Deum Where himselfe also makes an exact Catalogue of all the heresies which had sprung untill his time and where by the way I must needs observe in a word that hee recounts divers heresies which are held by the Protestant Church at this day and particularly that of denying prayers and sacriâ—ices for the dead and then hee concludes in the end that whosoever should hold any one of them were no Christian Catholick But here I must challenge this Champion first that hee deales not fairely with us in putting in these words In disobedience to the Church For let the world know that this is not our holding That a different opinion being held in a purposâ—d disobedience to the Church is safe or compâ—tible with unity of charity but that some different opinions in points of doctrine by darknesse of understanding or weaknesse of faith not apprehended or beleâ—ved yet not without a purposed disobedience to the Church may be compatible with unity and salvation Secondly if it were true which hee saith that unity were broken by the obstinate beliefe of any one doctrine joyned with disobedience to the Church how doth not this make against Rome which maintaineth her universall Supremacy and other errors directly against the Canons of the Church Thirdly wee deny Rome to bee that Church which the Fathers speake of Fourthly this Authors allegations make directly against his owne end and overthrow the authority of Rome which hee goes about to establish For let him speake upon his conscience and reputation Were all those heresies mentioned by Epiphanius and Augustine adjudged and condemned for heresies by the Church of Rome If not then it seemes there may bee hereticks without any judgement of the Church of Rome and there may be hereticks that hold some errors not adjudged heresies by the Church of Rome But if so then what is become of this Authors heresie described to be the obstinate beliefe of any one doctrine in disobedience to the Church the Church in the Authors sense being no other then the Church of Rome How was this Church disobeyed in those things which shee had not decreed and even his particulars of prayers and sacrifices for the dead Had the Church of Rome adjudged these at this time to bee points of faith Hee cannot say it How plaine deceit then is this to seeme to prove these to bee heresies because held in a disobedience to the Church when the Church in his Romish sense had not decreed the doctrines to bee beleeved which are contrary to these supposed heresies Let us now come to his particular citations and see yet more particularly how they make not against us but mostly against himselfe Hee begins with Saint Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 3. The Church having received this word preached and this faith as was shewed before and having spread the same over the whole world doth diligently preserve it as inhabiting one house and doth likewise beleeve those things which are taught thereby as having one soule and one heart and in the same conformity shee preaches and teaches and delivers it as possessing but one moâ—th For though there bee in the world different expressions and tongues yet the vertue and power of Tradition is but one and the same And neither those Churches which are found in Germany nor those others in Spaine nor those in France nor they which are in the Easterne parts nor they which are in Egypt nor they which are in Lybia nor they which are in the middle parts of the world doe beleeve or make tradition of doctrine any otherwise in one place then they doe in another but as that creature of God the Sunne is one and the same in the whole world so is the preaching if the Truth And those Prelates of Churches who have most power and grace of speech will deliver no other things but these for no man is above his Master neither will such an one as hath meaner Talents in speech make this doctrine and Tradition lesse but since Faith is but one and the same neither doth hee inlarge it who is able to speak much of it nor that other diminish it who speakes lesse I answer that this place is produced improperly in regard of the Point deceitfully in regard of the Reader For Irenaeus in the second Chapter next preceding had set downe a forme of Faith and a summe of chiefe Articles agreeable to our Creed And then in the third whence this allegation is taken hee saith that the Church having received this faith doth uniformly preach it and with one Mouth through all nations neither doth the more learned increase it nor the lesse learned diminish it Now this being spoken of the principall points of faith â—oth rather prove our unity in fundamentalls but not prove our Champions entire unity in inferiour points therefore it comes not home to the Authors marke but indeed he goes about to deceive the Reader when he brings it in as a proofe of that which it proves not Secondly this place makes mightily against the Papacy and that Confederacy for in the faith which Irenaeus sets downe in the foregoing chapter there is not one Article concerning the Popes Supremacy nor worshiping Images nor of praying in an unknowne tongue c. These therefore being now decreed by the Pope are inlargements of faith wherefore the Popes that thus inlarge the faith are by Irenaeus censured not to bee these Prelates of Churches who have most power and grace of speech yea not so good as the others of lesse grace but withall hee censureth them that they are above their master and their master being Christ it fits right with the saying of Paul That hee sits as God and exalts himselfe above all that is called God Hee comes next to Tertullian Tertullian shewes plainly that whosoever denyes any one doctrine of the Church rejects all for thus hee saith upon occasion Valentinus approveth some things of the Law and the Prophets some things hee disallowes that is hee disallowes all whiles he approves some The Author here also imposeth upon his Reader if wee may beleeve Tertullians learned but Romish Adnotator Pamelius For not to insist on this that the words are Omnia improbat dum quaedam reprobat he disallowes all whiles hee refuseth some from Pamelius we learne that these words are not spoken of all points of faith proposed by the Church much lesse if the Church bee taken for the Papacy but of the bookes of the Law and the Prophets which Protestants do by no meanes reject For this is Pamelius his sentence immediatly after these words Quod usque adâ—o verum agnoverunt alii scriptores ut disertis verbis scribant inter caeteros Damascenus quod vetus Testamentum reprobaverit This by other writers is said to be so true that they expresly write and Damascen among others that hee refused the old Testament And indeede hee that did deny the old Testament did deny more then one doctrine of
over his deceipt unto his Reader For we doe not say That men have not so much as free will being moved by effectuall grace But That they have not so little as free will For wee hold that the will being moved effectually by grace is more then free will for it is free will fortified actuated and animated by grace So his Reader is deceived by him if he be perswaded by these words that wee doe not allow men actuated by grace so much as free will for we allow them more And indeed wee allow them much more then Romists and they quarrell with us because wee allow them so much Yet the more power and efficacy we allow grace in the will the lesse efficacy hath the Cavaliers objection but the more encouragement have men to good works For the more God helpeth the will the more couragiously may the will go on to working and the more may exhortation call for good works Indeed if God did not worke in us to will and to do but left man to stand only on the motion of his own will exhortations might have but a cold encouragement standing meerly at the mercy of the creature for successe and effect But when God gives what he commands then may exhortations call for the performance of Gods commands As for humane justice in punishing hee may know that our opinion doth not oppose but approve it For even your own Vega in the Councell of Trent acknowledgeth That Protestants affirme a liberty in Philosophicall justice and in externall workes of the Law But of free will I may here say the lesse because I have spoken somewhat of it before and elsewhere is more largely unfolded the truth of the point and the consent of our Church SECT IIII. That the Idolatry and bloud which springs from the Religion of Rome should deterre men from consorting with her BUt here I may give this returne to the Romists Upon the love of God and man depends the whole Law And in the love of God a principall place is given to the worship of God in spirit and truth And in the love of man a chiefe place is given to the preservation of his life Idolatry and murder being contrary to these are maine breaches of this royall Law of love Now Rome permitting the doctrines and practice of idolatry and murder the maine breaches of the Law of God with what face can she require the keeping of other lawes and lesser duties that gives such encouragement to the breach of these greater ones Tertullian proves idolatry alone to be a breach of every Commandement and besides it will not bee hard to prove that Rome jointly with idolatry gives encouragement to the breach of every Commandement but I especially fasten on these two whose eminent guilt is haunted with the continuall out-cry of the Prophets and at length avenged with heavie judgements by the Judge of the whole earth And indeed commonly these sins are twins the same evil spirit first working by idolatry as it were a not being of God in the faith and worship of man and then provoking man to destroy the Image of that God whom he hath formerly abolished But most fearfull sinnes they are and their hideousnesse may be seen in the horrid face of the judgements which have beene the counterparts and representations of them He that would behold painted unto the life the lamentable countenance of these judgements let him with an heart of life and sense read over the Lamentations of Ieremy And he that will see Idols and bloud to have been the maine meritorious causes of these judgements let him reade the words both of other Prophets and the same Ieremy But if for these Jerusalem hath been judged what shall become of Rome For Rome is the mother of spirituall fornications and in her is found the bloud of all that are slaine on earth The power of Rome crucified the Lord Jesus it slew millions of the Martyrs of Iesus under the heathen Emperours it hath added to these millions the multitudes of those who have been slaine under the beast with hornes of a Lamb. And how loud is the cry of all this bloud being united in one voice Wherefore let my counsell be acceptable to you I speake to the children of Rome that they may be saved Heare the voice of Gods Spirit Come out of her my people before God heare the voyce of this bloud and then ye be partakers of her judgements For she that is drunk with the bloud of the Saints shall vomit it up againe and her owne bloud with it shee shall fall and never rise againe for the word of God hath spoken it Wherefore do not joyn with that idolatrous company of Mourners which shall lament for her when they shall see the smoake of her burning but bee found among the heavenly company of Rejoycers which sing Alleluia Salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God For true righteous are his judgments for he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication hath avenged the bloud of his servants at her hand And thus the Man of sinne and all the enemies of Christ being made his foote-stoole wee will hope that the kingdome of grace shall bee speedily changed into the kingdome of glory And for the hastening of that glory wee will pray for the speedy subduing of these enemies For this glory being come wee shall by the King of glory and peace bee translated into that peace where we shall be free from the vexations of enmity There shall be no controversies emulations factions and schismes for Religion but without controversie the great mystery of godlinesse shall appear unto us in a perfect discovery light glory Yea there the Church shall be made capable of seeing the highest glory and in this sight shee shall be glorified The Father and Fountaine of glory shall shine into her and in his light she shall see light and by his light shee shall be light And hee that filleth her with light shall also fill her with joy for the light of Gods countenance is the joy of the soule and yet with it will hee powre into the soule the new wine of the kingdome the oyle of gladnesse issuing from his Spirit which shall make up the joyes of a consummate marriage and fill the Spouse with extasies and overflowings of joy unspeakable and glorious And thus tasting how sweet the Lord is in the joies of a most fruitive union these joyes shall enflame her loves and her loves shall kindle her joyes shee shall taste and see God who is the chiefe object of her love shee shall rejoice in seeing and tasting him whom she loveth and shee must needs fervently love him in whom shee findes and feeles such exceeding joy Thus shall shee run in a circle of Love and Joy and this circle of Love and Joy shall bee for all eternity for the
being his owne and not the Texts onely wee may upon request allow this place and the next of Christs prayer for unity Iohn 17 to intend unity of affections and yet hee will bee short of his unity in all points of Doctrine And it is wel known that if this were meant the present Romists themselves have not that unity neither those who farre excelled them the ancient Martyrs and Fathers And farre more guilty are they against the prayer of Christ in maintaining division of affections towards Patriarchall Sees and many eminent parts of the catholick Church for the Pope is like Ismael his sword against every man that will not submit to his universall Supremacy And according to this dividing Spirit of the Papacie is it this Authors businesse in this worke to make a division in the Church for false proving is making even where there is an unity for is not this his employment in this Chapter and more hereafter in taking away the distinction of points fundamentall to set Christians by the eares and one to damne another for differing in every little point of doctrine For thus hee saith even soone after his former places of unity and hee would faine have Saint Matthew and Saint Mark to say so with him Whosoever should faile of beleeving any one point of Christian doctrine should be as sure of condemnation as if he had beleeved but any one or none A Foundation laid of Babel it selfe even of division and hatred in the Church of God A Position to which I cannot bee silent for Sions sake nor for my brethren and companions sake whom this Position hath often slaine with death temporall and adjudged to death eternall For let it look as smooth as it will doe you breake up the bowels of it and you shall finde it full of bloud division and damnation This even this is it which hath wrought those fearefull Massacres Treasons Excommunications Fires whereof many horrid spectacles in the second Chapter have been presented And how should it bee otherwise but that it should produce such hellish effects when it teacheth Christians for every failing in the beleefe of any one point of Christian that is in their language Romish or Popish doctrine to accompt other Christians in the state of damnation and to hate them more then heathens So that if the Pope say that the Worship of Images Prayer in an unknown tongue without understanding Rats eating the body of Christ and such other errors bee points of Christian doctrine the man that beleeves them not though hee beleeve in Christ yea all other points but one of these hath forfeited his salvation and is fallen into the odious state of a combustible heretick and of a damnable person But this Author might have beene put in minde of more mercy by one of his allegations for though Christ in the place of Matthew by him alledged willeth that all Nations bee taught to observe whatsoever hee hath commanded yet his owne fellow Romists allow that the breach of some of Christs Commands are not damnable I might alledge a Command of Christ in the Lords Supper Drinke yee all of this which as concerning the lay people they have turned into Drinke yee none of this But I will passe to other Commands such as those are which command the keeping of the morall Law Matth. 5.17.28.48 and forbid every idle thought but the breach of these Commands by inordinate thoughts or small deviations the Romists can make not mortall and damnable but veniall How comes it then that they will allow us no veniall errors and failings in small points of doctrine but any one point of Christian that is in his sense Popish doctrine not beleeved is damnably mortall Is there not in this a great piece of Popish leaven even of the wicked mystery that sinnes against Gods Commands of morall obedience may bee veniall but against the Popes Commands in the least point of doctrine are altogether mortall And doth not the reason appeare to bee this That in the breach of a morall Law as that of coveting our neighbours goods God is offended but the Pope is not hurt but by not beleeving any one point which the Pope delivers for Christian doctrine his Inâ—rrability fals to the ground and so his Supremacy And it were better according to the policie of this wicked Mystery that all the world were burned or damned or set at division then that the Papacie should fall But thus doth the Pope set himselfe above God by valuing offences against himselfe of a more damnable nature then sinnes against God But well it is withall that they shew hereby that God is yet farre more mercifull then the Pope for God they say makes little sins veniall whereas the Pope makes little errors against Popish doctrine deadly and damnable But the truth is to those that are in Christ Jesus God doth make veniall both errors in lesser points of faith which grow by ignorance blindenesse or weaknesse of faith aswell as lesser errors in life by infirmity and weaknesse Christs bloud is a propitiation for all our sinnes aswell sins in the understanding as in the will And to those who attaine to that measure of faith which knits them to Christ Jesus Christ Jesus by his bloud will make other ignorances and unbeliefes in those points of doctrine to which they cannot attain veniall and pardonable and surely our Author is hardly driven to get a shew of proof from Scripture of this doctrine of division and damnation The place of Matthew could not serve for there was only a command to the Apostles to teach all Nations to observe all Christs Commands But we have seene above out of Romists that the breach of some of Christs Commands is not damnable but veniall wherefore another place must be forced to confesse it Accordingly that of Saint Marke is set on the rack but this place speakes not of not beleeving all and every point of doctrine delivered and decreed by the Pope and his adherents but the maine scope of the place is a casting of damnation upon men for the great point of not beleeving in Christ for in the Gospel this is an usuall sense of the word beleeving especially when it stands upon life and death And it seemes this Author can bring no plain place of Scripture to prove that he who beleeves not every small point of doctrine decided by the Pope shall bee damned for if he could these places had not been so unmercifully racked toward it But thus still behold a going on of the Mystery of iniquity Unity unto salvation is urged thereby to make division unto damnation Words are taken from Christ the Head therewith to tear his body into pieces But hereof wee may make this use That when a Papist preacheth to Protestants of unity then let them expect beware of division SECT IIII. The place taken out of the 18. of Matth. is cleared which the Cavalier had perverted to the
the Pope and in that regard not under the same prelates they may bee of a very good religion and of the one saved Church For so are the Greek Armenian and Abissine Christians A second untruth is his inference upon a catalogue of differences For saith hee wee differ in prime points c. Hereupon his looke tells us he would inferre that we are in some danger for differing in these points But I referre him for the proofe of our safety to one that sheweth himselfe a far truer Roman Catholick then this Cavalier whose businesse is cleane contrary to this Cavaliers even to prove that Protestants are not damnable nor of a different Church for their differences from Romish Catholickes And untill the Cavalier have refuted his Arguments I shall hold these his objections of differences to bee but dead words already vanquished and slaine And let him take this with him as a note that the title of the first chapter of that Booke is the plaine affirmative whereof the title of this chapter is theâ— Negative The truth is the points which this Champion nameth are Popish errours and bring the danger on their side and wee are the more safe for differing from them and they the more unsafe for differing from us and withall unsafe againe for uncharitable censuring us And indeede their danger is so great in the point of justification one of these prime points and making their workes their Saviours that they who hold this errour and thereby withdraw their trust from Christ Iesus if they be in that which is called the Church they are but in it as chaffe in the Barne mixt with the corne but to bee blowne away with the fanne into an unquencheable fire And whereas hee expresseth this difference thus We differ about the justification of soules and the value which the death and grace of Christ our Lord hath imparted to the works of the Children of God Hee is here againe chargeable with an untrue and an unsound expression For wee differ from right Papists about the disvalue and unworthinesse which our persons and our corruptions impart to the works which have otherwise some goodnesse in them as they come from the grace of Christ so that in regard of the imperfection which they have from our corruption wee dare not stand upon them before the Justice and Judgement of God for our justification But we think it most safe to set betweene Gods Justice and our soules a perfect Righteousnesse even the Righteousnesse of Christ Jesus our Head For Christ is the end of the Law and a true commensurate Satisfier of the Divine Justice for every one that beleeveth And in regard of our owne workes wee may say with one that had more good works and works more good then the best of the Romists Enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord for no flesh is righteous in thy sight this Saint was Gods servant yet he desired that God would not enter into judgement with him These then that will have God to enter in judgement with them it is very likely they are not the servants of God but whatsoever they be they may be sure by this Text they shall not be justified in his sight He comes to a third point and therein hee hath also many and manifest untruths His point is this That it is the Pride of the man in his disobedience to the Church and not the importance or weight of the doctrine that makes the Heresie And this he would prove because Saint Augustine accounts some things heresies which are points of small importance and because the Donatists are accounted hereticks for that which in S. Cyprian was not heresie and againe because Saint Cyprian saith nothing to the Cavaliers purpose that the doctrine of Novatianus was not worth the inquiring because he was not of the Church Here are divers untruths met together a first is the Position it selfe That it is Pride and Disobedience to the Church that makes the heresie A second that if it were disobedience to the Church yet it is not disobedience to the Cavaliers Church the Pope and his Adherents Thirdly It is not true that those places and proofes produced by him doe prove his point of Pride to bee heresie But before I come to a more exact consideration of these particulars I cannot but deliver him backe againe his scornefull objection which hee threw at us in passing to this point as nothing accusing us but him that gave it without reason That the Protestants have taken upon themselves to bee the Reformers of the world without ordinary Mission or Miracles That our Ministers have not ordinary Mission is an untruth so strongly refuted that there needs a great deale of impudence or ignorance to affirme it without new and more proofe And for Miracles to make good a Reformation I never heard that the very Priests of Baal did require them of Iehu nor the idolatrous Jewes of Hezekiah and Iosiah And indeed they might well think there should bee no absolute need of new Miracles to them that brought in no new Law but reformed the Church according to the old which at first was delivered as it were in a cloud of Miracles Neither is it necessary that our Reformation not bringing in a new Gospel but reforming according to the Gospel once delivered to the Saints and at first confirmed by signes should be now again confirmed by Miracles But we leave Romish Miracles to bee the marks of the Man of sinne and his deformation of the Church whose comming must bee with signes and lying wonders and accordingly wee think when Lipsius wrote a Booke of the wonders of Montague and Hall hee did by that Booke prove That the Pope is Antichrist But now to come to his false Position That it is pride and disobedience to the Church that makes the heresie I must tell him that hee hath divers of his owne Romish Doctors and those not ignoble that hold the contrary and therefore hee must not blame his Reader if hee beleeve them before a Cavalier for some hold That not the pride of the person makes the heresie but that an heresie may properly bee called any error contrary to faith considered in it selfe without any respect to the deliverer of it And for this opinion are brought forth these great ones Turrecremata Castro Simancas Couarruncas Gabriel Corduba Secondly a Proposition may be hereticall as some Romists say though the contrary hath not beene decided and decreed by the Church Accordingly wee reade againe That those are not onely hereticall assertions which are defined by Counsels or the Pope but many others which is plaine because this Proposition God is not Three and One was hereticall before the condemnation of Arrius The like hee affirms of the heresie of Nestorius yet again to make the matter more plaine hee saith Whatsoever is expressely contained in Scripture so that no obscurity bee in the sense of the words
not white that hath but a few white haires on him they thought they might say the Church of Rome was the Synagogue of Satan and not a true Church because there is such a multitude of Ignorants Antichristians and Idolaters and so few true worshippers and beleevers But bee it that the Church of Rome being understood in this wide sense wherein it comprehends all that any way looke toward Rome in regard that there was once sowed good corne in it and some of it comes up in some corners of it shal be called a field of corne from that which is most excellent in it surely it concernes Protestants wisely to mannage their unity with it and the division from it When we pursue the unity of charity wee must take heed that we lose not saving verity and when we pursue saving verity we must take heed that we offend not against charity we must so converse with that Church as with a City overcome with the plague we should be very wary of infection in regard of the universall pestilence of it and if we may chuse some places and company that are healthy But from those that live the life of Grace though never so few affection may not be with-drawne but to them belongs both our pity and prayers Yet while we extend our charity to them let us take heede that wee lose not our selves and that our charity doe not swallow up verity and make great sinnes too small nor allow too easie a communion betweene Christ and Beliall nor make salvation larger then the Scripture doth make it For first the Beleevers in the Papacy which make the Papall Church are by their humane faith infected to death except there be a healing of their errour by repentance These are Idolaters for worshipping the Pope and making him their God and rock of their faith Neither will it excuse them that they beleeve what they professe for the more they beleeve by this carnall killing faith the more they are slaine and the deeper they are in damnation Secondly there are worshippers of Images and consecrated bread which are Idolaters in the common and knowne sense of Idolatry And the common sort are exceedingly possessed with this Idolatry and slaine to death with it and I doubt it will bee a difficult matter to save many of the Doctors whom this plague hath infected For though they beleeve this Idolatry which they pofesse to be lawfull yet Idolatry hath beene damnable to many which both thus professed and beleeved it Yea they that beleeve and trust in Idols are the more damnable for thus beleeving Besides many places of Scripture shew that saving grace and the true feare of God doth not commonly dwell especially with dwelling and raigning Idolatry For Grace doth commonly turne out such grosse sinnes when it enters into the soule and accordingly Saint Paul describes the conversion of the Thessalonians to bee a turning from Idols to the living God 1 Thes. 1.9 And so some of the Corinthians were Idolaters but they were washed by regeneration 1. Cor. 6. so that they are not now that which they were before I would have charity to save as many as she might but I know shee cannot save them truly without verity Now the verities of Scriptures seeme to withstand the easie and ordinary salvation of Idolaters and I am sure have made it damnable to many who beleeved it to bee the worship of God and therefore they should be cleered before charity can know that shee hath her desire in true saving of Idolaters And this I propose not to increase damnation which I abhorre in my opposite the Romish Champion but to increase salvation even to save some with compassion by pulling them out of the fire prepared for Idolaters and to save others from falling into it To this end let us behold in the Scripture of truth how Idolatry though professed and beleeved yea though mixt with some knowledge yea seeming feare or service of God hath drawne the wrath of God upon Idolators Israel to whom were anciently given the Promises and newly the Law while Moses was in the Mount made a god of Gold but in that worshiped the God that brought them out of Egypt and proclaimed a feast to him and we finde that presently Gods wrath was ready to wax hot against them to consume them yea though Moses was the meekest man on Earth yet his meeknesse was so incensed against this sinne and these sinners that hee commands every man to slay his Brother Companion and Neighbour And when hee goes to God for a pardon hee doth it not with an extenuation but an aggravation of this sin For hee saith Oh this people have sinned a great sin and have made them gods of Gold He doth not tell God that it is a veniall or not damnable sin or that their breeding in Egypt might excuse them the cause that made them beleeve that which they here act and professe That an oxe which eateth grasse might represent the Deity and bee worshipped for it But laying aside all excuses and extenuations he calls it a great sinne and thinkes that a blotting out of Gods booke belonged to this sinne and therefore hee offers his owne soule to this punishment for their ransome But behold how fatall a sentence God pronounceth on the sinners of this sinne so shewing it to be damnable Him that sinneth will I blot out of my book and it presently followeth In the day wherein I visit will I visit their sinne upon them Againe in a chapter nearly following this Idolatry wherein Moses is earnest with God for a pardon and God seemes to be so farre intreated as to lead them by his Angell to Canaan yet is he still so strange to them that he calls them still not his own people but the people of Moses Thy people and the people amongst whom thou art But withall hee injoynes them to destroy the Altars of Idolaters to breake downe their Images and to worship no other God and let the reason be observed for it is highly observable For the Lord whose name is Iealous is a jealous God Surely this Jealousie of God is not sufficiently considered by those that are over easie favourable to Idolatry They consider not duly the Nature of Jealousie nor the height breadth of a Jealousie of an Almighty God nor that it is so inward and essentiall in God that it is as it were God himselfe For his name saith hee is Iealous Now Iealousie is the rage of a Man and a man saith Salomon thus enraged will not spare in the day of vengeance What then is the jealousie of God but the wrath of God and what is God when hee is angry but a consuming fire And such hee testifies himselfe to be particularly against this sinne Jealousie in a man may passe by many faults in his wife but it will not indure Adultery for Adultery causeth a divorce which
of the Church but also in many places have judged them miserably to be slain which thing seem to have given the occasion of this wretched schisme See here Rome diseased and her healers cast out that tell her of her diseases yea cruelly slaine And now if the Author be not ashamed let him aske why Protestants fly from Rome yea let him aske of Saint Iohn the Divine why men should go out of Babylon that they may not be partakers of her sins nor of her plagues and of Christ himselfe if they persecute his members in one City why should they fly into another and of the blinde man in the Gospel why doe you stay out of the Synagogue when you are cast out Surely when the Author useth these questions what will his Readers think but that hee is very unreasonable to have Protestants stay where they are cast out or where they must bee spiritually or corporally slain for staying This unreasonablenesse of his puts me in mind of a Captain who espying his enemy going up Ludgate hill faster then hee could follow him having drawn his sword called out to him and sware that if he did not stay he would kill him but the other beleeved that if he had stayed hee should bee killed and therefore went away the faster So this Cavalier when the Pope drives out Protestants before him with excommunications pestilence fire and sword hee cries after them that they shall bee damned if they stay not whereas they doubt that they shall be damned and killed if they stay indeed this was a great fault of theirs that they did not stay to be killed that by taking their death patiently the Pope might goe on with selling Indulgences and his other merchandizes quietly Yet may you heare the Cavalier even cholerick in such unreasonable questioning With what colour could certain single base and filthy men have presumed to depart from the visible Catholick Church of Christ our Lord and to erect their conventicles as they did if they had not at least professed that they could not finde salvation there Where first wee acknowledge the titles to be of the Authors meere bounty out of a Romish Treasurie of charity mistaken and because they beare the superscription of Rome we send them back to Rome as being theirs and not ours But secondly wee deny that they departed from the catholick Church for in the second Chapter we have shewed that Protestants have still communion with the catholick Church they fled not from health but from the plague not from salvation but damnation not from the whole but from the sick Neither did they fly only but were cast out and banished and not only cast out but in danger of death if they stayed except they would deny that the plague of Rome was a disease The remnant that hath salvation there they pity and love as their living brethren in a deadly Pesthouse or Israel in Egypt sweating under the burdens of brick and under the whips of Egyptian and Romish Taske-masters And whereas the Cavalier speaks of Conventicles to his griefe hee sees that they are not shut up in private Conventicles but have obtained large Congregations And being excommunicated from the Romish Synagogue as the blind man from the Jewish Iesus hath found them and vouchsafed his communion to them and he not onely converseth with them but teacheth them he hath taught their Teachers by giving them gifts from on high and hee hath taught the hearers by writing his Lawes in their hearts he hath given them the spirit of prayer and praise and they have prayed heartily against Babylon her Idolatries Invasions Treasons and being heard they have given prayses for the ruines of Babylon and the deliverances of Sion and having such encouragements from Iesus can you blame them if they meet in Congregations where Iesus thus meets with them and is in the midst of them with his grace and blessings As for this Nation whom this Authors words by the language hee writes in should chiefly concerne wee have a true Church and an orderly Reformation Cassander a better Romish Author being Judge And whereas the Cavalier accuseth at once both our straightnesse and our largenesse That being fallen into straights wee become so bountifull and large as to affirme that the differences betweene us concerne not the fundamentall points and that Romists may bee saved I thinke that the Author may misleade his Reader both in our straights and our largenesse for we are at large where he counts us in straights and wee are straighter then his words of our largenesse would seeme to import for few Protestants that I know doe say without limitation That Romists generally may bee saved yea our Author himselfe will not suffer them to bee saved though they hold fundamentals for if they hold them by a humane faith because the Pope their friend tels them so his owne doctrine will not suffer them to bee saved But indeed for those that beleeve fundamentals by a supernaturall faith wee doe say that they may bee saved by this faith But of this in the former Chapter wee have spoken more fully onely let this Authour know that wee doe it not for any straights as hee would perswade but out of largenesse even largenesse of veritie and charitie and I may returne the saying of Saint Paul to all true beleevers even in Sodome and Egypt Yee are not kept straight in us but in your selves for a recompence bee yee therefore enlarged for wee justly expect a returne of the like acknowledgement of our salvatiom from all true members of Christ and say That the denyall of it according to the Authours words Layes an heavie charge of uncharitablenesse upon the denyers SECT II. The Cavalier is angry at the distinction of matters fundamentall or not fundamentall 1. Because some Popish vanities are thereby excluded 2. Because the Popes power to make sleight matters fundamentall is denyed HEe goes on both to cleare and condemne us in this which followes This discourse of theirs and their standing so much upon fundamentall points of faith in the sense which they use is a meere Chimera but it is frequented by them through an high kinde of craft For though it bee most true That some doctrines are in themselves of farre more importance then some others because the knowledge thereof may bee necessary for the performance of some duty which is required at our hands or else because they may containe the very heads and first grounds of Christianity more then others doe and therefore doe exact a more explicite beliefe at the hands of Christians and consequently may be accounted in some respests more fundamentall c. Here though they seeme to accuse us of an high craft and of a Chimera yet withall thus farre hee acknowledgeth our Truth and cleareth it from being a Chimera That some doctrines are of farre more importance then some others containing the very heads and first grounds of Christianitie more then
many whatsoever this Authour saith have not deprived themselves voluntarily of marriage but have taken it upon them as a yoke and burden which neither they nor their Predecessors were able to beare many sinking under it unto the very pit of Hell And let them labour with their wits and pennes so much as they can they will never by reason nor by the lives of their Priests disprove Christs truth That all men cannot receive it nor prove their owne untruth That all men can receive it And surely the Fornications Adulteries Murders and pollutions that have issued from this Law of Coelibate I doubt not cry aloud to heaven against Rome as once against Sodome for that sore to which it is condemned Hee adds further In like manner Saint Peter saith That Saint Paul in his Epistles had written certaine things which were hard to bee understood and which the unlearned and unstable did pervert to their destruction Saint Augustine declares upon this place that the places misunderstood concerned the doctrine of Iustification which some misconceived to bee by faith alone by occasion of what Saint Paul had writ to the Romanes and of purpose to countermine that errour hee saith that Saint James wrote his Epistle and proved therein that good works were absolutely necessary to the Act of Iustification Hereupon wee may observe two things the one That an errour in this point alone is by the judgement of Saint Peter to worke their destruction who imbrace it And the other That the Apostles Creede which speakes no one word thereof is no good Rule to let us know all the fundamentall points of faith To this I answer First That this Authour goes on still upon a false ground as if wee said that all errours in faith that may damne men were fundamentall and expressely against some Article of the Creede Whereas wee have often affirmed That any errour though not fundamentall may damne men that by a lively faith hold not rightly the fundamentals and so are without Christ. And it seemes that these men were not well grounded and founded by fundamentals in Christ Jesus whom Saint Peter calls unlearned and unstable and their errour the errour of the wicked A generation of vipers turne wholesome food into poyson and abuse Scriptures to their owne condemnation But secondly That faith doth not justifie but that good workes are absolutely necessarie to the Act of Iustification is most untrue and against Saint Augustine himselfe Untrue for a man is justified by faith in Christ and not by his owne merits which in your language are good workes as divers of your owne Authours affirme And a man in the instant of his Justification may dye before he hath had time to do good works and yet his Justification may be good And it is against Saint Austin even in the same place whence the former saying of Saint Peter is taken where you may find that commonly knowne sentence of his Opera sequuntur justificatum non praecedunt justificandum Good works follow justification and doe not goe before it So that whiles this Authour observes two things hee gives more then two scandalls to his Reader For first hee chargeth falsly not Saint Austin onely but Saint Iames with holding this errour That good workes were absolutely necessary to the act of justification And then secondly he will make him to say that the not holding of this errour is an errour which may worke their destruction that embrace it Yea thirdly that the Apostles Creed is no good rule to let us know all the fundamentall points of faith because it speakes no one word to teach us that the Cavaliers errour is a fundamentall point of faith Lastly his owne Doctors doe bring into their Explicites our faith in Christs passion resurrection for justification but not this his Article That good workes are absolutely necessary to the act of justification And if they doe not why doth hee require it of us in our fundamentalls SECT II. Wherein his Exceptions against the 39. Articles of Religion established in this Church are answered BUt having quarrelled in vaine with the Creed to prove the insufficiency of it for fundamentalls now hee comes to the Articles where he thus begins Others say that the Booke of the 39. Articles declares all the fundamentall points of Faith according to the Doctrine of the Church of England but this also is most absurdly affirmed For as it is true that they declare in some confused manner which yet indeed is extremely confused what the Church of England in most things beleeves so it is true that they are very carefull that they bee not too clearly understood And therefore in many Controversies whereof that Book speakes it comes not at all to the main difficulty of the question between them and us and especially in those of the Church and Free-will While the Authour speaks of a confused manner and which is extremely confused his words do returne upon himselfe and his owne discourse For that he may make his discourse confused it seemes hee makes use of this doubtfull word Declare For if wee say That the Booke of Articles declares our fundamentalls of faith wee doe not say it declares all the knots of questions which are between us and the Romists For it is well knowne there are divers controversies between us and the Romists which are not of fundamentalls And neither the Fathers in their rules of Faith neither Romists in their Explicites doe declare the knots of questions which may arise even concerning fundamentalls themselves if the fundamentalls be so expressed that their true and saving sense may bee received and beleeved by the working of that Spirit which makes Christs sheep to hear Christs voice They that thus beleeve shall bee saved though they know not all the knots which cunning and erring men doe make They that write rules of Faith Explicites and Fundamentalls doe not in the same undertake to write all knots of controversies which concerne them And the Cavalier doth not find them in his owne Doctors among their Explicites wherefore the answer which he makes for them let him take for us Secondly for his particulars of the Church and Free-will First for the Church Doth our Church hold that the visibility and inerrability of the Church are fundamentalls And if shee doe not how can this Authour accuse her for not shewing fundamentalls because she shewes not those points which she doth not hold to be fundamentall The Church is not the foundation of the Church but she her selfe is built on that onely foundation Christ Jesus And even your owne men are not agreed about making the Article of the Church one of the Explicites or at least agree not in declaring these points of controversies concerning her to be explicitely beleeved And for Free-will I might aske first Doth this Authour find in any of his Doctors this knot of Free-will for an Explicite But secondly Doth the Councell of
best is hee who by a fundamentall faith is built upon Christ the true foundation can never be damned by unbeleeving any Article of faith created and coined by the Pope a counterfeit foundation And here while the Authour doth quarrell with the poornesses of the Doctour not being able to maintaine a combate with his richâ—s it seemes hee doth it with a greater poornesse For what a poore quarrelling is it with the Doctour for saying That Papists will not let Protestants to bee saved though they beleeve the same Creed except they will beleeve the same Mathematicks and govern themselves by the same Kalendar when thiâ— Authour knowes his meaning and expressed it himselfe in the words nearly preceding That the Romane Church makes â—oyes fundamentalls And might not the Pharisees thus have taken a poore exception at our Saviour for saying that they strained Gnats whereas they strained not Gnats but payed the tythe of Mint and Cummin Besides he doth not say that it is really so done but premising this When every thing must be called Foundation wee shall never know where to stop where to consist If we should beleeve their Sacrificium incruentum their unbloudy sacrifice in the Masse if we did not beleeve their Sacrificium cruentum too that there was a power in that Church to sacrifice the bloud of Kings wee should be said to be defective in a fundamentall Article If we should admit their Metaphysickes their transcendent Transubstantiation and admit their Chimiques their Purgatory fires and their Mythologie and Poetry their apparitions of soules and spirits they would bind us to their Mathematicks too and they would not let us be saved except we would reforme our Almanackes to their ten daies and reforme our clockes to their foure and twenty houres for who can tell when there is an end of Articles of faith in an arbitrary and occasionall Religion So the Doctour only shewes how such an unlimited making of fundamentalls may goe on in a perpetuall procession it having already made things not so profitable as Clocks and Kalendars Articles of faith and points fundamentall Witnesse the Service in an unknowne tongue the Lords Supper without wine c. But the Cavalier fights in earnest with this supposition and tells us that Romists doe rather governe themselves with the lesse perfect Kalendar which now is used in this place Yea hee gives a morall of this their deed letting the world see thereby how willingly we can accommodate to them in all things which belong not meerly to Religion The controversie of Kalendars I leave to the Critickes of time to bee decided and rectified in their emendatione Temporum But the argument of accommodation taken from our Almanackes is retorted by a greater argument remembred in our Almanackes For when in them wee see the Papists Treason on the fifth of November wee are thereby put in mind that Papists doe not accommodate to Protestants in all things that belong not meerly to Religion For it is not meerly a matter of Religion for a King to sit in Parliament and yet the Papists would have accommodated him by blowing him up with powder thus sitting in Parliament But the Cavalier having thus spoken to ill effect to amend the matter brings not forth the Doctours words but his saying to this effect But that the Reader may be his owne guide and the Doctour the speaker of his owne effect and the Cavaliers faire carriage may more plainly appeare I will here confront the Doctours words with the Cavaliers The Doctours words are these Call not superedifications foundations nor call not the furniture of the house foundations call not ceremoniall and rituall things essentiall parts of Religion and of the worship of God otherwise then as they imply disobedience for obedience to lawfull authority is alwaies an essentiall part of Religion The Cavalier thus repeats him That difference in beliefe in points which are not very important is not to prejudice a mans salvation unlesse by not beleeving them hee commit a disobedience withall For saith he obedience indeed is of the essence of Religion I thinke that the Cavalier seeing his face in this glasse finds that it lookes red with blushing at the mis-reporting of the Doctour The Doctour speakes of ceremonies the Cavalier reports him speaking of differences in beliefe The Doctour speakes of ceremonies commanded by lawfull authority the Cavalier of points of faith commanded by the unlawfull authority of the Pope But if it please him to remember what hath been already told him That the Church much lesse the Pope hath an Inerrability in points of small importance and where she hath no Inerrability she hath no authority Again in respect of the different capacities of the hearers all are not capable of every little point and subtlety of faith and I thinke no Pope hath power to command his disciples to beleeve that which their capacity is not able to understand But lawfull Rites or Ceremonies not being points of faith but of action and being easie to bee understood the obedience to lawfull authority in them may more concerne the essence of Religion then obedience to the Pope in those small points of faith wherein the Pope hath no unerring power and no authority to make a lawfull command for the people doe not sinfully disobey where the Pope hath no lawfull authority to command The Author having thus lost his premisses and proofes yet goes on to a conclusion which cannot but be lost in the losse of his premisses so that his concluding inferences This shall serve for discharge both of what they object against our unity in faith and of what they alledge in the behalfe of theirs And I conceive that I have sufficiently secured these two maine grounds upon which this whole discourse is turned are but commendations of a false conception and of a discourse which is turned upon grounds over-turned For neither is his first ground sufficiently secured That there is but one true Faith and one true Religion and Church out of which there is no salvation the word Out being understood in the sense of the Authour that is That if a man be out of the faith professed in the Church in the least haire part or degree that there can bee to him no salvation Nor more secured is his second ground That Catholicks and Protestants cannot possibly be accounted of that one Religion Church and Faith For as it may be true that Protestants and all Catholickes doe not agree in every small title and mite of faith yet it is most true that true Catholickes and Protestants are so entirely of one saving Faith and Religion that they are also of one Church And from these Catholickes I desire not to exclude all of the Romane Diocesse But indeed Papists whose humane faith is grounded on the Pope as their foundation being ready to beleeve Idolatry Treason or whatsoever the Pope shall decree for a matter of faith these I know not how to account members with us
Christendome and your owne fires which you have kindled to consume a world of Protestants will flash into your faces blast them and make them look red with the shame of this scandall And that which followes is a like empty of Truth but indeed that emptinesse is againe filled up with malice They desire to obey appetite and sense without being ever so much as told if they can chuse that they must lose heaven for their labour You have had Scriptures Fathers and Reasons for our Religion which never yet were nor never can bee answered and with these hath Popery beene battered into pieces Why then talke you of appetite and sense when your owne smart and shame can tell you that wee have had stronger weapons which have beaten you with sound blows Rather speake of sense and appetite when you see a Papist in his â—at dayes before Ashwednesday to make worke for the Priest or speak of sense and appetite when a King is moved to goe to the dames of Paris and then offered to have a Cardinall a man of sense and appetite to be his Confessor as Lewis the eleventh at the enterview told Edward the fourth rather speake of sense and appetite among the stalled Monks the fleshly Cardinals the luxurious Popes that may draw a world of soules into hell both by doctrine and example and who of you durst say to such a one What dost thou or in our Authours words tell them that they must have hell for their labour But indeed wee justly take it ill that Papists should tell us that when wee are going to heaven we should lose heaven for our labour onely because wee give not up our soules to this Man and Head of sinne by schisme and errour leading millions of soules from heaven to hell Hee goes on and sayes The children in this are as like their Mother as they can looke For who perceives not that the Protestant Church doth rather carry a respect to outward conformity then to reall unity in matter of Religion and that indeed they are but as in jest when there is speech of saving soules in any one Church rather then in another A large scandall cast on a whole Church and I doubt once this Authours Mother yet without proofe and against proofe for no proofe doth hee bring that our Church is in jest in matters of Religion or accounts all Religious alike and even his owne words next following might have holpen him to disprove his owne false witnesse It is true that they make both Lawes and Canons whereby they obliged men under a world of penalties to frequent their Churches and to receive their Sacraments For the Lawes and Canons which hee mentions doe expresse a care for the beleeving her doctrine since they command a subscription to it a teaching and preaching of it and preaching Saint Paul saith is the meanes of beleeving and lastly Excommunication against those that affirme the contrary But the Authour having spoken a broad scandall against the whole Church brings in a very narrow tax of some Ministers for a proofe of it For I put the case If a man who were knowne to be wholly affected in his heart of the Catholick faith should yet for the saving of his lands or goods resolve to comply with their Lawes by going to their Churches and by receiving their Communion yea and withall should declare in company the day before that hee was resolved to doe so the day after for the onely saving of his estate and for the shewing of obedience to the Kings Lawes though yet withall hee were perswaded that their Sacraments were unlawfull and their Church impure Would that Minister refuse to let him goe to his Service and for to communicate with the rest Infallibly hee would not and wee see daily that they doe not in like occasions for that Church as I said aspires not to unity but uniformity But here first let the Reader take notice That the Cavalier brings in sons of Rome as like the mother as they can looke and just the same which hee reproved before For hee speakes of a man who is wholly affected in his heart to the Romish faith and yet for saving his goods will come to the Church and receive our Communion Now let me borrow the Cavaliers words and see how his owne words doe fit with his owne Catholicks They professe according to the occasion and comply with the superiour Powers of this world and obey the motions of appetite and sense and are as like their mother Rome as they can looke who for a long time hath fitted Religion to temporall ends if wee may beleeve judicious and truth-telling Guicciardin But now for the admitting of such a one to receive as shall professe his beleeving our Church to bee impure and our Sacraments unlawfull I can hardly thinke that this Authour beleeves that our Church doth allow it For the Canons do excommunicate ipso facto those that say our Church is not true and maintaineth the Apostles doctrine or affirme part of the Articles is erroneous now the doctrine of our Sacraments is a part of the Articles Besides the Rubrick before the Communion doth order That if any have done any wrong to his neighbor by word or deed the Curate having knowledge thereof shall call him and advertise him in any wise not to presume to come to the Lords Table untill hee have openly declared himself to have truly repented Now I think our Church is a very neer and honourable neighbour and that hee who professeth that hee holds her impure doth also professe that hee exceedingly wrongs her and then you may see what doth follow But that I may somewhat speak for Romists Though Rome which is called an Harlot cannot but have a Whores forehead yet I professe that I know no Romist so impudent I never heard of one in charity I can hardly think there is such a one that will openly professe our Sacrament to bee unlawfull and yet receive it presently upon the saying of it for my part if I were a Romist though I indeed knew such Romish Catholicks I should not boast of their shame to the Protestants it shewing an extreme need of scandalous objections when a man must first cast the filth of a scandall at his owne wholly affected for so he termes them Catholicks that it may rebound from their faces and light on Protestants And for our aspiring to unity it is far more reall and solide then such a single and slight objection can dissolve or dissever for we have those mighty bonds of unity One God the Father of all one Lord and one Spirit one Baptisme and one saving Faiht Neither is our faith leâ—t loose to Libertinisme but the doctrine of it is contained in Articles agreed and subscribed to by the Clergy and enacted by the State and as hath been shewed there is Authority and Law for the punishment of those that cast scandals upon it SECT III.
directè in Dei Testimonium resolvi adaequata enim ratio respondendi est quia Deus dicit Id. Ibid. b Dr. AEgidius a Preacheâ— at Sivill censured for denying the worship of Images and Bellâ—rmiâ—â—â— names many Doctors which teach that they are to be worshipped with divine worship Bellâ—rm de Ecâ—lâ—s Trid. lib. 2. cap. 2â— Azor. Moâ— Iâ—st liâ— 9. câ—p 6. c Grâ—corum â—â—roreâ— de imaginâ—â—â—â— picturis manifestissimè detegens negat eas adoraâ—i debere quam sententiam omnes Catholici probamus Papyr Masson praes in Agobâ—rd d Si de usu imaginum proponatur quaestio quomodo illae in Decalogo sunt prohitâ—â— nempe ne adorentur his verbis explicat c. 〈…〉 imagines sâ—d non adorarâ— quòd 〈…〉 Exam. pacifiq cap. 5. e Urget dubium quomodo potest quaecuÌ„que Eucharistia adoraâ—i absolutè sine conditione â—uÌ„ non sit omnino ceâ—tum consecrationem riâ—è peâ—aâ—â—am â—â—se Quidam hoc tempore docuâ—â—â—he names in the 〈…〉 l. 3. de Adora Sacramentis Imagâ—nibuâ— aliis rebus sacris nullam dâ—beri adoâ—ationâ—m aut veneraâ—â—◠〈…〉 tendat in ipsaâ— verè ex aâ—imo eas 〈…〉 gâ—lequuntur ut Quâ—d sed 〈◊〉 eaâ—um adorationem transiâ—e ad exemplâ—â— ad eum 〈…〉 sunt Ex qua doctrina putat facilè poâ—se â—â—ddâ— rationem 〈…〉 nis quam Eucharistiae ubicunque eâ— hibemuâ— quia â—um 〈…〉 in Sacramentum ipsum sed tranâ—eâ—t ad Christum nullum est 〈◊〉 adorationem exhibendi cuâ— non debetur 〈…〉 22. Sect. 1 〈◊〉 10. Adoratores hâ—jâ—s Saâ—ramenti Spiâ—itu suo solum 〈…〉 Châ—isâ—um ipsum 〈…〉 3. Tom. 3. Disp. 179. â— 28. a Filloli custodite voâ— Ã Simulachris HaÌ„c appeÌ„diceÌ„ non incoÌ„gruè nec sine causa annexuit Epistolae suae quia enim doâ—uerat unum solum veruÌ„ Deum esse qui scipsum in Eâ—lio suo manifâ—stavit peâ— eum nos dâ—â—uit quod veruâ— Dâ—i cultus in fide spe charitate itemque puritate sanctitate vitae consistat necessariò nunc monet ut in ea fide veri Dei cultu 〈…〉 aboÌ„ni Idololatria caveamus Sic igitur in tota hac Epistola Joanne◠〈◊〉 haec docere voluit quod videlicet unus tantum est verus Deus una taÌ„tum vera Religio Jesuâ— Christus cum Patre Spiritu sancto unus verus est Deus Christiana autem Religio verus unicus est cultus Dei ea enim Religio Deo omnem gloâ—iam per Christum ascribit nobis per eundem Christum vitam salutem adsert Ferus in 1. Ioan. 5. Ephes. â— a Assistentia Spiritus sancti promissa est specialiter Romano PoÌ„tifici Joan 14. Spiritus saÌ„ctus docebit vos omnâ— veâ—iâ—ateÌ„ 〈◊〉 1. Disp. â— n. 34. * Synodus in Spiritu sancto congregata legitimè Generale Concilium faciens Ecclesiam catholicam militantem representans potestatem à Christo immediatè habet cui quilibet cujuscunquâ— statu vel dignitatis etsi Papalis existit obedire tenetur in his quae 〈…〉 Constant. Sâ—ss 4. 5. * Primò quod veritas de potestate Concilii generalis supra Papam est veritas Fidei catholicae Secundò veritas haec c. Tertiò quòd veritatibus praedictis pertinaciter râ—pugnans est câ—nsendus haereticus Concil Basil. Sess. 33. a These two opinions of Veâ—a and Soto in their Commentaries on some Articles on the Councell of 〈◊〉 doe not onely differ in all the Arâ—iâ—les but in many of them are expresly contrarie I could never finde whether that Assembly did agree in one sense or whether there was unity of words onely Hâ—st Trent lib. 2. In this contrariety of opinions both Catharinus and Soto writing aâ—fiâ—matively to the Councell either of them did not only say tâ—at hiâ— opinion was the opinion of the Synod but afterwards wrote also and printed Apologies and Antipologies c. It doth raise a difficâ—ltie what that Synod was that determined the Article unto which Soto and 〈◊〉 did write and appeale to each thinking it was on his side so that it was necessary that eâ—ther one of them or both should be deceived Perhaps hee should hit on the truth that should say that debating the contrary opinions in fâ—aming the Decree every part did refutâ— words contrary to hiâ— opinion and all rested in those which hâ—e thought might be fiâ—ted tâ— hiâ— owne meaning so that the expression oâ— the maâ—ter becamâ— capable of divers interpretations But this would 〈◊〉 seâ—ve to â—esolve the doubt what the Councell was because it is 〈◊〉 give it unity of wordâ— and contraâ—iety of meanings Id. Ib. Frequenter contingit unuÌ„ Theologum constantissimè asserere se habere Theologicam demonstrationem de aliquo dogmate illud deducere per evidentem consequentiam ex sacris literis traditionibus patrum Alium verò per oppositum certissimè affirmaâ—e se habere demonstrationeÌ„ Theologicam quòd illud sit haeâ—â—esiâ— aut erroâ— in fide oppositum â—jus deduci ex sacriâ— literis per evidentem consequentiam Uâ—de ipse dicit de illo quòd erâ—at in fide alâ—as idem retorquet in istum imò non 〈◊〉 hoc contingâ—t inter duos singulares Theologos sed inter uâ—am Scholam cum altera Gonzales in 1. Disp. 2. n. 34. a Constans est Theologorum sententia Imaginem eodem honore cultu honorari coli quo colitur id cujus est Imago Azor. Tom. 1. lib. 9. cap. 6. Our faith gives them not Latria or divine worship which onely belongs to the divine nature Pseud. Nic. 2. Act. 7. b The strength of all these testimonies consists in this that some reverence is expresly granted to Images but Latria is expresly denyed c The Councell doth not oâ—ely exclude Latria but expresseth the kind of adoration foâ— it saith that thâ—y should be adored 〈…〉 3. Disp. 94. n. 30.33 e Dâ— Eccl. Tir. lib. 2. cap. 20. f Dr. â—gidiaâ— in the discoverie oâ— the Spanish inquisition Suar. in 3 Disp. 54. Sect. 4 Stephanus sextuâ— magno odâ—o persecutus est Fornâ—osi nomen cujus ordinationes omnes 〈◊〉 damnavitâ— Jam enim tunc caeperat pontificaÌ„ virtus integritas deficere Romanus 1. univeâ—sa Acta Stephani improbat abrogâ—â—â—â—annis 18. viveÌ„tâ— Gregorio Silvester 3. vivente Benedicto Gregorius â—eâ—tus vivente Benedicto pontificatum adepti c. Caâ— And if wee may beleeve an anciem Pope to the Popes of these daies belongs the mainâ— guilt of this Idolatâ—y which is now maintained contrary to the Councell oâ— Nicea For they â—eenâ—e to teach errour said anciently 〈…〉 who hold their peace when they should â—eprove it 〈…〉 qui 〈…〉 â—llis taliterâ—l qui In talibus 〈…〉 tacituâ—â—â—as quia occuâ—â—eret veritas si falsiâ—â—â— displicere◠〈…〉 â—â—lentio faveaiâ—â—us 〈…〉 a Constantinopol Chalcedon expresly set downe in the sixth Councell thus Renovantes quae sanctis patribus 150. qui