't is impossible there should be any unity among the Christians in Faith and Worship That is 't is impossible there should be any such thing upon earth as one only Catholick Church Of the breach of which unity endless divisions amongst those who adhere to this Principle are apparent and most visible demonstrations Lastly whosoever seriously considers the difficulties of Languages the multiplicity of the occasions and intentions of the Writers the various lections in Copies of the Original the infinite and considerable differences in Translations the equivocation and ambiguity of Words the variety and obscurity of Circumstances together with the weakness of all and ignorance of most men endeavouring by themselves from dead Letters to attain to the knowledge of the sublime mysteries of our Holy Faith transcending all humane understanding and comprehension cannot but conclude that 't is altogether impossible that private Reason should be the only Interpreter and Judge of the true Sense of Scripture for every one to rely upon for his Salvation seeing nothing can be certainly gather'd and concluded out of naked words considered barely in themselves involving so many difficulties and uncertainties in regard to incomparably the greater part of mankind And if a Protestant Preacher will speak out ingeniously in this point he must tell his Auditors in these or such like words Beloved we exhort you to search the Scriptures and whatsoever we say is necessary to Salvation to believe us only so far as your own Reason doth tell you we teach according to the Word of God for that is the Rule and private Reason the sole Judge to give an unappealable Sentence in such Cases This is our Doctrine and this is also your practice but truely Beloved all things rightly considered we must needs confess that 't is an unsteady foundation to build your Faith and Salvation upon for after this way of proceeding you are infinitely obnoxious to dangerous errours and cannot but deceive your selves in matters that concern your everlasting Happiness So he preaching ingenuously Neither indeed can rational security be had in things of eternal Interest 'till reposing our selves in the bosome of the Catholick Church we take her word as well for the Sense of Scripture as the Letter A ground doubtless sufficient for me to justify the change of my Religion and for others to follow me SECT VII An answer to some of the principal places of Scripture upon which Protestants rely for their Rule and Judge of Faith IT being a main fundamental point of Faith to know what is the Rule and Judge of all the rest they who hold the written Word for a compleatly sufficient Rule and Interpreter of its self or give private Reason the Authority of a Judge in expounding it as such a Rule must necessarily ground themselves upon Scripture for this Article And some if not most of the principal places are these To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there 's no light in them Isaiah 8. 20. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal Life and they are they which testify of me Joh. 5. 39. These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life thorough his Name Joh. 26. 31. And Paul reason'd with them out of the Scriptures And they search'd the Scripture daily whether those things were so Act. 2. 11. All Scripture divinely inspir'd is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect thoroughly instructed to every good work 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book And if any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this Prophecy God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life Apocal. 22. ver 18 19. To all which and whatever other Scripture-proofs Protestants produce for themselves against us I first by way of general reply demand of them whether they bring such Texts as demonstrative arguments evidencing their position or only as probable If only as probable they conclude nothing against us Catholicks who have the judgement and practice of the Universal Church the best Interpreter of Holy Scriptures and conveyer of true Sense standing on our side with infinite advantage against their Novel Expositions But if they produce them as demonstrations how comes it about that any doubt of them seeing every demonstration is such as that granting the Premisses the conclusion cannot be denyed From that of Isaias they urge us thus Behold O Papists the Prophet of the Lord sends the Jews to the written Word of God as the Rule and Judge of what is taught them I answer Doubtless they who affirm this have quite forgot that the High-Priest in all doubts of any moment about Divine Worship was constituted Deut. 17. 8 9 c. by God the supreme Judge to give a definitive Sentence under pain of death to the disobeyers And so they set up the Holy Prophet against Moses and make one Scripture as they Interpret it contradict another This plainly shews they abuse the Text whose genuine Sense will easily appear by light borrowed from the Context Isaias prophesied in troublesome times and the Jews were very sollicitous what the event would be and neglecting to enquire of God had no recourse to the Law and the Prophets but 1 Sam. 28. 6. sought unto them who had familiar Spirits and unto Wizards The Prophet grieved at this Vengeance provoking sin sends them to the Law and to the Testimony where this grand impiety was forbidden and withall puts them in mind of Levit. 20. 6 27. Deut. 18. 9 10 c. their great folly in seeking to such who had no Divine Light for the Revelation of future contingences which could not possibly be in them who undertook it against Gods Word Now in the name of wonder what is this to a Judge of Controversies in points of Faith It is not lawful to consult the Devil to know future events because he is a Lyar and it is a thing forbidden in the written Word therefore the Scripture is the only Rule and Judge of Controversies in points of Faith and Worship among Christians 'T were well such Disputants would learn to be Logicians before they turn'd Controversial Divines To the second Search the Scriptures c. I find so satisfactory an Summa Theolo par c. 7. Answer in Becanus that I shall do little more than translate his words Our Blessed Saviour in this Chapter Joh. 5. 39. is disputing with the unbelieving Jews who denyed him to be the Son of God or sent from him To convince them he makes use of four Topicks First The witness of John the Baptist whom they accounted a Prophet and had formerly told them pointing to our Blessed Saviour Behold
1. AN Introduction pag. 1. Sect. 2. A prepatory discourse to Church-Tradition and what it is pag. 6. Sect. 3. Vniversal Tradition demonstrated Infallible pag. 12. Sect. 4. Vniversal Tradition the Churches Rule of Faith in all Ages pag. 22. Sect. 5. Tradition asserted against Protestants by Scripture and the notable advantages thereof above writing pag. 32. Sect. 6. An introductive discourse concerning the judiciary power of the Church pag. 49. Sect. 7. That there is a supream Visible Judge to decide Controversies in matters of Religion instituted by Christ Infallible in all points of Faith with an obliging power to belief and obedience under pain of damnation made apparent from Scripture Some Reasons thereof pag. 51. Sect. 8. The Churches Authority or Infallibility taught and asserted by the Ancient Fathers pag. 63. Sect. 9. The said Authority of the Church clear'd and demonstrated by the constant practice of all Ages pag. 63. Sect. 10. A further declaration of the Churches Authority or Infallibility in General Councils from Antiquity pag. 84. The second Motive shewing the Protestant Faith without foundation Sect. 1. An Introduction to the following Discourse pag. 97. Sect. 2. Hereticks from the beginning were accustomed to appeal to Scripture as the sole Rule of Faith whereby they would be judged the Catholick Church always believing and practising the contrary pag. 101. Sect. 3. A declaration of the English Protestants Doctrine how and why they make Scripture the only Rule and Judge of Faith Sect. 4. That the Holy Scriptures are not the sole and perfect Rule of Faith pag. 125. Sect. 5. That Divine Scripture is not nor can be a Judge to determine Controversies in Religion pag. 132. Sect. 6. That private Reason in Controversies of Faith is not the Interpreter and Judge of the true sense of Scripture to rely upon for our Salvation pag. 148. Sect. 7. An answer to some of the principal places of the Scripture upon which Protestants rely for their Rule and Judge of Faith pag. 188. The third Motive shewing the Heretical Schism of the English Protestant Church Sect. 1. The nature of Schism and Heresie declared from Scripture and the Ancient Fathers pag. 188. 2. The Protestant Church of England is notoriously guilty of Schism and Heresie by their separation from the Roman pag. 203. Sect. 3. Wherein the Protestants plea that they did not separate from the Church but were forcibly cast out from her Communion and therefore the Schism not imputable to them c. pag. 212. Sect. 4. Wherein is show'd the emptiness of the Plea that they did not separate from the Vniversal but the particular Church of Rome pag. 217. Sect. 5. The Vindication of the word Catholick to its notion as us'd by the Church pag. 224. Sect. 6. Wherein the Protestants Plea of pretended errors to justify their separation from the Roman Church is confuted pag. 252. Sect. 7. Wherein the Protestants Plea that the PopesVuniversal Pastorship is an usurp'd Power crept into the Church and therefore without Schism might be forsaken is refuted pag. 273. Sect. 8. Wherein the Popes universal Jurisdiction in Gods Church is further manifested and made good from Councils and the Ancient Fathers grounded on Scripture pag. 282. The fourth Motive shewing Miracles wrought in the True Church Sect. 1. A preliminary Discourse pag. 209. Sect. 2. That Miracles were always vouchsafed to the true Church pag. 316. Sect. 3. Wherein the nature of true Miracles is declared pag. 322. Sect. 4. Some reasons of Gods proceeding in this manner pag. 331. Sect. 5. Some undoubted and most famous Miracles relating to the present Controversies between us and Protestants pag. 340. The fifth Motive shewing the eminent Sanctity taught and practis'd in the Roman Church Sect. 1. An Introduction pag. 367. Sect. 2. A further Declaration of the Sanctity taught and practis'd in the Roman Church pag. 371. 3. A further prosecution of this Motive from the new Doctrines and profane practice of Heretical Communions pag. 379. The Conclusion pag. 393. ERRATA PAge 38. l. 27. r. fallible p. 44. l. 12. r. other p. 63. l. 3. r. Catholick Church p. 73. l. 3. r. Parish p. 75. l. 10 dele in Councils p. 78. l. 26. r. lowd p. 82. l. 15. r. meanest p. 86. l. 2. dele of l. 3 dele that p. 89 l. 10. r. nonnunquam p. 90. l. 14. r. by general p. 112. l. 13. dele or p. 119. l. 20. r. a too notorious imposition p. 122. l. 2. dele of p. 127. l. 24. r. be p. 148. l. 3. r. absurdness p. 149. l. 21. dele the p. 151. l. 1. r. authoritatively p. 165. l. 22. dele the p. 176. l. 14. r. deceiving l. 15. r. obscure p. 178. l. 20 r whom p. 182. l. 6. r. puts him in mind p. 188. l. 3 r. versâ— p. 192. l. 11. r. but p. 216. l. 15. r. from Christ p. 218. l. 3 dele a p 223. l. 10. r. their p. 230. l. 4. r. reason thus satisfy p. 241. l. 23. r. danger p. 267. l. 14. r. mazes p. 277. l. 21. r. the least p. 294. l. 25. delâ— it p. 303. l. 18. r. by the divine p. 329. l. 15 r. possible not only to p. 333 l 22. r. if incredulous p. 342. l. 21. r. on Berengâ—riuâ— p. 352. l 3. r. say p. 354. l. 23. r. apposite p. 357. l. 13. r. purified p. 303. l 15. r. Case p. 379. l. 3. r. declaime p. 386. l. 1. r. of a â—â—â—â—smatick p. 395. l. 1. r. prosperity p. 398. l. 8. r. unwilling The First Motive SECT I. That the two chief externe Grounds or Motives of Credibility leading to the Truth of what Christ and his Apostles taught the World are Universal Tradition and Church Authority GOD who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke unto the Fathers by his Prophets last of all in the fulness of Time reveal'd his Will unto us by his Son So that the Word was made Flesh not only as a Saviour to lay down his own Life for our Redemption and Suffer for us but also as a Law-giver to instruct us what we must believe and do for his sake and our own good if we will be sav'd Before this last and perfect revelation of all supernatural means to attain to Life deliver'd to the World by Christ the Jews were the peculiar people of God their Synagogue the true Church and their Ceremonial Rights the True Worship instituted by God himself to continue in force during that Pedagogie But the eternal Sun of Righteousness appearing those Shadows were in him fulfill'd and so vanish'd to give place unto the Gospel whose glorious Beams were to Enlighten those that sat in Darkness and the shadow of Death to the uttermost Corners of the Earth Hereupon there being a change of the Law it was necessary there should be a Translation of the Priesthood also the time being now come foretold by Malachy That from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof Gods Name should be great
to have fail'd in this particular must needs acknowledge this point concerning the Rule of Faith to be Apostolical Secondly They do not consider that seing it cannot be deny'd but Tradition was at first the usual means of Planting and Conserving the Law of Christ the greater part of the World being converted before the Scriptures were written and receiv'd by the Church so that when any false Teachers did arise they of necessity had recourse to Tradition whether they had been so Taught and not to Scripture whether it was so written being impossible to Rule before it had a Beeing I say this being undenyably evident they will never be able to give a rational account to Intelligent persons why an immutable Faith should have a mutable Rule and a standing Edifice should have a moving Foundation If they think to salve this soar by saying Tradition was necessary 'till the written word took place they will never be able to prove that all things at first delivered necessary for the Salvation of the World were afterwards committed to writing by the Apostles And yet 'till this be done satisfactorily who sees not the insufficiency of this assertion But then Thirdly if they could prove that the whole Law of Christ necessary to Salvation at first Traditionarily convey'd was afterwards entirely committed to writting by Infallible Inspiration and deposited in the Church They do not consider that were it so as most certainly they will be never able to prove yet it is necessary Tradition should be the Rule of Faith as well after as before the reception of such a Canon it being impossible for Scripture by its self to perform what Tradition did without it in the beginning For dead words being capable of endless controversy because lyable to various Interpretations Hereticks will either shrowd themselves under the Umbrage of obscure Passages in Sacred Writ or darken plain places with Metaphors or Clouds of witty Criticisms so that no evident Conviction can be had or possibility to hold up Church-unity in Faith and Government except the controverted Doctrines be brought for their tryal to the Touch-stone of Oral Tradition which with the same unerring voice delivers Scripture and the true sense of it to the Houshold of Faith in all Ages And therefore it is Lih de Praescript c 19. S. Irenae cont haeres St. Aug. eont Ep. Fund Vinc. Lyri in Com. that we find Tertullian and other Ancients affirming That no good can be done with Hereticks by disputing out Scripture to reduce them to Truth And if we will not take their word our own experience is an evidence beyond all exception Lastly they do not consider that as in Natural Sciences there are some Prima Principia fundamental Axioms which need no proof into which all Conclusions rightly from them deduced are reducible So in supernatural Revelations there must be some self-evident Principle a Rule of Faith into which points of Faith are resolvable having it self no need of further probation as to such evidence Or else we run in a circle not having any satisfactory ground upon which we may without any more ado rely for the Truth of what we believe Now Scripture is not nor can be such a Principle it depending manifestly as Protestants themselves acknowledge on Tradition by which we only come certainly to know and accept it for the Word of God and so is the Rule of Scripture as well as of other necessary points and consequently the ground or evidence of what we believe upon Scripture-Authority Which yet is not to be understood as if Tradition made the Word of God Infallible but that thereby we are rationally assured what is Scripture and the true sense of it which otherwise is subject to perpetual quarrells of Dissenting minds For my part I see not how Protestants can answer this Argument for they acknowledging Tradition to be the Rule of Scripture and contending for Scripture to be the Rule of Faith Tradition must necessarily be the prime Rule that is the Rule of their Rule and antecedent ground of their foundation And so by unavoidable consequence all their Faith is built upon the credit of Tradition See it clear by a parallel We Catholicks rely upon the Church for points of Faith will Protestants therefore say that we rely not upon Tradition For in relying upon the Church we rely also upon what the Church relyes which in all points of Faith is Tradition We rely upon the Church immediately as an Infallible Guide we rely upon Tradition as an extern Evidence 'T is easily applicable to Protestants receiving the Scriptures upon the credit of Tradition Who while they shun it as a stone of Offence fall upon it as a Rock of Foundation And truly 'till they show us some other self-evident Principle which can assure us what Doctrines Christ and his Apostles taught the World we must believe and maintain Universal Tradition to be the Fundamental Rule of Faith to the Christian Church in the sense hitherto explain'd Thus they might be satisfied with reason in this controversy but because they pretend to be mov'd more with the Authority of the Fathers than our Arguments they shall hear them speak and truly one would think plain enough to their condemnation Witness St. Iraeneus an Anti-Protestant certainly while he teaches * Lib. 3. cont Haer. c. 4. What if the Apostles had not left us Scriptures ought we not to have followed the Rule of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches Which is not to be understood as if because they have left Scriptures the order of Tradition is by them evacuated but that revealed Truths depending on Tradition only are as Divine and certain as if no Scriptures had been left unto the Church by the Apostles Or else we make the Saint while he is showing the excellent use and necessity of Church-Tradition so Incongruous as to say there is no need of it at all But Arguments might be spar'd when the following instance of Nations believing by Tradition only without Scripture makes his meaning evident Before him in the front of the second Age B. Ignatius St. Johns Disciple Exhorted the Churches to hold themselves inseparably to the Tradition of the * Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 35. Apostles as Eusebius testifies Had the Rule of Faith been only Scripture as Protestants contend could he have given such advice Yea it inevitably implyes Tradition to be the sure ground to rely upon for Christian Doctrines Doth Origen assert Scripture or Tradition for a Rule while he teaches * In Tract 27. in c 23. S. Matt That in our understanding Scripture we must not depart from the first Ecclesiastical Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Church of God hath by Succession deliver'd to us And elsewhere he tells us That only is to be believed * In Praef. lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church What more full
Traditionary points may be involved in those Texts So that we may safely argue thus far from such expositions they held such Tenets or else they would not have applyed those places for the confirmation of such Doctrines though such Doctrines cannot manifestly be concluded from those places And therefore when Protestants rationally show that some Texts so applyed by the Fathers may admit their Interpretations yea sometimes perhaps with greater probability they must not think they then carry the cause against Them and Us in those points This indeed is enough for Catholicks to do in all Controversies of Faith against Protestants who depend wholly upon Scripture as explicated by Wit and private Reason or Spirit for their Religion But it is no concluding argument against some Ancients for their over-credulity as I may say in relying on such Texts for some points now denyed by Protestants or against the present Church of Rome as relying upon them when that the Fathers neither did nor doth the Church of Rome now only rely upon such Texts for those particular points nor yet upon Scripture for any point of Faith at all but as handed and fensed to us by Tradition But to conclude this point seing Scripture thus manifestly descends to us by a lower degree of Tradition than Christian Doctrine and being received for the Word of God upon the credit of Tradition by Protestants themselves we cannot enough wonder at their unreasonable prevarication in taking the Churches word for the whole Rule of their Belief and yet refusing to rely upon her credit for any one Article of Faith in acknowledging her Authority Infallible in the delivery of the Letter and yet denying to believe her Tradition for the Ssense nor will be perswaded to conform to her in those points and practices which are handed to us by her attestation with far greater evidence of credibility And this being clear to me could I any longer continue a Protestant Had I not all the reason in the world to become a Catholick The second ground of the first Motive viz. The Authority or Infallibility of the Church in determining all Controversies concerning Faith and defining what is of Faith and what not when call'd in question SECT VI. An Introductive Discourse concerning the Judiciary Power of the Church YEt notwithstanding this certainty of Tradition handing from Age to Age the Evangelical Law with so much evidence unreasonable men have arose of perverse minds questioning and contradicting the Truths of Jesus Christ Insomuch that hardly yea perhaps not any one fundamental point of Christianity but hath been controverted in some Age or other Wherefore as Tradition is a constant Rule so the Wisdom and Goodness of Almighty God hath provided in his Church an Authoritative Judge to give Sentence by the guidance of the said Rule if there happen to be contentions about matters of Faith among Believers For unless in such cases an Authoritative Judge be allowed to give a definitive Sentence from which there is no appeal by the contending Parties for the decision of such Controversies Authoritatively assuring us what Doctrines were taught by Christ and his Apostles if denyed and what not when falsly pretended Actum est de fide unitate Faith and Church-unity must necessarily be destroyed and all Religion lost in a Chaos of disagreeing judgments without any probability of reconcilement A supreme and unerring Judicature being then absolutely necessary for the ordering and preserving of the Church in all things essential to Salvation how little satisfaction and that not without just cause I received in this point from the English Protestants who indeed grant a Judge but one wholly Inefficacious to this purpose yea impossible to reconcile Dissenting Litigants as the super-abundant experience of above sixteen hundred years for all Hereticks fly to the dead Letter of Scripture for their refuge hath sufficiently evidenc'd I shall make hereafter appear in the examination of their Rule and Judge and for the present endeavour to demonstrate how all Christians ought to be contented and acquiess as I did in what the Church of Rome teaches and the Catholick Church always hath and doth practice on such occasions Now what the Catholick Church teacheth and always hath delivered in this point is briefly this That all Divine Truths taught by Christ and his Apostles necessary to Salvation whether Traditionary only or also Written are deposited in the Church as a Witness to attest them and as a Judge Divinely assisted to Interpret and give an Authorative Sentence if their be any Controversy about them which all Christians are obliged to believe and follow under pain of Damnation A Doctrine brought down to us from the Apostolical Times by a more visible practice and unquestionable Tradition than the Scriptures themselves which yet the Protestants receive for the Word of God upon the same Authority What concerns the Church as a Sacred Depository of all Revealed Truths written and unwritten hath already been manifested in the precedent Discourse And that the Spouse of Christ is an Authoritative Judge or Infallible Guide to determine all Controversies of Faith among her Children that they may know with security what to believe and follow according to their Duty I hope shall be made no less evident in the following Sections SECT VII That there is a Supreme Visible Judge to decide Controversies in matters of Religion Instituted by Christ Infallible in all points of Faith to which as such all Christians are obliged to a submission of Judgment under pain of Damnation is here made apparent from Scripture And some further Reasons also given TO acknowledge a visible Judge to interpret and apply Laws in Controversial matters is so conform to common Sense and Reason and so confirmed by the experience and practice of the whole World in all kinds of Governments that to deny such a Power from God in his Church is in effect to say That Jesus Christ the Wisdom of the Father hath not so well provided for the regulating and preservation of his Kingdom and peculiar People purchased with his own most precious Blood in order to their eternal Good and Happiness as meer men subject to manifold weaknesses and Passions do by the common Light of Nature and ordinary Principles of Prudence and Discretion provide for the well-being of Families and Commonwealths in Temporal matters A Position unavoidably drawing after it so many strange and to say no worse dangerous consequences that they will be here better lamented than infisted upon But because Protestants whom I have forsaken fly to Scripture as the only Infallible Judge in all Controversial matters of Faith thither I shall bring them first to be tryed and show them out of those Sacred Oracles of Divine Truth which they acknowledge what ample and most abundantly satisfactory provision the Wisdom and Goodness of Almighty God hath made and left in his Church to bring us securely to the certain knowledge of his revealed will nothing being wanting on
their side to prohibite Catholicks to speak for themselves in any publick defence it was easie to delude vulgar apprehensions with this plausible Sophism The Papists refuse to be try'd by the Word of God Which things whosoever layes together and seriously ponders as I did cannot but discover that the English Protestant Reformers did not receive a Rule of Faith from the Catholick Church which had been the Square of Christian belief in all Ages and is to continue so for ever but invented or rather assumed from their Predecessors the Ancient Hereticks a Rule of Faith for the Church they were setting up whereby they thought their new Doctrines might with most likelihood be maintain'd and found no better expedient then by denying an authoriz'd Visible Judge to pronounce a definitive Sentence in Controversies of Faith that so they might keep in possession of what they had usurped by eternally wrangling about the right But that we may come to some issue by bringing them out of a mysterious may be declared to stand to something in this main Principle of Religion admit that the written word were the sole and perfect Rule of Faith it being impossible for dead Letters of themselves to rectify things applicable to them for that end and purpose they must needs acknowledge some animated Judge to perform this Office among Christians by applying the Rule to all particulars Now they having denyed the Church this right and so cast off her living voice and Authority in plain terms though insisting in generals they assign no other determinate Interpreter yet must have recourse to Reason or Revelation for besides these three I know not any I say they must either let private Reason make this declaration and Judge of the true sense of Scripture by her innate Light or flie to Revelation and Pretend that the Holy Ghost Infallibly declares by a Divine Light his meaning to them This later way of Divine Inspiration is laid claim to by the Calvinistical party and those strange broods of other English Sectaries who have nothing but Scripture and the Spirit of God in their mouths upon whom in a most Prodigious manner they Father all their Blasphemies to the shame of Christians But it is rejected by all Protestants in any degree rational as meerly Fanatical and invincibly convicted of Imposture by the manifest contradictions of several pretenders to the Spirit of God For can the Holy Ghost reveal to the Calvinists that the Government of the Church by Presbytery hath a Divine right from Scripture and by the same Divine Unction teach the Independents that it is against the written Word c. Private reason therefore is only left them to resolve their Faith into and rely upon in their inquiring after and belief of Supernatural Truths and those sublime Mysteries to the knowledge of which nature hath not sufficient Light to advance her self by her sole native powers beside those mists of passion or prejudice or Education or Interest to which we are daily lyable and which must needs make this way more dark and difficult in order to eternal Happiness However they must take to it unless they will openly recant what they have publickly approved For though at first they kept secret this grand mystery of their State-Religion yet at last great Patrons of the English Protestant Church have with Authority and much applause inthron'd Mr. Chilling worth c. private Reason as a sole Queen and Mistress in the Churches Chair to direct and interpret the Holy Scriptures and from them to give a final Sentence what are the Truths of God revealed to us Without which Sentence or Declaration the Churches Decrees in things necessary to Salvation have no strength at all or obligation Nor then neither as these Rationalists explain it upon the score of Authority but Reason only But how unreasonably and without ground I doubt not to make appear in the following Sections SECT IV. That the Holy Scriptures are not the sole and perfect Rule of Faith TO evidence the groundlessness of this main foundation of the English Protestant Church as declar'd and explicated in the precedent Section with full satisfaction I conceive it lyes upon me principally to make three things good against them First That Scripture is not the sole and perfect Rule of Faith Secondly That it is not nor can be the Judge of Controversies in Religion Which is the common Tenet of modern Hereticks And thirdly That admitting it for a Rule of Faith as in part it is private Reason is not the Interpreter and Judge of the true sense thereof for every Christian to rely upon for his Salvation In clearing the first point I need not labour much having already by convincing arguments establish'd in the 4th and 5th Sections of the first Motive the Catholick Rule of Faith Universal Tradition whither I desire my Reader to return for satisfaction And which standing firm the Protestants Rule of Scripture only must needs be as well a ruin'd as ruinous Principle and fall to nothing Yet that discourse being more general I shall here descend to some particulars to make it visible to very ordinary Capacities that Scripture doth not contain fully all things necessary to Salvation nor is clearly evident without dispute in all points necessary therein contain'd and consequently cannot be the sole and compleat Rule of Faith wanting those two most necessary conditions belonging to it First I say not full and comprehending all points necessary to Salvation of mankind For I demand of them whether it be not a fundamental point of Faith to believe the Holy Scriptures to be the Word of God and yet Mr. Hooker one of the most Judicious Writers of the English Protestants acknowledges this cannot be grounded upon Scripture Of all points saith Hooker's Ecc. Polit l. 2. â—â— I remember he the most necessary to be believ'd is that the Scriptures are the Word of God which is confest impossible for them to prove And proceeding makes a demonstration of it against the Puritans How then themselves being Judges can the Holy Scriptures being a compleat Rule of Faith not comprehending what is most necessary to be believ'd by every Christian If they say this Objection is not pertinent because whosoever makes the written word of God the sole and sufficient Rule of Faith must necessarily pre-suppose the belief of Scripture founded upon some other Principle I reply 't is impertinent to say so because the necessity of a pre-supposition of some fundamental point is a sufficient conviction that the Rule they have chosen cannot be compleat and perfect as they would have it Especially if it be confider'd that the fundamental point pre-suppos'd independent on Scripture but Scripture depending on it must needs be the ground quoad nos to us of all things believ'd in it Which ground or antecedent Principle upon which they as well as we build their belief of such Scriptures to be the undoubted Word of God being the universal
been manifested in the precedent Section And for further confirmation I here ask whether Hoc est Copus meum Hic est Sanguis meus be not plain words without any Ambiguity in their Grammatical construction We Catholicks indeed taught by the universal Tradition and practice of the Church doubt not of the Sense of them But can Lutherans Calvinists and English Protestants maintain their meaning to be clear and perspicuous among whom above fourty several Interpretations some flatly repugnant to each other are found about them Can such variety and contrariety proceed but from obscurity Either from that or else some of them must wilfully contradict Scripture and resist the Holy Ghost by maintaining a dangerous Doctrine against their own knowledge and Conscience But who those are I leave them to wrangle upon their own grounds eternally among themselves In the interim I 'm sure upon Catholick Principles they all stand unanswerably convicted of wilfull Heresie Besides Christ's real descent into Hell is an Article of Faith yet the Calvinists deny it against Scripture Acts 2. v. 27 and 31. as plain Acts 2. 27 31. in our judgment and so think the English Protestants also as the Apostles Creed They bring no other Scripture for their Negative but flatly deny this place to be evident and concluding Now what must be done to end this Controversy in a fundamental point The clearest Text Scripture affords is already produced to give them satisfaction 't is unsuccessful and they raise clouds of new invented Interpretations to hide it from their own and others eyes Can Scripture now judge and conclude this Controversy Moreover the Lutherans and English Protestants agree with Catholicks in asserting the necessity of Baptism to Salvation grounding themselves on that of St. John Except Joh. 3. 5. a man be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God The Calvinists hold the contrary and by no means will allow Water there mention'd to be taken literally for natural Water but drink it all up with a dry Metaphor How can they convince them if Scripture alone be judge If with us they urge them with the consent of Fathers Universal Tradition and practice of the Church so interpreting these words of our Blessed Saviour the Controversy is at an end Or if Calvinists will be yet contending they can speak nothing Solid or Rational in their own defence To all which may be added that judicious and accute Observation of an able Controvertist That though Apology for Tradit p. 137. one intent and end of writing St. John ' s Gospel was to show the Godhead of Christ which the Arians afterwards denyed yet the design prov'd so unsuccessful that never any Heresie was more powerful and spreading than that which oppos'd the Truth intended by his Book So he yea and it is most certain the Arians at this day do make more use of that Gospel than any other part of Scripture to beat down the Divinity of the Son of God A manifest argument that Scripture was never intended by the Author of those Sacred Oracles for the final decision of controverted points but for something else proper and agreeable to the nature of dead writings However we make no question but all Catholick Doctrines are contain'd in the Bible by Rational deductions with infinite advantage above what our Adversaries can produce for their defence upon the same grounds as hath been made to appear by able Controvertists before any Impartial and understanding Judges More need not be said in a matter condemned by the common sense and experience of the whole World SECT VI. That private Reason in Controversies of Faith is not the Interpreter and Judge of the true Sense of Scripture for every Christian to rely upon for his Salvation SOme English Protestants of Critical Heads to qualifie the absurdance of the former Thesis still holding close to the written Word for a compleatly sufficient Rule of Faith make private Reason the Interpreter and Judge for every Christian A Principle which though it may seem plausible and gain followers because it makes every one Sui juris independent and his own Master a thing so desirable and sweet to flesh and blood yet no less than the other doth it contradict the whole Christian World always teaching Vt Scripturas ipsas sic Scripturarum sensum pure imperturbate solum ad nos Traditionis alneo deferri That the pure and uncorrupted sense of the Scripture doth depend upon Tradition as well as the Scriptures themselves And accounting it a giddy Spirit of Heretical rashness Scripturae interpretationem ex proprio ingenio petere To refuse to give ear to the voice of the Church and give ear to the Whisperings of private Reason which is so exterminating a Principle and destructive of Religion that it doth not ruine this or that or some few Catholick Truths but like a general deluge with an irresistable torrent sweeps away the Church it self by overthrowing the unity in Faith the Life and Soul and Essence of it 'T is a subject would afford a large field of Discourse but I shall content my self with brevity and I hope others also Whosoever shall desire more ample satisfaction I refer him to the Exomologesis of Mr. Cressy where 't is solidly confuted in answer to Mr. Chillingworth the great Patron and first publick Assertor of it with approbation The principal Arguments which convinc'd me for I was one of those very unreasonable Rationalists when I was a Protestant and with which I rest fully satisfied are these following First if private reason be the only Interpreter and Judge of Scripture for every Christian I desire those who are minded to give a satisfactory Answer to those places of Sacred Writ which in my poor judgement cannot stand with their position St. Peter teacheth us 2 Pet. 1. 19 20 c. That no Prophecy of the Scripture is of private Interpretation but Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy-Ghost That is as the Sacred Pen-men of Gods Word writ by Inspiration of the Holy-Ghost being his publick Instruments to reveal the Divine Verities to the World so those Sacred Oracles are not to be interpreted Authorative by the private Reason and Will of men but their true sense and meaning if call'd in question is to be received from the Governours Concilium Trid. Ses 4. of the Church whom God has authoriz'd to declare his will unto his People Of which he gives a convincing reason in his 3d. Chap. telling 2 Pet. 3. 15 16 17. us That in his dear Brother Paul's Epistles are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction This is not compatible to the definitive Sentence of a Judge in any Controversy which must be so clear and perspicuous that the most unlearned or refractory cannot doubt or mistake after pronunciation Neither
is this difficulty in matters of no moment but in points necessary where Souls do perish through misbelief We find in the Acts of the Apostles that Philip the Deacon drawing near to the Chariot of the devout Eunuch and hearing him read Act 8. 30 31 c. the Prophet Isaias said Vnderstandest thou what thou readest And he said how can I except some man guide me He had not learn'd the Principle of their Rationalists to bid the Holy man spare his pains of Exposition or if he would be doing that he was not bound to believe one word he spoke for Truth 'till his own reason made it Authentick For this wild Doctrine frees every man in matters of Eternity from all Authority of humane Teachers though of Divine Institution so that be we Jews or Heathens or in what Church soever we have been Baptiz'd we must stand to no Creed believe no Catechism or abridgement of points necessary though confirm'd by the practice of the whole Christian World rely on no Instructors but believe and practice the quite contrary if our private reason judges it to be contain'd in Sacred Scripture Doubtless if his judgment had been preposess'd with this proud arrogant Principle Philip had preach'd in vain nor had he believ'd unto Salvation but would have dismiss'd the Evangelist with some such words as these I have a desire to save my Soul and therefore have given you a hearing but all this is nothing yet to me I will search the Scriptures farther to see what I must believe and when I have made my Creed I will send for You to Baptize me Which plainly contradicts the method of saving instruction deliver'd by the great Doctor of the Gentiles in that famous Climax How shall they call Rom. 10. 14 15. on him in whom they have not believ'd And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher A Preacher with Mission and Commission from Jesus Christ But no place is more convincing than that 1 Tim. 3. 15. to Timothy The Church is the Pillar and ground of Truth And if the Church how then must every one build upon his private Reason for the true sense of Scripture in all things necessary to Salvation St. Paul was an Apostle of Jesus Christ whose Missioners then are those who teach the contrary Lastly I desire them to reconcile this Article of our Ancient Creed I believe the Holy Catholick Church with their novel Doctrine The Caetholick Church hath nothing to do with my Faith I believe my own Reason and nothing else in giving the true sense of Scripture to me For my part it being clear to me from the written Word that the Church hath a promise of Infallibility in matters of Faith That there is a command from Christ laid upon every one to hear her voice under pain of damnation and that otherwise the above named Article would not have been inserted into the Apostles Creed as a fundamental point I could see no safety or certainty in matters of eternal Interest but by wholly renouncing my most weak deceitful self and delivering up my self entirely into the hands of the Catholick Church to be taught by her what I must Believe and Do to be saved Nor found I any thing more reasonable then to captivate my understanding to the obedience of Faith when the God of reason doth require it at our hands Secondly to make every one an Interpreter and Judge of the true sense of Holy Scripture for himself unappealably by Reason seems evidently to me to deprive us of the only rational and solid means which is required to produce a well grounded Faith of Supernatural Verities in the Soul of man Which thus I manifest Supernatural Faith being an assent of the understanding to things revealed meerly for the Authority of the Relator without any farther dispute when once we have an assurance that God hath revealed them two things must necessarily concurre in all mediate productions to beget this act firmly and rationally in any Soul namely Ist Divine Revelation of things to be believ'd which is the formal Object of Faith into which it is ultimately resolv'd And 2dly A certain knowledge or moral evidence that such are revealed by the mediation or intervention of which the understanding elevated by Grace proceeds to the foresaid assent Now suppose there were no Objects of Supernatural and Divine Faith but what are contain'd in the written Word 't is not the bare and naked Letter but Scripture rightly understood that is the Word of God and of Infallible verity except therefore we have some Medium or means to convey assuredly to our understanding the true sense of Scripture our Faith cannot but halt and totter when we cannot rationally afford a firm assent to such a thing as revealed and have just cause to suspect whither we rightly understand that Scripture which contains the Revelation And certainly this cause of suspition will be ever just while private reason is the Interpreter and Judge of Holy Writ when abundant experience tells us nothing is more Fallible nothing more deceitful nothing sooner bribed with pride or passion or prejudice or education or interest to make words speak what never the Author intended by them Insomuch that hardly any fundamental point delivered in Scripture but hath been called in question and still is by too many protesting withall their sincerity and endeavours to attain to the true sense of Scripture by the light of their own Reason to which they appeal as their Judge and Protector in those wilful and irrational proceedings Neither indeed have Heresies arose in the Church but from Scripture misinterpreted by private reason as the * Non aliunde natae sunt haeredes nisi quod Scripturae bene intelliguntur non benè St. Aug. Tract 18 in Jeab Er de Gen. ad Lit. l. 7 ca. 9. Non ob aliud siunt haeretici nisi quod Scripturas non recte intelligentes suas Falsas opiniones contra earum veritatem pertinaciter asserunt alii passiom S. Ambr. in Titi. Vincentius Lyrin ca. 36. S. Irenaeus l. 1. c. 1. S. Hier. ad ca. 23. Isaiae S. Hilar. in lib. ad Constantinum Origenes Hom. 31. in Exodum c. Fathers and Church-history sufficiently testify Alas poor Souls that have such a guide to carry the Light which must direct them to eternal Happiness If they make their Light Darkness how great is that Darkness When their guide misleads them what remedy is there left to recall them into the path which leads to Heaven The Catholick Church indeed is inriched with so great a priviledge by Christ our Saviour that she cannot err in things necessary to Salvation as hath been manifested in the precedent Motive by Reason Fathers Councils Scripture Tradition and practice of the Christian World Whom we may as undoubtedly believe in delivering to us the true sense of Scripture as the Letter and upon whom
among the Gentiles and they should Sacrifice in every place and Chap. 1. 11. a Pure Offering should be offer'd to his Name a new form of Worship prescrib'd a new form of Government erected new Sacraments instituted new Precepts deliver'd Councels super-added agreeable to the Evangelical Law And in a word a Catholick Church founded to continue for ever This Church of Christ as it is one body so likewise it was of one heart and of one mind while Apostolical purity remain'd unspotted The Professors were all united in the same Faith Worship and Government holding close to Church-Tradition the Pillar and ground of Truth without any rent or Schism Till among Act. 20. 29. 30. themselves arose Wolves in Sheeps-cloathing not sparing the Flock teaching perverse things to draw away Disciples after them That is who set up a Congregation of Christians separated from the Communion of that Church which was founded by Christ and his Apostles And so by this means unity being destroy'd and Faith perverted Heresie shut up the gate of Heaven against false Christians as Infidelity did against Unbelievers A sad case this yet not so much to be wondred at seing the Apostle tells us Opportet esse Haereses There must 1 Cor. 11. 19. be Heresies for the Tryal of others and greater glory of the Truth And therefore the true Church hath in all Ages been more or less vex'd with them But never more then in these last and perillous days which since Luther's Apostacy from the Church of Rome have produc'd such an innumerable brood of New Gospels and Sects all pretending to believe and practice those Doctrines and that Worship which were taught by Christ and his Apostles and to be the only true Church of God or at least the purest Members of it Now it being acknowledg'd on all hands that they only are the true Church who believe and observe all points taught by Christ and his Apostles necessary to Salvation and 't is impossible contrary Beliefs and Worships should be all true and come from the Fountain of Truth Christ Jesus those whom a more serious desire and care of their Eternal Good may excite to seek for satisfaction in so important a business shall upon diligent inquisition by the blessing of God find that the chief externe grounds or evidence ordain'd by Christ for the guiding us in the knowledge of what was taught and left by him to be believ'd and practis'd to the Worlds end and consequently also for discerning which is the true Church among so many Pretenders are those according to which the Church of Rome regulates her Faith and Worship namely Universal Tradition and the Authority of the present Church as shall hereafter be made manifest And the farther they search into the Rule of the Protestant Religion that is sole Scripture interpreted by private Reason or Spirit exclusively to Tradition and Church Authority the more they will see such unsteady Maxims are destructive to Faith and manifestly leading to endless Divisions and Errors in matters of Religion This Conviction I had in examining the Fundamentals of the Roman and Protestant Religion and therefore am not to be blam'd for the Change I made and to my understanding whosoever searches as I did will easily receive the same satisfaction SECT II. A Preparatory Discourse to Church-Tradition and what it is THo' whosoever examines aright the Motives of Christian belief cannot rationally but become a Catholick that is find evidence how he may come to the certain knowledge of what Christ and his Apostles taught the World yet Faith is not grounded on Reason but Authority and that no less then Divine which excludes all possibility of Errour Whatever it is that brings men to know what they must believe Faith hath for its formal Object Divine Revelation into which it finally is resolv'd So that we believe nothing as of Faith but what is revealed and because it is revealed by Essential Verity who can neither deceive nor be deceived Catholicks then believe by Divine Faith Truths only revealed by Almighty God wherein Protestants agree with us But Catholicks believe the same Truths as they are ascertained declar'd and handled down to us by the Testimony of the Church wherein Protestants are defective the difference thefore between us in Faith arises chiefly from hence in that we use not the same externe Medium to convey unto our understandings the knowledge of what Truths are revealed and what not For could we once agree about this latter we should soon be of one Heart and of one mind in all points of Faith especially when once this Medium is proved to be infallible As to this Medium therefore Catholicks regulate their Faith by the Rule or Standard of Tradition and Church-Authority as the externe Proponent of Faith a Proponent also evidenced to them by the same Rule to be Infallible and thus they safely rely on the Testimony of Tradition and Church Authority in Declaring and Expounding both the Sense of Scripture and all other Christian Misteries necessary to Salvation Whilst on the contrary Protestants relying on the sole express Texts of Scripture interpreted by private Reason or Spirit as their only Rule and Guide in matters of Faith become unsteady in their Belief obnoxious to dangerous Errors and divided amongst themselves into endless Sects and Factions But because a more clear understanding of this matter in some sort depends on a right notion of Tradition we shall here define it in the sense it is usually understood by Catholick Divines Tradition then is the delivery of that Doctrine which was taught by Christ and his Apostles from hand to hand descending as such from Fathers to their Children making up the body of the Faithful This is the true notion of Tradition among us Catholicks and it matters not whether it be call'd Divine Apostolical or Universal being only the same thing exprest by divers adjuncts For it is call'd Divine because Christ our Lord as well true God as true man is the Spring-head of it It is call'd Apostolical because the Apostles immediately receiv'd from him things so deliver'd and Preach'd them to all Nations And Universal because Attested by the Catholick Church of all Ages to have been handed to her as originally proceeding from Christ and his Apostles And to prevent all mistakes let Protestants take notice that the Church of Rome sends not her Children only to search for what is Divine or Apostolical Tradition in matters of Faith and Discipline out of the Writings of the Fathers or other Libraries of Books fill'd with dead Words which are subject to various Interpretations by Critical heads without any hope of Agreement and can have no Authority dependent on Tradition though upon this account she has infinite advantage against all other Communions in the World to justify her Faith and practice in any unbyass'd Judgments But sends them to a visible living Oracle Oral Tradition that is the voice of the present Church attesting
that what she teaches as of Faith she so received from the Age immediately foregoing and so from Age to Age from Millions of Sons to their Fathers up to the Apostles and the Sacred Mouth of Christ himself From Church-Tradition thus explain'd briefly may be drawn those Positions First that the Doctrine taught by Christ and his Apostles comprises all points necessary to salvation Secondly That all such points taught by Christ and his Apostles have been continued in the Church from believing Fathers to their Children by an un-interrupted succession without Diminution or Addition and shall so continue for ever Which involves these two Propositions that nothing comes to us upon the tenure of Faith but what is of Tradition Yea though contain'd in Scripture seing we only are ascertain'd what Books the Apostles wrote and what is the true sense of them by Tradition And that there are no new points of Faith in the Christian Church quoad Substantiam as to the substance of what is reveal'd the present Church only believing what it received from precedent Ages Which assertion whosoever opposes contradicts not me but the Sublime Angelical Doctor St. Thomas expresly teaching that in Doctrina Christi Apostolorum c. 22ae 1 q. ar 10. ad 1am 2am Et in 1a par q. 32. ar 4. corp In the Doctrin of Christ and his Apostles the Truth of Faith is sufficiently unfolded but because perverse men pervert the Doctrin of the Apostles and other Doctrines and Scriptures to their own Destruction as is said in the 2 Ep. of St. Peter and the last Chap. Therefore the explication of Faith was necessary against arising Errors in after-times not containing another Faith but the same more clear'd Thirdly That this universal Tradition or handing of Christian Doctrin by oral Teaching and visible practice of the Christian World is and was the constant Rule of Faith as well after as before the Scriptures were written and received by the Church The first Thesis or Position though it hath been deny'd by some Hereticks as namely the Montanists yet is not controverted between us and Protestants The proof lies upon the second which being demonstrated the third will follow of it self and cannot be deny'd with show of Reason SECT III. The clearness and certainty of Tradition in delivering Matters of Faith NO other externe prudential evidence or assurance in matters of Divine Faith whose efficient Cause is Divine Grace is necessarily requir'd then a Moral certainty that what is propos'd to be believ'd as of Faith is the very same Doctrin which was taught by Christ and his Apostles Which assurance neither is nor can be had among Protestants who build their new Church upon their own confused and unsteady Interpretations of Scripture But is manifestly to be found in that Communion of Christians viz. the Church of Rome which grounds its Faith as to such evidence upon Universal Tradition a Principle not well lyable to Error and therefore cannot rationally be expected to fail those who relie upon it As I shall endeavour to demonstrate thus Christian Religion is supernatural descending from Heaven to us by Revelation that is such a one as is not to be learn'd but from Almighty God and his Missioners namely from Christ and his Apostles and so successively from them brought down to us by Church-Profession Wherefore the Apostles being Commissionated by him to whom was given all Power in Heaven and Earth to this end and purpose deliver'd to the World wholly and entirely the Law of Jesus Christ making so long stay in those places principally in which by mutual consent they had chosen to plant the Gospel 'till by often inculcation it was written in their hearts and by practice so confirm'd and clear'd to their Judgments that rationally they could not mistake or doubt concerning any points so deliver'd all things being by this means sufficiently provided for the constituting and governing of the Church Now though the Apostles were many yet being all taught by the same Master impowered by the same Commission and guided by the same Spirit in all parts of the World did bring up their Disciples in the belief and practice of the same Doctrin and Discipline to continue for ever so that all particulaâ— Churches though of different Nationâ— and Languages founded by several Instructers and so far distant from one another yet did harmoniously meet in the unity of Faith in all points Traditionary whatsoever Neither could it be otherwise they only believing what was taught them by the Apostles and these only teaching them what they receiv'd from Christ and were Infallibly directed in by the extraordinary assistance of the Holy Ghost Amongst which Apostolical Doctrines one main Article was That there should be in all Ages to the Worlds end an Vniversal Visible Body of Pastors and People term'd a Catholick Church Divinely assisted and authoriz'd to preserve teach and hand down to Posterity without Error all Truths necessary to Salvation This Catholick Church thus founded practis'd and taught their Children what they received from the Apostles condemning by her Authorative Rule of Tradition all such for Hereticks and Shismaticks who taught any contrary Doctrines and divided from them By this easie method all Critical Disputations about points of Faith were cut off having only to inquire what had been taught and practis'd from the beginning and to receive all Doctrines witnessed for such by the voice of the 1 Tim. 3. 15. present Church The Pillar and ground of Truth and consequently Infallible in her Attestation Who leave this Rule must needs be obnoxious to Error but how those who stick close to so safe a Principle should fail is morally inconceivable For such Traditionary Doctrines abstracting from Authority cannot loose but gather strength by time because the multitude of Believers increafing and delivering to their Children all points of Faith as they received them the Tradition becomes more famous and universal carrying along with it a greater evidence of Truth and moral Impossibility to be deceiv'd Unless we will say that the Mystical Body of Christ so diffus'd and numerous can forget to day what they believ'd and acted yesterday and so ignorantly mistake or knowingly conspire together to teach their Children to receive any Doctrines as originally proceeding from Christ and his Apostles which yet they never had from their immediate Fore-fathers upon that tenure Questionless that such a Body of Christians should be wrought upon wilfully to damn their own and others Souls by attempting to gull the World to their faces in a business of no less then Eternal Interest or that in things of so high a nature so visible so easily contradicted they should prevail to introduce the belief of a noon-day Lye is surely to be rank'd in a high degree of Impossibility And whososever sees it not as such I know not whether all the Hellibore in Anticyra will cure him For where can one pick a hole in the everlasting coat of universal
the Church which the Holy Scriptures without any ambiguity do demonstrate To the end that because the Scripture cannot deceive us whosoever is afraid to be deceived by the obscurity of any question may have recourse to the Churches judgment concerning it which Church the Holy Scriptures demonstrate without any ambiguity Two things are suitable to our present purpose which are clear from hence First that though we may sometimes doubt what is Truth yet we can never doubt which is the true Church demonstrated to us by the Scriptures upon whose judgment while we rely we are secure from holding any thing contrary to the written Word commending to us her Authority Secondly That though the Scriptures are Infallible and cannot deceive us yet if we will not deceive our selves and kill our Souls by the dead Letter without the quickning sense we must believe what the Church believes submitting our private reason to her publick Interpretation For else let Hereticks never so much boast of Scripture for them we may tell them in the words of the same Saint This ye Cont. Faust l. 32. c. 19. seem to do that Scriptures may loose all Authority while every one may allow or disallow what his own mind suggests to him out of them That is may not subject his Faith to the Authority of Scripture but subject Scripture to his Faith It being indeed the property of all Hereticks not to take sense from but to bring sense to those Sacred Oracles forcing them by manifest distortions or dark conjectures to speak in defence of their prejudicated Tenets and so make nothing of Scripture while they seem to value nothing else Now what remedy against this intolerable abuse of the Word of God and everlastingly-quarrelproducing evil but that of Origen Quoties c. As often as they Hereticks Ho. in Mat. Praef. l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth Canonical Scriptures which no Christian but believes and assents to they seem to say Behold the word of Truth is in our Houses but we must not believe them nor depart from the Primitive Ecclesiastical Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Churches of God by succession have deliver'd to us And to put them to silence with that of L. de Praes p. 19. Tertullian We must not appeal to Scriptures neither is the controversy to be setled upon them in which either there will be no victory at all or very uncertain Yea there is no good got by disputing out of Texts of Scripture that is as interpretable by private reason and play'd upon by wit but either to make a man sick or mad But that is only to be believed for for Truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church Thus he fully agreeing with Origen in the fore-quoted place And I cannot omit here what the glorious Bishop of Hippo hath so apposite for our present purpose to his Catechumens The Holy Church the Church which is one the true S. Aust de Symb. lib. 1. v. 6. Church the Catholick Church fights against all Heresies She may be resisted but cannot be conquer'd All Heresies have gone out of her as unprofitable branches cut off from the Vine see Protestants your Original but she remains in her Root in her Charity The gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Nor that to Honoratus when therefore we see God standing for us and so much fruit and proficiency doubt we to repose our L. de util Cred. c. 17. selves in the bosom of that Church which from the Apostolical Chair by Successions of Bishops Hereticks on all sides barking in vain against her hath obtain'd Supremacy of Power To whom not to give the chief is truly either the highest Impiety or harebrain Arrogance Thus the Fathers always brought Believers to the Church for a firm foundation in tottering times there they cast Anchor and fix'd themselves amidst the storms of Controversies and Contentions rais'd by unreasonable men with the wind of strange Doctrines lest they should make Shipwrack of their Holy Faith this still they prest upon all Christians in doubts of Disputations the Church the Church believe the Church the Pillar and ground of Truth the Sacred Depository of revealed Verities the rich Store-house of all things belonging to Salvation protected by Christ to the Worlds end endowed with the certain gift of Truth by the special guidance of the Holy Ghost founded upon a Rock that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Which is nothing else but what they had learn'd and received from Scripture and Tradition A Truth so convincing that it extorted from Dr. Field a great Patron of the English Protestants In his Book of the Church words to this effect Controversies are now a days grown to that height and so numerous and intricate that few have time to discuss and search into them thoroughly for satisfaction fewer wit and abilities to do it as such a business of concernment require that no security remains but to fly into the arms of the Church and acquiess in her judgments and definitions But from words let us proceed to deeds from the Doctrine to the practice of Antiquity SECT IX The aforesaid Authority of the Church cleared and demonstrated by the constant practice of all Ages IF we cast our eyes through the whole Christian World not a Popish Priest in the exercise of his Spiritual Jurisdiction but is in some sort a practical proof of this Authoritative Power wherewith the Church is invested by Jesus Christ Yet residing more eminently and with larger extent in Bishops the supreme Order of the Clergy made Overseers of their respective Flocks by the Holy Ghost it appears more gloriously visible in the Decrees and Acts of General Councils the highest Ecclesiastical Tribunal determining all emergent Controversies in Spiritual matters with Anathemae's against all Contradictors whatsoever And Catholicks in all Ages acknowledging their Sacred and obliging Authority paid most inviolably the just Tribute of Obedience to their Decisions with submission of their private Judgments and Opinions however rational before they seem'd unto them So that what points soever were once declared to be of Faith by lawful and approved Councils those who persisted in the contrary Doctrines where accounted Hereticks and being justly Excommunicated for such incorrigible obstinacy shunn'd by all the Faithful as no better than Heathens and Publicans Now I cannot think that English Protestants will say though such Decrees issued out from General Councils yet it was by an usurped Power not of Right and so though such exact obedience was paid by Christians to them yet it was in their own prejudice and not of duty or obligation though truely in deeds they assert it because they pretend much veneration to the first four General Councils and Bishop Montague one of the Learnedest In his Appello ad Casa men they ever had proceeds so far as to defend against his more zealous Brethren of Romes ruine the
of Faith no General approved Synods did ever make contrary Decrees so that when any are shown opposite in words they may with sufficient satisfaction be reconciled and manifested to agree in the Catholick sense of Doctrine therein contain'd For could there be really contrary Decrees in points of Catholick Faith determin'd General Councils confirm'd by the Pope and received by the Church that would be eternally false and most unreasonable which is ratified for a most manifest Truth and most agreeable to right reason by universal Church-practice namely That all those who will not he accounted Hereticks must conform themselves to the Deerees of Oecumenical Synods And are the words of Vincentius Lyrynensis in his Admonitory against Prophane Novelties a Discourse as express for us as if it were now ex professo writ against Protestants in this controversy But not to be tedious I will close up these Testimonies so pregnant for the Infallibility of the Church declaring her Faith by Oecumenical Synods with the most famous Speech of St. Gregory the Great Sicut Sancti Lib. 1. Ep. 24 ad Pat. Constan Alexan. Evangelii c. I confess my self to receive and venerate the four Councils as the four Books of the Holy Gospel And then names them yet not with any intention to exclude the like esteem of the fifth being the second Ann. Ch. 553. General Council at Constantinople which afterwards he specifies and were all the General Councils celebrated before his happy Government of the universal Church Neither will the Protestants be ever able to give any satisfactory reason why they do not give the same veneration and acceptance to all approv'd Oecumenical Synods and in particular to that of Trent being confirmed by the same visible Head and received by the Body of the same Catholick Church And to make this more evident I will make a brief parallel of the Protestants Case with the Arians by them confess'd to be Hereticks by which I think will easily be discover'd that they can say nothing to justify themselves against that Council but will be as good and strong for the Arians against the Nicene Fathers their tryals being alike upon their disturbance of the Peace of the Church with new Doctrines and their condemnation alike by the same Authority If they say the Council of Trent was not a lawful General Council did not the Arians pretend the same against the Nicene Synod and all Hereticks take up the same Plea against the Councils by whom they were condemned If they say true they did so but They without cause We justly Let them give us a demonstration of this and we are satisfied and nothing else can carry it in this controversy Did not the Arians repute the Novatians Hereticks being condemned by a Council though not General And yet refus'd themselves to stand to the Nicene Synod though Oecumenical Why The Novatians say the Arians complain without cause We justly Did not the Nestorians and Eutychians abhor the the Arians as justly anathematiz'd by the Nicene Fathers and yet these refuse to obey the Decrees of the Chalcedon Council those of the Constantinopolitan Why The Arians contradicted without cause say the Nestorians and Eutychians but we justly In a word 't is a plea common to all condemned Hereticks with Protestants and if they would speak fully amounts to thus much We will receive no Councils farther then they agree with us and will never acknowledge or submit to any as lawful that condemn our Doctine For when they they have a long time hunted up and down for excuses this in reality is the only and justest cause they have of their disobedience If they appeal from the Council to the Scriptures as in their Opinion standing for them did not the Arians do the same And I dare be bold to say with far more probability then Protestants can pretend to in many points controverted between Them and Us. If they say they never had a fair hearing before Sentence was pass'd against them and that they were condemn'd by their Enemies being Judges in their own cause Did not or might not the Arians and any other Hereticks pretend the same against the respective Councils by which they were condemned And 't is all one as if some Rebels stubbornly refusing to answer for themselves in a just Tryal according to the establish'd Laws of the Kingdom which they have transgressed should after Sentence pronounc'd complain of Illegal proceedings as not being heard for themselves and having no reason to plead where the Party offended was their Judge by his Commissioners This is the parallel And seriously for my own part in the most Impartial examination of it I cannot see any possible evasion for the Protestants but that in all Doctrines of Faith wherein they contradict the present Church of Rome they are as notorious Hereticks by the decisions of the Council of Trent as the Arians for denying the Divinity of Christ by the Authoratative Sentence of the Nicene Fathers And to conclude this Section and Motive after all these express Texts of Scripture for the Churches Authority and Obedience unto her under pain of damnation with the sense of them so brought down to us by the Writings of Antiquity and Church-practice of her jurisdiction which is an evidence that all contrary Interpretations are false and spurious for any blinded with Interest or Passion to venture his eternal Salvation upon a May be otherwise or a probable argument deduced from Scripture leaning on the weak crutches of private reason or a particular Fallible Congregation is a strange and dangerous presumption For in Fine the Authority of the Catholick Church in such matters is of more weight than ten thousand Arguments of private Reason It being a thing manifest to judicious men that there is no place for Ifs and And 's where there can be no evidence brought against a point of Doctrine which the highest Tribunal upon earth had already Decreed and propos'd to be believ'd by all Christians as sufficiently revealed by Almighty God The second Motive That the English Protestant Church making Scripture the only sufficient Rule of Faith without any Visible Judge to Interpret and give the Sense of it Authoritatively to Christians stands on a most uncertain and groundless Foundation SECT I. An Introduction to the following Discourse THus having by the Grace and Blessing of God on my endeavours in the inquisition of Truth found sure Principles whereon to build Faith and Religion in the Roman Church and no where else nothing remained but notwithstanding all interposed difficulties to betake my self to that Communion wherein rationally that is upon Infallible grounds I was perswaded Truth only was to be found and Salvation ordinarily to be expected However that I might give the Religion I had profess'd so long a full hearing to the best of my abilities and understanding before I shak'd hands with it I diligently examin'd the grounds of the Protestant Church and Doctrine which too few do
submission to the Churches Decrees in things necessary to Salvation and likewise in vertue of the same Principle as in all equity they extend it withdraw their obedience from the Secular Magistrate in his necessary commands as he Judges for the publick good 'till it be made out to them that they are in the present matter though not taken out of the Holy Scriptures yet agreeable unto them doubtless all Government and Order is brought to nothing and their Edicts and Laws will be evacuated as often as the pride or prejudice or passion or Interest of Subjects shall think them not warrantable from Holy Writ Neither could such sad effects be hindred from daily breaking out to the Worlds disquiet were they not curb'd in with fear of present punishment For when they who are thus taught think themselves secure from the lash their deeds sufficiently evidence what Temporal Magistrates are to expect from their hands But to stick close to the Church which they have forsaken If they think they have kept firm ground enough for Church Authority to stand upon by inserting these words In things necessary to Salvation thereby implying that though her Decrees in things necessary to Salvation have no strength or Authority 'till it may be declared not by her self for she hath already made her declaration that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures yet in things not necessary and indifferent her Authority is absolute and independent on such a declaration with an obligation of obedience fâ—om Believers If this I say be their meaning to keep up Church-Authority it will not do the business but is only to put a Reed in Christs hand instead of a Royal-Scepter and to allow his Church a Mock-power onely in Spiritual matters as will easily appear to any one considering the end for which our Lord and Saviour set up a Government in his Church For having founded and furnish'd his Church with plentiful means for the Salvation of mankind and instituted a Government therein to conserve and apply those means that they might be effectual for the foresaid end and purpose Church-Governours cannot possibly make a sufficient application as Co-workers with God by his appointment in the great work of our Salvation if their Power extended it self absolutely to things indifferent without which we may be saved and in those things necessary to Salvation can ordain things 'till a Declaration from God knows whom and when makes it good and valid For they tell us not by whom or when this Declaration must be made in such Cases but inveloping their conceit in general words only deliver that what Oecumenical Synods ordain in things necessary to Salvation have no strength nor Authority 'till it may be declared that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures Is this Doctrine consistent with the end of Church-Government Would not those Superiours be invested with a goodly power who can without dispute bind their Subjects hands from scratching their own Faces but have no obliging Authority to hinder them from thrusting a Sword into their Bowels or striking a Dagger to their Heart Hath Christ given some Apostles Prophets and some Evangelists and Ephes 4. some Pastors to feed and govern his Church for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ 'till we all come into the unity of the Faith and yet what points they teach as necessary to Salvation have no strength nor Authoriry 'till their Disciples and Learners of them shall declare that they are taken out of Holy Scriptures Would God exact of Church-Governours an account of their Subjects Souls committed to their Charge threatning to require their Blood at their Hands if any perish Acts 20. 26 27. through their negligence and yet not invest them with an Authority essentially requisite for the sufficient discharge of so dreadful a duty What says St. Paul to this point Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give an account for them Now comes the English Protestant Church with a Paraphrase and teaches Obey them that have the rule over you who watch for your Souls because they must give an account of them and submit your selves to their commands and order in things indifferent and not necessary not in what they teach and ordain as without which Salvation cannot be had for such Decrees have no strength nor Authority 'till it may be declared that they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures Can any Conscientious or Rational man possibly perswade himself that this is the Apostles meaning Thirdly the English Protestants teach That the Church hath power to Decree Rites and Ceremonies and Authority in Controversies of Faith Had they stopt here and stood to it they had soon return'd to their Catholick Mother But forsooth it is with this Provisoe That she ordain not any thing that is contrary to Gods word nor expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another But never tells us who shall be this Judge to determine when her Decrees and Orders are contrary to the Word of God or not or when she gives the true sense of Scripture according to the Analogy of Faith so that one place be not repugnant to another And so leaves us in a maze for our Salvation They had denyed the Catholick Church Representative to be an Infallible Witness of the Truths of Jesus Christ and Authoritative Interpreter of Scripture to guide Believers in the true sense of it and so it would have been too a notorious Inquisition to have assum'd it to their Conventicles wherefore having taken away the Pillar and ground of Truth the Churches Authority or Infallibility they laid no other sure foundation nor set up any other determinate Column to uphold Religion but leaves it in uncertainties to certain ruine Well fare the Churches under St. Paul's care and governance who had receiv'd a Power not for destruction but edification and could do nothing against the Truth but 〈◊〉 10. 8. for it The English Protestant Church can do nothing for the Truth but against it has no Power at all for edification but only for destruction Neither indeed might she exercise her new assum'd Jurisdiction without destroying her self when she could not be builded up but by pulling down to patch up a Fabrick out of the ruines For the Composers of her Articles did very well perceive if they admitted the Church to be the Authoriz'd Visible Judge of the Sense of Sripture by the Rule of Tradition shining bright in the practice of the whole Christian World and immemorial possession of such points they contradicted it was not possible to escape the Sentence of condemnation but in the Controversy giving a decisive power only to the dead Letter of Scripture the refuge of old condemned Hereticks they feared no Anathema while themselves were Interpreters And having the supreme Magistrate on
Tradition and Authority of the Church not they but this can only truly and rationally be asserted for a compleat and perfect Rule comprehending all things necessary to Salvation handing them down from the Apostles themselves to us now living as the revealed Truths of Jesus Christ and believed as such by all respective Ages upon that tenure Among which Truths so attested That such Writings are the undoubted Word os God is a Principal one and believed because so attested But all other Traditionary Doctrines of Faith having the same convincing proof that they came from Heaven whatever of them were occasionally committed to Writing afterwards by the Apostles are still to be believ'd upon the same account viz. Tradition and Church Authority the certainty of Scripture as well for the Sense as Letter depending thereon Again I demand of English Protestants by what Authority they condemn the Anabaptists to be Hereticks whether by Scripture or Tradition If they say by Scripture they must give me leave to tell that St. Austin with the primitive Christians were of another mind who tells them very plainly That Consuetudo Matris Ecclesiae c. The L. 4. cont Donat. custom of the Church our Mother in Baprizing Children is in no sort to be despis'd nor by any means thought superfluous nor at all to be believ'd except it was an Apostolical Tradition But if they value not Antiquity and presume the Fathers were but School-Boys to them in the understanding of Sacred Writ let them produce any one Text for Infant-Baptism so clearly proving it that the Contradictors must be unavoidably convinc'd and left confounded without any shadow of reply before thoroughly knowing and expert Judges in such Controversies and will confess the Fathers were but dull and heavy men compar'd to their quicker and more deep-sighted judgements in diving into the sense of Scripture and rest satisfy'd that upon the score of only Scripture Anabaptists may be condemned In his Reply Fisher for Hereticks I remember Bishop Land much presses that place in the Acts to be convincing for Infant Baptism Repent and be Baptiz'd Act. 2. 38 39. every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the promise is unto you and to your Children Yet not without the help of Tradition enlightning and exalting it to that force and efficacy But Dr. Hammond In his Ans to 6. Quaeres a great Scripturist and Defender of the Protestant Church confesses it is not at all concluding for it Without more ado the Truth is did not Church-Tradition shining bright in universal practice decide the controversy they could not satisfactorily answer those Texts of Scripture wherewith the Anabaptists confront those other produced by them nor justly enroll them in the black Book of Hereticks Does not this manifestly destroy their main foundation of Scripture to be the only and sufficient Rule of Faith Besides it is not an Heretical practice to Re-baptize those who have been Baptiz'd by Hereticks observing the true form of Baptism Can they evince it for such by any Scripture St. Austin tells them That custom which was opposed to Cyprian L. 2. de Bap. cont Donat. ca. 7 l. 5. c. 23. is to be believ'd to have taken its rise from the Tradition of the Apostles and that he believ'd it for such Moreover the form of Baptism is not expresly deliver'd in Holy Writ nor the number of the Sacraments nor yet the word Sacrament in the Scripture apply'd at all to those they acknowledge for such at least generally necessary to Salvation But for all these we are beholding to the practice and Tradition of the Church This is not all for farther yet let them show any precept in Scripture for the Abolishing of the Jewish Sabbath and observation of the Lords day in its stead A point doubtless necessary for Christians however as applyed to multitudes in Church-Communion Here also they are forc'd to leave Scripture and betake themselves to Tradition for the condemnation of the Sabbaterians Moreover would they willingly part with the Apostles Creed the Observation of Lent which their In his Sermon upon Lent Bishop Andrews contends to be Apostolical and see all Christian Festivals trampled under the prophane Feet of furious Fanaticks with most Ep. 118. ad Janua insolent madness as St. Austin calls it Yet they are all gone if Scripture must hold them up without Tradition In a word the greatest Champions of the English Protestant Church in these later years especially perceiving by sad experience the Vnder Sectaries who were Spawn'd from them to endanger and at last for a time wholly to destroy their new form of Belief and Worship by vertue of this Principle of Only-Scripture do now betake themselves to the Sword and Buckler of Tradition to defend and justify themselves against their Treacherous Brethren And thus although they fly to our Rule of Faith Vniversal Tradition for conviction of their Adversaries in some points by themselves accounted necessary yet they will needs have the Holy Scriptures to be the only and perfect Rule of Faith Doubtless it had been more safe and ingenuous to have acknowledg'd with the Ancient Fathers Traditionary Doctrines as well as the Holy Scriptures to compleat the Rule of Christian belief but contradicting Antiquity by contracting the Rule of Faith into Scripture alone they have likewise contradicted themselves the inevitable Fate of all Truthopposers Secondly The Holy Scriptures are not clearly evident without dispute in all points necessary contain'd in them and consequently no compleat nor certain Rule of themselves as the common experience of all Ages makes good Can any say the Consubstantiality of the Son of God with the Father is in evident or express terms in Sacred Scripture Yea or so contained in it by inevitable consequence as to destroy all probability in the Texts brought for the contrary by Contradictors Then certainly the Arians who had as subtil Heads and able Brains as any Protestants to understand the Logick of their Adversaries were mad men to appeal from Councils and Tradition to the written Word They knew very well that without the Tradition and practice of the Church delivering the sense of Scripture they could handsomly enough evade the force of all Arguments might be rais'd from the bare and dead words of Scripture though stretch'd upon the Tenters of most rigorous Criticism Yea they doubted not but there were Texts for them more evidently asserting the Inferiority of the Son and appropriating the Divine nature to the Father only which was the ground of their confidence in appealing to the written Word to be tryed thereby without Tradition And yet the Protestants condemn the Arians for Hereticks and justly too But how they can do it rationally upon their own Principles I confess surpasses my understanding True it is add to Scripture the Tradition of the Church and the Authoritative Sentence of an approved General Council so interpreting it and the case is clear but these
we find among the Ancient Fathers concerning the supreme Pastorship and Jurisdiction of St. Peter and his Successors the Bishops of Rome while they speak severally in their Writings Let us now hear them speak united in General Councils the most Sacred and Supreme Judicature that is on Earth in things that concern our Eternal Happinefs The General Council at Florence Ann. Ch. 1234. declares the Faith of the Catholick Church in these words Definimus S. Apostolicam Sedem c. We define that the Holy Apostolick Chair and Pope of Rome hath Primacy over the whole World and that the said Pope of Rome is Successor to S. Peter Prince of the Apostles and true Vicar of Christ and Head of the Vniversal Church and Father and Pastor of all Christians and that full Power was given to B. Peter by our Lord Jesus Christ to feed rule and govern the Vniversal Church as is contain'd in the Sacred Canons of Oecumenical Councils Which though celebrated but 400 years since and upwards yet I first produced it because not only subscribed by the Latine Fathers but by the Greek Church also and taken out of more Ancient Councils as the words express and former Acts make good For in the first General Council Ann. Ch. 325. at Nicaea so famous for Anathematizing the Arrian Heresie it was defined That who holds the See of Rome is the Head and Chief of the Patriarchs seeing he 's the first as Peter to whom Power is given over all Christian Princes and all their People as he who is Vicar of Christ our Lord over all People and the Vniversal Church of Christ The General Council of Chalceden Ann. Ch. 451. Acti 16. consisting of above 600 Fathers after mature deliberation declare That all Primacy and Chief Honour according to the Canons is to be kept for the Archbishop of old Rome Which is not so to be understood as if the Sacred Constitutions of General Councils first gave this Supreme Authority to the Roman Bishop but upon several occasions the Councils defin'd this Supremacy of Jurisdiction to belong of right to the Bishop of Rome by Divine Institution Else how could the sixth Canon of the first General Nicene Council say Ecclesia Romana semper habuit primatum The Church of Rome always had the Primacy And by what tenure she held it in their judgments is manifested in the Preface of the said Council in these words Ecclesia Romana c. The Church of Rome by no Synodical Decrees was set over the rest but by the Evangelical voice of our Lord and Saviour obtain'd the Primacy And in the second Session of this Council of Chalcedon after the Epistle of Leo the great then Pope to the Fathers was publickly read confirming the Nicene Creed against the Arrians there arose an unanimous acclamation Haec Patrum fides Apostolorum fides c. This Faith of the Fathers is the Faith of the Apostles we all believe so all Orthodoxal believe so let him be accursed who believes not so Peter hath spoke by Leo c. Which last words signify nothing if they had not believ'd Leo then Bishop of the Roman and Apostolical Chair to succeed St. Peter in his Faith and Jurisdiction I am sure the same Leo believed so when he tells us That our Blessed Saviour said only to Ser. 3. Anniu Assump St. Peter I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not And chose him alone of all the World to be set over the vocation of all Nations and all the Apostles and all the Fathers of the Church by a peculiar Commission to feed and govern his whole flock Besides in the third Session they stile him Vniversal Archbishop and Patriarch of old Rome and afterwards give sentence against Diosorus in the name of Leo and St. Peter to acknowledge and testify thereby that they believ'd him to succeed St. Peter in his Universal Pastorship Which Title of Universal Bishop though St. Gregory the great out of Humility refuses as not used by his Predecessors and bitterly inveighs against it in that sense the then Patriarch of Constantinople did proudly arrogate it to himself Yet 't is most certain and evident from the same Epistles he did maintain it to belong by Divine right to the Bishops of L 4. Ep. Ep. 31 34. L. 7. Episâ— 30. Rome as St. Peter's Successors that very Supremacy and Jurisdiction in Gods Church which all Catholicks now attribute to the Apostolical Chair And whoever confesses the thing we will not quarrel with him about the Name If our Adversaries will assert with St. Gregory That the care of the whole Church is L. 4. Ep. Ep. 32. L. 11. ca. 54. L. 7. Ep. Ep. 63. committed by our Lord himself to Peter the Prince of the Apostles That the Roman and Apostolical See is Head of all Churches That all Bishops found in fault are subject to it We shall not much press him to call the Pope of Rome Universal Bishop neither ought he in that sense which St. Gregory condemned And indeed the usual stile of the Church is not to call the Pope Universal Bishop but Bishop of the Universal Church More may be seen to this point in the Letters of the said Council to the same Glorious Pope Leo. And in the first Act of the Council of Constantinople under Menas they address themselves to Pope Agapetus in these words To our most Holy and most Blessed Lord Archbishop of old Rome and Oecumenical Bishop To which may be added Conc. Sardicense Gener. ca. 3. Synod Rom. sub Sylvestro ca. 20. Conc. Tolet. 1 sub finem assertionis fidei Conc. Milet. ad Innocent Papam ejusque responsum Conc. Turon ca. 21. Conc. Afric ca. 15. ad Papam Celestinum Syno Rom. 4. ca. 3. Conc. Bracanse primum ca. 23. Conc. Aurelian 4. ca. 1. c. with many more which none ver'st in the Acts of Ecclesiastical Synods can be ignorant of and these may suffice being so full and punctual to the purpose If to these Testimonies so undeniably asserting the Popes Supremacy over the whole Church we should add universal practice which from undoubted Records would appear by the Popes calling of General Councils presiding in them personally or by their Legates confirming their Acts by Appeals to the Apostolical Chair from all parts of the Christian World in Ecclesiastical Causes by determining Controversies reforming Abuses by investiture of Bishops Depositions Censures erecting new Sees Conversion of Nations by Apostolical Ann. Ch. 596. men and in particular of our Nation by St. Austin and his Fellow Monks sent hither by St. Gregory the Great and in a word by their Authoritative ordering and care over all the Churches of the Christian world the prosecution of these particulars would swell whole Volumes and therefore not here to be undertaken But by what has been said 't is apparently manifest that our Adversaries herein cannot be of a different Faith from us but they must also forsake