will stand for a reason for we will not be the papists schollers but their Iudges Luther will haue it so he saith that he is a Doctor aboue all the popes Dâ—ctors So Luther concluding at last that the word alone shal remayne in his new Testament though it should make all his Aduersaries mad and he addeth further that he is only sory that he had not added two wordes more to the text and translated it after this manner we are iustifyed by only faith without any workes of any law 4. Zwinglius also who first in our age endeauored to perswade many that the body of Christ is not really contayned in the Sacrament of the Eucharist the better to establish this his error goeth about to Zuing. l. de vera falsa relig c. de Euchar. §. 202. in lib. excuso Tiguri 1555. proue that those words of Christ this is my bâ—dy are very well translated thus this signifieth my body with this his new translation he is so rauished as if he had receaued the same from heauen for these are his words So therefore hath Luke with whome we content our selues without citing any other Euangelist And hauing taken bread he gaue thankes brake it and gaue it them saying This signifyeth my body which is giuen for you do this in remembrance of me Thou seest O faithfull soule but yet wrapped in absurd opinions how all thinges heere agree and nothing is violently eyther taken away or added so as thou hast cause to wonder that thou hast not byn alwayes of this opinion and much more that any dare so boldly teare and rent the body of this speach so well ioyned together So Zwinglius in the praise of his new translation wherein he arrogates more authority to himselfe theÌ„ is due so as that of Cicero in his booke de diuinatione may well be applyed to him I neuer saw any man arrogate greater authority to himselfe and in the end say iust nothing 5. Moreouer concerning Caluins and Bezas errors in translating or rather peruerting the holy Scriptures whole books Calu l. 2. instit c. 16. in c. 26. Matt. v. 39. inc 27. â—â—aâ—th v. 46. Item in Catech. Dom. 10. Bez. in c. 5. ad Heb. v. 7. traÌ„ct Theol. pag. 657. iuxta edit Geneu 1582. are extant as also of the corruptions of the Geneua Bibles which are euery yeare increased but this shall much more commodiously be declared heerafter in the particuler CoÌ„trouersies We will only heere set downe one example of a corruption to be found in Caluins Bezas and all the Geneua Bibles And this coruption is forged of purpose by them to confirme a new and notable blasphemy against Christ and himselfe by some apparent testimony of Scripture for they teach in many places that Christ when he praied in the Garden was seized with an extreme feare least God being angry with him for our sinnes for which he had taken vpon him to satisfy should inflict vpon him eternall damnation neither did Christ feare without cause for they say he suffered vpon the Crosse the paynes of a damned person the torments of hell for these are the impioâ—s words of Caluin Christ suffered in his soule the torments of a forlorne and damned man and Beza saith at what tyme Christ hange vpon the Crosse he was in the middest euen of the torments of hell which is as much as to say that God himselfe was not only afraid of the torments of hell but that he suffered and endured them for it is euident that Christ was true God But against these absurd Paradoxes we are to dispute heerafter It shall suffice heere to shew that they haue depraued the holy Scripture to fortify this theyr impious assertion for wheras it is written in the fifth to the Hebrewes Heb. 5. v. 7. and 7. v. that Christ was heard of God for his reuerence Caluin first and after Beza and all the Geneua Bybles make the text to say Christ was heard by reason of his feare or because he was afraid but that in Bez. annot anni 1598. the last Edition Beza hath added more words to the text making it sound thus His prayer being heard he was deliuered frâ—Ì„ this feare Moreouer Caluin in his commentaries and Beza in his annotations seeke to proue out of this text that Christ feared eternall damnation that he was deliuered out of this feare by his prayers which he offered with teares true it is that in the French Bibles lately printed at Geneua in the yeare 1605. they haue put in the margent vel pro sua reuerentia where inforced by truth they manifestly contradict Caluin and Beza who plainly deny that this place is so to be traÌ„slated yet least their inconstancy should be noted they leaue the former words in the text ayant estè exaucé de ce qu' il craignoit that is in latin exauditus est ex â—o vel in eo quod timuit 6. But all others as well Catholikes as their Aduersaires who haue written before Caluin translate pro sua reuerentia vel pro pietate sua as Erasmus Bucer the Tigurines in their Bibles of the yeare 1542. Nay Sebastian Castalio for this cause sharply reprehendeth Castal in defen suae translat Bibl. in fine Castalio for this cause sharply reprehendeth Beza who glorieth that Caluin was the first that found out this new explication in a note of his vpon this 7. v. See his editions the yeare 1560. 1565. 7. The third shift is their false exposition of the text though neuer so truly translated for by diuers commentaries and little notes in the margent they goe about to perswade their Readers the clean contrary to that which is expressely in the text See examples hereof in this Chapter in the latin edition CHAP. XV. The fourth fifth and sixt shift that our Aduersaries vse in deprauing the Word of God THE fourth shift of our Aduersaries is to fly to figuratiue and metaphoricall speaches for it is most true that was Aug. l. 3 dedoct Christ cap. 10. wittily obserued by S. Augustine If sayth he the mind be preoccupated with any erroneous opinion whatsoeuer the Scripture saith to the contrary men take to be a figuratiue speach And surely there is no kind of figuratiue speaking to which our aduersaries at one tyme or another haue not recourse but there are three figures of which our Aduersaries doe oftenest serue themselues in deprauing the holy Scriptures which Matt. â—â— v. 26. Calâ— l. 4. Instit c. 17. sect 21. are these Metonymia Hyperbole and Ironia Metonymia is a figure very familiar with Caluin for by it he peruerteth many places of Scripture yea euen those plaine words of Christ this is my body for hauing disputed long about the sense of those words at last he concludeth thus I omit sayth he Allegories and Parables least any man should thinke that I seeke euasions and to go from the matter in
this manner For the solution saith he L. Item apud §. A it Prâ—tor ff dâ— iniurijs of all things which may heere be alledged by the Philosophers for thus he calleth the Catholikes thou must obserue this rule which is an axiome among Lawiers that those thinges which do not deserue any speciall note or marke are vnderstood and esteemed as things neglected vnlesse they be specially noted But I pray thee iudge whether this article of the Trinity deserue any speciall note or no seeing that it is the chiefest and first ground of all our faith whereof the whole knowledge of God and Christ dependeth And whether it be expressely noted or no may be seene by reading ouer the Scriptures seing that there is not one word to be fouÌ„d of the Trinity in the whole Bible nor of the persons therof nor of the essence or vnity of the supposition nor of the vnity of nature in many distinct thinges and such like Thus farre Seruetus By this it euidently appeareth that all these monstrous strange opinions of latter Arians who are also called Anti-trinitarians do proceed from this one principle of our Aduersaries to wit that we must only belieue Scriptures and by this they are encreased But let vs now see other matters 9. The second point of faith is that Infants are to be baptized But our Aduersaries will neuer shew this in the holy Ioan. 3. v. 1. Scriptures For that one place which doth clearly conuince this to wit vnlesse he be borne againe of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God they wrest and expound it in another sense For they will Calu. in cap. 5. Ioan. v. 5. not haue this word water to signify the element of water but the holy Ghost so Caluin Hence arose that wicked sect of the Anabaptistes who affirme now adayes that it is an vnlaw full and prophane thing to baptize Infants seing that there is no solide reason heereof extant in the Scriptures 10. For that wherunto Caluin and his followers do fly for refuge to wit that in the old Law Infants were circuÌ„cised Genes 17. v. 10. the Anabaptistes do easily confuâ—e both because coÌ„cerning that there was an expresse precept of God but there was none of the baptisme of Infants and the similitude also betwixt circumcision and baptisme doth not hold in all thinges for otherwise S. Aug Tom. 6. de haer cap. 84. S. Hier. coÌ„tra Hel uid Author de Eccl. dogm cap. 69. S. Ambros in Epist 7. ad SiriciuÌ„ Papam Epiph. haer 78. lunius coÌ„tra Bellar Controu 1. lib. 4. c. 9. nota 5. women should not be baptized but only men 11. The third point of faith is that the Blessed Virgin Mary the mother of God remayned allwayes a Virgin euen after her childbyâ—th For this is extant no where in Scripture and yet Heluidius was condemned as an Heretike by the whole auncient Church because he presumed to deny it 12. When Card. Bellarmine had alleadged this vn writteÌ„ point of faith to proue that all such pointes of faith were not expresly set downe in holy Writ Francisâ—us Iunius to answere vnto this difficulty was forced to take and approue the condemned heresy of Heluidius For he denyeth that we ought to belieue as a point of faith the perpetuall Virginity of our B. Lady But the ancient Fathers had neuer condemned Heluidius aâ— an Heretike vnlesse he had denyed a point of faith But in this manner are our Aduersaries forced to renew the old heresies of tymes past to the end they may defend this their paradoxe that we must only belieue Scriptures CHAP. IIII. Whether there are any pointes of faith to be alleadged which are no where extant in the Bible THE fourth Point that our Aduersaries also belieue but without expresse Scripture for it is that Christians cannot lawfully Concil Trident. sess 24. c. 2. haue more wyues at once for the Councell of Trent hath very well defined this to be a point of faith against the heresy of these tymes wherof we will speake more presently But yet our Aduersaries can neuer proue this out of Scripture only abstracting from the authority of the Church albeit they also agree with vs in the beliefe heerof Yea the examples of holy Scripture do rather perswade the coÌ„trary For those most holy men Abraham Iacob Dauid and many others had more wyues at once yet neuer did God reprehend this in them albeit he often sâ—ake vnto them Beza Ep. 1. ad Andream Dudiâ—ium 2. When Bernardine Ochiâ—e one of Caluins schollers did consider this he was not afrayd to perswade both by word and writing that Polygamy was yet lawfull of whome and of his most wicked life Beza writeth at large â— But Ochinus grounded only this his heresy in that principle of our Aduersaries before alledged to wit that we must belieue nothing which is not expresly in Beza in lib de Poligamia extat in iâ—it voluminis 2. suarum Tract Theol. Scripture And whereupon Beza himself in his booke which he wrote against the same Ochinus doth testyfy that Ochinus vsed this argument where Beza also manifestly acknowledgeth that Polygamy is not forbidden in holy Scripture by any expresse Law The other argumenâ— saith Beza of Ochinus is that Polygamy is not forbidden by any expresse law to the contrary but I answere that there are not lawes written of all thinges Thus Beza 3. But after ward indeed Beza goeth about to proue that Poligamy is contrâ—ry to the Law of Nature but the same difficulty still remayneth For according to our Aduersaries doctrine all thinges necessary to saluation are expressed in holy Scripture but the obseruatioÌ„ of all things belonging to the Law of Nature is altogeather necessary to saluation therefore the obseruation of these thinges is expressed in Scriptures or els truly many thinges necessary to saluation must be sought for out of the Scriptures Moreouer that Poligamy is vnlawfull is a point of faith but this as Beza confesseth is not expressely contayned in Scriptures therfore all the pointes of faith are not expressely contained in Scriptures 4. The first point of faith is that the Sacrament of Baptisme may only be giuen in water For this point is also very necessary for the Church least so great and worthy a Sacrament be prophaned contrary to the institution of Christ and yet our aduersaries will neuer be able to proue this out of the Scriptures only who deny that the forsaid place of S. Iohn is to be vnderstood of true water as we haue said before in the second point For the examples of holy Scripture do proue indeed §. 9. cap. praeced Beza Epist 2. ad Tho. Tilium fratrem Symmistam suum that water is the fit matter of Baptisme but they do not proue that there can be no other matter 5. When Beza did consider this well least that his foresayd principle that we must belieue nothing but
of it albeit it be immediatly from God to the end it be made manyfest vnto vs. For otherwise we should not be obliged by the authority therof But this is not done now by miracles nor by the immediate or extraordinary reuelation of God Therfore it resteth that we say it is done by the ordinary mediate reuelation of God that is to say by the Church or rather by the holy Ghost which speaketh vnto vs by the Church CHAP. IX That the Church is the Iudge of all Controuersies in matters of Faith SEING that there arise daily so many disputations and Controuersyes of matters of faith none can deny but that there must necessarily be some Iudge appointed who must define end and determine such Controuersyes for otherwise there will neuer be an end of such matters But it is a great difficulty who must be this Iudge The Sectaries of this tyme almost all refuse the Iudgment of the Church For they see very well that if they admit her as iudge all their errors wil be quite ouerthrowne Wherfore some of them affirme that the sole Scripture must be the Iudge of all Controuersies and this was the first doctrine of our Aduersaries to wit Luther Zuinglius 2. But our later Aduersaries when they consider that it is an absurd thing to make the Scripture being a thing Cap. 18. Controu 1. without life the Iudge as we haue declared before they fly vnto their priuate spirit the which they will haue the iudge of all Controuersies But least they may seeme to attribute too much vnto themselues they endeauour to colour their priuate spirit with the famous title or name of the holy Ghost affirming the holy Ghost to be the only iudge of all Controuersyes 3. Wherfore there are three thinges heere to be proued First that the Scripture cannot be Iudge Secondly that neyther the priuate spirit can be it Thirdly that the Catholike Church is the only and most true Iudge of all Controuersies 4. As concerning the first wheras our AduÌ„ersaries euery where teach that nothing is to be belieued which is not expressely to be found in holy Scripture it is a strange thing that they would perswade men that the Scripture is the Iudge of all Controuersies wheras we read no such thing in any place of holy Scripture 5. Yea euen in these testimony is only attributed to the Scriptures and not Iudgment Search the Scriptures saith Christ Ioan. 5. v. 19. and the same are they that giue testimony of me And hence it is that the law of God is often called in Scripture in the Hebrew phrase Eda or Eduth or Tenda that is to say Psalm 118. a Testimony yea euen in one Psalme it is called aboue twenty tymes by that name 6. Moreouer in the Prophet Isay in the same place falsely cited by our Aduersaries that they may proue therby the Scripture to be the iudge of Controuersies it is called a witnesse or a testimony and not a Iudge nay rather to the Isa 8. v. 20. Law saith the Prophet and to the testimony 7. Furthermore one thing is more absurd that in matters of such moment to appoint such a deafe and dumme iudge and who may also be corrupted for both parties and whose sentence eytâ—er party vseth indifferently But it is manifest that the Scripture is such a iudge for it can neyther speake nor heare and so in like manner do all Heretickes ancient and moderne also vse the Scriptures Lastly almost all our Aduersaries do see how absurd these things are and therfore they fly vnto their owne priuate spirit the which they call the holy Ghost Wherfore let vs come now to the second point 8. As concerning therfore this priuate spirit first there is none who doubteth but that the holy Ghost is the chiefe Iudge of all Controuersyes But the question is where this holy Spirit is to be found and in whome it remayneth 9. Moreouer it is certaine that the holy Ghost doth not remayne or is to be found in any booke least peraduenture our Aduersaries should send vs to their Bibles but in the hartes of the belieuers Now we aske whether this holy Ghost which is the Iudge of all be in the hart of euery belieuer or rather in the hart of the whole Catholike Church If they say in the hart of the Catholike Church we haue our desire if they say in the hart of euery priuate man it will follow that no priuate person can erre in his owne iudgment seeing that the holy Ghost cannot erre in his iudgment Heâ—re truly we seeke for that Iudge which caÌ„not erre 10. Furthermore euery priuate man shall be come the Iudge of the whole Church if euery such priuate person haue this spirit which is the Iudge of the whole Church whereupon there will ensue a great confusion in the Church of God 11. Besides that if euery belieuer be the Iudge theÌ„ our Aduersaries must needs admit the auncient Fathers as Iudges of all Controuersies the which they will neuer do for they dare not deny but that the auncient Fathers were true belieuers why therfore do they attribute vnto themselues that which they so vâ—hemently deny to all the auncient Fathers 21. Moreouer if euery belieuer cannot erre in his iudgment much lesse can a great many such erre and least of all can the Church of all belieuers erre Wherefore whatsoeuer our Aduersaries say they wil be forced to confesse and graunt that the holy Ghost is the Iudge as he remaineth in the whole Church speaking and iudging by the mouth therof and in this manner euen out of our Aduersaries doctrine we gather by a necessary consequence our opinion 13. Lastly that which they affirme that the priuate spirit of euery particuler person is Iudge is therby declared to be false that they themselues acknowledge that there is no priuate man which at some tymes cannot erre in his indgment but heere we inquire for a Iudge which cannot erre For otherwise in matters of such moment and of which our eternall saluation dependeth we should dangerously be forced to haue recourse to an erroneous Iudge whose iudgement is variable vncertaine deceitfull and oftentymes manifestly false 14. But now as concerning the third point that the Church is the iudge of all Controuersies we proue by these arguments First the Church hath all the properties of a fit iudge for first she hath an exact knowledge the holy Ghost shall teach you saith Christ all truth 15. Secondly the Church cannot be corrupted by any giftes or praiers For she is as the Apostle witnesseth the pillar and ground of truth 16. Thirdly the Church heareth 2. Tim. 3. v. 15. speaketh giueth her iudgment and examineth the testimonies of Scriptures and Fathers as experience it selfe teacheth vs. 17. Fourthly we are bound to stand to the iudgement of the Church VVho will not heare the Church saith our Lord let Matt. 18. v. 17. him be vnto thee as an â—eathen and
people cannot discerne which is the sincere preaching of the word of God or the lawfull administration of the Sacraments and the Ecclesiasticall discipline prescribed by the word of God for it is necessary that he who knoweth all these things well should also vnderstand almost all the holy Scripture Moreouer there is as yet a very great controuersy among â—ur Aduersaries themselues concerning these three signes whiles that some of them doe contend striue that this is the sincere preaching of the word of God others that some doe say that this is the lawfull administration of the Sacraments others that some doe say this is the discipline prescribed by the word of God others assigne another quite different from this 7. But our Aduersaries do in very truth confound the offices of the Church with the signes therof For to preach sincerely to administer the Sacraments lawfully and to appoint the discipline of the Supr c. 1. buius coÌ„ §. 9. seq Church rightly are the offices of the Church as we haue declared before and not the signes therof these signes therfore being reiected which our Aduersaries do assigne it remayneth that we enquire out the true signes of the Church 8. But this is first to be presupposed as it were the ground of all that we are to speake of this matter That euen naturall reason it selfe doth clearly demoÌ„strat that there is some true Church of God heere vpon earth For this is one of those first principles of fayth which are as euidently proued by naturall reason as that there is a God Wherefore the Apostle placeth these two amoÌ„gst the first grounds of our faith he that commeth to God saith he must belieue that he is is a rewarder to theÌ„ that seeke Hebr. v. â— him But they which so seeke after God that they may be rewarded by him are without all doubt in the true Church 4. Moreouer naturall reason it selfe doth euideÌ„tly teach vs that it is an absurd thing to thinke that there is no way left by God for men to obteine their eternall saluation seing that this is quite opposite to the prouideÌ„ce of God to his infinite goodnesse but there is no other way besides the Church as we haue declared before Cap. 2â— huius coÌ„trouersiae but because there are so many so diuers opinioÌ„s of men coÌ„cerning this so necessary a way to saluatioÌ„ there are also certaine signes markes therof set downe that we may the better vnderstand which is indeed the certaine and most true way 10. Out of these which we haue now Supra c. 14. huius controu §. 5. in fine said followeth first that that which we haue insinuated before is most true to wit that it is more certaine euideÌ„t that there is the holy Scripture seeing that it is manifest by naturall reason that there must needs be some Church of God heere vpon earth the which is not so euident of the holy Scriptures 11. The second thing which ensueth is that to these signes of the true Church these two coÌ„ditious are altogeather necessary The first is that they must be such as that they may not only be perceiued by fayth and our vnderstanding but euen by sense it selfe for other wise they cannot be true signes as we haue already proued The other is that they be knowne and manifest to all men euen vnto Infidells seing that otherwise Isa 35. v 8. they cannot help them or conuince and bring them to the true Church For the Church of Christ as the Prophet testifieth is a direct way so that fooles that is to Bellarm per totuÌ„ l. 4. de Eccles militaÌ„te Bozius de signis Ecclesiae Coccius Tom. 1. per totum l. 8. say Infidells cannot erre by it 12. Of these signes of the true Church Bellarmine Coccius and Thomas Bozius Eugubinus discourse at large who hath gathered twenty fower signes in all of the true Church all which he manifestly proueth to agree to the Roman Church out of these Authors more signes may be required 13. But we regarding our intended breuity will only alledge foure which are set downe in the Nicene and Constantinopolitan Creed that is to say that this true Church is One Holy Catholike and Apostolicall For these foure signes are so certayne that they cannot be reiected euen by our Aduersaries First because they are expressely set downe in holy Scripture as we will shew in the next Chapter Moreouer our Aduersaries do professe that they admit and receiue three Creeds to wit the Apostles Creed the Nicene and Rupell CoÌ„fess Artic. 5. in fine that of S. Athanasius But in that which we call the Nicen Creed these foure signes of the Church are expressely set downe wherof we will now speake more particulerly CHAP. II. That the true Church of Christ is One Holy Catholike and Apostolicall S. Augustine very well admonisheth vs that when we dispute against S. Aug. Tom. 7. de vnit Eccles cap. 3. heretikes which do admit the holy Scriptures we should proue the true Church of Christ the signes thereof out of the sayd holy writ For as the same holy Father noteth in another place the Prophets had spoken more obscurely of Christ S. Aug. Tom. 8. coÌ„ 2. in Psal 30. super ea verba v. 12. qui videbant me foras fugerunt à me then they did of the Church because by their Propheticall spirit they did see that there would arise greater strife debate about the Church theÌ„ of Christ himselfe We will therfore heere proue these foure signes of the Church First out of the Scripture and secondly by naturall reason seeing that these signes must be such as may conuince those which do not admit the Scriptures as we haue declared in the precedent Chapter 2. The first signe of the true Church of Christ is Vnity For there is a threefold vnity necessarily preached in the Church of Christ The first is of all the members with Christ who is the supreme head of the Church the which is effected by fayth wherefore it necessarily followeth that there must be but one fayth of all the members of the Church One Lord and God saith the Apostle and one faith and againe vntill we all meete in the vnity Ephes 4. v. 5. Eph. 4. v. 13. of fayth 3. The second Vnity is of all the members among themselues for as he who dissolueth the first vnity is an heretike so he which violateth this is a schismatike wherefore Christ sayth in this all men shall know that you are my disciples if you haue loue one to another And the Apostle That there might be no schisme in the body but the members Ioan. 13. v. 15. 1. Cor. 1. v. 25. 1. Cor. 24. v. 33. togeather might be carefull one for another Finally God is not the God of dissention but of peace as also in all the Churches of the Saynts I teach sayth the same Apostle 4.
the Apostles is there resident and gouerneth the same as the supreme head thereof 2. The first place is taken out of S. Mat. 15. v. 18. 19. Mathew For he relateth the words which Christ spake to S. Peter which are these And I say vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it and I will giue to thee the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpoÌ„ earth it shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth it shal be loosed in heauen 3. First that Christ spake to S. Peter and not to the other Apostles appeareth euidently by the very words of the text For Io. 1. v. 24. Ioan 22. v. 15. first of all Christ setteth downe S. Peters old name Simon sayth he thou art blessed and then afterward he setteth downe the name of his father Baâ—-iona that is to say the sonne of Ionas or of Iohn as also the EuaÌ„gelist S. Iohn testifyeth He sheweth afterward that the reuelation was only made to S. Peter My father sayth he hath reuealed vnto thee he doth not say vnto you as he is woÌ„â— to say when he speaketh vnto them all He addeth moreouer because thou art Peter which certainly agreeth only to S. Peter for vpon him only was this Name imposed Ioan. 1. v. 42. 4. Moreouer Christ addeth And vpon this rocke I will build my Church in which words that particle and is a coniunction causall and not a copulatiue and it signifieth because and in this sense it is vsed oftentymes in holy Scripture as our Aduersaries cannot deny as for example in that place of Genesis Lo thou shalt dye for the woman Gen. 20. v. 3. Psal 59. veâ— 60. v. 13. 107. Psa vel 08 v. 13. Isaiae 46. v. vlt. Luc. 1. v. 42. that thou hast taken and hath a husband that is because she hath a husband So also Dauid in his Psalmes Giue vs thy helpe from our tribulation and vayne is the saluation of men that is to say because the saluation of men is but vayne In like manner the Prophet Isay saith Behould thou art angry and we haue sinned that is to say because we haue sinned In the same sense it is vsed in the new Testament Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe that is to say because it is blessed as Caluin and Beza doe acknowledge all which places Caluin confesseth to be so vnderstood after Theophilact Also and none gaue him any thing that is to say because none gaue him See more examples of this in the latin edition 5. This therfore is the true sense of that place As thou hast sayd vnto me thou Ioan. 1. v. 42. art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God so I say vnto thee that I haue worthily called thee Peter because vpon this rocke which thou art I will build my Church For to what end should Christ haue said vnto him thou art Peter seeing that all knew well inough before that Peter was Peter but that he would therby declare that he was not called Peter without great cause that is to say because vpon him as vpon a sure and strong foundation and rocke Christ intended to build his Church Christ therfore Ioan. 1. v. 42. would haue S. Peter to remember the name which of late was giuen him and afterward he assigneth the reason and S. Hier. in c. 16. Matt. sup eaverba Quiatu es Petrus cause why he called him so to wit because vpon him as vpon a most strong rocke he would build his Church According to the metaphore os a rocke saith S. Hierome it was rightly said vnto him I will build my Church vpon thee 6. For the holy Scripture is accustomed when it speaketh of a name giuen vnto any by the interpretation of the word to adioyne also the reason and Gen. 17. v. 5 Gen. 22. v. 27. Gen. 4. v. 25. cause of the name so said our Lord vnto Abram Neyther shall thy name be called any more Abram but thou shalt be called Abraham and then he presently giueth a reason takeÌ„ from the etimology of the word because a Father of many Nations I haue made thee So also he did when Iacob was called Israel See more of this in the Latin edition pag. 280. 7. Lastly not without great reason Christ gaue vnto S. Peter this new name but no other cause is assigned in the holy Scripture but this Because vpon this rocke I will build my Church This therfore and no other was the cause of giuing him this new name Hereupon saith S. Hilary very well O happy foundation of Christes Church saith he in the imposition of a new name and o In c. 16. Matt. worthy rocke of that building the which should dissolue and breake the infernall Lawes the gates of hell and all the stronge barres of death So S. Hilary 8. Moreouer Christ said to S. Peter I will giue the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen vnto thee he doth not say vnto you In like manner he said in the singular number Mat. 16. v. 19. whatsoeuer thou hast bound vpon earth c. that thou shalt loose c. He spake therfore to S. Mat. 18. v. 18. Peter only and not to many 9. And albeit he promised this last authority of bynding or loosing men from their sinnes to the other Apostles also yet first of all in this place he promised this to S. Peter alone and then afterwardes to the rest to the end we might therby know that he made S. Peter the head of all the rest and that all their power and authority was subordinate to that of his For at this day all Catholike Bishops haue authority to bynd loose but subordinate to the Popes authority 10. All which thinges that holy martyr S. Cyprian declareth very well in Cypr. de vnit Ecc. circa principium Mat. 16. v. 18. 19. these wordes wherby it may easily be vnderstood what was the opinion and iudgment of the primitiue Church concerning this matter God speakâ—th vnto S. Peter saith S. Cyprian I say vnto thee because thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church c. And againe after his resurrection Ioan. 20. v. 20. 21. 22. 23. he sayd feed my shepe vpon him alone he buyldeth his Church and he committeth vnto him to feede his sheepe and albeit he gaue the like authority to all the other Apostles saying As my Father sent me so c. whose sinnes yee forgiue c. yet to the end he might shew and declare an vnity he ordayned but one chayre he confirmed by his authority the beginning of that vnity proceeding from one The same indeed or equall in all other thinges were the other Apostles with S. Peter indued with the same power and authority to wit before those wordes of
be very hard for them to discerne that which is true from that which is false Wherfore we will endeauour in euery particuler Controuersy to set downe the true state of the question Afterward we will lay open the foundation of the Catholike doctrine And lastly we will plainly and briefly answere the chiefe obiections of our Aduersaries whether they be drawne out of the Scriptures or taken from the Fathers 3. And because our Aduersaries euermore boast and brag of the written Word of God pretending out of it only to proue their doctrine impugne ours our chiefe care shal be to shew that the Catholike and Roman faith is both euidently and strongly to be confirmed out of the wrirten Word of God and the doctrine of our Aduersaries to haue no foundation at all in the holy Scriptures but is manifestly opposite repugnant therunto yet so as we will set downe the vniforme conseÌ„t of the auncient Church to be agreeing with vs in euery Controuersy leauing the more ample search of antiquity vnto others to whome we will referre the Reader setting downe their particuler names so loath we are that this booke of ours should grow too great and for the same reason we haue thought good to omit many arguments which might be drawne out of the holy Scriptures for confirmation of the Catholike faith contenting our selues to set downe only the more solide and euident proofes because we are resolued to be as briefe as may be CHAP. II. Of the Word of God in generall THE word of God if we speake of it in generall may be considered two wayes either for that One Eternall and Infinite Word which contayneth perfectly in it selfe whatsoeur is in the mind of Almighty God which is the same with the Sonne of God and Word of the Father of whome S. Iohn speaketh in his Ghospell saying In the beginning was the VVord and of this Word we are to say nothing heere but the Word of God may be other wise coÌ„sidered and taken for that Word which was not alwayes nor contayneth all thinges which are in the mind of God but a small part only of them to wit such thinges as God would haue vs know and belieue and of the Word of God in this sense we speake now For this Word is the proper and complete obiect of our faith 2. Moreouer this Word hath two conditions or properties the one is that the same be reuealed vnto vs for there are innumerable verities in the mind of God the which bâ—cause they are not reuealed to vs do not appâ—rtayne to this Word The other is that it be immediatly reuealed by God for such thinges as God manifesteth Rom. 2. v. 19. â—0 Heb. 11. v. 1. vnto vs by naturall reason appertayne not to this Word of God called therfore by the Deuines the reuealed Word of God 3. Of this Word of God so vnderstood there is no Controuersy betwene vs and our Aduersaries but only in wordes for wherâ—s our Aduersaries say that Catholikes affirme that we must with diuine fayth belieue the words of men or which is worse rather belieue the words of men then the Word of God it is a meere slaunder for there is no Catholike so ignorant but he knoweth that the Theologicall vertue Faith relieth altogeather vpon the pure sincere and certayne Word of God alone according to that of S. Paul VVhen you had receiued of vs the 1. Thes 2. v. 13. word of the hearing of God you receaued it not as the word of men but as the VVord of God as indeed it is Neyther can any man doubt but that the reuealed word of God is partly the written Word contayned in the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament partly vnwritten and deliuered by tradition and preaching of which vnwritten â— Thes c. 2. v. 14. 1. ad Cor. 15. v. 1. ad Gal. 1. v. â— 1. Pet. 1. v. vlâ— word the Scripture maketh mention in many places but we will first treat of the written Word CHAP. III. Of the written Word of God THE witten Word of God consisteth of two parts of the Letter which euery man may read in the books themselues and in the true seÌ„se of the Letter which is as it were the very soule and life thereof without which the Letter alone rather killeth theÌ„ quickneth or giueth life as we see euidently by experience in the Iewes Arians all other heretikes as well new as old for the Iewes hold theÌ„selues stiffely to the Letter of the old TestameÌ„t the Arians as also in a manner all other heretikes receiue eyther altogeather or for the greatest part the Letter of the new but because they will not acknowledge the true sense of the Letter Iewes they are Heretikes they are Catholikes they are not And surely the Letter alone without the true sense cannot truly and properly be called the Word of God no more then a body without a soule can truly and properly be called a man wherefore they which spoile the Letter of the true sense may be compared to them who beâ—eaue a man of his soule and life 2. But whosoeuer do substitute another contrary sense and meaning in place of the true do no otherwise then they who not only kill a man but by Art Magicke bring into the body of the man killed some other diabolicall spirit by which the dead body is so moued and stirred as it seemeth to many to be aliue all this is so manifest a truth as our Aduersaâ—ies themselues are not able to deny it 3. This to haue byn the doctrine of the auncient Church sufficiently appeareth Aug. ser â—8 de temp by the words of S. Augustine The vnhappy Iewes sayth he more vnhappy Heretikes whilst they attend only to the sound of the Letter as a body without a soule so they remayne dead and voyd of the spirit which quickneth And els where All Heretickes which receiue Aug Epist 22â— the Scriptures and their authority will seem to follow them wheras indeed they follow rather their owne errors and are therefore Heretikes not because they contemne them but because they do not vnderstand them And before him S. Hilary that honour of the French Nation RemeÌ„ber Hil. l. ad Constant Imperat. saith he that there is not one of the heretikes which doth not say that he preacheth now according to the Scriptures euen those thinges in which he blasphemeth albeit he lieth in so saying And a little after All of them speake Scriptures without the true sense meaning they preteÌ„d sayth without fayth indeed for the Scriptures consist not so much in the reading as in the vnderflaÌ„ding neither are they vnderstood of such as go into preuarication but continue and abide in charity Moreouer S. Hierome Let vs not thinke sayth Hieron in c. 1. ad Gal. he the Ghospell to be in the words of the Scripture but in the sense not in the out side but in the inside
or marrow not in the leauâ—s of the words but in the sappeâ—pâ—th or roote os reason And a little after otherwise Matt. 4. v. 6. euen the Diuell himselfe speaketh Scriptures and all heresies according to Ezechiel make vnto themselues pillowes which they may lay vnder the elbow oâ— euery age Ezec. 13. v. 18. 2. By that which hath byn sayd answere may be made to our Aduersaries when they obiect against vs that we affirme the Scripture to be imperfect obscure like a nose of wax which a man may writh which way he will and lastly the origen and spring in a manner of all heresies for we affirme this of the naked and dead letter alone destitute of the true sense or rather of the letter to which the Heretikes adde their owne peruerse sense and meaning neyther haue our Aduersaries any cause to wonder at this seeing S. Paul himselfe saith of the bare letter alone that it killeth and bringeth eternall death 1. Cor. â— v. 6. 7. 9. and damnation But neuer any Catholike did euer attribute any such thing to the liuing letter which hath conioyned with it the true and natiue sense and which alone is truly and properly the word of God CHAP. IIII. How we are to seeke out the true sense and meaning of the holy Scripture THERE is great contentioÌ„ beweene vs and our Aduersaries about the meanes how to finde out the true and naturall interpretation of the letter a thing so necessary to eternall saluation They teach diuers thinges concerning this matter but deliuer nothing that is certayne One assigneth more rules to this purpose another fewer but when they haue sayd all they confesse at last that there was neuer any which hath not at sometyme erred in seeking out the true interpretation of holy Scripture For they gyue not their assent either to the ancient Fathers or to their owne Maisters in all thinges they teach or write nay they cannot assigne any one whom they acknowledge not to haue erred sometyme nor dare affirme to be free from error seeing as they say Euery man is a lyar and so at last all Rom. 3. v. 4. thinges are left by them doubtfull and vncertayne 2. But the Catholikes do proceed after another manner who teach that the certayne vndoubted sense of the Letter is not to be taken from the iudgment of any particuler man but from the vniforme consâ—nt of the ancient Fathers and especially from the iudgment and interpretation of the Catholike Church to whome it appertayneth to iudge of the sense and meaning of the holy Scriptures as the holy and Oecumenicall Councell of TreÌ„t teacheth very well for there is no doubt Concil Trident. sess 4. but that it is more safe to follow such an interpreter as cannot erre then such a one as erreth somtymes or at leastwise may erre but the Church cannot erre in her iudgment seeing that Christ and the â—oly Ghost remayne with her to teach Matt. 28. c vlt. Ioan. 14 v. 16. â—oan 16. v. 13. â—er all truth wherof more herafter when we shall come to treat of the Church 3. It shall suffice to obserue and â—ote here that according to the doctrine of our Aduersaries nothing either solide or certayne is contayned in the holy Scriâ—ture for wheras all dependeth of the â—rue sense of the Letter and with them â—here is no certayne or sure meanes by which to finde out this sense it followeth â—hat they call all into doubt which is in â—he Scripture wherby who seeth not how much they iniure them But contrariâ—yse according to the Catholike doctrine all thinges are euident and cerâ—ayne which are contayned in the holy Scriptures appertayning eyther to faith or good manners the Catholikes hauing euer a certayne and faithful Interpreter to wit the Catholike Church And surely whosoeuer reiecteth the sense which the Church giueth and in place therof substituteth another altogeather repugnant to it doth all one with him who reiecting the holy Scripture should in place therof bring in a new Scripture of his owne forging the sense of the Scripture being no lesse a part of the word of God then the letter which in these few wordes Tertullian confirmeth out of the tradition of the auncient Church The sense adulterated or falsified is no lesse repugnant Tertul. de prâ—sc c. 17. to the truth then the letter or stile corrupted 4. And to conclude it may be inferred that saluation is to be found in the Roman Church only and none at all out Marc. vlt. vers 16. â—om 3. v. 1â— Heb. â—â— v. 9. of it which I proue thus Both the Scripture testifyeth all meÌ„ confesse that diuine fayth is necessary to saluation but such as forsake the RomaÌ„ Church cannot haue diuine faith which wholy relieth vpon the word of God only but meerly humane seing their fayth is founded not in the word of God interpreted by the Church which cannot errâ— but in the word and interpretation of Luther Caluin or some other priuate man who as they themselues graunt may erre and be deceiued such an humane fayth then so doubtfull and vncertayne and only warranted by mans authority cannot iustify or bring a man to eternall saluation CHAP. V. How we may know which is the true letter of the holy Scripture ALL such as forsake the Roman Church and make little account of her authority are not only doubtfull vncertayne which is the true sense of the Scripture but they can haue no assurance at all eyther of the whole or of any part of the letter therof For whilst they goe about to call in question and make doubtfull certayne bookes only of the old Testament before they are aware they take away all authority from all other bookes both of the old and new Testament For whereas there is but one certaine and vndoubted Canon of these bookes to wit that which is receaued and approued by the iudgment of the Catholike Church which cannot erre our Aduersaries reiecting this Canon make all the books doubtfull conteined therin for no certayne testimony can be had of these bookes but eyther by this Canon only or by the auncieÌ„t tradition of the Church but they neyther admit this Canon nor wil stand to this vnwritten TraditioÌ„ or acknowledge it for the true word of God 2. Now as for the Canons lately set out by themselues no man can safely belieue them seeing they neyther agree one with another nor with the auncient Canons of the Church nor are any where found in the writteÌ„ word of God which as they teach is only to be belieued neyther can they bring any thing eyther concerning the Canon of the Hebrewes or any other auncient Canon which they haue not taken from the writings of the auncient Fathers whose authority without the expresse written word of God they will haue to be in no wise sufficient to engender fayth so as euen by the iudgment of our Aduersaries none of all these
true sense of these wordes Ipsa conteret c. THAT we may find out the true sense of these wordes we must first resute the false expositions of our Aduersaries The LutheraÌ„s by the seed of the womaÌ„ will needes haue Christ only to be meant we confesse in deed that he is principally meant therby and that therefore the place may be well vnderstood of Christ as many auncient Fathers haue expounded it but that Christ alone is meant hereby and not his members we deny to be the literall sense for the reason following 2. First it is euident that the seed of the Serpent which is opposed against the seed of the woman doth not signify any one Serpent but a multitude it is therefore very probable that by the seed of the woman a multitude also is signified vnlesse we will haue the Scripture in so few wordes speake ambiguously Moreouer semen is a Nowne collectiue properly signifying a multitude neyther is there any thing in this sentence that forceth vs to depart from the proper signification of the Word This reason is of so great a force that Caluin was moued therby to forsake the exposition of the Lutherans which he would otherwise willingly haue imbraced the more strongly to assault vs for thus he writeth Some make no doubt but Christ alone is Calu. in Gen. loco â—it meant by the seed of the woman whose exposition I could willingly approue but that I see they offer too great violence to the word seed for who will graunt that a Nowne collectiue is to be taken for one man only Thus Caluin So strong is the truth that it extorteth a true confession from her greatest enemy 3 Secondly it is sayd of the seed of the woman that it shall crush and bruze the head of the Serpent but this crushing and bruzing the Scripture doth not attribute to Christ alone but to all that lead a godly life in him for to euery iust man the holy Ghost speaketh saying Thou thalt walke ouer the Addar and Basiliske and thou Psal 90. v 13. shalt tread vnder thy feete the Lyon and the Dragon And Christ saith vnto his Disciples Behold I haue giuen you power to tread vpon the Serpents and Scorpions and vpon all the power of Luc. 10. v. 19. the enemy And the Apostle to the Romans prayeth saying The God of peace cruâ—h Satan vnder your seete quickly And lastly in very many places of Scripture the faithfull Rom. 16. v. 20. are said to ouercome the Diuell and to get victories against him which is all one as to crush him Seing therefore the proper worke of this seed agreeth also 1. Ioan. 2. v. 13. Apoc. 12. v. 11. 1. Cor. 15. v. 57. to the members of Christ the Word seed is not to be limited to Christ alone Ad hereunto that God in these wordes intended to comfort not only Eue deceaued by the craft of the Diuell but all her posterity Now the comfort is more generall if all the faithfull should be able by Christ to ouercome the Diuell thâ—n if that Christ alone should ouercome him euen as our comfort is greater that we togeather with Christ shall rise againe then if Christ only should rise and be alonâ— attayne to eternall life 4 Thirdly Albeit we should graunt our Aduersaries that Christ alone doth crush the head of the Dâ—uell which is the former part of the sentence yet the latter part can by no meanes bâ— applyed to Christ alone where it sayd that the Diuell shall crush this seed for Christ in his owne person cannot be crushed by the Diuell we must therefore needes by this seed vnderstand also the members of Christ for in the Hebrew text it is thus word for word ipsa vel ipsum coÌ„teret tâ— in capite â—â—â—â—teres â—um vâ—leaâ— in calcâ—â—â— for the Hebrew word is the same in both places both in the first and in the later part of the sentence and signifyeth contâ—â—â—re 5. As for Caluins exposition interpreting In Gen. loc cit lib. 1. Instit c. 13. sect 2. by the seed of the woman al mankind it is not to be receaued for God in this place denounceth emnity betweene the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman but infidells and vngoodly persons haue no emnity with the Diuell and his seed but are rather the seed and sonnes of the Diuell according to those words of Christ Yâ—â— are of your father the Diuell they therefore cannot appertayne to this seed Ioan. 8. v. 44. of the woman 6. But whâ—râ—as Caluin in another place sayth that Christ and his members are signifyed by the seed of the woman wee Calu. l. 1. Instit c. 14 sect 18. like well of that his saying for it is the exposition of the Catholike and auncient Fathers and indeed the true litterall sense 7. For in that sentence God sayth first that he will put emnity wherefore he speaketh not of any naturall emnity â—â— Caluin insinuateth but of a super naturall proceeding from God Moreouer God signifyeth betweene whome this emnity shal be to wiâ— betweene the Serpent and womaâ— Now as by the Serpent the Diuell is meant whome that naturall Serpent represented and in whome God layed his curse vpon the Diuell so by the woman Eâ—e is meant the spouse of Christ or his true Church represented by Eâ—e whose force and victory against the Diuell was therefore foretold by God for that Eue represented the Eph. 5. v. 32. 2. Cor. 11. v. 2. 3. Church as Adam did Christ the Apostle plainely teacheth in his Epistle to the Ephes and the same Apostle doth therfore elsewhere expound this place of Satan and the Church as doth S. Iohn in his Apocalypâ— Apoc. 1â— v. 13. 17. where he declareth this emnity betwene the VVoman and the Serpent to be indeed the emnity betweene the Church of Christ and the Diuell wherfore here by the Serpent is signifyed the Diuell by the woman the Church by the seed of the Serpent the Children of the Diuell and all the wicked who are aliens from Christ and his Church but especially such as seduce others and Mat. 1â— v â—8 Apoc. â—â— v. 17. oppugne the Church The seede of the woman are the Children of the Church especially such as keep Gods commaundments and haue the testimony of Iesus Christ as S. Iohn speaketh 8. Furthermore this woman to wit the Church shall crush the head of the Serpent as we haue proued by many places of Psal 90. v. 1â— Luc. 10. v. 19. Rom. 16. v. 20. Scripture But on the other side the womans heelâ— shal be crushed by Satan for the Church ouercoÌ„meth the Diuell by her chiefe and more excellent members but she is ouercome in such her members as are base and worldly giuen which set vp their rest heere vpon earth and tast no other things but such as are terrene earthly worthily therefore signified by Defuga saec c. 7. the heele
whole Chapters out of the Canticle of Canticles out of Ezethiel and other Prophets were obiected by the Catholikes Beza de not Ecâ—l Vol. 3. p. 137. edit an 158. they changing their mind confesse that very many places of Scripture are obscure but that all points of doctrine necessary to saluation are be found in places plaine and easy 2. For resolution of this question we must answere with a distinction and say that if the word Scripture be taken for the bare Letter only then doubtlesse the â— Cor. 3. v. 6. 7. 9. Scripture is obscure or â—ls S. Paul would not haue said that it killeth and causeth death and damnation but if it be taken properly that is to say togeather with the true sense and meaning thereof then it is not obscure but plaine inough in al things necessary to saluation and in this sense speaketh S. Augustine as do also other Fathers l. 3. de doct Christ c. 7. 9. whom our Aduersaries cite wheÌ„ they say that al things necessary to saluatioÌ„ are manifestly conteyned in the holy Scripture 3. Moreouer the holy Scripture is both manifest and obscure but not in regard of the same persons It is passing obscure and not to be vnderstood of the proud such I meane as despise the sense and consent of the holy Fathers yea and of the whole Catholike Church but to little ones and such as are humble who follow in al things the foresayd sense coÌ„sent it is manifest Psal 18. v. 8. and perspicuous The testimony of our Lord is faythfull sayth the Psalmist giuing wisedome to the little ones that is to such as are humble and not proud and Christ our Lord sayth thou hast hidden these thinges from Matt. 11. v. 25. the wise and reuealed them to little ones that is to the humble The Scripture indeed is obscure to such as want fayth are destitute of the holy Ghost but easy playne to those which abide preseuere in the faith of the Church by that meanes are guided gouerned by the holy Ghost 4. The Word of God shineth brightly the Word of God I say not the word of men nor the word of the Diuell for that only is the true Word of God which is in the true sense not in the bare letter for the letter depraued by a false seÌ„se is not the Word of God but the word of men or rather the word of the Diuell the word of God doth illuminate the eyes but the 2. Cor. 4. v. 41. eyes of such as haue eyes to see and not their eyes whose mindes Satan hath blinded so as the light of the Ghospell cannot shine to them 5. In vaine therefore do our Aduersaries heape togeather so many places of Scripture in which it is said that the Word of God is said to be cleare ful of light perspicuous for this is not attributed by the Scripture to the bare letter but to the letter ioined with the true sense which true seÌ„se cannot be had out of the Catholike Church 6. Neyther doth the Scripture say that the Word of God is manifest to all indifferently but to such only as being indued with the true fayth are humble of hart and therefore inspired by the holy Ghost if therefore our Aduersaries will haue the Scripture to be full of light and easy to be vnderstood of them it it necessary that they returne againe to the true Church in which only is true faith true humility the true sense of the Scripture the true spirit of God without which the holy Scripture will neuer be plaine cleare and manifest for it is great imprudency I will not say impudency to contend so eagerly and with such hostility about the plainenes and perspicuity of the holy Scripture and to haue no will to returne into that way which only leadeth to plainenes and perspicuity CHAP. XIII Whether the holy Scripture be to be translated into the vulgar tongue THAT we may briefly dispatch that which hath beene so largely treated of by many concerning this matter we will reduce all vnto foure generall assertions The first is There is no doubt but the Word of God is to be preached to the people in the vulgar tongue so as the question is only of the bare written letter 2. The second assertion is Neyther the example of Christ nor of the Primitiue Church do coÌ„uince that the Scripture is to be translated into the vulgar tongue but rather the contrary for Christ neuer commaunded the Iewes to translate the Scriptures out of the Hebrew tongue into the Syâ—iac and yet in Christs tyme the aunâ—ient Hebrew tongue was to the Iewes as the Latin is to the Ereâ—ch Italians and Spaniards and only the Syriac tongue was in vse amongst the common people which euen our Aduersaries confesse such I meane as are the more skillfull in the Syriac and Hebrew tongues as namely these Sebastian Munster in his preface before his Syriacal Caldaical Grammer Francis Iunius in his preface before the new Testament in the Syriac tongue of Tremelius Peter Martin Morentine of Nauarre in the preface of his Caldaical Grammer printed aâ— Roâ—hel the yeare 1590. 3. Neyther did S. Paul write in Latin to the Romanes but in Greeke though Hier. de Script Eccles in Luc. See S. Aug. l. 2. de doct Christ c. 11. seq not the Greeke tongue but the Latin was their vulgar tongue So S. Luke did â—rite the actes of the Apostles at Rome in Greeke and not in Latin And euen to S. Augustines tyme foure hundred yeares after Christ the Byble was not extant but in the three learned tongues Hebrew Greeke and Latin no not in the tyme of Rabbanus Maurus who liued Rab. l. 5. de inst Cler. c. 8. eight hundred yeares after Christ as himselfe testifyeth in expresse words 4. Neyther can our Aduersaries alleadge any authenticall example of the auncient Church for the translation of the Scripture into the vulgar tongue they tell vs indeed of one Vulphilâ—s a Bishop of the Gothes who is sayd to haue translated the Scripture into the Gothish tongue but he was not a Catholike but an Arian Heretike as witnesse Theodoret Theod. l. 4. hist Ecc. cap. vlâ— Socr. lib. 4. c. 27. Sozom l. 6. c. 37. Cass in hist tripart l. 8. c. 13. Socrates Sozomenus and Cassiodorus 5. For as for that which certayne late writers alleadge of S. Clâ—ysostome his translating of the Scripture into the Armenian tongue as also of S. Hierome his translating of the same into the Dalmatical toÌ„gue there can no certayne proofe be brought thereof And they who write this do not affirme that all the Scripture was translated by them but certayne partes only vsed of old to be read in the prayers of the Church as the Psalmes Epistles Ghospels and Lessons which were song publickely at Masse in the Canonicall houres which we read to haue byn graunted by Pope Iohn the eight of
that name to the Morauians at their first Conuersion to the faith of Christ but this was 880. yeares after Christ and this custome was of no long continuance amongst them as appeareth Baron Tom. 10. an 880. n. 19. Tom. 11. an 1080. n. 1. by that which Pope Gregory the sâ—auenth writeth to the Duke of Bohemia is to be seene in Caesar Baronius 6. The third assertion To translate the Scripture into the vulgar tongue is neyther in it selfe vnlawfull nor forbidden by any Ecclesiasticall law so it be truly translated Nay such a translation serueth Preachers to great vse who are to cite and expound the Scriptures to the people in the vulgar tongue Hereticall translations are indeed forbidden especially of the new Testament because in them many places of holy Scripture are by false translating corrupted 7. The fourth assertion It is not a thing profitable to all to read the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue yea to many it is rather pernicious for we are taught by â— Pet. vlt. v. 26. the Apostle S. Peter that in the Scriptures are many thinges hard to be vnderstood which vnlearned and vnstayed persoÌ„s depraue to their owne destruction Many also there are vncapable of meate and solid sustenance who are therefore to be â— Cor. 3. v. 2. Heb. â— v. 12. fed with milke as the Apostle speaketh and for such it is more wholesome to be fed by the sermons and instructions of their Pastors then to feede themselues with reading the Bible It was therefore great prudence of the Church to forbid that the Bible though translated and set forth by Catholikes should be read of Index li. â—rohâ—â— Reg. 4. all indifferently and without the approbation and leaue of the Bishop Pastor or Ghostly Father 8. Our Aduersaries obiect certayne places of S. Chrysostome and S. Hierome in which they exhort to the reading of the Scripture but they should haue obserued that those Fathers speake of reading the Scripture in the Greek tongue then extant or in the Latin according to the old edition which was neuer forbidden to any by the Church whereas our Controuersy is about the translations of the holy Scripture out of the Hebrew Greek and Latin into the vulgar tongue which are all for the most part corrupted 9. And it is worthy the noting that our Aduersaries spend their tyme in vayne in gathering togeather arguments by which to perswade men that it is necessary for them to read the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue to the end they may learne out of them what they must necessarily know if they wil be saued for how truly or plainly soeuer they be translated no man shall euer receyue any fruite by them vnlesse he first belieue aright and be guided by the holy Ghost to whome it appertayneth to guide vs into the right Psal 142. v. 8. 1â— land to make knowne vnto vs the way in which we are to walke to teach vs the will of God which we are to fulfill VVhich is manifestly to be seene in the Iewes who vnderstaÌ„d the Hebrew text much better then Christians in which there is so ample and cleare mention of Christ and yet for all that they do not belieue in Christ Our Aduersaries therefore haue little reason to keep such ado about the wordes of Scripture or the translation of them let them first imbrace the true Faith which is in the Church only let them seeke after the holy Ghost who is not to be found out of the Church let them seeke out the true sense of the Letter which the Church only conserueth vncorrupteed and it will easily be graunted vnto them to haue the Scriptures in what tongue soeuer they will so they be truly and vncorruptedly translated and that they vse them to their owne saluation and not to their destruction as many do wherof we haue for witnesse not only the Scripture but dayly experience And this shall suffice concerning the translatioÌ„ of the Scripture into the vulgar toÌ„gue 10. For of the prayers in Latin eyther priuately made by the people or publikely offered by the Priest at masse and in the administratioÌ„ of the SacramoÌ„ts we wil treat hereafter in their proper places CHAP. XIII That our Aduersaries vse many sleightes in corrupting the Word of God OVR Aduersaries often require vs to proue all that which we say out of the written Word of God but when we cite the same in expresse tearmes they haue many wayes by which they depraue it Wherfore before I make an end of this Controuersy concerning the written Word it shall not be from the purpose briefly to detect such their corruptions partly to the end that no man be deceaued by them and partly that euery man may vnderstand nothing to be so plainely and clearely set downe in the written VVord which by the Commentaries of crafty and subtile wittes may not be weakned and made of little force if no regard be had to the authority and iudgment of the Church And that no man may thinke that I herin calumniate them or deale lesse sincerely with them I will set downe out of their owne writings some one or two exaÌ„pls of each manner of corrupting wherof many will occure in ech Controuersy 2. The first manner of shifting of places alleadged out of the written Word is to say that the originall text is corrupted and what is alleadged is crept out of the margent into the text whereof see many examples in the 12. and 18. Chapter of the Latin Edition of this CoÌ„ttouersy 3. Their second shift is to reiect the vulgar translation and insteed thereof to cite some new and corrupt translation of their owne It is euident inough that Luther in his first version of the new Testament into the German tongue set forth in the yeare 1522. hath more then a thousaÌ„d eâ—rors as many haue obserued amoÌ„gst Ioannes Cocl eus de actis Luther an 1522. which neyther the last nor the least is his presuming to add to the text of S. Paul the 3. Chapter and 28. verse the particle alone thereby the stronglier to establish his doctrine that Fayth alone iustifieth for this place of the Apostle VVe thinke a man iâ— Rom. 3. v. 28. iustifyed by fayth he traÌ„slateth by sayth alone when a certaine friend of his to whome the same was obiected by a Catholike asked the cause why he so translated it he no lesse ridiculously then proudly answereth in a certayne little booke set forth by him in the yeare 1530. vnder this title A certaine information or answere made to two questions proposed by a certayne good friend concerning the translation of Scripture and the inuocation of Saints In which he aduiseth his friend to answere the Catholikes obiection after this manner D. Martin Luther Luth. â—0 4. Germ. excuso VVittemb an 1551. fol. 475. will haue it so and sayth that a Papist and an Asse iâ— all one thing so I will so I command let my
them as if Christ should teach that we cold deserue life euerlasting by keeping the law And a litle after he concludeth saying This answere of Christ is according to the old law to wit that no man can be accounted iust before God but he who shall satify the law which is impossible And Calu. in 16. Luc. v. 28. Lâ—b 3. Instit c. 17. sect 7. vpon the later place he writeth thus It is impossible sayth he to fulfill what the law commaundeth yea it is a principall axiome with Caluin a coÌ„moÌ„ aÌ„swere to all such places A legal promise sayth he aÌ„nexed to a coÌ„dition impossible proueth nothing thus with sâ—ch impossibilities they dally with vs with the holy Scripture it selfe so far forth as they Calu. Beza in c. 2. ad Rom. dare affirme that the Apostle in one Chapter auoâ—cheth vnto vs seauen times thinges imâ—ossible For wheras the Apostle in the 2. cap. of the Ep. to the Rom. and 6. v. affirmeth Bez. in c. 2. ad Râ— v. 6. annot 6. edit an 1550. 1564. 1565. first that God will render to euery one according to his workes they interprete the place thus that God will indeed giue to meÌ„ according to their good works if there were any such but that no man can do any good worke before God Is there any man saith Beza that shal be able to bring these workes which the Apostle saith shal be rewarded with eternall life And wheras in the seaueÌ„th v. the Apostle saith that God doth render life euerlasting to such as seeke the same by the patience of good works their answere is that he insinuateth a thing impossible and that no man can do any good worke before God no not the iuslest man which is not worthy of eternall damnatioÌ„ Calu. l. 3. Instit c. 19. sect 4. VVhosoeuer saith Caluin haue made the greatest progresse before all others in the way of the Lord if they cast their eyes vpon the Lord God what worke soeuer they attempt or go about they see it to be accursed And surely I for my part could easily belieue that such is the progresse of our aduersarirs in the way of our Lord. See the rest of the Aposiles places in the latin edition 2. The tenth last shift is the wresting of diuers wordes to a wrong sense and to inuâ—nt sundrie different vnderstandings of the wordes to build vpon it many interpretations neuer heard of before and for a finall Conclusion to say the place is obscure and therefore proueth nothing For Luc. 22. v. 19. example hereof those most euident words of Christ This is my body with is giuen for you may suffice for some of theÌ„ wrest the pronowne hoc others the word est others the word corpus others the pronowne meum others the relatiue quod others the preposition pro others the pronowne vobis and others the Verbe datur and ech word they wrest diuers waies so as one more then Anno 1577. thirty yeares ago hath gathered out of their writings two hundred expositions of these few wordes of Christ of which Clâ—uâ—ius de Xainctes numbreth particulerly 84. And that they are both many and different yea repugnant wherwith they labour to make obscure these wordes of our Sauiour no man can doubt See another example in the latin edition And it is worthy of noting that in all these shifts they serue themselues of other places of Scripture to proue what they say whereby it may appeare how easy a thing it is to corrupt the Scripture by other places of Scripture but that the prouideÌ„t and dayly care of the holy Catholike 1. ad Tim. v. 15. Matt. 28. Church opposeth it self against such corruptions worthily therefore called the Pillar and Firmament of truth against which the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile FINIS OF TRADITIONS The second Part of the first Controuersy CHAP. I. Of the true state of the Question HAVING already in the precedent Treatise spoken of the written Word of God and of all other things thereunto belonging now it remaineth we speake a litle of the vnwritteÌ„ word coÌ„moÌ„ly called TraditioÌ„s But to the end that the state of this controuersy may more easily be vnderstood I will heere set downe foure things diligently to be considered in this matter we treate of The first is that by the vnwritten Word we only vnderstand that which is not written in the old oâ— new Testament for of the vnwritten word of God in this sense is our whole Controuersy in this place Wherefore that obiection of our Aduersaries is both friuolous and nothing worth to wit that the word of God which we cal the vnwritten word may be found extant eyther among the holy Fathers or in the books of the Councells or other Canons of the Church But this nothing belongeth vnto this purpose for it is sufficient for vs that this word of God is not written in any book eyther of the old or new Testament 2. The second is that a thing may be coÌ„teined in the holy Scripture 2. wayes The one way is implicite that is to say in some generall principle from whence this other may be certaynly deduced and in this sense we acknowledge that the whole word of God is conteined in holy Writ and not only in Scripture but also in the Apostles S. Aug. in 140. quaest vpon Exodus Tom. 4. Matt. 22. v. 40. Câ—eed yea euen in that one article I belieue the Catholike Church so that it be diligently examined and well vnderstood as S. Augustine very well noteth For so sayth Christ the whole Law and Prophets doe depend vpon two precepts of charity as in the same place S. Augustine noteth For seing that the holy Scripture teacheth that we are bound to beleeue the Church in all things that it can neither deceiue vsnor be deceiued as we will euidently proue in the next Controuersy in the 7. Chapter it consequently also teacheth the whole and entire word of God seing that all that which is not expressâ—d in the holy Scripture is conteyned expressy in the doctrine of the Church the which the Scripture commendeth vnto vs as infallible as S. augustine very well sayth and declareth S. Aug. Tom. 7. contra Crescon Gram. c. â—3 de vnit Eâ—cles c. 22. in fine-Matt 17 v. 5. Matt. 81. v. 17. Luc. 10. 16. in many places For euen as God the Father comprehended in these few words This is my wellbeloued Sonne heare him the whole word of God so Christ proposed vnto vs the whole word of God when he commaunded vs to heare the Church 3. And in this sense do the holy Fathers often tymes say that all the points of fayth are conteined in the holy Scriptures to wit in that generall principle in the which they admonish vs to bâ—lieue the Church but many of the holy Fathers sayings are falsifyed corrupted by Martin KeÌ„ nitius and some Caluinists as may be seene in
Iudocus Ruesten in his first tome defending the Councell of Trent against Kemnitius 4. Secondly a thing may be conteined in expresse words in the holy Scriptures as that Christ is borne suffered and risen againe c. And in this sense we deny that the whole word of God is conteined in the Scripâ—uâ—e That obiection of our Aduersaries by this may easily be answered when they say that we affirme that Traditions are the vâ—written word of God yet we goe about to proue theÌ„ by Scriptures For we do not proue euery particuler Tradition by expresse words of Scripture but we only deduce and gather them out of it and conuince in generall that there are Traditions 5. The third thing which is to be considered is that our Aduersaries being conuinced by truth doe acknowledge that many things were deliuered vnto vs by the Caluin coÌ„t 4. sess Con. Trident. in â—ntid Beza denotis Eccles tom 3. Tract Theoâ— p. 137. edit Anni 1582. Apostles besids those which are written But say they those were only externall rites and ceremonies seruing only for the ornament or discipline of the Church but nothing concerning doctrine of fayth was deliuered by the Apostles which they haue not set downe in writing So Caluin and some others which follow his opinion Wherfore it remayneth for vs to proue that not â—â—ly external ceremonies but also those which belong vnto the doctrine of fayth were deliuered vnto vs by the Apostles that they were neuer expressely â—et downe in writing 6. The fourth thing is that seing our Aduersaries cannot deny that which was obiected vnto them by Catholikes to wit that the Scripture in many places maketh expresse mentioÌ„ of the word of God preached deliuered and diuulged ouer the whole world as we haue already declared euen out of the holy Scriptures they are wont to answere that long since in the Apostles tyme this Word of God was deliuered preached and not written but the Apostles after wards set downe in writing all the preached word of God or at the least as much therof as was necessary vnto saluation The which solutioÌ„ albeit it be very weak and friuolous seing that it relieth vpoÌ„ no sure ground yet notwithstanding tâ—at it may more fully be confuted we will declare hereafter that many of the chiefest points of faith were not expressely set downe in writing by the Apostles And thus much of the state of this Question CHAP. II. Out of the first and chiefest principles of faith it is clearly conuinced that there are Traditions THE first argument wherby we proue Traditions is taken out of some of the chiefest principles of faith For there are three chiefe and most necessary points of faith yea the câ—ieâ—e grounds of our whole faith which are not to be found expressely in Scripture 2. The first that there must needes be some Catalogue or Canon of the sacred Bookes aswell of the old as of the new Testament the which all Christians with an assured faith should imbrace as a most certaine and an vndoubted truth and this is a very necâ—ssary point of faith yea of it dependeth the authority of all the bookes of holy Scripture because by this Canon the sacred and true books of Scripture are discerned and made knowne from all those which be Apocriphall especially because aswell in times past as in these our daies there hath bin so many and so great Controuersyes about the Canonicall and Apocriphall bookes of Scripture and such a Canon was altogeather necessary aswell in the auncient Church before Christ as in our present Church after Christes tyme the which also our Aduersaries themselues haue learned by experience For they haue also placed their new Canon of the books of holy Scripture in their Consession made at Confess Ruâ—ellana Act. 3. â—ochell and in the later end of some of their Bibles and yet neyther in the time of the old Testament nor in the tyme of the new Law was this CanoÌ„ euer written downe in the Bibles themselues 2. I know our Aduersaries that they may escape this argument do runne to the inward instinct of the holy Ghost wherby say they we know what book is Canonicall and what is not But this answere is refuted reiected before where we haue shewed that the holy Ghost doth not moue vs to belieue any thing with the Catholike faith which is not the word of God If Suprac 5. therfore the holy Ghost moue vs to belieue that some bookes are Canonicall and some are not it is necessary that this be the word of God We aske therefore of them whether this is the written word of God or the vnwritteÌ„ if it be the written word in what Booke or Chapter is it to befouÌ„d if it be no where to be found our Aduersaries must needs coÌ„â—esse that by the instinct of the holy Ghost they also belieue the vnwritten word of God or Traditions 3. The second principle of faith is that we must necessarily with an assured and firme faith belieue that all those Bookes eyther of the old or of the new Testament which we now retaine are safely deliuered vnto vs entyre aâ—d vncorrupted through so many handes so many ages so many vexations and persecutions of the Christians for otherwyse the whole credit and authority of those bookes will decay and perish But this is no where extant or written for neyther the Prophets or Apostles haue euâ—r written that their bookes should neuer be falsified or corrupted by any yea it appeareth sufficiently Supra c. 9. 10. 12. 13 by that which hath byn already said that they were falsified and corrupted in many bookes by the Iewes and Hâ—retâ—kes Let our Aduersaries therfore tell vs where it is written that this holy Scripture which we haue now is not corrupted or falsifyed 4. The third principle of fâ—yth is the true sense of the letter For the true word of God consisteth rather in the true sense or meaning of the words then in the words Supra cap. 3. themselues as we haue declared before But the true sense of the words that is to say in what sense or meaning the words are to be vnderstood eyther properly or figuratiuely cannot be had from the holy Scripture alone but also from the doctrine and Traditions of the Church as we haue sayd before in the fourth Chapter wherby it also followeth that the writteÌ„ word of God conteyneth in it the least part of the word of God to wit the bare letter only but the word of God preached and deliuered keepeth and professeth vnto vs the cheif part of the word of God that is to say the true natiue sense of the same S. Basil l. de Spir. sanct c. 27. Brent contra Petr. â— Soto in suis prologom Kemnit cont 4. sess Conc. Trid. cùm agiâ— de 2. gen Tradiâ— 5. And this is that which S. Basil sayth that those who reiect the vnwritten points of fayth as indiscreet persons do
it weake Sophisticall and erroneous 11. Besides that there are so many and so contrary illations of diuers men that the authority of the Church is altogeather necessary in maters of faith that there may arise a certayne and an vndoubted faith of these matters of which sort Traditions are that is to say the doctrine of the whole Church 12. But when one belieueth such an illation with a diuine or Catholike faith he must needes know two thinges the one is that the expresse place of Scripture from whence this conclusion is deduced must certainly be well vnderstood by him which disputeth the other is that he who maketh such a deduction and collection can neyther deceiue others nor be deceyued himselfe But none can know eyther of these without the Traditions of the Church seeing that otherwise there is none which may not be deceiued sometimes All collections therefore which produce or breed fayth in vs do most clearly conuince and shew the authority and necessity of Traditions CHAP. VII Wherein it is proued that there are Traditions by the absurdities which otherwise would follow THE fifth argument wherby we proue that many things are to be belieued which are not expressed in holy Scriptures is taken out of the absurdities which do ensue of the contrary doctrine For hauing once admitted that nothing is to be belieued which is not expressed in Scripture all old heresies are renewed and a great vncertainty and confusion of all things is brought into the Church of God yea euen the way to Atheisme is layd open because hauing once reiected despised the Traditions of the Church all the poynts of fayth from the Apostles tyme till now explicated and proued by the auncient Fathers against heretiks all those things also which were decreed and determined by all the generall Councâ—lls in times past against the said heretiks loose their chiefâ—st strength and authority the which notwithstanding our Aduersaries do acknowledge themselues to receiue and belieue 2. Neyther do we know by an assured Catholike faith whether there were euer any Fathers or Councells but by the Traditions of the Church But neyther do we know any other way but by fayth whether since the Apostles tyme till now there were any Catholikes or noâ— because of those things which were done since the tyme and death of the Apostles there is nothing extant in holy Scripture seeing that all the bookes thereof were written before the death of the Apostles But such things as haue bâ—n done since till now cannot otherwyse be knowne but by the Tradition of the Church 3. Neyther is it sufficient to say that we know these things by the Ecclesiasticall histories For that fayth which proceedeth of histories without the authority or Traditions of the Catholike Church is but an humane fayth which oftentimes deceaueth others and may be deceiued it selfe and therefore these kind of histories cannot produce a diuine fayth in vs this experience it selfe doth clearly teach vs. For our Aduersaries do somtymes doubt whether S. Peter was euer at Rome or no because forsooth this is not to be found expresly in holy Scripture wheras notwithstanding it is most assuredly proued and testified in many bookes both of the auncient Historiographers and holy Fathers Why may they not as lawfully call other matters in question which are notwithstanding expressely set downe in other auncient writers Our Aduersaries therfore do make all things very doubtfull and vncertayne whiles they will only belieue and admit the Scripture but now lâ—t vs answere their arguments CHAP. VIII Wherein the arguments of our Aduersaries taken out of the old Testament are confuted THE first argument wherby our Aduersaries oppugne Traditions and which they vse very often the which also as inuincible they haue added to the confession of their Rupell Confess Art 5. Deut. 4. v. 2. Deut 12. v. vlt. fayth they take out of these words of Deuteronomy Thou shalt not add any thing to the word which I speake vnto you nor shall you take any thing from it And againe that which I commaund thee do that only neyther add or diminish any thing from it By these places of Scriptures our Aduersaries do inferre that nothing is to be receiued as a point of fayth which is not expressely set downe in Scripture 2. But this argument is erroneous and the weaknes thereof is very great for many causes First because in those words there is no mention made of the Scripture nor of the written word of God but only of the word preached and deliuered viua voce Thou shalt not add sayth the Scripture to the word that I speake vnto you he doth not say that I write vnto you Againe Do only sayth he that which I commaund thee he doth not say that which I write vnto thee 3. Moreouer in these words the holy Scripture doth not only speake of matters of fayth to be belieued but also of ceremonies and customes to be done and obserued but our Aduersaries themselues confesse that these customes may be added by the authority of the Church yea they haue ordeined themselues very many the which they chang euen yet when they please Caluin also acknowledgeth that Calu. coÌ„tra 4 sess Concil Trident. many vnwritten customes were deliuered vnto vs by the Apostles 4. That also according to the phrase of Scripture is said to be added to the word of God which is contrary opposite vnit For Iosue did not transgresse this commaundement of Deuteronomy when he added his booke to the bookes of Moyses Nor did others transgresse it who added the bookes of the Iudges Ruth and of the Kinges which were not written by Moyses which are also to be belieued as contayning pointes of faith But in these bookes there is nothing contrary to that which Moyses wrote And the Hebrew text agreeth very well to this answere for in both places of Deuterâ—nomy this word Ghal is vsed which sigâ—â—tieth oâ—tentines contrary or against so that the sense is Do not add any thing contrary to the word which I commaund and againe yee shall not add any thing contrary to the word which I say vnto you For so is that particie Gâ—â—l taken in the 40. Psalme or according to the Hebrewes 41. in the 2. Psalme also the second verse And in the 14. of Numbers the 2. verse els where very often Euen as also in the new Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answereth to the Hebrew Ghal signifieth also contrary or agâ—iâ—st when the Apostle writeth to the 1. ad Cor. 4. v. 6. Corinthians that in vs you may learne one not to be puffed vp against another aboue that is writteÌ„ that is to say against the Scripture the which saith we must not be puffed vp in pryde â—s S. Chrysostome and after him Theophilactus others do note vpon that place The which place some bouldly alledge against Traditions wheras the Apostle in that place doth not speake of the whole Calu in
9. Tract 98. in Euan loan subfinem which is in the holy Scripture For so S. Augustine speaketh in one place But in another he clearly explicateth himselfe by this word praeter to vnderstand contra because we must preach nothing contrary to the holy Scripture That this is the true sense and meaning of S. Augustine it is manifest by the words themselues wherby also he proueth that the word praeter in those words of the Apostle doth signify diuers but not contrary thinges For in this manner he writeth when he warneth his schollers to take heed of the opinions of the Manichaeans other heretikes Ad Gal. 1. v. 6. because these are not only distinct but also contrary to those which the Apostle taught Let the admonition sayth he of the holy Apostle neuer depart from your hart If any shall euangelize vnto you besids that which you haue receiued let him be Anathema He doth not say 1. Thess 3. v. 10. more then you haue receaued but besides that which you haue receaued For if he should say that he should be preiudiciall to himselfe who coueteth to come to the Thessalonians that he might supply that which was wanting to their sayth Now he which supplieth addeth that which is lacking taketh not away that which was But he which ouerposseth Ioan. 16. v. 11. the rule of fayth doth not goe on in the way but departeth froÌ„ the way That therfore which our Lord sayth I haue yet many things to say vnto you but you cannot beare them now were to be added to those things which they knew and not to be ouerthrowen by those they had already learned Hitherto S. Augustine CHAP. X. Whereinâ—other obiections of our Aduersaries against Traditions are refuted THE fourth argument is deduced out of these words of the Apocalyps Apoc. 22. v. 18. Confess Rupell Artic. 5. which they also cite and alledge in their ConfessioÌ„ at Rochell If any man shâ—ll adde to these things God shall adde vpon him the plagues written in this booke But who doth not see that S. Iohn speaketh expresly of the booke of the Apocalyps only and not of the whole Scripture for he sayth I testify to euery one hearing the words of the Prophesy of this booke if any man shall adde to these things c. and in the 19. verse following If any man shall diminish of the words of the booke of this prophesy c. He speaketh therfore only of the propheticall words of the Apocalyps For it is manyfest otherwise out of Ecclesiasticall histories that S. Iohn wrote his Ghospell after the Apocalyps and Hier. de script Eccles in Ioan. Apost consequently that he added many things besids the Apocalyps But let our Aduersaries take heed least they incurre those paynes which S. Iohn threatneth to those which adde or detract any thing from the Apocalyps seing that they so often and so bouldly wrest the prophesies of the Apocalyps to many strang senses against the Pope and the Catholike Church 2. Our Aduersaries alledge many other things but their arguments which be of lesse moment are taken out of those places of Scripture which commend vnto vs the great excellency of holy Scripture But Supra c. 2. all these are very easily confuted by that one ground which as we haue declared before euen our Aduersaries do admit to wit that to the end the holy Scripture be perfect in it selfe and sufficient to euerlasting saluation it is not necessary that it should expresly coÌ„teyne al points of fayth but it is sufficieÌ„t that all such poynts may be deduced by a good consequence out of it But all the Traditions of the Church which belong vnto fayth may be gathered Supra c. 2. as we haue sayd out of Scripture the which also we declare more at large in euery one of these controuersies Our Aduersaries therfore haue not reason to say that we teach the Scripture to be impersect or insufficient For as concerning this sufficiency and perfectioÌ„ of Scripture they are forced at least to yield and subscribe vnto our opinion here in but these their arguments whereof they make great account we haue therfore alledged to the end all may know how badly they interpret the holy Scriptures and by how friuolus reasons they are perswaded to forsake the Catholike fayth 3. But euen this sufficiency of Scripture which they preteÌ„d they proue very foolishly by those wordes of the Apostle wherein he teacheth that the Scripture Ad Tim. 3. v. penut is very profitable as though forsooth euery thing which is profitable for obtayning some particuler end or purpose were also absolutely sufficient then the which nothing can be spoken more absurdly The Head truely is not only profitable but also necessary that a man may liue but who I pray you will say that the head only without the rest of the body is sufficient for the lyfe of man But our late Aduersaries to the end they may make this their discourse or reason the stronger say that in humane thinges not euery thing which is profitable is also sufficient but in diuine matters whatsoeuer Iunius coÌ„tra Bell. controu 1. lib. 4. c. 10. notâ— 44. is profitable is also sufficient whervnto Iunius like a fine young stripling addeth that this can be ouerthrowne by no sophistry But who doth not see that the Eucharist by the diuine vertue thereof is profitable to the obtayning of eternall saluation and yet notwithstanding without Baptisme it is not sufficieÌ„t as also without faith and pennance the same may be sayd of Baptisme and of euery booke of Scripture Yea euen the Apostle doth not speake of the whole Scripture as our Aduersaries thinke he doth when he saith that euery Scripture is profitable but of euery particuler part thereof For how Hier. de Scrip. Eccles in â—oaÌ„ Apost 2. Tim. 1. v. penult could he speake of a thing which was not then extant But as then the Ghospell of S. Iohn was not yet written nor the Apocalyps For these were after S. Pauls death written by S. Iohn Hence it is that the Apostle S. Paul doth not say the whole Scripture but euen Scripture inspired by God is profitable For there is not one part of Scripture which is not profitable vnto vs if it be well vnsterstood Yet for all that notwithstanding euery one part precisely in it selfe abstracting from the rest of the Scripture as all do very well know is not sufficient 4. Finally it is also to be considered that all those places wherin the integrity perfection and vtility of the Scripture is commended vnto vs must nedes be vnderstood not of the bare wordes only but of the same well and rightly vnderstood But this true vnderstanding of the words cannot otherwise be had then by Tradition Supra c. 4. and the vnwritten doctrine of the Church it selfe as we haue already declâ—red Wherefore all those places which do commend vnto vs the holy Scriptures do also
consequently coÌ„mend vnto vs Traditions and the vnwritten Word of God seing that therein consisteth the principal part of holy Scripture to wit the true sense of the wordes CHAP. XI Wherein is declared how we may know the Apostolicall Traditions AMONG the other argumentes of our Aduersaries this is one that we cannot know certainly which are the Traditions of the Apostles seing that many Heretikes in times past pretended also that their heresyes were agreing to Apostolicall Traditions Moreouer they obiect that Traditions may easily be corrupted and changed for this cause Scripture was ordayned that the doctrine deliuered by word of mouth might continue the longer without any falsification or corruption But we answere to this their reason that the auncient Heretikes also by supposed and false Scriptures which they attributed falsely to the Apostles did confirme and proue their heresies Aug. de ciu Dei l. 15 23. subfinem Many thinges saith S. Augustine were alleadged by heretikes as though they were the sayings of the Prophets and Apostles But yet for all that they were not iudged to be the most certaine and Canonicall Scriptures 2. But the Traditions of the Apostles may so certainly and easily be known from supposed and false Traditions as the Canonical Scriptures may be knowne from the Apocriphall for they are both knowne by the same meanes and authority that is to say by the authority doctrine and testimony of the Catholike Church which neyther can deceiue any nor be decevued her selfe 3. And albeit speaking of humane matters the Scripture is more certaine theÌ„ Tradition alone yet it happeneth otherwise in matters concerning God because in these there is the authority of God and the continuall assistance of the Holy Ghost hath place which doth not suffer the Church to erre and hence it is that the Tradition only of the Church which is not so much written in paper as printed 1. ad Cor. 5. v. 3. 4. in the hartes of Christians is a most certayne and faithfull keeper of all the pointes of our diuine faith 4. Moreouer if euen Christ himself had with his owne hand writteÌ„ in brasse all the pointes of our faith they should notwithstanding not haue had so great certainty as now Ecclesiasticall Traditions haue vnlesse the same keeper of the diuine doctrine had byn also present For that which is imprinted in brasse may be rased and blotted out and the brasse it selfe may be consumed by fyre But those thinges which are imprinted in the hartes of Christians by the holy Ghost can neuer perish or be any way changed 5. And what we haue said of knowing the Apostolicall Traditions is to be vnderstood whether the Church assembled in a generall Councel declared it so or it became knowne and manifest by the continuall and generall custome of the whole Church Also whether the question be of Tradition belonging to faith or only belonging to rites and Ceremonyes For of the Tradition belonging to faith that is to say of not baptizing againe those which are baptized once before by heretikes are these wordes of S. Auguâ—tine Albeit indeed of this thing saith he S. Aug. Tom. 7. contra Cresâ—on Gram. l. 1. cap. penu t. tâ—ere can no example be alleadged out of Canonicall Scriptures yet notwithstanding we hould the truth of the same holy Scriptures in tâ—â—s matter when we do that which generally the whole Catholik Church holdeth the which euen the authority of the Scriptures themselues commend vnto vs so as because the holy Scripture cannot erre whosoeuer seareth to be deceaued by the difficulty or obscurity of this question let him go to the same Church for counsell the which the holy Scripture vâ—ry clearely sheweth and S. Aug. Tom. 7de bapt coÌ„t Donat. l. 4. cap. 14. demonstrateth vnto vs. Hitherto S. Augustine And disputing in another place against the Donatists concerning the baptisme of Infants That saith he which the whole Catholike Church holdeth nor was ordayned by generall Councells but yet alwaies kept and obserued by all is most truly to be belieued to haue byn deliuered vnto vs by Apostolicall authority S. Aug. Tom. 2. Epist 118. adâ—anuar c. 5. Calu. l. 4. Instit c. 4. sect vlt. sub fi l. 3. c. â— sect 10. in medio 6. But of the Ecclesiasticall rites and Ceremonies the same S. Augustine speaketh in this maÌ„ner Yf the Catholike Church through the whole world hold and practise any thing it is a signe of great madnesse to dispute whether it is to be done so or noe By which words of S. Augustine it may easily be vnderstood what was the opinion vniforme doctrine of the whole auncient Church concerning this point For our Aduersaries themselues do say that S. Augustine was a most faithfull witnesse of antiquity Vnto whome I referre the Readers if they desire to know certainly any more of the sense of Antiquity The end of the first Controuersy THE SECOND CONTROVERSY OF THE PROPERTIES OF OF THE TRVE CHVRCH The first Part of the second Controuersy CHAP. I. Of the Properties and Offices of the true Church of Christ in generall IN the disputation of the Church that first of all is to â—e obserued that whereas our Aduersaries haue â—rought in and do hold many erroneous opinions they do all proceed out of ignorance of the true definition and Nature of the Church It is a true saying of the Apostle that they which 1. Tim. v. 6. 7. erre and wâ—nder from the true faith are conuerted into vaine talke desirous to be Doctours of the Law not vnderstanding neyther what things they speake nor of what they affirme For if our Aduersaries did well vnderstand or could conceyue what is imported by the Name Nature of the Church they would neuer affirme so many absurdityes of the Church of Christ We will therfore first of all declare and explicate what is to be vnderstood properly by the name â—of the Church 2. But this best of all is declared by the Properties of the Church of Christ and by her Offices coâ—mended vnto vs in the holy Scripture it selfe and those we call Properties which do agree with the Church as she hath relation vnto Christ her chiefe head and Pastour But those we call her Offices which the Church exerciseth towards her Children There are indeed many properties of the Church assigned by holy Scripture but it shall suffice vs to alledge and note these fiue only 3. The first is that the Church is the spouse of Christ I will betroth thee vnto me Osee 2. 19. 20. for euer saith the Prophet Osee and againe I will betroth thee vnto me in saith And Isaias The bridegrome will reioyce in his bride and thy Isa 6â— v. 5. God she speaketh vnto the Church shall reioyce in thee Christ also by the Prophet Salomon sayth Come o my spouse from Libanus Cant. 4. v. 8. In the new Testament also the Church is called the spouse of Christ He
perspicuously resolued Their first argument is if the authority of the Church were the ground of fayth then it would follow that our faith relied vpon men and not vpon God for the Church consisteth of men Our Aduersaries do often repeate and inculcate this argument vnto vs. I answeere that the same argument if it were any thing worth would also proue that we should not belieue Scriptures because althose who wrot the books of the Bibles were also men buâ—â—â— we do belieue their writinges not because they were men but because they had a certaine peculiar assistaÌ„ce of the holy Ghost who did so gouerne and direct them that they could not erre so in like manner we belieue the Church and make it the ground of our fayth not as it consisteth of men but as it hath a speciall and continuall assistance of the holy Ghost by whome she is continually gouerned and directed wherby it commeth to passe that she can neuer erre as we haue proued Cap. 7. praeced a little before 2. Wherefore to make the Church the ground of our fayth is nothing els then to make the holy Ghost and Christ himselfe the ground therof For it is he who speaketh vnto vs by the mouth of the Church according to that saying of S. Paul Seeke you an experiment of him that speaketh in me Christ And in another place speaking of his own 2. Cor. 13. v. 3. 1. Thess v. 8. doctrine he sayth therfore he that despiseth these things despiseth not man but God who also hath giueÌ„ his holy spirit in vs. But our Aduersaries do thinke speak too basely of the Church as though it consisted of men only as the Churches of Infidells and Heretikes seeing that the chiefe part of the true Church of Christ is the holy Ghost who is as it were the soule and spirit of the Church 3. But neither is this to make the Scripture or the holy Ghost subiect inferito our men as our Aduersaries are woÌ„t to cauil but oÌ„ly to shew that the holy Ghost is euery where conformable to himself that in all things he neuer differeth or disagreeth froÌ„ himselfe Whether he speak vnto vs by the holy Scripture or by the mouth of the Church as Caluin acknowledgeth Calu. l. 1. Instit c. 9. sect 2. disputing against the Anabaptists and Libertines who by such an argument went about to reiect the holy Scriptures to wit least the holy Ghost might be made subiect and inferiour vnto them 4. The second argument is that Christians may and ought to iudge and examine all things as the Apostle sayth therefore the spirit of euery Christian ought to be the grouÌ„d of al things I answere that by the same argumeÌ„t the Anabaptists Libertines 1. Cor. v. 15. reiectâ—d all the Scriptures that they might only retaine the spirit as witnesseth Caluin but badly for euen as Christians must discerne and iudge all things so must Calâ—â— c. 9. citat sect 1. they also obserue the rule and methode in iudging which the Scripture doth prescribe vnto them and which himselfe appointed but this rule is not euery ones priuate spirit but the spirit of the whole Church For it is altogeather necessary that the rule of fayth be most certayne free from all errors as the spirit of the whole Church is and not that of euery priuate man Hereupon sayth S. Iohn He 1. Ioan. 4. v. 6. which knoweth God heareth vs he who is not of God doth not heare vs in this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error We must tâ—erfore iudge of euery man by that they eyther heare or do not heare the Church c because they either agree or disagree from the spirit of the Catholike Church 5. The third argument is that Catholikes proue the Church and the authority thereof by the Scripture therfore Scripture is rather the ground of fayth then the Church I answere first that the proofe of the Church which is taken out of Scriptures when we dispute against heretikes is an argument called by Philosophers ad hominem and it is deduced out of the premises already graunted in which manner also the first principles or grounds of euery science may be proued and out of those thinges also which of themselues are not very strong and certayne So out of the old Testament agaynst the Iewes we proue the new Testament albeit this also is the ground of our fayth because the Iewes do admit and receiue the old Testament but not the new yea also euen out of the Iewish Talmud we proue many things against the Iewes because they admit and approue it as the word of God but yet their Talmud is not the ground of our fayth because this only is as I sayd an argument deduced out of such thinges as they graâ—â—t vnto vs. So in like maÌ„â—er because almost al heretikes admit the Scripture and reject the authority of the Church therefore when we dispute against them we proue the authority of the Church by the Scriptures as premisses already graunted by them But if we were to deale with Infidells or others who doe not admit the Scriptures then the sayd Scriptures were to be proued by the authority of the Church and not contrarywise For it is a thing farre better and more commonly knowne that there Infra 18. buius coÌ„ â—r §. 10. is a Church then that there are the holy Scriptures as afterward we will shew more clearly 6. Secondly I answere that there is so great connexion betwixt the Scripture and the Church that the Scripture may very well be proued by the authority of the Church and againe the church by the authority of the Scripture Neyther should this seeme strange to our Aduersaries For Logicians also know very well that that which by it owne nature is more certaine better knowne may be proued by that which is more certaine and beter knowne vnto vs by a demonstration called by them à posteriori And coÌ„trary wise that which is better knowne vnto vs may be proued by that which is better knowne and more certaine in his owne nature by a demonstration called à priori So the cause is proued by the effect the effect by the cause as fyre is proued by heate à posteriori and heate by the nature of fyre à priori So in like manner by the authority of the Church the which in regard of vs is more certayne and better knowne we proue the Scripture as it were à posteriori and by the authority of the Scripture which in it owne nature is more certaine we proue the true Church of Christ as it were à priori 7. The fourth argument S. Paul testifyeth that the Church is supported by the ground and foundation of the Prophets and Apostles that is to say by their Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine but if the foresaid doctrine be the ground of the Church it necessarily followeth that this doctriue appeareth to
faith is the ground of the Church we speake of the generall faith of the whole Church 19. There are other arguments of our Aduersaries but we may easily answere Canus l. 2. de â—ocis Theol. c. 8. Bellar. l 3. deverbo Dei c. vlt. therunto by that whiâ—h hath byn already said the which Melâ—hior Canus and Bellarmine do prosecute and handle more at large vnto whom we referre the Reader For they are borrowed of the Anabaptists Libertines wherby the authority of the holy Scriptures themselues is no lesse diminished and infringed then that of the Church CHAP. VII That the Church doth not only giue a bare testimony but also authority to the Scripture THIS matter is heere briefly to be examined that it may more clearly be vnderstood how necessary the Churches approbation is to the establishing of the authority of the holy Scriptures But to the end that it may more clearely appeare wherof we dispute in this place it is to be considered that seing that our Aduersaries cannot deny but that the Church aâ—â—oardeth some testimony to the holy Scriptures they affime that this testimony of the Church is only a bare testimony and not a testimony of authority 2. For there are two kindes of testimonyes The one is called a testimony of authority because vpon it the truth of the things testified dependeth Yt is called also a necessary testimony because without it the thing in question is not sufficiently testified The other is called a bare testimony and not necessary that is to say when such a testimony is not so necessary because the matter is otherwise Ioan. 1. v. 7. sufficiently testified Such a testimony was that which S. Sohn Baptist gâ—ue of Christ For Christ had sufficient testimonies besides 3. Of the former testimony of authority Christ saith But I do not receyue my Ioan. 5. v. 34. 36. Ibid. testimony from men to wit the testimony of authority necessary For of the bare testimony he had spoken a little before You sent vnto Iohn and he hath giuen testimony to truth But this was a bare testimony wherfore Christ a little after said I haue a greater testimony then Iohn for the workes which the Father hath giuen me to profit them the very works which I do giue testimony of me that the Father hath sent me And the Father that sent me himselfe hath giuen testimony of me All which saith Christ of the testimony of authority Our Aduersaries therefore say that the Church giueth only a bare testimony to the Scriptures as S. Iohn gaue to Christ but she giueth not a necessary testimony or that of authority 4. But that the testimony of the Church is altogether necessary as that Matt. 3. v. vlt. Matt. 17. v. 5. wherof the authority of the Scriptures dependeth is very manifest by that which is said in the former Chapter And by that also which we alleadged in the first disputation where we shew that there is now no firme testimony wherby we may know certainly which booke is canonicall and which not besides the testimoniy of the Catholike Church For now neyther are the miracles wrought which God did in tymes past neyther doth God speake immediatly by himselfe as he spake in the baptisme and transfiguration of Christ VVherefore there remayneth only the third ordinary manner wherby God speaketh by the mouth of the Church The Church therfore doth not giue a bare testimony only to the holy Scriptures but the testimony of authority to wit that wherof the authority of the Scriptures dependeth as concerning vs and our knowledge 5. Moreouer if the doctrine of S. Paul stood in need of the Churches approbation as we haue already proued out of Supr c. 3. §. 13. huius Controu the Scriptures much more S. Lukes Ghospell who was oÌ„ly S. Pauls choller stood in need therof as Tertullian witnesseth especially because S. Luke receyued not those things which he wrot by reuelation from God Tertu l. 4. contra Marâ—â— 2. Luc. â— v. 2. as S. Paul did but by tradition from others as he hymselfe writeth And the same also may be said of S. Marke whose Ghospell as S. Hierome writeth the Apostle S. Peter approued and by his authority he commaunded it should be read in the Church 6. But neyther is it true that some say that the authority of approuing the Canonicall bookes was only resident in the Apostles and the primitiue Church but the ensuing Church hath it not For the Apostles did not approue all the Canonicall bookes of the new Testament For if they had donne so there had remained no doubt of many of them for many ages after the death of the Apostles euen among Catholike good men as we Supra ca. 5. Contr. 1. haue noted before But many yeares after the Apostles tyme by the generall Councells and Decrees of the Church some bookes were approued wherof there was before some doubt 7. Yea more then six hundred yeares after Christ there were many Catholikes who did not receyue the authority of the Toletan Concil c. 16. Apocalyps as appeareth out of the fourth Toletane Councell 8. And that which is more before the Councell of Trent ther were many Catholikes who thought that it was lawfull for them to doubt of all the bookes of the new Testament the which in tymes past S. Hierome seemed to iudge as doubtfull as are the Epistles of S. Iames the second of S. Peter the second and third of S. Iohn the Epistles of S. Iude the Epistles to the Hebrewes and the Apocalyps And if it had not byn for the Councell of TreÌ„t or some other new Decree of the Church none would as yet condemne them as Heretikes who called those bookes in question 9. By that which hath byn sayd it appeareth manifestly that the Canonicall Scriptures receiue their strength and authority not from the approbation of the primitiue Church but rather from the approbation of the Church succeeding yea euen of this present Church to wit of the Councell of Trent 10 Lastly albeit the present Church should not haue the authority of approuing Scriptures as these men say yet notwithstanding for three other reasons the authority testimony of this present Church is necessary First because we know not certainly what bookes the primitiue Church hath eyther written or not writen approued or reiected but by the testimony of the present Church Secondly neyther do we know whether those bookes came vncorrupted vnto vs or no but by the same testimony Thirdly because we cannot otherwise know which is the true sense of those bookes CHAP. VIII The Argumentes of our Aduersaryes are confuted THE first argument of our Aduersaries is The Church is grounded vpon the word of God and by the word also of God â—t is ingendred nourished and gouerned and it is subiect to the word of God as to the words of her spouse I answere our Aduersaries do in a manner coÌ„found the writen word of God
publican 18. Fiftly the Church hath power and authority to punish VVhat will you 1. Cor. 4. v. vlt. 2. Cor. vlt. v. 2. 2. Cor. vlt. v 10. sayth the Apostle that I come vnto you with a rodde or in charity and with the spirit of mildnesse And in another place If I come againe I will not spare And againe that being present I may not deale hardly according to the power which our Lord hath giuen me vnto edification and not vnto destruction 19. Sixtly the Church absolueth byndeth and retayneth sinnes excommunicateth Matth. 18. v. 19. Ioan. 20. v. 23. as the holy Scriptures doe expresly testify and our Aduersaries doe also confesse all which actes belong vnto Iudges but the Scripture doth none of them 20. The second argument The holy Scripture expresly affirmeth that the Church doth sometymes iudge I indeed absent in body but present in spirit haue 1. Cor. 5. v. 34. 5. already iudged as present him that hath so done in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ you being gathered togeather and my spirit with the vertue of our Lord Iesus Christ to deliuer such an one to Sathan And a little after Do not you iudge of them that are within where the Apostle â— Cor. 5. v. 12. plainly saith that the Pastours of the Church iudge those which are in the Church 21. The third argument is taken from the common practice of the Church aswell in the old as in the new Num. 11. â— 16. 17. 25. Deut. 17. â— 8. â—eq 2. Par. 19. v. â—0 11. Testament For in the old Testament the chiefe iudgement of all causes was ordeined by God himselfe first in the booke of Numbers and afterward it was confirmed in Deuteronomy in which Iudgment the priestes did sit as Iudges and the chiefe Iudge who did giue his sentence for in all thinges which were doubtfull by the expresse commaundement of God the common people were sent to this Iudgment of the Church and not only to the holy Scriptures or to the priuate spirit of any 22. Moreouer till the comming of Christ this manner of iudging continued in the old Law For of it Christ himselfe sayd Vpon the chaire of Moyses haue sitten the sâ—ribes and the Pharisies All thinges therfore whatsoeuer they shall say to you obserue yâ—e and doe yee this Councell or Iudgment in the yeares following by corâ—upting the Greeke word the Iewes called Sanhedrin Matt. 2. v. 2. 3. as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say an assembly or Councell 13. In like manner in the new Testament when there arose that controuersy about the obseruation of the legaâ—l ceremonies or customes the Apostles did not Act. 15. v. 28. send their disciples to the holy Scriptures only or to the priuate spirit of any but they assembled themselues togeather and defined what was to be belieued It seemed good say they to the holy Ghost and vs. For Act. 15. v. vlt. Act. 16. v. 4. the holy â—host is as it were the soule of the Church And this Decree of the Apostles S. Paul and S. Barnabas did diuulge and promulgate euery where as appeareth by the same Chapter and the next following where these determinations of the Apostles are called Decrees or according Act. 21. v. 25. to the Greek Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to sâ—y things already iudged wherupon Act. 21. vers 25. the Apostles doe say that iudging and decreeing they had written this 24. In the same manner in the next ages the Arians the MacedoniaÌ„s the Nestorians Eutichians and other old Heretikes were iudged condemned by the Catholike Church in the generall Councells holden at Nice Constantinople Calcedon and others 25. Lastly our Aduersaries in their Consistories and Assemblies doe vsurpe vnto themselues the authority of iudges neither doe they referre the iudgment to the Scriptures alone or to the priuate spirit of any 26. Yea Caluin conuinced by these reasons confesseth that the writinges of euery priuate person must be submitted to the iudgmeÌ„t of the Church Where he also concludeth thus Neither therefore sayth he do we condemne or diminish the authority of the Church neyther do we giue liberty â—o euery froward Calu. in Antid contra Conâ—il Trid. sess 1. in fine fellow to do what he list I would to God they would shew vs such a Church as the holy Scripture doth paint or describe vnto vs we would easily agree about the honour thereof Thus he But we will shew in the ensuing Chapters such a Church as the Scripture describeth I wish also we may agree concerning the honour and authority thereof 27. There are two principall argumentâ— of our Aduersaries the first is that the holy Ghost is not tyed vnto men but â—udgeth freely in whatsoeuer it pleaseth him therefore he is not tyed vnto the Church But the same argument would proue that there is no certainty in the holy Scriptures For they who wrote the Scriptures were men vnto whome according to our Aduersaries opinion the holy Ghost was not tyed I answere therfore that the holy Ghost is not absolutly bound or tyed vnto men but he is tyed to his owne promise as also to the words and promises of Christ For neither the holy Ghost nor Christ himselfe can deceiue vs in not performing their promises because as the Apostle Tit. 1. v. 2. sayth God cannot lie But God hath promised that he wil be with his Church not only one or two dayes or one yeare but euen till the end of the world He promised that he would giue the holy Ghost to remayne Math. vit v. vlt. and stay with vs not for one or two yeares only but euerlastingly It is needfull therfore that he performe and stand to his promises 28. The second argument If those things which we haue said of the Church as Iudge were true it would also follow that the Church is Iudge of the holy Scripture and consequently of the word of God in generall I answere that the word of God in generall cannot be called in question or doubted of by any which professeth Christ For the diuine faith cannot be without some word of God but where there is noe controuersy there is no neede of any Iudge But if of any one part of the word of God whether it be written or not written there arise any controuersy as for example of the true sense of the written word without doubt we must recurre vnto the iudgement of the Church for it belongeth vnto her to iudge of the truesense of the holy Scripture and of the exposition thereof which is the chiefer Ioan. 14. v. 16. part of the written word as also of any doubtfull letter of the holy Scripture for seeing that in times past there haue beene many controuersyes of diuers books of holy Scripture and of the particuler Chapters and parts thereof as also of the true sense of the letter and other
The third vnity is betwixt the faythfull people and their Pastours by obedience the which whosoeuer dissolue are also to be accounted schismatikes of Hebr. vlt. v. 17. this the same Apostle writeth thus Obey your Prelates be subiect to them this is that fourth marke of the Church assigned by Cap. praeâ—dent §. the Lutherans as we haue sayd in the precedent Chapter the second § 5. This threefold vnity is very sensible the which may easily be perceiued euen by any Infidell For the disagreement of doctrine concerning matter of fayth may easily be heard the dissentions of the people among themselues or with their Pastours may manifestly be perceiued 6. Finally euen naturall reason it selfe proueth this to be one of the most certaine signes of the true Church For God cannot teach contrary and opposite doctrin because he then should be a lyar Hebr. â— v. 18. which according to the apostle is impossible In like manner naturall reason sheweth that God which is goodnesse it selfe cannot be the author of schismes and dissentions but of concord peace and vnity 7. The second signe is Holinesse the holy Scripture is full of testimonies and authorities whereby this signe is most euidently proued and declared For S. Paul in the beginning of almost all his Epistles calleth the Churches vnto whom he writeth Holy as is to be seene in the beginning of the Epistles to the Romanes to the Corinthians to the Ephesians to the Philippians and to the Colossians and S. Peter called the 2. Petr. 2. v. 9. the true Church an holy Nation So also Christ himselfe sayth For then I doe sanctify Ioan. 17. v 1â— 1. Petr. 1. v. 16. my selfe that they also may be sanctifyed in truth Lastly that sentence is often repeated in the holy Scripture the which S. Peter citeth also out of the old testament be yee holy because I am holy 8. The signe also is visible vnto all first because this sanctity is to be seene Matt. 5. v. 16. by good workes that they may see saith Christ your good workes and may glorify your Father which is in heauen Secondly this sanctity Ad TituÌ„ 2. v. 1. 8. may be seene by their pious and holy doctrine For it is necessary that the true doctrine of God be holy sound and irreprehensible Thirdly this sanctity is seene by the miracles wherby God himselfe testifieth and confirmeth the sanctity of his Church And them that belieue saith Christ these signes shall follow in Marc. vlt. v. 17. my name they shall cast out Diuells 9. This signe also of Sanctity is euident to all euen by naturall reason For a good tree bringeth forth good fruit And contrariwise Matt. 7. v. 18. a bad tree bringeth forth ill fruite Moreouer wicked doctrine which is eyther against the Law of Nature or good manners cannot be of God on the other side the doctrine which is agreable to the Law of nature and good manners is of God Finally true miracles do conuince that there is the true Church of Christ where such miracles are done seing that true niracles can only be done by the power of God for euen as God alone hath made and ordayned all thinges so God only can change at his pleasure the Natures of thinges and the naturall order therof according to that saying of the Psâ—m 71 v. 18. Prophet Dauid Blessedbe our Lord God of Israell who can only worke miracles But God who is goodnesse it selfe cannot testify or approue any false doctrine by miracles 10. The third signe of the true Church Suâ—r c. â— huius CoÌ„trouers S. Aug. Tom. 7. pertotum lib. devni Eccles Gen. 12 v 3. Gen. 22. v. 8. Psal 2. v. 8. Psal 1. v. 8. 11. Act. 1. v. 8. Rom. 10. v. 18. Colos 1. v. 6. is that it is Catholike or Vniuersall and that two waies First because it continuethal waies as we haue proued already Secondly it is also Catholike or vniuersall because since the comming of Christ it is dilated and propagated ouer all the whole word 11. S. Augustine vseth this argument most of all against the Donatists to shew the true Church For first God promised Abraham that all Nations should be blessed in his seed and afterward he confirmed the same with an Oath So God the Father said vnto Christ Aske of me and I will giue thee Nations for thy inheritance the limits of the earth for thy possession Many such like places are in the Psalmes and in the new Testament 12. And this signe is also visible because that which is euery where and at all tymes may be seene of all men when it is a thing that can be seene as this is 13. Moreouer this signe is very certaine euen by the light of nature For naturall reason teacheth vs that the prouidence of God extendeth it selfe very carefully ouer all those which are his and that falsity cannot alwaies continue but must needes be ouercome by truth and that God is of greater power and able to do more then the Diuell Yea the beginning and progresse of all false religions Belâ—ar l. 4. de Eccles milit c. 5. 6. Act. 5. v. 38. 39. as Bellarmine well noteth are certainly knowne Finally the worke and counsell of men but not of God is quickely dissolued as Gamaliel saith in S. Luke 14. The fourth signe of the true Church of Christ is that it is Apostolicall to wit founded by the Apostles of Christ and that she hath continued euer since their tyme till these our dayes by a continuall succession For this signe as also the former is the proper marke of the Church of the new Testament for of it is all our Controuersie But that the Church of Christ was founded by the Ephes 2. v. 20. Cap. â— 4. 8 â—huius controu Isa 59. v. vl Ierem. 33. v. 17. 18. Apostles appeareth euidently by those wordes of S. Paul built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets And we haue already proued the continuall succession of the Church by many testimonies of Scripture The same also the Prophets do testify in many places 15. Moreouer seeing that there are as the Apostle sayth alwayes Pastors and Doctors in the Church without whom she cannot consist and continue as our Aduersaries confesse it necessarily followeth as we haue declared before that there hath alwaies beene a continuall succession of these Pastors Doctors in the true Church of God 16. But that which many do say is both foolish and friuolous to wit that there hath beene alwayes a continuall succession of doctrine in the Church but not of persons For seeing that true doctrine must needes proceed from some persons and those of men for not Angells but men doe teach now adayes if the true doctrine continueth it is also necessary that the men which teach this doctrine Supra c. 8. huiuâ— controuersiâ— continue still and such also as are lawfully called to
with the Roman Church that is to professe the Roman Faith and not that of VVittemberge as Luther or that of Geneua as Caluin did Wherfore with good right we professe our selues not only to be the children of the Catholike but also of the Catholike Roman Church and faith the which S. Paul also manifestly professeth himselfe to be 4. But our Aduersaries obiect that the Church of Rome in the Apostles tyme had the true faith but afterward she forsooke and lost it So in tymes past those Heretikes which were called Donatists when they were vrged by the arguments of Catholikes were wont to say that indeed the Church of Rome was famous ouer all the world in the Apostles tyme but in their tyme she perished in all the other partes of the world and remayned only among the Donatists in S. Aug. Tom. 7. de vnit Eccles cap. 12. Africke whome S. Augustine refuteth very well and we imitating him herein will vse this kind of argument That the faith of the Roman Church was once the true and sincere faith the holy Scripture doth expresly testify but that the same Church afterward forsooke or lost her former faith is no where extant in holy writ therfore we must not belieue that which is so expresly against the Scripture 5. And this argument indeed vrgeth much more our Aduersaries then the Donatists seing that they teach that we must belieue nothing which is not expresly in Scripture but this is no where to be found expressely therin to wit that the Roman Church forsooke or lost her faith which she had receyued from the Apostles And truly there can be no greater signe of the want of learning and iudgement then to think that that Church forsooke and lost her fayth whose faith euen the expresse word of God doth so greatly commend vnto vs vnlesse this her forsaking and loosing of her former true faith can be proued out of the same word of God 6. Our Aduersaries indeed say that they will proue it in some particuler points of faith but they will neuer be able to performe their promise as in euery particuler Controuersy will appeare 7. Moreouer God promiseth to this espouse of Christ by the Prophet Isay the which he also confirmed with an Oath that she should be inuested and adorned with diuers Nations and People For so speaketh God to the Church Lift vp thy eyes and looke round about thee and see all thesâ— Isa 40. v. 18. are gathered togeather they are come vnto thee As I liue saith our Lord thou shalt be inuested with all these as with an ornament thou shalt coÌ„passe them about vnto thy selse as a spouse So the Roman Church hath alwaies had and still hath many Nations and People subiect vnto her wherewith she is inuested and adorned the which euen our Aduersaries cannot deny 8. Secondly the Church is the visible and mysticall body of Christ but in the Roman Church there hath alwaies byn and now also there is the visible body of Christ consisting of diuers members and states as also of Doctours and Pastors wherof S. Paul speaketh writing to the Ephesians and Corinthians 9. Thirdly the Church is the Kingdome of Christ but in the Romane Ephes 4. v. 11. 12. 1. Cor. 12. v. 12. Church there hath alwayes now also is the visible Kingdome of Christ and that such a one as the Prophet Isay described when he sayth that Kings and Queenes shal be thy nurses For there hath Isa 46. v 23. euer beene since the conuersion of Nations many Kinges and Monarkes who haue agreed in vnity of fayth with the Romane Church and haue acknowledged alwayes the Bishop of Rome to be the chiefe head and Pastor of all the whole Coccius Tom 1. l. art 7. 8. militant Church as may appeare by that which Coccius hath set downe in his Catalogue to this purpose 10. Furthermore the Prophet Ieremy thus describeth the future Kingdome of Ierem. 33. v. 20. 21. 22. Christ This sayth our Lord If my couenant can be broken and made voide with the day and my couenant with the night so that there be neyther day nor night in their due tymes then my couenant can be broken with my seruant Dauid that there shall not be a sonne of his raigning in his throne and the Leuits and Priests my ministers as the â—larres of the heauens cannot be numbred nor the sands of the sea measured so will I multiply the seede of my seruant Dauid and the Leuits my Ministers Thus sayth God by his Prophet of the Kingdome of Christ his sonne and of the Leuits and Priests ministring vnto our Lord and of the infinit number of them which is manifest to haue byn fullfilled hitherto in the Roman Church 11. Fourthly the Church is the Inheritance of Christ to wit that which according Psal 2. v. 8. Psal 1. v. 7. 8. Isa 51 v. 10. to the oracles of the Prophets extendeth her self to the very bouÌ„ds and limits of the whole earth which is in the eyes of all Nations the which all the corners of the earth shall see lastly which is exteÌ„ded from the east to the west Maâ— ab 1. v. 12. But in the Roman Church there hath alwayes byn such an inheritance of Christ 12. Hereupon are those famous words of S. Leo to the Citty of Rome These are they who haue exalted thee to this glory that being a holy Nation a chosen people a priestly S. Leo serm 1. in Natal Apost Petri Pausi a princely Citty by the holy seate of S. Peter made the head of the world should haue a more large command by the meanes of diuine Religion then euer thou hadst by forrâ—ine domination For albeit thou being famous renowned for many victories hast extended the limits of thy Empyre both by sea and land yet notwithstanding it is lesse which thy warlike labour hath subdued then that which the Religion of Christ hath made subiect vnto thee Hitherto S. Leo. 13. Moreouer S. Prosper the great glory of Aquitania and dearly beloued friend of S. Augustine and who defended egregiously his doctrine against the Pelagians in a certaine booke written in verse against the same Pelagians speaking of their heresies writeth thus VVhen this infectious pestilence arose Rome Peters seat first gaue it deadly blowes S. Prosp in lib. de Ingratis cont Pelag c. 2. VVhich made the head of pastorall dignity VVherto the whole world should obedient be Could more now subiect by Religions law Then her fierce armies erst could keep in awe Thus wrote he a 1200. yeares ago 14. But in this our age the fayth of the Romane Church is propagâ—ted and preached in the most remote Countries of the East and VVest Yea euen vnto the furthest parts of the world in so much that the children of the Church of Rome come oftentymes from the East to the VVest according to that of the Prophet Malachy to wit froÌ„ the
matters all should imbrace or follow besides that euery one teacheth what he listeth and euery one of them disdayneth to be reprehended or corrected by another wherby there must needes arise many iarres and contentions among them 4. But in the Roman Church it is far otherwise For if there arise any question or Controuersy which can be desined and determined by the word of God presently the Church of Rome endeth this Controuersy and forbiddeth vnder payne of excommunication any to teach the contrary and by this meanes euery Controuersy in matters of faith amongst Catholikes is forthwith ended But if the matter be obscure and cannot easily be gathered out of the word of God nor be very necessary to saluation then the Roman Church commaundeth both parties that one of them do not condemne the others opinion as we see practised concerning the Conception of the B. Virgin Mary And in this manner all matters of Controuersy are ended and taken away Vide Conc. Trid. sect 5. post Canon 5. The Lutherans being conuinced by â—his argument doe acknowledge that the â—opes Supremacy is very profitable and neâ—essary for the Church for the preseruatioÌ„â—f this vnity and good agreement in all â—inges as a little after we will euidentâ— Infr. cap. 24. §. 4. sequent Coccius l. â— â—itato Art 11. idem â—odâ— lib. Ar. 12. 13. 14. demonstrate out of their owne wriâ—ngs 5. Secondly as concerning the sanâ—tity and holinesse of the Church Coccius â—eclareth very well and briefly that euen â—rom the very first beginning till now â—â—re haue alwaies byn some holy and â—â—dly persons in the Church of Rome Yea that also there neuer wanted soâ—â— Calu. coÌ„c 10. Gall. in Epist ad Eph. coÌ„c 10. in cap. 11. Epist 1. ad Cor. con c. 9. sub fin in 1. ad Tim. who did very strange and miraculous things Moreouer in the same places he proueth manifestly the great impiety and wickednesse of our Aduersaries and that there were neuer any true miracles wrought by any of them Yea Caluin himselfe doth often confesse and acknowledge the dishonesty and wickednesse of his followers to be very great 6. That it cannot most certainly be the true Church of Christ which altogeather is destitute of the gift of miracles sufficiently appeareth by those words of Christ These signes shal follow those thaâ— Marc. vlt. c. 17. 18. belieue in my name they shall cast out Diuellâ— they shal speake with new tongues serâ—ents shall they take away and if they drinke any deadly thingâ— it shall not hurt them they shall impose hands vpon the sicke and they shal be whole And that this promise of Christ is not only to be restrained to the Apostles tyme we must needs confesse vnlesse we will say that the authority to preach the Ghospell to administer the Sacraments of Baptisme the which are coÌ„teyned in the same promise did only appertayne to the Apostles tyme. But that the Saâ—nts of God which liued in the Roman Church haue done all those miracles which Christ recounteth in the forsayd place is manifest by that which Cocc art 13. citat Coccius relateth of them 7. But heere it is diligently to be coÌ„sidered that the impiety or lacke of all holinesse in our Aduersaries is not casuall or accidentary vnto them as it is with vs that iâ— flowing from the malice of man but it proceedeth out of the very doctrine of our Aduesaries For they teach that none can truly haue their sinnes forgiuen them that none can haue any true holinesse before God that none can haue any freewill to doe good works that noe worke of a iust man caÌ„ be perfect or meriâ—â—rioâ—â— before God that all things aswell the bad as the good are done by a certayne necessary predestination of God that noe satisfaction for our sinnes is necessary that we need not confesse our sinnes that good workes are not necessary to saluation and life euerlasting that Gods commaundements are impossible and such other paradoxes wherof we will speake more heerafter All which doe vehemently incite and stirre vp men to all sinne and iniquity But on the other syde the whole doctrine of the Roman Church inflameth continually the harts of men with the loue of vertue and the exercise of good workes 8. Thirdly the Roman Church may truly be called Catholike and that it is no lesse Catholike now then it was in the tyme of the auÌ„cient holy Fathers both we haue sufficiently declared before and Thomas Bozâ—uâ— proueth at large For albeit Sâ—prac 10. huius Cont. §. 14. Bozius de signâ—s Eccles the Roman fayth may seeme to haue failed in some place of Europ yet notwithstanding it hath meruailously increased and still daily increaseth in Asia Africa and those wide countries of the East and VVest Indies But it is certayne that our Aduersaries Churches are wholy destitute of this marke and signe 9. Finally that the Roman Church may truly be called Apostolicall it appeareth sufficiently by the continuall succession of Pastours euer since S. Peters tyme to Paul the fift who is now the supreme Pastor of the Roman Church The which succession Cocc l. 8. citat art 2. is briefly related by Coccius but our Aduersaries can neuer shew the like 10. And Caluin cannot deny but that those holy Fathers Irâ—naeus Augustine Calu. l. 4. instit c. 2. Sect. â— subfinem Optatus and many others disputing with old heretikes vsed this argument the which is deduced from the continuall succession of the Popes of Rome But sayth he they did so because till their tyme there was nothing of the doctrine deliuered vnto them by the Apostles changed at Rome Neyther as yet is there any of that doctrine changed which was at Rome in S. Augustines tyme and besids the same succession Calu. â— â— cit sect 2. continueth still For we do not say as they falsely slaunder vs that the succession only of persons without true doctrine is sufficient but we vrge a continuall succession aswell of persons as of doctrine seeing that no doctrine can consist or remayne without those persons which teach it CHAP. VI. That the Church of the Citty of Româ— is the chiefest of all the visible Churches of Christ is clearly conuinced by the holy Scriptures BESIDES those arguments hitherto alledged out of the properties offices and signes of the true Church wherby we haue proued the Roman Church to be the true Church of Christ there are some other reasons which may be deduced out of holy Scriptures wherof see Bellarmine and Sanders Bell. SaÌ„der locis citat supr cap. 2◠§. 27. in fiâ—e we according to our accustomed breuity will only bring two principall places for this purpose wherby it is manifestly declared that the Roman Church is not only the true Church but that also that which is now in Rome is more eminent and famous then all other Churches of Christ as the successor of S. Peter the Prince of
very well be applyed in this manner to the Roman Church I know saith he what is written in the holy and Canonicall Scriptures concerning the Church of Rome and the faith therof I know not what you say of her Apostacy or falling from her sayth Truly as we do reade in bookes the which you also do honour reuerence of the Roman Church and faith therof so also reade you vnto vs out of bookes the which we also do honour and reuerence how she forsooke and lost her faith Doth it please you that we should belieue euery slaunderous reproach of men vpon what occasion soeuer it was vttered and obiected against the Roman Church the which the holy Ghost hath both deliuered coÌ„mended vnto vs by his holy Scriptures this indeed is pleasing to you but whom also it should more iustly please you see well inough but you being ouercome by obstinacy will not yield to the truth And a little after Lo heere the Roman Church Rom. 1. v. 7. Rom. 1. v. 8. with whome I communicate where I reade thee her name there finde thou me her saultes if thou canst but if thou cryest and rehearsest them from some other place we following the voyce of our Pastour euidently declareth vnto vs by the mouth of the Apostle S. Paul do not admit belieue or heare Ioan. 10. v. 17. your wordes My sheepe saith our heauenly Pastour heare my voice and follow me His testimony of the Roman Church is not obscure but very cleare and manifest VVhosoeuer will not go astray or wander Rom 1. v. 7. 8. from his flock let him heare him let him follow him Hitherto S. Augustine 20. Finally it is heere diligently to be noted that our Aduersaries neuer durst be so bould as to affirme so strange and absurd things of the Church of Rome so auncient in it selfe and so commended by all the auncient holy Fathers yea and by the Apostle S. Paul himselfe but that they Rom. 1. v. 7. 8. falsely perswade themselues that she hath lost and forsaken the true doctrine of Christ Heereupon they say that Rome is Babylon and they are not ashamed to affirme the Pope to be Antichrist But if it were once proued manifestly that the Roman Church teacheth nothing which is not very agreable to the word of God all our Aduersaries weapons against the Church of Rome will easily be blunted and ouerthrowne and also they wil be forced to confesse with Caluin that the Calu. l. 4. Inst cap. 1. sect 10â— infine breach from this Church is the denyall of God and Christ or that there cannot be imagined any fault more heynous But this God willing shal be more euidently hereafter declared in euery Controuersy CHAP. IX Of the Adoration of the Pope of Rome of the kissing of his feete AMongst other Crimes wherewith the Roman Church is charged by our Aduersaries one at which many take offence is the adoration of the Pope and the kissing of his feete We will therefore in this Chapter say some what in iustification therof for if it shall appeare that nothing is done therein which is not warranted by the written word it will appeare how little reasoÌ„ they haue to tearme that impioâ—â— Idolatry which is nothing els indeed but Religious piety 2. Howbeit we are first to forwarne the Reader to the end he be not deceaued by the name of AdoratioÌ„ that AdoratioÌ„ in the holy Scripture hath two significations in 1. Paral. vlt. v. 28. Gen. 2. v. 7. Gâ—n 27. v. 28. Gen. 49. v. â— the one it appertayneth to God alone in the other it may without any sinne at all yea with great merit be giuen to men And of adoration in both senses are verified those wordes of the Scripture they adored first God and then the King Many other places of Scripture there are which approue this adoration of men of which only we now treate For this adoration only is exhibited to the Pope not that other which belongeth only to God and it is exhibited vnto him as the Vicar of Christ wheras the other cannot be exhibited but to the true God himselfe Now there are foure testimonies of holy Scripture which euidently prooue that the adoration of the Pope is not only lawfull but also dutifull 3. The first testimonie is that which the Phophet I say recordeth in these wordes Isaiae 45. v. 14. Thus saith our Lord the labour of Egipt the merchaÌ„dâ—ze of Ethiopia the eminent men of the Sabeans shall come vnto thee and they shal be thine they shall follow thee they shall go with their handes manacled or bound in chaines and they shall adore thee and make supplication vnto thee It is manistest that the Prophet in this place speaketh not to Christ but to the Church for all the verbes and pronownes in the Hebrew text are of the feminine gender and not of the masculine besides it appeareth euidently by all that goeth before these wordes and all that followeth that this promise was made to the Church of Christ The Prophet therfore saith that the labour negotiatioÌ„ that is the riches gotten togeather by labour and negotiation of Egipt and Ethiopia and the eminent persons of the Sabeans by whome are vnderstood the Princes of the Gentils shall passe ouer to the Church and they shâ—lbe the Churches and they shall walke after the Church in manacles by which are signified Ecclesiasticall lawes and that they shall adore the Church and make supplication to her 4. And it is to be obserued that the Hebrew word in the last coÌ„iugation as it is vsed heere and in a manner euery where els signifyeth to prostrate ones selfe before another not howsoeuer but by way of ador ation as all that are skilfull in the Hebrew tongue know in so much as the adoratioÌ„ done oÌ„ly to God is often expressed by this word This therfore is the true sense and meaning of this place they shall prostrate themselues before thee therby to exibite adoration vnto thee We haue therefore out of the Scripture that the Church and consequently Calu. eoÌ„ment in Isa 45. v. 14. edit ann 1559. GeÌ„ apuds Ioan. â—rispinum the Ministeriall head thereof not only may but must be adored vnlesse we will make God to faâ—sify his promise But the crafty dealing of Caluin heere is to be detected who to abuse the Reader leaueth out in his latin translation twice the Pronowne Te that this adoration may not seeme to be referred to the Church but eyther to God or to Christ for he translateth not adorabunt-te obsecrabunt ie but thus Adorabunt atque obsecrabunt whereas in the Hebrew the particle te is twice put in the â—â—â—â—inine gender so as this adoration and obsecration must needes be referred to the Church and therfore those of Genena durst not omit the same neyther in their French Bibles not in their corrupt translation which they call Vatublus no nor Culuin himselfe
can establish Fayth concerning this matter 3. Iohn Caluin indeed sayth that it Lib. 1. Inst c. 7. sect 2. in fine is as easy for a faithfull man to discerne Canonicall Scripture from that which is not Canonicall as to one that seeth it is easy to discerne light from darknes and white from black But in so saying See Beâ—l lib. 1. de ver Deic 17. 18 19. he contradicteth both reason and experience for it is euident that in old tyme there was no small controuersy amongst the faythfull yea and amongst learned and godly men concerning many bookes of the old and new Testament yea and also euen now amoÌ„gst such as our Aduersaries esteeme faithfull men which Caluin Calu. pros in Ep. lac Epist ad Heb. ante â— Petri. himself in many places confesseth 4. Moreouer Caluins owne followers well perceauing this fly vnto their owne peculiar spirit by which they say they are chiefly perswaded and moued and not by the only consent of the Church But these speake nothing to the purpose for Rupell Confess art 4. in faith two thinges concurre one is the cause or origen of fayth to wit God himselfe and the holy Ghost whereof there is no controuersy betweene vs and them for we all acknowledge the holy Ghost to be the principall cause of the assent we giue by fayth that is to say that it is the holy Ghost who chiefly perswadeth vs to belieue The other is the obiect of fayth or that which is to be belieued whereof we now dispute for the holy Ghost doth not induce vs to belieue the false vncertaine deuises of men but the puâ—e and sincere word of God only we aske therfore of our Aduersaries by what expresse word of God he reuealeth vnto them that there are so many Canonicall bookes and neyther fewer nor more for we read not this any where in the Scripture and they admit only the written Word of God how can the holy Ghost Calu l. 1. Instit c. 9. sect 1. then perswade theÌ„ to belieue that which is not the word of God For we are not now to expect new reuelations from God as do the Anabaptists and Libertines whom for this cause our Aduersaries condemne It is necessary therefore that if they will haue vs belieue that they are perswaded by the holy Ghost to belieue such books only to be authenticall as they do say are such that they first shew this to be a truth expressely contayned in holy Scripture which they will neuer be able to do Wherfore there is no certainty with them eyther of the sense of the holy InnoceÌ„t 1. ep 3. c. vlt. CoÌ„ il 3. Carthag caÌ„ 47. S. Aug. Epist 335. Câ—cil Trident. sess 4. Scripture or of the Letter nor euer wil be vntill they returne vnto the Church agayne But we Catholikes are certaine of both for we haue a most faythfull Canon receaued in the Church more theÌ„ a thousand and two hundred yeares agoe confirmed by a generall and Oecumenicall Councell 5. And this to haue beene the faith and doctrine of the auncient Church for the discerning of true and authenticall Lib. 4. Inst c. 1â— sect vlt. Scriptures that short but pithy sentence of S. Augustine whome Caluin acknowledgeth to haue byn the best and most faithfull witnes of antiquiy sufficiently testifyeth saying I for my part would not belieue the Ghospell vnlesse I were moued by the authority Aug. coÌ„ Epist Manich. c. 5. of the Church of which place I will say more herafter in the Controuersy of the Church And else where he saith VVe receaue the old and new TestameÌ„t in that nuÌ„ber of bookes which the authority of the holy Catholike Aug. serm 10 de temp Church deliuereth So S. Augustine 6. I know our Aduersaries obiect many thinges against many bookes contayned in our Ecclesiasticall Canon but their chiefe arguments do not only derogate authority from those bookes but also from many others which they receaue as Canonicall For they obiect that some Fathers did sometymes doubt of those bookes which they will not admit but they are not ignorant that some Fathers of old haue doubted of the Epistles of S. Iames and S. Iude of the second Epistle of S. Peter of the 2. and 3. of S. Iohn of the Epistle to the Hebrewes and of the Apocalyps of which bookes they dare Rupell Confess art 3. not now doubt especially Caluins followers as is manyfest by their confession of faith 7. They say further that in those bookes which they reiect there are many thinges obscure difficult and full of contradiction but what booke of Scripture in a manner is there in the which there do not occurre sometymes thinges 2. Pet. 3. v. 16. obscure and hard to be vnderstod did not S. Peter acknowledge as much But as for true contradictions there are none at al how soeuer there may be some things which at the first sight may seeme to imply contradiction yet indeed all thinges agree very well togeather such a contradiction is oftentymes found in those bookes which euen our Aduersaries receaue Aug. dâ— Doâ—t Christia l. 2. c. 41. de ser Dom. in mont l. 1. c. 3. yea euen in the Ghospells themselues which for all that are not to be reiected but humbly soberly and piously to be interpreted as S. Augustine many tymes admonisheth 8. To conclude all the arguments that our Aduersaries make against these bookes are fully answered by Catholike writers which haue set out Commentaries Bell. Greâ—s Contro 1 l. 1. c. 7. sequ 〈◊〉 in sâ—â— Coronol vpon those bookes to wit Cornelius I ansenius vpon Ecclesiasticus Ioannes Laurinus vpon the booke of VVisedome Ioannes Maldonatus and Chrisâ—ophâ—r à Castâ—o vpon Baruch and Nicolas Serarius vpon the rest of the bookes of the old Testament which our Aduersaries call Apocripall to omit the most Reuerend and famous Cardinall Bellarmine and his Champion Iacobus Gretserus as also Iames Gordon Lesmoreus For it is sufficient only to haue cited them seeing that I write only an abridgment of Controuersies not any long commentaries vpon the Scripture And therfore conteÌ„t my selâ—e to haue shewed in this place that our Aduersaries must either receaue the Canon of Scriptures approued be the Councell of Trent or be vtterly destitute of any certayne and assured Canon CHAP. VI. Of the Hebrew Text. OVR Aduersaries when they are vrged with Catholike argumeÌ„ts taken from the Scriptures are wont to fly to the Hebrew Text of the old Testament and to the Greeke text of the new perswading themselues by this meanes to attayne to the true and propter sense of the letter wherfore somthing is to be sayd in this place of the Hebrew Greeke text both which appertayne to the Letter of the holy Scripture 2. We grant indeed that when the Latin translation is either ambiguous or lesse playne the Hebrew text is well and profitably looked into as also that
diuers mysteries which lye hidden in the Hebrew text and cannot sufficiently be explicated in Latin wordes may be the better vnderstood And lastly that we may the more fully attayne vnto the force and Emphasis of that holy tongue 3. But as for the Hebrew text now extant we do not acknowledge it to be of so great either authority or perspicuity as our Aduersaries pretend and we further deny that the vulgar EditioÌ„ wherinsoeuer it differeth from it is to be corrected by it and that for two reasons The first is for that the Hebrew text though neuer so incorrupt further then it is approued by the authority of the Church is much more doubtfull and vncertayne then the Latin The other reason is for that the Hebrew text which is now in vse is in maâ—y places corrupted and depraued in which the vulgar Edition is entire and vncorrupted Both these reasons shâ—lbe confirmed in the ensuing Chapters which the learned Reader may see in the Latin edition from the seauenth Chapter to the 14. all which I haue omitted to put into English because I intend to help the lesse learned who are not so capable of that so profouÌ„d and learned a discourse CHAP. VII Of our Aduersaries new Translation of the Bible THE Catholike Church of Christ not without good cause doth reiect and condemne our Aduersaries new Translations of the Bible and that for many reasons The first and most iust reason is because such their translations are replenished with errors which haue byn inuented eyther by Ieâ—â—es or Heretikes wherof see many examples in the precdent Chapters of the Latin edition but we in this Chapter will set downe three other causes or origens from whence these errors spring wherby it shall further appeare that our Aduersaries can set out no Translation which shall not be sound full of many great errors 2. The first cause is for that our Aduersaries eyther contemne or make little account of the translations and interpretations of the Fathers and imploy all their labour in finding out all the versions and interpretations and expositions of the Iewes which they highly extoll commend so as in their Commentaries vpon the old Testament you shall see them cite Thargus Rabins and such other Thalmudicall fictions but especially Rabbi Dauid Kimhi whom sometimes they call learned sometymes the most learned among the Hebrewes But of the auncient Fathers no mention at all for if there be it is for the most part eyther to taxe or manifestly to oppugne or euen to corrupt their writings 3. Now what can be more vnreasonable or absurd then to begge the true sense of the Scripture of the Iewes who 2. Cor. 3. v. 14. 1. Thess c. 2. v. 15. 16. lacke faith and who haue a veyle ouâ—r their hartes when they read the old Testament with whome God is not pleased and who are Aduersaries to all men vpon whom the Anger of God is come to the end who peruert all the oracles of the Prophets that appertayne to Christ and lastly who are the most malicious enemies of Christians And on the other side to despise the excellent Doctors of Christs Church who euen in the iudgment of our Aduersaries were indued with the Rom. 8. v. 9 Eph 4. v. 14. true faith full of the holy Ghost raâ—sâ—d by God and placed in the Church to the end we should not be carried about with euery wind of doctrine who haue dâ—fended the faith against all heâ—esies who haue sincerely instructed the faithfull people in the mysteries of the Christian faith who haue faithfully set downe to Posterity the sense and interpretation of the Scriptures which they receâ—ued froÌ„ the Apostles 4. Moreouer wheras no man can 2. Cor. 12. v. â—â— â—8 â— Pet. 1. v. 20. 21. rightly interprete the Scriptures who hath not recâ—aued from God the gift of the interpretation which is not giuen but to the members of Christ and his Church only it is apparent â—nough how much more salfe it is to follow such holy Doctors then the impious Iewes who are wrapt in the snares of the Diuell and hâ—ld 2. Tim. â— v. vâ—t Mat. 15. v. 14. captiue at his will And seeing that saying oâ— Christ is most true if the blind lead the blind they hoth fall into the ditch it cannot be but our Aduersaries blind and destitute of the light of faith and led by the bliâ—d Iewes must needes fall downe headlong and breake their neckes 5. Heerehence it is that our Aduersaries do insert into the new Translations almost all the places of Scripture corrupted by the Iewes and that they deny togeather with the Iewes many oracles of the prophets to be vnderstood of Christ and many wayes wrest euen those oracles which they caÌ„not deny to be vnderstood of Christ from that true sense in which they are cited in the new Testament by the Apostles Euangelists and Christ himselfe to prophane impious senses lately inuented by the Iewes out of their hatred to Christ 6. The second cause is that they desire nothing more then in their translations to depart from the vulgar edition the which seeing it is most sincere and correct they which almost in all thinges leane it must needes fall into many errors 7. The third cause is the malicious intention of our Aduersaries who set forth new Translations of the Scripture for no other end then by them to oppugne the Catholike doctrine and to establish and confirme their owne errors and heresies and therefore when any plain text occurreth which maketh manifestly against their erroneous doctrine they seeke to make obscure the true and proper sense by their peruerse translation but if they light vpon any place somewhat obscure which may seeme to sauour their doctrine they so depraue it by their new translation that the Scripture it selfe may seeme to confirme what they falsely teach and so by this meanes they must needes stuffe their translations with infinite corruptions For these three reasons therfore not without great reason Gretser tract de noua transtat in defen Bel. arm do we reiect our Aduersaries translations which so swarme with corruptions Many other reasons are both learnedly and largely set downe by Iames Gretser which we for breuity sake omit CHAP. VIII Of the Latin vulgar Edition OVR Aduersaries conuinced by the truth it selfe confesse sometymes that the vulgar Edition not only is to be preferred before all other latin Editions but euen before the Greeke text of the new Testament and the Hebrew text of the old for in many places reiecting them they follow our vulgar translation as may be seene in the Latin edition in the Chapters 8. 9. 10. 13. notwithstanding that in many other places they exceedingly inueigh against it and with great hostility oppugne it partily for that they see the same to contradict in many places their errors and partly also for that they labour by all meanes to peruert the text of the Scripture by their new
tyme can intimate vnto vs diuers things 6. The which thing is excellently declared by S. Augustin for hauing said that Aug. â— 12. â—onf c. vlt. he thought Moyses intended diuers senses in his words he correcteth himselfe saâ—ing that without all doubt God who is the principall author of the Scriptures did so O Lord sayth he seeing thou art God and not flesh and bloud if man he short sighted can it be hidden from thy spirit which will lead me into the right land whatsoeuer thou wast in those words to reueale to posterity howsoeuer he by whome they were spoken thought peraduenture but of one sense only amoâ—st many other no lesse true so S. Augustin Seeing therfore there are diuers litterall senses of one and the same place one Interpreter may follow one sense and another interpreter another so long as neyther of them do say any thing not agreeable to the word of God but both the one sense and the other is godly and conformable to other places of Scripture And this maketh much for the dignity of the Scriptures and profit of the Church according to that which S. Augustin writeth Lib. 3. de Doctrin Christ c. 27. else where How could God sayth he better commend vnto vs the plentifull fruite of his Deuine VVordes then by so disposing as the same words may be vnderstood diuers wayes 7. Nay we see moreouer the holy Scripture it selfe to shew very manifestly that there are diuers senses of the same wordes For there is no doubt but that commaundment of Deuteronâ—my Thou shalt Deut. 25. v. 4. not tâ—e the mouth of the Oxe that thresheth according to the litter all sense doth signify that the mouth of an oxe is not to be tyed whilst 〈◊〉 treadeth forth the corne in the floare for so according to the Letter the Iewes obserued it as indeed they were bound to do Neuertheles S. Paul manifestly teacheth that God the proper Author 2. Cor. 9. v. 9. 10. of the holy Scripture inteÌ„ded chiefly another sense Is God sayth he so carefull of Oxen or doth he not so say in regard of vs for indeed those things are written for vs hitherto it also appertayneth that in the Hebrew tongue one word hath many significations as hath beâ—ne shewed in the seaueÌ„th Chapter of the Latin Edition 8. Out of this ground we affirme that there is no repugnance betweene the Septuagint Interpreters and the Hebrew text and betweene the Hebrew text and the vulgar Edition or lastly betweene the interpretation of the vulgar Edition of the old Testament and that of the new how much soeuer the same wordes are diuersly translated to wit otherwise of the Septuagint and otherwise of the vulgar Latin interpreter or otherwise of the vulgar Edition of the old Testament and otherwise of the vulgar Edition of the new where in both places the same wordes are cited for the same places of Scripture are oftentimes otherwise cited by the Apostles in the new Testament then hath the Hebrew text of of the old But here is diuersity without any repugnance or contrariety And this hath place especially in the Hebrew text because in the Hebrew tongue there is so different reading of one and the same word See examples heereof in the Latin Edition of this Controuersy in this Chapter 9. It wil be easy out of that which hath byn said to answere that which our Aduersaries obiect against diuers places of the vulgar edition For albeit there be diuersity betweene it and the Hebrew text yet there is no repugnance or contrariety and if our Aduersaries think otherwise it procedeth from their ignorance of the Hebrew tongue which hath many wordes subiect to ambiguity and very many phrases much different from the Latin and Greeke phrase as in the Chapters that follow may be seene in the Latin Edition from the 16. to the 20. CHAP. IX The place of Genesis she shall breake thy head is shewed to be well translated IT wil be too long and little to my purpose to examine all the places of the vulgar Edition to which our Aduersaries take exceptions for many of them differ little or nothing from the Hebrew text of the old Testament or from the Greeke of new we will handle some few of greatest difficulty and which our Aduersaries do most often and with great bitternes vrge against vs that by them iudgment may be giuen of the rest which are of lesse importance 2. The first place which they say is depraued and of which they often and eagerly complaine is that of the third of Luther in Genes ib. Genesis v. 15. Ipsa centeret caput tuum for it is not ipsa in the Hebrew but ipsum as if it were spoken of the seed of the womaÌ„ and not of the woman her selfe The Lutherans crie out of great iniury done therby to Christ as to whome alone it appertayneth to bruze the head of the Diuell which we attrâ—bute to another to wit to the Blessed Virgin 3. Caluin also affirmeth that we Calu. in c. 3. Gen. v. 15. haue found out a sacrilegious Exposition whilst we accommodate that to the holy Mother of Christ which was spoken of the seed Christ himselfe And as for the Lutherans we haue lesse cause to blame thâ— for reprehending our version seeing they stoutly maintayne that by the seed â—â— the woman Chrill only is meant 4. But as for Caluin he sheweth the greedy appetite he hath to calumniate wheÌ„ he calleth our version a sacrilegious exposition for he conuinced by the truth coÌ„fesseth that by the seed of the woman not only Christ is meant but al his members yeâ— euen all maÌ„kind It is therefore woÌ„derfull that he saith it is a sacrilegious expesition to apply to the Blessed Virgin Mary that which was spoken of the seed vnlesse â—e will not that the Blessed Virgin be any meÌ„ber of Christ or to appertayne any thing to mankind For seeing that the promise of bruzing SathaÌ„s head appertayneth to Christ and euery member of his aâ— Caluin writeth in expresse wordes Calu. l. 1. Inst c. 14. sect 13â— it must doubtlesse principally apperthyne to the Blessed Virgin as who next after Christ hath most strongly crushed Sathans head VVherfore euen the Lutheranâ— Hun. in Caln IudaizaÌ„te in Anti. paraeo themselues obserue that Caluin hath no reason to obiâ—ct this vnto the Catholikes 5. But to the end we may the better vnderstand whether it be any fault at all that we retayne in the vulgar version the particle ipsâ— we are first to declare the litteral sense of this place and to examine after whether it be any error that we retayne the particle ipsa in our version For it was not out of any ignorance or drowsy carelesnes that the feminine gender crept in heâ—re iâ—stâ—â—d of the masculine or neuter as Caluin calumniateth but it was In Gen. loc cit done of purpose and for iust cause as shal be shewed CHAP. X. Of the
Scripture might seeme to be called in question he was not a shamed to write that Baptisme might be giuen in any liquour and by this meanes it wil be true and lawfull Baptisme though it be giuen in milke wyne yea in Inke or any other filthy liquour Thus are our Aduersaries forced to admit these absurdityes least they might be forced to depart from that their principle of belieuing only Scripture 6. Furthermore to the end that Beza might more easily perswade the ignorant common people to admit this his strang paradox he addeth presently a very grieuous slaunder against the Catholike Doctors Let water be wanting saith Beza Beza ib. Epist 2. and yet the Baptisme of any cannot be deferred with edification nor must not be I truly would as well and as lawfully baptize in any other liquour as in water neyther are the most superstitious Deuines of any other opinion in these matters Thus far Beza But these thinges which he writeth are most false For there is no Catholike nor Scholasticall Doctor Concil Trid. sess 7. car 2. de baptismâ— who hath euer eyther thought or written so yea the playne contrary is defined by the Catholike Church as a poynt of Fayth 7. The fixt poynt of fayth is that bread and wyne is only the necessary matter of the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist This poynt of faith is also very necessary for the Church least so great and so excellent a Sacrament should be prophaned yet our Aduersaries will neuer be able to proue it effectually out of Scripture only For by this word Bread any kind of meate is oftentymes signifyed in Scripture of wine it is fâ—â—re more doubtfull For the Scripture maketh only mention of the Chalice and not of the liquor which was in the Chalice and Luc. 22. â— 18. Cal ibid. in sua harmonia Beza Ep. 2. cit Caluin himselfe acknowledgeth that these words of the fruit of the vyne were spoken before the institution of this Sacrament 8. The which when Beza easily preceaued heere also be went about to bring in another error least indeed he should be fored to forsake his former principle of belieuing only Scripture For he was not afraid to write that he erred nothing from the institution of Christ who in the consecration of the Euchâ—rist should vse insteed of the bread appointed for that purpose any other vsuall meate and insteed of the wyne any other ordinary kind of drinke and by this meanes one may consecrate the Eucharist eyther in cheese flesh fish or egges as also in milke water beere or vinager or any other liquor which hitherto was neuer heard of in Gods Church And yet for all this Beza is not ashamed to attribute this most absurd error of his to all the Scholasticall Doctors For of both these errors he treateth in the words before alledged because when he sayth the Scholasticall Doctors were of no other opinion he speaketh as well coÌ„cerning the matter of the Eucharist as of the matter of Baptisme After this manner our Aduersaries do force so many and so great errors out of that their principle of belieuing only Scriptures wherof more might be alledged which for breuities sake we omit 9. But there is one thing I cannot let passe because therby we clearly conuince that the Traditions of the Church do not only contayne vn written points of fayth but that which is more euen in our Aduersaries iudgment they change and abolish such things as are expresly commaunded in Scriptures for euen in the Table of the Law of God which is sayd to be written by Gods owne hand in many and manyfest words the keeping of Exod. â—4 v. 1. Exod 20. v. 8 9. 10. 11. the Sabboth day is comaunded the which notwithstanding now all except a few Anabaptists do confesse to be abrogated by Ecclesiasticall Traditions only without any expresse testimony of Scripture The Anabaptists I say being also deceiued by that coÌ„mon principle of our Aduersaries of belieuing only Scriptures they go about to bring the obseruation of the Sabboth day into vâ—e and custome agayne and for this Viâ—e Prateolum V. Sabatharij cause they are called Sabatharians but not so much the Heresy as the madnesse of these men is condemned of all and namely of Luther in his booke against the Sabbatharians in the seauenth Tome CHAP. V. Wherin it is proued that there are Traditions by the testimonies of the holy Fathers THE third argument wherby we proue that all the points of our fayth are not set downe in writing by the Apostles is the authority Coâ—cius Tom. 1. l. â— Artic. vâ—timo Bellarm. Tom. 1. l. 4â— de verbo Dei c. 7. of the auncâ—eÌ„t Fathers who affirme and teach this in many places The which places of the holy Fathers as well the Greekes as the Latins â—odocus Coâ—cius hath very diligently gathered togeather in his booke intâ—tuled Thesâ—urus Catholicus and before him Bellarmine did the same But least we be longer then the order of Epitomes doth permit especially in a thing so manyfest it shall suffice vs to alledg one chiefe Doctor of the Greeke and another of the Latin Church 2. Among the Grecians S. Chrysostome is the most famous who doth not only affirme it but also manifestly proueth it out of holy Scripture For when he expoundeth those words of the later Epistle 2. Thes â— 2. v. 14. to the Thessalonians Therefore brethren stand and hold the Traditions which you haue learned whether it be by word or by our Epistle he writeth thus Hence it appeareth sayth S. Chrysostome that he did not deliâ—â—r all things vnto them by his Epistle but many things also without his letters but as well these as those other worthily deserue S. Chrys Hom. 4. in 2. ad Thes to be belieued therfore â—e esteeme the Tradition also of the Church to be worthy oâ— credit It is a Tradition seeke no further Thus S. Chrysostome But it is most certayne that the Calu. l. 4. Instit c. 14. sect vlt. S. Aug. Tom. 7. de baâ—t contra Donat. l. 2. cap 7. Apostle and consequently S. Chrysostome also who expouÌ„deth him doth not only speake of ceremonies and customes but also of poynts of Fayth 3. S. Augustine whom Calâ—in acknowledgeth to be the best and most â—aythfull witnesse of antiquity writeth in this manner Many things are not to be sound in the Apostles writings nor in the ensewing Councells and yet notwithstaÌ„ding because they are generally kept through out the whole Catholike Church they are iuged to haue byn deliuered and commended by none but by them Thus S. Augustine Neyther can it be sayd that S. Augustine speaketh of ceremonies and not of poynts of fayth For in that place he proueth against the Donatists that those which were baptized in the accustomed forme and matter by heretikes were not to be baptized againe but none vnlesse he be an Anabaptist will deny that this is a point of fayth CHAP.
VI. Wherin euen by the doctrine of our Aduersaries it is proued that there are Traditions THE fourth argument wherby we proue Traditions is taken out of the doctrine of our Aduersaries For all those things which our Aduersaries do affirme to be points of fayth against the Catholike doctrine they teach and belieue them without any expresse Scripture For it cannot be found expressely in Scripture that fayth only iustifyeth that there are only two Sacraments of the new law that none should pray for the deâ—d c. for all these things and many others which they teach against vs they gather only out of Scriptures and that by some false and very weake consequence but it is no where expressely written that fayth only iustifieth that there are only two Sacraments that we must not pray to Saynts or for the dead c. 2. Moreouer there can no Catholike be found who doth not receaue and assuredly belieue the whole authenticall text of the holy Scripture why do they therfore condemne vs when they affirme that nothing is to be belieued besiâ—â— the text of Scripture wheras the whole Controuersy betwixt them and vs is of the vnwritten points of fayth which we affirme they deny 3. Our Aduersaries being conuinced by this argument do now at the last confesse that not only that is to be admitted and belieued as the pure word of God Beza de nâ—â—iâ— Ec. pag. 137. voluÌ„ 2. Theol. Tract â—dit an 1581. which is expresly written in holy Scripture but all that also which by a necessary consequence may be gathered out of it 4. But when they answere thus they are forced to depart and forsake that their first principle wheâ— by they affirmâ—d that all the poynts of fayth are expresly conteyned in Scriptures and that they were set downe in writing by the Apostles 5. Furthermore not perâ—auing so much they ioyne in opinion with vs so that they must needes indeed confesse that the Traditions of the Church are altogeather necessary For such things as are gathered out of Scriptures do rather belong to Traditions then to expresse Scripture For that which only consequently by reasoning discoursing is gathered out of Scripture albeit it very well and necessarily may be deduced from thence is not expressely in Scripture but only obsâ—urly secretly or vertually is conteined therin For no man can truly say that the conclusion which is only inferred out of the premisses is expresly conteined in the same premisses for otherwise our discourse and arguing were vayne and to no purpose But therfore do we reason and discourse to the end that that which lieth hidden vertually in the premisses may be expresly manifested in the conclusion 6. And that we may alleadge an example out of the Scriptures themselues when God the Father sayd this is my welbeloued Matt. 17. v. 5. Sonne heare him Out of these wordes we may very well gather and by a necessary consequence that the whole doctrine of Christ our Lord is to be heard and receiued of all yet none will say that al the doctrine of Christ is conteyned expresly in these few wordes And truely the holy Scripture is so fertill plentifull that many points of faith do as yet lye hidden and vnknowne therin which hitherto haue neuer byn gathered togeather by any but these thinges are conteyned vertually and not expressely in it 7. Moreouer after so many debates and contentions after so many bookes set forth against vs after so many slaunders wherby our Aduersaries charge vs as though we taught that the Scriptures are imperfect they at the last returne to our opinion For we do not deny yea we willingly acknowledge that all those things which rightly and without errour are deduced or gathered out of the expresse wordes of the holy Scriptures do belong vnto the written word of God and are contayned in holy writ obscurely not expressely vertually and not plainly For in that God doth reueale any thing in expresse wordes consequently and vertually he reuealeth all things which necessarily and without any errour may be deduced from thence 8. We graunt also that the Scripture consequently mediatly vertually as in a generall principle conteyneth all things necessary to saluatioÌ„ yea in that one only article of the Creed I belieue the holy Catholike Church in those few words also of Christ Luc. 19. v. 16. he who heareth you heareth me if the collection be rightly framed as we haue also said before in the 25 Chapter But when these thinges are gathered togeather which are not expressely in Scripture there is scarse any of them which is not vncertayne doubtful without the authority and Traditions of the Church Wherefore these collections do manifestly conuince the necessity and authority of Traditions 9. But that these collections may be vncertâ—yne and deceytfull both experieÌ„ce reasoÌ„ teacheth vs experieÌ„ce because almost all Heresies haue had their begâ—nning not from the Scripture alone in it selfe but from these collections badly framed and made For there is not almost any one heresy which is only grounded on the expresse wordes of Scripture without some other collection seing that almost all Heretikes both in tymes past as now alâ—o go about to proue and gather their heresies from the Scripture by certayne deceytfull sophistical arguments Arius for example out of those wordes of Christ the Father is greater then I did gather Ioan. 14. v. 28. but badly that Christ euen according to his diuine Nature was inferiour to his Father The new Arians out of those words of the ten coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„ts thou shalt not haue straÌ„ge Gods before me do gather but foolishly that Exod. 20. v. 3. the SoÌ„ne is not God the holy Ghost is not God So the Diuell himself against Christ Matt. 4. v. 6. vsed this reason It is written God hath giuen his Angells chargâ— of thee therfore cast thy selfe downe headlong Lastly all the arguments indeed which our Aduersaries at this tyme alledge against vs out of Scriptures and all the errours which they haue inueÌ„ted do take their beginning and strength from their new illations and reasons and not out of the bare and playne words of Scripture as will manifestly appeare in euery one of these Controuersies 10. The reason also is manifest why these their collections and reasons are vncertaine and doubtfull For in nothing can one more easily or more often erre then in these illations The which may proceed of many causes eyther because the illation it selfe is bad and Sophisticall or because the place of Scripture from whence it is gathered is falsified by some false exposition therof or because the proposition which is assumed and adioyned to the wordes of Scripture is false and ambiguous or because one or more wordes in that collection are vsed doubtfully that is to say in one sense in the premises and in another in the conclusion or lastly because there hapneth some errour to be in the collection which maketh
â—lla verba 1. â—l Cor. 4. v. 6. word of God but of this one point that we must not be puffed vp in pryde as euen Caluin himselfe acknowledgeth 5. But to omit all such thinges as other Catholike Doctors haue very well and learnedly written of the proper and literall sense of these wordes yea that we may also graunt to our Aduersaries that this which they alledge is the true sense they erre very much in that they thinke that these wordes of Moyses belong vnto vs and that we are no lâ—sle now bound and obliged by them then the Ieues were in tymes past For these wordes do no more appertaine vnto vs then those of the same booke of Deuteronomy Câ—rsed be â—e that Devt 27. v. vâ—â— abideth not in the wordes of this Law and sâ—lfilâ—â—th them not in worke From which wordes S. Paul manifestly teacheth that we are deliuered Ad Gal. 3. l. 10. 1â— and freed by the grace of Christ Iesus But seing that in these wordes which they do heere alledge Moyses commaundeth that the ChildreÌ„ of Israel should obserue fulfill euery word which he had commaunded them for so it is expresly set downe Deuteronomy 12. the last verse in the Hebrew text and in all the Bibâ—s of our Aduersaries and he presently addeth that nothing is to be added or detracted from all these he manifestly commaundeth the keeping of the whole Moysaicall Law and of all the Sacraments Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the old Testament For he doth not only commaund that nothing should be added but also that nothing is to be detracted of all those thinges by him commauÌ„ded Wherefore if our Aduersaries obiect against vs that we adde any thing against this precept we may more iustly obiect vnto then that they detract farre more then we add seing that they neyther obserue the Circumcision nor the legall Sacrifices nor other Ceremonies which are so often and so straitely commaunded in Deuteronomy It cannot truly be denyed but that this is to detract somewhat from those thinges which Moyses commaunded and therâ—ore our Aduersaries must needes confesse that these are the wordes of the old Law and consequently do appertaine nothing vnto vs. Out of this which hath byn said it followeth that our Aduersaries do very indiscretly foolishly boast and bragge of those wordes of Moyses For in the exposition thereof they erre farre from the truth and a great deale more in the application when they go about to proue that we are also bound and obliged by them 6. Our Aduersaries take their second argument out of these wordes of Salomoâ—s Prouerb 30. v. 5. 6. prouerbâ— Euery word of God is fiery it is a sâ—ield of defence to those which hope in it do not add any thing to the words therof and thou shalt not be found and reprehended as a lyar I answere that this place maketh nothing against vs for in that place there is no mention made of Scripture only but of al the word of God And it is most true that nothing should be added to all the whole word of God the which is to be belieued with a Catholike faith as the true word of God For as we haue said before our faith relyeth only on the word of God but the Scripture only is not all the word of God because all Traditions also which contayne poynts of faith belong therunto as we haue sufficiently Supra c. 2. proued already But they add to the word of God are lyarâ— who affirme that God sayd this or that which indeed he neuer spake And of this sort â—re those false Prophets of whome God by the Prophet Ieremy complayneth saying They Hier. 23. v. 16. 21. speake the vision of their hartes not from the mouth of our Lord againe I did not speake vnto them and they did prophesy This place also may very well be vnderstood of those who add any thing contrary to the word of God For in the Hebrew text there is set downe that particle Ghal which often tymeâ— signifieth contrary or against as we haue already declared in our answere to the first argument CHAP. IX Wherin is examined that place of S. Pauls Epistle to the Galathâ—ans which our Aduersaries do obiect against Traditions THE third argument our Aduersaries take out of the first Confess Rupâ—lâ— Art 3. Chapter to the Galathians the which they haue also added to their confession of fayth as inuincible For they haue omitted their second argument as not strong inough for their purpose But thus they frame their argument The Apostle Gal. 1. v. 8. 9. sayth twice an Anathema to those who teach any thing besidâ— that which he hath taught therefore nothing is to be receiued or belieued but Scripture Our Aduersaries haue this place of the Apostle often in their mouthes wherefore it shal be exaâ—ined more exactly We answere therfore thaâ— our Aduersaries do erre heere for two reasons first because our whole controuersy is of the written word of God but in these words there is no mention made of the writteÌ„ word or of Scripture but only of the word preached and deliuered viâ—â— vâ—câ— to the Galathians by S. Paul And hence it is that S. Augustine farre otherwise August Tom. 7. de vnit Ecâ—les c. 24. then our Aduersaries disputing against the Donatists proueth by these words of the Apostle that we are bound to admit and belieuâ— the Traditions of the Church as for exaÌ„ple that those who are once orderly and lawfully christened by Heretiks are not to be baptized againe And well truly for that which is viua voce deliuered is a Tradition and not Scpriture Moreouer if the Scripture only conteyned expressely all the poynts of fayth the Apostle would rather haue proposed the Scripture as the rule of fayth then his owne preaching seing that the Scripture is manifestly well knowne to all Nations but his owne preaching to the Galathians only But our Aduersaries vrge againe and say that all that which the Apostle preached to the Galathians was written eyther before that tyme or afterward by S. Paul and the other Apostles they say this but they proue it not For this is no where written in holy Scripture and so whiles they goe about to perswade vs that all points of fayth are writteÌ„ they coyne inuent a new poynâ— which is no where extant in Scripture that is to say that all such thingâ— as S Paul viua voce taught the Galathians are written But we following herein S. Augustine do 3. Aug. Tom. 9. Tract 96. in Io. Tom 7. de â—nit Eccles c. 21. infine gather much better by these words and infer thus against them If there must be nothing belieued but that which S. Paul preached to the Galathians and that none knoweth certainly what are those things which he preached but by the Traditions and doctrine of the Church it followeth manifestly that besids the Scripture we must also belieue
32. Christ hath but one spouse and acknowledgeth no other They shal be two in one flesh but I sayth the Apostle speake in Christ in the Church So also Christ speaketh of the Church my doue and my persect is one Cant. 6. v. 8. Christ is not an adulterer neyther doth he beget any children of an adulteresse For this cause saith S. Cyprian the spouse of Christ cannot be an adulteâ—esse â—he is not corrupted S. Cypâ— in traâ—â— de vnit Eâ—cles and she is chast And a little after VVhosoeuer beâ—ng separated from the Church is ioyned to an adulâ—erâ—sse he is separated from the promises of the Chuâ—ch Neyther shall he euer attaine to the rewards S. Aug. Tom. 9. de â—ymh ad Caâ—h lib. 4. c vlt. of Christ who teares the Church of Christ He is an alâ—ene he is prophane he is an enemy he cannot haue God for his Father who hath not the Church for his Mother Thus he which last words S. Augustin repeateth out of him 2. Secondly he that is without the body of Christ cannot receyue the spirit of Christ nor be partaker of the lyfe and Rom. 8. v. 9. S. Aug. Tom. 29. tract 2. in oan merits of Christ But he who hath not the spirit of Christ is not his as witnesseth the Apostle S. Augustine dâ—clareth this very well by the example of a mans body whose members cannot liue vnlesse they be ioyned to the body Another reasoÌ„ also S. Augustine alledgeth taken from the forsaid property of the Church None sayth he obtayneth saluatioÌ„ euerlasting lyse but he who S. Aug Tom. 7. de vnit Ecc. c. 19. hatâ— Christ to be his head But none can haue Christ to be his head but he who is in â—is body which is the Church So sayth S. Augustine 4. Thirdly the Name only of a Mother doth proue this sufficiently For none can be conceyued nor borne without a mother and the child which is borne if it leaue to sucke the mothers breasts will perish for hunger By which argument euen our wisest Aduersaries are conuinced For both Caluin â—nd Beza doe confesse Calu. l. 4. nstit c 1. Beza cap. 5. Confess Art 1. this that euen the name only of a mother doth conuince that which we haue sayd to be true yea also the Scripture doth ofteÌ„ testify that out of the bosome of the Church we cannot hope for the remâ—ssion of our sinnes nor euerlasting saluation and that the going out of the true Church was alwaies hatefull And hence it commeth to passe that in the Creed of the Apostles first we belieue the holy Catholike Church and then the remission of sinnes and lyfe euerlasting because indeed without this Church none can obtaine eyther remissioÌ„ of their sinnes or life euerlasting CHAP. III. That the Church of Christ is to continue for euer THE second errour of our Aduersaries is that many of them affirme that the Church of Christ hath not continually endured but that it sometymes fayled This error may also be easily refuted by the forsayd propertyes offices of the Church For first the Church is the spouse of Christ of which he speaketh by the Prophet I will betroth thee vnto me for euer Christ therfore did not bâ—troth his Church vnto him Ose 2. v. 19. for a few yeares only 2. Secondly the Church is the Body of Christ but Christ cannot be without his Rom. 12. v. 5. body And truly it were a monstrous thing to see a liuing head without a body 3. Thirdly the Church is the Kingdome of Christ but the Scriptures doe teach in many places that this Kingdome Psaâ— 83. ve 89. v. 36. of Christ shall continue for euer as Micheae 4. v. 7. Daniel 2. v. 44. Ierem. 33. v. 20. 21. Luc. 1. 32. 33. Lastly Christ sweareth in his Holy One that is to say by his Holines that the Kingdome of Christ shall last for euer Wherefore they endeauour to make Christ himself periured who affirme that the Kingdome of Christ sometymes perished 4. Fourthly the Church is the House Matt. 17. v. 18. of Christ the which he built vpon a rocke and against which the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile 5. Fifthly the same is proued be the 1. Cor. 11. v. 26. offices of the Church The Church shall shew the death of our Lord vntil he come God also gaue some as Apostles and Doctors who should Ephes 4. v. 11. teach and rule the Church vntill we meet all in Christ in the end of the world When Christ also sent his Disciples to teach all Nations and to administer the SacrameÌ„ts he added this promise Behould I am with Matt. vlt. v. vlt. you all dayes euen to the consuÌ„mation of the world By which words as S. Hierome wel noteth he sheweth that they are to liue alwayes and that he is neuer departed from the faithfull belieuers 6. Lastly our Aduersaries themselues being coÌ„uiuced with the truth of this matter do acknowledge that the holy Calu. lib. 4. Instit c. 1. sect 17. in fine Scriptures do testify this in many places For Caluin and Beza to omit many others do acknowledge and proue this out of the Scriptures Seeing that sayth Beza the Kingdome of Iesus Christ is continuall it Beza c. 5. Confess art 1. necessarily followeth that there haue alwaies byn some to be found who did acknowledge him for their King CHAP. IIII. That this Church which hath alwaies continued hath alwaies byn visible THE third errour of our Aduersaries is that they deny the Church of Christ to haue byn alwayes visible For seing that they cannot deny but that the Church of Christ hath alwayes continued as we haue declared in in the precedent Chapter and wheÌ„ we demaund of them where their Church was for the space of a thousand yeares and more they fly vnto a certaine inuisible Church which they say lay hidden for many yeares But this errour also is easily refuted by the for said properties and offices of the true Church 2. For first the Church is the body of Christ but this body of Christ was visible 1. Cor. 1â— vers 27. for the Apostle spake vnto visible men when he sayd you are the body of Christ Moreouer we are made the body of Christ by baptisme and the receiuing of the Eucharist 1. Cor. 10. v. 17. 1. Cor. 12. v. 13. Ephes 4. v. 11. 12. as witnesseth the Apostle But these Sacraments are visible Also in this body of Christ there are Doctors and Pastors vntill the consuÌ„matioÌ„ of Saynts vntil we meet with Christ but such persons are also visible The building also of the Church is visible this consuÌ„mation of Saynts is visible that worke of ministery is visible which the Apostle sayth shall continue vntill the comming of Christ 2. Secondly the Church is the Kingdome of Christ but euery Kingdome coÌ„prehendeth in it a visible company of meÌ„ who all acknowledge one
belieue by faith are inuisible but by faith we belieue there is a Catholike Church as appeareth by the Apostles Creed therefore the Catholike Church is inuisible and not visible I answere that this is a weake argument albeit Calu. l. 4. â—nstit c. â— sect 1. in prinâ— Caluin also vseth it For if it were not it would proue that the holy Scripture were also inuisible because we belieue also the holy Scripture by faith yea it would also proue euen our Aduersaries Church to be as yet inuisible for they as yet belieue their Church by faith and yet they coÌ„fesse that their Church is now visible And truly if their Church had remayned stil inuisible they had neuer caused so many tumults in the Christian Common-wealth But certainly euen as in the holy Scriptures we see one thinge and belieue another we see the letters characters the which the Infidels also see but we belieue that the Scripture is most true in all thinges the which they do not belieue so we sâ— that the Church of Christ is extant the which also the Infidels do see for Turkes Iewes do very well know that there is a Pope and that there are Bishops Princes and Christian Nations but we belieue that this Church which we see is an holy Church is gouerned directed by the holy Ghost and that she cannot erre in matters of faith all which the Infidels do not belieue 3. The fifth argument None is in the Church but by faith but faith is inuisible therfore the Church also is inuisible I answere that this is a very weake consequence for otherwise we might reason thus None is man but by a reasonable soule but the soule of man indued with the vse of reason is inuisible therfore the whole man also is inuisible Also no Scripture is to be accounetd holy but by the authority of God but this authority is invisible therefore the Scripture also is inuâ—sible For it is not necessarie that a thing may be called visible that the chiefe part or reason thereof be visible but it sufficieth if any part therof be visible as manifestly appeareth in all visible substances for their chiefe partes to wit their substantiall matter and forme are thinges inuisible 4. Secondly I answere that the faith wherby a man is made a member of the visible Church is not only an interiour faith which is not to be seene but that which is euidently seene and declared by exteriour signes as for example by confessing publikely the said faith by receauing the Sacraments and such other exteriour acts The which is so true that this exteriour profession of our faith only without the interiour faith sufficeth that a man become a member of the visible Church as Bellarmine well proueth Bell. l. 3. de milit Eccl. c. â—0 seing that otherwise none could be certaine of his Prelate or Pastour because none can see the faith or mind oâ— another 5. Hence also it is that not only the predestinate and iust men are members of the visible Church but also such as be hypocrites and wicked men who professe their faith according to those wordes of Ioan. â—â— v. 2. Ibid. v. 6. Christ Euery branch in me not bearing fruit he will take it away And if any abide not in me he shal be cast forth by whcih wordes Christ sheweth that they also who doe not remayne in him that is to say those which are not predestinate and those which do not bring forth any fruit that is to say bad Christians are in him that is to say in his visible body which is the Church the which also almost all our Aduersaries confesse as we haue said before and Bellarmine proueth more at large 6. The sixt argument our Aduersaries Apoc. 12 v. â— 14. deduce out of the Apocalyps wherein it is said That a woman â—â—uested with the sunne which signifieth the true Church fled into the desert and remayned there for the space of 1260. dayes that is to say as our Aduersaries interprete it a thousand two hundred and sixty yeares Out of which they infer that the Church remayned inuisible as it were in the desert these thousand two hundred and sixty yeares last past I answere that this is a vicious argument for many reasons For first it is very absurd to thinke that the Church of Christ did ly hidden and invisible these thousand two hundred sixty yeares past For therupon it would ensue that the Church of Christ was inuisible then when it most florished was spread abroad ouer the whole world as for example in the tymes of S. Augustine Ambrose Hilary Athanasius Hierome Chrysostome Cyril c. Yea in the tyme also of all the auncient Councels the which our Aduersaries Confess Rupell Art 6. themselues do admit in their confession of faith For all these Fathers and ancient Councels haue byn within the space of the forsaid thousand two hundred and sixty yeares the which our Aduersaries do account from Pope Siluester till Luthers tyme wherefore this place of the Apoâ—â—lyps is not to be vnderstood of yeares but literally of daies only 7. Moreouer it is not certain that by this word desert is vnderstood any solitary place or such as is depriued of all the society or comfor of men For Primasius S. Prima in cap. 12. Apoc. Augustines scholler saith that by the foresayd word is signified the whole world the which also that desert signified through the which the Children of Israel Numer 14. v. 34. passed before they came to the land of Promise euen as by the sayd land of Promise was also signified the euerlasting lyfe Some others will haue the foresayd word desert to signfy a departure or forsaking of all sinnes and vices and all other pleasures of this world according to that saâ—ng of the Prophet Osee I will carry and lead her into the desert and I will speake vnto Osee v. 14. Psal 54. v. 8. her hart And that of Dauid Behould flying away I went farre off and I remayned in the desert 8. Lastly albeit we should graunt that this desert were some wyld or forsaken place yet neuâ—rthelesse it could not be gathered thereby that the Church of Christ eyther was or euer shal be inuisible For neyther this womaÌ„ which fled into the wildernesse signifieth the whole Church of Christ but some one famous Church the which Antichrist shall persecure most of all because it will strongly oppose it selfe against his impiety and wickednesse And in the end of the forsaid vision S. Iohn playnly affirmeth that the Dragon Apoc. â—2 v. 17. after the deliuery of that woman shall make warre against the rest of her seed who keep the commandmeÌ„ts of God and haue the testimony of Iesus Christ therfore besides that woman there wil be some out of the desert who will publikely professe the true faith of Christ against whom for that cause the Dragon will fight 9. But that we may now conclude
with the word of God in generall the which they should not doe for ther are three sorts of the word of God to wit that which is belieued preached and written The belieued word is in the hart of the Church that which is preached is in her mouth and that which is written is in her bookes Of the belieued and preached Word the Apostle sayth the word is in thy mouth and in thy hart this is the word of fayth which we preach We Rom. 20. v. 8. confesse that in the belieued and preached word the Church is founded because by the same it is ingendred nourished Rom. 10. v. 10. Ibid v. 14. and gouerned and that vnto this word it is subiect and obedient as vnto the Words of her spouse For indeed this kind of word is necessary for the Church For with our hart sayth the Apostle we belieue vnto Iustice but with the mouth confession is made to saluation And againe How shall they heare without a preacher 2. But the nature of the written word is farre different for this is neyther altogeather necessary for the Church seeing that the Church was without it more then two thousand yeares neyther can the written word be profitable to the Church vnlesse it be also rightly preached and belieued For what doth it profit a man to haue the Bible vnlesse he rightly belieue and vnderstand it 3. But the Scripture whereof we now dispute doth only conteyne the written word but the belieued and preached word is conteined in the visible Church as the necessary and essentiall parts therof seing the one is as it were the life in the hart of the Church the other as it were the speach in her mouth neither can they euer be separated from her according to that saying and promise of God The words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not Isa 59. v. vlt. depart from thy mouth nor from the mouth of thy seede nor from the mouth of thy seedes seede from henceforth for euermore 4. Wherefore this argument doth proue the quite coÌ„trary for seeing that the written word receiueth it profit and authority from the rightly belieued and preached word which are the partes of the Church it is necessary that the written word receiue that authority and vtility from the Church as that wherin only the word rightly preached and belieued is to be found 5. The second argument If the Church should teach any thing contrary to the Scriptures we were not to belieue the Church Therefore the Scripture doth not receiue that authority from the Church but rather the Church from the Scripture I answere that in the same maÌ„ner it may be said that if the Scripture should conteine any thing against truth we should not also belieue it if the holy Ghost should vtter and speake any lye we should not belieue him But thâ—se conditions are indeed impossible and blasphemous against God wherefore they are not only to be admitted but not euen to be proposed of Christians For it is impossible that the Church should teach any thing contrary to the Scriptures for then the holy Ghost should lye because he should teach one thing by the Church and the contrary by the Scriptures 6. The third argument if the Scripture receiue that authority from the Church then the Church should be aboue the Scripture which seemeth to be very absurd I answere That the Church is aboue the Scriptures may be vnderstood two wayes First because the Church exceedeth the Scripture in dignity and excellency and in this sense without all doubt the Church is about the Scripture for the Scripture is made for the Church and not contrary wise All things sayth the Apostles 1. Cor. 4. v. 51. are done for you Christ dyed for the Church and not for the Scriptures the Church belieueth hopeth loueth and prayseth God but the Scripture doth none of these The Church shall reigne and liue euerlastingly with Christ in heauen the Scripture shall perish after the day of Iudgement Lastly the Church conteineth in it the word of God rightly belieued preached and the Holy Ghost it selfe all which do farre exceede the written word in excellency and dignity 7. Secondly it may be vnderstood that the Church is aboue the Scripture so as she may change the Scripture or of Scripture make no Scripture or lastly she may teach some what contrary to Scripture or depart from the true sense of Scripture In which sense the Sectaries of this tyme say that we affirme the Church to be aboue the Scripture And thus it is false that the Church is aboue the Scripture but neyther is there any Catholike which in this sense will affirme that the Bellar. l. 3. de verbo Dei c. vlt. in resp ad 14. argum Church is aboue the Scripture as Bellarmine truly affirmeth For if the Church were in this sense aboue the Scripture the Church should erre and be opposite vnto her â—elfe because in that the Church hath once approued the Scripture she cannot any more reiect and disproue it vnlesse she contradict her selfe which is impossible 8. The fourth argument The holy Scripture receiueth her authority immediatly from God himselfe because he is the Author of the Scripture therefore it doth not receiue it authority from the Church I answere there be two kinds of certaynties the one of the thing in it owne Nature the other in respect of vs so also there are two kinds of authorityes the one of the thing considered in it selfe and this hath the Scripture from her principall Author to wit God himselfe the other is in respect of vs and this it hath from the Church as we haue Cap 13. praeced §. 17. 19. proued before out of Caluin and Beza For we know not otherwise that God is the Author of the Scripture with any certainty of fayth but by the testimony of the Church 9. And that which we haue sayd of the Scripture may also be euidently seene in Christ our Lord who is aboue the Scripture For Christ was forced to proue his authority by miracles that it might the better be knowen and allowed of men For otherwise the Iewes had not beene bound to haue admitted his authority Ioan. 15. v. 14. S. Aug. Tom. 9. Tract 91. in Ioan. Hereupon saith Christ speaking vnto his disciples of the Iewes If I had not done among them workes that no other man hath done they should not haue sinned that is to say of Infidelity not belieuing in Christ aâ— S. Augustine very well expoundeth And in another place speaking vnto the Iewes Ioan. 10. v. 17. he sayth If I doe not the workes of my Father belieue me not 10. But if the authority of Christ which was most exellent in it selfe and immediatly from God stood in need of those meanes wherby it might become knowne vnto vs to the end it might oblige vs to belieue it much more the authority of the Scripture will stand in need
written poynts of fayth it is manifest that no◠other Iudge but the Catholike Church hath ended or defined all these controuersyes 29. But in this iudgement of the Church there are two thinges to be considered the one that the Church doth not iudge of any part of the word of God out of her owne proper sense and iudgment or at her owne pleasure without the word of God as her Aduersaries and namely Caluin do wrongfully slaunder her but by one part of the word of God which is better knowen she iudgeth of that which is lesse knowen and manifest vnto vs as for example by the word of God deliuered by Traditions she iudgeth of the written word of God and of the true sense therof 30. The other thing to be considered is that when the Church doth iudge of these things they are not men only Act. 15. v. 28. which iudge as our Aduersaries pretend but the holy Ghost also himselfe who iudgeth and speaketh vnto vs by the Church It seemed good say the Apostles to the holy Ghost and vs. For euen as the actions of a mans body are not so properly the actions of the body as of the soule which quickneth and moueth the body so the actions of the whole Catholike Church are not so much to be attributed vnto men who are as it were the body of the visible Church as vnto the holy Ghost who is as it were the soule which giueth life and motion to the body of the Church They therfore who deny this iudgment of the Church are not only iniurious to the Church but also to the holy Ghost Hitherto of the properties offices and power of the true Church of Christ It Calu. in Antid cōtra 4. sess Concil Trid. in fine remayneth now we shew such a Church as the Scripture declareth and describeth vnto vs the which Caluin as we haue sayd before earnestly desired of vs. FINIS OF THE MARKES OF THE TRVE CHVRCH The third Part of the second Controuersy CHAP. I. Of the false and true Signes or Markes of the Church in generall HAVING in the precedent Controuersyes declared that Christ and all that good is can only be found in the true Church and that out of it there is nothing but euerlasting damnation now it remayneth that we inquire which is that true Church where it may be found and how it is described and set forth in holy Scripture for all the sectes of heresies go about to challenge her vnto themselues yea euen those who otherwise haue a very bad conceyt and opinion of her For they see very well that out of her they can expect or hope for no saluation But to the end we may not erre in matter of so great moment we will seeke out the true Markes and Signes whereby the true Church may be certainly knowne and discerned from euery false and counterfait Church 2. Our Aduersaries doe commonly Calu. l. 4. Inst c. 7. sect 9. 10. Bez. in sua confess c. 5. Art 7. Centuriatores 1. Centur. l. 1. c. 4. l. 2. cap. 4. set downe two signes or markes of the true Church to wit the sincere preaching of the word of God and the lawfull administration of the Sacraments Bez◠addeth a third signe to wit the Ecclesiasticall discipline practised agreable to the word of God The Lutherans annexed vnto these a fourth signe to wit an Obedience towards ministers Of this fourth signe we will speake a little after for it is reduced to the vnity of the Church But the three signes set downe by the Caluinists are altogeather foolish and friuolous the which we proue thus 3. First by the very nature of a signe For euery signe of it owne nature S. Aug. Tom. ◠l. 2. de doct Christ cap 1. 3. Calu. l. 4. Inst cap. 17. sect 11. is a sensilbe thing as all teach following therein S. Augustine and our Aduersaries confesse this to be true when they treate of the Sacraments Yea Caluin writeth that this was alwaies as it were a matter of faith in the Church And so do all teach now who are of vnderstanding Truly none will say that which is only belieued in the Sacrament is a signe but that which is seene But these signes of the Church prescribed by our Aduersaries can neyther be seen nor perceyued by any sense Yea not euen by our vnderstanding vnlesse it be illuminated by fayth For by faith only are they preceyued because none can know which is the sincere preaching lawfull administration of the Sacraments or Ecclesiasticall discipline prescribed by Christ but by faith wherefore they who say that these are the signes and markes of the Church do not indeed know what they say euen as if one should affirme that in the Sacrament of baptisme the ablution and the wordes are not signes but the effect of baptisme which is not seene which euery man seeth how absurd it is 4. The second reason Euery signe of any thing must be more manifest and better knowne then the thing it selfe whose signe it is because it is put for that end that it may be a signe or token wherby that other thing may be known but these signes of the Church alleadged by our Aduersaries are more obscure and vncertaine then the Church it self For the Church is at the least oftentymes visible as they thēselues confesse but these their signes be neuer visible but alwaies inuisible for they can only be knowne by faith as we haue already declared but that which is by faith declared is necessarily obscure because faith as witnesseth the Heb. 11. v. 1. Apostle is the argument of things not appearing hence it is that all sectes do bragge and boast that they haue these signes because indeed they cānot be clearly seene of any 5. The third reason Our Aduersaries do alledge in vayne these signes for therfore do we enquire for signes and Markes of the Church that they which are ignorant of her may therby come to know her for they who already know any thing do not need any signes as for example he who already knoweth very well this Citty needeth no marke or signe therof wherby he may know it But he stādeth in need of signes who neuer saw this Citty So in like manner they who are out of the Church and know her not do most of all need some signes and markes wherby to know her but these which our Aduersaries assigne can be knowne by none but by those who are already within the Church and know her very well hauing the true faith and beliefe therof but they cannot be vnderstood by those who know not the true Church to the end they may seeke and fynd her because they are only perceyued and knowne by faith they are therfore alleadged in vaine by our Aduersaries 6. But neyther can these signes be knowne of all those who are in the Church but only of the more learned in the Church For euery one of the common
any inuisible and vnknowne Calu. l. 1. Inst c. 8. sect 9. in fine Church but from the visible Roman Church Wherefore sayth Caluin It is most certaine that all the writings of the Prophets and Apostles came no otherwise to all posterity but as it were from hand to hand deliuered vnto vs by the auncient Fathers continually from yeare to yeare Thus he But none hath deliuered the Bibles froÌ„ haÌ„d to hand but the RomaÌ„ Church Wherefore it is as certaine that the Roman Church is the true Church of Christ as that the holy Scripture is true Scripture seeing we do not know this which we haue to be true Scripture but by the authority tradition and testimony of the Roman Church 20. Vnto this that also belongeth Supr c. 5. huius coÌ„trouers which we haue proued before to wit that the true Church doth not only giue a bare testimony but also sufficient authority to the Scriptures for this the only Roman Church and no other aboundaÌ„tly performeth 21. The seauenth reason The office of the true Church is to iudge of all controuersies which do arise among Christians eyther in points of fayth or other Ecclesiasticall affayres But to the Roman Church only and to no other besides all controuersies were brought which arose in the Church eyther in fayth or other Ecclesiasticall matters For vnto this as to the seate Supr c. 7. huius coÌ„t of S. Peter and the supreme Church all had recourse who had any iniury or wrong done them So S. Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria so Peter his successor so S. Iohn Chrysostome Patriarch of Constantinople and many others did of whom Bellarmine â—aron ToÌ„ 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Calu. l 4. Inst c. 8. sect 16. and Baronius more at large the which Caluin also cannot deny 22. Heâ—revnto also it belongeth that the Roman Church hath confirmed all generall Councels lawfully assembled as Bellarmine declareth and Baronius more Bellarm. l. 1. de Eccles â—nilit c. â—â— BaroÌ„ loc citaâ—â—â— at large in euery age 23. The eight reason The office of the true Church is to ordaine appoint lawfull Pastors and Ministers of the Sacraments and to conserue alwayes the ordinary vocatioÌ„ as we also proued before But our Aduersaries can assigne no other Church but the Roman which hath alwayes had this ordinary vocation and coÌ„â—inuall succession of Pastors and the ordinary authority to send and institute Pastors in the Church of God 24. The ninth reason The office of the true Church is to teach a true faith without any error so that in no one point Cap. 8. â—u conâ—rou of doctrine necessary to saluation she may erre as we haue already proued out of holy Scripture But our Aduersaries can shew no other Church besids the RomaÌ„ Cap. 7. â—uius coÌ„t which hath not often erred in fayth Neyther dare our Aduersaries affirme that Sand. dâ— visibili Monar Eccles pertotuÌ„ l. 7. Bell. in quinque lib. dâ— Rom. PoÌ„tif Coccius Tom. 1. l. 1. Artic. 11. seq Baron per omnes 12. Tomos Calu. l. 4. Instit c. â— sect 16. subfinem there is as yet among them any visible Church which cannot erre in fayth But Doctor Sanders Bellarmine Coccius Baronius do most euideÌ„tly demonstrate that the Roman Church neuer erred hitherto in doctrine concerning matters of faith 25. And heere it is to be considered that in all other Churches founded by the Apostles yea in the Patriarks seates themselues there haue not byn only heresies but also many Archbishops heretikes but only the Roman Church among them all hath alwaies byn free vnstained with any heresy The which Caluin doth plainly acknowledge when he writeth that the Roman Church in the tyme of old heresyes was not so troublesome as other Churches were and that it kept more exactly then the rest the doctrine once deliuered vnto her by the Apostles But he badly asâ—r beth this to the power and strengeth of nature or to the generous dispositioÌ„ of the Romans not to the prouidence and grace of God 26. Much better did the auncient Bishops of Rome referre it to the singular prouidence of God and to the praier of Christ of the which Christ himselfe speaketh Luc. 2â— v. 32. when he sayth But I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy fayth fayle not And indeed Bellarmine Bell l. 4. de Rom Pont. c. â— alledgeth seauen auncient Bishops of Rome which attribute this to the prayer of Christ 27. The tenth reason The proper and chiefest office of the true Church is to bring men to their eternall saluation so that without her helpe or without her we cannot hope to be saued as we proued before by our Aduersaries doctrine Supr c 2. â—uiuscoÌ„t We aske therfore of them whether our predecessors who liued vnder the Bishops of Rome these thousand yeares past were all damned or no they dare not affirme they were damned but out of the true Church of God we cannot hope for saluation the Roman Church therfore wherein they liued and obteined their saluation is the true Church of Christ CHAP. V. By the signes of the true Church it is declared that the Roman is the true Church of Christ. WE haue declared out of the holy Scriptures that there Cap. 19. huius Controu are foure most certaine signes of the true Church of Christ all which doe proue the Roman to be the same Church we speake of 2. First as concerning the vnity of faith and doctrine the Church of Rome hath the same faith in all and euery particular point therof with the primitiue Church as also with that Church which hath continued now for the space of almost a thousand six hundred yeares as Coccius clearely declareth out of the writings of all both auncient and late Historiâ—raphers Coccius induobus Tom. thesaur and that through euery article â—ow in Controuersy And we will hereâ—fter shew in euery one of them the conâ—ent and harmony of the Roman Church with the Scriptures and auÌ„cient Church But on the other side among our Aduerâ—aries there are many iarres and dissensions in points of Faith euery one of them condemning another of heresy as the forsaid Cocciuâ— manifestly sheweth euen by Coccius Tom. 1. l. 8. Art 7. 8. 9. 10. our Aduersaries owne writings wherfore it is most manifest that there is perfect vnity and agreement in the Roman Church concerning all matters of faith and that our Aduersaries doe differ and disagree almost in euery article therof 3. And heere it is diligently to be considered that this doth not happen vnto our Aduersaries by a meere chaunce only or by the malice of some few of them as they say it doth but euen necessarily out of the nature and condition of their doctrine For they teach that there should be no Superiour vnto whom all should be obedient and submit themselues no iudge of Controuersyes whose iudgment and definition in those
Tertul. de paenitent c. 9. Priests and to kneele to the dearely beloued of God which is nothing â—lâ— but kneeling downe to adore And the same Tertullian els where saith that they were Tertul. de pudicit c. 13. wont to licke vp the footesteps of euery one that past where he seemeth to allude to those wordes of the Prophet Isay cited Isa 49. v. 23. Isa 60. v. 4. a little aboue they shall licke vp the dust of thy seete and adore the steppes of thy feete Now if it be so that they licked the footestepeâ— of all Christians much more doubtlesse the footesteps of the supreme Bishop who receaued them into the Church and who at that tyme was called the blessed Pope as the same Tertullian witnesseth 11. Neyther doth this adoration derogate any thing from the honour of God or Christ but rather much more illustrate and set it forth for this honour is exhibited to the Bishop of Rome not for his owne holines or any other quality with which he is adorned as a priuate person but only for that authority and spirituall power which he receaued from Christ and which indeed properly appertayneth to God and to Christ and therefore in him and by him Christ whose person he representeth is honored and adored according to those words of Tertullian VVhen Tertul. de pâ—niteÌ„t ceâ—o therefore saith he thou stretchest thy selfe sorth to the knees of thy brethreÌ„ thou layest hold on Christ and makest thy supplication to Christ And this Caluin himselfe by the force of truth confesseth when he speaketh of the AdoratioÌ„ of the Church For expounding those wordes of the Prophet Isay they shall adore the steppes of thy feete or as he translateth they shall bow themselues downe to the plantes of thy feete thus he writeth Heere some man Calu in c. 60. Matth. v. 14. will aske whether this honour of which the Prophet speaketh be not too much and greater then is to be exhibited to the Church for to how our selues down and prostrate our selues are signes of that honour which no man ought to admit I answere this honour is not exhibited to the meÌ„bers but to the head to wit Christ who is adored in the Church so Caluin which also those words of God in the Apocalyps manifestly declare to be true I will make them adore thee before thy feete and they shall know that I haue loued thee for therefore is this honour exhibited to the supreme Bishop because God hath so exalted the Roman Sea and bâ—ene so liberall towards it which is a signe of exceeding great loue And heere hence it is that the same veneration is exhibited to all Bishops of Rome as well to the bad as to the good for they are not honored for their owne goodnes but for the office which Christ bestoweth vpon them As also they are called holy and most holy not for their Act. 28. v. 15. owne personall holynes but for the holines of Christ whose person and place they susteine vpon earth and for the holynes of the office which they receaue from God euen as S. Paul called Festus President of Iury very good not for any goodnes of his Baron ToÌ„ 1. anno 58. num 13. owne for he was an Infidel and a wicked man but in regard of his office for so the Presidents of Proninces were wont to be stiled as well noteth Baronius 12. Moreouer whereas in the Scripture feet signify diuine mission and vocation which is most ample in the Bishop of Rome no meruaile Rom. 10. v. 15. if greater veneration be exhibited to his feet it is to be obserued that there is a Crosse vpon his shoe which all kisse to giue vs to vnderstand that the honor is not exhibited to him but to Christ crucified whom he representeth 13. To conclude heere hence is easily solued that which our obiect of S. Peters refusing to be adored by Corneleus Act. 10. v. 25. 26. the Centuâ—ion for Cornelius adored not S. Peter in respect of Christ whose Vicar he was but in respect of himselfe whom he took to be some God as did the Licaonians Act. 10. v. 10. Hieron aduers Vigil ep 53. n. 12. iuxta edit Marian victorij thinke of Paul Barnabas so S. Hierome or surely they thought Peter to be more theÌ„ a maÌ„ as manifestly appareth by S. Peters answere Arise for I also am a man therfore Cornelius was to be admonished corrected for adoration is eyther good or bad according to the cause or reason for which it is exhibited Now the cause for which Catholikes exhibite the same to the Bishop of Rome is very good to wit the excellent power of Christ or rather Christ himselfe gouerning ruling his Church in his Vicar Act. 16. v. 26. and therfore this adoration is good and gratefull to God but the cause of Cornelius adoration was fond and false and therfore his adoration was naught and worthily reprehended 14. I know our Aduersaries often obiect that Pope Alexander the third did insolently trample vnder his feete Frederike the Emperour but this foolish fable is soundly and copiously refuted by Baronius citing the testimonies of such as were present and haue commited to writing all that passed in which there was nothing vnusuall but the Pope admited from Frederike the accustomed adoration He that desireth more concerning the kissing of the Popes feet may read Ioseph Stephâ—nus who hath written a whole booke therof it is sufficient for vs to haue briefly proued the same by many euident testimonies of holy Scripture CHAP. X. Of Generall Councells GENERAL Councells doe represent the whole body of the Catholike Church wherefore we will now speake a little of them for seeing that we haue already spoken of the head of the Church it remayneth we treat of the body therof But this we will do briefly For our Aduersaries now adaies graunt many thinges concerning this matter which in tymes past they denyed To the end therfore that the true state of this Controuersy may the better be vnderstood three thinges are to be considered which our Aduersaries hauing now learned by experience to be true do willingly graunt vnto vs. 2. The first is that these Councells are very profitable that the authority therof is not to be despised For seing that Hebr. vlâ— vers 17. the Apostle warneth vs to obey euery true Pastor much more are we bound to obey many assembled togeather For which cause our Aduersaries would also that we should all obey their synodicall assemblies Hereupon sayth Caluin Truly Calu. l. 4. Inst c. 9. sect 13. we do willingly graunt that if there happen debate about any doctrine there is no better nor surer remedy then if a Synod of true Bishops assemble togeather where the doctrine in controuersy may be discussed Thus he And euen naturall reason it selfe conuinceth this to be true as Caluin also confesseth For it is an easieâ— matter for many
the Traditions and doctrine of the Church seing that without them we cannot certainly and without errour know what were those things which the Apostle taught the Galathians 2. Secondly our Aduersaries do erre in that they do not rightly expound that particle in the wordes of S. Paul praeter besides but rather contrary to the Apostles meaning For the Latin word praeter as also the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Hebrew Ghal haue two significations In the former it signifyeth all that which is not the selfe same thing whereof we doe speake in the later sense it signifieth that only which is contrary to that we speake of In which sense praeter signifieth the same that contra doth to wit against the former sense is manifest inough the later is proued by these places of Scripture Act. 18. v 13. where all do translate these Greeke words Calu in act Apoâ— an 1560. Beza ed. an 1560. 1565. 1598. Hemic Steph. in thes linguae Graecae Tom. 2. dictione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be against the Law so hath not only the vulgar edition but also Caluin and Beza and all the French Bibles of Geneua Likewise in the first to the Romans the 26. vers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signyfieth against Nature so hath the vulgar edition and all the French Bibles of Geneua yea Cicero as witnesseth Henricus Stephanus doth thus translate this phrase out of Greeke Againe in the 4. to the Romanes the 18. verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth against as the vulgar edition and Beza hath in all editions Moreouer in the 11. to the Romans the 24. vers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth against as the vulgar edition and all the Bibles of Geneua haue finally in the last to the Romans the 17. vers aswell the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Latin word praeter in our interpreter signifieth the same thing that contra doth as manifestly appeareth by the precedent wordes for dissentions and scandals are contrary or against the doctrine of Christ and not only besides his doctrine Wherfore Caluin in his Commentaries set forth in the yeare 1557. vpon the Epistle to the Romanes and Sebastian Castalio and all the French Bibles of Geneua haue contrary or against the doctrine and albeit Beza translateth it besidâ— the doctrine yet in his last edition set forth in the yeare 1598. he translateth it contrary to the doctrine and in his Annotations he warneth that it is rather so to be translated It is not therfore strange or absurd that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Latyne praeter should fignify the same that contra doth 3. But now that this word may not only be thus vsed but that also it must necessarily be so vnderstood and taken in this place we haue shewed by the absurdities which would otherwise follow The first is that S. Paul would haue sayd Anathema to S. Iohn Euangelist who many yeares after the preaching of S. Paul to the Galathians yea after his death wrote his Apocalyps wherein there are many new reuelations which S. Paul had not preached to the GalathaÌ„s because they were not theÌ„ reuealed by God 4. The second absurdity that S. Paul had pronounced Anathema vpon all those who in his tyme by a propheticall spirit 1. Cor 14. v. 2. 4. 16. 30. did dayly prophesy new things For in the Apostles tymes there were many such as appeareth by the first epistle to the Corinthians And S. Paul could not preach to the Galathians that which God had not yet reuealed 5. The third absurdity the Apostle for the same reason had pronounced Anathema against S. Luke who in the Acts of the Apostles relateth many thinges which happened long after S. Paul left Galatia 6. The fourth absurdity the Apostle for the same cause also had condemned himselfe with the sayd Aâ—athema For he wrote many Epistles after he had left Galatia wherein he reateth many thinges which hapned afterward vnto him eyther at Rome or in other places 7. Lastly it is an absurd thing to think either God after those wordes of S. Paul to the Galathians could reueale to men nothing more by an Angell sent from heauen or that the said Angell who by the commaundement of God should reueale any new thing but not contrary to faith should incurre that Anathema by S. Paul seing that this were to wrest the Anathema vpon God himselfe who commaunded the Angell to do so This place therefore cannot be vnderstood of diuers and distinct thinges from those which S. Paul taught the Galathians but only of contrary and opposite thinges vnto them But according to this sense of the word praeter all the foresayd Absurdities doe cease For neyther S. Iohn in his Apocalyps nor S. Luke in the Actes of the Apostles nor any other which did prophesy nor S. Paul himself euer wrote or taught any thing contrary to that which S. Paul taught the Galathians But euen God himself cannot Ad Heb. 16. v. â—8 reueale the contrary by an Angell because according to the Apostle It is impossible for God to lye 8. Neyther is it sufficient for me to say that those thinges which were afterward reuealed and written were not necessary pointes of faith to saluation For S. Paul did not say if any shall Euangelize vnto you any point necessary to saluation but absolutely if any shall Euangelize any thing contrary to that which you haue receyued Moreouer all those thinges which were afterward set downe in holy Scripture were true points of faith the which euery ChristiaÌ„ is necessarily bouÌ„d to belieue if not expressely yet at the least virtually and generally euery one is bouÌ„d to belieue if not expressely yet at the least virtually and generally euery one is bouÌ„d to belieue with an assured faith all those things which are in holy Writ to be most certaine and true 9. Finally euen our Aduersaries confession doth conuince this to be most true for now they acknowledge that all those thinges which by a necessary conseqeÌ„ce are deduced out of the Scriptures do belong vnto the word of God and are points of saith and therefore they may be lawfully preached vnto the people as we haue Suprac 3. said before But al these are distinct things from those which are expresly written in holy Scripture For the antecedent whereby some other thing may be inferred is distinct from that which is inferred For it were a ridiculous illation if one and the same thing should be inferred from it selfe But that which is inferred in a good collection is neuer contrary to the antecedent The Apostle therefore speaketh of doctrine contrary to his and not absolutly of any other distinct doctrine 10. And in this sense the Fathers doe often say that S. Paul affirmed in this place that nothing was to be taught besids that August Tom 7. contra lit Petil. Donat. l. 3. cap. 6. August Tom.