A BRIEFE VIEWE of the weake Grounds of Popery As it was propounded to D. NORRICE Priest by T.V. Gent and returned without answere AT LONDN Imprinted by Humfrey Lownes for Samuel Macham and Mathew Cooke and are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Tigers head 1606. To my dearest Cousins A. B. C. D. MY dearest Cousins with what zeale and feruencie both in my prayers and other indeuours I haue euer desired wee might be of one mind heart God Act. 6. and mine owne conscience can best testifie and your selues may partly witnes with me For as touching the means to this our atonement namely conference with the learned of ech others side and reading their bookes you know well I for my part haue neuer refused it but euermore gladly imbraced and diligently sought after it that so if truth wherof great vaunts were made had been found on your side my heart first then my hand might readily haue subscribed thereto But when I consider the doctrine of your Rhemists Tit. 3. Sect. and the answerable practise of their disciples forbidding you not onely to reade our bookes but to hold conuersation much more to haue conference with vs who must be Heretikes because they tearme vs so yea when I see they blush not to affirme That we are not to be heard â—fâ—r 3. â—ect 2. no not though we speake the trueth I almost despaire of your conuersion seeing the means are prohibited Now how much meeter it were in a case of such consequence being no lesse than the eternal safegard of your soules to leaue them with their errors and to hearken rather and conforme your faith to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles I referre it to any seeing iudgement For the vniuersall consent of all the ancient Fathers alloweth the Scriptures for the onely Rule of faith as conteining in them all doctrine necessary to saluation And albeit I haue sufficiently among others cleared that question in this smal Treatise following yet will I somewhat inlarge the proofe of it in this place to the end you may better knowe That though you send vs for instruction to to the Fathers yet they send vs backe again to the Scriptures as the onely and sufficient Rule to direct vs. And in handling this point I will not much insist vpon diuine authority since I know you relye chiefly if not wholly on the Fathers Onely I will vrge these few testimonies of Scripture which ought to preuaile more with euery true Christian than all the Fathers how learned soeuer First our Sauiour willeth vs to search the Scriptures for that in them we thinke to haue eternall life Io. 5.39 Mark 1224. And he taxeth the Pharises of error because they were ignorant of the Scriptures 2. Tim. 3.15 16 17. S. Paul likewise affirmeth that they are able to make vs wise vnto saluation that the man of God may be perfite instructed to euery good worke And if this perswade you not I haue no hope that any Father can for as Christ saith Luk. 16.29 30 31. They haue Moyses and the Prophets if they will not heare them neither will they beleeue if one rose from the dead Now as to the Fathers though your side pretend so much to reuerence them yet in this question they wholly reiect them and that indeede not without cause seeing their authority in this one point might proue the downefall of your whole Religion it being confessed by some great Champions on your side That many and most of the doctrines wherin you varie from vs are grounded on Traditions and not on the Scriptures as any that will take the paines to reade may see in Peter Soto against Brentius in the fift chapter of Canisius Catechisme in the * In fine fabulae 6. 5 booke of Lyndans Panoply yea * Scripto suâ— aedito tempore Trid. Concil Andradius saith That the greatest part of Catholike Religion is left vnto Traditions of the Church not written â—anopl li. 1. â— 22. demeÌ„â—ssimae insaâ—iae And the said Lyndan saith It is most extreme madnes to think that the whole entire Body of Euangelicall doctrine is to be fetched out of the Apostolike letters written with inke and out of that little booke of the new Testament And therefore so much the more are your leaders seducers to be taxed who perswade their folowers that the greatest differeÌ„ce between them and vs is touching the Sense of the Scripture wheras euery man of common sense wil easily iudge that where there is no Text there needs no Interpreter But let vs briefly see what opinioÌ„ the Fathers were of in this coÌ„trouersie betweene vs and how they haue vnderstood that Scripture which D. B. P. calles the Protestants Achilles which hee onely barkes at without further hurt â— B. booke â—gainst M â—erkins calâ—ed the 1. â—im 3. the â—rot Achilâ—es Hom. 9. Chrysostome vpon the same Text sayth If any thing be needefull for vs to learne or to be ignorant of there meaning in the Scriptures shal we learne it If to reproue falsehood from thence shal we draw it if any thing lacke to be corrected or rebuked which must be had vnto exhortation vnto comfort there also doe we learne it Likewise Ho. 8. vpon the 15. verse he saith The scriptures do teach both what things are to be done what not to be done Theodoret vpoÌ„ the same place saith The scripture is inspired of God Therfore he teacheth the kinds of vtilitie It is profitable to teach for whatsoeuer we know not we learne out of it To reproue It reproueth our wicked life To correct for it exhorteth that they which haue gone astray returne to the right way To instruct in righteousnesse for it teacheth vs the kinds of vertue that the man of God may bee perfit furnished to all good workes All these things doe attribute and ascribe perfection to the God of all Primasius saith Out of the scriptures he that is ignorant is taught Hee that is insolent is reprooued He that erreth is corrected He that can keep no measure is instructed to Iustice to euery good worke not vnto one Oecumenius sayth after he hath rehearsed the particular vtilities to teach all true opinions and good works to reprooue errors vice he concludeth that the man of God may be not onely partaker after a vulgar maner of euery goodworke but perfect and compleate by the doctrine of the scriptures Not to some kind of good worke and to some not But to all and euery good worke saith Theophilact Athanasius saith Atha contr gent. Chrys opeâ— imperf in Mat. Ho. 41. Aug. in Iohâ— Tract 44. The holy scriptures inspired from heauen are sufficient for all instruction of trueth Chrysostome saith whatsoeuer is requisite for saluation all that is fully laid downe in the Scripture S. Augustine sayth There were chosen to be written such things as seemed to the holy Ghost sufficient for
and wordes in it That b Ca. 35. the ende whereto c Ca. 37. the matter whereof it is all written bee marked in generall d Ca. 35. 40. and all be vnderstood according to that end and matter e Li. 2. ca. 8 that all bee read ouer and ouer f Ca. 9. and those things chiefly noted which are set downe plainely both precepts of life and rules of beleefe because that all things which concerne beliefe and life are plainely written in it That obscure and darke speaches be lightened and opened by the plaine and manifest that to remoue the doubt of vncertaine sentences the cleare certain be followed that g Ca. 11. recourse be had vnto the Greeke and Hebrew copies to cleare out of the fountains if the translation be muddy that h Li. 3. ca. 2 3. doubtfull places bee expounded by the rule of faith which we are taught out of the plainer places of the Scripture that i Ca. 1. all the circuÌ„stances of the text be weighed what goeth before what coÌ„meth after the maner how k Ca. 10. the cause why l Ca. 17. the men to whom m Ca. 18. the time when euery thing is said to be short that n Ca. 27. we seeke to know stil the will meaning of the Author by whoÌ„ the holy Ghost hath spokeÌ„ if we find it not yet giue such a sense as agreeth with the right faith approued by some othe place of scripture o C. 18. If a sense be giueÌ„ the vncertainty wherof cannot be discussed by certain sure testimonies of scripture it might be proued by reason but this custom is dangerous the safer way far is to walke by the scripture the which being shadowed with darke and borrowed words when we mind to search let either that come out of it which hath no doubt coÌ„trouersie or if it haue doubt let it be determined by the same scripture through witnesses to be fouÌ„d vsed thence whersoeuer that so to conclude p Li. 4. ca. 3 all places of the scriptures be expounded by the Scriptures the which are canonical as being the Canon that is to say the rule of godlines faith All which rules we confidently imbrace And we constantly affirme that neither he nor any other auncient Father did euer attribute the expounding of the Scripture for the true sense therof to any Pope or bishop whatsoeuer And although D. Stapl. except against these Rules of S. Austin which is common to all Papists by special priuiledge when the Fathers make against them as I haue already partly proued and shal appeare to any that for a clearer manifestatioÌ„ therof wil take a view of their Index expurgator yet doth S. Austin iustifie himself De doctr Christia li 1 a Prolo saying If they who know these precepts cannot see the things which are obscure darke in the scriptures of God the fault is in themselues not in the precepts as if I should point with my finger at a starre which they would gladly see and their eye-sight were so weake that although they could see my finger yet could they not see the starre at which I point Let them saith he cease to blame mee and let them pray to God that hee will giue them eye-sight And to the ende I may giue some proofe of euery thing I affirme and to giue a taste of the vile practise of the Papists It shall not be amisse to set downe their owne words namely the iudgement of the Vniuersitie of Doway approued by the Censors of the Councel of Trent concerning the booke of Bertram according to the Decree of the Councel the Title Vt liber Bertram c. How the booke of Bertram Index expurg 8. pag. â—1 Priest of the Bodie and Blood of our Lord being amended may beÌ„ tolerated Although wee make no great account of this booke therfore we would not greatly care if either it were no where extant or vtterly lost yet seeing it hath been already ofteÌ„times reprinted hath been read of most men and being prohibited by name hath been made knowen to all men seeing also the heretikes do know of the prohibition thereof by diuers Catalogues and that he was a Catholike Priest and a Monke of the Abbey of Corbey and was welbeloued and reuerenced not so much of Carolus Magnus as of Carolus Caluus and doth helpe the story of that age And seeing that in other ancient Catholike writers wee beare very many errors and extenuate them excuse them and very often times by deuising some pretie shift we denie them Excogitato Commento and do faine some commodious sense vnto them when they are opposed aginst vs in disputation or in conflicts with the aduersaries wee do not see why Bertram doeth not deserue the same equity and diligent Recognition lest the Heretikes should Iangle against vs that wee burne vp and prohibite Antiquitie which maketh for them and therfore it is no maruel that so few things seeme to make for them when wee Catholikes do so vnreuerently hisse out and destroy antiquitie which but in shewe dissenteth from vs. Moreouer we feare least this booke not onely by Heretikes but also by vnruly Catholikes by meanes of the prohibition thereof may be read more greedily alleaged more odiously and doe more hurt being inhibited than if it were permitted And vpon these considerations they take order and shew how this booke at the next printing shall be falsified by adding putting out changing of the Wordes and Sentences and by peruerting the whole scope and meaning of the Author The last part of the obiection is that there must bee some Tribunall on earth to iudge which is trueth And in this Question they réele sometime to the Church and sometime to the Pope who they will haue to bee Iudge of trueth and that the Church which sometime they intitle to the Pope and sometime to Generall Councels are to be iudge of the Scriptures To this I answere That absolute Iudge of trueth can no man be for God is truth of God I trust no man may be Iudge The Sonne of God saith of himselfe Iohn 14. 1. Iohn 5. I am truth and S. Iohn testifieth The spirit is truth Therefore ye can be no Iudges of trueth vnles you will be Iudges of God And the Father hath committed all iudgement to the Sonne and my iudgment Iohn 5. 8. saith Christ is Iust Christ saith My sheep heare my voice They be no iudges of his voice which is the Scriptures A Iudge of the Law is no obseruer of the Law as S. Iames insinuateth since the whole Church is bound to obey the Law of God Iam. ca. 4. they be no iudges of the law S. Austin saith It is inferiour to vs Aug. in Psa Idem de vera religio ca. 31. whatsoeuer we be Iudges of And again The eternall Law of God therefore it is lawful
which be Canonicall and which be Apocrypha Protestant 8 How do you know which is the Church And by what meanes may it be knowen that the Church hath authoritie to determine which be Scriptures and which of them be Canonicall and which be Apocrypha Papist There be many notes and markes reckoned vp by the learned of our side by which the Church may be knowen But we insist chiefly vpon these Antiquitie Vnitie Vniuersality Succession and the power of Miracles And for the authority of the Church it is prooued by the Scriptures Protestant 9 This answere is common to all Heretikes for they alleage somtimes the a Author ope Imper. in Mat. Ho. 48. Church sometime b Iren. adu Haere lib. 3. cap. 2. Traditions sometime c Aug. coÌ„tr Maxim Ariâ— episc li. 1. Councels sometime d De Bapt. c. 6. li. 3. Fathers sometime e In Ioh. ca 2. tract 13 Miracles sometime f De vnit eccle c. 16. Visions sometime g Epist 65. ad gener Succession of Bishops yea h Act. 19.27 Demetrius pretended Vniuersalitie And the i Act. 17 18 19. Philosophers Epicures and Stoickes Antiquity And k Vinc. Lir. ca. 6 ca. 4. Vincentius Lirinensis disproueth Vniuersalitie by the example of the Arrians and Antiquity by the example of the Donatists And for their l In Chron. Suput Rom. prat Sigon de Regn. Ital li. â— Vnitie let that appeare in the seuerall oppositions of their Popes one condemning the decrées of another and decréeing one contrary to another And therefore this is no sufficieÌ„t reason for a man to ground his faith and Religion if we beléeue the m StapletoÌ„ Fortresse Hart. ag Ra. pag. 118. Papists in the like cause for it is a common obiection by them that because Heretikes alleage the Scripture therefore they are no suffieient rule Moreouer this answere passeth the limits of the proposition for it presupposeth the authoritie of the Church to be prooued by the Scriptures and the Scriptures to be prooued by the authority of the Church which is Ignotum per ignotius Idem per idem A proofe of a thing vnknowen by a thing lesse knowen and so no proofe at all Therefore to procéede to the next part of the diuision what doe you vnderstand by Traditions Papist I vnderstand Apostilicall doctrine commonly called vnwritten verities and as D.B. P. in his booke against M. Perkins diuides them Some are Diuine some Apostolicall and some Ecclesiasticall all which according to the Councel of Trent are to be receiued with equall reuerence Conc. Trid. Sess 4. and religious affection as we do the Scriptures Protestant 10 How doe you proue Traditions or vnwritten verities to bee Apostolicall doctrine and that they be Diuine Apostolicall and Ecclesiasticall and that they are to bee receiued with equall reuerence and religious affection as we doe the Scriptures Papist 2. Thess 2 15. I proue it by the Scriptures interpreted by the Church Saint Paul saith Hold the Trations which yee haue learned whether it bee by word Conc. Trid. â—ess 4. or by Epistle which by the Churches exposition proueth vnwritten verities to be receiued with equall authoritie to the Scriptures and to explane the same D.B.P. aforesayd affirmeth that Diuine Traditions come from our Sauiour Christ Apostolicall Traditions from the Apostles And the Decrees of the Church hee tearmeth Ecclesiasticall Traditions which are likewise of equall authoritie with the Scriptures Protestant 11 This is a common fault with you to vse this point of Sophistrie called by the Logicians Petitio principij for you wil stil take it for graunted that you are the Church though you neuer prooue it And this is a necessary consequence That if the trueth be doubted of the church must néedes bee much more doubted of because the Church is the number of men professing the trueth And how can the professors of the trueth be seuered from others so long as the trueth by which they should bee knowen is in question Therefore the supposing your selues to be the church when your faith Religion should be tried is fond vain But if S. Paul in that place by Deliuered Tradition meane nothing but the doctrine deliuered to them by word of mouth yet comprised in Scripture too then must you graunt that you are deceiued to thinke that vnwritten Traditions are approued by S. Pauls Traditions Now what the things were which S. Paul deliuered by word to the Thessalonians is shewed in the 17 of the Acts saying Now as they passed thorow Amphipolis and Apolonia they came to Thessalonica where was a Synagogue of the Iewes and Paul as his maner was entred in vnto them and thrée Sabbath dayes hee discoursed vnto them out of the Scriptures opening and alleaging That Christ must haue suffered and risen againe c. In which wordes it is opened both what Paul deliuered to the Thessalonians by word and from whence From whence Out of the Scriptures What That it behooued Christ to suffer and rise againe Besides Saint Paul witnesseth both to small and great that hee said no other thing than that which the Prophets and Moyses did say should come Act. 26 22 The Traditions therefore that Paul doth exhort the Thessalonians to hold is the Tradition of the Gospel as Saint Ambrose writing vpon the same place calleth it very well which the reason also doth prooue that Saint Ambrose noteth that Paul doth there gather saying God hath raised you to saluation by our Gospel therefore stand ye fast and holde the Traditions which ye haue learned whether it be by word or by Epistle Now I hope there is none so impudent to denie that the Gospel is written But here another difficultie incounters vs If it were granted by the Churches interpretation that there were doctrines or Traditions Diuine Apostolicall or Ecclesiasticall deliuered by word of mouth vpon what sure grounds might wee be assured which be the Traditions that were so deliuered by Christ his Apostles or the Church Papist The ancient Fathers chiefe Papists doe plainely teach that many points of doctrine wherein you varie from vs as halowing the Font the blessing of the oyle the anointing the Baptized Exorcismes Fastes Festiuities prayer for the dead prayer to Saints worshipping of Images the oblation of the Sacrifice their Annealing their Primacie of Rome their fiue pretended Sacraments the merit of workes their satisfactions the numbring their sinnes to the Priest their Real presence their halfe CommunioÌ„ c. See the preface for Priests and See Master Middletons booke called Papisto-Mastix Sect. 5. almost all these things which you defend against vs are proued by the Fathers to be deliuered by Tradition Protestant 12 This sheweth euidently that you are guilty of the same fault that the Pharises were Mark 7.9 by Christs owne reproofe saying You cast aside the commaundements of God to maintaine your owne Traditions Mat 15.9 teaching for doctrine
Scriptures because it is not of faith it is sinne Saint Hillary Hillarâ—us ad Constan August Séekest thou for faith Emperour saith he to Constantius heare it not out of the late Scrolles but out of Gods Bookes Heare I beseech thée that which is written of Christ lest vnder pretence thereof things not written be preached And in another place pressing his aduersary Thou Idem de Trinitat li. â— saith he that deniest things written what remaineth but that thou beléeue things vnwritten You sée that was counted for a passing absurdity in that age which since the Papists haue established as the surest way to discerne trueth Tertullian refelling the Heretike Hermogenes Tert ad Heade praesci ad Haeres I adore saith hee the fulnesse of the Scriptures let Hermogenes shew me where this that he teacheth is written If it be not written let him feare the curse prouided for adders and diminishers It séemes this Father vnderstood the Text of Deuteronomie and the Apocalypse otherwise than D.B.P. in his booke against M. Perkins Iren. li. 3. â—ap 1. Irenaeus saith The disposition of our saluation we knew by none other than by those by whom the Gospel came vnto vs the which at first they preached by mouth but afterward by Gods appointment they did deliuer it to vs in writing that it should be the foundation and pillar of our faith The mountaines of Israel whereon God promised to féede his flocke Aug. de pastor ca. 11. are saith Augustine The writers of the diuine Scriptures féeding there you féede safely whatsoeuer you learne thence count it sauourie whatsoeuer is besides them refuse it Therefore whether it be touching Christ or his Church oâ— any matter else which concerneth our faith and life dem contr Litt Petil li. 3. ca 6. I say not if we saith Saint Austine but as â—oâ—â—weth in Paul If an Angel from heauen teach any thing besides that which you haue receiued in the Scriptures of the lawâ— and the Gospel holde him accursed But I will conclude this point wherein there is â— multitude of witnesses against you which to auoide tediousnesse I omit S. Augustin teacheth Paulina Epistâ—us Not to follow his authority or to beléeue a thing because he hath said it but to beléeue the Canonicall Scriptures L◠〈◊〉 de piâ— rit câ— We say therefore with him let vs yéeld and consent vnto the holy Scriptures which can neither deceiue nor be deceiued And againe I require the voice of the Shepheard Reade me this matter out of the Prophets De pastâ—â— cap. 14. reade it out of the Psalmes reade it out of the Lawe reade it out of the Gospel reade it out of the Apostles writings And so I ende with this sentence of his I owe my consent De naturâ— gratia ca. 61. without gain-saying only vnto the Canonical Scripture Now let the indifferent Reader iudge of the handling of this first part whether he will beléeue the Fathers speaking for and with the Scriptures or for Traditions without and and besides the Scriptures Surely had these Fathers liued in this age they had béen condemned for Heretikes as we are for holding the same doctrine so well doth this new Poperie agrée with Antiquitie And the Papists had néed to haue these places and infinite oâ—hers to this purpose Deut. 4 â— 12 32. 28 5â— Io. 20.31 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17. to be purged by their Index expurgatorius out of the Fathers lest this thiefe and fundamentall point agréeing so directly with the Scriptures prooue the downeâ—all of all Papistrie Now let vs briefly procéede to the second Exception to shew the errour of the Fathers First Cyprian condemned the Baptisme of Heretikes as vnlawfull wherein a Councell of Carthage of 87. Bishops vnder him erred with him â—ag de ciuitate Dei lib. â—1 c. 17. Origen thought That the diuels themselues should be saued at length Tertullian doeth with Montanus condemne second mariage a In dialog cum Tripho Iud. Iustin the Martyr b Hier. commen in Esay li. 18 in praefat Irenaeus c Euseb hist Ecclesi lib. 3. ca. 36. Papias d De spefidel vt cita ab Hierom Tertulâ—ian e Hier. scrip eâ—cl in ver papias Victorinus f Diâ—â—nar instit lib 7 cap. 23. Lactantius g Hierom. comment in Esay lib. 18 in Psalm Apolinarius h Hierom. comeâ—t in Ezech lib. 11. Seuerus and i Euseb Hist Eccles lib. 7. cap. 23. Nepos did erre in that they thought that Christians after the resurrection should raigne a thousand yéeres with Christ vpon the earth in a golden Ierusalem and there should marrie wiues beget children eate drinke and liue in corporall delights k Irenaeus ad Hier lib. 5 ca. 2â— Irenaeus l Hilar. diuinar instit li 7 ca. 14. Hillarie m Lactant in Matt. Can. 17. Lactantius n Hieron epist 139 ad Cypr. Hierom and o Iust Mâ—rtyr Respon ad Orthod q. 71. Iustin Martyr erred for that they thought that the world should last but sixe thousand yeres which opinion p Aug in Erur Psal 89. de ciuitate Dei lib. 18. cap. 33. S. Augustine doeth reprooue as rash and presumptuous Hillarie erred touching the humanitie oâ— Christ and did not speake of the person of the holy Ghost as the church speaketh Irenaeus erred in affirming That Christ died in the fiftith yeare of his age contrary to the Scriptures Luke 3.23 And Iohn the Euangelist remembreth thrée Passeouers after the Baptisme of Christ and in the third he was crucified as he affirmeth Thus you sée the second Exception iusâ—fified but I will forbeare to enlarge this part any further because I am vnwilling to discouer their nakednes The third Exception is That the Papists themselues reiect the Fathers Bristowes motiues notwithstanding the great brags they make of them as thâ—ugh they were wholly theirs wherein I will bee short as I haue béen in all the rest When we affirme by Saint Hieromes testimony that Pope Liberius subscribed to the Arrians Master Hardin answereth Iewel aga Har. pag 6â— that Hierome was deceiued by a rumour dwelling in the East The Rhemists except against Augustines exposition of these words Vpon this Rocke Mat. 16 sect 8. c. which he expoundeth not of Peters person but of Peters faith Princ. doct li. 6. cap. 3. Also Doctor Stapleton calles the same exposition Lapsus humanus An humane ouersight And yet the same exposition is confirmed by a Gregorie Nissen b Cyril c Chrysostome d Ambrose and e Hillary All agréeing that this Rocke is the confession of Peter Bellarmine reiects S. Augustines interpretation of S. Paul in this place He shall be saued as through fire which Austine interpreteth to be the afflictions or tribulatioÌ„s of this life But Bellarmin expounds it of Purgatory The Rhemists reiect S. Augustines reading Heb. 11. ver 21. who saith 〈◊〉 â—t
Constant Sess 37 and an Heretike swaruing from the faith and a wilfull notorious manifest subuerter of the Article of our faith One holy Catholike Church Nowe can there bee any doubt that these Popes were neuer comprised in that prayer which Christ made for Peter Or that hel gates haue not preuailed against them When Pope Marcellinus did offer sacrifice to idols as appeares in the Synuessan Councel Pope Liberius subscribed to the Arrians as is testified by S. Hier. confessed by Nicholaus Cusanus and Alfons de Castro both Papists great schoolmen Pope Syluester the 2. was a Necromancer a CoÌ„iurer as Stella Platina Petrus PraemoÌ„strateÌ„sis Nauclerus Antonius do witnes And Pope Anastatius was a NestoriaÌ„ Heretike Li 1. de Haerca 4 as is witnessed by Alfons de Castro And many such instances might be prooued out of their owne stories Thus you sée in what sense soeuer the Papists vnderstand the Church it is proued That it may erre Wherefore are you not singular men to abuse both the scriptures Councels Fathers yea your silly seduced followers with such coÌ„clusions Are these good consequents at Rhemes Peter was set ouer the Church or made Pastor of the Lords flocke Ergo none but Peter Euen so may you reason with much more warrant from the scriptures to proue the supremacie to be in Paul For he saith 1 Tim 1. â—â— The glorious Gospel of the blessed God which is committed to me Ergo to none but Paul Yea he saith 2 Cor 11 26 The care of all Churches were coÌ„mitted to him Ergo to none but him This had béen a pregnaÌ„t place for the Papists if it had béen spoken of Peter according to such inferences as they make And to vrge you a little further It is your maner in the Rhemes Test to say often All the Fathers say this and this and I knowe you bragge much of them That you can prooue all the doctrine you hold by them I pray produce their ioint consent to prooue That all controuersies are to be determined by the Pope Or that he cannot erre Or that he must summon Councels Or that they are of no authority vnles they be confirmed by the Pope All this is Catholike doctrine with the Papists and yet I thinke they cannot name any one Father that is ancient and not counterfeit to confirme thus much or to auowe any of these points Is it not strange therefore that you should reiect the Scripture which is the onely rule of faith to build your Religion on such vncertainties as in this small Tract hath béen declared and shewed This Gerson a learned Papist sawe and therefore hée sayth Gers primâ—l part de exa doctrin considerat 5. That there is more credit to be giuen to one man learned in the Scriptures and hauing them of his side than either to the Popes sentence or to the decrees of a generall Councel This made Cardinal Caietane say In praef coÌ„ment in libr. Moyse That God hath not tied the exposition of the Scriptures vnto the senses of the Fathers And that if he fall vpon a newe sense agreeable to the Texte though it goe against the streame of the Fathers he doth aduise the reader not to mislike it Andrad defensi fidei Trid. li. 2. This made Andradius the defender of the Tridentine Councel to defend Caietan against Canus saying That experience forceth vs to confesse vnlesse we will bee vnthankfull to most excellent wits that very many things in Moyses and the Prophets are in this our age expounded more exactly through the diligence of learned men than euer they were before And concludeth that the holy Ghost the onely and faithfull interpreter of the Scriptures would haue many things to be knowen to vs which our ancestors knew not And hath wrought by meanes vnknowen to vs knowen to him that the Fathers noted good and godly mysteries out of very many places of the Scripture whereof the right and naturall sense hath beene found out by the posteritie Thus you sée that if wee bee deceiued Scriptures Popes Councels Fathers and learned and chiefe Papists haue deceiued vs who haue taught the same trueth that wee defend Papist Well What colours soeuer you bring of Scriptures Fathers Councels Popes and learned men of our owne side yet this is an vndoubted position that vnlesse you maintaine that the Church cannot erre and that thereby you vnderstand the definitiue sentence of the Pope you bereaue your selues of all meanes to settle your selues in the vnity of faith neither haue you any meanes to end controuersies For leauing euery man to his owne priuate exposition whiles one expoundeth the Scriptures one way and another another way This sense is plaine in the exposition of the one That sense is contradicted by the opinion of the other there can neuer be end of these differences And therefore there must bee some Tribunall on earth where trueth may bee found at all times and of all men that be willing to seeke for it Otherwise there should bee no stay for Religion nor end of contention euery man pretending his faith to bee trueth and no man hauing authoritie to decide which is truth which were most absurd And therfore since you must of necessitie yeeld to haue a Iudge for auoiding so great inconueniences who can bee fitter than the Pope and the Church Protestant This is Redire ad vomitum and for the auoiding of a lesse fault to fall into a greater Since it is prooued in euery sense where you haue taken the Church That it may erre And therefore how much better were it that there should be continuall disagréement about matters of Religion than to maintaine false doctrine Saint Iude saith It was needefull for me to write vnto you Iude ver 3. to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once giuen vnto the Saints 1. Cor. 11.19 And Saint Paul saith There must bee Sectes amongst you that they that bee perfect may bee knowen For as wee must respect Vnitie so wee must take héede that it bee Secundum Iesum Christum According to Iesus Christ An vnitie in veritie For better a diuersitie in vnitie than an vnitie in Poperie And therefore wee are commaunded 1 Ioh. 4. 1 Thess 5. to trie the spirits whether they be of God Trie all things and holde fast that which is good Ephes 5. Bee not vnwise but vnderstand what the will of the Lord is Bee renewed in your minde Rom. 12. that you may discerne what the good and acceptable and perfect will of GOD is Phi. 1.9 This I pray that your loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that you may discerne the things that are best 1. Cor. 2. Hee that is Spirituall discerneth all things These exhortations were not giuen by the Spirit of God in vaine which of necessitie must follow if you debarre all Christians other
you séene briefly A view of the weaknesse of the Grounds wheron the Papists build their Religion which in a word is The Popes good pleasure And notwithstanding I haue in this small Tract layd downe our iust Exceptions both against Fathers and Councels yet would I haue none rashly to censure that we reiect al the Fathers and Councels for we imbrace them as wholesome meanes by which great light hath béene brought to the Church of God both in the Exposition of the Scriptures and the abolishing and confuting of Heresies But wee reiect with great reason the partiality that is now vsed in calling of Councels which must now only be done by the Pope of which he onely must be President and Iudge contrary to the order of the first 4. Generall Councels which Gregory professeth to receiue as the 4. holy Gospels Neither is any thing of force that is now decréed in Councel vnles it be confirmed by the Pope though in the first 4. Councels the Pope was neither President by himselfe nor his Legates neither needed they his confirmation Besides the whole order of Councels are now inuerted by the Popes contrary both to the institution of the Apostles in the first Councel holden by them â—ct 15.22 â—3 and to all antiquity For now none must haue determining voyces but the Bishops and they must sweare and take this oath before they sit in Councel the forme whereof thus followeth â—ecret li. 2. â—r 24. ca. 4. I R.N. will be faithfull from henceforth to S. Peter and to the holy Church of Rome and to my lord Boniface the Pope to his successors chosen Canonically and I will bee an helper to defend against all the world the Popedome or papall superioritie and the rules of the holy Fathers So God mee helpe and the holy Gospel According to that detestable clause annexed to the Decrees of reformation in the Councel of Trent Ses 7. in prooe Seâ— 25. de Reformat ca. vlt. Salua semper in omnibus authoritate sedis Apostolicae Prouided alwayes that the Popes authority be safe and no way preiudiced So that still he will alwaies haue a non obstante notwithstanding any law to the contrary to breake through all lawes to doe what he list But to conclude wee acknowledge according to the Scriptures That there are two sorts of iudgements in the Church of God The one priuate and the other publike priuate to all the faithful and spirituall 1 Cor. 2.15 10.15 Ioh. 4.1 as God calleth them who are willed to iudge of that which is taught and to trie the Spirits whether they be of God Publike to the asssmbly of the Pastors and Elders Act. 15.6 1. Cor. 14. for of that which Prophets teach let Prophets iudge And the spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets In all which the Scripture is the rule by which the Church must be directed neither hath she other authority than the ministery of giuing iudgement For the Soueraignty of iudgement must rest on Gods word Mat. 22.10 Iam. 4.12 For Christ is our only Doctor Lawgiuer The Lord open your eyes that you may sée the Truth and be thankefull to God FINIS An Abstract of the chiefe Points of this booke FIrst That all the Fathers do with general consent attribute all sufficiencie to the Scriptures making them the Rule of faith and the absolute meanes to determine all doubts and controuersies preferring them before the Church and all other writings of men whatsoeuer and further that the Church is no otherwise to be shewed or knowen but by the Canonicall Scriptures and that themselues and their opinions without the Scriptures are not to bee beleeued but reiected See the Preface and pag. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 45. 46. 47. 52. 2 That the Scriptures are to be expounded by the Scriptures and that we are not tied for the exposition thereof to any Father Councell or Pope And that no Papist can shew the consent of the Fathers that the scriptures are to be expouÌ„ded by any Father Councell or Pope See pag. 88. 89. 90. 91. 3 That the Fathers agree with vs taking the greater part in approouing those Scriptures which the Protestants doe to be Canonicall and in reiecting those which we do for Apocrypha See pag. 4. 5. 4 That the Fathers take the word Tradition sometimes for the Scriptures sometimes for the Customes and Ceremonies of the Church and the Papists which vrge them for matter of doctrine vnwritten and to bee of equall authoritie with the Scriptures doe depraue the Fathers making their doctrines contrary one to another yea contrary to themselues See the Preface 5 That chiefe Papists and pillars of Popery haue confessed that many and most of the doctrines wherein they varie from vs are grounded vpon Traditions And that it is extreame madnesse to thinke that the whole and entire body of Euangelical doctrine is to bee fetched out of the Apostolike writings and out of that little Booke of the New Testament In which doctrine they goe wholly against the streame of the Fathers and also discouer their abusing of the simplicity of their followers when they make them beleeue the greatest difference betweene them and vs is touching the sense of the Scriptures whereas by this their confession this consequent necessarily followeth That where there is no Text there needes no Interpreter See the Preface 6 That the Papists haue vttered open blasphemy in their bookes against the Scriptures in taxing them of insufficiencie in tearming them a Nose of waxe Inkie diuinitie dumbe Iudges no better than Aesops Fables without the authority of the Church That they take their authority from the Church That sometimes they are to bee expounded one way sometimes another That the Scriptures must folow the Church and not the Church the Scriptures preferring the authoritie of the Church aboue and against the Scriptures All which blasphemies are refuted not onely by the direct texts of Scripture but by the generall consent of the Fathers See the Preface 7 That the Papists vrge the credit of the Fathers for the receiuing of Traditions and though there be many Traditions which by the Fathers testimony haue the same authoritie to prooue them to be Apostolike that the others haue Yet the Papists receiue the one and reiect the other See pag. 12. 13. 8 That the Fathers haue held diuers errors vpon which it necessarily followeth that if they might erre in one thing they might erre in another And that their iudgements are often reiected by the Papists and therefore may with as great reason be reiected by vs and consequently are no perfite Rule to build our Religion on which euen the Fathers themselues confesse See pag. 20. 21. 22 23. 16. 17. 9 That there be many Counterfeits that haue vsurped the names of auncient Fathers wherby it is hard to discerne when a true Father and when a false speakes And though some of these Fathers be censured for counterfeits
mens precepts So that as Saint Peter hath censured you 1. Pet. 2.18 Yee are not redeemed from the vaine Traditions of your Fathers Besides you chuse rather to make the Fathers to contradict themselues as I haue shewed in the preface of this treatise than to acknowledge with vs as the trueth is that the Traditions mentioned by the Fathers are no parts or points of the Catholike faith But doeth your Church practise all those Traditions which are deliuered by the Fathers to be either Diuine Apostolicall or Ecclesiasticall Papist Yes and although she did not yet is the Churches authority sufficient to abrogate or admit which she pleaseth Protestant 13 Indéede you take that libertie to your selues without all warrant either of Scripture or Fathers For S Hierome which is one of the Fathers alleaged by you for Traditions Dialo coÌ„tr Lucif ca. 4. deliuereth it as an Apostolike Tradition On the Lords day and throughout euery Penticost neither to pray on the knées nor to fast The temper of milke and honie giuen to them that were newly baptised Tertul. de Coro Milit. Nu. 3. is confirmed by Tertullian who likewise reckoneth vp a number of Rites grounded vpon Tradition As that the baptized should abstaine from washing a whole wéeke after Baptisme with much crossing at euery going out at euery steppe at euery comming in at putting on of apparel at putting on of shooes at washings at tables at lights at beddes at seates c. all these are deliuered as the Apostles Traditions which yet the Papists themselues obserue not And if these be not Apostolike Traditions what warrant haue we for any of the rest For as for the Churches authority in abolishing of these you may say as much of the holy Scriptures for you haue said before That Traditions vnwritten Conc. Trid. Sess 4. were of equall authoritie with the Scriptures But doe you thinke the authority of the ancient Fathers to be a sufficient ground to leade vs to accept of all the Doctrine deliuered by Tradition and that whatsoeuer is deliuered by them is to be receiued without exception Papist Yes the ioynt consent of the Fathers Sta. prine doctr li. 7. ca. 13. li. 1â— ca. 5. Hart. â— ag Ray. ca. â— diui â— is an absolute Rule being indeede the Churches exposition Protestant 14 Then must you wholly relinquish all your doctrine and Traditions vnwritten for all the Fathers doe with ioint consent yéelde all their authority to the Scriptures laying it for a Ground that nothing necessary to saluation is to be beléeued without the authoritie of the Scriptures nay that themselues are not to be credited without the scriptures as shal manifestly appeare by the testimonies of these Fathers following yea S. Augustine is so absolute for vs in most of his bookes * Aug Ep 19 ad Hiero Epi 48 Vincent Ep 111 Fortunatiano Epi 112 to Paulina Cont. FastuÌ„ li 11 c. 5. Contr. Cres gram li. 2 ca 11 32 De Bap coÌ„t Don li. 2. c. 2 De merit remiss peccat cont Pelag. lib 3 cap 7. De natur gra ca. 61 De gracia Christi coÌ„tra Pelag cap. â—â— De nuptijs concupisceÌ„t lib. 2 ca. 23. that he would haue the Church sought onely in the scriptures heretikes confuted onely by the scriptures To whose only authority in many places he professeth that he himselfe will be bound So that you must either make these Fathers contrary to themselues Or else grant that Traditions are not of absolute necessitie to be receiued But for that this is a maine point which the Papists insist on I will cleare the same euidently by foure iust exceptions which I referre to the indifferent censure of anie First I will prooue that the Fathers haue attributed all sufficiencie to the Scriptures and haue submitted all their authorities vnto them Secondly That the Fathers haue held diuers errors vpon which it necessarily followeth that if they might erre in one thing they might erre in another Thirdly that they are often reiected by the Papists yea euen the greater number sometimes contrary to their owne rule and therefore may with as great reasoÌ„ be reiected by vs. Fourthly That there are many counterfâ—its bearing the names of ancient Fathers and that often times they are alleaged by the Papists to abuse vs all which particular exceptions I will briefly prooue in order as they lie First Saint Basil saith Tract de fide it is a most certain argument of infidelity and a most certaine signe of pride if any man wil reiect any of those things that are written or bring in any thing that is not written when our Lord saith My sheepe heare my voice and a stranger they will not heare Tertullian saith De resurrect carnis Take away from Heretikes those things which they hold with Ethnikes that they may stay their questions vpon the Scriptures onely and they are not able to stand Saint Augustine saith De doctr Christ li. 2. ca. 9. All things that concerne faith and manners or beliefe and life are plainely written in the Scriptures Chrysostome saith In 2. ad Thessa Ho. 3 That euery thing is cleare and euident by the Scriptures and whatsoeuer things are necessary they are euident In Eusng Ioh. li. 12 cap. 68. Cyril saith That such of the things done by Christ are written as the writers thought to be sufficient for maners and doctrine Epist 11 inter epist August In the controuersie betwâ—xt S. Austin and S. Hierome touching Peters reproofe Hierome alleaged more Fathers on his side and made so great account of them that he desired Austin to suffer him to erre with such men if he thought him to erre Epist 19. To whom Saint Austin replied that peraduenture he might finde as many if he had read much But I saith he haue Paul the Apostle himselfe in stead of these all and aboue these all To him I doe flie to him doe I appeale from all the doctors his interpreters who are of other minds c. Epist 126 ad Euagrium S. Hierome yéelding his opinion to Euagrius a meane man after he had shewed the iudgements of Origen Didimus Hipollitus Irenaeus Eusebius Cesariensis Emisenus Apollinarius and Eustathius saith To bring foorth the witnesses it was my part let it bée yours to iudge of the credit of the witnesses Orig. Hom 1 super Ieâ—em Origen confesseth That their iudgements without witnesse of the Scriptures were of no credit Hierom. in Psal 98. Hierome writeth That all which they spake they were to proue by the Scriptures Hier. in Maâ— 23. and saith in another place That which hath not authority from the Scriptures as easily is despised as approued Saint Basil saith Basil in Ethicis defiâ— 8. If euery thing that is not of faith be sinne as S. Paul affirmeth and faith come by hearing and hearing â—y the word of God Ergo whatsoeuer is without or besides the Diuine
than Clergie men to be discerners of trueth And it is euident by the Scriptures that there is a limitation howe farre the Bishops and Cleargie are to be obeyed and what they are to teach For S. Paul saith Be yee followers of me as I am of Christ 1 Cor. 7. So that he requireth no more of the Corinthians than to follow him as hee followeth Christ And this made him so diligently to distinguish the precepts of Christ from his owne Councels To the married I commaund not I but the Lord to the rest I speake not the Lord. And our Sauiour Christ when he gaue commission to his Apostles He bids them Mat. 28.19 20. Goe teach all nations but what To obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you And therefore Chrysostome alleaging the wordes of Saint Paul Chrys in 1. ca. 2 Epist ad Tim. Hom. 2. Obey your Ouerseers or Prelates doeth thus limite them But if hee peruert anie poynt of faith though hee be an Angell obey him not And straight after Wee must not obey Paul himselfe if he speake any thing of his owne or as a man but we must obey the Apostle bearing Christ about that speaketh in him It is not lawfull saith Tertullian to deuise any thing of our selues Tertul. de praescrip advers Haeret. nor to follow that which others haue deuised wee haue the Apostles of the Lord for our Authors who deuised nothing of their owne heads but deliuered faithfully to the nations the doctrine which they receiued of Christ Therefore though an Angel from heauen should preach otherwise wee should count him accursed * Chrysost operis imper Ho. 20. in 7. ca. Mat. Euery teacher is a seruant of the Law because hee may neither adde of his owne sense vnto the Lawe nor according to his owne conceit take any thing from the Law but preach that onely which is found in the Law And these instructions both of Fathers and Scriptures were to little purpose if wee were not by them taught how to eschew the euill and followe the good And surely if the Vicars Consistorie and Seate In Luc. 12. were infallible as the Rhemists affirme what néede wee respect or studie to knowe the infinite Testimonies of Scriptures and Fathers brought to this purpose But this doeth not prooue that they are priuiledged and exempted from Erring For the Scriptures which were written for our instruction doe plainely conuince that both Priests and Prophets haue erred For God by the Prophet Malachie describeth what the Priests should doe and what they had done The Priests lippes should preserue knowledge Mala. 2. and they should seeke the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hostes But yee are gone out of the way O ye Priests ye haue caused many to fall by the Law ye haue broken the couenant of Leui saith the Lord of hostes And this proud priuiledge which the Popes now challenge was claimed by the wicked Priests in Ieremies time Come Iere. 18 1â— say they let vs imagine some deuise against Ieremie for the Law shal not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the wise nor the word from the Prophet But God assureth them by his Prophet Ezech. 7 2â— for their arrogant presumption That the Law should perish from the Priest and counsell from the ancient What grosse idolatrie Vriah the Priest committed to please King Ahaz 2 King 16.10.11 Esay â—8 the Scriptures will tell you And Esay saith The Priest and the Prophet haue erred they haue gone away they faile in vision they stumble in iudgement And wee knowe there haue béen many Bishops and those orderly succéeding if you looke to their dignity not to the doctrine who haue béen heretickes as Berillus Paulus Samosatinus Photinus Nestorius Dioscorus Petrus Apameus Sergius Cyrus Theodorus Macarius And many others Canonically succeeding in Seates and Churches of no small account And if these fell into pestilent heresies that which was often and easie then is contingent and possible still And succession which saued not them froÌ„ erring cannot defend our Popes from the like danger And therefore are wee forewarned and taught by the Scriptures to beware and take héede of such men For S. Paul saith Actâ— 20. Out of your selues shall arise men speaking peruerse things to drawe disciples after them And the Lord when hee saith Beware of false Prophets Mat. 7. noteth that there shall be Prophets by their calling which shall be found false in their teaching As Saint Peter also witnesseth 2 Pet. 2. There were false Prophets among the people of the Iewes euen as there shall bee false teachers amongst you And to what purpose are these with many other testimonies but to teach vs that we must distinguish godly teachers not by office but by doctrine And if there were not an abilitie in vs in some sort to discerne them in vaine were we taught to beware of them neither had the men of Berea béen so highly commended for the triall of their Pastors doctrine Acts 17.11 if it had either béen vnlawfull or not their duety so to haue done But it séemes the Papists insist much vpon the outward quiet of their Church holding out this Buggebeare That the Church cannot erre assuming therby to be lords of scriptures Fathers Councels and all when they list But what hereticall Church may not haue the same quietnesse vpon the same perswasion and yet it preuailes in none but those that can be perswaded That this false priuiledge of not erring belongs to the Church taking the Church in the same sense which the Papists in this Tract vnderstand it of Fathers Councels and the Pope And who knowes not that notwithstanding your late Councel of Trent and diuers other Councels and learned bookes of all sides That yet the controuersies are not ended being indéede the neuer ending knotte of Religion For though this perswasion That the Church cannot erre may sometimes bréede an outwarde quietnesse in the Church yet it hath no force to establish men in the vnitie of Trueth since it may both deceiue and bée deceiued as is in this Treatise prooued Nor to end controuersies because all beléeue it not nor to abolish heresies which many times it may fauour as is euident by some fewe examples both of Popes and Councels before alleaged For further example put the case That some of the Church are perswaded according to Christs Institution and the practise of the Church of Corinth that the Laitie are not to be robbed of the Cup but are to receiue the Eucharist in both kinds and hereby call the priuiledge of the Churches not erring into Question how shall this be decided Shall it be sufficient for the Church or Pope to say I cannot erre and for proofe thereof to call all his Cardinals Abbots and Bishops to auow the same though it be contrary both to Scriptures Fathers and the long continued practice of the Church of