thing and so manifestly false as that so many and such kind of men as had most need to affirme it were neuerthelesse forced to deny it That it wanteth all sufficient humane testimony is euident because neither the foresayd Protestants nor any yet to this day could bring forth any sufficient witnesse who would depose that he had seene such a Church before Luthers reuolt That also it is destitute of diuine testimony is manifest by what hath byn before rehearsed For Protestants at we haue heard teach that the promises of perpetuity which in the scripture are made to the church Sup. num 7. are made only to the inuisible church that is to a society of men in election and Iustification out of which Church they exclude the reprobate and wicked and not to the visible Church that is to the society in Profession of true doctrine and lawfull vse of Sacraments And in truth they most needs say so sith they commonly teach that the inuisible Church whereof the elect and iust alone are members is the true Church before God and that the visible Church whereof the wicked reprobate may be members is but a Church in sight of men that is a shadow and outward shew of the Church And it is cleare that God promised perpetuity to that Church only which in his sight is the true Church and not to her which is no Church but only in sight of men When as I say they teach that God promised perpetuity and continuance only to the inuisible Church out of his promises they cannot inferre Lib. 2. cōt Maxim c. 3. l 3 c 176 that the visible Church hath or shall euer continue Of whome therefore that I may vse S. Augustins words hast thou heard this whence diddest thou learne it where hast thou read it for to belieue it whereupon hast thou presumed for to affirme it where there is neither any authority nor reason If Protestants cry out Whitak cont 2. q. 3 c. ◠that it is most absurd to say in Elias his tyme there was any Church visible amongst the Gentiles beside the Synagogue which now after so many thousands of years we cannot name how much more absurd ought they think it to say that before Luther arose there was a visible Protestant Church which yet none neither of that Church nor out of it neither at this tyme nor at that could euer name 15. It being thus manifest that Luther was the Author of the visible Protestant Church it followeth likewise that he was the author of all and Euery Protestant Church For as shall be shewed hereafter there can be no such inuisible Church as Protestants meane that is such as belieueth and worshippeth God only in hart and mind and no way professeth outwardly her fayth and religion Yet before we come to that we will first refute those who when they consider how absurd a thing it is to affirme such an inuisible Church especially for so many ages they begin to shufle and either send vs to others or themselues name vs such as only in part or in some sort held Protestantisme but imbraced not all the substantiall points thereof and
therefore were but halfe Protestants For to vs it sufficeth that we shew Luther to haue byn the Author and beginner of whole and true Protestants such as held all points that are necessary to the making of an absolue Protestant Those confuted who say there were some visible Protestants when Luther arose CHAP. V. What a maÌ„ Illyricus was 1. SOME Protestants when we aske of them who were the visible Protestants before Luther began do not themselues name any but send vs to Illyricus or M. Fox So playeth D. Whitaker lib. 3. against Duraeus sect 12. Colloq Aldeburg Hosâ— part 2. fol. â—c 4. Beza epist 55. in Mat. 20 ver 15. in 4. Ephe. Sâ—uitet Praefat. in tom 1. Pareus lib. 5. de Amâ—sl grat cap. 1 Melancâ—h tom 2. Hesk. in Antid Schâ—sselb Praf to 2. Kemnit loc p. 261. and lib. 7. sect 1 D. Fulke of Succession pag. 324. Schusselburg in 8. tom of his Catalogue of Heretiks pag. 365. Vorstius in his Autibellarm pag. 159. Lubbert lib. 5. of the Church c. 2. and others These men do manifestly shew that theÌ„selues know not of any such visible Protestants For they would neuer lay the burden of answering this question vpon others if they could haue answered it themselues And besides they declare that they know no author worthy of credit to whome they might send vs for the answere of this so important demaund else they would neuer haue referred vs to Illyricus or M. Fox For Illyricus in the iudgement of most Protestants both Lutherans and Sacramentaries was a vagabond a hell hound an heretike a Manichee deceitfull a lyar an impostor a falsifier a Cauiller a sclaunderer a singular inuenter of sclaunders a sycophant in his own iudgement impudently blasphemous a broacher of doctrine which bringeth in Epicurisme and mortality of the soule and ouerthroweth all religion and who had nothing to impugne truth withall besides an audacious ignorance and a very diuilesh spirit This and much more write the Protestants themselues of Illyricus wherefore to send vs to such a man is plainly to confesse that they know no man of credit to whome they may referre vs. And of the like stuffe is Fox a most impudent patcher of lyes who in his false Martyrologe proposeth theeues traytors sorcerers murderers of themselues Anabaptists Papists professed enemies and some then aliue for Protestant Martyrs as Allen Cope sheweth in the sixt book of his dialogues Beside those whom Illyricus nameth before Luther himselfe dares not cal Protestants but VVitnesses of truth because forsooth they disliked some doctrine or fact of the Pope And such witnesses also they are as some of them be Popes themselues as (a) Lib. 19. Pius 2. some famous Papists as (b) Lib 15. Peter Lumbard and Gratian whome himselfe calleth the (c) Lib. 15. 16. Pillars of the Religion of the Roman Antichrist and sayth they renewed Popery euen from the foundation some professed aduersaries of ProtestaÌ„ts as (d) Lib. 19. Clichtoucus some of the holy Fathers who as before was seene condemned the very soule and summe of Protestancy some those who only disliked the corrupt manners of some Popes as (e) Centur. 6 cap. 1. Richard Hampell some Atheists as (f) Lib. 19. Machiauell some who any way (g) Praf Catal. gainsayd either the doctrine or deed of any Pope Surely for Illyricus to bring such witnesses after he had searched in all corners and raked in all chanels doth manifestly bewray that there can no true Protestants be found before Luthers tyme. For Illyricus though neuer so impudent would haue byn ashamed to haue bragged of such silly witnesses if he could haue found any true Protestants whatsoeuer Besides such felloweâ— may be only sayd to haue byn Protestants and can no way be proued to haue byn simply and absolutely Protestants such as we speake of And we care not whom any one may say to haue byn Protestants for as Luther sayth Tom. 2. fol 437. what is more easy then to say any thing but whome he can proue conuince to haue byn such without which his saying is but voluntary and ridiculous and the beliefe therof rash and vnreasonable 2. And as for those which M. Fox produceth for Protestants before Luther they liued in the year of our Lord 1521. as himselfe writeth pag. 749. in the edition of 1596. that is in the 4. year of Luthers new preaching and we aske for Protestants before Luther Besides they all abiured their fayth as himselfe confesseth pag. 750. and soone after dyed for sorrow or lingered away with shame and we aske for Protesters not Abiurers Moreouer no one of them is found to haue held that cheife and fundamentall article of Protestancy of Iustification by speciall faith albeit as Fox writeth pag. 550 There was such diligent inquisition made as that no article could be so secretly taught amongst them but it was discouered Wherefore these wretched Abiurers were no ProtestaÌ„ts but some reliques of the Wiclifists or Lollards whereof we will intreat anone The waldenses were no ProtestaÌ„ts 3. Others say that the Waldenses were the visible Protestants before Luthers rising but there is no apparent reason to say that they were true absolute Protestants to wit such as held all the whole substance necessary to a Protestant For first there is no writer before Luthers tyme who sayth that they belieued to be iustified by only fayth Neither can any such thing be gathered either out of their own opinions or out of the writings of Catholiques against them at those tymes And Illyricus in his Catalogue of witnesses printed at Geneua 1597. lib. 15. pag. 544. writeth their opinions out of an ancient Catholique writer and pag. 559. out of Aenaeas Siluius and pag. 539. relateth their Confession out of Sleidan and himselfe pag. 536. reckoneth 13. of their articles of which he hath these words These are the articles of the VValdenses albeit others part them into more branches and make them more But in none of them is there any trace of only iustifying fayth The same I say of their Confession which the sayd Illyricus hath in his Catalogue printed at Geneua 1526. yea there col 1832. he sayth that Husse and Hierome of Prage did add vnto the doctrine of the Waldenses the article of free iustification by only fayth as sayth he Syluius intimateth wherein albeit he belye both Husse and Hierome also Syluius Num. 7. because neither they knew of any such iustification as shall straight appeare neither Syluius intimateth any such matter yet it clearly bewrayeth that the waldenses belieued not iustification by only fayth Moreouer Luther as we shall now rehearse confesseth that the Waldenses knew nothing of his imputatiue iustice by only fayth How then can they be sayd to haue byn true and absolute Protestants who wanted the very soul summe and definition of a Protestant Secondly they not only belieued not iustification by only fayth but belieued the contrary
the Waldenses and therefore the Bohemian Confession is not the Waldenses Confession Nor albeit therein be mention of iustification by only fayth can it be inferred that therefore the Waldenses did belieue it Finally as I haue often sayd and it must be alwayes inculcated I regard not whome any one sayth to haue byn Protestants but whom he proueth to haue byn such Neither whome he can proue to haue byn Protestants in part and in some sort but whome he can proue to haue byn absolutely and wholy Protestants at least for the substance of Protestancy Neither will it auaile any whit to complaine that we haue burnt the writings of the Waldenses by which they might proue that they were true Protestants For if they haue nor wherwithall to proue they were true Protestants they in vaine do feigne it Besides we asked of Luther his followers to produce one man Waldensian or other who had byn a true Protestant before Luthers preaching for which end there was no need of writings but of liuing men Wiclif was no true Protestant 6. In like sort I proue that Wicliffe and his followers were not true and absolute Protestants First because the Wiclifists are by name condemned togeather with other heretiks of Protestants in their Apology of the Confession of Auspurg chap. of the Church in these words VVe haue plainly inough sayd in our Confession that we disalow the Donatists and VViclifists Secondly because neither in Wiclifs booke nor of any of his schollers is there any signe of sole iustifying fayth neither did euer any Catholike writer contend with them there about Thirdly because as Melancthon writeth in his epistle to Myconius in his 1. tom printed at Bâ—sle pag. 416 VViclif neither vnderstood nor held the iustice of fayth Yea Husse his principall follower as we shall anon rehearse belieued that works did iustify And Wiclif himselfe in Thomas Walden tom 3. tit 1. cap. 7. bid euery one hope in the proper iustice of his life and men to trust in their merits which thing alone doth separate him farre inough from the Protestants campe Fourthly because the Wiclifists are reckoned amongst Heretiks of many Protestants as of Schusselburg tom 3. Catal pag. 190. of Kemnice in fundament is Coenae pag. 114. of Pantalcon in his Chronicle and of Matthias Hoe disput 27. they are termed most monstrous monsters And D. Cay in his 2. booke of the antiquity of Cambridge obiecteth Wicliffe to the Oxford men as a flaine of their vniuersity Fiftly wiclif taught diuers things which Protestants dislike And to omit these things which Catholikes obiect vnto him Canisius to 3 antiq lectionum Rokesana Prince of the Hussites in his dispute with Catholiks before the King of Bohemia hath these words These are the articles of VViclif That tithes are meere almes That the Clergy ought to haue no ciuill gouernment If a King be in mortall sinne that he is no more a King Which last article Osiander in his 15. Century repeateth thus There is no temporall Lord no Prelate no Bishop whiles he is in mortall sinne And Melancthon in his foresayd epistle VViclif doth plainly sophistically and seditiously wrangle vpon ciuill dominion And in his dispute of the right of Magistrats VViclif is mad who thinketh the wicked to haue no Dominion And in his Commentaries vpon Aristotles Politiques VViclif would haue those who haue not the holy ghost to loose their Dominion So that I meruaile how D. Andrews in his answere to the Apology of Bellarmine could say that it is a sclaunder that Wiclif taught so when as not only Catholiks but euen Hussites and Protestants do affirme it Moreouer Wiclif as Osiander reporteth in the place aforecited did condemne lawfull oathes and taught that all things fell out according to absolute necessity And Melancthon in his sayd epistle giueth this sentence of him I haue looked into VViclif but I haue found in him many other errors Wiclife held not iustice of sole faith by which one may iudge of his spirit He at all vnderstood not nor held the iustice of sayth He fondly confoundeth the ghospell and politique affaires would haue Priests to haue nothing proper c. And in his common places chap. of Ecclesiasticall power That superstition of VViclif is pernicious and seditious which driueth the ministers of the Church to beggery and denyeth that it is lawfull for them to hold any thing proper M. Stow also in his Cronicle anno 1376. writeth that he taught that Neither King nor lay man could giue any thing to the church for perpetuity Finally Vadianus in his fiâ—t book of the Eucharist pag. 168. confesseth that in many things he fouly erred Hussites no Protestants 7. Husse likewise and his partners we proue not to haue byn true and absolute Protestants First because it cannot be proued that they held the foresayd article of iustification by only fayth and the other fundamentall points of Protestancy Secondly because Husse is by name reiected of Luther who in the defence of his 30. article tom 2. thus writeth of him He agreeth not with me He gaue not a litle to the idol of Rome He seemeth not to repugne against the Popes Monarchy And vpon the 2. psal tom 3. fol 395 Husse did not condemne the sacrifice of Masse as we do And vpon the 9. chapter of Isaias tom 4. fol. 108. he sayth that Husse held a doctrine most pestilent most pernicious horrible and wholy impious yea very diuelish And in his Lypsicall dispute tom 1. fol. 260 I know and that very well that an euill Prelate is not to be reiected and therefore I damne the article of Husse And both there and other where Tom. 1. fo 30. 291. 292. 251. oftentymes denieth himselfe to be a Bohemian by which he meant an Hussite And in his table-talkes chapter of Sâ—ermers sayth Husse belieued that works with fayth do iustify which point alone excludeth him from the number of Protestants Husse belieue not sole faith And in the chapter of Antichrist Husse departed not one iot from the Papists but only reproued vices and naughty life Which also affirmeth Hierome of Prage Husse his fellow in M. Fox vpon the 11. chapter of the Apocal. Where also M. Fox himselfe writeth that Husse agreed with the Papists touching transubstantiation Masse Vowes Predestination Free will formed fayth cause of iustification and merits of works which plainly declare how litle he held of Protestancy Lastly when Bellarmine wrote that there was not in the world when Luther began any religion but Paganisme Iudaisme Mahometisme Grecisme Nestorianisme Hussites heresy and the Romane fayth D. Whitaker Cont. 2. quest 5. cap. 3. pag. 502. denyeth these to haue byn all For sayth he our Church was then In which words he professeth the Protestants to be a different church from the Hussites Iunius also lib. 4. de Eccles cap. 6. acknowledgeth that some Protestant deny Hussites to be of their Church And Luther vpon the 53.
society in profession of true doctrine and right vse of Sacraments is termed of Protestants the true Church not because this Church or society is of it self the true church or the society instituted by God but because alwayes in or vnder it there is the true Church to wit the society in iustice and predestination by reason that in euery company of them that professe true doctrine and rightly vse the Sacraments there are some who are sociated and vnited in iustice and predestination Which D. Whitaker intimateth when Cont. 2. quest 4. cap. 1 pag. 485. he sayth The visible Church which holdeth and professeth true sayth is the true Church only of the part of the elect and predestinated I answere that this supposeth a thing doubtfull and perhaps false For what certainty can there be that in euery particuler company of them who professe the true fayth rightly vse the Sacraments there is alwayes a coÌ„pany of the iust and elect when as Christ sayth Many are called but few are chosen Matt. â—0 especially if as Protestants say one or two make a church Surely Danaeus Cont. 4. pag. 689. seemeth to deny this saying These visible companies are sometymes a part of that true Church sometymes none But admit that in euery company of true professors there be always a company of iust and elect what reason were this to terme the society in profession of true fayth the true Church if in deed the society in iustice predestination be the only true Church This would suffice to say that the apparent Church could neuer be separated from the true Church but not to call that society the true Church which indeed is only the outward appearance of the true Church And much lesse would it suffice to call it the church properly so termed the spouse and body of Christ the Catholike Church the Church which we professe to belieue as the Protestants haue termed the visible Church Neither can these epithets or names be giuen to any other society then to that which hath the true nature and substance of the Church indeed because they signify as properly and expresly that only Church as she can be expressed of vs by any words whatsoeuer And sith Protestants haue giuen them all to the visible church they must needs confesse that shee hath the nature and substance of the very true Church indeed and consequently that an inuisible Church is no true Church indeed 6. Fourthly I proue that the Church cannot be inuisible ProtestaÌ„ts somtyms say that the church cannot be inuisible because oftentymes Protestants do confesse it The Apology of the Confession of Ausburg chap. of the Church The Church is principally the society of fayth and of the holy Ghost in the hearts which yet hath her outward markes that she may be knowne Luther vpon the 4. chap. of Genesis tom 6. fol. 56 The Church was neuer so voyd of externall marks that it could not be not knowne where God was certainly to be sound And vpon 51. psalm tom 3. fol. 474 For Christ will not lye hid in the world but will be preached not between wals but vpon the house top Melancthon vpon the 11. of Daniel tom 2. pag. 511 It is necessary that the Church be a visible company Againe VVe seigne not an inuisible Church like to a Platonicall idea And in the Preface of his 3. tome he thinketh it so absurd to put an inuisible Church as he sayth To what tendeth that perdigious speach Monstruous to say the Church was inuible which denyeth that there is any visible Church We must needs confesse a visible Church And vpon the 3. chap. 1. Tim. tom 4. pag. 398 Others sayth he setting aside wholy the externall shew do speake of an inuisible Church as of a Platonicall idaea which is no where seene or heard Kemnice in his common places title of the Church cap. 3 God will haue vs to know where and which is the Church Therefore she must be knowne not to God only but also to vs and therupon is defined to be the visible company of them who imbrace the Ghospell of Christ and rightly vse the Sacraments Iames Andrews in his book against Hosius pag. 210 VVe are not ignorant that the church must be a visible company of teachers and hearers Againe The Church is and is called a company of men chosen of God in which the word of God soundeth incorrupt c. Hunnius in his treatise of Freewill pag. 91 God in all tymes hath placed his Church as in a high place and hath exalted it in the sight of all people and Nations Hutter in his Analysis of the Confession of Auspurg pag. 430 The elect are not the whole Church no if you speake only of the true church For the church consisteth not only of inward sayth in Christ but also of the outward administration of the word Sacraments Now as farre as this in outward rite is performed so farre the true Church truly is visible Beurlin in the Preface of his Refutation of Sotus I confesse the Church of Christ is alwayes to be acknowledged visible And he addeth that all confesse the same The same doctrine is taught by Gesner loc 24. by Adam Francis in his 11. place and by other Lutherans Amongst the Sacramentaries thus writeth Vrsin in Prolegomenis ad Catechcsin pag. 2 The Church must needs be seene in this world that the elect may know vnto what company they must adioyne themselues in this life Iunius Cont. 4. lib. 3. cap. 13. affirmeth that it is impious to say that the Church can wholy want a visible forme Keckerman in the 3. book of his Theologicall systeme writeth that the Church must always be sensible that other nations may know to what church they ought to adioyne themselues and that Confession of sincere doctrine can neuer faile wholy nor the visible church wholy erre Danaeus in his booke of the visible Church dareth to say that who denieth the true church of God and that visible to haue byn from the beginning of the world he without doubt sheweth himselfe to be ignorant in holy scripture Amongst our English Protestants M. Hooker in his 3. booke of Ecclesiasticall policy pag. 126 God hath had euer euer shall haue some Church visible vpon earth D. Feild in his 1. booke of the Church cap. 10 For seing the Church is the multitude of them that shall be saued and no man can be saued vnlesse he make Confession vnto saluation for fayth hid in the heart and concealed doth not suffice it cannot be but they that are of the true Church must by profession of the truth make themselues knowne in such sort that by their profession and practise they may be discerned from other men And D. White in defence of his Way cap. 4. pag. 390 I acknowledge the prouidence of God who hath left the records of history to confirme our fayth and freely graunt our religion to be false if the
were certaine that D. Martin Luther were fallen into so foule and impious errours we first of all would not only yield him vp to the law but also would punish him and cast him out And in their Epistle to Pope Leo 10. ibid. fol. 206. Most holy Faoher we deuout and obedient children of your Holynes do most humbly earnestly beseech c. And below Neither would we euer seeme such as would pertinaciously hold any opinion contrary to the Catholike doctrine ready at all tymes to obey yours and the holy Churches behests in Christ And in another letter to Fredericke the Elector fol. 227. Aboue all thinges we exceedingly like that your highnesse simply and purely honoureth the holy Church and the Pope Neither will we euer be of any other mind VVe preferre nothing before the iudgment of the Roman Church And not only the Vniuersity but the people of VVittemberg were also Catholiks as Luther declareth in these wordes to Fredericke Elector fol. 330. It cannot be denyed that the Reformation of doctrine and religion in this Church of VVittemberg began by me 3. Fredericke also the Elector Frederike Elector first Catholke and Luthers chief Patron was a Papist For thus himselfe writeth to Cardinall Raphael tom 1. Lutheri fol. 228. Your kindnes God willing shall neuer see that I haue any other mind or will then to shew my selfe obedient and officious vnto the Catholike Church And his Counsailers tom 2. fol. 116. professe that he is an obedient sonne of the Holy Catholike Church And likewise tom 1. fol. 101. Fredericke the Elector aboue all loueth the Catholike and Apostolike truth Besides as Luther writeth tom 7. sermone de simulacris he put siluer statuaes in the Church thinking thereby to merit at Gods hands And tom 2. lib. de abroganda Missa fol. 268. He deceaued by Papists did greatly increase and adorne the house of All Saints He founded also a Colledge of Canons where he kept Masse vntill the end of the yeare 1524. as Chytreus testifieth lib. 11. histor Saxon. and Luther intimateth in formula Missae tom 2. fol 387. saying Be not you or any other afraid that in our VVittemberg that sacrilegious Tophee remayneth as yet which is the wicked and lost mony of the Princes of Saxony I meane the temple of All Saints 4. Pomeranus Bugenlage the Pomeran and first Protestant of VVittembrge had beene before a Papist For as Scultet concione saecul pag 15. reporteth when he first read Luthers booke de captiu he sayd Since the beginning of the world the Sunne neuer beheld a greater heretike then Luther Of Osiander Osiander thus writteth Danaeus respons ad Leonicum pag. 1518. He was a most wicked Frāciscan Erier His proper name was Hosen that is hose or hosier but of hosier he would be called Hosion that is a holy man 5. The same also we manifest of the Captains of the Sacramentaryes among whom Zuinglius Zuinglius writeth thus of himselfe epist ad Fratres tom 1. fol. 341. I will not deny that in tymes past I receaued guists of the Pope For then I thought it lawfull to vse the Popes liberality when I thought it a pious and godly matter to defend to my strength his Religion and fayth And Luther lib. de Coena writeth that Zuinglius was become seauen tymes worse then when he maintayned Popish religion Likewise Oecolampadius Oecolampadius Zuinglius his cheifest partener thus witnesseth of himselfe respons poster ad Porkey merum pag. 108. I entred into a Monastery being of a good age and a man Doctor and with mature aduise To which Hospin addeth part 2. hist fol. 35. He entred two yeures before into the Monastery of our Sauiour neere to Auspurge and there became a Monke fearing some danger of the common wealth by Luthers writings Pelicanus And ibidem fol. 42. he sayth that Pellican was a Franciscan And fol. 213. that Bucer Bucer became a Dominican in his childhood of whome also and Peter Martyr D. Andrewes Respons ad Apol Bellar. sayth They left their monkish life 6. Of Caluin Caluin thus testifyeth himself lib de scandalis pag. 100. Vnder the Popes tyranny I was free to marry since God deliuered me from thence c. And respons ad Sadolet pag. 122. If I would haue prouided for my matters I should neuer haue left your faction In his Testament God deliuered we from the deep darknes of Idolatry wherein I was drowned And Pareus lib. 2. de amiss grat cap. 1. VVhence were Luther and Caluin but of Papists The same appeareth out of his life written by Beza where he sayth that he had a benefice in the Cathedral Church of Noyon and the cure of a Parish thereby and that he was first put in mind of Protestancy by Robert Oliuetan That Peter Martyr Peter Martyr was long tyme both Catholike and Canon regular Simler testifyeth in his life which also he affirmeth of Zanchius Zanchius saying that he was one of the 18. companiōs that forsaking Popery followed Peter Martyr who also in his preface de Natura Dei sayth that he was 35. yeares of age when he left Babylon 7. Concerning the Lutherans in generall Lutherās in general thus writeth Luther epist ad Erford fol. 500. In which errour of Antichrist we being all stifled enthralled wlth a grieuous and miserable slauery did serue the God and Prince of this world seruing the same in sinnes and all kind of impiety And tom 4. in cap. 43. Isaiae fol. 179. VVe are accounted heretikes of the Pope as who haue deuided our selues from that Church wherein we were baptized and instructed In cap. 4. Galat. tom 5. fol. 377. VVe old men were brought vp in that Popish fayth and haue so swallowed it that it hath entred the most inward sinewes of our harts And therefore we forget it with no lesse paynes then we learne the true sayth Ye heare how hardly the very first Protestants could become Protestants leaue to be Papists And in cap. 11. Genes tom 6. fol. 129. he thus boasteth VVe are holy Apostataes for we haue fallen from Antichrist and the Church of Satan Melancthon likewise in cap. 7. Math. tom 1. fol. 406. VVe were heeretofore subiect to the Popes kingdome Tom. 2. cont Suenefeld pag. 200. VVe departed from the Popes Churches Tom. 3. ad Art Bauar fol. 364. There was necessary cause that we should forsake the Papists And tom 4. in Act. VVormat pag. 403. VVe haue iust cause of departure from the Popish congregation and with good conscience we forsooke the consent of so many Nations Iames Andrewes cont Hosium pag. 332. The more aged doe gratefully acknowledge that they came from you that is lest you and your doctrine And Schuffelburg in Epist dedicat tom 8. Catal. haeret hath these wordes It is behoofull to haue before our eyes the causes whereon our consciences may in the stormes of tentations rely why in this our age Ancestours
vs these accursed speeches and others too when in the midst of the darcknesse of that age it first began to spring and to giue shine some one glimmering beame of truth vnknowne at that time and vnheard of when as yet the thing was but new the successe therof vncertaine and when there could be imagined against vs no fact so detestable but that the people then would soon beleiue it for the nouelty and straungenesse of the matter Ibid. diuis 1 How often haue they set on fire Princes houses to the end they might quench the light of the gospell in the very first appearing of it M. Fox in his Acts set forth anno 1610. pag 788. writing what passed anno 1523 speaketh thus But in the blade Then the doctrine of Luther first beginning to spring and being but in the blade was not yet knowne wherto it tended nor to what it would grow D. Rainolds in his Conference cap. 5. sect 2. sayth that Protestants haue not had long tract of time And a late Chronicler thought to be M. Good win writing the life of K. Henry 8. 1521. sayth In the meane time our king moued at the nouelty of Luthers doctrine c. To all which I adde that Erasmus whome Protestants as is before shewed doe challenge as one of theirs writeth thus to the Brethren of the low couÌ„treis New Ghospell do not they bring a new Gospel who expound it otherwise then the Church hitherto hath don But Why I pray you should the Protestants religion seeme new to all the world and in the iudgement of all pious and prudent men if indeed it were not new How should so many so famous Protestants so often and in so many different kinds of writings to wit in prose in verse in peaceable in contentious writings in Historicall in dogmaticall in speech to men to God himselfe haue sayd so plainly and so many wayes that Protestant religion was new fresh vnwonted vnused wholy new newly planted erected anew if they had not thought that it was indeed new For as Luther sayth It is impossible but that the conscience will some time bewray it selfe 5. ProtestaÌ„ts first refuted If any answeare that the fore sayd ProtestaÌ„nts doe not meane that their religion was absolutely new First I aske why then doe they absolutely say so and that so often and in so many kind of writings Why do they so often and in so weighty a matter write otherwise then they think Besides it cannot be proued that they did not meane that it was absolutely new when they spake so otherwise then because perhappes at other times they sayd the contrary Which kind of proofe in Heretikes is friuolous as partly hath bin shewed before partly shall be more hereafter Moreouer this is like the excuse of the Marcionists who wheÌ„ they had brought in a new God yet would not haue him to be called absolutely new but only newly knowne or discouered 6. Fiftly I proue the nouelty of Protestant religion because euen then when in words they deny it to be new in very deed they confesse it to be new in such sort as sufficeth for me to proue that Luther was the Author therof and that it is not the religion of Christ to wit that it is of new erected built set vp according to the very substance and essence therof in such sorr as a house falleÌ„ downe but newly raised in walls roofe and other such substantiall parts may be called a new house Because Christs Church and religion cannot be new in this sort being such as can neuer fall For they confesse that the antiquity of their Church was abrogated and that it is a religion refined and reformed and that they are refiners and reformers D. Morton 1. part Apol. lib 1. cap vlt writeth that Protestants Challenge the first antiquity but abrogated by mens fault Iunius Cont. 4. lib. 4. cap. 7 sayth The continuance of the old and Catholike doctrine is renewed But surely that thing whose antiquity hath bin abrogated and broken of is new For the kingdome in Caesars time was new in Rome although it began with the citty it selfe because it had bin abrogated for diuers ages Wherupon Riuet Epitom-Cont tract 3 cap. 21 sayth Things are called new when they are renewed and vsed after interruption Besides whether a thing once abrogated and taken away and afterward restored be to be called new or no it sufficeth to me that the Protestant religion is in such sort new as a house fallen downe and newly raised may be called nâ—w because the Church religion of Christ cannot be new in this manner nor the antiquity therof abrogated and cut of In like sort Muscle in locis tit de noua doctrina pag. 417 Albeit he deny that they make new doctrine yet he confesseth that they renew doctrine And that he meaneth of a substantiall renouation wherin the very substance of a thing is renewed it appeareth by the precedent page where he sayth that old matters abrogated fallen down for some ages are renewed A Church therfore and religion fallen downe they doe renew that is erect a new Wherupon the French Confession Beza Bastingius as is before recited say that their Church is againe a new erected and others cal her a Church Reuiued resuscitated reborn and assigne a new birth and begining of her which words doe manifestly signifie a new substantial production or making of her which whether it be called a nouatioÌ„ or renouatioÌ„ maketh not much to the purpose seing it is either a substantial production or first making of that which neuer had bin before or a reproduction and second making of that which though it had bin before yet was fallen and the substance therof corrupted and perished Of which nouation or renouation Luther was the Author Besides they call themselues Renewers or Refiners ProtestaÌ„ts call themselues reformers and their Church or religion Reformed or refined D. Andrewes Respons ad Apol. Bellarm. cap. 1 VVe are Renewers VVe call our religion reformed Caluin Epist 341 VVe carry the name of the reformed Church Iunius lib. 4. de Eccles cap. 16 VVe hold the Reformed Christian saith And in the same sort speaketh the Scots Confession the Consent of Poland D Whitaker Prefat cont cont 1. quest 2. c. 16. 17. cont 2. quest 5. c. 2. others commonly I aske therfore what kind of forme of religion haue they taken away by their reformation and what a one haue they giuen Surely they haue changed the very substantiall forme For to omit al other points they haue taken away the former manner of obtayning remission of sinnes by the Catholike faith and good workes and brought in a new of obtayning the same by special faith only and vndoubtedly the way to obtaine remissioÌ„ of sins is substantiall to a Church and religioÌ„ But they who take away the substantiall forme and bring anew doe make a new thing and such a
renewer of Euangelicall truth and doctrine Bucer Resp ad Episc Abrincen pag. 613. writeth that God by Luther hath merueilously and happily restored the summe of the Ghospell in our age Restored the summ of the Ghospell Restored Religion D. Whitaker cont 2. quest 5. cap. 12. pag. 528 Luther only tooke vpon him to restore religion corrupted and to renew the ancient and true doctrine And ad Rat. 10. Campiani calleth him the Renewer of the old sayth or as the English Apology termeth him the promulgator of this doctrine D. Humphrey in Prolegomenis pag. 82. saith VVe reuerence Luther as a great renewer of Religion And what is it to be a renewer Restorer Setler of a thing corrupted especially if he restore the summe thereof as Bucer sayd that Luther restored the summe of Religion but to be an Author or maker of it according to the very substance thereof 5. Finally they plainly graunt that Luther was the first to whom Protestancy was reuealed that he layd the first foundation of Protestant Religion and that he was the captaine Luther first to whome Protestats was reuealed Author and Begetter therof Luther himselfe in sermone Quid sit homini Christiano praestandum tom 7. fol. 274. speaketh thus to Protestants I was the first whome God set in these lists I was also the first to whome God vouchsafed to reueale these thinges which are now preached vnto you Behould Christian Reader a new (a) Theod. l. 2. c. 18. Aetius surnamed Atheist who sayd that those thinges were now reuealed to him by God which hitherto he would haue to be hidden vnto all A new (b) Basil l. cont Eun. Eunomius who sayd that he had seund a new way to God and vnheard of which none before had perceaued A new (c) Vinc. c. 42. Nestorius who gloried that he first vnderstood the Scripture A new Cataphryge (d) Athan. de Synod who sayd VVe haue the first reuelation of vs beginneth the Christian sayth For of thee Luther began the Protestant fayth and thou wert the first to whom the God of this world as the Apostle speaketh vouchsafed to reueueale those thinges which haue beene preached to Protestants Praescrip cap. 34. To thee alone that I may vse Tertullians wordes hath truth been reuealed Forsooth thou hast found greater fauour and more plentifull grace at the Diuells hands Againe in exposit Papaselli tom 2. Laid the first foundation of Protestācy fol. 398. Luther hath these words VVhen I layd the first foundation of this cause as Bullinger Praefat. Comment in Ioan. writeth of Zuinglius saying VVhen Zuinglius layd the first foundation of Euangelicall doctrine Moreouer Luther tom 1. fol. 206. writeth thus to his most inward fellow Melancthon The citty is full of the noyse of my name An Herostratus and all men desire to see the man the Herostratus of so great a fire Ye see how in a letter to his most assured friend he confesseth himselfe to be the Herostratus that is the Author of that fire wherewith not the temple of Diana but the temple of God burneth Melancthon also acknowledged the like as it appeareth by these words of Luther in a letter to him tom 9. Wittemberg Germ. fol. 416. Thou writest Author leader that for my authorityes sake thou didst follow me as the author and leader or captaine in this matter Behould how Melancthon accounted Luther the Author And what suspicion is there that Melancthon should in this matter write otherwise to him then he thought Schusselburg tom 8. Catal. pag. 363. defineth true Lutherans or Protestants to be those who imbrace the doctrin of the Gospell amending Popish abuses of which amendement sayth he Luther was the Author And the same meane they who call Luther the Author of the Protestant reformation For they protest amendment or reformation is indeed as hath beene shewed before a substantiall mutation or change of religion and therefore the Authour of such an amendment or reformation is indeed the Author of a new Church and religion D. Sutcliue lib. 2. de Eccles cap. 3. pag. 237. writeth in this manner VVho were the first Authors of raysing the Church fallen downe Author as Cranmer and other our Bishops also Luther Zuinglius c. And cap. 7. pag. 328. The Princes who first followed the Authours of restoring religion Osiander in Sleidan fol. 22. sayd that Luther Melancthon had made a certaine diuinity which sauoured more the flesh then the spirit Maker Lobechius disput 1. pag. 26. calleth Luther the first deuiser of the Confession of Auspurg Deuiser And Melchior Neofanius Pastour of the Church of Brunswich in loc Kemnitij part 2. sayth How much doth all Duch-land owe to worthy Luther for his great deserts who was the Author of pure Religion Authour D. Couel also in his defens of Hooker art 19. pag. 130. plainely confesseth that some Protestants make Luther and Caluin Authours of the religion which they hold And M. Horne in his harbour maketh England speake in this manner Begetter I am thy Country England which brought forth blessed man Iohn VViclise who begot Hus who begot Luther who begot truth And heereupon it ariseth that as Rescius in his Ministromachia p. 15. reporteth the Lutherans call Islebium where Luther was borne their new Bethleem A new Bethleem Forsooth because there was borne their new Messias the begetter Author and founder of their religion Mark now Reader how Luther by his owne and other Protestants confession was the first to whome Protestant doctrine was reuealed layd the first foundation of the Protestant cause was the Authour of the Protestant amendment or reformation was the deuiser of the first Protestant Confession was the Herostratus of the Protestant fire finally was the leader maker begetter and Authour of the Protestant Church and Religion Which is in plaine termes the very same which in all this booke I endeauour to proue Iustly therefore may Protestants sing to Luther as Lucretius did to his Epicure the Author beginner of Epicurisme Lib. 3. Those also of Basse were not ashamed in the Epitaph of his tombe to call Oecolampadius the first author of Euangelicall doctrine in that citty as report Hospin and Lauather in their Hostories an 1531. and Iunius lib. 4. de Eccles cap. 8. Neither was it peculiar to Luther to spread deuises vnder the name of religiō For thus writeth Iezler de bello Euchar. fol. 26. of Ministers Matters deuised of some few we thrust vpon the whole world And King Henry 8. when he began to encline to Protestancie set forth articles with this title Articles deuised of his Maiesty 6. And from this euidēce acknowledgement that Luther was the Author of Protestant religion it proceedeth First that Luther oftentimes calleth it his doctrine his gospell his word his cause his part For so he speaketh tom 1. fol. 138. tom 2. fol. 23. Protestancy is Luthers doctrine 29.
lyers they gainesayd themselues May a man accused of crime expound figuratiuely his open Confession of that crime because at other tymes he denyed it Againe Protestants themselues reiect this kind of proofe For as we did see the Ministers of the Prince Electour did reprehend those of the Duke of Saxony because they auoyded Luthers testimonies by opposing other places of his And the Ministers of Saxony pag. 303. say It is a friuolous kind of argument He sayd well sometymes therefore heere Besides it will be as equall for me to inferre that Protestants in those testimonies which he produceth did speake figuratiuely because in those which I alleage they manifestly sayd the contrary For to vse Luthers wordes Tom. 2. fol. 220. By this rashnes and licence ye giue your aduersary leaue to turne it against you Certainly if they clearly haue sayd both we cannot deny but they thought both or ye must confesse that your pleasure shall be the rule and square to know what they speake properly what figuratiuely Moreouer Protestants crie that the holy Fathers contradicted themselues How often sayth Luther doe the Fathers fight with themselues Tom. 2. Assert Art 2. cont Cochleum Praefat. Institut They are men that fight against themselues VVe find the Fathers to haue taught contraryes to haue slumbered And Caluin The Fathers doe often skirmish amongst themselues and sometymes fight with themselues The like sayth Melancthon com 1. Lutheri fol. 341. Iacobus Andreae cont Hosium pag. 282. Beza Praefat. in nouum Testamentum and in Schusselburg lib. 4. Theol. Caluin art 32 Pareus lib. 2 de Grat. lib. arbit cap. 14. lib. 4. cap. 4. Polanus part 1. Thes de Notis Eccles Apologia Anglica And D. Whitaker lib. 5. cont Dureum Wherefore either they must shew some priuiledge whereby Protestants be more excepted from contradicting themselues then the holy Fathers in their opinion were or they must not inferre that they sayd not that which they did in places by me alleaged because other where they sayd the contrary Furthermore Hosp to 2. fo 12. Beza in CoÌ„spicil Zuing to 2. fol. 412. 458. 460. because both the Fathers and Protestants also as I shewed in the Preface doe teach that Heretikes are wont to contradict them selues And the Sacramentaries both say and shew by many examples that Luther oftentymes hath gainsayd himselfe And of Sacramentaries Schusselburg lib. 1. Theol. Caluin art 20. writeth That it is their property to contradict themselues 7. Lastly touching the weight of the Protestant Confessions which we produce let him not think that it is any way impaired in that they haue at other tymes sayd the contrary as if in this matter they were not to be belieued because they haue byn taken in two tales For the Confessions of those that are accused be of greatest force against themselues because as I sayd no man willingly lyeth against himselfe neither can these be discredited by any words of theirs spoken in their owne behalfe For what will it auayle a criminall person if he deny an hundred tymes the cryme which he once openly coÌ„fessed And protestants haue not once but oftentyms most plainly most openly most freely confessed those things which I alleage Againe though no credit be to be giuen to a lyer who gainsayth himself in matters for his owne behalfe or against any others neuerthelesse in a matter against himselfe the greatest yea euen the diuels open free Confession ought more to be credited then any other mans testimony whatsoeuer Wherfore we alleage Protestants sayings not as testimonies but as Confessions neither produce them as witnesses but as Criminels confessing the truth against themselues And as Saint Ambrose sayd Serm. 5. de â—â—uctis I admit not the diuels testimony but his Confession so I accept not the Protestants testimonies but their confessions Let their testimony be of no credit either for themselues or for others or against others vndoubtedly it is of great force against themselues As the Latin Oratour sayd Thy testimony which in another mans matter would be light is in thine owne matter because it is against thg selfe most weighty Besides Protestants cric that it is found to produce the Criminels as witnesses in their owne cause and that any witnesse in his owne cause is to be reiected Vorstius Antibel pag. 44â— 456. Iuâ—â— Def. part 2. c. 3. D. 5. VVhitak cont 4. q. 6. c. 2. q. 4. c. 2. Whereupon in the question of Supremacy they refuse the testimonies of all Popes though neuer so ancient neuer so learned neuer so holy How much better may we reiect the testimonies of Protestants when they speak in behalfe of their religion and yet admit their Confessions when they speake against it These therfore lawes of answearing so iust so equall and approued of the ProtestaÌ„ts themselues if he will not keep who goeth about to answeare my foresayd arguments it will easily appeare that in very deed he could not answeare them And if none endeauour to answeare them it will yet more appeare that they can no way answeate them that this kind of dealing with Protestants out of their owne Confessions is the fittest of all to stop their mouthes FINIS The Translatour to the Reader THE Author adioyned hereto a Catalogue of the Protestant Books with their seuerall impressions out of which he gathered the testimonies by him alleaged but because I thought it not needfull for those that read this English copy I haue omitted it The Reader if he please may see it in the Authors Latin Copy THE INDEX OR TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS CONTAYNED IN THESE BOOKES The first booke of the essence or substance of the Protestant Church and Religion CHAPTER 1. That sometymes Protestants admit very few into the Châ—rch and â—equire very many thinges to the making of a member thereof Chap. 2. That at sometymes Proâ—estants account Pâ—pists to be of the Church Chap. 3. Thâ—t sometymes Protestants acknowledge all that deny either fundamentall or other articles of fayth Heretikes Schismatikes and their professed enemies to be members of their Church Chap. 4. That sometymes they do graunt Idolaters Infidels Atheists and Antichrist himselfe to be members of their Church Chap. 5. That Protestants sometymes account all their brethren who vnder the name of Christians oppose themselues against the Pope Chap. 6. That it is necessarily required to a Protestant that he belieue Iustification by only speciall fayth Chap. 7. That it is also necessary to a Protestant to belieue all the fundamentall points of Protestancy Chap. 8. Which are the fundamentall points of Protestancy and what a Protsteant is THE SECOND BOOKE Of the Author or beginner of the Protestant Church and Religion Chap. 1. THat Protestants confesse that their Church and Religion was substantially perished when Luther began Chap. 2. The shiftes wherewith Protestants would delude their confessions of the substantiall destruction of their Church and Religion refuted Chap. 3. That Protestants confesse that all and euery one followed a differenâ— Church and Religion from theâ—rs before Luther began to preach Chap. 4. That Protestants graunt that their church and Religion was quite inuisible b fore Luther appeared Chap. 5. Those which say there were any visible Protestants before Luther refelled Chap. 6 That the Church cannot be so inuisible as Protestants confesse theirs to haue byn before Lut e s tyme. Chap. 7. That Protestants acknowledge that there were no Protestant Pastors before Luther Chap. 8. That the Church cannot be without Pastors Chap 9. That the Protestant Church was no where before Luther arose Chap. 10. The Sophistries wherewith some Protestants would seeme to proue that in tymes past the Protestants Church was in Popery refuted Chap. 11. That all the first knowne Protestants had byn Papists before tymes Chap. 12. That no auncienter Protestant then Luther stept forth and adioyned himselfe to Luthers company when he preached securely Chap. 13. That the Protestant Church Religion is new Chap. 14. That Protestants doe in plaine termes confesse that Luther was the Author and beginner of their Church and Religion Chap. 15. That Protestants cannot proue by any sufficient witnes or any probable argument that their Church was before Luther Chap. 16. What he must obserue who will vndertake to answeare this Worke. FINIS