by faith in Christ not by good works which they in no wise did affect We Catholicks do not pretend to have no evill-livers in our Church but this we may say with truth and I hope without offence that the difference between Protestant and Catholick â—â—â—ll-livers is that when Protestants sin they do nothing but what they are encouraged vnto by their justifying faith and the other principles of their Religion but when Catholicks sin they go against the known Tenets of their faith and profession Even our Pardons and Jndulgences how-ever so plenary are so far from encouraging vs to a continuance or relapse of sinning that they involue as a precedent and necessary condition a serious and sincere repentance of our former offences and afirm purpose and resolution of never returning to the like crimes and after all is don we pretend to no such vndoubted certainty of being pardon'd either by confession or Indulgences because we are not certain whether we do al as we ought as Protestants presume to have of their justification and saluation by only faith The nature of this justifying faith and of other Protestant principles considered We Catholicks have reason to thanck God that the prudence â—f the Prince and moderation of his Ministers is so extraordinary that it keeps the indiscreed zeal of a multitude so strangly principl'd if not as much with in the limits of Christianity and civility towards their fellow subjects as were to be wished yet so that the execution of the sanguinary and penal statuts is not altogeather so distructive as the Presbiterians and others endeavor Untill the generality of these Nations reflect vpon the impiety of the first Reformers and vpon their own mistakes in preferring the mad fancies of a few dissolute Friars concerning the nature of Christian faith before the constant Testimony and doctrin of the whole visible Church we cannot expect that they who govern so mistaken a multitude can make justice the rule of the publick Decrees which depend of the concurrence and acceptance of men whose greatest care is to promote Protestancy and persecute Popery SECT IX Protestants mistaken in the consistency of Christian faith humility Charity peace either in Church or state with their making Scripture as interpreted by privat persons or fallible Synods or fancied general Councells composed of all discenting Christian Churches the rule of faith and Iudg of Controversies in Religion How every Protestant is a Pope and how much also they are overseen in making the 39. Articles or the oath of Supremacy a distinctive sign of Loyalty to our Protestant Kings LVther Zuinglius Calvin Cranmer and all others that pretended to reform the doctrin of the Church of Rome seing they could not prove their new Religions or Reformations by testimonies from antiquity or by probability of Reason were inforc't to imitat the example of all Heretiks who as S. Austin says l. 1. de Trin. c. 3. endeavour to defend their falls and deceitfull opinions out of the Scriptures If on shall ask any Heretick saith that ancient Father Vincentius lyr l. 1. cons. Haer. c. 35. from whence do you prove from whence do you teach that I ought to forsake the vniuersal and ancient faith of the Catholik Church Presently he answereth scriptum est It is written and forthwith he prepareth a thousand testimonies a thousand examples a thousand authorities from the law from the Apostles from the Prophets This shift is so ordinary and notorious that Luther him-self postill Wittemberg in 2. con 8. Dom. post Trin. fol. 118. Dom. post Trin. fol. 118. affirmeth the sacred Scripture is the book of Heretiks because Heretiks are accustomed to appeale to that book neither did there arise at any time any heresy so pestiferous and so foolish which did not endeavor to hide it self under the vaile of Scripture And yet Luther Calvin Cranmer c. finding nothing to say for them-selves either in History or Fathers and seing Tradition so cleerly bent against them that they could not name as much as on Parish or person which ever professed their protestant doctrines they appeal'd from the word of God proposed by the visible and Catholick Church and Counâ—â—ls to their own Canon and Translations of Scripture and from that sense of Scripture which the Church and Councells had follow'd for 1500. years to that which their own privat spirit temporal interest or fallacious reason diâ—â—â—ted to them-selves and so did others that followed their examples making every privat Protestant or at least every reforâ—â—d Congregation Judg of Scripture Church Councells and Fathers In so much that Luther tom 2. Wittemberg cap. de Sacram. fol. 375. setteth down this rule for all Protestants to be directed 〈◊〉 The Governors of Churches and Pastors of Christ's sheep 〈◊〉 indeed power to teach but the sheep must judge whâ—â—â—er they propose the voice of Christ 〈◊〉 of strangers c. Wherfore let Popes Bishops Councells c. decree order enact what they please we shal not hinder but we who are Christ's sheep and heare his voice will judge whether they propose things true and agreable to the voice of our Pastor and they must yeeld to us and subscribe and obey our sentence and censure Calvin though contrary to Luthâ—â— in many other things yet in this doth agree as being the ground wherupon all protestant Reformations must rely in his lib. 4. Institut cap. 9. § 8. he says The definitions of Councels must be examined by Scripture and Scripture interpreted by his rules and Spirit The same is maintained by the Church of England as appears in the defence of the 39. Articles printed by authority 1633. wherin it is sayd pag. 103. Authority is given to the Church and to every member of sound judgment in the same to judg controversies of faith c. And this is not the privat opinion of our Church but also the judgment of our godly brethren in foreign Nations And by Mr. Bilson Bishop of Winchester in his true difference c. part 2. pag. 353. The people must be Discerners and Judges of that which is taught How inconsistent this doctrin is with Christian faith is evident by the pretended fallibility and fall of the visible Church which all Protestants do suppose and must maintain to make good the necessity and lawfullness of their own interpretations and Reformations For if the Roman Catholik and ever Visible Church may and from time to time hath erred as the Church of England declares in the 39. Articles no reformed Congregations whether Lutheran Presbiterian or Prelatick can have infallible certainty but that them-selves have fallen into as great errors as those which they have pretended to reform in the Roman Church And if they have not infallible certainty of the truth of their reformed doctrin they can not pretend to Christianity of faith that involves an assurance of truth which assurance is impossible if that the Church can be mistaken in it's proposall So that Christianity of faith including
Wittensbâ—rg he is so vehement against the wifes refusal of her husband's bed that he saith if the Magistrat omit it's duty in punishing her the husband must imagin that his wife is stole away by theeves and dead and consider how to marry an other for saith he yet further we cannot stop St. Paul's mouth c. his words are plain that a brother or sister are free from the law of wed lock if the one depart or do not consent to dwel with the other neither doth he say that this may be don once only but leaveth it free that so often as the case shall require he may either proceed or stay In which case as he signifieth to Wittemb fâ—l 112 a man may have ten or more wives fled from him and yet living Nay he doubteth not in case of adultery to give liberty even to the offending advlteror to fly into an other country and marry againe Luther loc cit fol. 123. Melancton consil Theol. part 1· pag 648. [o] Mr. Whitgift the Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury in his defence pag. 472. saith The doctrin taught and professed by our Bishops at this day is much more perfect and sound then it commonly was in any age since the Apostles tims pa. 473. asuredly you are not able so recken in any age since the Apostles time any Company of Bishops that taught and held so perfect and sound doctrin in all points as the Bishops of England do at this time In the truth of doctrin our Bishops be not only comparable with the old Bishops but in many degrees to be preferred before them c [a] Hooker lib. 1. Polit. Eccles pag. 86. lib. 2. sect 5. pag. 192. It is not the word of God which doth or possibly can assure vs that we do wel to think it his word for if any book of Scripture did give testimony of all yet stil that Scripture which gives credit to the rest would require an other Scripture to give credit vnto it Neither could we come to any pause wher on to rest vnless besids Scripture there were some thing which might assure vs. c. Which he lib. 3. sect 8. pag. 146. lib. 2. sect 7. pag. 116. Acknowledged to be the authority of God's Church Whitaker against Stapleton lib. 2. cap. 6. pag. 270. saith The testimony of the spirit being privat and secred is vnfit to teach and refell others and therfor we must recurr to Ecclesiastical Tradition an argument saith he ibid. cap. 4. pag. 300. Wherby may be argued and convinced what books be Canonical and what be not M. r Fulk in his answer to a counterfeit Catholick pag. 5. saith the Church of Christ hath judgment to discern true writings from counterfeit and the word of God from the writings of men and this judgment she hath of the holy Ghost M r Jewel in his defence of the Apology pag. 201. And afther the edition of 1571. pa. 242. saith the Church of God hath the spirit of wisdom wherby to discern true Scripture from false [*] See Pomeran in Epist. ad Rom. cap. 4. Vitus Theodorus in annot Test. pag. vl The Century writers of Magdeburg cent 1. lib. 2. cap. 4. cent 2. lib. 3. cap. 4. Hafferoferus in loc Theol. lib. 3. stat 3. loc 7. pag. 222. Adamus Fancisci in Margarita Theol. pag. 448. giveth this testimony of the Protestant Church wherof him-self was a member The Apocriphal books of the new Testament are the Epistle to the Hebrews the Epistle of Iams the second and third of Iohn the second of Peter the Epistle of Iude and the Apocalyps And all the Authors heer mentioned give the like testimony in behalf of their Protestant Churches wherfor we can not but admire Doctor Cossins confidence in affirming a matter so notoriously contradicted and much more the carelesness of them who ground their faith and Canon of Scripture vpon it s not being ever questioned See Cozins in the 17 chap. per toâ— [a] Salvus Conductus datus Protestantibus sess 13. 14. Concil Trident. Vt Protestantes de iis rebus quae in ipsa Synodo tractari debent omni libertate conferre proponere tractare c. ac articulos quot illis videbitur tam scripto quam verbo afferre proponere cum Patribus c. conferre absque ullis convitiis concontumeliis disputare nec non quando illis placuerit recedere possint Placuit praeterea Sanctae Synodo vt si pro majori libertate ac securitate eorum certos tam pro commissis quam pro committendis per eos delictis Iudices eis de putari cupiant illos sibi benevolos nominent etiamsi delicta ipsa quantumcunque enormia ac hoeresim sapientia fuerint New definitions are not new articles of faith See this largly proued in 3. part of this Treatise pag. 101. seq (a) S. Hierom in lib. de 〈◊〉 illustr extremo in Praefat librorum quos latinâ—s â—ecit (b) Hierom. epist. 89. ad Aug. quaest 11. inter ep August S. Hierom. in his Preface before the new Testament dedicated to Pope Damasus Novum opus c. [c] Luther being admonished of his corruption would not correct his error but saith tom 5. Germ. fol. 141. 144. sic volo sic jubeo sit pro ratione voluntas c. Lutherus ita vult And concludeth Therfore the word alone ought to continue in my New Testament although all Papists run mad yet they shal not take it from thence It grieves me that I did not add those two other words Omnibus omnium The Church of England in Edward 6. time Translated some times This signifieth my Body other times this is my Body other times neither is nor signifieth but insteed therof a blanck as not yet resolved vpon which was true See Knot in his Protestancy condemned Edit 1654. pag. 87. Bible 1562 Bible 1562. Cor. 7. v. 1. Bible 1577. 1579. Chemnit in examin part 2. fol. 74. Saravia in defens tra diversis mini â—r gradibus pag 3. Jewel in his defence of the Apology 157. pa. 35. Tertullian in lib de praescr Qui estis vos vnde quaÌ„do venistis vbi tam diu latuistis S. Hilarius l. 6 de Trinit ante med Tarde mihi hos piissimos doctâ—res aetas nunc â—ujus â—â—culi protulit c. S. Hierom in epist ad Pamaâ—â— â—ce an 〈◊〉 pâ—st quadring 〈◊〉 now 1600 annos docere nos 〈◊〉 quâ—d anâ—â—a neseivimus Vsque in haÌ„c diem sine isra doctrina mundus christianus fuit Luther in â—p ad Irgentineneses auâ— 1525. Christiana nolaâ— primo vulga tun audemu gloriari [a] Georgius Milius in August Confes. explic art 7. de ecclesia pag. 137. [b] Dr. Feeld in his Treatise of the Church lib. 3 cap. 46 Mr. Abr Hartwell in his report of the Kingdom of Congo printed 1597. in his epistle to the reader Symon Lythus in respons altera ad alteram Gretseri Apol pag. 331
only more â—ound in point of Christiatity but more safe in order to the government then any others And though it be a common and true saying that the greatest Clerks are not the wisest men and by consequence not so fit to prescribe rules for governing as wordlings that are not Divines or as wranglers that are Lawyers yet I humbly conceive that when the misfortunes of a government proceed not from want of judgment or resolution in the Councel but from want of faith or which is the same from an acknowledged vncertainty of faith in the Church Catholick Divines seing we are unanimous in matters of Christian belief and do persuade the best part of Christendom that our Church is infallible in the same and if heard we doubt not to prevail with these British Nations also to credit vs in that important point however improbable it may seem to them at first sight I hope this supposed we Catholick Divines may without offence pretend to be better able to shew and salve the spiritual sore of this state then any Protestant Statists or schoolmen who want sufficient unity and assurance of faith in themselves to make their cure and care credible to others Seing therfore the foundation not only of Christian Religion but of a peaceable government doth consist in a firm persuasion of the people governed that the doctrin professed and established by Law is infallible and of Divine inspiration not of human invention and by consequence that the decrees and determinations of the State which in all Governments ought to be proportioned to the doctrin of its Church are lawfull and intended for the common good not designs or devices to fool the multitude feed the ministery or favor the soveraign and that not only evidence of falshood but vncertainty of truth in matters of Christianity must needs render the Church and State that profess such an vncertainty so weak and contemptible that the subjection to either cannot be otherwise secured then by the force and fear of a standing Army and that such a subjection doth savor more of a Turkish slavery then fâ—â—a Christian Society or of a civil subordination to publick authority and therfore is the cause of continual discontents and frequent rebellions and that no Church but the Roman Catholick doth as much as pretend or can persuade it s own infallibility in matters of Religion seing I say all this is manifest by reason and our wofull late experiences I question not but that the Parliament will be pleased to take in good part this humble proposal of saving our souls and of setling this state by the doctrin of the Roman Catholick Church and by the Revenues of the Protestant Prelatick Clergy especially if the corruptions of Scripture and falsifications of Councells and Fathers wherwith I do charge that Clergy and wherby alone they maintain their Protestancy be cleerly demonstrated in this Treatise and patiently heard in a publick Trial. It 's now above a Century of years since the great Statsmen of England have employed their wit and industry in devising how to setle Monarchy vpon Protestancy but vnder favor we Catholick Divines do shew and all Protestants may suspect by the success that in so great an affair they have proceeded like vnskillfull Architects that busy themselves altogether in proportioning and adorning the superstructures without inquiring into the strength and solidity of the foundation They mistook sand for stone fals translations for true Scripture a lay ministery for a lawful Clergy a temporal soveraignty for a spiritual supremacy They layd for the first stone of their New fabrik a sworn spiritual rebellion the oath of supremacy against the chief Prelat and common Father of all Christendom S. Peters Successor No marvail then if this fundation yeelded and the whole fabrik fell to the ground in our late distempers for by an evident parity of reason it must be concluded that it is as lawful for Protestants to depose Kings as Popes by vertue of their privat and arbitrary interpretations of scripture If notwithstanding the legal and long possession or prescription of a suprem spiritual superiority the Bishop of Rome may by the principles and prerogative of Protestancy be reformed and reduced to be only Patriarck of the West or a privat Bishop what temporal soveraignity can be absolute or secure among Protestants The same arguments the same texts of Scripture the same spirit the same interpretations of God's Word that Luther Calvin Cranmer and all other Protestants objected against the Popes supreme spiritual authority did the Presbyterians and other Protestants press by an vnanswerable paralel against the late King 's temporal Soveraignty Wherfore it is much to be feared that notwithstanding the extraordinary prudence of our government we shall be frequently involved in as great troubles and dangers as formerly and that the privat spirit and English Scripture interpreted by Protestants will prevail against lawfull Monarchy whensoever the like circumstances do concurr viz. a Zealous Parliament a mild King a covetous Clergy a stubborn people and resolute Rogues to lead them and declare to the Multitude their own strength as wel as the fundamental principles and priviledges of all Protestant Reformations In Catholick Commonwealths all these circumstances do meet the principles of Protestancy only excepted and yet the Catholick subjects remain immoveable in their obedience in regard of the credit and authority of their Church and Clergy which in privat confessions and publick exhortations continualy inculcat how inconsistant any privat or arbitrary interpretation of Scripture and by consequence any pretext of superiority over the Soveraign is with the Christianity and obsequiousnes of Catholick faith and how principal a part it is of that â—aith to believe not only that the Church is infallible in its doctrin but also that temporal Soveraigns are Gods Vice-regents and absolut in their government and therfore as such ought to be revered and obeyed And when by reason of heavy taxes or other such accidents the fire of sedition somtimes breaks forth among Catholicks it is generally speaking suddenly quencht by the authority and severity of the Clergies Censures against the Authors or by the devotion and reverence which even the most Irreverent of our profession exhibit to the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar that is shewn vpon such emergencies to the mutinous people which notwithstanding their fury and madness immediatly fall down to adore their God and Redeemer and for respect of him whom they beleeve to be realy present are appeased or at least give ear to their Pastors reasons and exhortations with more patience and better success then any Protestant people in the like occasions Wherfore though we Catholicks should grant as we neither do nor can that the Protestant or Prelatick reformation is as safe a way to Heaven as the Roman Religion yet methinks such Protestants as desire to live peaceably or govern prosperously ought to preferr Popery before Protestancy That K. Henry 8. in the heat
Protestant Church of England Pag. 62. Cranmer a meer Cotemporiser and of no Religion at all Pag. 63. Who fram'd the 39 Articles Pag. 64. Of the 39 Articles of the Church of England Pag. 67. Protestant Bishops well pleas'd to see themselves Religiously Worship'd Pag. 70. Protestants though they have chang'd their Form of Ordination yet cannot have a true Clergy till they change also the Character of the Ordainers Pag. 80. Of the Effects immediatly produc'd by the 39 Articles Pag. 82. Dudely Earl of Warwick's Endeavours to have his Son to Reign after K. Edw. His Marrying him to the Lady Jane Gray Pag. 83. Queen Mary's Troubles Pag. 84. The Roman Catholicks willing Resignation of the Church Livings to the Crown Pag. 86. An Act of Parliament in the first year of Q. Mary concerning the fraud and force of K. Henry the VIII's unlawful Divorce from Q. Catharine Pag. 88. Other Effects of Protestancy after it was reviv'd in England by Q. Elizabeth to exclude the Royal Family of the Stewards from the Crown And of the Nullity of her Clergies Character and Jurisdiction Pag. 95. Decreed in Parliament that any Natural Issue of Q. Elizabeths Body should enjoy the Crown after her Death and so the Line of Stewards to be Excluded Pag. 100. Reasons why Q. Elizabeth in her 44 years Reign could not make her Prelatick Clergy and Religion acceptable Pag. 103 How Injurious Protestancy hath been to the Royal Family of the Stewards and how Zealous they have been in promoting the same Pag. 109. K. James the I. declared that Catholicks and their Religion had no Hand in Gun-powder Treason Pag. 112. Of K. Charles the First Pag. 112. Part. 2. Of the Inconsistency of Protestant Principles with Christian Piety and Peaceable Government THe foundation whereon all Reformations are built Pag. 117. The Protestant evasion of the clearness of Scripture against Roman Catholick Doctrine and also of the Invisibility of their own Church Confuted And the Incredibility of the suppos'd Change and Apostacy prov'd by the difference of the Roman Catholick and Protestant Principles Pag. 121 Protestants mistaken in the Canon of the Scripture maintain'd by the Church of England and by Dr. Cousins Bishop of Duresin Pag. 131. Dr. Couzins Exceptions and Falsifications against the Councel of Trent's Authority answer'd Pag. 137. New Definitions are not New Articles of Faith Pag. 141. Protestants so grosly mistaken in their Letter and Translation of Scriptures that they cannot have any Certainty of Faith And are forc'd at length by their Principles to question the Truth of Scriptures and of them who writ the Canonical Books thereof Pag. 149. Particular Instances of Protestant Corruptions in the English Bible Pag. 157. Protestant Interpretation is not the true Sense of Script Pag. 163. Protestants Mistaken in the Ministry and Mission of their Clergy in the Miracles of their Church in the Sanctity and Honesty of their Reformers Pag. 168. Calvin's Miracle Pag. 180. Beza's Lasciviousness He prefers his Boy Andibertus before his Girle Candida Pag. 181. Protestants mistaken in the application of the Prophesies of Scripture concerning the Conversion of the Kings and Nations of the Gentils from Paganism to Christianity foretold as an Infallible Mark of the True Church and whereof the Protestant is depriv'd Pag. 183. Calvin sends Ministers to Convert Gallia Antartica from Heathenism And what success they had Pag. 190. Protestants mistaken in the consistency of their Justifying Faith with Justice or Civil Government Pag. 193. The Protestant Doctrine of Justifying Faith most dangerous and Damnable Pag. 198. Protestants mistaken in the consistency of Christian Faith Humility Charity Peace either in Church or State with their making Scriptures as interpreted by private Persons or Fallible Synods or fancied General Councils composed of all Dissenting Christian Churches the Rule of Faith and Judge of Controversies in Religion How every Protestant is a Pope and how much also they are overseen in making the 39 Articles or the Oath of Supremacy a distinctive Sign of Loyalty to our Protestant Kings Pag. 207. How the Fundamental Principles of Protestancy maturely examin'd and strictly followed have led the most Learned Protestants of the World to Judaisme Atheism Arianisme and Mahometanisme c. Pag. 222. The Protestant Churches of Poland Hungary and Transilvania deny the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity Pag. 230. How the Indifferency or rather Inclination of Protestancy to all kind of Infidelity is further demonstrated by the Prelatick Doctrine and distinction of Fundamental and Not Fundamental Articles of Faith The design of their fundamental distinction laid open The Roman Catholick the sole Catholick Church And how it has the Authority of Judging all Controversy of Religion Pag. 233. The Roman Catholick Church is a Competent and Impartial Judge of Controversies of Religion Pag. 241. Of the Justice and Legality of our Roman Censures against Protestancy Pag. 242. All Christians were never Judges of Religion one Party always submitted to the Judgment of the Other that was in Obedience to and in Communion with St. Peters Successor the Bishop of Rome Pag. 247. Gods Veracity is deny'd by Protestancy and by the Prelatick Distinction and Doctrine of Fundamental and not Fundamental Articles of Faith Pag. 251. Protestancy is Heresie Pag. 254. Protestancy contradicts Gods Veracity Pag. 255. The Infallibility of the Roman Catholick Church in Matters of Faith prov'd against Protestants Pag. 256. The Protestant Doctrine of Fundamentals Confuted Pag. 257. The same further demonstrated and prov'd that neither the Protestant Faith nor the Faith lately Asserted in a Book call'd Sure footing in Christianity is Christian Belief Pag. 260. The Resolution of Protestant Faith Pag. 262. The Infallibility of the Church prov'd by Gods Veracity Pag. 268. Heresie Explain'd by Rebellion Pag. 269. The Unreasonableness of them who pretend a private Spirit and refuse to submit to the Authority of the Church for want of Clearer Evidence than the Roman Catholicks hath of Gods Authority Pag. 269. Reasons for Liberty of Conscience And how much both Piety and Policy is mistaken in making Prelatick Protestancy the Religion of the State by continuing and pressing the Sanguinary and Penal Statutes against the Roman Catholick Faith and the Act of Uniformity against Sectaries Pag. 271. Queen Marys and the Inquisitions Severity against Protestancy can be no President or excuse for the Statutes against Popery Pag. 283. Part 3. Containing a plain Discovery of the Protestant Clergys Frauds and Falsifications whereby alone their Doctrine is supported and made Credible The Conscience and Conveniency of Restoring or Tolerating the Roman Catholick Religion Demonstrated THat either the Learned Protestants or Roman Catholick Clergy are Cheats and how every Illiterate Protestant may easily discern by which of the two Clergies he is Cheated And therefore is oblig'd under pain of Damnation to examine so near a concern And to renounce the Doctrine and Communion of that Church wherein he is Cheated Pag. 287. With what Impudency and Hypocrisy Bishop Jewel
his religious habit though he had left the Monastery sayd Mass and was much tormented in his Conscience for running so desperat a cours as to appeale from the authority of Popes Fathers Councels and Church upon a punctilio of his mistaken honour How often saith he did my trembling hart beat with in me and reprehending me object against me that must strong argument Art thou only wise do so many worlds err were so many ages ignorant what if thou errest and drawest so many into error to be damned with thee eternally c. And again Dost thou O sole man and of no accounpt take upon thee so great matters What if thou being but one offendest Jf God permitt such so many and all to erre why may he not permit thee to erre Hitherto apartaine those arguments the Church the Church the Fathers the Fathers the Councels the Customs the Multituds and greatness of wise men whom do not these clouds and doutes yea these seas of examples ouerwhelm Being thus tormented and tossed between his passion of pride and a perplexity of mind himself relates at larg tom 7. Wittemb edit an 1558. lib. 1. de Missa angu how vpon a certain tyme he was sudainly awaked about midnight and how sathan began his disputation with him saying Harken right learned Doctor Luther Thou knowest thou hast celebrated priuat Mass by the space of 15. years almost euery day what if such Masses were horrible Idolaty c. The deuill speaking thus to me I burst forth all into a sweat and my heart began to tremble and leap voce forti gravi utitur the deuill had a graue and strong voice c. And then I learned how it came to pass that somtyms early in the morning men were found dead in their beds To the Deuill I answered I am an anoynted Priest receaued consecration from a Bishop and did all things by order of my Superiors In these streights and agony I would fain vanquish the Devill with the armes of Popery and did object the intention and faith of the Church c. But Sathan with greater force and vehemency did pursue Go to shew where it is writen teaching Luther to appeale to Scripture alone that a wicked and incredulous man can assist at the Altar of Christ and consecrate in the Churches faith c. If men have taught it without the express word of God it is altogether vntrue But in this sort are you acustomed to do all things in the dark under the name of the Church and so set to sale your owne abominations for Ecclesiastical doctrin c. After this disputation Luther was so well acquainted with the Devill that him self saith tom 2. Germ. Jen. fol. 77. Believe me J know the Devill very weell for now and then he walketh with me in my Chamber When I am among company he doth not trouble me but when he catcheth me alone then he teacheth me my manners And in Conc. Dom. Reminiscere fol. 19. apud Cochlaeum J am troughly acquainted with the Deuill for I haue eaten a bushell of salt in his company Yea confesseth in Colloq Germ. fol. 275.281 that the Devill was his Bed-fellow and lay with him more frequently and â—loser to him then his beloved Kate the Nun. And in litteris ad Electorem Saxoniae he saith The Devill doth so run to and fro trough my brain that J can neither write nor read And in Colloq Germ. fol. 283. brags thus J have a couple of rare Devills who attend and wait vpon me most diligently they are no petty Fiends but great Devills yea great Doctors of Divinity among the rest of the Devills One of these two great Doctors of Divinity continued his disputation thus against Luther Now I urge this that thou didst not consecrat in thy Mass but didst offer and adore only bread and wine and proposedst the same to be adored by others c. The institution of Christ is that other Christians may communicat in the Sacrament but thou art anointed not to distribute the Sacrament but to sacrifice and against Christs institution thou hast vsed the Mass for a Sacrifice c. And that which Christ did ordain for eating and drinking for the whole Church and to be given by the Priest to other Communicants c. of this thou dost make a propitiatory Sacrifice O! abomination aboue all abomination And after that Zealous and learned Devill had thus exclaimed and argued against the Sacrifice of the Mass the authority of the Church Transubstantiation and adoring of the B. Sacrament he reasons also against the intercession and prayer to Saints his words are set down by Luther in the same place thus We Spirits being rejected do not confide in Christs mercy neither do we look upon him as a Mediator or Savior but feare him as a cruell Judg such was thine and all other Papists faith c. Therfore ye did shun from Christ as a cruell Judg to Mary and the Saints and they were Mediators betvveen you and Christ so is Christ deprived of that glory In this disputation the Devill had so good success that Luther was convinced and resolued to become a Protestant and to preach and print not only against the Mass and the other particulars mentioned in his Disputation but upon these words of the Devill So is Christ deprived of glory did Luther ground his opinions against the necessity of good works in favor of Iustification by only faith against merit satisfaction Purgatory c. and maintained these his Diabolical opinions with so great obstinacy and so litle respect to Scripture Church Councells Fathers Princes and Prelats that such parts of Scripture as did not favor the Devills argument he either rejected them as apocrijphal or altered the words and sence in his Translations and Comments against all exemplars and copies either in Greek Hebrew or Latin And all Princes and Prelats that contradicted his errors he vilified in so virulent and villanous terms that none but a soule directed by the Devil could resolve to print them His Bull against all Bishops is full of most vile stuffe as also against the Duke of Brunzuick the Elector of Mentz c. In so much that his owne Scholler Sleidan acknowledgeth his manner of writing to be unworthy Base Scurilous c. In his Book and answer against K. Henry 8. he calls him an envious mad foole babling with much spittle in his mouth more furious then madness it self more doltish then folly it self indued with an impudent and vvhorish face without any one veine of princely bloud in his body a lying sophist a damnable rotten vvorme a Basilisk and progeny of an Adder a lying scurill couered with the title of a King a clounish wit a doltish head most wicked foolish and impudent Henry All this he says tom 2. Wittenberg fol. 333.334.335 fol. 338.334 he saith The King doth not only lye like a most vaine scurre but passeth a most wicked knave
reasonable subjection Therfore besids many other works in the yeare 1520. Luther writ a book called Praeludium captivitatis Babilonicae wherin he maintayned that Christians are not subject to human Lawes at least in foro Conscintiae Christ hauing made them all equall by the Gospell but that the Pope Prelates and Princes had tyranically usurped a Iurisdiction ouer them and kept them for many years in gross ignorance and wors then in a Babylonian captivity therfore that God had sent him to reforme these abuses and restore vnto all oppressed people the Christian liberty which they had received in Baptisme and by his reformation they might enjoy so fully as to judg and govern all omnia judicemus regamus Then he published his doctrin of justification by only faith so resolutly that he doubted not to preach though mens words be the greatest blasphemies and their works the most damnable villâ—nies If they haue as much confidence to belieue without doubt as impudence to act without scruple they may be sure that God hath receiued them into his fauor and cannot be damned unless they doubt of their saluation This abominable presumption Luther grounded upon the infinitness of Christs merits as if forsooth our Sauiour had suffered to the end we might not only be happy in heauen but by his passion hah waranted our wickedness upon earth grossly mistaking and confounding the sufficiency of Christs merits with the sufficiency of their application none can deny but that the least drop of our Sauiours Bloud is sufficient to redeeme millions of worlds because it is of infinite value but all Catholicks euer held that though his Bloud and merits be infinitly sufficient in themselues yet are they not sufficiently applyed to sinners unless they concurr to their own reconciliation and justification not only by faith but by good works Sacraments and other meanes which God hath appointed for that purpose Yet Luther pretended that faith alone is a sufficient application of Christs merits and that men needed not mortify their bodys nor endeavour to secure their salvation by good works thinking it a diminution of our Redeemers glory and a disrespect to his person that with our free will we should cooperat with his passion and help our selues and vpon this ground do Protestants raise all their batteries against Indulgences Purgatory Pilgrimages praying to Saints Confession of sins Penance Satisfaction Merit austerity of Monastical life Works of supererogation c. A reformation so indulgent to liberty and sensuality could not want Proselits and in a short tyme appeared the effects therof the Peasants of Germany rebelled against their Princes and Lords in defence of that Euangelical liberty which Luther had preached and in the space of one summer were on both sides a hundred thousand men slain Some Princes to make themselues considerable by heading the multituds which ran to Luther professed his Religion and protected his person and he layd for the foundation of his reformation the ensuing principles SVBSECT I. The fundamentall principles of Protestancy THe first principle and foundation of Luthers and of all Protestant reformations is a supposition that the whole visible Church fell from that primitiue pure doctrin and true meaning of Scripture which Christ our Sauior and the Apostles had planted and the first Christians had professed All râ—formed Churches do and must agree in this supposition the very name of a Doctrinal reformation implies a change and decay of doctrin though they disagree in the tyme and other circumstances of the change Untill Luther had conferred with the Devill he durst not vent this principle he appealed indeed from the Pope to a generall Councell and from a generall Councell when he perceiued one was summon'd to the Church diffusiue but after his conference with Satan he ventured to say Lay aside all the armes of orthodox antiquity Schooles of Diuinity authority of Councells and Popes consent of so many ages and all Christian People we receiue nothing but Scripture yet so that we must haue the certain authority to interpret the same Our interpretation is the sence of the holy Ghost that which others bring though they bee great though many proceedeth from the spirit of Sathan and from a distracted mind The reasons why Luther and all Protestants run this desperat course is because hauing examined and found that orthodox antiquity was Roman Catholik and not one Church parish or person ever Protestant before 1517. they are inforced to maintain by mis-interpreting Scripture that the whole visible Church erred and that God sent them to reform it The second principle of Protestancy is to admit of no rule of faith but only Scripture of no other infallible Judg of the letter or sence of Scripture or of any controversies in Religion but every particular Church and person interpreting Scripture according to their best endeavors and discretion This is expressly declared in the last mentioned words of Luther and inculcated by the Devill to him in his Conference and though few are willing to speake the same words yet is there not one Protestant in the world that doth not practise the very same doctrin and defend it when the matter is argued It necessarily followeth from the first principle Because if the whole visible Church fell from the pure faith and from Gods meaning of Scripture the belief tradition and testimony of that visible Church Councell and Fathers can be no true rule of faith nor themselves fit Iudges of Religion or of the sense of Scripture Therfore every privat Protestant must be his own Guide and Iudg in matters of saluation and Scripture For though Luther Calvin or any Protestant Congregation should pretend that their sense and interpretation of Scripture is that of the holy Ghost and the interpretation of others Diabolical yet no privat Protestant doth look even upon their own reformers or Churches as infallible in this or in any other particular but in as much as he Iudges it agreeth with Scripture and therfore every one that supposeth the fall of the Roman Catholik and visible Church and the fallibility of the Reformers and reformations as all Protestants do will deny that him-self hath any obligation to submit his Iudgment in controversies of Religion to any interpretation of Scripture or decision of doctrin besids his owne and so becoms his owne Guide and his owne Iudg of controversies and makes his owne interpretation of Scripture his only rule of faith The third principle of Protestancy is that men are justified by only faith and that he who hath once justifying faith can neither loose it nor be damned This tenet is cleerly professed as the doctrin of all Protestant Churches in the Catholik doctrin of the Church of England art 11. pag. 5â— seqq And pag. 54. The Papists are declared heretiks for holding that men are to remain doubtfull whether they shall be saved or not From these principles flow that infinit variety of Protestant Religions
the Fathers contradicted his protestant doctrin bouldly affirmed the ancient Doctors and Fathers of all former ages to have bin blind and most ignorant in the Scripturs and to have erred all their life time And in Colloq cap. de Patribus Ecclesioe Luther saith of sundry Fathers in particular thus Jn the writings of Jerome there is not a word of true faith in Christ and sound Religion Tertullian is very superstitious J have holden Origen long since accursed Of Chrysostom I make no accompt Basil is of no worth he is wholy a monk I way him not a haire Cyprian is a weak Divine c. Adding further that the Church did degenerat in the Apostles age and that the Apology of his scholler Philip Melancton doth far exceed all the Doctors of the Church and exceed even Austin him self And in his Treatise de formulâ Missae in tom 3. Germ. folio 274. Jf the Councel should in any case decree this the Communion vnder both kinds least of all then would we vse both kinds yea rather in despite of the Councel and that decree we would vse either but one kind or neither notwithstanding Christ's precept and the necessity of that spiritual refection and in no case both But this man's bare word ought not to weigh more then the Testimony of all the Fathers and Councels that went before him or be preferred before the constant Tradition of 15. ages especialy if we reflect vpon the pride and passion which he declares in all his writings not only against the Doctors of the Roman Church but against his own Disciples and as hath bin said how in the begining of his reformation when his spirit was in it's primitive fervor he doth plainly confess that he did favour Idolatry to contradict Carolstadius for anticipating his commands in a point of the reformation viz. for abolishing of the adoration and elevation of the B. Sacrament in his absence I did know saith he the elevation of the Sacrament to be Idolatricall yet nevertheless J did retain it in the Church at Wittenberg to the end J might despite the Devill Carolstadius And yet this wicked friar's authority is the first foundation of protestancy Therfore notwithstanding his known impiety he is termed by their writers Holy saint Luther a man sent of God to lighten the world the Helias Conductor and Chariot of Israel to be reverenced next after Christ and Paul greater then whom lived not since the Apostles tims The Angel and last trumpet of God whose caling was immediat and extraordinary c. Let the most peevish Protestant I say once more be judg whether it be not more probable and possible that one privat proud and passionat man did mistake the true sence of Scripture and misapply the words therof to humour his passion of pride and revenge then that all the primitive Fathers and Christians of the world did conspire to forsake the known true letter and cleer meaning of God's word or if all did not conspire in the Apotasy that there should be no monument left or mention made in record history or tradition of the fidelity of the party that resisted Secondly this supposed change is proved incredible not only by the impossibility of an insensible change in a thing so remarkable and important as the doctrin and Profession of Christian Religion but also by the impossibility that a change and corruption of Christ's doctrin should be made to the detriment of the wary layties temporal interest and to the disadvantage both of the layty and Clergie's liberty For when men resolve to go out of the narrow way which leads to heaven they are not so foolishly wicked as to retire from the wide world into deserts or Monasteries and to impose vpon themselves or their followers an obligation or principles of a more strict course of life then that which they had forsaken as dayly experience doth cleerly demonstrat If protestancy therfor was the primitive and pure Christian Religion the fall from it to Popery must have bin rather condessending then contrary to sensuality and liberty And yet if the doctrin of the reformation and it's exceptions against Popery be considered we shal find that in every particular wherin they differ Protestancy doth favour liberty and vice Popery doth favour temperance and virtue We shal declare herafter to what great crimes and carlesness of life men are encouraged by the Protestant doctrine of predestination and justification by faith alone Christ's sufferings and satisfaction for our sins they apply not to themselves by imitation of his virtues and mortification of the flesh but think it a diminution of his glory and a disrespect to his person that men endeavour by God's grace to help themselves and to cooperat with Christ's passion and vpon thiâ— ground they rayse their batteries against Indulgences Purgatâ—â—y â—â—lgrimages Prayer to Saints Confession of sins Pennance the three Vows and the austerity of a Religious life Works of Supererogation c. and censure Catholicks as guilty of superstition and folly for believing that though Christ's passion be infinitly sufficient to redeem vs from the guilt and penalties of sin yet is it not sufficiently and actualy applied to actual sinners without their own concurrence good works and the Sacraments of the Church As for their pretence that Christ hath satisfied for all they may as wel say that he hath prayed fasted and given almes for all and so discharge men of all such Christian-duties and devotions And as to other particulars we desire to know what can the Protestant Clergy's design be in allowing Priests mariages and a liberty to dissolve mariages change wives and husbands in case of adultery departure infirmity by child-birth or otherwise but lust and sensual liberty contrary to the instition of matrimony and to the purity and practise of Christianity which Roman Catholicks observe From whence proceedeth their allowing of eating of flesh and fish promiscuously on all days of the year but from gluttony Their Clergy's denyall of the Pop's superiority which their betters in virtue birth and learning acknowledg but from want of humility And their placing it in the temporal Soveraign but from excess of flattery Their dulness in confounding the substance with the appearance of bread and wine in the Sacrament but from sensuality Their denial of the Church's infallibility and yet assert in themselves an vncontroul'd authority but from pride and obstinacy Their fond expressions of their own prelatick reformation and doctrin but from want of Christian modesty and from their for-fathers the ancient hereticks whose presumption and obstinacy was neuer more manifestly absurd nor more legaly condemned at Nice Ephesius Calcedon or Constantinople then the Protestant Tenets have bin at Trent as wil appeare to any that wil read the history of those Councels and compare the objections and exceptions made by Arians Nestorians and Eâ—â—tychians e. against the Authority and decrees wherby they
the Canon of the Iews as if the Jews might not doubt and omitt to put some books divinely inspired into the Canon as wel as the primitive Christians or as if the Apostles might not supply that defect and declare some books of the old Testament wherof the generality of the Jews doubted to be Canonical SVBSECT I. Doctor Cozins exceptions and falsifications against the Councel of Trent's authority answered The difference between new definitions and new articles of faith explained THe Protestant obstinacy is not excusable by the exceptions made against the number of Bishops that voted in the Councel of Trent or against the pretended novelty of the Canon which they decreed As to their number the authority of defining matters of faith in a general Councel is no more limited or diminished by the absence of members legaly summoned and long expected then the authority of a lawful Parliament by the absence of many Lords and commons especialy if there be a necessity of applying present remedies to the distempers of Church or Common-weal Doctor Cozins doth confess that the Catholick Church stood in need of a reformation and that the Councel was too much diferr'd and delay'd After they had met at Trent Seing the Bishops were not as many as the Pope and his Legats expected and wished for the greater solemnity of so important a decision as that of the Canon of Scripture whervpon they were to ground their further definitions they put of that session for 8. months and at the end of them hearing that besids those who were at Trent many Bishops were setting forth and others in their Journey they differred the definition of Canonical Scripture for three months more to the end as many as could possibly come might be present If through neglect contempt age infirmity or other accidents wherof the Pope was not in fault many Bishops were absent that could no more prejudice the authority of the Councel at Trent then the like circumstances disanull the authority or make voyd the Acts of our Parliaments But sure the learned Protestant Pastors cannot but smile at the simplicity of their illiterat flocks when they consider the zeale and earnestnes wherwith they except against the smal number of Bishops and their presumption forsooth in the Councel of Trent For the declaring the Canon of Scripture and other Divine truths and yet them-selves accept the Canon of Scripture and doctrin of their own Churches vpon the bare word of one Luther Zuinglius Calvin or vpon the sole authority of the 12. or seven men appointed by Parliament in the reign of Edward 6. Besids our Canon of Scripture was confirmed by the whole Councel of Trent afterwards together with the other points of faith therin defined And though Doctor Cozins pag. 208. tels how the Princes and reformed Churches in Germany England Denmark c. immediatly set forth their Protestations and exceptions against the Councel aleadging that the caling of this Councel by the Pop's authority alone was contrary to the Rights of Kings and the ancient Customs of the Church That he had summond no other persons thither nor intended to admitt any either to debate or give their voice there but such only as had first sworn obedience to him that he took vpon him most injustly to be Judg in his own cause c. Yet it is sufficiently manifested to the world by the very Acts of the Councel that the Pope did nothing but what his Predecessors had don and the Catholick Princes and Church had approved in the like occasions and that though Protestants were not admitted to vote at Trent yet they were not only permitted but invited in a most secure and civil manner by the Councel to reason dispute and debate their controversies and answer for them-selves and their doctrin and this way of proceeding is no more vnreasonable in a general Councel then it is in a Parliament not to permit any to vote therin before he taks an oath of alegiance not to say any thing of the oath of Supremacy and much less to admit of Lords or Commons accused of treason or rebellion to sit in the House vntil they prove their innocency or acknowledg their fault and obtain their pardon by a dutiful submission and profession of repentance And granted that nothing had bin resolved in the Councel of Trent by the Fathers therof but what first was canvass't at Rome by the Pope and Conclave which is false yet we conceive that to be no more against the constitution or freedom of a Councel then it is against the constitution or freedom of a Parliament that no Bill pass vnto an Act vnless it be first signed by the King and approved by his Councel and yet we know that to have bin the constant custom in one of his Majesties Kingdoms since the reign of King Henry 7. As for the Pope or Church of Rome being Judg in their own cause it is a prerogative so absolutly necessary for the authority and govermnent of Magistracy and the quiet and peace of the people governed that no Monarchy or Commonwealth can want it without falling into great inconveniences and confusion A subject t' is true may sue the King but the sentence must be given in the King's Courts and by his authority notwithstanding any objected dependency or parciality of the Judg explaining the laws and customs in favor of his Soveraign And he who would not acquiesce in such a sentence but would needs have the cause decided by a foreign Prince or People is a rebel If this be reasonable and just in temporal Courts and fallible sentences how much more in spiritual controversies and infallible definitions of the Church which definitions of the Church if not acknowledged to be infallible the Church can not have any jurisdiction or authority in matters of faith as not being able to satisfie doubts and setle the inward peace of Christian souls either perplexed in them-selves or in daunger of being perverted by others whether hereticks or pagans neither of which can be indifferent Judges or competent Arbitrators between the Catholick Church and her Children And seing doubts and differences are vnavoidable in both Church and Commonwealth and that there can be no appeale to Infidels or Foreigners without doubt it is more agreable to Scripture to the law of nature and light of reason that Parents and Pastors be Judges in any cause of their Children and inferiors then the contrary or that there be no Judg at all nor jurisdiction either spiritual or temporal But that which Doctor Cozins and all Protestants most press against the judicature of Popes and the councel of Trent is that they do not judg according to Scripture and to the right sense therof wheras Kings and their Judges are regulated by the laws of the land even when the suit is against the King or his pretended prerogative To this we answer that Popes and Councels are as much regulated by Scripture in their definitions
holy Doctor and then approv'd of by all the world and ever since accepted and applauded in God's Church be defective or deceitfull then a translation made since the pretended Reformaâ—ion by men not only engaged in that new doctrin but maintain'd therby and so addicted to the pleasures and profits of this world as the first Reformers and their Successours the Protestant Clergy are known to be not only in England but in all other parts of Christendom Let them be pleased also to consider whether the judgment of the Roman Catholick Clergy in these Kingdoms who in being of that judgment can have no motive but conscience as is manifest by the incapacities and penalties lay'd vpon them for not conforming to Protestancy be not a more impartial and less to be suspected rule for any prudent person to follow then the judgment of the Protestant Clergy rewarded and promoted to the greatest employments both in Church and state for being of that opinion they profess and who would forfeit all their being if they declared them-selves contrary to Protestancy This being as maturely and impartially considered as the importance of the matter doth require non will believe that the vulgar Translations made by Protestants is holy Scripture they being so contrary to our vulgata in latin translated out of the true Greeck and Hebrew copies writen first by a holy Martyr and after revewed by a St. whose sincerity and learning were sufficient to canonize his Translation had it not bin the word of God and most holy of it self and so declared by the testimony and approbation of the Church for the space of 1200. years before the Councel of Trent In vain therfore do Protestant Writers tell us that theiâ— Translations are taken immediatly from the fountains of the Greek and Hebrew so is our vulgata only with this difference that ours was taken from the fountains when they were cleere and by holy and learned men that knew which were the crystal waters and true copies but theirs is taken from fountains of trouble'd waters by lewd and vicious persons and after that the Arians and other Hereticks had poyson'd and corrupted them with their false and filthy doctrin Thus much against the Protestant letter of Scripture now to their sense of Scripture SECT V. The Protestant interpretation is not the true sense of Scripture THE principal part and as it were the soule of Scripture is the sence which was delivered to the Church togeather with the letter For as St. Hierom in ep ad Galat. sayth the Ghospel is not in the word but in the sence not in the bark but in the sapp not in the leaves of the words but in the root of the meaning So that though we should grant the Protestant Translations to be true yet if we prove their interpretation false we demonstrat they have no Scripture nor the least pretext or colour for their Reformations And first that the Church received togeather with the letter the true sense of Scripture is as evident as it is that God would not speak words without sense or leave the interpretation of them to men whose capacities reach not the mysteries of Religion contained in the words Therfore our learned Adversaries are obliged to confess that no man doubteth but that the primitive Church received from the Apostles and Apostolical men not only the text of Scripture but also the right and native sense therof The dispute therfore between Catholicks and Protestants is not whether the Church ever received the true sense of Scriptures but whether that sense continued as well as the letter in the Church and whether the interpretations of Luther Calvin Cranmer Hamond c. or of the Prelaticks of England ought to be preferr'd before that of the Roman Catholick Church because the true sense of Scripture is supposed by all Protestants to have bin lost for many ages and that the whole visible Church of God was either so careless as to forget the ancient sense or so wicked as to forge a new sense of Scripture And first it seems against reason to believe that any Christian Congregation could be less carefull of the sense of Scripture then of the letter because the sense is that which importeth most for preservation of the faith Therfore if the Prelats and Pastors of the Church have bin so watchfull and diligent in all ages as to find out and correct all heretical corruptions of the letter of Scripture how is it possible they would neglect the same industry for preservation of the sense which is the principal part of God's word And if Protestants think the letter was safe in the custody of the Roman Chatholick Church from which they received it how can they suspect the purity of that sense which was kept and delivered to them by the same Church and authority And if God's providence as they confess was engaged in keeping the leaves and letter of Scripture from corruption surely it could not be so vnconcern'd for the integrity of the sence and substance as to permit it to perish Besides it is much easier to keep the sense of Scripture incorrupt and pure then the letter The letter was writ only in paper or parchment the sense in the heads and hearts of the Bishops Doctors and People of the Church a dash of a pen may alter the letter but cannot have access to the sence which lodgeth in the hearts and heads of the faithfull The precept of receiving the sense of Scripture from the Church is not only agreable to reason but prescrib'd in Scripture as the only way of saluation Go not from the doctrin of the elders for they have learned it from their Fathers and of them thou shalt learn vnderstanding and to answer in the time of need Eccles. 8.8 The first Protestant Reformers observed not this they went to no precedent Church nor Fathers for their interpretation of Scripture and therfore the words of Ieremy 18.15 may be literally applyed to them They have stumbled from the ancient ways to walk in ways not troden The Protestant Clergy ought to say and confess ingeniously that of holy Iob 8.8 Jnquire therfore I pray thee of the ancient generation and prepare thy self to search of their Fathers for we are but yesterday and ought not intrude their own Imaginations as the true explanation of God's word They do not imitat St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Basil who as Eusebius relates Hist. l. 11. cap. 9. did seek the vnderstanding of the Scriptures not from their own presumption but from the writings and authority of their Ancestors They do not follow the rule of Origen saying tract in Math. 29. That in our vnderstanding of the Scripture we must not dâ—part from the first Ecclesiasticall tradition nor believe other-wise but as the Church of God hath by succession delivered to us Nor that of Tertulian l. 1. de prescrip c. 6. What the Apostles preach'd what Christ reveal'd to them ought not be otherwise proved
as an essential requisit the vndoubted assurance of the truth of what is proposed by the Church as revealed by God and Protestancy necessarily supposing fallibility or possibility of error in that same Church and proposal Christian faith is ther by rendred impossible and the Protestant Doctrin demonstrated 〈◊〉 be inconsistent with the nature of Catholick Religion with the certainty of Divine faith and with the Authority of Christ's Church Neither is the Protestant doctrin in this particular less consistent with Christian charity and humility then with Catholick faith For what judgment can be more rash injurious and contrary to Christian charity then to assert that so many holy and learned Doctors as have bin and are confessed Papists and even the whole visible Church for the space at least of 1000. years could either ignorantly mistake or would wilfully forsake the true sence of God's word so cleerly shining in Scripture as every petty Protestant doth pretend or what is more repugnant 〈◊〉 Christian modesty and humility then that homely Doctors and half witted wits should preferr their own privat opinions in matters of faith before the common consent and belief of 〈◊〉 Fathers of the Church the Definitions of general Councels the Tradition and testimony of so many ages Jt is both a ridiculous and sad spectacle to see how every student of the University that hath learn'â— to conster 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 or to quibble or scribble some-what in Greek English or Latin takes vpon him to talk of Religion and to censure St. 〈◊〉 St. Austin St. Christom c. and contemn both ancient and modern Catholick Avthors preferring before the whole Church him-self and his Poâ—antick Tutors or Fellows of Oxford and Cambrige Collâ—gâ—s Nay the illiterat people even the women are grown to that height of spiritual pride an infallible 〈◊〉 of Heresy that they pitty our Popish ignorance and fancy they can 〈◊〉 with the Text of their English Bibles falsly translated and fondly interpreted the greatest Roman Divines So true is the saying of St. Hierom in Epist. ad Paulinum Scripture is the only art which all people teach before they have learn't The pratling woman the old doting man c. And therfore advers Lucifer bids men not flatter them-selves with quoting Scripture to confirm their opinions seing the Devill him-self made vse of God's word which consists more in the sense then in the letter How impossible is it to govern peaceably so pratling and presuming a Protestant multitude either in Church or state is too manifest by the last experiences in England wher the endeavours of reducing this Protestant arrogancy to some kind of reason was the occasion and object of the Rebellion King Charles I. and his Councel for attempting to make the inferiors subordinat to their superiors in doctrin and disciplin and the subjects obedient to the laws of the land were aspers'd as Papists and destroy'd as enemies to the Evangelical liberty of Protestancy and as subverters of the fundamental principles of the Reformation Popish rebellions happen because the Promotors therof fall from that fervor of their faith and devotion which they ought to practise but the English Protestant Rebellion was raised and continued by the most devout pure fervent and zealous sort of Protestants in persuance and maintenance of their Religion Other rebellions are commonly vnexpected chances springing from a sudain fury or feare of desperat people but the late Rebellion was and is to this day pretended by many to have bin a pious and sober proceeding the King's murther only excepted of the prudent and Religious men of the Nation assembl'd in Parliament and is so justifiable by the principles of Protestancy that he must be thought not only a wise but a fortunat King of England that can prevent or suppress the like revolution in his Reign so long as Protestancy doth reign with him The reason is as manifest as the experience and the cause as the effect For if a Common-wealth were so instituted that every privat person might pretend by his birth-right or Privilege to admit of no other Iudg or Interpreter of the laws but him-self or at least might lawfully and legaly appeale from all Courts of Judicature even from the highest which is the Parliament to his own privat Judgment what intollerable confusion would it breed what justice subordination peace propriety or prosperity could be expected in such a government The same laws and authority which ought to decide all differences would be the subject and occasion of perpetual quarrells This is the condition and constitution of Protestant Churches and States Every privat person is a supreme Iudg of Religion and sole Interpreter of Scripture he may appeale both from Soveraigns and Bishops from their temporal and Ecclesiastical laws to his own privat judgment or spirit and him-self must determin the difference and conclude whether the Decrees of Church and State be agreable to God's word that is to his own Interpretation therof which commonly is byassed by privat interest or some singular fancy of his own And though the Governors and Clergy of his Church and Country tell him he ought to suspend his judgment and submit the same to 〈◊〉 Parliament or to a general Councel not like that of Trent but to one composed of all Nations and Christian Congregations called by the joynt authorâ—â—y of all temporal Princes but in the mean time he must 〈◊〉 to the Decrees of the Church and state wherof he is a member when they inculcat this lesson vnto a zealous Protestant◠〈…〉 not so simple as to believe that they who read this 〈◊〉 speak as they think or that they believe any such general Councel is possible for that every 〈◊〉 knows temporal Princes will never agree about the President time place and other circumstances of such a Counceâ—â— and though they should and the Turck and other Infidels give way to such a sâ—spitious Assembly of Christians yet when they mâ—tâ— nothing could be resolu'd â—or want of their agrement in a 〈◊〉 of judging of controversies every sect â—â—icking to it 's own principles and proper sence of Scripture So thaâ— every Protestant vnderstands the design of this doctrin to be but a fetch of their own Clergy to make it-self in the mean time solâ— Judg of Religion contrary to the principles and privileges of Protestancy and therfore laugh at the folly of such a proposal and pretext We Roman Catholicks need no such Devices nor delays we are content to submit to such general Councels as may be had our Popes and Councels define according to the tradition and sense of Scripture of the true Church our Censures must suppose known causes and crimes and if with all these cautions the Pop's spiritual jurisdiction is thought to be so dangerous to the soveraignty of Kings and peace of subjects least forsooth it might be indirectly applyed to temporal matters that all Protestants vpon that score renounce the Papal authority with how much more reason
to vote in Parliament or trusted with any employment in the state who professeth not the prelatick Protestant Religion and swears not the Supremacy and Alleigance And yet we see how litle this Religion and oaths wrought vpon the generality of these Kingdoms or availed the late King None that vnderstands the genius of the English Nation will believe that by nature they are so base and treacherous as of late the world hath observed Therfore what they have don amiss so contrary to the generosity and honesty of their dispositions and to the rules of Christianity must be attributed to their Religion Wherfore it must be concluded that any outward sign though it be but a red scarf or garniture of ribands of the King's colours doth engage and confirm more the subjects and souldiers in their duty and loyalty then the 39. Prelatick Articles and the oath of supremacy A Rebell or Roundhead may t' is true weare the King's colours but not with so great danger to his Majesty or dommage to the publick as when he professeth the King's Religion Very few Englishmen will fly from the King's colours they once weare and profess to esteem but many that profess the 39. Articles will fight against the Prelatick interpretation therof for their own privat sense and against that of the King and Church of England So applicable are the 39. Articles to all dissenting Reformations and so pliable to every Rebellion that is grounded vpon any pretence of Scripture SECT X. How the fundamental principles of the Protestant Reformations maturely examined and strictly followed have led the most learned Protestants of the world to Iudaisme Atheisme Arianisme Mahometanisme c. and their best modern wits and writers to admit of no other Rule of Religion but Natural Reason and the Protestants Churches of Poland Hungary and Transilvania to deny the Mystery of the Trinity SEbastian Castalio termed by Osiander in epitom pag. 753. Vir apprimè doctus linguarum peritissimus Ranked by Doctor Humfrey In vita Ivelli pag. 265. with Luther and Zuinglius and placed by Pantaleon in Chronographia pag. 123. amongst the Fathers and lights of the Church this great and learned Protestant having considered the Prophecies mentioned in Scripture of the conversion of Kings and Nations by the Christian Church and of it's happy state splendor and continuance and compared all with the very foundation and first principle of protestancy to wit with the protestant supposition of a generall apostacy and fall of the visible Church from the true faith and their remaining in superstition and idolatry for so many centuries of years together with the invisibility of the Protestant Church vntill Luther and by consequence it 's not converting any visible Kings or nations from Paganisme to Christianity having I say maturely considered these things was so perplex'd and doubtfull in point of God's providence and veracity that he came at length to believe nothing as may be seen in his Preface of the great latin Bible dedicated to K. Edward 6. where he saith verily we must confess eyther that these things shall be performed herafter or have bin already or that God is to be accused of lying If any may answer that they have bin performed I will demand of him when If he sayd in the Apostles time I will demand how it chanceth that neither then the knowledg of God was altogether perfect and after in so short space vanished away which was promised to be eternall and more abundant then the flouds of the sea And concludeth the more I peruse the Scriptures the less do I find the same performed howsoever you vnderstand the same prophecies Martin Bucer one of the primitive and prime Protestants And an Apostle of the English reformation of whom Sir Iohn Cheek K. Edward 6. Master says the world scarce had his fellow and whom Arch-bishop Whitgift in his defence c. pag. 522. termeth a Reverend learned painfull sound Father c. this great Bucer after his first Apostasy from his Dominican order and Catholik Religion became a Lutheran afterwards a Zvinglian as appaereth in his epistle 〈◊〉 Norimb ad Essâ—ingenses Then he returned again to be a Lutheran as may be seen in the Acts of the Synod holden at Luther's house in Wittemberg an 1539. and in Bucer's own Comentaries vpon the 6. John and 26. Mathew where he asketh pardon of God and the Church for that he deceived so many with the error of Zuinglius and the Sacramentarians And notwithstanding this open repentance he returned again to the same Zuinglianism in England and therfore is reprehended by Schlusselburg in Theol. Calv. lib. 2. fol. 70. At length seeing the incertainty of Christianity wherunto by protestancy he had driven him-self and others that stuck to it's principles at the houre of his death he embraced Judaisme as they who were present therat testify saith Prateolus pag. 107. He declared long before to Dudley Earle of Warwick that he doubted whether all was true that the Evangelists relate of Christ. wherof see hertofore part 1. David George who for many years had bin a pious and publik Professor of Protestancy at Basil and called a man of God for his notorious charity to the poore and sick considering and comparing the aforesaid doctrin of protestancy with the prophecies of Scripture concerning the visible Church became a blasphemous Apostata and affirming our Saviour to have bin a seducer drew many Protestants to his opinion convincing them by their own principles and this argument Jf the doctrin of Christ and his Apostles had bin true and perfect the Church which they planted should have continued c. But now it is manifest that Antichrist hath subverted the doctrin of the Apostles and the Church by them begun as is evident in the Papacy therfore the doctrin of the Apostles was falls and imperfect Bernardin Ochin one of them whose opinions were Oracles to the Composers of the 39. Articles of Religion and the liturgy of the Church of England so much celebrated for his learning and piety that the Protector Seamor and Arch-bishop Cranmer called him out of Germany to help them in their Protestant reformation termed by Bishop Bale a light of the Church and England happy whilst it had him miserable when it lost him highly commended for learning and virtue by Simlerus and Sleydan l. 9. fol. 297. and by Calvin l. de scandalis c. This Ochin whom as Calvin writ all Italy could not match this light whose presence made England happy and whose absence made it miserable this very Ochin considering well the principles of protestancy became a Jew concluding that Christ never had a Church vpon earth When I did saith he in praefat Dialogorum consider how Christ by his power wisdom and goodness had founded and established his Church washed it with his bloud and enriched it with his spirit and again discerned how the same was funditus eversa vtterly over thrown I could not but wonder
and being desirous to know the cause J found there had bin Popes And proceeding from this conceipt of the Popes prevailing against Christ in vtter overthrow of the whole visible Church he concludeth that he who founded and purchased the Church with such pains and at so deere a rate could not be Christ because he wanted power or providence to preserve it and therfore Ochin tourned Iew and taught circumsion and Polygamy Upon the same motives Adam Neuserus a most learned Protestant and chief Pastor of Heydelbergh turned Turk and was circumsised at Constantinople persuading many of his flock to become Mahometans Allemanus esteemed and beloved by Beza for his learning seing that the predictions of the Prophets were not fulfilled in the Protestant Churches and being resolved not to be a Papist held that the Messias was not come and so renouncing Christianity became a blasphemous Iew. Calvin the Oracle of Protestant learning and the most plausible Reformer of Popery is not only by Catholicks but by sundry Protestants charged with Judaism in so much that the famous Protestant Writer Egidius Hunnius Doctor and publick Professor in the University of Wittembergh and chief Disputant in the conference of Ratisbone against the Catholicks writ a Book intituled Calvinus Judaizans And another Protestant book was printed 1586 and reprinted 1592. the Author wherof is the learned Ioannes Modestinus and it's Title A Demonstration out of God's word that the Calvinists are not Christians but only baptized Jews and Mahometans and an other very learned Protestant John Scutz in lib. 50. causarum cap. 48. affirmeth Mahometism Arianism and Calvinism to be brothers and Sisters and three pair of hose made of one cloath The Calvinists do and may say the same of the Lutherans and of every other Sect of Protestants they are all made of one cloath and differ only in the fashion according to the diversity of their fancies They all agree in cloathing and covering their errors with Scripture but some like one mode some an other Calvin and his faction seem to approve most of the Arian to which also most Protestants incline by reason of difficulty they find in the Mystery of the Trinity explained after the Catholick manner But non of them will tye himself to an others fashion seing their Rule of faith is their own fancy Wherfore notwithstanding the Confessions of faith of their sundry Churches they do not hold them-selves obliged to Profess that or any faith longer then it agreeth with every on 's privat sense of Scripture which he changes as often as further study information or seeming reason moves him to the contrary So that not only Mahometism Arianism and Calvinism are three paire of hose made of one Cloath according to Scutz expression but his Lutheranism and all other Protestant Reformations are remnants of the same piece with different trimmings and patches and though they be hose this day to morrow they would perhaps be Turbants or Jews garments had not those formes and fashions bin so generally cry'd down as ridiculous in these parts of the world that the learned Protestants who think them more Religious then their own despaire of ever making them the mode So true it is that the bare letter of Scripture without Tradition the rule of faith makes men Hereticks Turcks Jews and the worst of Infidells The learned Protestants who are not Iews Turks or Arians become Atheists or meer Rationalists Because there is not any thing moves learned men so much either to Atheism or to have no Religion but naturall reason as the diversity of Religions and the confessed vncertainty of such as are professed The interpretation of Scripture and Fathers being left by their principles of the Reformation to every particular person's discretion maks Protestants differ as much in Christian belief as in human opinions concerning any ordinary and obscure matter and their supposition of the fall of the visible Church into errors of doctrin togeather with the acknowledged fallibility and vncertainty of their own Congregations takes away as we proved in the last Section all certainty and Christianity of belief What doubt therfore can be made but that such learned Protestants as turn not Jews Mahometans or Arians will either become Atheists Socinians or meer Rationalists such as observe that the Prophecies sett-down in Scripture concerning the spendor extent and propagation of Christ's Church vpon Earth are not accomplished in their own petty Reformations and withall are so peevish and maliciously bent against the Roman Catholick faith as not to examin it's truth turn Jews Mahometans or Atheists But such as are ashamed or afraid to renounce the name of Christians and yet are as obstinat against the Roman Catholick doctrin as the aforsaid Protestants fall from on reformed sect to an other and at length perceiving there is no reason to preferr on before an other renounce all and rely only vpon their own reason most of them follow Chillingworth Fauckland Stilling-fleet and become Socinians denying or doubting of Christ's Divinity and are driven to that impiety partly by the incoherency of the Protestant Tenets and partly by their contempt of Tradition but most of all by the foolish presumption of their own wit and judgment and by that secret pride so manifest in Protestants and proper to Hereticks There is not any one Protestant Writer in whose works you may not find this heretical Strain Neither is it to be admired that men whose Religion is occasioned by pride and grounded vpon singularity of judgment do betray and declare those passions in their discourses they being the chief ingredients of their Symbols and the Conclusions most cleerly deduced from their principles I will omit all others at present and only mention a passage of Socinus against Volanus pa. 2. wherin you may see to what a pass Protestants are brought by their own proud and privat spirit and by their contempt of Catholick Tradition Thus therfore he saith To what purpose should I answer that which thou borrowest from the Papists c. especially where thou opposest to vs the perpetuall consent of the Church very excellently doubtless in this behalf hath Hosius a Papist discours'd against you wounding you with your own sword And therfore you are no less fals in urging against us the Churches perpetual consent for the Divinity of Christ then are the Papists in their vrging therof against you and vs. And ibid. pag. 222. We propose to vs in this question concerning the Divinity of Christ non for Master or Interpreter but only the holy Ghost c. we do not think that we are to stand to the judgment of any men though never so learned of any Councels though in shew never so holy and lawfully assembled of any visible Church though never so perfect and vniversall Even Uolanus himself disputing against the Iesuits is inforced to reject the examples sayings and deeds of Athanasius Hierom Austin Theodoret and other Fathers whose authority he now opposeth against
would follow the greater the authority is the more slow we ought to be in submitting therunto or which is the same the more inclined God is to truth and the more powerfull he is to practise the same and to keep the Church stedy to truth the more slow we ought to be in believing the Church or God's known Ministers and Messengers SECT XIV Reasons for liberty of Conscience and how much both Piety and Policy is mistaken in making Prelatick Protestancy the Religion of the state by continuing and pressing the sanguinary and penal statutes against the Roman Catholick faith and the Act of vniformity against sectaries THere is not any thing more damnable to soules or more dangerous to states then to make the laws of the land the rule of faith and temporal statuts the ground of spiritual jurisdiction It is endeed Christian piety to fence and favour Religion with Imperial edicts and Royal Decrees and therfore it was prophecied of the Church Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and Queens thy Mothers but to found the belief of eternal verities and of Christian Religion vpon temporal statuts and to frame the doctrin of the Church and the Caracter of the Clergy according to Acts of Parliament and to the interest of the Prince is neither piety nor policy in lawfull and vndoubted Soveraigns What Queen Elizabeth did to salue the sore of her illegitimacy was as great a prejudice and ought as litle be made a president to the royall family of the Stewards as Oliver Cromwel's Tyrany the laws and Religion of both equaly tending to it's total ruin and exclusion from the Crown with this only difference that Queen Elizabeth destroy'd the Stewards by reforming the Old Religion whervpon their right was grounded but Cromwell destroy'd them by reforming the New Religion whervnto they had conformed and wherby they endeavored to setle their Throne And indeed Souveraigns can expect no greater security or better success then the Royal family of the Stewards hath had whilst the Religion which their Subjects profess hath no other certainty or setlement but what is received from an arbitrary interpretation of Scripture confirmed by temporal statuts That the Protestant prelatick Religion hath no other rule but this and the laws of the Lands is manifest by so many changes of it's articles liturgy caracter and Translations of Scripture by publick and Parliamentory authority That it hath no certainty from it's own principleâ— is manifest by the acknowledged fallibility of that Church and by the liberty of interpreting God's word and by the prerogative of judging controversies of faith which the Tenets of all the Reformations and example of the first Reformers allow to any particular person that will claim the privilege of a reformed Christian or the spirit of a godly or guifted Protestant This liberty of professing and the vncertainty of protestancy having proved in all places and persons wherunto it had access a seed of rebellion destructive not only of the substance of Religion but of the tye of alleigance it was thought necessary for the preservation of Princes and the peace of their subjects to reduce the variety and regulat the extravagancy of the dissenting reformed doctrines into publick professions of protestancy as sutable to the interest of the souveraigns and inclinations of the subjects and customs of their Countries as could be devised And because the government of England continued Monarchical and that Episcopacy doth favor Monarchy and is essential to Parliaments the protestancy of the Church of England was made prelatick notwithstanding the incoherency of Episcopacy with the very foundation of the first and pure pretended reformations And seing ther is such antipathy between the caracter of Episcopacy and the principles of protestancy that the Church of England in the beginning of Q. Elizabeths reign durst not claim that caracter or any spiritual jurisdiction by succession from the Apostles and their successors the ensuing Catholick Bishops it was content to receive both as also the confirmation of it's prelatick doctrin from an vnheard-of spiritual supremacy of a lay Prince and from Acts of Parliament and so was it made the legal Religion of the state contrary to the principles both of the ancient Catholick faith and of the new protestant reformations How contrary this setlement of prelatick protestancy by a persecution of Popery is to Christian piety may easily appeare to them who will remember what hath bin sayd hertofore of the sanctity antiquity and continuall succession of the Roman Catholick Religion from the Apostles to this present and reflect vpon the principles begining and progress of protestancy in general and of the prelatick in particular How inconsistent with policy it is to press by the severity of laws a profession so generally dislik't as the prelatick it being contrary to the ancient Religion and not agreeing with the new Reformations experience hath demonstrated when not only all foreign Roman Catholick Princes and people stood neuters not much concerned whether Protestant Prelacy or Presbytery should prevaile in England they pittied indeed the Royal family and wish'd them good success against their rebellious subjects but this they wish'd to them as Princes not as Prelatiks not only Isay foreign Catholicks were neuters but all the Protestant Churches abroad were more inclined to favor the Presbiterian and fanatick English and Scotch Congregations then the King's Religion for that they come neerer to them and to the primitive and fundamental principles of Protestancy The reason why the Prelatick persuasion is so odious to the reformed Churches abroad and so opposed by Presbiterians and other Protestant Congregations at home is because the formality of it's ceremonies and the legality of it's discipline are incompatible with the primitive spirit liberty and principles of protestancy The protestant Bishops would fain Lord it over their brethren not content with the name and power of Protestant superintendents they strive to imitat the authory and severity of the Catholick Episcopal jurisdiction in their Courts and do what they can to retain a ceremonious decency in there Churches but neither is agreable with the nature and spirit of the Protestant Reformations which consist in an independency and exemption from all spiritual superiority and ceremonie of a particular person being supreme Judge and Interpreter of Scripture This spiritual judicature is the spiritual birth-right of every Protestant and the ground wherupon Luther and his followers raised their reformations and their new sense of the Ghospel Wherfore the resâ—raiâ— of this Protestant evangelical liberty and birth-right by the rigor of our lawes in favor of the prelatick jurisdiction and disciplin must needs make the law-makers and their religion as odious to all zealous Protestants as liberty of opinion and fancied Scripture are deere to a stubborn and humorâ—om peopâ—â— Let it then be maturely considered whether any thing can be more daungerous to the safety of the Soveraign or to the tranquillity of the state then to enact lawes
protestant principles to the discovery of the frauds and â—â—â—â—â—fications wherwith the prâ—â—atick Clergy doth disguise them and divert their flocks from reflecting vpon those sad effects which they have wrought and must work wheresoever they are 〈◊〉 the Religion of the staâ—e A TREATISE OF RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT THE THIRD PART Containing a plain discovery of the Protestant Clergies frauds and falsifications wherby alone their doctrin is supported and made credible The conscience and conveniency of restoring or tolerating the Roman Catholick Religion demonstrated SECT I. That either the learned Protestant or Roman Catholick Clergy are Cheats and how every illiterat protestant may easily discern by wich of the two Clergieâ— he is cheated and therfore is obliged vnder pain of damnation to examin so neer a concern and to renounce the doctrin and communion of that Church wherin he is cheated of the true Church being so conspicuous and manifest by such eminent and visible marks Christ might well forbid the faithfull to communicat with Hereticks and Schismaticks for that their conventicles 〈◊〉 never be mistaken for the whole or even a part of the Catholick Church vnless men â—ill be so simple as to take their â—are word when they say Hic est Christus aut illic wheras if it were possible for learned men to be innocently mistaken Christ's command had not bin obligatory for in such â— case we were not bound to believe that Christ is rather in one Church then other seing each Church had reason sufficient to excuse learned parties from schism and â—â—resy But it being impossible that God should command vs to believe on Congregation of Christians and not believe others that pretend also to be the true Church of Christ without confirming the testimony and doctrin of that one Congregation which he bids vs believe and preferr before the rest with such cleer signes of the truth and so evident marks of Divine authority that the others compared therwith can have no probability two things must be granted 1. that the Catholiâ—â— Church of Christ cannot be composed of all or any dissenting Congregations 2. That the one only Congregation which is the true and Catholick Church can never be so eclipsed but that it must appeare much more eminent in sanctity miracles conversion of Nations and much more credible in it's testimonies then any other Wherfore we conclude that either the learned protestant clergy or the catholick must be cheats seing that notwithstanding the evident and eminent signes and marks of God's Church can not be found in both or in any two Congregations dissenting in their doctrin and rule of faith yet each of them make their illiterat flocks believe that their own is the true Church of God whervpon the signes and seales of his authority and veracity do cleerly shine No human art or industry if not born-out with more then ordinary and notorious impudencie can pretend to discredit or darken the spendor of true Miracles Sanctity Successiâ—â— become Masters of the Comerce as shall be proved I hope these considerations will invite and incite them to examin which of both the Clergies the Roman Catholick that petitions for â—r the Prelatick Protestant that opposeth liberty of conscience are the cheats And that they may find it out withouâ— much trouble I have thought sit to lett them know there is not any one controversy between them and vs which hath not bin handled in English and argued to the full on both sides now the summe of our disputes being this whether the primitive Church was Roman Catholick or rather Protestant in the controverted points as Praying to Saints Transsubstantiation Purgatory worship of Images the Canonicall letter and sense of Scripturâ— c. To decide the Controversy each side quotes the words of Scripture Councells and Fathers because the true doctrine hath bin preserved and recorded in these writings Let him therfore that doubts of the sense of the Text and of the sincerity of him that quotes it compare the Authors words with the 〈…〉 he will infallibly find out who is the Cheat. For he that doth corrupt the words or change the sense of Scripâ—â—re Councells and Fathers doth not stick to the doctrin of the primitive Church And because I have spent some time both before and after my conversion to the Catholick faith in examining the falsifications and frauds of Protestants and their objections against Papists in the same kind I may speak with more assurance then others who have not so much experience and do protest that I never thought it possible before I found it was so de facto that men pretending not only to the name of reformed Christianity but to the Reality and Sanctity of an Episcopal caracter and charge of soules could be so vnconsiderable vnworthy and vncharitable in matters of eternity as I have â—ound the Protestant writers and in particular the prelaticks of the Church of England Let any who desires to satisfie his conscience or curiosity pervse and compare either the books of Jevel and Harding or of Bishop Morton and Father Pesons the nature or essence of a body Or whether quantity be a thing distinct from that which we call a corporeal substance SVBSECT I. VVith what impudency and hipocrisy Bishop Ievell and other prelatick writers began to maintain the Protestancy of the Church of England And how they were blamed for appealing to antiquity by some of their own Brethren TO manifest the impudency and hypocrisy wherwith Prelatick Protestancy was broach't and imposed vpon the layty in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign I will begin with Bishop Jevell's famous challenge and his Seconds that offered to maintain the primitive antiquity of Protestancy and the novelty of Popery His words are As I sayd before I say again I am content to yeeld and subscribe if any of our learned Adversaries or if all the learned men that be alive be able to bring one sufficient sentence out of any one Catholick Doctor or Father or out of any old Generall Councell c. for the space of 600. years after Christ c Protesting also that he affirmeth thus much not as carried away with the heat of zeale but as moved with the simple truth least any of you should happily be deceived and think there is more weight on the other side then in conclusion will be found c. And then he brake into this vehement Apostrophe O mercifull God! who could think that there could be so much wilfulness in the heart of man Then exclaimes O Gregory O Austin O Hierom O Chrysostom O Leo O Dionise O Anaclâ—tus O Calixtus O Paul O Christ Jf we be 〈◊〉 acknowledged the impossibility of defending the Protestant Religion by Tradition or by any monuments oâ— examples from antiquity or by the sayings of Fathers and Councells Insomuch that Archbishop Whitgift in his defence against the reply of Cartwright pag. 472. 473. doth not stick to say that almost all the Bishops and learned Writers of
subordination the man of sin shall not be revealed So that Succession which by all the ancient and Holy Doctors is believed and defended to be a mark of the true Church is affirmed by Iewell and the first Protestant Bishops to be a mark of Anti-Christ and to prove this their non sense they are pleased to falsify Scripture and all this was don because they knew them-selves wanted succession and imposition of Episcopal hands and were made Bishops only by the Queen's letters patents and dispensation with the inhability of their very state and condition and legitimated or made legal by an Act of Parliament 8. Elizabeth 1. SVBSECT VII Prelatick Falsifications to prove that Popes may and have decreed Heresies IN the Apology of the Church of England part â— cap. 5. Iewell and the English Clergy affirm that Pope Iohn 22. held a wicked and detestable opinion of the life to come and Jmmortality of the soule which accusation they had out of Calvin whose words are that Pope Iohn affirmed man's soule to be mortal This being proved to be a lye by Doctor Harding Iewell and his Clergy replyed in the defence of the Apology thus Gerson writeth in Sermons Paschali Pope John 2â— to have decreed that the soules of the wicked should not be punished before the day of the last Iudgment by which words as you shall see insteed of cleering one fals accusation against Iohn 22 they bring in another for Gerson hath no such words but the true controversy was indeed whether the soules of the just not of the wicked should see God face to face before the day of Iudgment or not wherin Pope Iohn being Reader of Divinity in France before he was Pope inclined to the negative part the Controversy was decided after Pope Iohn's death iâ— the extravagant of Pope Benedictus Not content with this Jmposture they add an other greater in confirmation of their former Charge fathering in the same and these ensuing words vpon the Councell of Constance Quinimo Ioannes Papa 22. yea Pope Iohn the two and twentith held and believed obstinatly that the soule of man did dye with the body and was extinguished as the soules of the bruit Beasts And more over he sayd that a man once dead is not to rise again no not at the last day First this Testimony doth not touch Pope Iohn 22. at all but an Anti-Pope Iohn vsurping the Popedom and calling him-self Iohn 23. and this a hundred years after Pope Iohn 22. 2. These words are not words of the Councell but words of an accusation vsed by a certain man that did accuse him in the Councell of Constance vnder the name Baltazar de Cossa calling him-self Iohn 23. where laying against him 35. articles concerning his wicked life before he took vpon him the sayd name of Pope which Articles were proved but not this point of Heresy SVBSECT VIII Prelatick Falsifications to prove that Popes have insulted over Kings THe Apology of the Church of England doth set forth how a Pope commanded the Emperour to go by him at his hors bridle and the French King to hould his stirrop and the like which Mr. Harding proveth to be lyes then it says that the Pope hurled vnder his table Francis Dandalus the Duke of Venise King of Creta and Cyprus fast-bound with chains to feed of bones among his doggs But neither Francis Dandalus was Duke of Venice when he was sent to the Pope in this Embassage neither was he King of Creta nor Cyprus that name of King not being tollerable in the free State of Venice and as for the Duke at that time his name was Johannes Superantius and Dandalus was but a privat man sent Embassador to Clement 5. then Pope to obtain the revocation of an Jnterdict which was layd vpon the sayd Citty and finding the Pope some what hard to yeeld to his supplication he devised of him-self this Stratagem to cause an Iron chain to be put about his own neck and to creep in vpon his hands and knees while the Pope was at dinner and there lay down vnder the Table and would not rise vntill he had obtained pardon and remission for his Country and this Doctor Harding proveth out of the principal Authors and writers of the Venetian Commonwealth SVBSECT IX Prelatick Falsifications to prove that S. Austin the Apostle of our English Saxons was an hypocrit and no Saint as also to discredit Catholick writers BIshop Iewell and his Prelatick Clergy in their reply to the Objections against their Apology for the Church of England pag. 185. speak thus of St. Austin the Monk and Apostle of England He was a man as is judged by them that 〈◊〉 and knew him neither of an Apostolicall spirit nor any way 〈◊〉 to be called a Saint but an hypocrit and a supperstitious 〈◊〉 cruell bloudy and proud out of measure There is no â—riting extant of any man that saw him and knew him alive but only of St. Gregory the Great who commended him exceedingly and of St. Bede that lived not very long after him who writeth also much of his Sanctity and miracles who then 〈◊〉 those who lived with him and knowing him did Iudge him to be so bad a man Iewell citeth only in the margent Greffey of Monmouth who lived neer six hundred years after St. Austins dayes Bishop Iewell and his Camerades say also that Ioannes de Magistris he would have sayd Martinus writ in his Book de Temperantia that fornication is no sin but this Author houlds the quite contrary and proveth it by six several conclusions and by St. Paul saying that it excludeth from the Kingdom of heaven but yet for that he saith in the beginning Arguitur quod non it may be objected to the contrary the Apologists foolishly and fraudulently accuse in this Author Roman Catholicks with damnable doctrin Much more might be sayd of their fals dealing in this Apology defence and reply of the Church of England but we remit the curious to Doctor Harding Stapleton c. SVBSECT X. Of the protestant prelatick Clergies frauds and falsifications of Scripture and alterations of their 39. Articles of Religion to make the people believe that they have true Priests and Bishops in the Church of England THe point most insisted vpon by Dr. Hâ—rding Stapâ—â—tâ—n c and all 〈◊〉 Catholick 〈◊〉 their Booâ—◠〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 of the Church of England was that it could not 〈◊〉 Church because it had not any one true Bishop and according to St. Hierom saith Harding 〈◊〉 non est quae non habet 〈◊〉 which word 〈◊〉 signifieth Bishop as well as 〈◊〉 That the Church of England had 〈◊〉 in the beginning of Queen Elizaâ—â—â—â— Reign whom Harding and Stapleton writ against it as much as one Bishop validly consecrated they proved because not one of them was consecrated by a true Bishop or by imposition of Episcopal hands and if they durst say they were Harding and Stapleton
of their Religion which was to recurr to the letter of Scripture conâ—â—â—ning the true sense therof delivered by 〈…〉 and practise of the Catholick Church doctrin 〈…〉 primiâ—â—ve Fathers and General Coâ—â—cells but these vpstarts knowing their new fancies 〈…〉 agreable therunto Insteed of the ancient faith of Christendom they resolved to maiâ—â—ain 〈◊〉 condemned heresies following in this manner of proceeding their first Apostles Luther Calvin c. who would admit of nothing but the 〈◊〉 of Scripture interpreted by themselves after an 〈…〉 manner We will instance 〈◊〉 three Doctor Wiâ—aker Arch-bishop VVhitgift and Doctor Fulk omitting many others Doctor VVhitaker in his answer to Doctor Sanders demonstrations pag. 21. saith we repose no such confidence in the Fathers writings that we take any certain proof of Religion from them because we place all our faith and Religion not in human but in divine authority if therfore you bring vs what some Father hath taught or what the Fathers vniversaly all together have delivered the same except it be approved by Testimony of Scriptures it availeth nothing it convinceth nothing For the Fathers are such witnesses as they have also need of the Scriptures to be their witnesses if deceived by error c. And Yet this same Whitaker vndertook to maintain Bishop Jewell's Challenge by Fathers and Councells Archbishop Whitgift was no less but rather more injurious for in his defence of the Prelatick Church against the Puritan Cartwright pag. 402. 473. he is not ashamed to say that all the learned Bishops and learned writers of the Greek and latin Church for the most part where spotted with the doctrin of free will Invocation of Saints c. And thence inferrs that in no age since the Apostles time any company of Bishops held so perfect and sound doctrin in all points as himself and his fellow Bishops of England To what impiety and impudency are men driven by defending heretical novelties Doctor Bristow alleadgeth the Testimonies of S. Epiphanius S. Hierom and S. Austin condemning the heresies of Aerius Iovinian and Vigilantius against fasting days commanded by the Church prayer for the dead prayer to Saints against the honoring of their Reliques against preferring Virginity before Matrimony c. Doctor Fulk answereth that Epiphanius and Augustin were deceived in recording those for Heresies which are not and that Hierom rather raild then reasoned and that Vigilantius was a good man and his opinions sound 〈◊〉 Chrysostom is alledged for the Mass saying the Apostles â—â—creed that in the Sacrifice of the Altar there should be made prayers for the departed Fulk answereth where he saith it was decreed by the Apostles he must pardon us for crediting him because he cannot shew it us out of the Acts and writings of the Apostles And divers other Fathers being quoted to confirm St. Chrysoâ—â—â—m's testimony Fulk says who is witness that this is the Tradition of the Apostles you will say Tertullian Cyprian Austin Hierom and a great many more But I would learn why the Lord would not have this set forth by Mathew Mark Luke or Paul why they were not chosen scribes hereof rather then Tertullian Cyprian Hierom Austin and others such as you name This desperat shift of slighting the ancient Fathers Testimony was the ordinary way of answering Catholick Books for many years but some of the Protestant Writers observing how the wise and well meaning persons of their own Religion were not satisfied therewith and that there could no reason be given why any Christian should rather believe a Luther Zuinglius Calvin Beza Peter Martyr Thomas Cranmer Chark Fulk Whitaker or VVhitgift then a Cyprian a Tertullian Basil Hierom Chrysostom an Ambrose or an Austin especially in a matter of fact such as our controversies are to wit whether the Apostles and the true Church taught this or that sense of Scripture and doctrin seeing these holy and leaâ—â—ed Fathers lived in the primitive times and more then 12. or 13. hundred years neerer to the Apostles then the aforesayd Protestant Doctors and by consequence might be more easily and exactly informed Some of the Protestant Writers I say observing how much their cause was prejudiced by this conteâ—â—â—â— of antiquity and Fathers resolved 〈◊〉 more to try Iewell 's Method and see whether their impudency in falsifying might have better success then his either for want of courage and means in Catholicks to manifest their corruptions or for the hopes they had to discredit our Testimony and suppress such 〈◊〉 as we should venture to print and publish against themselves and the states Religion which they maintained But no sooner came any Protestant Book to sight but by God's assistance it was answered with all possible speed and it's falsifications discovered and some of our Catholick writers made it their business to manifest the frauds and four beries of Protestant Controversorâ— one of ours say's To declare that this spirit of fals dealing ioyned with necessity and misery of their bad cause is common not only vnto him Morton but vnto many of his brethren and must needs be vnto all them whensoever they take pen in hand to defend the same for that one ly cannot be defended without an other therfore I do produce ten several witnesses two of them called Bishops M. r Iewell and M. r Horn five inferior Ministers M. r Iohn Fox M. r Calfeild M. r Hanmer M. r Chark and M. r Perkins and might have named five times more three lay men also and Knights that have written against us Sir Francis Hastings S. r Philip Mornay and S. r Edward Cook alledging not one but sundry examples out of each of their works and might inlarge myself to a volume in that argument if I would say what I have found in their and their Brethrens works in this kind c. Any man who desires to be rightly informed in this important matter of the Protestant Clergys true or fals dealing in religion may peruse and conferr the Books on both sides I will not detain my Reader longer with Q. Elizabeths Writers being to treat of the same again when we answer the like objections of Protestants against Catholick Writers yet J can not omit to let him see in one person the hypocrisy of many in one I say that professeth as commonly they all do so much sincerity in treating of Controversies as might seem to excuse the necessity of any further inquiry if his fourberies had not bin manifested to the world not only by his accusers but by his own answers so weake and impertinent they are that they conclude nothing but his obstinacy in â—â—thering to his former errors though he be evidently convicted of being an Impostor The writer I speak of is VVillet who as you have seen heretofore makes this protestation I take God to witness before whom I must render account c. that the same faith and religion which I defend is taught in the more substantial points by those Histories
these are his words and concealed by the Bishop who also striks out of Vincentius Lirin other words wherby it did appear what a kind of keeper the Church is of the truths deposited with her and how litle danger there is of corrupting the old or admitting of new doctrin The Bishop pag. 38. sets down the sentence thus Ecclesia depositorum apud se dogmatum Custos c. Denique quid vnquam Conciliorum Decretis enisa est nisi vt quod antea simpliciter credebatur hoc idem postea diligentius crederetur c. But in Vincentius Lirinensis It is thus Christi vero Eoclesia sedula cauta depositorum apud se dogmatum Custos here first he skips over these two words sedula cauta diligent and wary because they spoiled his plot of persuading us that the Church might by negligence of its Pastors be insensibly changed and corrupted To the same intent he conceales with an c. the rest that followes which would have cleered all and left no room for the Bishops fraud for Vincentius Lirin his words are But the Church of Christ is a diligent Depositary or Keeper of the truths committed to her never changes any thing at all in them lessens nothing adds nothing nether cuts away things necessary nor adjoyns things superfluous neither looseth what is hers nor vsurpes what belongs to others Let any Christian or honest Pagan Iudge whether these words be not Diametrically contrary to what the Bishop pretends vnto in this passage viz. suspition and possibility of the Churches adding novitia veteribus novelties to the old doctrin of making a change of that faith she first received from Christ and his Apostles and of becoming Lupanar errorum which this good man and holy Martyr sayes he is loath to english and yet leaves out cuts and corrupts the Latin text of set purpose to fix vpon Christs Espouse the greatest infamy How Bp. Laud falsifies Occham to infringe St. Austins authority concerning the infallibility of the Church in succeeding ages as well as in that of the Apostles and is forced by his error to resolve his prelatick faith into the light of Scripture and the privat Spirit of Fanaticks which he palliates vnder the name of grace and therby warrants all rebellions against Church and state AN act of divine faith must be prudent that is men are not bound to believe any article therof v. g. that Scripture is the word of God vnless there evidently appear prudent and sufficient motives to exclude all moral possibility that any but God is the Author of the doctrin proposed to be believed These motives of credibility we call the signs of the Church and are the miracles of Christ and his Disciples sanctity and succession of his doctrin and Doctors Conversion of Kings and nations to christianity c. These signs or motives of credibility though they do not evidence demonstratively that our faith is true or that the Church or Congregation of men wherin they be found is the Catholick yet they demonstrat an obligation in us of believing it as we have proved elsewhere in so much that if no such signs or motives of credibility had bin none would be bound to believe any point of Christian Religion with certainty of faith and therfore St. Austin sayd he would not believe the Scripture had he not bin moved therunto by the authority of the Church because Scripture of it self hath no sufficient arguments and signs to ground a prudent and undoubted belief of its being the word of God but the signs and motives of credibility invest the Church with sufficient authority to declare both that and all other mysteries of faith and to make our Ecclesiastical Ministery and Mission more authentikly divin then any Regal Commissions or human Badges can set forth the truth and dignity of Ministers of state and officers of war Therfore as not to believe or to contemn men so qualified when they command in the Kings name is by the light of reason and consent of all nations judged obstinacy and rebellion not to be excused by pretending ignorance or want of greater evidence then those vsual signs of their employments afford so must it be obstinat heresy not to believe that what is proposed by the Church qualified with the aforesaid signs is revealed by God This supposed the main Controversy between Protestants and Catholicks is about the resolution of Christian faith for though both parties pretend that they believe because God revealed to the Prophets and Apostles the Mysteries of faith yet we say that Protestants can not shew how it may be prudently believed that Christ preached or revealed any such doctrin as is pretended vnless it be acknowledged that the Church of every succeeding age was and this present is as truly and realy though perhaps not so highly quoad modum infallible in delivering the Apostles doctrin as the Apostles were in delivering that of Christ. We do not say that Tradition or the Testimony of the Church confirmed by the foresaid signs is the prime motive and last resolution of faith but that the Tradition and Testimony of the present Church is infallible to the end it may infallibly apply the prime motive which is Gods veracity to vs and we prudently assent thervnto But the Bishop denying this is driven with Presbyterians and Fanaticks to an inbredâ—light of Scripture and to the privat Fanatick spirit with this only difference that where they say they are infallibly resolved that Scripture is the word of God by the Testimony of the Spirit within them his Lordship pag. 83.84 averrs he hath the same assurance by grace And because we object and admire that no Catholick could ever perceive this inward and inbred light of Scripture wherby all Protestants pretend they are assured it is the word of God he concurrs pag. 86 with Fanatitks in telling vs that blind eyes can not and pervers eyes will not see it It s strange his Lordship did not foresee the sad effects which this Protestant principle and presumption wrought against himself and his Prelatick Church within a very short time after he writ this doctrin and applyed the same against the Roman Catholicks He might be sure it would be retorted against the Church of England for why may not every Protestant Sectary pretend that the Prelatick Church of England is as blind and pervers in not seing the light of Scripture as Luther and Laud pretend the Roman Catholick is It is but every particular mans fancy and word no other proof is required by Protestants nor indeed can any better be produced to make good that so many honest and learned searchers of Scripture as have bin and are in the Roman Catholick Church can not or will not see the pretended light of Scripture so largely diffused among Protestants and distributed to every Fanatick Presbyterian and Prelatick whose faith can not be maintained without this rash judgment and most dangerous
for refusing to Roman Catholicks a publick Trial of Falsifications and an amicable Conference of Religion makes the refusal yet more unreasonable Popery saith every Protestant is a growing Religion if disputes thereof be admitted we shall turn all Papists If they be not persecuted their profession will prevail If liberty of conscience be granted very few will frequent Protestant Churches The prelatick Clergys last reason is Venient Romani tollent locum nostrum If we come once to reason the matter with Roman Catholicks infallibly we shall loose our Revenues But I may assiure them that the Roman Clergy covet not their revenues if it be found that we have any right to the Church livings we will lay our pretensions at his Majesties feet and Petition the Pope as we did in Queen Marys days to leave all to the King and Parliaments disposal for the ease and defence of our fellow Subjects and the terror of our Enemies And as for our Religion being a growing Religion we cannot deny it and rejoyce that our Adversaries confess so much how could it otherwise be the Catholick or become universal Protestancy is confined to this Northern Climate notwithstanding its liberty of open and sensual allurements the Mahometan perswasion is propagated by force of Arms and multiplicity of Wives the Greek Schism is but a spite and spleen against the Primacy of Rome and therefore is justly Become a Slavery to the Turk No Religion but the Roman Catholick doth grow and flourish maugre the Storms of outwaâ—d Persecutions and the strength of our inward perverse inclinations aganst it we follow reason against the appearance of sense we prefer vertue before vice the judgment of the Church before our own and Heaven before Earth and therefore we are made Strangers in our own Country Straglers abroad Tennants at will of our own Estates and our lives stand at the mercy of every base Informer that will press the law against our Conscience and yet in this sad condition and circumstances our Religion doth increase and is acknowledged to be a growing Religion Ergo it is the true Catholick and not only the most safe for the Soul but the most convenient for the State especially of Great Britain as now shall more particularly appear SECT XIII The same further demonstrated and how by Liberty of Conscience or by Tolerating the Roman Catholick Religion by Act of Parliament the British Monarchy will become the most considerable of all Christendom Peaceable at Home and recover its Right Abroad How evidently it is the mutual Interest of Spain and England to be in a perpetual League against France and how advantagious it is for Spain to put Flanders into English Hands THree things must concurr to make a Monarchy Powerful and Peaceable 1. Uniformity in Religion or at least Liberty of Conscience 2. Great Revenues of the Monarch without empoverishing by unusual and unimerciful Taxes the Subjects unless they be slaves 3 Men fit for Sea and Land Service These Islands afford the last the other two we want but may have them if we will by an Act of Parliament for Liberty of Conscience or for tolerating the old Faith of our Ancestors wherewith this Kingdom flourished in Peace and Prosperity for the space of 1000 years Such an Act I mean as may make legal one Profession but wherein there ought to be a Proviso that none of another suffer for his Conscience or Religion especially for the Roman Catholick That without Uniformity in Religion or without Liberty of Conscience it is impossible for a Monarchy to be long peaceable or powerful is manifest by Reason and Experience Reason doth dictate that when Mens minds are Discontented and Oppressed by Persecution for their Conscience they will hazard their all to be satisfied and saved their Rebellion against the Soveraign will be thought the ground of their Salvation or at least the only way to preserve their Posterity from being damned and brought up in the state false Religion Experience doth shew that diversity of Opinions if but one be permitted doth not only occasion Domestick differences as the parting of Man and Wife of Parents and Children Brothers and Sisters c. But is the cause of publick Inconveniencies as jealousies between Princes and Subjects from whence proceed civil Wars which are the greatest obstacle of Prosperity in an Empire or Commonwealth Whilst the Hugonots were persecuted in France France was not so considerable Here in England we are more afraid of persecuted Presbyterians Fanaticks and other Sectaries than of the French Danes and Dutch seeing therefore Liberty or Uniformity in Religion is so necessary for the Peace and Power of a Monarchy all States-men must grant the Religion fittest for the State is that which is most likely to be generally embraced if Men may have their free choice Now whether that be Protestancy or Popery is the question It is not Protestancy because 't is now a hundred years and more since it hath been endeavoured by all ways imaginable to bring the Subjects of the Crown of England unto an Uniformity in Protestancy even by Sanguinary and Penal Statutes and yet the design doth not take and indeed cannot Because it involves a contradiction for to be a Protestant is to have the liberty of opâ—ning and the gift of interpreting Scripture which Liberty and Prerogative is not consistent with a subjection of Judgment to the Authority and Interpretation of any Church or Councel and by consequence not with Unity of Faith Besides the Protestant Church whether Prelatick Presbyterian or Fanatick is not as much as pretended to be Infallible in Doctrine or in its Interpretation of Scripture and it 's a great vanity for a Church that professeth Fallibility in explaining the Scriptures and admitteth a liberty or Latitude of applying the Letter of the same to every private mans Spirit and Interpretation to oblige men to any unity or certainty of Faith and therefore our Acts of Parliament are so inefficacious Again Faith is not Christian unless the Believers hold it certain and no Believer can hold his own Faith certain if he submits and comforms his Judgment to the Doctrine and Decrees of a Fallible Church For that no man can think himself certain of what he knows may fail evident therefore it is that the Protestant Faith is neither Christian nor certain because the Professors thereof if they be guided by their confessed fallible Church must know that their Faith may be False The Roman Catholick Church seeing it is believed Infallible by all Catholicks may teach a Faith which must be thought by us to be Certain Conscientious Christian and by consequence convenient fit for both Soul and State How conscientious and Necessary it is for the Salvation of the Soul we have proved in this whole Treatise as also how convenient for the State now I will shew the same in a word and by the confession of our Adversaries It is a growing Religion say they therefore I infer
Fallaise in so much as she persuaded her husband to leave Geneva and go to Lansanâ—â— where she revealed the whole matter Mahomet t is true was a Cheat but a mere cunning cheat then Luther Calvin or Cranmer c. for by his Dove or fitts of the falling sickness he made people believe that the holy Ghost appeared and inspired to him the Alcoran but the Protestant Reformers had not so much to shew for their new doctrin Canon Translations and their new sense of Scripture Mahomet was constant to his principles the Protestant Parliament and Reformers were as changable as the times and humors of the giddy people and therfore may with more reason then the Turks give the Moon crescent for the Crest of their Religions as Catholicks do the Cross. Here in England they changed with Henry 8. the Roman faith for Articles of Religion devised by the Kings Majesty As soon as he dyed they changed that faith into Zuinglianism to comply with the Protector Somerset within two or three years after they changed Zuinglianism into Calvinianism at the suit of Calvin and reformed the Liturgy accordingly After K. Edward 6. death they returned with Q. Mary to the old faith With Q. Elizabeth they restored the new but with some alterations When K. James succeeded they changed their Translations of Scripture and other things In K. Charles 1. time prelatick Protestancy was pulled down by Presbytery this by Independency c. Prelatick Protestancy being restored again by K. Charles 2. the formes of Ordination wherupon depend the validity of the prelatick Ministery Church and Sacraments were not thought sufficient and therfore are now changed into more Catholick forms and therby all is left doubtfull and changeable for if the Church of England acknowledgeth to have erred in a thing of so great importance what assurance can it have of not erring in all the rest In a word Protestants in this one Kingdom and in this one age have made moâ—â— changes of Religions then Mahometans in the ten ages they have continued and in the greatest part of the world which they have conquered These things maturely considered makes Mahometism as probable a Religion as the best kind of Protestancy and therfore it would be no great wonder if they who believe the Protestant and Prelatick Clergy and take their word and fancies for true Scripture and Christianity should alter their belief vpon the change of that Clergys testimony acknowledging that hitherto they had bin mistaken which they may confess at any time becaus their Church is acknowledged fallible and that now they find the Turks have the true faith for that they reject all such books of Scripture as any Christians ever doubted of and that as lawfully as the pretended apocrypha are rejected by Protestants vpon the same ground and likewise believe all Protestant fundamental points necessary for salvation seing they believe of Christ as much as Arians Socinians and Chillingworth with his Sect of wits nay as much as the moderat and modern Prelatick writers who say that it is sufficient to believe Christ is the word and son of God which Mahomet never denyed If any Mahumetan Prince could pretend a title to this British Monarchy with probability of prevailing why may not we think he would find the Protestant Clergy as ready to comply with his Religion therby to secure their own and promote his interest as they were ready to change the Catholick and legal Religion which was professed in Q. Maries time for complying with Q. Elizabeth and fortifying her weak title against the legitimat and vndoubted Heirs All things weighed there is less difference between Mahumetism and prelatick Protestancy then between prelatick Protestancy and Popery for that Popery and Protestancy agree only in the name of Christianity in the motive and manner of faith they differ and in the ground therof as also in the Canon letter and Sense of Scripture but Mahumetism and Protestancy though they agree not in the letter of Scripture Protestants admitting into their Canon more books therof then the Turks yet they both agree in the rule of Religion though not in the application as also in the rule wherby their Canon and sense of Scripture is discerned which is every mans privat judgment in controverted matters in that point which is not controverted to wit one Deity the consent and concurrence of the generality of the world or evident reason is the foundation as well of Mahumetism as of protestancy as also in the point of the immortality of the soul. Therfore I see no impossibility or improbability said this great wit why Mahumetism may not in time be made the Religion of these Nations without violating the principles or altering the grounds of Protestancy and the prelatick Clergy be as much applauded and rewarded for the one change as for the other The greatest obstacle is that no Mahumetan Prince can pretend a title even such as Q. Elizabeths was to the Crown God almighty deliver us from so great evils and open the eyes of them that do not see the precipices wherunto their souls are led by such principles and grant the learned prelatick Clergy grace to prefer truth before falshood conscience before conveniency and eternity before the few days which they are to enjoy Benefices and Bishopricks But in case they do not for fear of loosing their credit and conveniences recant their errors J hope the Protestant Layty will have so much curiosity as to examin whether it be possible that so many Catholick Authors as have written books of Controversies should damn and discredit themselves by forging and feigning Protestant frauds and falsifications quoting the very places and pages where they are to be found affirming that without such practices protestancy cannot be maintained to examin I say whether we Catholicks can be so wicked and witless as to accuse men of such grievous crimes without hopes of any honor or profit to our selves but rather with a certainty of an immediat discovery of our impostures If this one thing be maturely considered the Protestant Layty and their vnlearned Clergy that rely so much vpon the sufficiency and sincerity of Cranmer Jewel Fox Morton Andrews Whitaker Fulk Perkins Vsher Laud Abbots Chillingworth Bramhall Cosins Hamond Taylor c. will believe us or at least examin and certainly find most palpable vnexcusable corruptions and contradictions in every one of their own Authors books composed against the Roman doctrin and conclude with us that Piety and Policy is mistaken in promoting Protestancy and persecuting Popery and that a good revenue may be conscientiously setled if legaly demanded vpon the Crown and vpon the poor soldiers and seamen that defend these nations against forreign invasions and rebellious insurrections Seing the Pope and his Roman Catholick Clergy in all likelihood will be content to resign their right and interest in the Church revenues to his Majesty as they did in the like occasion to Q. Mary who notwithstanding
greater miracle then the propagation of Mahomets Religion SECT VIII OF the Protestant justifying faith how absurd and inconsistent with Christian virtues how dangerous to Princes and all civill government Cromwell was directed by it and it may raise many Cromwells It s as dangerous an opinion as Atheism and therfore cryed down by K. James in the Conference at Hampton Court yet can it not be disowned by the Church of England without disowning Protestancy and the Prelatick Religion How much the best Protestant Princes and their Ministers are forced to suffer by this justifying faith of their subjects what great errors in policy they much condescend vnto Proved by the settlement of Ireland The late Earle of Straffords project and policy to make Roman Catholicks considerable in Irland Protestant Monarchy is more supported by Jrish Popery then by Scotch or English presbitery How fallacious and dangerous a thing it is they call the English Protestant interest in Irland Jn all parts of the world where Protestancy is professed their own Authors confess that vice and villany must reign and there most where their justifying faith is purest The Roman Indulgences and Iubilees give no such liberty or indemnity as the justifying Protestant faith Wee Roman Catholicks ought to praise and thank our Soveraign and his Ministers for not feeling wors effects of this justifying faith and of Protestancy To vse us with Christian moderation they strive against the principles of their own Religion SECT IX THat the rule of the Protestant faith and judge of controversies which is Scripture as interpreted by every Protestant is not consistent with Christian Faith humility Charity peace either in Church or State All hereticks appeale to the letter of Scripture therfore Luther called it the book of hereticks Every particular person according to the fundamental principle of Protestancy must be a Supreme Iudge of Scripture Councells and Fathers and of the whole Church How ridiculous it is to see shallow wits and silly women explain Scripture condemn Councells Fathers and the whole Catholick Church which folly proceeds from want of judgment humility charity and Christian faith It occasioned our late troubles and rebellion which was grounded vpon the Principles of Protestancy A Protestant people cannot be otherwise governed then a people wherof every one by priviledge or birthright may appeale from the law interpreted by publick Courts of Judicature to the law interpreted by every privat person The Protestants imaginary general Councells and their appeales therunto discovered to be a cheat to divert and delay any determination of religious controversies Every Protestant is a Pope more absolute and dangerous then the Bishop of Rome K. James his saying that every Protestant in the house of Commons was a King by his Religion How little the oath of Supremacy contributes to the Kings Soveraignty or Security or to the subjects loyalty The Protestant rule of faith is but every ones fancy applyed to the words of Scripture And therfore they often change according to their weakness of judgment or strength of passion Auditius his expression of their monthly faith and Melanctons saying both Protestants that they knew whom to avoid but knew not whom to follow are ingenuous The Protestant confessions and articles of faith composed and professed by every national Church oblige not the members of those Churches because the Collectors and composers of such articles are not infallible and will be thought not to agree with Scripture at least as every particular person will explain it The 39. Articles of the Church of England are so ambiguous that they may be applyed to all dissenting Tenets of Protestants both at home and abroad and therfore are printed and pressed in England to satisfy disagreeing parties and yet no party is contented with that indifferent symbol though each party callenges them in some occasions as favoring their own opinions nor any thing more contrary to piety and policy then articles so applicable to contrary Tenets and interests An arbitrary Religion is more dangerous and prejudicial to a state then an arbitrary government How vnfit the 39. articles and the Oath of Supremacy are to be made the distinctive sign of trust and loyalty to the King A man is more engaged to stick to the King by a red scarf or a garniture of ribands of the Kings colours then by an oath of so incredible a thing as the Supremacy and so vnsignificant articles as those of the 39. that contradict the Roman Catholick doctrin That Religion that hath not a more certain or infallible rule of faith then the Protestant Prelatick of England hath is not fit to be made the distinctive sign of trust or loyalty or the Religion of the state SECT X. HOw fundamental principles of the Protestant reformations maturely examined and strictly followed have led the most learned Protestants of the world to Judaism Atheism Arianism Mahometism c. And the protestant Churches of Poland Hungary and Transilvania to deny the mystery of the Trinity and our best modern English witts and writers to admit of no other rule of Religion but natural reason Instanced in Castalio Bucer David George Bernardin Ochin Neuserus Calvin Alemanus Socinus Chillingworth Stilling fleet Faukland c. How prelatick Protestancy is contemned by the best protestant wits and writers as being incoherent to the principles of protestancy and contradictory in its own Tenets How Presbiterians agree with the Anti-trinitarians in their way of reforming A Prelatick is a Presbiterian against Papists and a Papist against Presbyterians His own Religion includes both their Tenets though contradictory he hath but one Tenet wherunto he is constant and that is Episcopacy de Iure divino Calvinists are sayd by Lutherans to be baptised Jews and that Mahometism Arianism and Calvinism are 3. pair of hose of one cloath All protestant reformations are remnants of the same piece though with different trimmings according to the diversity of their reformers fancyes Why our English protestants deny not the Trinity as well as those of Hungary without violating the principles of protestancy they may doe it Articles of Christian Religion against conclusions cleerly deducible from the principles of protestancy are not valued by protestants It is the case of the Church of England SECT XI THe indifferency or rather inclination of Protestancy to all kind of infidelity is further demonstrated by the prelatick and Calvinian doctrin of fundamental and noâ— fundamental articles of faith The design of this new distinction manifested and frustrated The design is to make all Christians though declared hereticks that dissent from Roman Catholicks one Church and of the Protestant communion The Greeks and others reject Protestants as hereticks By their doctrin of fundamentalls Turks and Iews may be of one Church and communion with Christians Protestants proceed in matters of Religion as weak Statesmen do in state affairs For their separation from the Roman Catholick Church they cannot be excused from a damnable sin and schism Their writers
doctrin and therfore resolved to accomodat the doctrin of the Church of England to his humour Hooper and Rogers agreed vpon an ecclesiastical Government inconsistent with Monarchy which was that over every 10. Churches or Parishes in England there should be a learned Superintendent appointed who should have faithful readers vnder him and that all Popish Priests should clean be put out And to draw all publick matters of state and Religion to them-selves they composed a Treatise to prove That it is lawful for any privat man to reason and writ against a wicked Act of Parliament and vngodly Councel c. see Fox pag. 1357. col 1. num 72. And Hoopers prophecy against the Prelatick protestants for not conforming them-selves to his Puritan and Presbiterian disciplin pag 1356. And of his contention with Cranmer and other Prelatick protestants about the oath of Supremacy c. Fox pag. 1366. Both Cranmer and Ridly made apear to the Protector and Councel that Hoopers Presbiterian disciplin was not consistent with the Constitution of Parliaments and the refusal of the oath of Supremacy to be of dangerous consequence in a tyme that Deuenshir Northfolk and many other Shires had taken arms in defence of the Roman Catholick faith It was further considered that so sudain a change from on extreme to an other in matters of religion as it would have bin from ceremonious Popery to plain Preâ—bitery was against the rules of policy therfore seing the people had bin so long accustomed to the Mass and to Ecclesiastical ceremonies it was judg'd expedient to make the vulgar sort believe the chang was not of Religion but of language that the common prayr was the Mass in English that the substance of the Catholick faith was retained in the Prelatick caps copes and surplises and what alteration there seem'd to be was but of things indifferent or petty circumstances and had bin resolved vpon by the King and Parliament more to preserve vniformity then to promote novelty as may be seen by any that wil observe the words of the statuts confirming the common prayr book administration rits ad ceremonies of the Sacrament 2. Ed. 6.1 and the Councels letter to the Bishops recited by Fox pag. 1184. col 1. Whereof long tyme there had bin in this Realm of England divers forms of common prayer And where the Kings Majesty hath hereto fore divers tyms assayed to stay innovations or new rits To the intent that an vniform quiet and godly order should be had concerning the premises hath appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury should draw and make one convenient and meet order of common Prayer and administration of Sacraments to be vsed in England Wales c. The which at this tyme by the ayde of the holy Ghost with vniform agreement is of them concluded c. in the Statut. But in very deed the whole substance of Catholick Religion was changed and nothing retained but so much therof as seemed necessary to keep the name of Christians and had not bin rejected by most of the ancient condemned hereticks as shal appeare by our obseruations vpon the 39. ensuing articles of Religion of the Church of England SECT V. Of the 39. Articles of the Church of England WHosoever considerâ—â— these 39. Articles of Religion composed by Cranmer and his Divines may easily perceive their drift was rather to humour factions at home and dissenting Protestants abroad to countenance sensuality and grant a liberty of not believing the particulars of Christianity then to instruct men in the doctrin of Christ or to prescribe any certain rule of Faith For their method is to word so the matter of the Articles that where Protestants disagree among themselves every one of the dissenting parties may apply the Text to his own sense In so much that the Presbiterians except not against the doctrins themsel-ves rightly explained that is according to their explanation but against the wording and expressions therof which say they are ambiguous and capable of more senses then one and so may be and are wrested to patronise errors In the mistery of the real presence they speak clearly against it because it was resolved in Parliament That England should be Zuinglian in that point against the Catholick faith of Transsubstantiation Wherfore after Cranmer and the other his Contemporisers had set down in five of their six first Articles the belief of the Trinity Incarnation Passion and Resurrection wherof no Protestants then doubted they dare not declare themselves in the third wheein they speak of Christ descent into Hell whether it was to that of the damned or to a third place for that if they denyed the first they would have offended Calvin Jf they denyed the last they were sure to disoblige some Lutherans that admitted of Lymbus or a third place In the sixt Article they free all men from an obligation of believing any thing that is not read in Scripture or proved therby and make it their ownly rule of faith and themselves the Judges therof wherin they agree with the ancient Hereticks Arians Donatists Eunomians Nestorians c. But for that some Protestant doctrins are expresly reproved by many Parts of Scripture they make those parts Apocrypha because forsooth they were doubted of by some Churches in the primitive tymes And truly if a man will reflect vpon these words of thâ—ir sixt Article We do vnderstand those Canonical Books of the ould and new Testament of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church he may cleerly see that they believe many parts of the new Testament not to be Canonical Scripture because many parts therof have bin doubted of in the Church before the Canon was determined See after part 2. In the 7. they only declare that Christians are not bound to observe the ceremonial but only the moral law of Moyses In the 8. they tel vs of foure Creeds wherof S. Athanasius his symbol is one are to be believed because they may be proved by Scripture and yet S. Athanasius himself declared in â—he Councel of Nice that the doctrin of his Symbol that is the mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation could not be proved by Scripture alone or without Tradition In the 9. and 10. Article they follow the heretick Proclus the Messalians Zuinglius Luther and Calvins doctrin concerning Original sin In the 11. Article they teach with some of the Pseudo-Apostles with Eunomius and with the same Zuinglius Luther and Calvin that men are justified by faith alone See herafter of the justification by only faith how inconsistent with any solicitude or care for good works And in the 12. would faine but in vaine free themselves and their Doctrin from the aspersion of neglecting good works though they maintain them not to be necessary for justification In the 13. Article they say all virtuous moral actions of men â—hat are not in grace have the nature of sin And in the 14. they follow Eunomius Vigilantius
their meaning in this particular for feare of scandalizing their brethren abroad that admit of no such Supremacy in temporal Princes In the 24. Article they make it a point of the Protestant faith that Scripture expresly commands the publick prayers and ministring of the Sacraments not to be in Greek Latin or Hebrew wherin the Scriptures were written because the common people vnderstand not these languages but vnder pain of damnation must be in English Dutch Irish Welsh c. as if forsooth it were not lawful for a Priest or publick Minister to offer Sacrifice or negotiat for a multitude of iliterat people in languages they do not vnderstand or as if it were not sufficient for them to vnderstand that in publick or privat prayers they thank God for his benifits and crave new favours So that according to this Article a Greek Priest cannot offer publick prayers for the Latins or even his own Grecians who vnderstand not the learned Greeck nor a latin Priest for the Grecians or any other nation that vnderstands not Latin neither is it sufficient that God who alone is able to grant what is demanded vnderstand the petition and heare the publick Minister but it is necessarily required that the demand be made in a barbarous language because the common people vnderstand no other In the 25. Article they cut of five of the seaven Sacraments as not being Sacraments of the Ghospel or ordained by Christ this extravagancy of doctrin was thought necessary for the disciplin of the protestant Churches which despairing of a succession of true Bishops excluded the Episcopal Caracter and all Sacraments that had dependency therof In the 26. Article they endeavour to excuse their own lewdness and liberty though by inculcating truth to wit that the effects of the Sacraments are not taken away by the defects of the Ministers In the 27. they condemn against their own principle in the 6. Article their Brethren the Anabaptists for not baptizing their children which error cannot be confuted by Scripture without Tradition In the 28. they tel vs it is plain in Scripture that when Christ sayd This is my Body he meant This is not my Body and therfore that Transsubstantiation cannot be proved by holy Writ if they can prove by Scripture that Christ means the contrary of what he speaks we shal confess that neither transsubstantiation nor any other thing can be proved by holy Writ but only this that Scripture cannot be vnderstood nor be a rule of faith They add that the mean wherby the Body of Christ is spiritualy received and taken in the supper is faith To receive and eat spiritualy the Body of Christ if it signifies any thing must signifie that we ought to believe that the Body of Christ is received and eaten And if this belief be true as it must if it be Divine then Christ's Body is realy received and eaten though in a spiritual manner that is in a manner not perceptible by our senses The 29. Article is but a quotation of some words of S. Augustin The 30. Article seems to have bin altered as also the 37. of the supremacy in Q. Elizabeths reign because as we find it now it contradicts not only the doctrin of the chief Protestant Reformers who acknowledg that the Communion vnder both Kinds was always a thing indifferent but also the statut made in Edwards 6. reign and a little before this article was framed The statut 1. Edward 6. cap. 1. ordains indeed that the B. Sacrament be commonly delivered to the people vnder both kinds but addeth except necessity otherwise require And certainly there can be no necessity or possibility for any human power to dispense with Christ's ordinance and commandment which this 30. Article says was contrary to what the statut supposed that both kinds should be administred to all Christian men alike Besids the statut doth in the end declare that by what it commands it doth not condemn the vsage of any Church out of the King his Majesties Dominions which limitation doth demonstrat that the Parliament and English Protestants then believed the communion of the layty vnder both kinds not to be a precept or determination of Christ but an indifferent thing left to the discretion of the Church neither have our modern Protestants who grant no other substance in the Sacrament but that of bread and wine whervnto they add nothing but a remenbrance of Christ's passion any reason to vpraid vs with robing them of half the communion seing we exhort the layty to that remembrance and offer them wine after receiving the species of bread In their 31. Article we are tould that the Sacrifices of Masses in the which it was commonly sayd that the Priests did offer Christ for the quick and the dead to have remission of pain or guilt are blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits And yet S. Cyprian lib. 2. 3. versus finem Et de Coena Domini post med Concil 1. Toletan can 8.5 Origen in numer hom 23. August de Civit. Dei lib. 10. cap. 19. 20. passim S. Clement the Apostles scholler in Apost constit lib. 6. cap. 22. fol. 113. edit Antverp 1564. Concil Nicen. 1. can 14. Augustinus de cura pro mortuis cap. 14. in Enchirid. cap. 110. c. Tertul. ad Scapul cap. 2. Chrisost. hom 27. in act Apost S. Clemens lib. 8. Const. Apost cap. 18. fol. 173. 174. edit Antverp 1564. Augustin de Civit. Dei lib 22. cap. 8. Ciprian de Coena Dom. prope initium S. Ignatius the Apostles Scholler in Epist. ad Smirn. S. Augustin lib. 9. Confes. cap. 12. in Enchirid. cap. 110. de verb. Apost serm 34. Saith that the sacrifice of our price was offered for his Mother Monica being dead and that it is not to be doubted but that the soules of the dead are relieved by the piety of their living friends when for them is offered the sacrifice of the Mediator and that the vniversal Church doth observe as delivered from our Forefathers that for those who are dead in the Communion of Christ's Body and Bloud when in the tyme of sacrifice they be remembred in their place prayer is made for them and besids this prayer it is remembred the sacrifice be offered for them also c. S. Ambrose maks express mention of the Mass lib. 5. epist. 33. Ego mansi in munere Missam facere coepi c. S. Leo epist. 81. ad Dioscor Necesse autem est vt quaedam Populi pars sua devotione privetur si vnius tantum Missae more servato c. S. Augustin serm 91. de Temp. In lectione quae nobis ad Missas legenda est audituri sumas c. Let any Christian be judg whether it be not more safe and more rationaâ—lâ— to rely in matters of faith vpon the Tradition of the whole Catholick Church and it 's ancient Liturgies and vpon the Testimony of all the holy Fathers and Councels
their doctrin and of the sincerity of their Doctor And though it seemeth to me impossible for any man to know what parts of the new Testament the 6. Article and Canon of the Church of England declares Canonical it being so intricatly worded that either it must be non sense or els exclude from the Canon the Epistles of Iames the second of Peter the second and third of John the Epistle of Iude the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Apocalips seing the authority of all and every one of these hath bin doubted of in the Church and the 6. Article of the Protestant Religion of the Church of England is that In the name of the holy Scripture we do vnderstand those Canonical Books of the old and new Testament of whose authority was never any doubt of in the Church Though I say it 's impossible for me to comprehend how common sense and Christianity can meet in this Article but that if the words therof signify any thing out of the English Protestant new Testament must be excluded all the aforsaid Epistles and Apocalyps yet leaving this difficulty to the decision of that Church I wil suppose at the present with D. r Cosins that all these Epistles and Apocalyps are included in the English Canon and come to the examination of the Arguments wherby he pretends to defend it He therfor foreseing the impossibility of giving any reason why the parts of the New Testament hertofore doubted of should rather be received by Protestants into their Canon then the Books of the Old Testament no more questioned by the Church of Christ then the aforsaid epistles and the Apocalyps thought to avoyd the force of this pressing parity by flatly denying pag. 5. alibi That ever any intire Church or any National or Provincial Counsel or any multitude of men in their confessions and Catechisms or other such publick writings rejected or doubted of the sayd epistles c. In case so many solemnities had bin requisit for the questioning of Canonical authority which his Lp knows are not necessary It seems his lordship did not peruse Eusebius his works though he quotes them very often or at least did not thinck that the ancient Churches of Syria and Arabia deserve to be called Churches not that the Lutherans of Germany Denmark Suethland c. who stick to Luther's principles and Canon can make one or many Churches It s a gross mistake in the Doctor to say pag. 4. 5. that Luther or his Lutherans recalled or recanted their error concerning the Epistle of St. James he might see the contrary in the very book him-self cites of Chemnitius the famous Lutheran whose authority and words he placeth in his addition of certain Testimonies in the same rank with sentences of St. Augustin and St. Thomas of Aquin c. This Chemnitius in most of his works as in his Enchirid. pag. 63 and in his examin of the Councel of Trent p. 1. pag. 55. 56. declareth his own sense and that of his Church in these words The second Epistle of St. Peter the second and third of John the Epistle of Jude and the Apocalyps of John are Apocryphal as not having sufficient testimony of their authority His lordship might also have bin better informed of Luther's sence and Church by the saying of Illiricus an other pillar and Writer therof whom Mr. Bell in his regiment of the Church pag. 28. termeth a very famous Writer and most worthy defender of the Christian truth his words are Luther in his preface vpon St. Iem's Epistle giveth great reasons why this epistle ought in no case to be accompted for a writing of an Apostolick authority vnto which reasons I think every godly man ought to yeeld Luther's reasons are to be seen in the ancient editions of Jene and are comprehended in these few words of his The Epistle of Iames is contentious swelling dry strawy and vnworthy an Apostolick spirit And because these words and others were omitted in the later editions of Wittemberg by some Divins that would fain reform Luther's Canon Religion and Church the chief Lutheran Doctors mett in a Synod at Altembury complained of their Adversaries corrupting Luther's books and resolved to stick to the ancient editions and to the literal sence of his words So that in case it were true the Canon of Scripture could not be sayd to have bin questioned by any Protestant Congregation whithout declaring their doubt in a publick confession of faith we see the Lutheran doth so as also in their confession of Wittemberg quoted by Belarmin lib. 1. de verb. Dei cap. 7. init which is seconded by all hereticks of these tims saith Belarmin the Calvinist only excepted But the Doctor is so much mistaken in the necessity of such a formality that the Arians were condemned as hereticks notwithstanding that in their publick confessions of faith they endeavored rather to disguise then declare their errors It is wel known that Lutheran Churches in Germany not only do reject from their Canon the Epistles of S. Iames Iude the second of Peter and third of S. Iohn the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Apocalyps but are so obstinat in denying them to be in any wise Canonical Scripture that they do not as much as print them in their Bibles And if my Lord of Duresme thinks that the rigid and moderat Lutherans half Lutherans and other Protestant Congregations wherin are many as learned Ministers and Writers as him-self deserve not the name of a Church he may expect that they wil censure his Church after the same manner and perhaps with as much reason But lett them agree as wel as they can it concerns not vs. Yet I hope he wil not pronounce so severe a Censure against the Greeck and Latin Churches and vn-church both Wherof S. Hierom in epist. ad Dordunum testifieth that the Greeks doubted as much of the Apocalyps against the common consent of the Latins as the Latins did of the Epistle to the Hebrews against the common consent of the Church Seing therfor it is evident by the confession both of ancient Fathers and modern Proâ—estants that in the primitive Church the Canonical Scriptures were not generally received all at once but in so great variety of pretended Scriptures great care and search was requisit to determin which Scriptures were Canonical and which not wherby it came to pass thaâ— sundry books and parts were for a long time misdoubted by some Churches and Fathers and by some Councels omitted or not received which yet afterward vpon greater search and consideration were generally acknowledged it must be very great obstinacy in Doctor Cozins and other Protestants to reject the Canon which the Councel of Trent proposeth and embraceth because forsooth some books therin contained were not as soon believed by all Catholicks to be Canonical as the others Or to deny the authority and authentikness of some books of the old Testament because they were not in
of the Councel of Nice and most vnconscionably cuts of the words immediatly following where Belarmin says the quite contrary of what Cozins imposed vpon his Readers to make good his English Canon of Scripture The words immediatly following are Excepto libro Iudith quem etiam Hieronimus postea recepit Except the booke of Iudith which also Hierom afterwards received as Canonical So that where Cozins says Belarmin confesseth that S. Hierom sayd the Councel of Nice declared not the book of Iudith Canonical Belarmin in that very place says the quite contrary And in the same page cap. 12. Belarmin proves by S. Hieroms testimony and words that the book of Iudith was declared Canonical in the highest degree by the Nicen Councel It were to be wished that Ecclesiastical promotions had bin better bestowed then upon 139 men whose labour and learning 〈◊〉 altogeather employed in seducing souls concealing the truth of Religion from their flocks and corrupting the writings of the ancient Fathers and modern Doctors of the Church for no other reason but because they speak so cleerly against the Protestant Doctrine of these times wherby our Prelatick Ministers are maintained vsurping vast revenues from the Crown and come to the greatest preferments both of Church and State I have not seen any one Protestant Writer free from this fault 't is strange that after so manifest and manifould discoverys as have bin made of Mortons Andrews Fox Sutclif Jewell Barlow Whitaker Willet Vsher Lauds and others falsifications frauds and labyrinths there should be men yet found to follow their examples and much more to be wondred that they should thrive by a trade so base vnconscionable and distructive notwithstanding so manifest and frequent discoveries of their impostures As to this work of Doctor Cosins it may be properly called a Cosenage independently of an allusion to his name had not his book bin sufficiently confuted by the absurdity of his fundamental principles denying that the Apostles or Christian Church could declare any book of the old Testament Canonical which the Iews omitted or rejected and affirming that no parts of the New Testament were ever questioned by any Church ancient or modern I should set down many more of his willful falsifications and weake evasions but that labour being rendred superfluous by the incoherency of his own doctrin and by the inconsistency of his principles with including in that Canon of Scripture which he vndertakes to defend the epistles above mentioned of Peter Iohn Paul and Iude and the Apocalyps for it is evident by the quoted testimonies both of ancient Fathers and learned Protestants that these epistles of Iohn Iude Peter and Paul as also the Apocalyps were doubted of by many Christian Churches for three or foure ages I do not think fitt to trouble the Reader nor my self with a more particular confutation of this rather fantastical then Scholastical History of the Canon of Scripture fantastical J say because he fancies to him-self that the authority and sayings of men who writ before this controversy had bin decided by a general Councel and at the same time professed a faith which obliged them so submit ther writings and judgments to the decrees of Councels can be of any force against that general Councel by which the contrary was decided and they would have bin guided by if they had bin now living as St. Austin saith of St. Cyprian in a point of doctrine which was determined by a general Councel against the holy Martyrs opinion long after his death Whosoever can take delight in seing the pittifull shifts and sleights wherby interested writers endeavour to blind mens eyes and vnderstandings let him peruse this book of Doctor Cozins and he will find more sport in observing how he tosses and turns the sayings of the Fathers against them-selves then could be wished in so serious a subject When the Fathers call the books of Macabees Tobie Judith c. sacred and Divine Scripture Canonical Scripture prophetical writings of Divine authority c. Holy inspirations revelations c. he tels you pag. 93. alibi passim all this must be understood in a large and popular sence though the contrary may appeare to any vnbyass'd judgment that will read the words by him cited pag. 92. alibi in the Authors themselves as for example let any one observe how Doctor Cozins mingles and mangles S. Austin's words concerning the controverted books of the Machabees and afterwards see what the St. him-self says he will â—â—rce believe the words are the same and may swear the sense is not For S. Austin lib. 2. de doctr Christ. cap. 8. sets down as his own sense the same Canon of Scripture which the Councel of Trent accepts and confirmeth and he subscribed unto in the third Councel of Carthage And because he knew that this Canon had not bin defined by a general Councel and therfore many Churches and Fathers doubted of some books which he and the 3. Councel of Carthage held for Canonical he gives some instructions how they who do not follow his Canon shall proceed vntill they be more fully informed or the matter decided and these instructions which he sets down for others who doubted and differ'd in opinion from him Doctor Cozins wilfully mistakes and misapplies to St. Austin him-self as if he could be ignorant of his own belief of the Canon He is also troubled that St. Austin doth favour so much the doctrine of Purgatory and the authority of the Catholick Church in declaring books of the Old Testament to be Canonical which were rejected by the Iews as to say lib. 18. de Civit. Dei c. 36. That the books of the Machabees are accompted Canonical by the Church although not by the Jews To weaken this testimony he brings an other that strengthens it and quotes St. Austin's words Ep. 61. ad Dulcitium wherin confuting the error of the Circomcellions who to cloake their self-homicides with text and examples of Scripture excused that doctrin with the examples of Eleazarus and Razias related in the Machabees which pretext St. Austin largly confutes not only in his epistle ad Dulcit but in his 2. book against the epistle of Gaudent cap. 23. not by deminishing the Canonical authority of the books of the Machabees as Doctor Cozins falsly imposeth vpon his Readers pag. 108. seq but by declaring how the Scripture doth indeed relate yet not commend the self-homicide of Eleazarus and Râ—zias nor canonize them Martyrs or propose their deaths to be imitated though it cannot be denyed but that they shew'd great worldly courage and contempt of life Did Doctor Cozins imagin that Dulcitius Gaudentius and other learned Circumcellions were such Coxcombs as to prove their Religion by Scripture and then to quote for Scripture a book which their Adversaries admitted not at least for so Canonical as that controversies of Religion could be therby decided or doth he think that St. Austin would not have put them in
mind of that folly in very cleer termes and excuse farther disputes by telling them plainly and without going about the bush that the Machabees was not Canonical Scripture nor fit to be quoted in matters of Religious controversies But the Doctor argues pag. 110. that St. Austin tells Gaudentius the Christian Church receiveth those books not vnprofitably if they be discreetly or soberly read or heard what then All discreet and sober men say the same not only of the books of the Machabees but of all the other books and parts of Scripture and St. Peter sayth the same in substance of St. Paul's epistles Will the Doctor conclude from thense that St. Paul's epistles are not Canonical Scripture because men may read them indiscreetly and deprave them to their own damnation Or that there is no Scripture at all because he himself or some of his Bishoprick of Duresme do not read the Bible with sobriety and discretion these words of St. Austin in the Doctor 's judgment pag. 108. are so cleerly against the Canonical authority of the Machabees that he says Cardinal Belarmin layd his thumb vpon them and durst not relate them I am sure he pointed at them with his Pen and directed all the world to see and examin them by his quoting the book and Chapter where they are as my Lord of Duresme him-self confesseth in the margent neither could Belarmin Peron or any oâ—her Catholick Writer observe any disadvantage to their cause in those following words of S. Austin Which Doctor Cozins pretends to be so notoriously prejudicial Recepta est ab Ecclesia non invtiliter c. The Machabees is received by the Church for holy Scripture not vnprofitably if it be soberly read or heard That is sayth Doctor Cozins pag. 110. As St. Augustin els wher expoundeth him-self but where Doctor Cozins doth not because he cannot tell If those things that we read there be conferred with the sacred and Canonical Scriptures that whatsoever is therevnto agreeable may be approved and what is otherwise may be rejected According to this acute explanation which Doctor Cozins falsly fathers vpon S. Austin the most profane books and Romances Esop's Fables and Don Quixote may be received by the Church for holy Scripture as well as the Machabees if those things that we read therin be conferr'd with the sacred and Canonical Scriptures and whatsoever is thervnto agreable be approved and what is otherwise be rejected It were too tedious to note all Doctor Cozins his mistakes Let these few serve to know by what a pillar the English Canon and Church is supported SECT IV. Protestants so grossly mistaken in their letter and Translations of the Scriptures that they can not have any certainty of faith and are forc't at length by their principles to question the truth of Scriptures and of them who writ the Canonical books therof THe holy Scriptures were writen by the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists either in Hebrew Greeck or Latin the old Testament excepting some few parts writen in Chaldaick and Syriack was writen in Hebrew the new Testament for the greatest part in Greeck S. Mathew's Ghospel in Hebrew S. Marck's in Latin We have not the original writings of these Prophets and Apostles nor of the 70. Interpreters who translated the old Testament into Greek some 300. years before the comming of Christ we have only Copies for the truth and exactness wherof we must rely vpon the testimony and tradition of the Church which in so important a point God would never permit to err at least it must have bin so infallible therin as that the Copy be sufficiently authentick to be a rule of deciding controversies of faith and of directing men to holiness of life though perhaps no copy is so exact but therin may remain some erratas of the press and pen yet easily discoverable by it's coherency or incoherency with other parts of the Text. Notwithstanding the necessity of admitting some true and authentick copy of Scripture for what can it availe a Christian to believe that Scripture is the word of God if he be vncertain which copy or Translation is true and authentick Scripture Protestants pretend there is no authentick copy of Scripture in the world as may be seen in the preface of the Tigurin edition of the Bible and in all their books of Controversy seing therin they condemn the Councel of Trent for declaring that the old Latin Translation is authentick and yet themselves name no other for authentick and therfore though the Lutherans fancy Luther's Translation the Calvinists that of Geneva the Zuinglians that of Zuinglius the English some times one somtimes an other yet because they do not hold any one to be infallibly authentick it followeth from their exceptions against the infallibility of the Roman Catholick Church in declaring or decreeing a true and authentick copy of Scripture and their confession of the vncertainty of their own translations that they have no certainty of Scripture nor even of faith which they ground vpon Scripture alone Most of the old Testament as it is in the vulgar Latin Translation which the Councel of Trent declares to be authentick was â—ranslated out of Hebrew by St. Hierom and the new Testament had bin before his time translated out of Greek but was by him revewed and such faults as had crept in through negligence of the Transcribers were corrected You constraine me sayth he to make a new work of an old that I after so many copies of the Scripture dispersed through the world should sit as a certain Iudg and determin which of them agree with the true Greek and in this Cathalogue he saith Novum Testamentum graecae fidei reddidi vetus juxta haebraicum transtuli The antiquity and sincerity of the first Interpreter and the great Commendations therof to be seene in St. Austin de Civit. Dei lib. 18. c. 43. Non defuit temporibus nostris Presbiter Hieronymus homo doctissimus omnium trium linguarum peritissimus qui non è Graeco sed ex Haebraeo in Latinum eloquium easdem Scripturas converterit Cujus tamen litterarum laborem Judaei fatentur esse veracem And lib. 2. doct Christi cap. 15. togeather with the eminent Sanctity and learning of S. Hierom forceth our Adversarie Bâ—eza to confess Annotationibus in caput 1. Luc. That the old Interpreter seemeth to have interpreted the holy books with marveilous sincerity and Religion and in praefat novi Testam The vulgar edition I do for the most part embrace and preferr before all others Carolus Molinaeus in nov Testam part 30. I can very hardly depart from the vulgar and accustomed reading which in Luc. 17. he professeth to preferr before Erasmus Bucer Bullinger Brentius the Tigurin Translation and even before Iohn Calvins and all others Doctor Humfrey de ratione interpret l. 1. pag. 74. The old Interpreter seemeth to be much addicted to the propriety of the words and truly with too much
anxiety which I attribute more to Religion then ignorance See also Pelicanus a learned Protestant writer his great prayses of the Translation of the Psalmes in the vulgar Latin edition in praef in Psalterium an 1584. See also Doctor Covell acknowledging in his answer to Burges pag. 94. The antiquity of the vulgar translation to be so great that it was used in the Church a thousand three hundred years agone and concluding pag. 91. That the most approved Translation authorised by the Church of England is that which cometh neerest to the vulgar and is commonly called the Bishops Bible And Doctor Whitaker in his answer to Mr. Reynolds pag. 141. was pleased to moderat his former rayling against our vulgar Translation revewed by St. Hierom at the request of St. Damasus Bishop of Rome saying St. Hierom J reverence Damasus I commend and the work I confess to be Godly and profitable to the Church The reason that moved the Protestants not to accept or acquiesce in our vulgar Latin Translation so much commended by them-selves and the ancient Fathers is because they would have as much liberty to reject the true letter as the true sence of Scripture their new doctrins being condemned by both For had they granted that any one ancient Translation is authentik how could Luther have had the impudence to thrust into the Text the word alone to assert his justification by only faith Rom. 3.28 or how could he omitt 2. Petr. 1. where it is sayd wherfore brethren labour the more that by good works you may make sure your vocation this particle by good works How could Zuinglius have translated for this is my body this signifies my Body to maintain his figurative signification of the words and cry down Christ's real presence in the B. Sacrament And so of all other Protestants Translations wherof every one hath words added and omitted in the Text which cannot be justified or excused by any ancient copy of Scripture extant in any language whatsoever No mervaile therfore if the Lutherans reject the Calvinists Translation and the Calvinists that of Lutherans the TransTranslation Translation of the Divines of Basile is reproved by Beza who says respon ad defens Cast. that it is in many places wicked and altogeather differing from the mind of the holy Ghost And Molinaeus in Testam part 20.30 c. saith of Beza that in his Translation he actualy changed the Text and of Calvin in Translation Testam nov fol. 110. That he maketh the Text of the Ghospel to leap up and down and that he vseth violence to the letter of the Ghospel and besids this addeth to the Text. As for the English Translation we have King James his true censure in the sume of the conference before his Majesty pag. 46. that he could never yet see a Bible well translated into English His Royall judgment is confirmed by Mr. Carlile of Christ's dessent into Hell pag. 116. where he says of the English Translators that they have depraved the sence obscured the truth and deceived the ignorant that in many places they do detort the Scripturs from the right sence c. The Ministers of Lincoln Diocess in their abridgment of a book delivered to his Majesty the first of December pag. 11. seq say that the English Translation taketh away from the Text addeth to the text and that somtyms to the changing or obscuring of the meaning of the Holy Ghost Also Mr. Burgâ—s in his Apology sect 6. saiâ—h how shal I approve vnder my hand a translation which hath many omissions many additions being somtyms sensless somtyms contrary Other precise and learned Protestants in a Treatise intituled A petition directed to his most excellent Majesty c. pag. 76. say Our Translation of the Psalmes comprised in our book of common prayer doth in addition subtraction and alteration differ from the truth of the Hebrew in 200. places at least And make this the ground of their scruple to make vse of the common prayer And these corruptions are so vndenyable that Dr. Whitaker hath nothing to answer to Dr. Reynolds pag. 255. who objected them against the Church of England but these words What Mr. Carlile with some others hath writen against some places translated in our Bibles maketh nothing to the purpose I have not sayd otherwise but that some things may be amended These corruptions in the English Protestant Bibles are so many and so notorious that Doctor Gregory Martin composed a whole book of them and therin discovers the frauds wherby the Translators pretend to excuse them somtyms they recurred to the Hebrew Text and when that spoke against their new doctrin and translation then to the Greeck when that favoured them not to some copy acknowledged by them-selves to be corrupted and of no credit and when that no copy at all could be found out to cloke their corruptions the book or Chapter of Scripture that contradicts them is declared Apocryphal and when that cannot be made probable they fall down right upon the Prophets and Apostles that writ them and say they might and did err even after the comming of the holy Ghost This is not only Luther's shift all Protestants follow their first reformer in this point having the same necessity imposed vpon them by their own reformations and translations so contrary to the known letter of Scripture Luther being told by Zuinglius tom 2. ad Luther l. de Sacram. pag. 412. seq Thou dost corrupt the word of God thou art seen to be a manifest and common corrupter and perverter of the holy Scriptures how much are we ashamed of thee who have hitherto esteemed thee beyond all measure and now prove thee to be such a man Luther knowing all this to be true had no way left to defend his impiety but by impudency preferring him-self and his own Spirit before that of them who writ the holy Scriptures therfore tom 5. Wittemberg an 1554. fol. 290. in ep ad Galat. cap. 1. after the English Translation fol. 33. 34 he saith Be it that the Church Austin and other Doctors also Peter Paul yea an Angel from heaven teach otherwise yet is my doctrin such as setteth forth God's only glory c. Peter the chief of the Apostles did live and teach extra verbum Dei besides the word of God and against St. James his mentioning the Sacrament of Extreme Unction de Capti Babyl cap. de extrem vnct in tom 2. Wittemberg fol. 86. But though this were the epistle of James I would answer that it is not lawful for an Apostle by his authority to institute a Sacrament this apertaineth to Christ alone As though thas blessed Apostle would publish a Sacrament without warant from Christ. See also what he says of Moyses his writings tom 3. Wittemberg in Psalm 45. fol. 432. 422. tom 3. Germ. fol. 40.41 in Colloq mensal Germ. fol. 152. 153. The Century Writers of Magdeburg follow this doctrin of Luther
Centur. 1. l. 2. cap. 10. col 580. and particularly accuse St. Paul of error by the persuasion of St. Iames. Brentius also whom Bishop Ievel in his defence of the Church of England pag. 473. termeth a grave and learned Father affirmeth in Apol. Confess cap. de Concil pag. 900. that St. Peter chief of the Apostles and also Barnabas after the holy Ghost received togeather with the Church of Ierusalem erred Though Lutherans and Calvinists differ extreamly in many points of doctrin yet in this of fallibility of the Apostles in faith and manners even after the receiving of the holy Ghost they fully agree Calvin him-self in his Comentary in omnes Pauli epistolas in Gallat c. 2. vers 14. pag. 612. reprehendeth Peter Barnabas and others and pag. 150. says that Peter added to the schism of the Church the indangering of Christian liberty and the ouer-throw of the grace of Christ See him also in Act. c. 21. Clebitius a learned Calvinist in his Victoria veritatis argum 5. impugneth St. Lukes report in the history of our Sauiours passion saying Matthew and Mark deliver the contrary therfore Mathaeo Marco duobus testibus plus adhiberi debet quam uni Lucae qui Synaxi non interfuit quemadmodum Mathaeus To Mathew and Mark being two witnesses more credit is to be given then to one Luke And Gualter in Act. 21. reproveth St. Paul's shaving of his head And other Calvinists mentioned in Zanchius his epistle ad misc sayd If Paul should come to Geneva and preach the same houre that Calvin did I would leave Paul and heare Calvin And Lavaterus in his historia Sacramentaria pag. 18. affirmeth that some of Luther's followers not the meanest among their Doctors sayd they had rather doubt of St. Paul's doctrin theâ— of the doctrin of Luther or of the confession of Augusta This desperat shift being so necessary for waranting their corruptions of Scripture and maintaining the fallibility of the Church in succeeding ages for the same reasons which conclude it infallible in the Apostles time are applicable to ours and to every former century other-wise it must be sayd that God's providence and promises were limited to few years and him-self so partial that he regardeth not the necessities of his Church nor the saluation of any person that lived after his Disciples this impiety could not be rejected by the Prelatick Church of England without contradicting their brethren abroad and their own principles at home Therfore B. Iewel in his defence of the Apology for the Prelatick Church of England pag. 361. doth affirm that St. Mark mistook Abracher for Abimelech and St. Matthew Hieremias for Zacharias And Mr. Fulck against the Remish Testament in Galat. 2. fol. 322. chargeth Peter with error of ignorance and against the Ghospell and Doctor Goade in his Tower disputation with Campion the second days conference arg 6. affirmeth that St. Peter did err in faith and that after the sending down of the holy Ghost vpon them And Whitaker de Eccl. cont Belarmin Controv. 2. q. 4. pag. 223. saith Jt is evident that even after Christ's Ascension and the Holy Ghost's descending vpon the Apostles the whole Church not only the common â—ort of Christians but also even the Apostles them-selves erred in the vocation of the Gentills c. yea Peter also erred he further more also erred in manners c. And these were great errors and yet we see these to have bin in the Apostles even after the Holy Ghost descending vpon them And truly if the Apostles were not only fallible but did teach errors in manners and matters of faith after the holy Ghost descending vpon them their writings can be no infallible Rule to direct men to saluation which conclusion is so immediatly and cleerly deduced from this Protestant doctrin that the supposal and premises once granted their can be no certainty in Scripture and indeed this all the Reformers aymed at though durst not say it yet they did as well and sufficiently declare what litle esteem they have for Scripture though they make their ignorant flocks believe they teach them nothing but true Scripture and the infallible word of God SVBSECT I. Particular instances of Protestant Corruptions in the English Bible THough it may seem superfluous to specify any corruptions of the English Translators of Scripture after so cleer testimonies and confessions drawn from men of their own party yet to excite a conscience or at least curiosity in the Protestant Reader of examining further this matter I will mention a few of many which he may find both in Doctor Gregory Martins book of this subject and in the Remish Testament To maintain by Scripture that Popery is or at least savoreth Idolatry by worshiping of Images whersoever the Scripture speaks of Jdols they translate Images as 1. Jhon 4.21 My babes keep your selves from Images And how agreeth the temple of God with Jmages And be not worshipers of Images as some of them c. And 2. Paralip 36. vers 8. they added to the Text words that are not in the Greek Hebrew Latin or any copy however so corrupted The rest of the acts of Ioakim and the rest of the abominations which he did and the carved Images that were layd to his charge behold they are written c. These words carved Images layd to his charge are added by the Protestant Translators and not to be found in any copy or Text of Scripture in the whole world And though for meere shame in some later editions this impiety hath bin corrected and Jdols not Jmages put into the Text yet to make the illiterat sort of people believe that they are the same thing Image is put in the margent and in some places left vncorrected The first Protestant Bishops in Queen Elizabeths reign not being able to prevaile with the deposed Catholick Bishops to consecrat them as Scripture commands by imposition of Episcopal hands and therfore relying for their Caracter vpon the letters patents supremacy and election of the Queen translated the Greek word Kerotonia which S. Hierom and all the Ecclesiastical writers before and after him translate Ordination by imposition of hands they to make good I say their want of such an Ordination by words of Scripture in the Bible which then they set forth translated the said Greeck word Ordination by Election but their Successours who of late pretend to a more lawfull caracter then ever their Ordainers durst profess to have had received or them-selves can make good corrected this translation and restored into the text Ordination by imposition of hands To assert mariage of Priests when St. Paul says Have we not power to lead about a woman they translate insteed of woman wife but when he says in the same epistle and vseth the same word It is good for a man not to touch a woman then they translate not wife but woman To cry down the Sacrifice of the Mass they translate Temple or Table for
that received the English extinct Protestancy to have the honor of being Authors or Reformers let him be pleased to read the Cronicles of this Nation and compare the integrity of them that pretended to reform Popery and revive Protestancy with as many more Members of precedent English Parliaments and he wil find there was never found in this Kingdom or in any other such a number of men or a Parliament that deserved less credit in matters of Religion then they who admitted and setled Protestancy He may observe how in King Henry 8. days to humor his lewdness and couetousness they cryed down the Pope and flattered a temporal Soveraign with a spiritual Supremacy and yet persecuted as heresies all other points of the Protestant Reformation In Edward 6. days he may see how the same men to comply with Seamors folly and Dudleys ambition declared the doctrin which them-selves had profess'd as Catholick in King Henry 8. reign to be notorious heresy In Queen Maries time he may read in the statuts and in this Treatise 1. part sect 6. how they recanted and condemned them-selves and censured the King's Supremacy togeather with all points of Protestancy as heresy and with in six years after see them pass the same censure against the Roman Catholick doctrin to which they had bin so solemnly reconciled again and revive the Supremacy togeather with other points of Protestancy So that in the space of less then 16. years they changed their Religion by publick Acts of Parliament five of six tyms to humor the factions which then prevailed Wherfore it cannot be denyed but that these Parliaments and persons deserve as little credit in matters of Religion as Luther Zuinglius Calvin or any other privat sectary SECT VII Protestants mistaken in the application of the Prophecies of Scripture concerning the conversion of the Kings and Nations of the Gentils from Paganism to Christianity foretould as an infallible marke of the true Church and wherof the Protestant is deprived SAint Augustin saith Obscurius dixerunt Prophâ—tae de Christo quam de Ecclesia puto propterea quod videbant in Spiritu contra Ecclesiam homines facturos esse particulares de Christo non tantam litem habituros de Ecclesia magnas contentiones excitaturos ideo illud vnde majores lites futurae erant planiùs praedictum est The Prophets did speak more cleerly of the true Church then of Christ him-self and giveth this reason because they did forsee in spirit that there would arise greater doubts and heresies against the Church then against our Saviour Therfore to stop the mouths of hereticks it was fit that God should describe the Church in Scripture by so remarkable and obvious signes that neither ignorance nor obstinacy might be excusable by pretending want of knowledg of the truth or means of repairing to that Guide of faith wherby the illiterat ought to be instructed and the learned directed in all doubts and controversies of Christian Religion Amongst all the marks of God's Church mentioned in Scripture not any is more discernable and less subject to mistakes then the conversion of Kings and Nations from Paganism to Christianity Miracles may admit of disputes whether they be true or false But the conversion of Nations from Paganism to Christian Religion cannot be counterfeited nor concealed If therfore the Protestant Congregations never converted any Kings or Nations of the Gentils to the Christian faith not any nor all of them can be the true Church of God For The Prophet Esay foretelleth of the true Church thaâ— all Nations shall flow to it And concerning the Gentills coming to the Church in abundance Thou shalt see and shine they heart shall be astonished and enlarged because the multitude of the Sea shall be converted to thee the Iles shall waite for thee their Kings shall minister to thee and thy gates shall be continually open neither day nor night shall they be shut that men may bring to thee the riches of the Gentills And that their Kings may bee brought thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentills and the brest of Kings Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and Queens thy Mothers I will give thee the earth for thy inheritance and the end of the earth for thy possession Thou must prophesy again vnto Nations Peoples Tongues and many Kings Apocal. 20.11 All Protestants as well as Catholicks apply these prophecies to the conversion of the Gentills In like manner do Protestants and Catholicks agree that these prophecies of God have bin accomplish'd but not in the first 300. years because as Barlow saith in his defence of the Articles of the Protestant Religion pag. 34. Jn the primitive Nonage of the Church the promise of Kings alleigance thervnto was not so fully accomplish'd because in those day 's that prophecy of our Saviour was rather verefied you shall be brought before Kings for my nam 's sake by them to be persecuted even to death From the time of Constantin the Great vntill the time of Gregory the great or Boniface the third Bishops of Rome which was 200. and od years few Kings professed the Christian faith the Emperours of the East and West only excepted and even of those some revolted as Julian the Apostat and sundry others were Arians as Constans Constantius Valens c. And in case any illiterat Protestant should pretend that the Religion profess'd by Constantin and propagated in those 200. and do years was not the Roman Catholick but the Protestant we remit him to his own learned Writers and to Eusebius de vita Constantine and particularly to the Centurists in their fowrth Century dedicated to Queen Elizabeth in which they vndertake to deliver to her Majesty the state of the Church which in Constantin's time illustrated the whole world and yet do charge the Fathers and Doctors of that and th' ensuing ages with the Popish doctrines of Iustification and merit by works Confession of sins to a Priest Invocation of Saints Purgatory the real presence and Transubstantiation worshiping of the Sacrament confirmed by miracles offering it in Sacrifice to God as being propitiatory for the living and dead with solemn translating of Saints Reliques and their t worship with pilgrimage to them with Images in the Churches with numbring prayers vpon litle stones or beades worshiping of the Cross and by it's vertue driving away Devills single life of Priests the Bishop of Rome his Supremacy Iure Divino c. So that in those 200. and od years Protestants cannot pretend that any Kings or Nations were converted to their Religion Therfore they desire the decision of this controversy concerning the Conversion 〈◊〉 Pagan Kings and nations to Christianity may be reduced 〈◊〉 these last thousand and od years from St. Gregory the great his time to ours which point being open matter of fact and
absolutly necessary for salvation and not to believe it in a matter not absolutly necessary when equaly proposed by the same testimony and authority is as much as to say that God can speak by his Church litle vntruths but not great vntruths or that he may permit his veracity to be violated or vitiated in litle but not in great matters as if forsooth the authority and infallibility of the Church were to be measured by the matter it proposeth and not by the manner and supernatural marks of the proposal and by the dignity of the speaker More over their pretence of the Churches fallibility in not Fundamental articles hath no solid ground for the Protestant Church is either fallible or infallible in saying so and in it's doctrin of Fundamentals if fallible non can prudently rely thervpon either in this or in any other matters of faith if infallible then the Protestant distinction of Fundamentals must be a fundamental article of faith because they admit not any Church to be infallible in articles that are not fundamental And yet the same Protestants say the Roman Catholick Church is also infallible in fundamentals but the Roman Catholick and Protestant Church contradict on the other in this doctrin of fundamentals Therfore one of both must erre and that on must be the Protestant because it maintains that two Churches teaching contradictory doctrins may both be infallible therin Add hervnto that if the Roman Catholick Church be infallible in fundamentals or in all articles necessary for salvation how can Protestants excuse their reformation and separation from the guilt of a grievous sin and schism so vncharitable a breach is not justifiable by less then damnable or dangerous doctrin in the Church that is forsaken And what damnable doctrin or danger of damnation could or can be in adhearing to the Roman Church it being confessedly infallible in Fundamentals that is in all things necessary for salvation If therfore God's veracity is denyed even according to the Protestants doctrin and distinction by saying that the Church is fallible in fundamentals it can be for no other reason but because the fundamental articles are sufficiently proposed by the Church as revealed by God and seing the not fundamental articles are proposed by the same Church and testimony and by consequence as sufficiently as the fundamental Protestants must grant that God's veracity is no less denyed by maintaining the fallibility of the Church in not Fundamentals then in Fundamentals So that they must either acknowledg the infallibility of the Church in all articles and matters of faith whether absolutly necessary or not necessary for salvation or deny God's veracity and the foundation of all Christian belief SECT XIII The same further demonstrated and proved that neither the Protestant faith nor the faith lately asserted in a book called sure footing in Christianity is Christian belief where also is treated of the resolution of faith NOt the maâ—â—er believed but the Motive and manner of believing makes a belief Christian There may be an historical or imaginary faith of Christ as well as Divine and real that is men may believe the mysteries of Christianity 〈◊〉 they believe the roman history and fancy that such a belief is not human but Divine This we maintain to be the Protestants case and faith which is not grounded vpon Divine revelation but vpon human persuasion and vpon an imaginary evidence of God's revelation They assent not to the mystery of the Trinity or to any other because God revealed it but because they think it vndeniably evident either by the publick confession of all Christians or by the privat suggestion of their own spirit or by the principles of natural reason or by their pretended cleerness of Scripture that God revealed such mysteries as they are pleased to make choyce of for the Articles or fundamentals of their Reformations And therfore according to the diversity of the evidences wherupon they build their faith the Protestant sects are framed and divided into Prelaticks whose Motive and evidence is the concurrence of all Christians in their fundamentals of Christianity and into Fanatiks amongst whom we include Presbiterians c. who rely vpon the evidence of their spirit and the cleerness of Scripture and into Socinians who make evident reason the rule of their Religion c. That these Protestant persuasions are not grounded vpon Divine revelation or vpon God's Authority and veracity we proove because it is impossible to make an authority the motive of our belief vnless we believe all things that are equaly proposed and delivered to vs as depending of and asserted by that authority St. Austin says non can believe that the Ghospel of St. Matthew is the word of God vnless he doth likewise believe that the Acts of the Apostles is the word of God because they are both delivered as God's word by the same authority The same testimony and the same visible Church which delivered to the first Protestants the mystery of the Trinity and Incarnation as revealed by God delivered also to them Transubstantiation Purgatory c. as revealed by God and they or their followers can not pretend to have any other testimony for the engagement of God's veracity in certifying them of the truth and revelation of the articles they retain but the same testimony which delivered to them the articles they reject Therfore the reality and Divinity of the revelation being equally testified and applicable by on and the same testimony to both articles aswell to the retained as to the rejected it is impossible that Protestants can believe those they retaâ—â—â— moved thervnto by God's veracity or for being revealed by God seing the same veracity and revelation is equally and as cleerly applyed by the testimony of the Catholick visible Church to the other articles which they reject as not revealed If you ask a learned Protestant why doth he believe the mystery of the Trinity or Incarnation He will answer as all Hereticks ever did aswell as Catholicks because God revealed it But if you inquire further why doth he believe that God revealed it He will tell you because it is manifest in SVBSECT I. I Am right sorry to number among Protestants and Manichees who hould also this error of believing nothing which they did not fancy to be self evident the Author of a book called sure footing in Christianity who will needs have it self evident by virtue forsooth of tradition that God revealed all the points of our Roman Catholick doctrin Jt's pitty he stumbled so irrecoverably at his very first step pretending to see so cleerly and tread so surely vpon a plain ground had he bin as wary in the choice of his principles as he is witty in deducing his conclusions I should have followed him as an excellent Guide but he striving to raise Christian faith vnto a greater height of evidence then is consistent with it's nature and with our merit and liberty or convenient for the Government of God's
in a protestant Commonweale or Kingdom wherby the very foundation and birth-right of Protestancy is made penal and the most Religious observers of the protestant rule of faith are rendred incapable of all employments both in Church and state And that all this violence is practised to support a Creed the 39. articles of a doubtful sense and a Clergy of a doubtful caracter even according to their own prelatick principles and according to the primitive principles of protestancy and to vphould a Church that professeth it's own fall and fallibility and therfore for all it self knows is no true Church but may be mistaken in it's doctrin and lead all that rely vpon it's ministery and instruction into eternal damnation and can give no satisfaction or security to such as are of their communion nor produce any thing for justifying the severity of these proceedings but a Parliaments Act of vniformity and other temporal statuts To which every Presbiterian and fanatick doth answer that lawes enacted in favor of Religion do suppose not make the Religion reasonable for though reason be the ground of all human lawes yet no human lawes can be the ground of Religion When all this is maturely considered it will doubtless appeare to be a sad case that a poore man who desires to be saved and informed of the true Church and of Christ's doctrin and conform himself therunto shall be compell'd by forfeitures imprisonment and banishment c. to the prelatick doâ—trin and Church of England and shall have no other reason 〈◊〉 redress given him for this violence and punishments but that he doth not conform to the Religion established by the lawes of the Land So much was alleadged for the Idolls and Religion of the Pagan Emperous and vpon the same ground of law did they persecute the primitive Christians Doubtless all Quakers Presbiterians and non Conformists think themseves as glorious sufferers as the holy primitive Martyrs and Confessors which persuasion in so great and zealous a multitude can not be voyd of daunger and ought to be remedyed more by reason then rigor for though from Roman Catholicks whose principles are peaceable and incline them to suffer persecution with patience no great prejudice may be feared if they will be directed by their profession yet experience hath taught that all Protestant sectaries have inherited from their first Patriarchs Luther Calvin Crammer c. the spirit of sedition and rebellion which is involved in the very foundation of protestancy Luther openly declared so much at the Diet of Worms in presence of the Emperour Charles 5. Who had objected against him tumults and disorders as vndeniable effects of his doctrin misapplying the words of our saviour Non veni pacem mittere sed gladium as if dissention and rebellion had bin a mark of the true Ghospel On the other side the Presbiterians do imitate the bloudy proceedings and principles of their 〈◊〉 Fathers Zuinglius and Calvin in deposing of Kings and Magistrats and make good the saying of Zuinglius Evangelium vult sanguinem the Reformation must be maintained by bloud So that the sanguinary statuts in favor of prelatick protestancy and the bloudy principles of Presbitery in in pursuance of their seditious spirit clashing togeather will make fine work among Christians and the prelatick Clergy which ought by their admonitions and censures to compose these disorders and be Authors of peace are despised as no Clergy and their caracter is made the subject of discord and dispute And the Protestant Bishops which ought to exercise the authority whervnto they pretend retire and recurr to the 〈◊〉 Courts for the spirituality as well as for the legality of their jurisdiction and function and confess in plain termes their Churches frailty and fallibility in doctrin and leave the state to shift for it self deprived of thâ—â—â— helps which Catholick Princes receive from the Roman Church and Clergys censures wherwith rebellious subjects are terrified and 〈◊〉 or return to their duty SVBSECT I. NEither is the daunger of disturbing the tranquillity of the state for supporting the Prelatick doctrin and caracter by temporal lawes confin'd only to Presbiterians and Fanatiks the Prelatiks them-selves if interest prevaile not more with them then conscience and coherency can not but change their Religion into a contrary persuasion when they observe that the mean between Popery and Presbytery wherin they place Prelatick protestancy and the truth of christianity hath no solid foundation or colour of reason For what can be more absurd then to pretend that as moral virtue is a mean or mixture of two extremes so the truth of Christian Religion is a mean between two contrary opinions or a mixture of Popery and Presbitery which are two extremes involving contradictory Tenets Morality I confess is a mediocrity and a kind of Mixture For liberality for example doth seeme to participat some thing of covetousness and some thing of prodigality which are extreme different but Christianity being truth and Divine truth is no mean between the two but one of the two extremes it is no mixture because truth admits no mixture of falshood nor division it can be but on one side Therfore when a Presbiterian or Fanatick saith that Scripture is the only rule of faith and Judge of Controversies the Catholick sayes it is not not both but one of them speaks truth Yet the Prelatick would fâ—ain stand like a Christian moderator or neuter between both parties and reconcile their Contradictions by reducing them to a third doctrin or to a mean between truth and falshood and the mean is to grant both the contradictory propositions and collogue with both sides And indeed that is the mean wherin Prelatick Protestancy doth consist when their writers defend it against Presbiterians they grant the doctrin of Papists when they answer and 〈◊〉 against Papists they maintain the doctrin of Presbiterians for there is no other mean to reconcile or be reconciled to contradictions but to maintain both And this was the custom of Luther Calvin Cranmer c. and is the ordinary practise of the ablest Prelaticks in their books of Controversy I remit you to one of their greatest Champions my Lord Bishop of Down in his Dissuasive from Popery you need not run through the whole book read but his first Section and you will heare him say first that Scripture alone is the foundation or rule of faith and after that it is not Then again that it is nothing els but Scripture together with the Creeds and the foure first Councells It is as impossible therfore that a 〈◊〉 man should be in his judgment a Prelatick Protestant as it is he should believe that God revealed contradictions Wherfore if interest and conveniency hath not a greater 〈◊〉 vpon his profession of faith then conscience or coherency even to the principles of the Reformation he will not continue a prelatick nor make temporal statuts his rule of faith but will either according to the prudent
the Greek and Latin Church for the most part were spotted with the doctrin of free will oftner it of invocation of Saints c. And from thence infers that in no age since the Apostles time any company of Bishops held so perfect and so sound doctrin in all points as the Bishops of England at this day And Mr. Fulk in his reionder to Bristow pag. 7. I confess that Ambrose Austin Hierom all three Fathers to whom B. p Iewell appealed held invocation of Saints to be lawfull And B. p Bale acknowledgeth that St. Gregory the first of Iewell 's chosen Iudges by his indulgences established pilgrimages to Images and that St. Leo an other of Ievell's Fathers allowed the worship of Images And Doctor Humfrey Iesuitismi part 1. rat 5. pag. 626. cannot deny but that S. Gregory taught Transsubstantiation And Mr. 〈◊〉 in his Papisto mâ—t edit 1606. pag. 143. saith We are 〈◊〉 that the mystery of iniquity did work in Sâ— Paul's time and fell not a sleep so soon as Paul was dead c. And therfore no mermail though pervsing Councells and Fathers we find the print of the Popes feet And Mr. Napper in his Treatise vpon the Revelation dedicated to King Iames pag. 68. 145. affirmeth that Popery or the Anti-christian Kingdom did continue 1260. years vniversaly without any debatable contradiction The Pope and his Clergy during that time possessing the outward visible Church So that it was not one or two Fathers or Councells but all Christendom which professed the Roman Catholick saith for these 1â—00 years past And even Mr. Whitaker himself lib. 6. contra Duraeum pag. 123. notwithstanding his vndertaking to maintain Ievells challenge and bold assertion was forc'd at length to submit but by a profane expression saying that the Popish Religion is a patch't coverlet of the Fathers errors sowed together have them read their English falsified Scripture the subject of controversies and support of errors and will not permit them to pervse the true authentick translation and all this to the end nothing but fraud and fancy may be the rule of the Protestant faith These and all other the like observations which can not but occurr to them who frequent their Churches or company must needs induce men to suspect the weakness of their cause and the guilt of their conscience though there had bin no evidences that they are Falsifiers But seing their are as many evidences against them as there are Chapters in Catholick Books of controversies and that the Books are easily had and vnderstood I see not how any Protestant how ever so illiterat can be excused from eternall damnation by pretending the integrity of his Clergy or his own insufficiency to examin their sincerity When many accuse a man of high Treason and offer to prove it to his face not only by sundry honest and legal wittnesses but vnder his own hand writing it would be censured treachery or great carlesness in the Ministers of state to slight such an accusation and evidence though the person accused vntill then had bin trusted and reputed a loyal subject This is our case with the Protestant writers we have no quarrel against them but Religion we charge them in publick writing with the highest Treason the murthering of the soules of Soveraigns and subjects with corrupting God's word with rebelling against the Divine authority so authentickly appearing in the Roman Catholick Church And these Treasons we offer to prove face to face not only by legal witness but by their Bibles and Books We have no grudge to them but this only of damning soules by treacherous dealing and desire that so important an accusation may come to a publick hearing If their interest and industry can divert the layty from so great a concern that layty must be treacherous to themselves and censured very carless of their own salvation And to the end it may not be objected that these are are but 〈◊〉 words I have resolved to descend to particular crimes I 〈◊〉 the persons their Books I quote their own words I prove them to be no innocent mistakes but wilfull and wicked falsifications and fraudâ— not committed by one or few 〈…〉 of Religion against vs not in our time but alwayâ—◠〈…〉 but the whole body in their 〈…〉 only by connivance and permission but also by contrivanceâ— and positive approbation not only petty 〈◊〉 differences but of ancient condemned heresies which the Protestant writers maintain as orthodox doctrin notwithstanding that 〈…〉 S. Hierom and other Doctors of God's Church censure the opinions as notorious heresies and the Authors as hereticks This is the summe of the Accusations contained in this third part of our Treatise and if we be not mistaken deserues a Trial as well for the satisfaction of privat 〈◊〉 conscience as 〈◊〉 for the probability there is of publick conveniency it being very improbable that I or any man who pretends to the least degree of worth or witt would charge with so many particular grievous crimes so numerous and poweâ—â—ull a party as the Protestant Clergy is without 〈…〉 undeniable evidences If the Protestant Clergy be found guylty besides the salvation of soules which will be obtained by renouncing their errors and is that we all ought principaly to ayme at these Nations will be happy in this world by their revenues If they be not guilty they and their Religion will gain great credit and I nothing but the infamy of being a notorious Jmpostor I know not what others may think of me but I shall never think that any other can be so witless and wicked as to take so much paines as I have don in composing and be at so great charge of publishing this Treatise without manifest profeâ— of the truth therof for if my allegations be not true I can have no further design or hopes but of infamy to my self and of honor and credit to my Adversaries and an addition of strength to the cause I do impugne all which must follow and fall vpon me if the learned Protestant Clergy be not proved to be as great Cheats as I pretend they are But it s strange what deepe impressions education doth make in mens minds and how partial and passionat these Nations are tendred by Protestancy They will not believe that their Protestant Writers are wilfull Falsifiers as for example that Doctor Jeremy Taylor a man that hath writ so many spiritual Books foorsooth and rules of Morality is guilty of maintaining the Protestant Religion by aboue 150. shamefull vnexcusable corruptions and falsifications in his litle Dissuasive And when he the Author his Jrish Convocation and the English Protestant Church that Applauder of the work are challenged in print by sundry Catholick Writers to make good any one of those falsifications all the world besides Protestants observe they have not a word to answer and by consequence themselves must now confess that their Religion is damnable seing it can not be otherwise maintained then
his soule how that being a zealous Protestant and very familiar to the Earle of Leicester in the beginning of this Queenes dayes when M. r Iewell 's Book was newly come forth and being also learned himself in the latin tongue took paines to examin several leaves therof and finding many falshoods therin which were inexcusable as they seemed to him he conferred the same with the Earle who willed him that the next time M. r Iewell dined at his table he should take occasion after dinner to propose the same which he did soon after and receiving certain trifling answers from M. r Iewell he waxed more hot and urged the matter more earnestly which Iewell perceiving told him in effect that Papists were Papists and so they were to be dealt with all and other answer he could not get which thing made the good Gentleman make a new resolution with himself and to take that happy course which he did to leave his Countrey and many great Commodities which he enioyed therin to enjoy the liberty of conscience for salvation of his soule The second example which I remember of my own knowledge is M. r Doctor Stevens a learned man yet alive who being Secretary or Chaplyn to M. r Iewell for I remember not well whether and a forward man in Protestant Religion at that tyme espied certain false allegations in his Master's Book whilst it was yet vnder the print in London wherof advertising him by letters for that he supposed it might be by oversight the other commanded notwithstanding the print to go forward and passed it over as it was which this man seeing that had a conscience and sought the truth indeed resolved to take another way of finding it out and having found it in the Catholick Church where only it is to be found he resolved also to follow it and so he did and went voluntarily into banishment for the same where yet he liveth vnto this day in Finance with good reputation both of learning and godliness The third example that I call to mind is the worthy man before named M. r William Reynolds who being first an earnest Professor and Preacher of Protestant Religion in England he fell in the end to read over M. r Iewell 's book and did translate some part therof into latin but before he had passed half over he found such stuff as made him greatly mislike of the whole Religion and so he leaving his hopes and commodities in England went over the sea into these parts and the last yeare of Iubily to wit 1575. he came to Rome and brought that book with him and presented both himself and it to the Tribunal of Inquisition of his own free motion and accord c. And himself after absolution received from his former errors which he with great humility and zeale required and myself also at that time did speak with him in that place he returned into France and Flanders and there lived many years with singular edification for his rare virtue and learning and how heartily indeed he was converted may well appeare by his zealous writings both in Latin and English in defence of Catholick Religion Thus much the Author of the three Conversions I am credibly informed by a person then present that Primat Bramhall and some of his Majesties Chaplains who now are Bishops persuaded or endeavored to persuade our most gratious Soveraign Charles 2. who was then at Bruges that this Doctor Reynolds was made a Papist by disputing with an other Doctor Reynolds whom he intended to make a Protestant And that the Roman Catholick Doctor Reynolds at the same time turned Protestant Some think this story was feigned to make the King believe that there is as much to say for the Protestant religion as for the Catholick And to the end his Majesty might not reflect vpon the falshood of a Religion forsaken out of meere conscience by it's greatest Doctors when they were most applauded and when they had reason to expect the richest Benefites and greatest honours From the Apology of the Church of England we will pass to John Fox his Acts and Monuments a Book no less commended by the Protestant Clergy then the former because by frauds and lyes it serves their turn to foole the well meaning Layty who take it to be a true Ecclesiasticall History of the persecuted Church of Christ. SECT V. Frauds follies and falsifications of Iohn Fox his Acts and Monuments and of his Magdeburgian Masters in their Centuries the litle sincerity of the English Church and Clergy in countenancing such falls dealing AFter that Luther and Calvin's desperat shift of the invisibility of Christ's Church for more then a thousand years before their pretended reformations had bin evidently confuted as not only impossible but as repugnant also to Scripture which compares the Church to a Citty placed vpon a mountain and a shining Sun c. Their schollers vndertook to shew a succession of the Protestant Church and to that purpose some drunken Germans as any sober man must judge them to have bin by their writings whose names were Flaccus Illyricus Joannes Vigandus Matheus Judex and Basilius Faber met togeather in some warme stoue of Magdeburg and there tipling took vpon them to Iudge of the writings doctrin and miracles of all the ancient Fathers from the first Century to the last Of the very next Century to the Apostles these merry Companions were pleased to give this Censure in the very title of the Chapter Inclinatio Doctrinae complectens peculiares incommodas opiniones stipulas errores Doctorum quae palam quidem hoc est scriptis tradita sunt The declining of Christ and his Apostles doctrin conteining the peculiar and incommodious opinions of Doctors their errors straw and stubble which were left publickly by them that is to say in their writings And thus they Censure St. Iraeneus Tertullian Clemens Alexandrinus Origen Methodius c. saying they abuse and wrest the Scriptures intolerably and grossly to favor popish opinions These foure merry saxons reprehend Ignatius St. Iohn's scholler for vsing the phrase offerre sacrificium imâ—olare St. Cyprian for saying sacerdotem vice Christi fungi Deo patri sacrificium offerre St. Martial scholler of the Apostles saying sacrificium Deo Creatori offertur in Ara. Martial in Ep. ad Burdegal and so all other points wherin Protestants and Catholicks do disagree calling the antient Fathers stubble Doctors the same they say of St. Basil Lactantius Gregory Nissen Hilary Nazianzen Ambrose Ephrem and Hierom c. and pretend their doctrin to be against Scripture and the Miracles they relate to be either forged or Diabolicall or at least wrought by God to punish the credulity of Christians But the errors of ancient condemned Hereticks to be the true and sincere primitive faith and produce no other proof for this their drunken foolery but their own presumption and privat interpretation of Scripture Wherfore Valentia a learned Jesuit
as his Majesty was going to the Chappel vpon Good friday in the morning in the yeare 1604. Deane 〈…〉 difficulties 〈…〉 Book MY 〈…〉 the Author's complaint that Catholiks â—â—ving 〈…〉 offers of some jâ—st tryall of their and 〈…〉 Religion in England either by publick disputation free writing or printing they could never yet be admitted vnto any which made me much to mervaile vpon what cause or ground this should be so long denyed for that supposing our Protestant Religion to be true as I was persuaded I could not see why this pâ—â—blick tryall might not be and ought not to be granted Moreover I saw and considered that wheras his Majesty soon after his coming into England was resolved gratiously to heare the differences that were between his own subjects and to that effect yeelded for three or four days most honorable audience in his own person to heare and Iudge the contentions between the Protestants and puritans yet notwithstanding in this conference the Papists had no place at all which was marked by many and divers also spoke therof Wherfore vpon these considerations I was much troubled doubting lest this straitness vsed in not admitting Papists to any kind of this equal offered tryall might have some mystery in it and that all things went not so cleere indeed on our side as I had hitherto believed My second difficulty was about the tryall of spirits whether they be of God or no the Author of the Defence joyning roundly with M. r Chark offered to stand to all lawfull tryall whatsoever and therupon taketh in hand to prove that Protestants have no sure ground or way to try an heretical or Catholick spirit and that Catholicks have many wherof he setteth down nine shewing first that the only way offered by Protestants of only Scripture is no way at all and that for divers reasons one among the rest that all heretickâ— both old and new have professed this way c. which 〈◊〉 it were admitted to be the best and that Scripture 〈◊〉 neither corrupted in the letter nor perverted in the 〈◊〉 by Protestants yet could not that way of tryall advance 〈◊〉 advantage their cause because the Catholicks have express 〈◊〉 of Scripture for themselves and Protestants no express 〈…〉 for their Tenets As for example Catholicks have 〈◊〉 This is my Body for Transubstantiation Mat. 26. 〈◊〉 man is justifyed by workes and not by faith only Jacob. 2. for â—â—â—tification by Good workes Whose sins you forgive are forgiâ—â—â— c. Joan. 20. for absolution The doers of the Law 〈◊〉 be justified Rom. 2. for the possibility of observing the Commandements vow ye and render your vowes Psalm 75. for votaries Keep the traditions which you have learned either by word or epistle â— Thess. 2. for vnwritten Traditions c. Protestants have not one express text in all Scripture for their Tenets My third difficulty was about the first beginners of our Protestant doctrin to wit Luther with his schollers Zuinglius Câ—â—oldstadius Oecolampadius Calvin Beza c. for that albeit Religion is not to be measured by the life of the Teacher yet I considered that whensoever God did send any men extâ—â—ordinarily to reform his Church they were alwayes comâ—only of more eminent virtue in their lives then others as 〈◊〉 seen by all the Patriarchs and Prophets by St. John Baptiâ—â— and others in succeeding ages But now for these men before named Luther and the rest this writer of the Defence doth shew by very great testimonies that they were men far inferiour vnto the common sort of honest men that Luther had his reformation against the Mass Intercession of Saints c. from the Devill from whom also Zuinglius received his opinion against the real presence and Transubstantiation that Calvin followed therin Zwinglius and we in England embrace the same That Hierom Bolseâ— Doctor of Physiâ— many yeareâ— in Geneua and other places round â—bout in 〈◊〉 time when himself was a 〈…〉 things both of 〈…〉 his falshood might be so easily 〈…〉 As that Iohn Calvin was 〈…〉 with a burning â—â—â—ron for 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 who preserved 〈…〉 and that 〈◊〉 was testifyed by publick record of the said Citty of Noyâ—â—â— and that this was registred by Monsieur Bertilier Secretary of the Councell of Geneva vnder a publick and sworn 〈◊〉 hand he relates many things of Calvin's excessive ambition intollerable hypocrisy delicat niceness and lascivious carnaâ—â—â— As for Beza who lived when Bolsek's book was written he reporteth many enormous things as that he kept both a boy and a Queane Andebertus and Candida that he ran away with a Taylor 's wife that dwelt in Calenâ—â—r street in Paris â—he robbing her husband to accompany him and that he continued the like life after keeping an harlot called 〈◊〉 together with his own wife and killing his own Child begotten vpon her to cover the sin by letting her blood above measure and many other soul things which I avoyd to name for loathsomness My fourth difficulty was thaâ— the Defence of the Censâ—â—â— sheweth how our Church of England doth receive and 〈◊〉 for Brethren such as could never agree nor cannot at the day in sundry substantial points of doctrin as the book proves by their confessions protestations and writings one against the other as also by sundry Synods and Protestant Councells wherin the one hath condemned the other And namely he citeth this saying of Luther among many other I do protest before God and the world that I do not agree with them the Sacramentarians which is our Religion of England 〈…〉 will while the world standeth but will have my hand◠〈…〉 the blood of those sheep which these hereticks do drive 〈…〉 and kill 〈…〉 it was possible that Luther 〈…〉 with God's holy spirit 〈…〉 so manifestly condemn us 〈…〉 for 〈◊〉 hereticks that hold him for 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 very same doctrin as doctrin 〈…〉 for pernitious heresy This 〈…〉 I might have some 〈…〉 〈◊〉 fifth difficulty was M. r Fulk and our Protestant 〈◊〉 contempt of the holy Fathers and of Traditions 〈…〉 I fell vpon this account whether it were more 〈…〉 me to adventure my soul with Fulk and our 〈…〉 or with the antient Fathers and whether it 〈…〉 probable that they should know what passed in 〈…〉 Church better then St. Cyprian St. Austin c. 〈…〉 troubled me as I thought every day a year 〈…〉 〈…〉 was about M. r Chark against whom 〈…〉 was written who seemed to me 〈…〉 very 〈…〉 impugning the same for that 〈…〉 not 〈◊〉 to any of the difficulties as to 〈◊〉 seemed and much less in his reply to the defence 〈◊〉 afterward I 〈◊〉 to see The substance of Dean Walsingham's memorial to the King 〈◊〉 a certain memorial as I may call it wherin I 〈◊〉 comprehended as compendiously as then I could some chief 〈◊〉 principal causes of my doubts and difficulties before 〈◊〉 and contained in that book desiring his Highness 〈…〉 Mr. Doctor Covell told me
whom many Mysteries were revealed by God told that in time of Sacrifice he once beheld a multitude of Angels with shining garments compassing the Altar with bowed heads as soldiers do in presence of their King Which attendance of Angells saith he in the next words before was performed by Angels at that wonderful table and compassed it about with reverence in honor of him that lyeth theron St. Nilus relateth how St. Chrysostom almost every day had visions of Angels assisting and adoring the Blessed Sacrament vntill the Sacrifice was finished St. Gregory Nazianzen recounts how his sister Gorgonia was cured of a diseas after shee was past all hopes of recovery by prostrating her self before the Altar and calling vpon him who was honored and worshipped therupon O admirable thing saith he she presently felt herself delivered from her sicknes and so she returned eased both in body and mind c. St. Cyprian reporteth of a certain woman who saith he when she would with vnworthy hands have opened her coffer wherin was retained according to the ancient custom the Blessed Sacrament vnder the Species of bread the holy thing of our Lord fyer did spring vp wherby she was so terrified that she durst not touch it In the Ecclesiasticall History is recorded this example which Evagrius writ as a thing notorious and don in his own time In the time of the Patriarch Menas saith he◠there happned a miracle worthy to be remembred It was an ancient custom in Constantinople when many parcels of the pure and vnspotted body of Christ our God were remaining after Communion litle Children were called out of the Schools and were permitted to eat them It happened that a litle boy whose father was a Jew by profession and a maker of glass by his trade being among the rest did eat also his share of the aforesaid reversion of the Blessed Sacrament but coming somewhat late home and his parents demanding the cause the child told innocently what he had don which the Jew his Father vnderstanding he was so enraged that vnawares to his wife he cast his litle son into the burning oven wherin he vsed to melt and frame his glass The mother missing the Child sought for him for three days together but hearing no news of him abroad she returned home with an heavy heart and sitting down at the work-house door she began to bewail the los of her son calling him by his name the boy hearing and knowing his mothers call did answer within the oven wherat the woman starting burst the work-house door and rushing in espied her Child standing amidst the Coals without receiving any harm After coming out being demanded how he escaped burning so long a woman said he came oftentimes vnto me and brought me water to quench the force of the fyer wherwith I was invironed and withall gave me meat as often as I was hungry This accident being told vnto the Emperor Justinian he caused the mother and boy to be baptized which becaus the obstinat father refused to yeild vnto by the Emperors commandment he was hanged vpon a Gibet This and the former example of St. Cyprian shew that God is not displeased with receiving the Communion vnder one Kind and that it was a thing indifferent in the primitive Church To Confirm the Catholick belief of Transubstantiation and the real presence of Christs body and blood in the Blessed Sacrament there are very many miracles recounted in the Ecclesiastical History as that of St. Gregory the great who perceiving that a Roman Matron laught at the time she was to receive the Communion and demanding the cause of her laughter at so vnseasonable a time she answered she could not but laugh to hear him call the bread which her self had made the Body of Christ. She vsed to present the Saint every week with Mass breads St. Gregory vpon this turned himself to the Altar and laying the Blessed Sacrament therupon wished all the people to pray with him that God would be pleased for the confirmation of the Catholick faith to shew vnto the corporal eyes of all that were there present that what the woman took for bread was no bread but flesh And accordingly the consecrated Host appeared visibly to be pure flesh Then beseeching God to restore the Sacrament to the former shew of bread it forthwith appeared as it was at first and the woman acknowledging her error received it with humble and servent devotion Primat Vsher is the only writer I ever read who questioned the truth of this story but quotes not any one Author besides himself that ever doubted therof and to make it seem the more improbable falsifies the Text of Ioannes Diaconus pretending he says that the Roman Matron found the Sacramental bread turned into the fashion of a fingar all bloody wheras Joannes Diaconus only saith it was turned into flesh The same vnsincere dealing he vseth in discrediting the relation of Paschasius Radbertus and divers others concerning a miracle to confirm the same mystery assuring the ignorant Readers that Paschasius takes it out of Gesta Anglorum wheras it is well known and Mr. Vsher confesseth els where that Malmsbury who writ Gesta Anglorum liued almost 300. years after Paschasius To discredit the doctrin of Transubstantiation as well as the authority of that holy and most learned man Lanfrancus Arch-bishop of Canterbury who lived in Berengarius his time and confuted his heresy with convincing arguments from Scripture Fathers and vndeniable Miracles Primat Vsher says Lanfranc was the first that leavened the Church of England with this corrupt doctrin of the carnal presence But his own Protestant Brethren tell him he is mistaken and that Transubstantiation is as ancient in the English Church as Cristianity it being taught by St. Austin the Monk and Apostle of England Let us hear Lanfranc speak for himself against Vsher as well as against Berengarius None saith he though but meanly versed in Ecclesiastical History or the holy Fathers is ignorant how God hath confirmed the Catholick doctrin against Berengarius with many miracles Which writings of Ecclesiasticall History and Fathers saith Lanfranc though they arrive not to that most excellent height of authority that we give to Scripture yet are they sufficient to prove that this faith which we 〈◊〉 profess hath bin the same with that which all faithfull who went before us held from ancient times When this heresy of Berengarius was again revived by Wicleff and the Lollards in England our learned Countrey man Thomas Waldensis who lived in those times tells us how God confirmed the doctrin of the real presence and Transubstantiation in that Kingdom with manifest miracles and of some he was an eye witness Let us relate saith he to the glory of God what happened in our own time and knowledge In Norfolk there dyed lately a devout and godly mayd called of the vulgar sort Ioan Meateless because she was known never
the tendernes of her conscience was satisfied there could be no scruple of Sacriledge in applying with consent of the true owners ecclesiastical livings to pious and publick vses And now I hope I may conclude this Treatise with humbly desiring a Conference or examination of Protestant and Catholick books at least of one for each side let the quotations of Doctor Taylors Dissuasive be viewed and that book or any other writ against the Roman Religion stand for the Protestants sincerity t is like he writ nothing carelesly or rashly his declared drift being to make a whole Nation Protestants and professing himself to be only Amanuensis to a prelatick Convocation of reformed Bishops which in his Preface he compares with that Assembly of the Apostles wherin choyce was made of Iudas his Successor and sayes the lot of St. Mathias fell vpon himself and that some other like himself was Barnabas the just Jf this holy Convocation of Protestant Apostles should set forth a Book that hath more lyes then leaves I hope men may advise their friends to consider whether a Religion that cannot be maintained but by such men and means and a Clergy that practiseth such frauds and falsifications ought to be preferred before a Religion and Clergy that not only professeth as all others do to write truth but presseth to come to a publick trial therof in a â—egall way and rather then fail herein are content that the controversy be decided by them that are known to be most zealously devoted to Protestancy I do not instance Bp. Taylors Dissuasive from Popery for the Trial as if his falsifications to maintain Protestancy were more numerous or more enormous then those of other writers that have defended the same cause No. He is more waâ—y then many and more moderat then most of his predecessors or equalls But I instance his book to give my adversaries all the advantages that the learning of the Author and the Authority of a Convocation can afford Jf they have a better opinion of the sufficiency of Bishop Jevell then of Bp. Taylor they may fix rather vpon his Apology for the Church of England then vpon Doctor Taylors Dissuasive from Popery authorized by the Church of Ireland To Jevells Apology we oppose Harding Stapleton and Rastalls Answers To Taylors Dissuasive Worsley Lengar and Sergeants Annotations But if they refuse this offer as pointing but at two particular Doctors of their Church let them be pleased to have the truth of their Reformation and the sincerity of their whole Clergy examined by answering to the frauds and falsifications wherwith I charge their whole Church and calling in this book FINIS The Summe of this Treatise Containing the Substance of every Section THE FIRST PART Containing the Matter of Fact of the Beginning Progress Principles and effects of Protestancy SECTION I. HOw necessary a rational religion is for a peaceable government and wherin doth the reasonableness of Religion consist How dangerous for a temporal Soveraign to pretend a spiritual supremacy over his subjects Heathen Princes durst not assume it without a persuasion in their subjects that it was due by descent from some Deity or that the Gods signified their approbation therof by prodigies and miracles The great Turk notwithstanding his tyranny thinks it not policy to pretend a spiritual jurisdiction over his subjects though slaves The ground of policy piety and peace consists in establishing by law a Religion confirmed by miracles that such a Religion will make the Prince powerfull and popular the Prelats respected the people willing to obey and pay taxes It takes away all pretexts of rebellion vpon the score of a tenderness of conscience How necessary it is for the Government to have a devout Clergy and that Clergy at the Soveraigns devotion and Some of them emploied in State affairs Therby all disputes between the spirituall and temporall jurisdictions are prevented With how much reason Statesmen dread such disputes For the space of 1500. years the Catholick world believed that the Bishop of Rome had the supreme spiritual jurisdiction over souls as being Christ's Vicar vpon earth and that only such as were of his Communion and vnder his obedience were members of the Catholick Church and therfore the Greeks for exempting the Bishop of Constantinople and themselves from that obedience were declared Schismaticks others were condemned as Hereticks for teaching and professing doctrin contrary to the Roman Both the doctrin and authority of the Roman Bishops and Clergy hath been confirmed by vndeniable true miracles even here in England Jt was held to be the only Catholick doctrin in St. Gregory the great his time That faith which wee Roman Catholicks now profess is the same in every particular with that of St. Gregory and of all Orthodox Christians of his time and for confirmation wherof true miracles have been wrought SECT II. OF the Author and beginning of Protestancy The first Preacher therof was Martin Luther an Augustin Friar who from his youth had bin lianted by the Devil and presumed to have bin possessed He resolved to preach and write against the Mass praying to Saints and other Catholick Tenets after that the Devil had appeared to him and convinced him by Protestant arguments How weakly the Protestant writers endeavour to excuse Luthers disputation instruction and familiarity with the Devil Others acknowledge it and maintain that the Devils doctrin ought to be believed when it agrees with the Protestant interpretation of Scripture that is with every privat interpretation contrary to the sense of the whole visible Church How much it is against piety and policy to make the Protestant or any other privat interpretation of Scripture the Religion of the State or to preferr it before that of the Church and of the holy ancient Fathers quoted subsect 1. passim SECT III. OF the principles ad propagation of Protestancy How Luther begun his reformation by gaining Poets Players Painters and Printers to discredit by their Poems Pamphlets pictures and ballads the Roman Catholick Religion and its Clergy How he drew also many dissolute Friars and Priests to his side and married nine of them to so many Nuns in one day taking also one to himself How he made his reformation plausible to Libertins by teaching that only Faith was necessary for Salvation without troubling themselves with good works and popular by preaching that no Christian ought to be subject to an other and how therupon the Clowns and Tenants of Germany rebelled against their Princes and Landlords The three fundamental principles of Protestancy are 1. That for many ages the whole visible Church had bin in damnable errors and so continued vntill Luthers reformation 2. That there is no rule of faith but Scripture as Protestants are pleased to interpret it 3. That men are justified by only faith How from these principles have issued innumerable Protestant Religions contrary one to the other Luther did see his own reformation divided into 130. disagreing sects of
of England Of his design to reform the principles and liberty of Protestancy intending therby to render it less dangerous to lawfull Soveraigns and Monarchy How K. Charles 1. pursued his Fathers design but his sufferings and death demonstrat the impossibility of confining the Protestant liberty within the rules of Government or reason By the fundamental principles of Protestancy every particular person is a Supreme Iudge in spiritual affairs and may more easely apply and abuse that prerogative to the prejudice of his Soveraign then the Pope can his papal Supremacy Therfore it s a great providence of God when any Protestant King of England escapes to be judged and deposed by his Subjects THE SECOND PART OF the vnreasonableness of Protestancy and of the inconsistency of the principles of Protestancy with Christian piety and peaceable government SECT I. THe vnreasonableness and inconsistency of Protestancy with Christian piety or policy proved by the very fundamental principle of all Protestant reformations which principle is a supposition of the fallibility and fall of the visible Catholick Church from the pure and primitive doctrin of Christ to damnable errors and notorious superstition Such a change is demonstrated both incredible and impossible SECT II. THe Protestants proof of such a change is their pretended cleerness of Scripture It is demonstrated that their Sense of Scripture is not clear in any texts controverted between Catholicks and Protestants That the principles of Protestancy incline to vice the Catholick principles to vertue proved in many particulars The invisibility of the Church a ridiculous comment SECT III. THe Protestant letter and Sense of Scripture is not the word of God Doctor Cossins his Scholastical History of the English Canon of Scripture confuted as also his exceptions against the authority of the Roman Catholick Canon The Lutheran Churches of Germany agree not with the English Canon of Scripture SVBSECT I. DOctor Cossins now Bp. of Duresme his exceptions against the Councel of Trent answered The legality of a Councel as well as of a Parliament may stand with the absence of many members if they were summoned and expected The absurdity of Protestant writers excepting against the want of Bishops in the Councel of Trent wheras themselves made new Religions and reformations by a Single voice of Luther Zuinglius Calvin c. and in England by the vote of the major part of twelve persons named by the Parliament to determin matters of faith and Sacraments seaven men were thought sufficient to do the work and cast the Roman Catholick Religion Protestant Bishops can no more pretend to sit and define in a general Councel then proclaimed rebells can pretend to vote in a lawful Parliament It s as reasonable the Bishop and Church of Rome should condemn hereticks and judge all controversies of faith as it is that a King and Parliament condemn rebells and judge suites in law A new definition of Pope or Councel is no new article of faith it is only a declaration of our obligation to believe that which formerly had bin revealed but not sufficiently proposed Doctor Cossins his egregious falsification of Belarmin his wresting words of St. Austin and St. Hierom. SECT IV. THe Protestant translations of Scripture are fraudulent and fals no certainty of Christian faith can be built vpon them Protestants admit no Coppy or translation to be authentick to the end they may be at liberty to reject what they do not fancy of the letter of Scripture as well as of the sense The vulgar Latin is authentick Scripture How corrupt are all English Bibles How in K. Edward 6. his reign Cranmer and the first Apostles of English Protestancy changed the very text of Christs words This is my body three several times Protestants make the Apostles fallible in doctrin even after receiving the holy Ghost and by consequence must hold their writings or Scripture to be fallible SVBSECT I. MAny particular instances of Protestant corruptions in the English Bibles to asert the Protestant and prelatick doctrin of the Church of England Against images Against Ordination by imposition of hands Against the single life of Priests Against the Sacrifice of Masse Against vowes of chastity To favor the Kings Supremacy How fondly these corruptions are excused by Whitaker and how absurdly Scripture is made speak according to the Protestant translations What small hopes there are that a Clergie which corrupts Scripture or continueth and countenanceth corruptions of Scripture will repent or recant their errors and how little reason the Protestant layty hath to rely vpon their Clergys sincerity or vpon their English Scripture SECT V. THe Protestant interpretation is not the true Sense of Scripture The principal part of Gods word is the sense he delivered to the Church together with the letter It s against reason to believe that the Church would be more carefull of preserving the letter then of preserving the sense of Scripture and therfore Protestants are vnexcusable for taking the letter from the Roman Church and rejecting the sense The holy Fathers bid us receive the Sense of Scripture as well as the letter from the Church An infallible mark of heresy to do the contrary It is at least 16. to one that the Roman Catholick Sense of Scripture is true and the Protestant fals SECT VI. NO Protestant Church hath a true Ministery Miracles Succession of doctrin or Sanctity of life Their extraordinary vocation is ridiculous and incredible it being impossible that God should send Ministers to contradict doctrin confirmed with so many signs of his own authority and approbation as the Roman Catholick is God never sent such vitious men as the Protestant reformers were to reform his Church either in the old or new Testament If the Protestant doctrin had bin true God would have wrought miracles to confirm it for the conversion of the seduced Papists as Protestants confess he doth for the conversion of the Jndians Iaponians and China What wicked men were Luther Zuinglius Calvin Beza Cranmer and the rest of his Camerades that framed the Religion and Liturgy of the Church of England and how little credit in matters of faith deserves the Parliament that confirmed the same Calvins miracle at Geneva foretold by Tertullian SECT VII THe conversion of pagan Kings and Kingdoms to Christianity foretold in Scripture is a more cleer sign of the true Church then any other miracles and not to be found in any other Church but in the Roman Catholick acknowledged by learned protestants Of Barlows three-score invisible Queens converted by protestants No greater an absurdity then their invisible Church The vain endeavors of Calvin and other protestants to convert Heathen nations Bezas despair of Success in that Ministery and his advice to protestants to leave that labor to the Jesuits and rather busy themselves at home Tertullians saying that its a sign of hereticks to pervert Christians not convert pagans may be properly applyed to Protestants Their success in propagating their new Ghospel no
charity towards Catholicks is but forc't and feigned Whatsoever is required that a Church be truly Catholick is visible in the Roman It may judge and censure all other dissenting congregations without note of partiality or illegality Protestants have no credible nor legal witnesses to testify that their doctrin is the same which Christ and his Apostles taught Roman Catholicks have If all sects of Christians were admitted to general Councells and therin Judges of themselves and of their faith greater illegality it would be and greater partiality then that only Roman Catholicks be Judges of their cause Since the Apostles time one part of the Christians judged the other and the part that judged the other was that which obeyed and stuck to the Bishops of Rome as St. Peters Successors proved in every age vntill this present SECT XII HOw Gods veracity is denyed by Protestancy as also by the prelatick doctrin of fundamental and not fundamental articles of faith The belief of Gods veracity consists not in acknowledging that whatsoever God sayd is true never any heretick denyed that and all hereticks deny Gods veracity but consists in believing that God will not color nor countenance falshood with supernatural and evident signes of truth Protestants give less credit and obedience to Gods Ministers and Orders declared by the Church though qualified with vndeniable signes of Gods truth then they do to a Constable Catchpol or any other the meanest officers of a Court or Commonwealth though their warrants or badges may be more easily counterfeited then the miracles or signes of the Roman Catholick Church They will not believe God speaks or commands by the Roman Catholick Church though it hath the supernatural signes of his trust and sheweth his great seal Miracles but they believe that the King speaks and commands by any Minister of state or inferiour Magistrat No Ministers of judicature or officers of war have so authentick marks of the Kings authority to command the subjects and to end Suits of law as the Roman Catholick Church hath of Gods authority to instruct mankind and determin controversies of faith As it is rebellion to contemn the Kings authority represented by the authentick badges therof in his Ministers so is it heresy to contemn Gods authority represented in the Roman Catholick Church by supernatural signes as miracles sanctity Conversion of nations c. Gods veracity might be lawfully questioned if it were lawfull to judge that he permits the Roman Catholick Church to err in any point of faith whatsoever Proved by a similitude of my Lord Chancelor delivering the Kings mind to the Parliament in his Majesties own hearing and presence Veracity is a vertue inclining to speak truth not only when the person speaks but when any other speaks by his commission for then the person that employes an other to speak is bound by virtue of his own veracity to endeavour to the vttermost of his power that his Minister or Messenger vtter nothing but truth and this is to be vnderstood not only in matters of great but also of small importance Protestants make their own conveniency not Gods veracity the motive of their faith and measure therby which articles are fundamental which not The most fundamental article or the foundation of faith is to believe that God can not permit his Church to err even in not fundamentals A Demonstration ad hominem against the Protestant doctrin of the Churches fallibility in not fundamentalls SECT XIII THe same further demonstrated as also that neither the Protestant faith nor that of the Sure footing in Christianity is christian belief Not the matter believed but the motive and manner of believing makes our belief Christian. Protestants and the Author of the Sure footing believe not any thing in matters of faith which they do not imagin to be evident in it self or evident to them that it is revealed They agree in making cleer or self evidence the rule of faith but vary in the application of that rule the Author of the Sure footing applies it to all or most of the Roman Catholick Tenets Protestants to few The doctrin of the Sure footing can not be excused by the opinion of some Schoolmen that say an act of faith is possible and consistent with evidence of the revelation Christian faith must have a mixture of obscurity Mr. Robert Boyles expression that faith and twilight agree in this property that a mixture of darknes is requisit to both for that with too refulgent light the one vanisheth into knowledge as the other into day is not only witty but agreable to the sense of the ancient Fathers and to Scripture Hebr. 11. To believe is to trust the person believed and take his word for the truth as you doe a mans word or bill for mony Gods worth and veracity being infinit we ought not to admit of any doubt in matters of faith our assurance of faith must not be grounded vpon evidence either of the object or of the revelation but vpon an impossibility that God should by evident signes oblige mankind to believe that he revealed the mysteries of Christianity and yet not reveale them or permit the Church to deceive us God were not omnipotent did he permit the Church to err in any matter of faith though not fundamental because according to the proportion of ones inclination to any thing is the application of his power to effect the same and Gods inclination to truth even in not fundamentalls being infinit he must be infinitly concerned and applied to preserve the Church from falshood in the least articles as well as in fundamentalls The different manner of believing God and men Wee could not believe God if it were evident to us he spoke what we assent vnto Wherin doth consist the guilt of heresy Declared by that of rebellion The absurdity of the privat spirit and of all other Protestant pretexts against the publick testimony and authority of the Roman Catholick Church SECT XIV PIety and policy mistaken in making prelatick Protestancy the legal Religion of the state and in continuing the Sanguinary and penal statuts against the Roman Catholick faith It was want of Christian piety in Q. Elizabeth to introduce the Protestant Religion but not want of human policy because she had no title to the Crown but by Protestancy The title of the Stevards is vnquestionable and therfore they need not the Support of Protestancy How dangerous and damnable a thing it is to make the temporal laws of the land the rule of faith the Protestant prelatick Religion hath no better The Principles and priviledges of Protestancy being inconsistent with Soveraignty and government every Protestant Commonwealth found it necessary to mold and moderat those principles and priviledges by human lawes according to the customs and constitutions of every Kingdom and therfore Episcopacy without which our Parliaments could not be legal was here in England continued with prelatick Protestancy though contrary to the Tenets of Protestancy and to
Law of England our Kings may minister all ecclesiastical functions consecrat Bishops and their letters patents are sufficient to give any lay person man or woman power to consecrat Bishops and Priests Ten wilfull falsifications set down together by Bish Morton for proving that Catholicks hold the Pope cannot be deposed nor become an heretick Primat Bramhalls falsification to prove that Popes may and have decreed heretical doctrin SECT IX PRoved by reasons and examples that no Religion is so little dangerous to the soveraignty and safety of Kings or so advantagious to the peace and prosperity of subjects as the Roman Catholick notwithstanding the Popes spiritual supremacy Bellarmin the Author most excepted against in the opinion of deposing of Kings sayes that a King cannot be deposed for being an heretick vnlesse he forceth his subjects to heresy The Author of this Treatise doth not intend to promote Bellarmīs doctrin but only sheweth there can be no danger in it though it were allowed as true Not any thing more contrary to sound policy then to lay for the foundation of loyalty an Oath or engagement against opinions plausible popular and practised The best way to suppress them is to silence the Authors not censure their doctrin How litle the Popes power is feared by protestants though they make it the pretext of persecuting Catholicks How little his censures can disturb the government in regard of the notoriousness of the fact and the solemnity of his sentences required for their validity How Arch Laud and other protestants contradict them selves in this matter A fancied possibility without probability can bring no danger to the government How vnreasonable it is to exact a more strict profession of allegiance from catholick subjects to a protestant Soveraign then is given by any other Catholicks to their Catholick Soveraign That the french Kings exacts such engagements or Remonstrances from their subjects against the Popes authority as is required in England and Ireland from Catholiks against the same is a gross mistake All such disputes are prohibited in France as tending to sedition and no way profitable The Censure of the Parliament of Paris and some Doctors of the Sorbon against the Popes authority disanulled by the King and privy Councell in France Protestants cannot cleare their own principles in this particular from the aspersions they lay on the Catholick Tenets One of the fundamental principles of Protestancy is a power in the people to depose Soveraigns and dispose of their Kingdoms for the use of the Ghospel Proved by the examples of all Kingdoms and States that received the Reformation even the Prelatick of England SECT X. THat Protestants could never prove any of the wilfull falsifications wherwith they charged Roman Catholick writers but on the contrary themselves are convicted of that crime whensoever they attempted to make good their charge against us Of the Index Expurgatorius Bp. Taylors objections in the Dissuasive as also Bp. Mortons Bp. Jewells c. retorted vpon themselves Item Sutcliffs accusations against Bellarmin The Councell of Calcedon confirmed by Act of Parliament of Q. Elizabeth and by consequence the Popes spiritual supremacy which that Councell asserts SUBSECT I. PRotestants convicted by Belarmin of holding 20. ancient condemned heresies and how fourteen are admitted by them or at least vnanswered and the other six wherof they endeavor to cleere themselves are excused only by falsifying Fathers and Catholick Authors among which are two Pelagian heresies two Novatian one Manichean and one of the Arians Besides these Protestants maintain Iustification by only faith with the Simonians and Eunomians That God is the author of sin with the Florinians That women may be and are Priests with the Peputians That Concupiscency is a sin with Proclus That the true Church was invisible for many ages with the Donatists That men ought not to fast the Lent pray nor offer Sacrifice for the dead with the Aerians That Saints ought not to be prayed vnto nor their reliques or images worshipt with Vigilantius SVBSECT II. FAlsifications objected against Baronius by Dr. Sutcliff How ridiculous The difference between the falsifications objected by Catholicks and those that are objected by Protestants SECT XI CAlumnies and falsifications of Luther Clavin Arch-bishop Laud and Primat Vsher to discredit the Roman Catholick Religion and vphold Protestancy against their own conscience and knowledge What impudent impostors were Luther and Calvin Proved in many particulars Frauds and falsifications and calumnies of Primat Vsher called the Irish Saint by Protestants against the real presence and Transsubstantiation Against sacramental Confession Against absolution of sins by a Priest His cheat concerning Duli◠nd Latria No new invention of Jesuits but the ancient doctrin and distinction of the Fathers Against prayer to Saints His imposture of the Breviary of the Premonstratensian Order SVBSECT I◠OF Bp. Laud the English Protestant Martyr How fraudulently he would fain excuse the modern Greeks from being hereticks notwithstanding his 39. Prelatick articles condemn their doctrin of the holy Ghost as heresy He abuseth S. Austin to make Protestants believe that general Councells may err against scripture and evident reason He abuseth Vincentius Lyrinensis laying to that ancient Fathers charge his Graces own blasphemy and commits therin many frauds He falsifies Orcam and resolves the Prelatick Faith into the imaginary light of Scripture and the priva◠spirit and therin agrees with Presbiterians and Fanatiks And pretends that Prelaticks are not Schismaticks and Sectaries But to excuse them commits divers frauds His pretence of the lawfulness for privat Churches to reforme themselves confuted His doctrin doth justify all the sectaries proceeding against himself and the Church of England His vanity in pretending that the Church of Britain is independent of the Pope as also that the Pope can not be judge in his own cause His fraudulent and absurd explanation of S. Ireneus against the primacy of Rome item of the gallican libertys His abusing and corrupting S. Greg. Nazian because that Saint asserteth the infallibility of the Roman Church His falsifying of Gerson vpon the like accompt A faire offer to Protestants for the trial of falsifications SECT XII Whether it be piety or policy to give the Protestant Clergy of these 3. Kingdoms a million sterl per an for maintaining by such frauds and falsifications as hitherto have bin alledged the doctrin of the church of England which also they acknowledge to be fallible and by consequence for all they know fals And how the sayd million per an may be conscientiously applyed to the vse of the people without any dangerous disturbance to the Government It was policy in Q. Elizabeth to make such a clergy and Religion but not piety The case being now altered neither piety nor policy to preserve either No seditious or interessed persons can disturb the Government by pretending zeal for preserving a Religion and Clergy so prejudicial to the soul and state if liberty be granted to discover the cheat wherby the
Pagan that he and his fellow-preachers were come from Rome and brought to him very good tydings to wit that such as would follow and obey their doctrin should enjoy an everlasting Kingdom in heaven with the true and living God The King moved with curiosity came into the Island of Tanet and notwithstanding his suspition that the Monks were Magitians returned this civil and prudent answer you give us very fair words and promises but yet for that they are strange and vnknown vnto me I can not rashly assent vnto them forsaking that antient Religion which thus long both I and my people have observed But for so much as you are come so far to the intent you might impart vnto us such knowledge as you take to be right true and good wâ—e will not seek your trouble but rather with all Courtesy we will receive you and minister vnto you all such things as are behovefull for your living Accordingly he allowed them lodging and other necessaries in the City of Canterbury and after hearing and examining their doctrin became a Christian. The very same tydings and Doctrin that St. Austin and his Companions delivered to King Ethelbert do I most humbly offer vnto your Honors in this book as your own Bishops and writers confess and is plain in St. Bedes History testifying that as they approched neer the Citty of Canterbury having the Cross and Image of our King and Saviour IESUS Christ carried as their manner was before them they sung Letanies they served God in continual prayer watching and fasting They resorted to an antient Church built in the honor of St. Martyn made while the Romans were yet dwelling in England and there did say Mass c. This their doctrin they proved to be true by working of many miracles and to be the very same which Joseph of Arimathea and the Apostles had preacht to the antient Britons whose Bishops St. Austin courted to Ioyn with him in converting of the Saxons a Curtesy he never would have desired or demanded had their Doctrin differed from his of certain ceremonies vsed by them in Baptism and of their Iewish way of celebrating Easter he did not approve and all Protestants grant he had good reason neither could the Britons themselves gainsay it when by common accord they prayed that God would vouchsafe by some heavenly sign to declare whether their particular traditions or rather St. Austins with whom saith Bede all the other Churches throughout the whole world agreed in Christ were most acceptable to his Divin Majesty and the Briton Priests having prayed in vain for the restitution of fight to a known blind man St. Austin compelled by just necessity fell on his knees prayed and forthwith the blind man saw Then the Britons confessed indeed that they vnderstood that to be the true way of righteousnes which Austin had preached and shewed vnto them This miracle God wrought by his servant to reduce the antient Britons to an vniformity in ceremonies Many other greater miracles did he work by the same St. Austin wherby our Modern Ministers are convinced of heresy for being obstinat in their errors against Transubstantiation worship of Images Purgatory Prayers to Saints Jndulgences the Sacrifice of the Mass c. for that with these Popish Doctrins both St. Austin and his Master St. Gregory are charged by your own Protestant writers and censured as converting the Saxons from Paganism to this Superstition I hope your Honors will not give vnto vs who desire only liberty of conscience wherof the worst consequence can be this that the ancient Religion of Christ may therby be restored a wors answer then King Ethelbert returned to S. Austin Though what wee affirm of the Catholick belief will seem strange to you that have hitherto supposed the same to be idolatry or superstition and perhaps suspect us to be as great Sorcerers as King Ethelbert did S. Austin and his Companions But without question so pious and prudent Persons as Your Honors will not be less charitable then a Pagan to men that besides an everlasting Kingdom in heaven come to offer you a million sterl per an vpon earth especialy seing we do not desire you should condemn your own Protestant Religion nor credit ours before you see what your Clergy can answer to our reasons and to corruptions and falsifications of Scripture and Fathers which we desire to object against them in a publick conference if it be your Honors pleasure to grant vs that favor for obtaining wherof they will be as earnest Suitors as wee if they believe their own doctrin But in case they decline or deferr so reasonable and seasonable a request as we humbly concieve ours to be I hope Your Honors will not think that men who dare not defend their Religion against provoking adversaries that offer to shew the falshood therof and the frauds wherby it is and only can be maintained deserve so great reverence and revenues or can be fit to direct others in the way of salvation As for their railing against St. Austin our Apostle notwithstanding that God approved of his Doctrin with many miracles it is no satisfactory way of reasoning neither as I persuade my self will they be able to rally so grave and sober a Comittee as your Lordships out of a million per an by quoting their own Translations and sense of Scripture or by wresting texts to their own advantage and to the great prejudice both spiritual and Temporal of these Nations againâ—â— the Commonâ—sense and consent of the visible Church for 16. ages They have had indeed hitherto better Success in this particular then they could expect from so wary and wise a people as the English but the improbability that a Clergy would be so impudent and impious as to falsify Scripture forge Registers and build faith vpon fancy hath gained them more credit then they deserved and made the Layty more credulous and carless then Christians ought to have bin in a matter of so great importance as the everlasting happines of their souls and in a subject so tempting and suspicious as the revenues of the Church Now that it hath bin the fate or fortune of this Monarchy to be involued in wars which have discovered the insufficiency of the Kings revenue to maintain the same and that we have no other security of a peace when concluded but the words of Dutch and Frenchâ— drawn vp into a formality of Articles which will be no longer observed then it will be their conveniency so to do and that the honor and safety of these three Nations can not be secured without greater and more Constant supplies and subsidies then perhaps after a little time will be safe to exact of the impoverished multitude seing I say this is the present condition of our State and will be also for the future whensoever it pleaseth our neighbors to be our enemies not only all lawfull ways of raising moneys must be sought after
Matth. hom 20. saith Omnes infideles qui sub Diabolo sunt non sunt vnum nec vnum sapiunt sed sunt per diversas opiniones dispersi alius quidem sic dicit alius sic c. Eo modo perfidia Haereticorum qui nunquam sapiunt vnum sed quot sunt tot sententias habent Hilar. lib. 7. de Trinit saith Haeretici igitur omnes contra Ecclesiam veniunt sed dum Haeretici omnes se invicem vincunt nihil tamen sibi vincunt victoria enim eorum Ecclesiae triumphus ex omnibus est dum in eo Haeresis contra alteram pugnat c. S. Athanas. Orat. 1. contra Arianos saith Jllud quoque prorsus admirabile omnes quot sunt Haereses in fingendo diversa pugnantiaque inter se adferre nec alibi nisi in falsitate sibi invicem consentire See the Centurists [e] almost in every age attributing the Roman Catholick Miracles to the Devill V. g. Centur. 9. cap. 13. And Osiander in Epitom Cent. 9. pag. 63. saith the same and in particular of St. Bernards St. Francis's Miracles c. Whitaker [f] de Ecclesia pag. 348. And Daneus in his answer to Belarm part 1. pag. 784. [g] Luther in proefat assertionis articulorum a Leone Pontif. damnatorum saith Scripture must be the Iudg of all controuersies and that it is cleerer then the comments of the Fathers upon it But that to the proud and vnfaithfull Papists he meanes it is obscure See him also in lib. de servo arbitrio [h] Luther in his Translation to assert his justification by only faith added to the text of Scripture the word alone against all Originals and Copies Swinglius to maintain that the Body and Bloud of Christ were not realy present in the Sacrament of the Altar in steed of Christs words This is my Body translateth This signifieth my Body See herafter more of this and of the English Bibles corruptions [i] Luther tom 2. lib. de Ministris Ecclesiae instituendis fol. 368. 369. lib. de abrog Miss privat tom 2. fol. 249. in lib. de captiv Babylon cap. de Ordine Luther in assertionibus damnatis per Leonem cap. 10. art 13. saith In the Sacrament of Confession and remission of sin the Pope doth no more then the meanest Priest nay where a Priest is not every Christian can do as much though a child or a woman c. That in the absence of a Priest a child or a woman and every Christian may absolve is cleer out of Math. 18. Where Christ saith to all Christians Quodcumque solveritis super terram c. An' BulleÌ„'s incest and leaudness was afterwards punished with her death and that of her brothers of Brueâ—ton Weston Norris and Sineton all of the Kings privy Chamber Another escaped death because he advertised his Majesty of her immodesty before the mariage S. Ambrose vseth this very argument to the same purpose Sand. lib. 1. Cochlaeus lib. contra Morison The Kings of France preteÌ„ded to the Gallical liberties and the Kings of Spaine to their Sicilian Monarchy and other privileges The kings of England also when they were Roman Catholiks pretended to the like priviledges presentations c. Stat Henry 8 34. 35. Be it enacted thaâ— all manner of books of the old and new Testament in English being of the crafty â—â—alce and â—ntrue Tranâ—lation of William Tyndall and all other books and writings in the english tongue teaching or compassing any matter of Christian Religion contrary to that doctrin which since the year of our Lord 1540. is hath or shall be set forth by his Majesty is cleerly and vtterly abolished The first Reformers of the Prelatick protestant Church of England Statut 28. Henry 8 cap 17. an 1536 See his letters in Fox 1279 and in Stow pag. 1036. Doctor Bruges in his post script to D. r Pearson edit 1660. (a) See the ancient Fathers affirming it was the constant practise and principle of Hereticks to appeale to Scripture alone S. Austâ—n l de vnit Eccl lib. cont a Maximinum S. Hilarius l. contra Constantium S. Basiâ—ius l. de Spiritu S. c. 27. 29. S Epiphaniâ—s haer 69 73. (b) S. Athanasius in l. 1 de decret Nicen Synodi contra Euseb. (c) S. Epiphanius haer 64. Theodorâ—â— lib. de haeres (d) August de fide oper c. 14 de haer c. 54. Mat 19.27 1. Cor 7. v. 25.28.38 (e) The Protestant Bishops are wel pleased to see themselves religiously worship't or respected and yet exclaim against Catholicks for shewing the like respest to Saints [f] See Martin Luther the first founder of Protestancy ep ad Bohem. in declarat Euchar. in ser. de Euch. hath these words Although truly it were an excellent thing to use both kinds in the Eucharist and Christ in this thing hath commanded nothing as necessary yet it were better to follow peace and vnity which Christ hath commanded vs to follow then to contend about the kinds And lib. de Captiv Babyl Cap. de Euch. They sin not against Christ who vse one kind seing Christ hath not commanded to vse it but hath left it to the wil of every one c. Philip Melancton in 2. edit loc com impres Argent an 1525. fol. 78. He erreth that thinketh it impious to eat swin's flesh As also these things are indifferent and placed in our power and so I judg of the Eucharist that they sin not who knowing and believing this liberty do vse either part of the sign Bucer alloweth the same indifferency and Iewel in his reply to Harding pag. 108.109 110. John Pezibram a Bohemian Protestant in his book de professione fidei Cathol cap. 19. Heere fearing God and taking notice of the evil custums of others I do confess that I do not intend to condemn or censure for hereticks any such persons of the Church as do impugn the communion of the faithful vnder both kinds which yet of necessity must have don if he had thought that Christ had recommanded it The 2. Councel of Carthage contradicts this article Can. 2. Omnibus placet that Bishops Priests and Deacons c. abstaine from wives that what the Apostles have taught and hath bin observed by antiquity we may keep See Clement l. 6. Constit. Ap. c. 17. Consil. Aâ—â—â—rcan 10. Concil Neocesariense c. 1 Consâ—l Nic. can 34. And Euseb. de demonstrat Evangelica lib. 1 c 9. Epiph. haer 59. ante med Basâ—l ep 1. ad Amphilocium ca. 6 epist. 17 ad ParagonuÌ„ Presbiterum and Cicil. Hierosolomy Catech 12. See the new Ritual of the Church of England published since his Majesties happy restauration D. r Heylin Eccles. restau Q. Mary pag. 19. D. r Heylin cit pag. 33.34 35. Heylin pag. 35 Cap. 14 D. Heylin Eccles. resta in the Histor. Q. Mary pag. 43. Stat. an 1. 2. Pbil. Mar cap. 8. Dr. Heylin Q Elizabeth pag. 107. Act. 14. v. 23.
consequences as prejudicial both to Church and state as our late distempers have manifested But now to Mr. Lauds falsifications To prove that the Tradition of the Church is not infallible and that the words of St. Augustin Ego vero Evangelio non crederem nisi me Catholicae Ecclesiae commoveret authoritas should be vnderstood of the Church in the time of the Apostles only the Bishop sayes Some of our own Authors will not endure it should be otherwise meant by St. Austin save of the Church in the time of the Apostles only and in proof of this he cites Occham in the Margent thus Occham Dial. part 1. l. 1. c. 4. and sets down these as his words Intelligitur solum de Ecclesia quae fuit tempore Apostolorum Jt is vnderstood only of the Church which was in the Apostles time Wheras Occham in the very place quoted holds the quite contrary and sayes expresly that the Church wherof St· Austin speaks in that sentence containes not only the Apostles but also the Church successively from the times of the Apostles to that very time wherin St. Austin wrote those words as every one may see by his sentence truly related in our margent And indeed St. Austin speaks of that Church which sayd to him noli credere Manichaeo and had succession of Bishops of Rome which the Church had not in the Apostles time Divers Frauds and Falsifications of Bishop Laud to defend that Protestants are not Schismaticks MR. Fisher having pressed Bishop Laud with that ordinary and vnanswerable argument proving Protestants to be Schismatiks because they separated themselves from the Roman Catholick Church obstinatly holding divers opinions contrary to the ancient and generaly received faith many wherof had bin condemned as heresies in former ages by General Councells and all orthodox Christians his Lordship answers 1. That the Roman Church is not the Catholick Church We reply that when Luther and Calvin began their pretended reformations such only as were in communion with the Church and Bishop of Rome were held to be Catholicks all others having bin declared Schismaticks or hereticks and for that reason the first Reformers did not claim to be members of the Greeks or of any other Christianâ—Church then extant but acknowledge they found no men of their reformed belief and therfore separated themselves from the whole world as Luther and Calvin expresly say and we have proved shewing they did not agree in all points with the Waldenses Wicklâ—ffians Greeks or any other visible Congregation of Christians Therfore they separated themselves by inventing and following contrary opinions from all visible Churches and by consequence from the true one if they will grant there is a true one vpon earth as the Bishop would seem to acknowledge Was it not lawfull saith he pag. 149. for Juda to reform her self when Israel would not joyn sure it was or els the Prophet deceives me that sayes expresly though Israel transgress let not Juda sin Here his Lordship supposeth two absurdities 1. That Juda reformed its doctrin which is the only question 2. That the Catholicks are to represent the ten tribes because forsooth they are more numerous and Protestants Juda wheras no paralel can be more pat then the Protestants compared with the ten tribes who left Jerusalem and the High Priest and rebelled with Jeroboam which King out of vngodly policy the better to secure his vsurped Crown just as Queen Elizabeth caused the people to desert the old and true Religion set vp new Priests Sacrifices c. But his Lordship reflecting vpon these and other things thought necessary because he saw that himself and his party would be driven to the ten tribes at length to defend they were a Church even after their schism or separation for that there were some true prophets among them as Elias Elizeus c. and thousands that had not bowed knees to Baal not observing that such Prophets and others who continued faithfull were of the true Church of Juda though they could not go to Jerusalem and were no more of the ten Tribes Religion then the Greek Roman Catholicks are of Mahomets or English Papists of the Protestant And wheras the Bishop's adversary tells him that particular Churches may not pretend to reform themselves and condemn others of error in faith especialy their acknowledged spiritual Superiors when the need of reformation is only questionable and this was so evident â— confutation of protestancy and so convincing a proof of all their Churches schisms that his Lordship thought fit to conceal those words When the need is questionable in his relation of his adversaries argument and after omitting and concealing the force therof endeavors to answer as well as he can That the first Protestant reformers were subject to the Roman Catholick Church and prelats in spiritual affaires is confessed by themselves and that without any sufficient cause or probable pretext they rebelled against that superiority and Iurisdiction is also evident vnless we should grant as the Bishop with all sectaries sayes pag. 86. that all Christendom Protestants only excepted are so blind or pervers that they can not or will not see the light of the Scripture and by consequence their own Idolatry and superstition And this his and other such mens sensless assertion must pass for good evidence and be a sufficient warrant for Jnferiors to renounce their obedience and reform the doctrin of their Superiors and of the whole visible Church without incurring the Censure or guilt of Schism and heresy Mr. Laud denyeth that in ancient times the Bishop of Rome was Superior to other Bishops out of his own Patriarchat which extended no further saith he then to Jtaly and the adjacent Islands And to make good this equality of Patriarchs with the Pope he quotes num 170. the law A patriarcha non datur appellatio Then he sayes pag. 171. that in those ancient times of the Church government Britanie was never subject to the Sea of Rome and that Pope Vrban the 2. accounted his worthy predecessor in the Sea of Canterbury St. Anselm as his own Com-peere and sayd he was as the Apostolick and Patriarch of the other world The greatest fraud committed in treating matters of Religion is to assert a notorious falshood so confidently that the truth can not be questioned or examined without doubting whether the relator have either soul or shame Who can Imagin that a man pretending not only to be an Arch-bishop but a Patriarch would endeavor to maintain Religion by such impostures Britain saith Mr. Laud was never subject to the Sea of Rome No! How then came Venerable Bede to tell us that an 673. St. Wilford Arch-bishop of York being vnjustly deprived of his Bishoprick appealed to the Sea Apostolick was heard by Pope Agatho and by virtue of his sentence restored to his Bishoprick How comes St. Gregory the great to write thus to St. Austin our English Apostle Seing by the goodnes of God