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sense_n	faith_n	reason_n	true_a	3,392	5	5.0227	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12485	The prudentiall ballance of religion wherin the Catholike and protestant religion are weighed together with the weights of prudence, and right reason. The first part, in which the foresaide religions are weighed together with the weights of prudence and right reason accordinge to their first founders in our Englishe nation, S. Austin and Mar. Luther. And the Catholike religion euidently deduced through all our kings and archbishopps of Canterburie from S. Austin to our time, and the valour and vertue of our kings, and the great learninge and sanctitie of our archbishopps, together with diuers saints and miracles which in their times proued the Catholike faith; so sett downe as it may seeme also an abridgement of our ecclesiasticall histories. With a table of the bookes and chapters conteyned in this volume.; Prudentiall ballance of religion. Part 1	Smith, Richard, 1566-1655.	1609 (1609)	STC 22813; ESTC S117627	322,579	664

religion is incomparably to be preferred chosen before the Protestāt For if learning do help to espie truth S. Austin was liklier to find it than Luther If vertue deserue to haue truth reuealed S. Austin was more likely to haue deserued it thā Luther If holy motiues entice men to deliuer sincerly what they knowe to be truth S. Austin was liklier to deale so than Luther If laufull Mission and true orders testifie a true preacher S. Austin was more likly to be such than Luther Or if consent of Christianitie Confession of Aduersaries Miracles Continuance make any thing for proofe of true religion S. Austins religion is incomparably before Luthers And what I say of S Austin in respect of Luther may also be said as appeareth by what hath bene writtē of S. Austins followers in our English Natiō in respect of Luthers followers in the same Nation And contrariewise if ignorance leade to lies if vice hinder the reuelation of Gods truth or cause the taking of it away Luther is more lyke to erre than S. Austin If worldly naughtie motiues drawe men to deceaue others Luther was more like to deceaue thā S. Austin If want of lawfull mission right orders discrie a false Prophet Luther is more like to be such than S. Austin And finally if want of consent of Christianitie want of acknovvledgmēt of Aduersaries want of miracles and continuance shew any thing the vntruth of of religion Luthers religion is more lyke to be vntrue than S. Austins And if any shall say that albeit Luther and the Protest religion be inferior to S. Austin the Romā religiō in all these points aboue mētioned yet are they superior in the word of God which is to be preferred before all other considerations whatsoeuer If I say any shall thus obiect I request him to consider that one truth is not cōtrarie to an other nor Gods word to right reason nor his spirituall light to the light of nature nor faith opposit to true prudence And if therfor right reason light of nature true prudence stand for S. Austin his religion giue sentence against Luther and his Protestancie surely Gods word howsoeuer it may seeme to some in shewe of words yet indeede in sense standeth likwise on S. Austins side and condemneth Luther the Protestant faith For it can not but seeme strange that any wise man should imagin that Gods word should stād on the one side poste alone or accompained onely with ignorāce vice naughtie motiues want of lawfull Mission right orders want of approbation of Christianitie of confession of enemies of continuance and of miracles And on the otherside with the Diuels word should stand learning vertue lawfully mission right orders consent of Christianitie cōfession of Aduersaries cōtinuance Miracles VVould God discredit his word with such disgracefull mates countenāce the diuels word with so many so importāt titles of commendation Or can it sinke into any mans head that a man should be lawfully sent haue the approbatiō of Christianitie the confession of Aduersaries and Gods testimonie by assured miracles as S. Austin is plainly shewed to haue had to preach lyes Or if I cā not obtaine so much of such a man I request him yet this that he will please to suspend his iudgment till he see the second parte of this Treatice VVherin God willing he shall s●e the Catholick religion to goe so far beyond the Protestant for right claime of scripture and true sense therof and other true grounds of religion as he seeth it exceed protestācy touching the first founder therof in England in all the points aboue mentioned God for his mercies sake open the eyes of my deere Contrymē that they may see that which is truth mooue their harts to embrace follow that which they see to be his euer sting truth their own aeternall happines 2. Here I wold haue made an end An admonition to those that think men maie be saued in both religions but that I feared that some though perswaded by what hath bene shewed in this booke that the Catholick religion is in all reason wisdome to be preferred followed befor the Protestant may notwithstanding perswade them selues that the Protestant religion is good ynough sufficient to saluation whom I beseech for God their owne soules sake to consider these points following First that howsoeuer the Protestāt religion were a liklie waie to heauē yet sith the Catholik faith is incomparably far more liklie it is no wisdō in so weightie a matter as is eternall saluation or damnation to leaue the more secure if not altogether certaine waie and to take the more dangerous What wise man that feareth murthering wil trauel that waie wher he hath iust cause to think that his enemies lie in waie to kill him when he maie goe an other waie far more void of fear or danger what prudent mā being to passe a dangerous riuer will not chuse to passe rather that waie which manie expert passengers haue vsed these thousand yeares and more by which we are sure that diuers are safely arriued on the other side rather than a new waie which of late some vnexpert iangling fellows haue imagined them selues to haue found out but we are not sure that anie one that hath gone that waie hath escaped drowning and is landed in safetie on the otherside And loue we our soules desire we heauen fear we hell will we make the contrarie choise in religion 3. Secondly I wold haue them to consider that it is euident by what hath bene declared that not onely the Cathol religion is in all reason to be preferred before the Protestāt See l 2 c. 1. 7 8. 9. 10. seq but that Protestācie is indeed no religiō but a humane deuise lately inuented of one man and him meanly learned vicious and for naughtie motiues disliked of him self at the first condemned of all Christendom and wanting all authoritie of lawfull Mission See l. 2 c. 1 of right orders and Miracles to approue it Which kind of superstitiō rather than religion no man of wisdom can think sufficient able to saue him For nether can Gods religion be an inuention of mā but an institution of God him self nether if it could were it reasō to think that to be a good religion which a naughtie vnlearned man vpon naughtie motiues had deuised wanted all authoritie of lawfull mission and right orders to vse it yea which not onely all Christendom at the first condemned but euen the inuentor him self for manie yeares disliked and offered to suppresse 4. Thirdly I would haue them to consider that the Catholik Protestant religion are not one the same religion in substāce differing onely in some small points but are indeed two religions in substance quite opposit in many most substātiall partes of reliigon namely In the verie worship of God For Gatholiks beleue that

all supernaturall illustration from God to discerne in all points which is the true religion But because it is able to discouer which is false Religion and amongst many religions it can iudge which is most likelie to be the true for albeit God hath not made his faith and religion euidentlie true S. Greg. hom 26. in Euang. because then as S. Gregorie saith our faith should haue no meritt Nay as Saint Thomas S. Thomas 2. 2. q. 1. ●rt 5. and the said S. Gregorie shew it should be no faith because faith as the Apostle defineth it is Argumentum non apparentium Hebr. 11. of thinges not seene Yet hath he made his faith and Religion euidently credible and worthie to be beleeued or as the Psalmist speaketh Psal. 92. Credibilia nimis for if both God and mans law iudge the testimonye of two or three such eye witnesses Gods religion evvidently credible as no iust exception can be taken against them to be euidentlie credible and worthie of belife euen in matters of life and death much more will they iudge the testimonie not of two Deuter. 17. but of twelue eye witnesses which as they say haue heard Math. 18. haue seene haue fullie perceaued with ther eyes and haue bene beholders their handes haue handled and fingers haue touched 1. Ioan. 1. 2. Pet. 1. Ioan. 20. and against whose fidelitie no iust exception can be made yea whose vertuous and vpright cariage in all other matters the world admired Eye vvitnesses and they many holie fortold by prophetie past and confirmed by present miracles and besides haue ther saying and testimonie contested by such wonderous facts as no mans witt can deuise how they should be done by any power of nature or arte but be true miracles wrought onelie by the diuine power of God who is aboue nature much more I say will the law of God and of man too if it proceede accordinge to it selfe iudge the testimonie of so many and so substantiall witnesses contested both by diuine propheties afore hand as is euident by the old law which that they feyued not nor Deuised themselues is manifest to the world by the attestation by their enemies the Iewes and by many wonderfull factes present and those facts so authentically recorded and regestred as it can not be doubted but they were done vnlesse against all sense and reason we will denie all recordes of time past and so wonderous and so far aboue the course and order of nature and arte as no man can iustlie thinke but they be true miracles and contestations from God himselfe And this is that kind of authoritie wherof S. Austin speaketh when he saith Lib. de vtil Cred. cap. 16. that if God haue any care of mankind he hath vndoubtedlie appointed in earth some kind of authoritie vpon which we relyinge may as it were by some steppes mount vp to God And no maruell for sith we haue no meanes to be certayne of a thinge but by euidencie of the truth or by sufficient authority and that we cannot haue euidencie of the true way to heauen because it is as supernaturall as the end it selfe and therfor as well out of the reach of our vnderstanding as other supernaturall thinges are vnlesse god had prouided some certayne authoritye wherby we might be assured of that way we could neuer be certayne therof but euer either erringe or doubtful But god hauinge left such sufficient authoritye as he hath to shew vs the way to heauen hath made it therby euidentlie credible and worthie to be beleued and far more certayne to vs then is they way to a traueller in a strainge countrie by the testimonie of those that dwell in the countrie 5. And on the other side as he hath endewed our will with a naturall taste and relishe of vertue wherby of nature we abhorre all vice and loue vertue So also hath he infused into our vnderstandinges a proportionable and correspondent light and naturall insight of truth which sheweth vnto the will which is indeed vice which vertue This light cheiflye cōsisteth in certaine generall principles of vertue which God hath giuen to our vnderstandinge as it were rules and squares to direct it selfe in particular actions by meanes of which it is assured that what is agreable to them is true and vertuous and what disagreable false and naught and what seemeth to be most sutable to them most likelie to be true and good Of these kind of principles for choyce of religion one is that principle which S. Paule mentioneth Hebr. cap. 11. That god is rewarder of them that serue him And that which the Psalmist mentioneth that Lex Domini est immaculata Psalm 18. condemninge no vertue nor admittinge anie vice but contrarywise most exhortinge to vertue and deterringe from vice That onelie Gods religion can be confirmed with true miracles That his Religion hath preachers lawfully sent by him and the like And what religion we see clearlie to be contrarie to these principles we may be sure cometh not from God And contrarie wise amongst all religions what we see most agreable to them that we may thinke most likelie to be Gods Religion As what religion we finde amongst all to be most immaculate from vice and most vrginge to vertue whose Preachers we see to shew best warrant for their cōmission from God to preach it and to bringe best proofes of Gods miracles to testifie it that we may be full assured is most likelie to be Gods religion For if all reason iudge him to be the most likelie to be the true Embassadour frō a Prince who bringeth the best assurance and letters of Commission from that Prince and consequently that which he deliuereth to be the Prince his message rather than any other what reason what wisdome what sense can ther be to tinke but that is most likely to be Gods message meaning which being in it selfe voyd of vice is deliuered by those who shew better proofes of ther sendinge and testimonies of ther doctrine then any others And heervpon it comes to passe that whensoeuer Gods true religion came in question with heresie before men addicted to neyther but guided onely by the rules of reason and naturall insight of religion giuen to them by God it was allwayes iudged more likely to be Gods truth then heresie When in the tyme of the old law the Samaritanes contended with the Iewes for the truth of religion before the King of Egypt the King hauinge heard the reasons and proofes on both parties gaue sentence for the Iewes Ioseph 18. Antiq. And in the tyme of the new law when Manes the hereticke contended with Archilaus a Catholicke Bishop before Heathen Philosophers Hieron in Archla● Epiphan haer 66. Cyril Cateches 6. iudgment was pronounced against the Hereticke Yea generally all sects as Iewes Turkes Heretickes in iudgment preferre the Catholicke Christian religion before all other religions besides ther owne

See infra l. 2. c. 13. Which is a great argument that it alone is indeed the true religion of God For as when diuers Citties of Greece contended whether of them deserued greatest praise for a victorie which they obtained against the Persians Plutarch the iudges before whome the cause was brought demaunded of euery one of them whom they thought to haue deserued best after them selues and all answeringe that the Lacedemonians the wise Iudges gaue sentence that indeed the Lacedemonians had deserued best of all for they seinge euery cittye to preferre the Lacedemonians before others they perceaued therby that if their affection had bene as indifferent betwene them selues and the Lacedemonians as it was betwene the Lacedemonians and others their iudgment would haue preferred the Lacedemonians before them selues as well as it preferred them before others And in like sort all sectaries who preferre the christian Catholique faith before all others but ther owne would also preferre it before ther owne if ther iudgment were guided with as much in differencie to ther owne religion as it is to others and not ouerweighed with custome of likinge ther owne and affection to ther preconceited opinions 6. Wherfore seinge that on the one side Gods true religion is thus euidently credible and on the other side our vnderstandinge when it is not miseled with passion or affection Force of vnderstanding but guided by the principles of religion engrafted in our soule by God and directed by the light of reason is of such force that euen by Creatures it can come to the knowledg of God as it is said Rom. 1. that my deare Countrynen may with more facilitie and perspicuitie find out this so important matter as vpon which dependeth their eternall saluation I haue framed this Prudentiall Balance in which by the weightes of prudence and light of Reason they may weighe and compare the Romane Catholique and Protestant religion and see whether of them is more like to come from God and direct men to their euerlastinge happines And in the first parte therof which heere I offer to them I compare these two religions accordinge to their first founders in our English nation And in the second God willinge I will compare them accordinge to their claimes to the word of God their translations or Copies of that word accordinge to their manner of expoundinge it and other such generall groundes of Religion In the third I will compare them accordinge to their Doctrines And in the fourth and last parte accordinge to the effectes which eyther of them hath wrought especiallie in our English Nation 7. In this first parte I proue that the Romane Catholique Se l. 1. c. 2. l. 2. cap. 1. VVhat is sevved of luther many by also Provved of Calvvin or anie other sect maister of our time and Protestant Religions in our English Nation came first and originallie from S. Augustine and Martyn Luther And therfor I compare these two religions together in these two first founders of them in our Nation and lay the qualities and conditions of them fitt for Preachers in the two first bookes as it were ech of them in his seuerall Scale And in the third I compare them together according to the qualities discribed that therby the Reader with indifferent iudgment may weigh them and consider whether is the more likelie to come from god and to bringe his religion whether from the Deuill and to preach his deceites The qualities wherin I compare them are these fiue Learninge vertue motiues to preach In vvhat S. Austin and luther are compared lawfull vocation or mission and right orders to preach the word of God and administer his sacramentes And the pointes wherin I compare the Doctrins which they brought are these fewe Approbation of Christendome VVherin their doctrins are compared allowance of aduersaries Diuyne attestation by Miracles and continuance And I shew euidently by many irrefragable proofes wherof euer one is the confession of Protestantes that S. Austin was very learned Luther ignorant S. Austin vertuous Luther vicious S. Austin moued to preach by heauenly motiues Luther by humaine naughtie Saint Austin lawfully sent to preach his doctrin Luther not sent at all to preach his S. Austin rightly ordered to administer his sacraments Luther not ordered at all to administer his Saint Austins doctrin to haue bene the vniuersall doctrin of Christendome in his time Luthers doctrin to haue bene contrarie to the vniuersall beleife of Christians in his time Saint Austines doctrin to haue bene confessed by his aduersaries then ours now to haue bene sufficient to saluation Luthers doctrin neuer acknowledged of vs to be able to assure any And finally Saint Austines doctrin to haue bene confirmed by true euident and confessed miracles Luthers to haue wanted all color of such confirmation 8 All these pointes I say I haue prooued by euident and irrefragable proofes and testimonies yea euen by the confession of Protestants Which what man of iudgment and carefull of his saluation considereth will I hope make choyce rather to follow Saint Austin and his doctrine than Luther and his For what wisedome or reason yea what sense should ther be to thinke that God and his truth were with ignorance vice naughtie intention want of mission and orders want of consent of Christianitie of confession of aduersaries and of miracles And the Deuils lyes shold be with learning vertue holie motiues lawfull mission right order consent of christianitie confession of aduersaries and diuine miracles If any say that though Luthers Doctrin want the fore said titles of commendation and credibilitye yet it hath the ghospell which is to be preferred before them all I desire such to consider with themselues how vnlikely it is Note that the ghospell should stand with ignorance against learninge wirh vice against vertue with wordlie against holie motiues with runninge of his owne head against lawfull sendinge with no orders against right orders with auersion of Christendome against consent of the same with detestation of aduersaries against ther allowance and finally with want of all miracles against certaine and confessed heauenlie miracles and I hope they will be easely persuaded that howsoeuer some make shew therof yet the ghospell cannot indeed and in the right sense stand with Luther against Saint Austin Or if I cannot perswade such men thus much yet let me entreat them to suspend their iudgment concerninge the Ghospells being on either side till they see the second part of this Ballance wherin God-willinge I shall weigh Saint Austins and Luthers religiō according to their claimes to the ghospell and the right sense therof and by Gods assistance euidently shew that Saint Austins religion hath as much aduantage ouer Luthers touching the true possession of the ghospell and right sense therof as it hath concerning the foresaid titles All our ancient Clergie Catholik 9 I haue also in this parte shewed that the Romane religion of

was redy to dye ex Bed lib. 3. cap. 2. 12. The same Bale cent 1. cap. 83. saith that Aldelm went happilie to Christ and yet withal confesseth that he wrote for shauen crownes after the Roman maner feasts of Saints single lyfe and such things and was long tyme familiar with P. Sergius cent 1. cap. 93. He calleth Ceolfrid Beda S. Ceolfrid S. VVillebrord Willebrord Boniface and the like most holy monkes And addeth cent 2. cap. 1. that Beda had a most happie end And yet the same man saith of Boniface pag. 79. that he brought the Germans to Papisme and pag. 103. VVas the next to the Pope the greate Antichrist and signed a hundred thousand men in Bauaria with the Popes mark And cent 2. cap. 5. writeth that Willebrord preached Papistrie Of S. Beda he saith cent 2. cap. 1. That he can not be excused from all superstitious doctrine And in the same place saith that Ceolfrid vsed the new ordinations of the Roman superstition And that he was a plaine Papist appeareth by his epistle in Beda lib. 5. cap. 22. where he teacheth one sacrifice of the bodie of Christ rounde shauing of Monks Calleth Peter head and Primat of the Apostles Whervpon Fox lib. 2. pag. 126. termeth him a shaueling condemneth him for calling Peter a Mediator and termeth it a Monkish epistle And in lyke sort Bale speaketh of diuers others S. Hilda For cent 1. cap. 94. he saith S. Hilda Abbesse was a most holy woman Ibid. Iohn of Beuerly a man very learned and pious accounted it most sweet to preach Christs Gospel out of the Pulpit and ended his life in great constancie of Euangelical spirit And cent 2. cap. 1. Calleth him a most holy prelat Cambden also Descrip Britan. pag. 518. Calleth S. Werburg Saint S. VVerburg S. Milburg S. Botulph pag. 526. S. Milburg a most holy virgin p. 612. King Oswald Saint and pag. 150. That that age was most fruitful of Saints pag. 473. Botulph most holy And pag. 472. Guthlac lead his life in great holines This by the confession of Protestants was the fruit of S. Austins religion And if it be true as most true it is which our Sauiour said that we can not gather grapes of thornes nor figges of brambles And if it be true that vertue springeth not out of the Diuels seede nor Saints out of his Religion Sure it is also that S. Austins Religion came not from the Diuel but from God Can any man of sense thinke that so great sanctitie can stand with ignorance of the true way to saluation With ignorance of the true worship of God That men become Saints and attain to heauen by Religion of Diuels Are Diuels so bountiful to men as they will teach them the waye to heauen Or haue they such skil as they can inuent new wayes to heauen besides the way that Christ taught And this for the vertue of S. Austins followers Now let vs see what account Protestants make of the learning of some of them 4. That we may be assured that it was not ignorance which made our Ancestors imbrace S. Austins doctrine That our Ancestors follovved not S. Austin vpon ignorance S. Aldelm Bale saith cent 1. cap. 83. Did so studie both Deuine and Human learning that be far passed all the Deuines of his tyme most learned in Greeke and Latin S. Aldelm in Verse and Prose and cleare in wit and speeche Fox Acts 125. saith he was a learned Bishop of worthy praise for his learning Cambd. Descript Brit. 210. saith he was surely worthie that his memorie should remain for euer For he was the first Englishman that wrote in Latin and first that taught Englishmen to make Latin Verses Godwin in Vit. Aldelm He became Very learned in Poetrie excellent and writ much in Greek and Latin Prose and Verse but his cheefe studie was Deuinitie in the which no man of his tyme was comparable vnto him And yet to assure vs also of his Religion lib. cit affirmeth that he wrote at the commandement of Monks for shauing and anointing of Priests for feasts of Saints and single life and other saith he new rites and that he had great familiaritie with Pope Sergius And cent 14. cap. 26. saith that Maidulph maister of S. Aldelm was sullied with Papistical blemish and was a most eager defender of the Roman constitutions And yet the same Maidulph saith Cambden Brit. pag. 210 was of great learning and singuler pietie S. Beda Of S. Beda Bale cent 2. cap. 1. giueth this testimonie He was so practised in Prophane writers that he scarce had his match in that age he learnt Phisick and Metaphisick out of the purest fountains He knew the misteries of the Christian faith so soundly note that for his exact knowledg both of Greeke and Latin many preferred him before Gregorie the Great There is scarce any thing worth reading to be found in all Antiquitie which in due places is not read in Beda 〈◊〉 if he had liued in the tymes of Austin Hierom Chrisostom I doubt not but he might haue contended for equalitie with them He put forth many bookes ful of all kind of learning Thus Bale of S. Beda and in like sort Fox Acts. pag. 127. saith he was a man of worthy and memorable memory and famous learning The whole Latin Church at that tyme gaue him the maistry in iudgement and knowledg of the holy scripture Stow Chron. pag. 93. Beda a famous learned man Cooper Chron. An. 729. Beda for his learning and godly life was renowned in all the world Bel in his Downfal Beda for vertue and learning renowned in all the world Cambden Brit. pag. 670. Bede the singuler glorie of England by pietie and erudition obtained the name of venerable wrote manie volumes most learnedly And yet how plaine a Papist S. Beda was shal be shewed both by his owne doctrine and by open confession of Protestants cap. 17. 5. The third wherof I will speake is Alcuin scholler to S. Beda Alcuin but maister to Charles the great Of whome Bale cent 2 c. 17. VVriteth thus He was thought by far the most learned Diuine of his age yea of all English men from the beginning after Aldelm and Beda in so much that he was maister to Charles the great and the first beginner of the Vniuersitie of Paris skilful in Latin Greeke and Hebrew Cambd. in Brit pag. 629. Calleth him the onely glorie of York And yet who readeth this Alcuins booke de Diuinis Officijs shall clearly see that he and our Contry then was as perfect Papists as any now are For there he shal finde all our Ceremonies at Baptism of exsufflation exorcising of salt Chrisme and the lyke Our Ancestors vsed all our present Cath. Ceremonies in baptisme Our three Masses on christmasse day Our Candlels on Candlemasse day Our Ceremonies in the holy weeke of keeping the Sepulcher hallowing the font putting out all the candels but one