changes Victa racemifero Lyncas dedit India Baccho E quibus vt memorant quicquid vesica remittit Vertitur in lapides congelat aēre tacto I pray good after so much rocking and reeling he be not rock't a sleep become as deafe as a rocke nor by any wynd or storme of diuine threats or floods of reasons and persuasions any whit more moueable towards Religion Quà m si dura silex aut stet Marpesia cautes So that now to question his constancy of resolution in this kind were to question the constancy of the Moone which changeth so constantly euery moneth Notwithstanding I would haue you to take notice of the constancy of his discourse and how easily he falles of from his rocke within three lynes I know he may do so and yet be constant and true inough to his new Academiques for hauing immediatly before professed his rocky resolution vpon euident reasons not to belieue the Roman Doctrine he adioynes forthwith Pref. Neither truly were you more willing to effect such an alteration in me then I was to haue it effected Answ How standes this rocke of resolution vpon euident groundes not to belieue that is not to be altered with willingnes yea so much willingnes to be altered especially that euidence supposed by him to be such as no wynd c. no force of reason or persuasion could ouerthrow Vnles in saying his Aduersary was not more willing to effect such an alteration then himselfe to haue it effected he thought perhaps that his aduersary had no will at all to effect any such alteration as of one so often altered already that to alter him againe would not quit the cost conceauing that after another alteration he would be still more easy to be altered then euer to be setled who goes about to settle the wynd or fasten it to any one corner of the world or any thing else gouerned by the wyndes windmils or weather rocks or the like Pref. Yet because he makes shew of some desire to goe the right way to eternall happines though whether this way lye on the right hand or the left or straight forward to him it is indifferent Answ I will tell him my opinion which is that his way lyes neither on the left hand nor the right nor straight forward no nor backward though this last was not well omitted by him in his distribution as lying nearest to the right way but rather indeed straight downward as if you would settle a wether-cock in one constant positure the readiest way wil be to take it downe and place it on the ground This was the way S. Paul was put into though his alteration by the way is no Apology for this Atturneyes so often iterated reiterated alterations he changed with the change of the whole world Ecce ego noua facio omnia in Christo neque praputium neque circumcisio est aliquid sed nona creatura and t' was his fault he changed no sooner nor was it yet indeed a change For who will say he is changed who conuertes with him who is neuer changed in quo non est mutatio nec vicissitudinis adumbratio But this way Act. 9. I say was downeward Cadens in terram audiuit vocem c. Falling flat vpon the proued lying now eauen with himselfe that is with dust earth and nothing there he hard the voyce of his direction which eauenesse of place and center of truth he euer after kept both in life and doctrine qui existimat se aliquid esse cum nihil sit ipse se seducit he who thinks he is something being indeed nothing he beguiles himselfe At what tyme also he became blind that he might see For he was rather indeed shew'n then made blind he regained his sight by the imposition of handes of Ananias without further dispute who if he would haue disputed with him he could haue done it and remained blind still with a resolution built vpon a rocke of more euident groundes then any M. Aduocate hath to build vpon He would if he had beene of his humor haue questioned the credit of all those visions as being perhaps he would say illusions or at the least not infallibly true and then what could flow from those Principles more strong and infallible then the Principles themselues And suppose they were of infallible authority well then he was to persequute no more or if he were to be a Christian too yet why was Baptisme necessary why Circumcision not sufficient why such a Christian as Peter or Iohn See would he say how many Syllogismes you are short of the Conclusion you would infer Thus might he haue vanish't away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his disputes and haue proued rather a Vessel of Contention then Election And yet after all might haue returned with this or the like glory that he was now more confirmed in his beliefe of Iudaisme then euer or with somwhat like to this Ego exprobraui agminibus Israël hodie date mihi virum vt ineat mecum singulare certamen I haue braued the hostes of Israël this day challenging the best man among then to single combat of dispute with me I haue heard of some such Braues of the new Academy who had little cause of any such glory and who haue found their match more then once but they are so wise as to make their Aduersaries silence or secrecy their aduantage And yet I verily thinke you need not goe far to match this Goliath this Pythagorique Transmigration do but match him with himselfe if he fight not with himselfe yea if be not to hard for himselfe almost in euery page in some oftner then once or twice I dare be bound to answere the forfait As euen namely in this place hauing boasted his resolution built vpon a rock not to belieue the Roman Doctrine very soone after he professeth he retaines a Trauailer's indifference which way of religion to take of so many way 's as are now in the world When will this indifferent Trauailer come to his iourneys end who is not yet resolued of his way nor know's yet whether he be in it or no Yea and if he proue true to his principles will alwayes be thus indifferent So that if he haue gone twenty miles to day on the left hand of truth he wil goe to morrow as many on the right if he meete with a more apparent or howsoeuer more preuailing reason which may be nothing else perhaps but a better friend or some greater commodity or the like The third day you shall haue him gone as far a third way the fourth a fourth way and so forth and a thousand to one after many yeares you shall find him very litle aduanced in his way Inue Academiâ vmbriferâ nitidoue Lyceo In some Colledge-groue or Cloyster there you shall haue my indifferent Trauailer disputing of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But where is now that inuincible Resolution Was it only a
granting to the Roman Church that attribute of Catholique which hath euer distinguish't the Church of God from all Hereticall Societies Separatist's and giuing to his Protestant the particular name of Separation which hath euer bene held a speciall character of Heresy Now it is euident that the Catholique Church of this age as distinguish 't from Protestants holds this point as a point of fayth and necessary to saluation That the Church of God is endued with infallible authority for determining questions or doctrines of Fayth◠which very point he constantly denyes Therefore it is false that he belieues if he belieue as he writes whatsoeuer the Catholique Church of all ages or the Catholique Church of this age holdeth necessary to be belieued His Purgation concerning temporall respects as Motiues to his change of Religion SECT XL. Pref. ANother great and manifest iniury you haue done me in charging me to haue for saken your Religion because it conduced not to my temporall ends c. Whereof if you could conuince me by iust strong presumptions I should then acknowledge my selfe to deserue that opinion c. that I changed not your Religion for any other but for none at all Answ His Aduersary seemes to charge him that hauing forsaken the Catholique he finally plunged himselfe into Socinianisme now this Aduocate confesseth in these words that Socinianisme is no religion which notwithstanding in the very same page he ranketh in the number of Christian professions For now he grants that if he can be conuinced to haue changed the Catholique for Socinianisme he hath chāged it for no religion at all It is true that this his chāge for Socinianisme can be proued no otherwise but by his owne words and actions which if they haue vpon seuerall occasions before many witnesses proclamed his iudgment concerning points of Christian Religion to harmonize with the doctrines and principles of knowne and profest Socinians surely these are presumptions strong inough at least as strong as can be expected in question of iudgment and opinions of men But now to the substance of the charge he saith nothing onely he attemps to disproue the motiues that is to proue those temporall ends to haue beene no motiues of his change which yet is more then he doth or can do Therfore in behalfe of those presumed ends and in confirmation of that presumption thus I argue only supposing first that he was in his wits when he made the change that it was voluntary and then secondly that no man in his wits and voluntarily maketh any change but for some end or ends then thus Whosoeuer may out of his owne words and demeanours be conuinced to haue changed religion for no religion may be conuinced to haue changed for temporall ends But M. Ch. may be conuinced out of his owne words c. to haue changed religion for no religion Ergo for temporall ends That Catholique religion is Religion or a Religion himselfe grantes That Socinianisme is no Religion he often seemes to grant and howsoeuer it is easily proued That he changed the Catholique for Socinianisme his owne words and actions and written doctrines testify euidently inough Now that no man changeth religion for no religion but for temporall ends is I thinke vndeniable For can any man be imagined to abandone all religion for an euerlasting end What to be the talke perhaps of posterity supposed neuer to end As he who is said to haue burn't Dianas Temple at Ephesus to be diffamed throughout the world and after ages for his villany and irreligion But let vs ponder his reasons by which he refutes this presumption of temporall end 's Pref. How is it possible that I should haue deserted your religion for end 's and our of desire of preferment since I refused which also you impute vnto me to subscribe the 39. Articles that is refused to enter at the Common doore which heere in England lead's to preferment Answ This is easily answerd by saying Some there are who enter Joh. 10. and not by the common doore no nor by the doore Againe those temporall ends might be many other besides Ecclesiastique preferments from enioying which this refusall of subscription could not exclude him But yet againe sayth he bow incredible is it that you should belieue that I forsook your religion as not suting with my desires and designes Pref. which yet reconciles the enioying of the pleasures and profits of sinne here with the hope of happines hereafter Answ This is manifestly false that Catholique Religion reconcileth the enioying of sinfull pleasures or profits of this life with hope of eternall happines but rather professeth and protesteth with S. Paul Neque fornicarij c. 1. Cor. 6. neither Fornicators nor I dolaters nor aduouterers nor the effeminate c. shall possesse the kingdom of God Yea further the Catholique Church denounceth Anathema against all such as Luther Caluin and the rest who reconcile Iustification with deadly sinne either by non-imputation or soli-fayth c. therefore of the Church it may be truly said Non enim qui operantur iniquitatem in vijs eius ambulauerunt for they who worke iniquity haue not walk'◠in her ways of doctrine Catholique doctrine denying all possibility of consistency to mortall sinne with sanctifying grace precludes all such sinne from hope of enioying eternall happines therefore he whose hopes ayme at any such reconciliation hath made a choyce better suting with his desires by changing the Catholique for Protestancy Pref. But the profession of Catholique Religion proposeth as great hopes of great temporal aduancements to the capable seruants of it as any nay more then any religion in the world Answ But what then if it proposed no such hopes to him If in so great a multitude of capable seruants and those of ancient and tryed seruice and fidelity who for that cause might very well expect to be preferred before him a late Proselyte nor sufficiently tried what I say if by reason of this interposall of so many iust pretenders aduancement from that profession stood aloofe to him and proposed to his hopes at a vast distance with litle probability of approach in any short space which proposition so qualified could be but a weak attractiue to a spirit ambitious that way And then what if he saw a shorter way to such aduancement proposed to him at home and extended towards him euen ouer the seas by a full and able hand Valer Flaccus as when Glory appeared from the transmarine shore to that Grecian Prince Iason with a laurell in her hand was it then incredible that if the motiues to his change were temporall ends he would lay hands on the most likely meanes and most conducing to those ends If he will giue vs leaue to belieue he had such ends since we cannot choose but belieue it sure he will giue vs leaue to thinke he was no foole Both which supposed the presumption of his Aduersary is iust and strong
the Synagogue This is therefore a terrible hearing to Protestancy a Church Terribilis vt castrorum acies ordinata terrible as an army in battaile-array Now for Primitiue Christians they imply no such order no such coordination or subordination as of a body and therefore as so many scattered sheep they might wholy dye in their owne ashes not Phenix-like suruiue in their posterity which to affirme of a Church of Christ his establish't Common-wealth or kingdom purchas 't by right of Conquest with the inestimable price of his blood is not only Hereticall but most impious and prophane since neither the Synagogue and Law of Moyses became euacuate or abrogate viâ corruptiuâ by a corruptiue desition but past into a Church Euangelicall Law via perfectiuâ as Christ was the perficient not the corruptiue end of the Law Non veni legem soluere sed adimplere c. I came not to dissolue but to fulfill the Law c. Some other fallacious Euasions in answere to the same position of his Aduersary SECT XXVII IN the very next Paragraph I meete with another Fallacy which I haue also touch't before Pref. You say with conuenient boldnes that this infallible authority of your Church being denyed no man can be assured that any parcell of Scripture was written by diuine inspiration which is an Vntruth for which no proofe is pretended and besides voyd of modesty full of impiety Answ And I pray you obserue his notorious method his Censure is for the most part the preface to his Answere when he hath first struck his Aduersary on the head or wounded his reputation with some calumny or contumely then he wil dispute the matter not only cooly but very coldly as you shall see In the meane tyme since he is so liberall of contumelious and reproachfull language if we spare him it is mere gratuite grace no merit of his not so much as of congruity nay it may seeme much more congruous to shew the man his error where he may see it better then in himselfe For I belieue it will appeare to any vnderstanding man euen by the Genius of his stile that he hath drunke more liberally of Narcissus Well then of Aristotles as neere as it springs Whence I do not see but his President way be my Apology and very Charity will require that some sprinkling of salt be employed vpon his so great insulsity Now marke the Fallacy His aduersary sayth Take away the authority of Gods Church no man can be assured c. For Gods Church this Atturney changeth your Church as though his aduersary preassumed what is in question with Protestants Which he purposely doth not but only sheweth the necessity of a Visible Church and infallible authority shereof The fallacy of this change hath this intent to make his aduersary more odious for his preassuming antedating as also that he may impugne him more easily where he contends not which he doth almost euery where neuer strikes where his Aduersary wards So he seldome or neuer argues or answeres to the matter in hand But why now is this an vntruth void of modesty Because sayth he the experience of innumerable Christians is against it who are sufficiently assured that the Scripture is diuinely inspired and yet deny the infallibility of your Church or any other Answ What Euen of Gods Church For this is the authority this the Church which his aduersary namely and only asserteth And where is the immodesty Is it immodesty in a Catholique to proue the infallibility of the Church of God his Prime principle of Religion and that by an argument which this no Church can no otherwise answere but by rayling at it as with his Lucians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O execrable For who are those innumerable Christians Are they not the aduersaries of the Roman Church and only they And is it immodesty in a Roman Catholique to defend and proue the contrary to that which the Aduersaries of that Church would proue and do teach whereby to ouerthrow that Church and with that all Christianity But to shew him the weaknes of his argument I forme the like Innumerable Christians are sufficiently assured that no man can be assured of any parcell of holy Scripture otherwise then by the authority of the Church of God Ergo M. Ch. who denies them this assurance is voyd of all modesty And now againe why full of impiety Pref. Because sayth he if I cannot haue ground to be assured of the diuine authority of Scripture vnlesse I first belieue your Church infallible then I can haue no ground at all to belieue it Answ I expected he would say then I will be a Socinian But still you see him in his Fallacy Your Church for Gods Church And why then hath he no ground at all vpon that supposall Pref. Because there is no ground nor can any be pretended why I should belieue your Church infallible vnlesse I first belieue the Scripture diuine Answ Still Your Church Sure we shall neuer bring him back to Gods Church againe Now quite contrary I say there is no sufficient ground to omit pretences and permit them to his Hyperbolicall style why men should belieue the Scriptures diuine vnles first they belieue an infallible Church of God For to reuolue to the first birth and parentage of holy Scriptures whence haue we them who told vs they were diuine haue we not the new Testament to instance in this part from the Euangelists and Apostles And were not they the Church of God and hath any other told vs they are diuine and of diuine authority but they primarily and their posterity after them Can any man expect a more certaine testimony concerning his owne or any other mans birth then from the mother who brought him forth into the world Was not the holy Scripture cōceaued of the holy Ghost as it were in the wombe of the Church Yea those soules and spirits of Prophets Euangelists Apostles in which those Scriptures were conceaued euen formally as diuine together with the truth contained in them were they not before those Scriptures were brought to light And could any but they or vpon their credit belieue those Scriptures were of diuine yssue conceaued I say in those spirits diuinely inspired and illuminated yea and from them flowing as from a vitall principle actually and actiuely inflowing into those conceptions togeather with the holy spirit of truth Whence also it followeth euidently that those diuine truth's cannot be the formall conceptions of any soule or vnderstanding not endued and eleuated by this spirit of truth with which spirit since no man can assure himselfe to be endued yet euery Christian ought to belieue as certaine that the Church of God is indued therefore euery Christian ought to receaue those diuine truths contained in Scriptures togeather with the Scriptures themselues from the Church of God whose lawfull issue and ofspring they are Neither can this in reason seeme to a Christian any whit
repugnance betweene true religion and false or misconceauing Reason not submitting it self to supernaturall Fayth Nor yet doth it cease to be Reason and discourse truly so called though misapplied for to conclude consequently out of a false principle is no lesse an act of discourse then to inferre truth out of true principles Wherefore notwithstanding this Aduocate his tooto early and antedating Triumph these two Propositions of his Aduersary may stand togeather peaceably That no part of religion can be repugnant to Reason as Reason vndeluded as conteyning it self within due limits as in due subiection to that supreme light whence it is deriued as submitting it self where it is too weak as suffering it selfe to be guided where it is blind to be enlightned where it is darke to be raised to a competent stature or proportion where it creeps vnable to raise it selâ— all which conditions are conformable euen to naturall reason This I say may stand with this other That from Truth as truly conceaued or formally Truth no vntruth can be inferred by good consequence and lastly both these two may admit this third into society of coherence That if men sollow Reason where Reason is darke and blind and weake and in a word cannot guide they may be led into error and from error to error vntill at length they fall into vtter darknes of infidelity and Socinianisme Of Socinianisme I say a most diuellish and perhaps of all other the most dangerous Idolatry as being most neerely allied to the soule of man borne as it were in his bowels nurst and nourish't by selfe-loue cheris't and confirmed and growing daily in greater strength and equall stature with Pride and Self-conceipt For this Supremacy euen in spirituall commaund being once granted to naturall Reason with authority to direct and vmpire in spirituall affaires which authority and power God hath reserued to himself that is to the holy Ghost whose kingdome is the Church what followeth but that the holy Ghost is deposed Reason enthroned in his Chaire where it commaunds absolutely without all dependance or subordination to God from whome it neuer receaued any such authority Thus Reason is made the God of such men and because so made a very Idoll and all Socinianisme is Idolatry yea the last and lowest and basest I dolatry and whither Hereticall Idolatry dâ—uolues at last for euery formall Heretique is an Idolater and euery Socintan a worse then he A most proud Dwarfe a Pygmalion wholy contracted and confined within himselfe whose Reason is all his sayth and consequently his Hopes of no larger extent and his Charity enspheared within the same compasse the obiects or naturall reason Whose will is nothing else but self-loue referring all he doth to his proper interest regard which is indeed the highest place of pride then which the first Precedent of pride the creature that first shewed it to the world he in whom pride was first ideated from whose Pride as from the original source all the pride of temporall or spirituall Ambition all the pride of Schisme and Heresy and Socinianisme and Idolatry are shares and dimanations ascended no higher when he said ascendam ero similis Altissimo I will ascend and be like the most High Thus you see to returne his owne Epiphonema thither whence it came to his due and proper place that is vpon himselfe with what probable matter he might furnish out and iustify his accusation if he should charge his Aduersary with leading men to Socmianisme yet obserue I pray you his pittifull condescendence in the close the clemency and temper of his victory in the much which he sayth he could do and the very little which he doth Pref. Yet notwithstanding all this I do not conceaue I haue ground inough for this odious imputation much lesse should you haue charged Protestants with it whom you confesse to abhorre and detest it Answ Now this is the misery and indeed the point of difference betweene him and his Aduersary that he conceaues he hath not ground inough for this odious imputation therefore imputes it not His Aduersary conceau's he hath nor vainely conceau's but know's and prou's it and therfore chargeth them with it that deserue it to the end they may cease to deserue it abhorre it not only in it selfe but in the necessary cause of it Many a one loueth the Father who loues not the child yet that beloued Father is the parent of that vnlouely child What if the Rauen abhorre her young ones or the Beare perhaps her whelp 's yet both these are the naturall yssue of both effect's as they are the brood and progenie so are they images and resemblances of their causes wherin the face of causes may be seene as in a mirrour And for what other end are looking-glasses made then to reflect and shew the face wherof they present the image Let him first cleare his maintainers from this imputation that Socianisme is the effect of Protestancy or let him shew at least by solid arguments that it is not the naturall issue of Protestancy but as a monstrous birth not intended I do not say by Protestants but by Protestancy according to a Phisicall necessary though not a morall and expressely voluntary intention or lastly that the generation is meerly casuall and occasionall Then let them say they detest and abhorre it otherwise their detestation is like theirs who detest the shame of sinne but loue the sinne Nor is it indeed worth God a mercy to any man to abhorre Socinianisme for it hath certainly a most vggly and deformed aspect to any eye that hath euer lookt Christianity on the face yea I verily belieue if we could see a damned fiend without the sinne of Socinianisme which made him one he would seeme a much more tolerable Spectacle yet this ChaÌ„pion is very confident that he can arme the Mother against the Child commit them in deadly Duell he can do much in this kind and so could she of whom one said Tu potes vnanimes armare in proelia fratres Thou can'st set brothers together by th' eares And if the Sonne chance to fall in the war we haue his epitaph at hand Nati sepulchrum est ipsae Parens the mothers wombe his tomb For I am assuredly persuaded their ends are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confatall he will die like a Sampson or like an Eleazar perhaps suo sepultus triumpho buried in his triumph Pref. O. but Protestants will fight against Socinianisme her proud Impe not with broken reeds so this Aduocate and out of the paper foriresses of an imaginary infallibility Answ So I belieue but out of a paper fortresse of reall fallibility which he hath raised them in this Volume which I dare say will proue a doughty Fortresse while he maintains it especially so armed if not with broken reed's a reed tho and such a reed of resolution as I trust a little wynd may shake it if it blow in the right corner and
in the tyme of their Maister-ship Now truly this might passe for a pretty Probleme or Imperrinent to be disputed in the Quâ—dlibets and I do not see but like a Boole it would run either way or be shot like an Arrow at either But. Yet surely for the Physician he would grant him a very straite commission and confine his practise within the compasse of a very few cures or else if his Pattents were for both sides-Trent for example he would make his body a very Apothecaries shop which had tryed the Poisons of most kinds of druggs And I do not know why a Physitian so qualified that is so generally infected and diseased might not giue a man a sicknes as soone as a cure Howsoeuer to run along with him in the same way if his owne diseases in a Physician or mistaking the way in a Guide or the many shipwrack's of a Pilot may make either Guide or Pilot or Physician more competent in their seuerall professions surely this Minister is the man who hath beene sick of euery Religion and hath mistaken euery Way and hath ship wrackt euery ship he hath sail'd in Ergo who can doubt but the choice of such a Guide such a Pilot such a Phyfician is very proper and warrantable For his Conuersion though some will perhaps deny that face his first turne to the Catholique he hath euer beene in any such state as to need conuersion who hath beene euer since in motion yet if Conuersion may make a man not incapable Of but rather ingaged and obliged Vnto and qualified For this charitable function of conuerting his brethren surely this man hath beene conuerted to and from euery Religion and so hath brethren on euery side For I belieue he hath had more Conuersions in one yeare then the Sunne hath Tropiques yea perhaps as many more Since therefore the speciall aduantages of his Person for such an employment are so paliable he may seeme to wrong him who would goe about to disable him from being a fit Aduocate of the Protestant cause euen by that which most of all enables and qualifies him for this charitable function Nay what will you say if these very Motiues themselues which first drew him to Catholique Religion now obiected against him by his Aduersary as to disparage him proue his aduantages so wonderfully do all things concurre to aduance his designes For let the Papist take them in the worst sense he can as that these Motiues were indeed diuine immissions or as embassies from God himself will it not then follow in very good Logick Gen. 32. yea and Diuinity too Si contra Deum fortis fuisti quantò magis contra homines praeualebis If thou hast beene strong and inuincible against God himselfe how much more easily shalt thou preuaile against Papists FINIS HEAVTOMACHIA M. Chillingworth against himselfe AFTER so many Triumphs ouer forraine Aduersaries there remained onely the last Complement to a consummaâ—e Victory to ouercome himselfe This he knew well to be the highest flight of Fortitude the Nonplus-vltra or Hercules-Pillars of true valour Pindar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What lyes beyond this is vnaccessible and imperuious both to Wise men and to Fooles Now if this Errant-Knight-Aduocate for Protestancy this Hercules or Vlysses if he had rather so this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he Multorum mores hominum qui vidit Vrbes no lesse trauaild in Religions then Regions if in this last Aduenture he acquit himselfe brauely he may proue a spectacle I thinke no lesse gratefull to the God's then that Catâ— cum adâ—ersâ fortunâ compositus as Seneca saith match't with an aduerse fortune and at the length out of a true Stoique-valour killing himselfe And surely they who enioy so much leasure in the long vacancy which Epicure hath granted them should more laudably a man would thinke employ some part of their euerlasting Holyday in beholding this Monomachie or sole-fight then in those petty Homerique skitmishes wherein the Europe Asia of Frog's and Mise were committed Certainly this is a warring of much greater admiration Periculosa plenum opâ—â— alta and of as doubtfull as dangerous a die wherein if it would please the Godd's euen as in that Batromyomachia to deuide themselues into factions I belieue it would appeare a very dubious and perplext election since heere in the very same man the left hand is match't with the right whether of the dwellers to maintaine For it is considerable in this place that although seuerall defiances in the space perhaps ' of two yeares more or lesse haue past to and from between these Champions and thereupon some priuate and clandestine depreliations nor yet those without some noise of tumult nor without some bloud and sweat in the encounters yet to the triall of an open combat now at length they haue condescended vrged vnto it I suppose by the long and greedy expectation of many who had certaine knowledge of their intergrudges and professed Enmities And for that indeed the left hand had receaued some disgracefull affront from the right which he might seeme by his long conniuence willing to pocket vp and dissemble and though the right taking the aduantage of the first blow might haue struck more home yea haue dealt the left such buffet's that it should neuer haue been able to hold vp a fingar in the cause againe yet howsoeuer the right haÌ„d hath imposed such wounds as the left I am persuaded will neuer cure with credit And though the difference be now the busines as I heare of another Court wherein while it depend's it may seeme preposterous for a priuate man to vmpire it yet since it is an affaire of that graue consequence that many heads iudgments may seeme to be needfully entertained in it againe a subiect of that Pregnancy that many hands may find therein both worke and wearinesse inough for both these causes I haue beene moued to goe somthing with the right for the left as running vpon his owne ground and homewards he will haue Abettours ten for one And no meruaile for euen since the right hath beene the right and the world hath beene the world whensoeuer it hath had any difference with the left it hath euer beene cast by number of voyces though not by waight yet because I verily belieue the right will be the wynner at the last though long first I will be content in the meane tyme to be another Cato for the rights sake and to say Victrix causa placet Superis sed victa Catoni The conquering cause the God's approue But Cato doth the conquered loue Of the number of M. Chillingworth his Motiues HIS Motiues are in number Ten nor can I thinke this casuall or vnaduised or that this very number of Motiues was voyd of mystery A lesse exactnesse and prouidence could not be expected from him who doth all by lyne and leuell of Logick naturall or artificiall and the
indeed a waighty inducement to belieue that to be the true Church foresignified by the spirit of God wherein those signes wherewith God hath fore-marked and predesigned the true Church are euident to be seen then contrariwise if those signes and markes of the true Church are not to be found in the Protestant this ought in reason to induce a man to belieue that the Protestant is not the true Church For where the connexion betweene the signe and the thing signed is indiuisible there the inference is good proceeding from the destruction of the signe to the destruction or deniall of the thing signed or signified As to say heere is not the indiuisible signe Ergo heere is not the thing signed This I say supposing such infallible Connexion which in this case ought to be supposed such deuine prediction and the veracity of God being presupposed which tyeth the signe and the thing signed togeather by an inuiolable and indissoluble knot I say further that it is false that Nations haue been conuerted to the true Religion of Christ by men of contrary Religions which thus I demonstrate Those contrary Religions or Professions of Religion though they might be both or all false yet both or all could not be true as the Roman Orator sayth well pronouncing vniuersally of dissenting opinions Now of the true Religion conuerting men to the true there is no question but of the contrary or repugnant to the true Thus I argue Either the Professors of a false Religion taught and preacht ' according to their false principles or doctrine and then by those they neuer conuerted any to the true Religion or else they taught true principles and true doctrine of Christian fayth If so then if by those true Principles c. they conuerted men to Christian fayth though themselues were not true Christians yet they conuerted as agreeing and consenting with the true Religion not as opposers or as men of a contrary Religion As if a heathen should baptize by applying the matter and forme of baptisme with intention to do what Christians are wont to do by the like application then not Heathenisme but Christian Religion baptizeth by a Heathen Nor can this Argument be retorted by the Protestant for it will easily be made to appeare that Catholiques haue conuerted Nations to and by those doctrines wherein they dissent from protestants whereas neither Protestants nor any other oppugners of the Catholique will euer be found to haue conuerted Nations by preaching the doctrine wherein they disagree from the Catholique but moreouer as for the Protestants they neuer conuerted any neither by their disagreeing nor agreeing doctrines Nay euen this confirmes if at any tyme it so fall out the truth and efficacy of Christian Religion and the accomplishment of those prophetique Predictions when euen the alien or opposer of true Religion who can achieue no one Conuersion to Christianity by his owne repugnant doctrine can and doth effect it by vertue of Christian Truth which I say this supposed that any such Precedent may be cited out of antiquity of some Conuersion to Christian Religion wrought by an alien Professour though the entire Conuersion of a nation by any such separate instrument I belieue hath no Precedent in ancient memory For the reasons which I haue touched heretofore and in a word according to the ordinary and connatuâ—all course of diuine proceedings in such affaires Non hos elegiâ— Dâ—minus See the Examples commonly alleaged answered also in Authours God is not went to make choyce of such men to be his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Paul and after him S. Denis speakes his cooperators or coâ—diâ—tors in the reduction of soules This is too great an honour to be coserred vpon an alion or enemy of Religion So then your fifth Motiue stands yet fast and irremoued by you like to some pillar which raised in the Church by some Architect stands there fix't and firme euen when the workman is gone farre away yea now perhaps dead and rotten or as while many a weary person leaning vpon that pillar findeth case and rest the drunken Artist receaues no ease at all from it but reeles stagger's in the wide field vntil he fall dead drunke vpon the ground or into some ditch c. Iust so M. Aduocate Hac à te non multâ—m abludit imago this is no bad picture of your selfe VI. Motiue Because the Doctrine of the Church of Rome is conformable and the doctrine of Protestants contrary to the doctrine of the Fathers of the Primitiue Church euen by the confession of the Protestants themselues I meane those Fathers who liued within the compasse of the first 600. yeares to whom Protestants themselues do very frequently and very confidently appeale VI. Remotiue The Doctrine of Papists is confess'd by Papists contrary to the Fathers in many points VI. Promotiue Nether will this Motiue be remoued with so weake a push which thus I confirme It is vntrue that any learned Papist confesseth that the doctrine of faith of moderne Papists is contrary to the doctrine of the Fathers in any point of faith theÌ„ defined by the Church If from some they differ in some point now defined then not defined this is no formall contrariety in points of faith that is as they are points of fayth obligatory to belief which they are not before they be defined by the Church which being the sole infallible interpreter of diuine reuelation by propounding any point of doctrine as diuinely reuealed makes it now formally the obiect of necessary beliefe which was before only materially such But neither againe in regard of such differences is this contrariety of some opinions betweene the moderne Papists and some of the ancient Fathers any formall opposition For since they so held those disserent doctrines then vndefined as being ready to let them go when the Church should define the contrary euen in vertue of this readines or preparation of mynd they held implicitely and in a sort equiualently the very same which we now hold after the definition of the holy Church But the Protestants Appeale to those Fathers of the first 600. yeares is a very brag and imposture of a Iewell not worth one barley corne Campian Neque hoc sibi suisque vulnus inflictum Laurentius Humfredas tacuit For since in this vno tertio in this middle terme of submitting all our iudgmeÌ„ts doctrines to the authority decision of the Catholike Church we ioyne with the Fathers both of those 600. all succeeding yeares eueÌ„ to this present age we caÌ„not but meet in the coÌ„clusion of whatsoeuer doctrine of faith As contrariwise for want of this concurrence in one third or middle terme all hopes of Protestants or any Sectary whatsoeuer euer to ioyne with those Orthodoxe Fathers is spes Hypocritarum a vaine presumption rather then any solid hope as of such who couet to make some shew of agreement with those Peeres of Christian Religion thereby to procure
premises of the Apostles feare and hiding themselues propter metum Iudeorum for feare of the Iewes Well then the Aduocate I will not say is deceaued but would deceaue for not all that fly the light hate the light Fallacy Light Equiuocall nay rather many flye the light because they hate darkenes For I hope it is not yet out of our memory or the memory of our Fathers that many by committing themselues to light haue beene committed to darkenes But howsoeuer is this to flye the light or triall of light to deny you personall meeting I would gladly know who more offer 's himselfe to light he who appeares in presence of fourty or twenty perhaps in some priuate Chamber or he who cometh forth vpon the stage of the world For I would aske the man what is it he pretend's by this prouoking to personall appearance Would he dispute with his aduersaries body his face his eys his forehead Grant that this Atturney hath the harder forehead hath nor his aduersary reason to eschew the encounter Or would he commit with with wit learning with learning c. If so he caÌ„not but know that the silent language of one Pen is lowder and further hard then the clamorous dispute of twenty Coursers and he who prefers a writing before a speaking iudge should me think 's in good coherence choose to be iudged rather by his pen then by his tongue For though the Apostles tongue he grantes were as good a rule as Scripture yet he who is no Apostle at least of the last twelue nor hath receaued their spirit though a clouen tongue must by vertue of his Principles and doth acknowledge Scripture a better iudge then speach If he loue the light indeed he should more loue the greater light If in confidence of his cause he desire to manifest his doctrine he doth best in making choice of such a light as wherin he may appeare not onely to a few but to many nor to the present in place alone but to the absent too nor onely to the present but to future ages For though he can speake low'd for a need yet he will scant be heard ouer the Thames disputing in Holbâ—rne nor in Westminster though in the vacancy but the voice of his Pen may be hard as far the Sequana and Poâ— and Rhenus and Tiber and Betiâ— Et Tagus Ganges forsan Antipodes And truly if he presume himselfe an equall match for so great vndertakings what shold he do els but manifest himselfe to the world and disabuse it Exalta in fortitudine vocem tuam tu qui euangelizas Sion you who euangelize Reformation to the Church of God exalt your voyce by the strength of your Pen the voyce of your tongue will proue too weake were it the voyce of ten Stentors If verily he affect notice and manifestation of a truth so presumed why will he choose to print those his waighty disputes rather in the aire then in written monuments if he please of brasse yea to out-liue the life of brasse or marble The truth is he wrongs his discretion by seeming to thinke otherwise and so shall he who belieues he doth nor his loue of light could not choose but be ambitious of this greater light yet howsoeuer he shews the folly of his fallacy in twyting his Aduersaries hate or feare of light who hath chosen to encounter him in the greatest light euen in the eye of the world The Application of this sentence of our Sauiour Qui malè agit c. to the Socinians SECT II. THE Atheist or the Embryo of Atheist the new Academy hateth the light indeed and therefore dixit insipient in corde suo c. he hath said it in the silence and secrecy of his owne hart where no body heares what he saith but they who are one heart with him They lurke in silence and obscurity although they walke at midday in open view in the market place yet still they fly the light they whisper in corners they will not speake plainly what they thinke what they belieue they sculke in Allegories and false pretences casting euer and anon cloudes of doubtfull questions ouer the most cleare and orthodox and receaued Doctrines Then they steale vpon you in the darknes vntill by little and little they leaue you no light of any positiue truth no fayth no grace no supernaturall blisse no Sunne aboue the Moone no God aboue the God of nature and reason confined within the necessity of the one and the short and narrow marches of the other Yet all this while this implicite or disguised Atheist holdes faire intelligence with our Protestant salutes him curteously takes him familiarly by the beard as though he would kisse him meane while with a flash of his sword through his side powre's out all his entralles of fayth and charity The poore Sonne of Abigail obserued not the sword hanging in a false sheath of counterfaite Religion whence it could easily slip out no more is this poysoned dagger of Socinians obserued hidden in the sheath of Protestancy or pretended ioyning with them against the Roman wherewith while he fleeâ—es in the face of Protestancy he giues it the deadly stabbe euen through the sides of Papacy These are indeed those Lucifugae those fly-lights those rationall Batts that sana ratio that sober mystery of iniquity negotium perambulans in tenebris the busines that walk's in darknes in tenebris in regione mâ—rtis in the misty and darkesome coast of sin and heresy These not daring to appeare vnto the world in the light of print in their owne guise of doctrine principles least so vgly Monsters should affright euen heresy it selfe in couert of his wing and in his nest hatch forth those griping Harpies Socinian problems that rauish religion out of the world defile and pollute all that 's pure and holy in Christian Fayth with their doctrine of Naturality sauouâ—ing of nothing but flesh and bloud c. Tristius haud illis monstrum nec sauior vlla Pestis ira Deum stygys sese extulit vndis Virginei volucrum vultus foedisâ—ima ventris Proluuies vncaue manus c. Would God would open the eyes of these our Countrymen especially our Vniuersities the two ey 's of this kingdome who vnwittingly and vnwillingly as I verily presume are made the stalking-horses to this Godlesse Academy this Progeny of viper's this issue of Heresy but which comming to light will kill that too and extinguish that litle remnant sparke of whatsoeuer beliefe or acknowledgment of a Christ of a Sauiour of mankind quaerunt extinguere scintillam meam quae relicta est vt non supersit viro meo nomen reliquiae super terram seeke to abolish and raze out of all notice and memory the very name of Christ Christianity So may the holy Church complaine of this Gigantique race in behalfe of his spouse who died to redeeme mankind whom these men seeke to murder againe in his seed
and Gallant men But such is now become his zeale of Religion great pitty no man will belieue it that he had rather be esteemed not wise and Gallant then of no Religion But why thinke you hath he so misalleaged his Aduersaries words Insteed of these This wise and Gallant nation can be of no religion if not Catholique he hath them thus as though his Aduersary said wise and Gallant men can be of no religion if not of his O he would not seeme to grant his Aduersaries religion or that of the Italian nation Catholique for he would faine retaine vnto his cause the name of Catholique as both he and his associates are wont now of later day's to nick-name themselues Catholiques and laugh at one another I suppose for so doing For this name Catholique can no more stick to their profession then were it printed in wynd or water but either they are Catholiques or no if no why do they say they are if yea what is it to them that they who are not Catholique are of no religion Againe either these men conceaue of Catholique Religion as the Italian doth or no. If no then the Italians being of no religion if not Catholique concernes them nothing if they conceaue a like then t' is no disparaging imputation to say they are of no Religion if not Catholique The Italian is supposed by this writer and others who know them so wise and vnderstandâ—â—g as to make this discourse of all Societies of men who professe Christianity this the Roman Catholique is most probably the true Religion he is withall supposed so Gallant that he will not professe a religion which he iudgeth none or not true Whence he concludeth thus Either this is the true or none and then againe Either I will imbrace this or none Now if these men haue the like conceipt if they make the same Antecedent then the Consequent falls likewise vpon them if I say they be alike wise and Gallant without any disparagement at all where is now the indigne Contumely or Execrable Calumny For what other thing is this to say but that he who will not be of that religion which he belieueth the only true wil be of none Otherwise this must needes proceed from some basenes if hauing reiected the religion which he iudgeth the only true if any true he imbrace notwithstanding or seeme to imbrace some other Sect or Profession which he hath in his iudgment à fortiori reiected in reiecting the Catholique And let this Aduocate turne himselfe which way he list play his part in Tragicall Rhetorique in the Eye of the world to stirre vp Passion in the beholders and so to blind them neither he nor any else who know's the Roman and can compare it with any other as now he can shall euer be thought to be of any religion if not Catholique yea and maugre himselfe if he but dare enter into his soule seriously and sincerely all passion and affection whence partiality may arise throwne aside he shall not choose but acknowledge the Roman of all other for ought he know's the most probable In thâ—meaâ—e tyme he will halt betweene God and Belial sacrifice to neither suspend his opinion sustinere assensum as the Academiques were wont to say and consequently suspend and defer all seruice and worship of God whome where he is he know's not with the Papist or Protestant or Greek or Turke no nor how he would or should be serued vnder what notion or name of Deity So what he serues and worships as God for ought he knows is an Idol as the Arrian God to the Roman is an Idol so must the Catholique 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be to the Arrian and the God of Caluin positiue Author of sin no lesse then of grace is an Idol to all Orthodoxe Christians and so of the rest Let the Samaritan erect as many Altars as he will and accost Hierusalem by imitation of empty Ceremonies as much as he list all this notwithstanding while he adores not in Hierusalem Ioan. 4. he adores he know's not what Nos adoramus quod scimus quia salus ex Iudais est For the tyme is come long since when true Adorer's adore the Father in spirit and truth Whence it followeth that they who adore him not in spirit and truth adore not God at all for it is not inough to exhibit the external acts of adoration and religion shooting them as it were at randon as you would say let them fall where they are due wheresoeuer that be with the Catholiques or Protestants or Caluinistes or Anabaptistes or Arrians or Donatists c. for this must be a rational and voluntary Sacrifice or worship to loue whome we adore and know whom we loue for we cannot loue whom we know not and therefore our loue of God must flow from true fayth and beliefe in God without which we cannot know him From all which appeareth that this very obiecting of a Calumny and Contumely is it selfe both calumnious and contumelious both in substance and quality In substance as being a false crime obiected and then in quality of expression amplified with great bitternes of speach in a studied inuectiue and Archylochian style Strange intemperancy of a man who had not so much power and commaund ouer himselfe as to refraine from Calumny and Contumely at the least while he reprehended it Seuerall Calumnies of M. Ch. SECT V. HEnce now from this so bitter inuectiue against one falsely supposed Calumny of his aduersary he floweth into a copious conglobation of true Calumnies of his owne against his Aduersary and his Cause while he employeth for the more enforcing of his arguments or indeed filly fancies and surmises his figure Pretermission as to passe by first to say nothing secondly not to obiect to you thirdly nor to trouble you fourthly In all which first secondly thirdly c. he doth nothing else indeed but trouble entertaining his Reader with meere impertinencies nor answering any thing directly to what his aduersary writeth Pref. To passe by first sayth he that which Experience iustifies that where and when your religion hath most absolutely commaunded three and then Atheisme hath most abounded Answ Now this is a very Preuarication accompanied with a Calumny For what could be said more against himselfe in confirmation of what his Aduersary writeth and he complaineth of that the more wise and Gallant spirits can be of no religion if not Catholique For euery man knoweth where Catholique Religion hath most absolutely commaunded Calum against Cath. Rel. and yet commands and which he himselfe sufficiently intimates in these very words which is the very thing his Aduersary auoucheth saying they are strangers to that wise and Gallant Nation c. And this confirmeth furthermore that those Eminent spirits conceaued the Catholique of all other the most probably true for could they haue iudged some other Sect to haue more probability of truth in it they would rather haue imbraced that
Will he reprehend the seeking of the kingdom of God for this or the forsaking temporall estates to follow Christ in a higher way of perfection because the gaine and returne is a hundred fold in this life and therefore makes for the temporall ends of such men And are these our beaux Esprits Are these the learned new Academy that cannot make this distinction between making and being made or are they rather indeed en bon François in plaine English dull and earthly Spirits and which least they would heare not Wit 's but silly Fellows Who if they could once resolue vpon a God or any such not only omnipotent but free agent who could do and giue what he pleased should rather betake themselues with Salomon who had I thinke as good a naturall wit as the best of the new Academy and shew'd a much better in making such a choyce and in the acknowledgment of his owne weakenes and want betake themselues I say to their prayers that they might receaue the spirit of Wisedom from heauen without which spirit no meruaile if they haue no palate of heauen nor as being indeed meerely Animals any rellish of spirituall things But neither indeed do they belieue there is any such thing as holy spirit Et quem non inuenit vsquam Esse putat nusquam Concerning different opinions among Catholiques the Aduocates Fallacy and Calumny SECT X. AFter all these Rhetoricall pretermissions of temptations into so he writes and principles of Irreligion and Atheisme in Catholique doctrine as considerations which he wil seeme to esteeme of lesse moment thereby to prepare your expectation to some more weighty Only I should desire you sayth he to consider attentiuely when you conclude so often from the differences of Protestants Pref. that they haue no certainty of any part of their religion c. Whether you do not that which so magisteri ally you direct me not to do that is proceed a destructiue way c. Ans Now this Pretermissiō is no figure but a fraud Fallacy for his aduersary directs him not to proceed a meere destructiue way Now this restrictiue particle meere fraudulently left out is no figure but a fallacie of pretermission and makes indeed a kind of Non-sense in his Aduersary where there is a good and plaine sense For whosoeuer will throw downe the doctrine of another must proceed a destructiue way but he who doth nothing else but throw downe and builds nothing as he who doth nothing but ouerthrow doctrines of religion holdeth nothing prositiue in religion at least in coherence of his doctrine he proceeds a meere destructiue way and a meere Antimachus he is an Ismael sonne of Agar secundum carnem genitus a child of the flesh and therefore as euery Socinian doth persequutes the free-borne child the yssue of the Spirit but what sayth the Scripture Eijce ancillam filium eius non enim erit haeres filius ancillaecum filio liberae cast forth the handmaid and her sonne for the sonne of the hand-maid shall not coherit which the sonne of the free-woman Indeed one house could not hold them Why because Ismael was terrae homo a fierce condition'd man manus eius contra omnes manus omniam contra eum his hands against all men and all mens hands against him which is in effect to say he proceeded a meere destructiue way And I pray you is not a Socinian such an Ismael whose hands are vp against all Professors of Christianity since his reasons principles tend as his Aduersary chargeth him to the ouerthrow of all Christian Profession no lesse then of Catholique religion And doth he not deserue that all Christian hands should be employed about his eares with vnanimous consent to extinguish such a Giant But doth the sonne of Sarai proceed a meere destructiue way he dares not say it as bold as he is therefore he onely sayes he proceeds a destructiue way wherein he doth well and as euery confutant must do otherwise he doth nothing Pref. But his aduersaries Arguments so he retorts obiected against the Protestant tend to the ouerthrow of all religion because sayth he as you argue Protestants differ in many things therefore they haue no certainty of religion so an Atheist or a Sceptique may conclude as well Christians and the Professors of all religions differ in many things therefore they haue no certainty of any thing Ans I know well these are the ordinary Socinian Topickes which this man hath by hart whence they are wont to argue themselues out of all religion And it is a very Socinian and Atheisticall argument indeed that is a foolish one as foolish as this Euery man is a man therefore no man is a Christian For though euery man be a man and therefore subrect to errour some more some lesse some in one thing some in another whence difference of opinions ariseth and vncertainty is concluded yet some men are Christians and as such in matters defined to be of faith not differing nor vncertaine They should deduce thus if they would conclude to the purpose they intend Christians in points of fayth defined by their Church to be such the definition of which Church they hold as their rule of fayth disagree among themselues therfore they haue no certainty in points of religion then the solution is ready I deny that such Christians who rely on that autority of the Church defining as all Catholique Christians do disagree in any poynt of religion so defined therefore this inference of vncertainty from the differences of doctrines in poynts of fayth fals heauy vpon the backs of all Sectaries nor can be shaken off but toucheth not the Catholique Whence they should conclude if they were indeed wise and gallant either the Catholique or none Not as they are wont there is difference of opinions and doctrines among Professors of Christianity betweene Lutherans and Caluinists c. and the Catholique from them all therefore there is no certainty therefore no religion at all and therefore lastly I will be an Atheist or Socinian Whereas if these Sceptiques would be feriously sceptique indeed that is serious inquisitors of truth and not make it their whole life and busines euer to seeke neuer to find like those sylly and sinfull women of whome S. Paul semper discentes numquam ad scientiam veritatis peruenientes always learning and neuer arriuing to the knowledge of truth nay if they did not set downe for their last arrest despaire of euer knowing with those foolists Sceptiques and Pyrhonians lastly if they could be persuaded that they heare what they heare or see what they see certainely they might see discerne a vast disparity betweene these two kinds of differences the differences of Sectaries among themselues in most substantiall points of faith and those of Catholiques discepting and discussing difficulties occurring as yet vndecreed and vndetermined by authority as children of truth neuer ceasing to inquire after it
where soeuer it be and ready to imbrace it when they find it proposed vnto them either in the obscure light of infallible Authority or that of vision in Eternity Calumny concerning Transubstantiation and the B. Trinity SECT XI ANother maine tentation and principle of Irreligion he hath taken paines to transport out of Arabia this sonne of Agar where he hath met with his fellow Atheist or Socinian Pref. Againe I should desire you to tell me saith he ingenuously whether it be not probable that your portentuous doctrine of Transub stantiation ioyn'ed with your forementioned persuasian of no Papist no Christian hath brought a great many others as well as himselfe to Auerröes his resolution quandoquidem Christiani adorant quod comedunt sit anima mea cum Philosophis since Christians adore that which they eat let my soule go with the Philosophers Answ I thinke his Aduersary will not spare to tell him ingenuously that he is persuaded a very small matter may bring a Socinian to be as very an Atheist or Infidell as that Arabicke Leeche Auerröes and in phrasing the doctrine of Transubstantiation portentuous he sheweth himselfe brought as neere an Infidell as a Iew can be with whose spirit he seemeth so ingenuously to sympathize quomodo potest hic nobis carnem suam dare ad manducandum how can this man giue vs his body ro eate And yet euen hence by the way out of this very testimony of Auerröes you may perceaue that this doctrine of Transubstantiation or howsoeuer the reall and corporall Presence of Christs body in the Sacrament so as it was conceaued to be truly eaten was the common doctrine of Christians of those times not only of the Roman Church Concerning which doctrine and those words of Christ Nisi manducaueritis c. it is probably thought that Iudas was one of those who said durus est hic sermo c. This is a hard or harsh language c. Yet furthermore those words of our Sauiour at his last supper when he instituted this Sacrament accipite manducate hoc est enim corpus meum take and eat for this is my body are so cleere for Transubstantiation that this very Aduocate is knowne to haue retorted after his manner vpon occasion of some one pressing him to know his opinion concerning the Trinity that there is no so cleere testimony of Scripture for the Trinity as for Transubstantiation Which answere of his ioyned with that which he auoucheth so often in this Pamphlet that the Scripture not the Church is the rule whereby to determine points of fayth maketh the B. Trinity no lesse portentuous then Transubstantiation since it is certaine there is no mistery of fayth more seemingly repugnant and more apparently subuerting the prime and most receaued axiomes of naturall Reason and Philosophy then this of the B. Trinity And is not this a portentuous discourse of this Aduocate a prodigious Calumny trenching so deepely vpon the Deity it selfe And is not he the author of this a very Portent Prodigy vnder the guise of Christian profession worthy to be shipt for some vnknowne Land where his breath may infect none but sauage creatures nor make the hayre of Christian Professors stand stiffe by hearing such blasphemies from his mouth as I haue heard some one say his haire did who may one day write his Character if he haue not already done it in his very wittily Symbolizing Sceptique Meane while if this Auerreist haue made the like Arabick resolution to trust his soule with Philosophers rather thē with such Christians if he make a proper choice of Philosophers and sute himselfe fitly he may then in very good consequence of doctrine conformity to his principles sing euery moneth In noua fert animus No man will expect his Pithagorique soule in one shape of Religion long Fiet enim subitò Sus horridus atraque Tigris Squamosusque Drace fuluâ ceruice Leana Aut acrem flamma sonitum dabit atue ita vinclis Excidet aut in aquas tenues delapsus abibit And then Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo With what knot shall I hold fast this form-varying Proteus Marry thus it followeth Sed quanto ille magis formas se vertet in omnes Tanto Nate magis contende tenacia vincla Donec talis erit mutato corpore qualem Videris incepto tegeret cùm lumina somno For you shall haue him one while Arian another while Nestorian now Pelagian now Hussite now Caluinian then Arminian c. But only hold him fast throughout all his changes yea the more he transforms and transfigures draw the knot harder vntill at length after many and many a Metamorphosis he come about to the very same shape wherein first you tooke him sleeping in Socinian security onely waking in his nimble fancy wherin he shapes as many discolour'd formes of Religion as there are colours appearing in the Rain-bow or the Peacock's traine wherewith he playes according to the gaiety of his humor and frisk's from Religion to Religion like a squirrill from bough to bough His fallacious calumny concerning Prudentiall motiues SECT XII HIs immediately ensuing demaund Whether our requiring men vpon onely probable and prudentiall motiues to yeild a most certaine assent vnto things in human reason impossible c. Preface be not a likely way to make considering men scorne our Religion is a fraudulent Calumny as he would haue it vnderstood which is that we exact this most certaine assent out of Motiues onely probable and prudentiall as the principall cause or motiue of such assent Nor could he be ignorant if he deserue the opinion I haue conceaued of him that these motiues are proposed vnderstood by Catholiques as persuasiue and inductiue only or as preuious despositions to fayth which is the gratuite and supernaturall guift of God and therefore cannot flow from any humanely voluntary or naturall or sublunary Cause yet he who made all things ex nihilo sui of nothing or of no preexistēt Being in themselues and can therefore euen in reason more probably make any thing of some thing qui fecit medium fornacis quasi ventum roris flantem who made thefiery furnace refrigeratiue to the martyrs howsoeuer this were done qui fecit lutum ex sputo c. who contriued eye-light out of a plaster of dust and spitle who made wyne of water and the like stupendious effect's not contained in the naturall force or efficiency of such causes can likewise serue himselfe of inferior meanes and dispositions towards the producing of some supernaturall effect in the soule of man or assume them and ioyne with them or them with himselfe to such effects When therefore these probable or prudentiall Motiues attentiuely considered haue wrought in the soules of men first an opinion that such a doctrine may be true then perhaps a liking of the doctrine out of such motiues after this the spirit of God inwardly concurring mouing along with these motiues a kind
now he can vouchsafe to gleane after them And howsoeuer since Non-Conformity is now become out of all way of profit and preserment to say as they say and thinke with himselfe Pref. therefore to vse his words seeing we see these things done by him which hardly any man who knew him could belieue he would do what wonder if he goe forward still like to himselfe with as little modesty and moderation as hitherto For now he can call Catholique Honour and Reuerence towards the Images of our Sauiour or his Saints Idolatry and the legall proceeding of Catholique Countries against Heresies by them adiudged capitall crimes Murder and forgets in what coast of the world he writeth this and whose hart he wounds through the sides of Catholiques and how pretence of Heresy and pretence of Treason is laid by him to the charge of so many lawes and statutes lately prouided in such cases which remaine in force of vnrepealed decrees And may not this man write any thing so he write against Catholiques But can any man belieue that M. Ch. his first defection from Protestancy was so blind and headlong that he considered not whither he went Or that he knew not the Catholique doctrine concerning the vse of Pictures a Question so commonly vext and ventilated among Protestants Or is he the only Animal that in all spontaneous commigrations foreknow's only the whence but not the whither Or was he so wicked and irreligious that he would make choise of Idolatry Or conceaued he so meanely of the Profession for which he is now become so desperate a Whiffler that in his iudgement he plac't it behind Idolatry Or is lastly the Catholique vse of pictures become Idolatrous since he recoil'd secondly to Protestancy And with his reuolt from it is the Catholique doctrine reuolted from it selfe And may we not then iustly feare a generall Apostasy in the course of nature if M. Ch. should chance to turne once more Xanthe retro propera versaque recurrite lymphae His Calumny That Catholiques execution of Heretiques is Murder discussed and retorted SECT XVII Pref. DEuises haue beene inuented by Catholiques how men may worship Images without Idolatry kill innocent men vnder pretence of Heresy without murder Answ This point was not to be sleightly passed ouer contayning a notorious and fallacious Calumny wherein also if you obserue well you shall espy the Socinian mole working vnderneath Do but commaund your eyes a little patience If Heresy be only the pretended cause what is the latent true Cause which is pretexed or veiled vnder the name of Heresy What is that causa precatarchica that chiefly prineipally though couertly mouing cause if this be the euident and apparent cause only As when in the age of our Fathers some lost their liues vnder pretence of Treason it was easy to assigne the true cause practise or profession of ancient Religion made treagon by new Lawes Let him likewise declare vnto the world the true cause or causes pretens't and cloak't with the crime of Heresy in the procedures of Catholikes in those their capitall sentences and executions vpon Heretiques other then their willfull obstinacy in maintaining hereticall opinions I suppose now that Heresy is punishable by death euen in the opinion and practise of chiefest Protestants Caluin Beza Bellarm. de laicis l. 3. c. 22 and others being also the knowne and receaued doctrine of Fathers and Councels grounded vpon expresse testimonies of holy Scriptures And this a man would thinke to be the opinion of this Aduocate for euen in that he termes the killing of innocent men vnder pretence of Heresy Murder he should seeme to intimate that death executed vpon Heresy not the pretended but the true and primely mouing cause is not Murder nor killing of innocent men As he who calleth Death for Treason only pretended Murder supposeth that Treason it selfe truly so named is iustly punishable by Death will he then say that those opinions were not indeed Heresies but falsely supposed such or only made criminall vnder the name of Heresy and as such or insteed of such punished by death Which being neuer yet proued but rather the contrary conuinc't by all the Arguments and profes wherby any opinion can be conuinc't hereticall is in no wise now to be assumed And yet further if those opinions haue beene fore-iudged or fore-damned for Heresies Catholique posterity hauing those precedents according to those sentencing alike the very same Heresies cannot surely with any probability be said to haue proceeded to capitall condemnation of such opinions only vnder pretence of Heresy And if notwithstanding all those precedents of Antiquity authorities of Fathers Councels c. defining such opinions to be Hereticall what in after ages hath beene done according to those precedent Decrees and Definitions may be yet traduc't to a coulorable proceeding against such doctrines vnder pretence of heresy why may not likewise in the ciuill Gouernment of all Christian Common-wealths throughout the world capitall proceedings against many crimes in this present age according to Precedents Lawes of former tymes be brought back into dispute and Iudges of Assises condemned for their pronouncing capitall sentence against such delinquents and such and such demeanors vnder pretence of capitall Crimes being indeed would these men say no crimes at all or not iustly punish't with death And surely I belieue it will be hard for any Christian in consonancy to Christian doctrine to thinke that laycke and secular Precedents and Statutes may not with as litle scruple be recalled into question as Ecclesiastique Decrees or to giue a reason why the authority of a Nationall Synod Senate of Parlament should be more inuiolable then the authority of an Occumenicall Councell especially if we consider and belieue that this later authority both in regard of matter forme the things decreed and the manner of decreeing is of a nearer approach and accesse to diuine Law 's and Ordinances then the former If then Sentences and Iudgments conformable to Senatory or Parlamentory Statutes must not be esteemed colours and pretences only much more the sentences and executions of the Church in conformity to Ecclesiasticall orders and Constitutions cannot but absurdly be presumed to be only pretensions veilings and maskings of some hidden mistery of malice or pollicy For when the true cause is both apparent and of it selfe sufficient to authorize the proceeding of the Magistrate what need of masking and cloaking causes when whatsoeuer hidden or concealed cause is lesse valid and a lesse sufficient warrant for such proceedings then those publicke and noterious Decrees and Lawes prouided in such cases His Fallacy discouered his supposall of no Heresy according to Socinianisme SECT XVIII NOtwithstāding all this he hath yet an euasion though a very secret and close one somewhat like to the escapes of those amorously pursued riuers which Poet's fable vnder the ground whence we simple men while we thinke to follow him in open view and aboue ground
inough that he quit the Catholique for temporall ends Pref. But it is incredible that if he had such ends or desires he should make choyce of Socinianisme Because sayth he Socinianisme explicates the law's of Christ with more rigour and lesse indulgence and condescendence to the desires of flesh and blood then Catholique doctrine doth Answ How true this is I will not heere dispute but giue it true So did the Manichaans so the Donatists so the Tertullianists so some other Heresies explicate some points of Christian doctrine and some sentences of Scripture more rigidly and more repugnantly to flesh and blood then the Catholique Church did and therfore those Explicator's were Heretiques and their rigor of doctrine Heresy because a man may be an Heretique vs well for the more as for the lesse But what is this to the surpose that Sucinianisme explicates the Law 's of Christ with greater rigour if it bind no man to belieue them or to belieue that they are the law 's of Christ the Sonne of God and therefore obligatory but leaues euery man free to his owne reason to belieue so much of them as he think's fit where is then the rigour So the doctrine of Caluin explicate's the lawes of God the Ten Commaundments not only hard but impossible to be kept Loe the rigour of explication Loe. but therefore he bind's no man to keep them Loe the indulgence of application That Socinianisme is the readiest way to temporall Aduancements SECT XLI ANother reason of incredibility that if the Motiue to abandon the Catholique Church had beene temporall respects or ends he would haue imbraced Socinianisme is this as followeth Pref. Socintanisme is a doctrine by which no man in his right mynd â—an hope for any honour or preferment either in this Church or state or any other Answ This I deny and auouch the quite contrary which is this that in any Protestant or not Catholique State a Socinian is most capable of aduancement My reason because Socinianisme bindeth no man to professe it publiquely nay it imposeth no obligation to any exterior act whatsoeuer which may yield the least sent or suspicion of it nay rather by the maine principle of it sana ratio right reason such as they terme right which so appeareth to euery man in particular they are obliged to exhibit no signe or shew at all which may hinder or crosse their designes therefore Socinianisme obligeth rather to all exteriour conformity Since therefore all Heresy is subiect to change and alteration alterable by the authority by which it stands the Socinian of all other is most ready to change with it and to conforme himselfe to any Church or state whatsoeuer as the waxe as yet vnprinted is capable of any impression and the Eye hauing in it self no colour receaues the formes or idols of all colours Therefore in such a Church or State no Sect is endued with so great aduantages as Socinianisme is which can without any difficulty or demurre put on the guise and liuery of any profession The Socinian can be a Puritan to day to morrow a Protestant the third day an Arminian and the fourth an Arrian and after so or so or neither so nor so Nor can I doubt but this is indeed the very principall cause why so many make this choyce For the Socinian is the only He who sayles with euery wynd whiles other professors some out of tendernesse or scruple iniected by the principles of their doctrine dare not yeild to the countermaund of secular authority others out of animosity of opposition or as it were the pride of their choyce will not conforme others out of the extreme hate of what they feare the hate I say of that truth which they feare will preuaile will not come in and while all these either by their not yielding or by direct opposition run hazard of their fortunes yea liues and liberty the smooth-faced Socinian arides euery change derides the folly of Non-conformants swims aloft like a Corke fall's and rises with the waues whatsoeuer stormes against religion or be the seas neuer so rough he will neuer drowne in briefe he is the one Pamphylus and Eutrapelus of tymes and fortunes the only State-humourer and State-complyer He might passe for a very wiseman in some heathen Philosophy a very Atheist in Christianity And tell me now is not this man in the high rode-way of preferment if which he must if he be true to his principles he can but keep his owne Counsell or impart it only to his confidents Adde vnto all this that wheresoeuer rules of Policy or Reasons of State sway the Gouernment more then rules of Piety or Religion the Socinian will be thought the fittest instrument for imployment in State-affaires who wil be wrought to any circumstance of aduantage who will vndertake yea and make good way through all those difficulties which neither Religion nor Honesty would venture vpon For who can question the aduantage which he hath ouer a Religion-bound Conscience who himselfe hath either none or a Socinian one which is so flexible changing with euery turne of fancy or affection varying with euery variety of occasion All which demonstrates to vse his word's that this foule aspersion is no false one or at the least not so cleanly wip't out but that notwithstanding all his purgations and compurgations it stick 's as fast and deepe as euer it did The Aduocates misconstructions of his Aduersaries Direction declared to be a iust and charitable Admonition SECT XLII AS for the fountaine whence this Aduocate supposeth these aspersions to haue proceded from a hart sayth he abounding with the gall and bitternes of vncharitablenes Pref. and euen blind with malice towards him I verily think whosoeuer knows both parties will neuer belieue this censure neither as proceeding from the one nor as against the other The Censurer will neuer deserue so much credit as to be delieued nor the Censured so much discredit as to be suspected of so much malice Besides that as I am informed his Charity and curtesy extended to this plainant in tyme and place haue deserued a better construction were he not growne now so forgetfull of all that he learned among Catholikes that he hath forgotten to construe Charity in any Christian language either words or deeds He might haue construed this foule aspersion which he so call's no aspersion at all but an Admonition and a needfull one least others might receaue infection from his contagious pen. He might haue interpreted it as proceeding from Zeale not a peruerse Zeale as his words are to his superstition which himselfe this Aduocate immediatly after call's the Catholique Cause Now to call the Catholique cause or Religion superstitioâ— is indeed to vse the phraze of the Chayre a very Bull. And howsoeuer he construes it out of his owne not Zeale which were a mere Solecisme in Socinianisme but his ouer and ouer and many tymes peruerted iudgment yet other more sober and
Canonicall Word Therfore I hope I shall do him no wrong in thinking he had a purpose to consecrate his Motiues by a mystery of number I shall also make bold to conceaue him so learned as to know the great vertue and efficiency which not only the Schoole of Pithagoras but the retyâ—ing Cabalists and learned Rabbius yea the holy Fathers themselues attribute to numbers and euen namely to this number of Ten. Whence I will imagine he had here regard to the Decalogue of Diuine Commaundements in conformity to which he proposed to himselfe his Decalogue of Motiues Perhaps he considered with all the reward of such man whose integrity of obseruance and obedience to those Commaund's should receaue singali denarium which denarius diurnus Anagogically vnderstood is life euer lasting that one entire day of Eternity vninterrupted by night or intermission of happines And this Decalogist may haue cause to feare though other cares at this tyme by land and water diuert his feare or imploy it otherwise least at the numbring and counting day this very Decalogue may be obiected against him Nonne ex denarie connenisti mecum Was not your agreement with the Catholique Church ex denariâ— out of your owne Decalogue of Motiues But now he saith he repents the bargaine There was also to be considered in this number a mystery of congruity NoeÌ„ was the tenth Generation of man NoeÌ„ signifieth Rest. So in the tenth Motiue it seemes this Moueable intended to rest and moue no further as all motion's render themselues to some terme of rest vnlesse you will except the Circular and the motion of such men who moue in a Circle of whome the Prophet Psal 11. Jud. in circuitu impij ambulant Wicked men walke in a Circle and as those cloud ' of which S. Iude nubes sine aquâ quae à ventis circumferuntur dry cloud 's without all moisture of diuine Grace as * Socinians those who haue no Grace so much as in their Catechisme what more dry and Graceles cloud 's then they these are hurried round omni vente dectrinae with euery blast and change of doctrine whose Religion hath no residence Ephes 4. And such a one is he who hauing arriued to the truth by ten step 's or Motiues by ten I say the pause and period of number falls back and begin's a new account Semper ad vsque decem numero crescente venitur Because denarius est omnis numerus sayth the learned Mirandula the tenth is all number for thus farre his march and motion was as the progresse of the iust in the path of light Prousâ—b â— Iustorum sâ—mitae quasilux splendens procedit crescit vsque ad perfectum diem the path of iust men as a shinning light proceed's increase's still vntill the noone or perfect day This noon-day or perfect day is the terme period of this progresse this that denarius diurnus the day of diuine Truth as obscurely reuealed to be belieued in this life to be enioyed in the next in the clarity of blissifull vision For this tenth of euerlasting day is the place and residence of the eternall Beatitude of mankind of which S. Austin Attende Serm. de decimit quod creatura decima inter intellectuales creatur as est homo quia Angeli in nouem ordinibus consistunt decimus verò ordo est hominum Obserue that man is the tenth in number of intellectuall creatures for there are nine orders of Angels the tenth order is of men Now this vnhappy man after much study I doubt not and paines taken in the search of truth and Religion hauing now happily aduanc't his progresse Motiues to this number of Perfection and to the hope of communion with Angelicall Hierarchies euen there and then like vnto Lot's wife or the fabulous Orpheus transgre'st the couenant and look't back ibi omnis effusus labor There all the labor was lost or as the Greeke prouerbe hath it Hydria in foribus the pitchard broken in the very entry or threshold And now the mystery of the sacred number fouly betrayed of those ten goodly Motiues nothing remaines to him the Mouer but the number the soule and spirit now departed they moue no more then a carcasse and may therefore not vnfiâ—ly carry before them in their title Nos numerus sumus We are a number Yet euen these though vnnaturally massacr'ed by him who gaue them light Natis sepulchrum Notwithstanding may perhap's reuiued to lfie be Motiues againe and mooue others who will entertaine them though their pittilesse Parent hath cast them off And because I conceaue this resurrection may be atchieued without a miracle I will presume to attempt it though weakly a stronger spirit will performe it more effectually 1. Motiues 2. Remotiues 3. Promotiues or Replicants I. Motiue BEcause perpetuall visible profession which could neuer be wanting to the Religion of Christ nor any part of it is apparently wanting to Protestant Religion so farre as concernes the points in contestation I. Remotiue God hath mayther deoâ—eed nor foretold that his true doctrine should de facto be alwayes visibly professed without any mixture of falshood I. Promotiue or Replicant If by this restrictiue de facto you vnderstand that such visible profession of vnmixt or pure Truth was only so decreed or foretold that de iure it should be so that is of right there ought to be alwayes visible profession of true doctrine without any mixture of falshood but that de facto such vnmixt doctrine to be so professed indeed was nether decreed nor foretold Against this I reply in behalf of your Motiue This were no Priuiledge at all of the Christian Church for de iure of right not only the Church but the Synagogue too was so make profession of true doctrine without mixture of falshood Nay de iure euen the Gentiles should haue worshi'pt God according to truth without falshood and those Philosophers should haue taught the truth which they vnderstood concerning God without mixture of vntruth for the contrary of which they are coÌ„demned by S. Paul Rom. 1. What was then the effect and intent of the spirit of truth so sent as to continue to the end of the world in the Church of Christ Was it only to impose a duty and obligation vpon the Church to teach truth without falshood And was the Church to be Columna veritaetis the pillar of 〈◊〉 de iure only not de faâ—â—o Who can safely leaue or rely vpon that Pillar which only should stand but may as well fall as stand Was this the purchase that cost the dearest bloud of the Sonne of God a duty only and a deeper damnation of the Church not corresponding with this duty Was this the loue of Christ Iesus Ephes 5. towards his dearest spouse so great that he would dy for her to the end he might sanctify her and wash her in the lauer of water in his word that he might exhibit
and those of an indefinite and interminate signification without all limitation to tyme or place by what authority presume you to confine it with in the malignant bounds of your vnderstanding or assignement The words of our Sauiour are these Amen Ioh. 14. Marâ— 16. amen dicâ— vobis c. Verily verily I say to you he who belieues in me shall do the works which I do yea greater then these The very like hath S. Marke and elswhere Remâ—t Besides setting aside the Bible and the tradition of it there is as good story for miracles wrought by those who liued and died in opposition to the Doctrine of the Roman Church as by S. Cyprian c. as there is for thâ—se that are pretended to be wrought by the meÌ„bers of that Church Prom. It is false that S. Cyprian dyed in opposition to any then defined doctrine of the Roman Church Secondly proue that any of those miracles were wrought in confirmation of any such doctrine as opposed the doctrine of the Roman Church otherwise you say nothing Remot Lastly it seemes to me no strange thing that God in his instice should permit some true miracles to be wrought to delude them who haue forged so many c. Prom. Now certainly you are a strange Aduocate and will shame your Clyents do what we can In truth by what I haue heard blasphemies are no strang things with you who swallow them with as much ease as Mithridates was wont to take poyson and as easily they come from you Yet first I note your illiterate manner of expression in saying that God permits some true miracles as though true miracles were wrought by Gods permission only not by his positiue concourse and direct intention by reason of which positiue concourse it is truly said of euery true miracle digitus Dei his est the fingar of God is heere as being his worke alone so his alone that no power or force of nature hath any naturall influence into it and wherunto nature may seeme to affoard nothing else but a certain non-repugnance and submission to the prerogatiue power of God which therfore rather Nature thou God may be said to permit And tell me now good Syr seemes it not strange to you that God should positiuely and directly worke a true miracle in confirmation of a falshood for if it be in confirmation of a truth then it deludes not that God should truly lye in the language of fact and reality saying by his miracle This is true doctrine which is false or this is Vertue which is Vice or the like For although Almighty God may permit the abuse and wicked application of some supernaturall worke whereunto he concurreth positiuely as when he concurs positiuely with the Priest consecrating to some mischieuous end if we will imagine so great impiety yet it followeth not that God can concurre positiuely to other miracles with him who intends imposture or confirmation of false doctrine by them For the power of consecrating giuen to the Priest is a permanent resident and consistent power like vnto the naturall faculties of man wherewith as by vertue of a former pact and law of nature God concurreth positiuely in order to the naturall efficiency or exercise of those faculties and to the Physicall entity of their effects howsoeuer oftentymes morally and formally sinfull which law and couenant supposed the abuse of such naturall power is the sole worke and attribute of man only permitted by God But the power of other miracles not appropriated to function or Character or such as to which God hath not obliged himselfe by any former compact with any man either to conserue that power in him or to concurre with it to any miraculous effect is in no man resident but rather flâ—ent and errant as holden of God by a free arbitrary and inobligatory tenure therefore without breaking or frustrating any preeedent Couenant or decree God may withdraw his concurrence to such miracles especially if at any tyme maliciously designed and in this case since he may withdraw himselfe me thinkes it stands not with his iustice and goodnes not to do so And here may seeme to haue place that saying of the ancient Qui non vetat peccare cùm potest iubet For to this kind of miracles if God should concurre positiuely he should seeme to concurre directly to the abuse of the mischieuous application which God forbid we should euer say or thinke with Caluin But now seemes it not strange to you that of a mere delusion and imposture it should be truly said digitus Dei hic est Could any voyce of mortal man reach to so high a note of blasphemy but a Socinian which reacheth euen from Hell to Heauen Though now againe it seemes to me no strange thing that God in his iustice and prouidence should permit such blasphemies to fall from the pens of such Aduocates that the manifestation of them may disabuse the world and awake their negligence and security who suffer themselues to be guided in the affaire of their Soule-saluation by such godles and graceles Blasphemers IV. Motiue Because many points of Protestant doctrine are the dâ—â—ned opinions of Hereticks condemned by the Primitiue Church IV. Remotiue All these were not Hereticks which by Philastrius Epiphanius or 2. Austine were put in the Catalogue of Heretiques IV. Promotiue What kind of answere is this All those were not Heretiques c. Ergo it is not true that many points of Protestant doctrine are the damned opinions of Heretiques that is of some Heretiques condemned by the primitiue Church Or thus Some doctrines are not Heresies which Philastrius numbreth with Hâ—resies for so Bellarmine hath noted De Script Eccles Ergo these doctrines of Protestants are not Heresies or no doctrines of Protestants are Or thus Ergo those doctrines of Protestants which you in your Motiue obserue to haue beene the damned opinions of old Heretiques or those very Heresies which Philastrius supposeth to be Heresies and are not Now is there any ayre or rellish of true Logicke either naturall or Scholasticall in these Paralâ—gicall consequences V. Motiue Because the Prophecyes of the Old Testament touching the Conuersion of Kings and Nations to the true Religion of Christ haue been accomplished in and by the Catholicke Roman Religion and the Professors of it and not by Protestant Religion and the Professours of it V. Remotiue Kings and Nations haue been and may be conuerted by men of contrary Religions V. Promotiue Kings and Nations haue been and may be conuerted by men of contrary Religions Ergo it is not true that the Prophesies touching the conuersion of Kings c. haue beene accomplished by the Catholique and not by the Protestant Professors This inference euery Logician or man of common sense sees hath no force at all But againe the force of the Motiue consists in this That those Prophesies concerning Conuersions haue beene actually fulfilled in and by the Catholique Roman Church which is
applause and approbation to their Heresies being so farre indeed from any true agreement or harmony with them that they iarre euen in what they hold with them euen in those very doctrines wherein they say the same which the Fathers say The reason because in all those doctrines of Fathers this transcendent condition of a prepared and prompt submission to whatsoeuer determination of the Church is so permeant and pertinent and transfused throughout all their doctrines and sentences as the very soule and consistence of them so that whatsoeuer doctrine of Heretiques wanting this ingredient of a Catholique Submission and Relation to the Church can neuer be the same doctrine nor agreeable with that of the Fathers though it seeme neuer so much the same in words though inuested I say in the same language and exterior signification yet euen so they are but wolues in vestimentis ouium in the skin and garments of sheep which skin they put on for no other end nisi vt mactent perdant to kill massacre the soules of such who belieue they are Orthodoxe because they speak the language of the Fathers This is then the distinctiue signe the spirituall marke and cognoisance which infallibly proclaimes them to be Heretiques this pertinacity in any single opinion of fayth yea in any one the least point of fayth this standing our against the authority of the Church and refusall to submit destroyeth the whole forme the very constitutiue and distinctiue Character of a Catholique subiect Howsoeuer he appeare in all other points of Christian doctrine an Angell of light by this you shall discerne him as by a clouen foot with this submission no Hereticall opinion can make a man an Heretique without this the whole Apostolique Creed cannot make him a Catholique si per impossibile if it were possible that such submission should be wanting in him who belieues entirely the Apostolique Creed VII Motiue Because the first pretended reformers had neither extraordinary commission from God nor ordinary mission from the Church to preach Protestant doctrine VII Remotiue The Pastors of a Church caÌ„not but haue authority from is to preach against the abuses of it whether in doctrine or practise if there be any in it c. VII Promotiue Extraordinary mission or commission is immediately from God Ordinary mission or Commission is that which issueth immediatly from man placed in authority vnder God Now to proue an ordinary mission or commission is easily done by producing the testimony of that authority which sendeth or granteth the commission Extraordinary missions cannot be proued or manifested by ordinary manifestations and being not proued cannot oblige to acceptance or beliefe Now since to reforme is an act of power and authority and all power and authority is from God whether mediatly or immediatly hence it is that no such act can be legall or regular and so effectuall and valid of it self without mission or commission that is without receauing such power or authority to reforme from him who hath power to giue it that is from God himself immediatly or mediatly from his Officers Since then those pretended Reformers had or could proue no such mission or commission neither immediately nor mediately from God hence it followeth that they had none at all no authority Psay at all to reforme the Church Ergo their pretended Reformation was an illegall and irregular act of presumption It is true a Commission may be of two kinds respectiuely to circumstances It may be either an expresse and formall commission or interpretatiue only The expresse and formall Commission is that which I receaue expressely granted by superior authority Interpretatione I may call that which though I haue not expressely receaued from such authority yet I prudently and vndoubtingly suppose would be granted me in such circumstances of tyme place c. if the Superior had notice of them vpon which supposed and prudently presumed grant yea and direct will of the Superior I execute such an act of authority as to reforme reprebend teach preach c. Thus much premised let vs now consider this Remotiue or anti-Motine what waight it hath in ballance with the Motiue Remot The Pastours of a Church cannot but haue authority from it c. Promot Beware of false dealing in the very entrance A Church denoteth a particular Church The Catholique which is the Vniuersall Church the whole mysticall body whereof particular Churches and euery A Church are parts and members is improperly styled A Church but properly The Church as The spouse of Christ not A spouse as though he had many spouseâ—â— Vna est columba mea perfecta mea with which one Church or perfect Spouse particular Churches yea particular soules are his Spouses as they are one with her Now it is true that the Pastour of A Church hath authority from The Church to preach against the abuses of that particular Church when it swarueth either in doctrine or manners from the law's or doctrine of the Catholique Church to which it oweth Conformity But then againe the Pastour of A Church is the sheep not Pastour of The Church therefore his preaching against The Church is without all authority or commission either from God or man nay it is a prodigious presumption for any Christian subiect to preach against the doctrine or practise of that Church as against abuses whose doctrine and practise is his rule wherby to know what is abuse in either For of the preposterous way of making the Scripture the Rule to discerne such abuses by it inough hath beene already said how absurd and groundlesse it is especially when the point of doctrine which is imputed or traduced as abuse is concerning the Scripture it self or the true meaning or interpretation thereof which no priuate Spirit or particular Pastour hath authority do determine against the Church Remot Neither can any Christian want an ordinary commission from God to do a necessary worke of charity after a peaceable manner when there is no body else that can or will do it In extraordinary cases extraordinary courses are not to be disallowed Promot Commission immediate from God as granted to any subiect with out all mediation yea or approbation of his ordinary Superior cannot be an ordinary commission therefore it is not to be admitted or accepted yea or belieued without Precedent proofe and manifestation that it is from God by extraordinary signes and testifications Againe to vndertake such a reformation without any ordinary commission or yet extraordinary duly manifested to be such and that in opposition against ordinary authority cannot be peaceable for peace cannot be where order and subordination is violated therefore non est pax impijs dicit Dominus wicked men enioy not peace because in and by them as such due order is subuerted For this cause also this cannot be a worke of Charity being an act of dissention and rebellion and therefore of it self destructiue and subuersiue of Peace and Charity Remot But when there