backeward for 1600 yeeres and rightly examine the doctrine of both Churches If hee seeke the Protestant Church behold shee being poore despised for want of continued eminencie is become a stumbling blocke to the ignorant If he looke on the Roman Church behold Reu. 17.2 c. Shee is arayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and the inhabitants of the earth haue beene made drunke with the wine of her fornications and they that follow her wonder with great admiration And without doubt the Popes triple Crownes the golden crosses the Legend of Saints the multitude of professed Orders their pompe in Processions their rich cloathing of Images their pretended power of their Priesthood the great rumour of their Catholique cause their Iubilies and Pardons their Merits and Miracles doe so dazle the eyes of the ignorant and common people that they thinke there is no Church true and visible but the Romane Church and certenly the case thus standing wee haue no better plea for our Church Vtrum nos schismatici sumê° an vos nec ego nec tu sed Christus interrogetur vt indicet ecclesiam suam Aug. cont lit Pet lib. 2. c. 85. then the holy Father Saint Austen sometimes made to Petilian the Donatian heretique Whether of vs be Schismatiques we or you aske you not me I will not aske you let Christ bee asked that hee may shew vs his owne Church SECT II. Our aduersaries pretences from the obscuritie of Scriptures and inconueniences of the Lay peoples reading them answered I Speake not this as if the Romanists of these times did wholly waue the Scriptures for if wee may credit Doctor Sanders There are most plaine Scriptures in all poynts for the Catholique Faith Rocke of the Church cap 8. p. 193 and none at all against the same And their owne Bristow would make the world beleeue Brist Mot. 48. from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Apocalyps there is no text that makes for vs against them but all for them If these men haue spoken the trueth let them beare witnesse of the truth onely let me tell you the Rhemists in their Annotations vpon the Gospel professe in the name of their Church that if wee should Rhem. Annot in 1. Cor. 1.5 when wee came to yeeres of discretion be set to picke our Faith out of the Scriptures there would bee a mad worke and many Faiths among vs. And their fellow Ecchius proclaimes to all the world Ecch. Euchirid c. 4. that the Lutherans are dolts which will haue nothing beleeued but that which is expresse Scripture for all things are not deliuered manifestly in the Scriptures but very many are left to the determination of the Church Haeresin esse si quis dicit necessarium esse vt Scripturae in vulgares linguas coÌ„uertantur Sand. visib Monar haeres 191. And their Proselyte Sanders who pretends such euident testimonies of the Scriptures in behalfe of his Church accounts it no better then heresie to translate them And Peresius his fellow Iesuite complaines It is the Deuils inuention to permit the people to reade them Diaboli inuentum esse vt populus Biblia legere permitteretur Peres de Tra. part 1. assert 3. And it is the generall vote of the best learned Romanists The reading of the Bible makes more hereticall Lutherans then Roman Catholiques If therefore the Scriptures are such pregnant plaine testimonies in behalfe of the Romane Faith as some Romanists pretend why do they condemne the translating of them why do they not permit the people to reade them and if all places of Scripture make for them and none for vs how comes it to passe that by reading them many Papists by their own confession become Protestants It is the blasphemous assertion of Albertus Pigghius NoÌ„ vt scriptu illa praeessent fidei et Religioni nostrae sed potiùs vt subessent Pig Hierar lib. 1. c. 2. that the Apostles haue written certaine things but not to that end their writings should rule our faith but rather that they should be vnder and ruled by our faith and Religion And heereupon hee quarrels with all those that submit their knowledge to the authoritie of the Gospell Si dixeris haec referri oportere ad iudicium Scripturarum coÌ„munis te sensus ignaruÌ„ esse comprobat sunt enim scriptura muti Iudices Pigh cont 3. de Eccles If thou shalt teach saith hee that those things must be put to the Iudgement of the Scriptures thou shewest thy selfe to bee voyd of common reason for the Scriptures are dumbe Iudges cannot speake Neither is this the opinion of some priuate spirits which of late haue declined the authority of the Scriptures but if wee looke beyond Luther wee shall finde that almost 300 yeares before his dayes the Romanists did endeauor by all meanes to extinguish the light of the Gospell About the yeare 1255 there was a great contention betwixt the Vniuersitie of Paris and the Order of Franciscan Fryers in which dissention the Fryer Mendicants published a book called Euangelium aeternum Mat. Paris in Hist An. 1256. the eternall Gospell in this Booke it was declared that the Gospell of Christ was not the euerlasting Gospell that it was to cease and determine as the olde Law did at the comming of Christ that the Gospell of Christ should from that time continue but 50 yeares and that their new Gospell did containe as much or more then the whole Bible that theirs was the Gospell of Christ and the eternall Gospell Neither was this wicked blasphemy published by one man but by a whole Order of Monkes and Fryars Neither were they vpstart opinions like mushromes growne vp in a night but they were set afoot fifty fiue yeares before that time This and much more of the like doctrine is to bee read in Mathew Paris B. Vsher de Eccles success statu cap 9. p. 278 and more particularly in that excellent Treatise of the Succession and state of Christian Churches Thus the Romish Priests of the former and latter ages agree like Pilate and Herod both to the condemnation of Christ his Word and as Herod saith Ambrose burnt the Scriptures Ambr. in Luc. lib 3. lest by meanes of such ancient Records some doubt might afterwards be made of his posterity In like manner our late Romanistes haue silenced the Scriptures lest by such ancient Euidences their new Articles of Faith should be discouered and had it not beene for feare or shame I am verily perswaded they had fulfilled in a sense to litterall the words of the Apostle The fire shall trie euery mans worke of what sort it is Now can any man imagine why these men should bee so angry with Christ and his Apostles Can they say the Scriptures are subiect to errours and neede an Index Expurgatorius No they dare not they will not say so but they say
as a necessary poynt of saluation I will beleeue it also or at leastwise will bee humblie silent not taking vpon mee to condemne the same I speake not this as if we should decline the practise of the ancient Church in expounding Scripture by Scripture Concil Trid. Sess 1. but to demonstrate to the world that our aduersaries in this poynt of their faith haue neither followed the ancient Church nor the Decree of their Trent Councell whereby it shall appeare that either this Article was newly created or the former Popes and Councels haue disagreed from the latter Cardinall Caietan was so farre from subscribing to the Popes Creed in this poynt that on the contrary hee giues this Praemonition to the Reader of the Scriptures Not to loathe the new sense of the holy Scriptures for this Nullus itaque detestetur nouuÌ„ sacra scripturae seÌ„sum ex hoc qd dissonat à priscis Doctoribus sed fcrutetur perspicacius textuÌ„ ac cótextuÌ„ Scripturae si quadrare inuenerit laudet DeuÌ„ qui noÌ„ alligauit expositionem ScripturaruÌ„ sacrarum priscoruÌ„ Doctorum sensibus Caiet in Genes 1. that it dissenteth from the ancient Doctors but to search more exactly the Text and coherence of the Scriptures and if hee finde it agree to praise God that hath not tyed the exposition of the Scriptures to the sense of the ancient Doctors This Protestant doctrine is farre different from the Tenet of the Roman Church insomuch that Bishop Canus his fellow Romanist was much troubled that a prime Cardinall should oppose an Article of the Romane Creed one while he chargeth him that acutiùs multò quam foelicius hee expounded the Scriptures in some places more wittily then happily an other while he would so seeme to excuse him that hee might be convinced by this or the like argument To follow the Fathers in all Canus ibid. were to condemne our owne witts and depriue our selues of the meanes to finde out the trueth What arguments might preuaile with the Cardinall I cannot tell but sure I am his doctrine disagreed from the Article of the Roman faith And Doctor Payna Andradius a principall Pillar of the Trent Councell rebuketh Canus for his rash reproouing of Caictan and defendeth his Tenet with the same doctrine Andra. def fid Tricen lib 2. Hee teacheth that when the Fathers seeke the literall sense of the Scriptures they doe not alwayes find them but giue diuers senses one vnlike to an other Hee professeth Wee may forsake their senses all and bring a new vnlike to theirs He addeth further that experience forceth vs to confesse vnlesse wee will bee vnthankefull to most excellent wits that very many things in Moses and the Prophets are in this our age expounded more exactly through the diligence of learned men then euer they were before And thereupon he concludeth that the holy Ghost the onely and faithfull Interpreter of the Scriptures would haue many things to bee knowne to vs which our Ancestors knewe not and hath wrought by meanes vnknowne to vs knowne to him that the Fathers noted good and godly mysteries out of very many places of the Scriptures whereof the right and naturall sense hath been found out by posteritie And thus Canus against Cajetan and Andradius against Canus and Cajetan and Andradius both against the Trent Article allowe the Exposition of Scripture by Scripture and somtimes against the streme of Fathers I proceed to the examination of more witnesses and I call Cardinall Bellarmine to testifie the same doctrine that neither hee nor his associates doe holde themselues tyed by their new Article of faith to the Exposition of the Fathers It is one thing saith hee to interpret the Law as a Doctor Aliud est interpretari legem more Doctoris a liud more Iudicis c. Bell. de verbo Dei lib. 3. cap. 10. an other thing as a Iudge of the one is required Learning of the other Authoritie the opinion of the Doctors is to be followed according to reason but the Iudges opinion is to bee followed of necessitie Saint Austen and the Fathers in their Expositions supplyed the places of Doctors Scripta PatruÌ„ noÌ„ sunt Regulae nec habent authoritatem obligandi Idem ibid. which we may follow as wee see cause the Pope and Councell supply the places of Iudges with a Commission from God and therefore they must be obserued and followed of necessitie Thus we haue seene three seuerall Iudges and Expositors of the Scriptures First the ancient Fathers made the Scriptures the onely Iudges and true Interpreters of themselues next the Trent Doctors decreed the ancient Fathers for Interpreters and now at length the later Schoolemen haue proclaimed their Popes and Councels for their chiefest Iudges and best Interpreters of the Scriptures and These say they must bee followed of necessitie Durum telum Necessitas Pardon them Necessitie is a deadly dart there is no necessitie by their doctrine to obey the expositions of Fathers which is the second Article of their Faith but there is a necessitie to obey the authoritie of their late Popes and Councels in their Exposition which is but matter of opinion and from hence it will follow that either the Articles of the Râ—man Creed were newly created by Pope Pius the fourth and that creation was not in his power or that those Doctors and Cardinals had not the oath administred vnto them or we may iustly suspect they haue forsworne themselues Neither was this the opinion of these particular men onely but the Roman Church notwithstanding their solemne protestation by which they are enioyned to interprete the Scriptures doth in many things by her owne confession waue the Interpretation of the Fathers Sanctissimos Patres quos Doctores Ecclesiae ob illoruÌ„ sublimem eruditionem meritò nominamus quantuÌ„libet spiritus sancti gratia prae aliis imbutos liqueat in interpretatione scripturaruÌ„ non semper ac in omnibus Catholica Ecclesia sequitur Baron Ann. Tom 1 ad ann 34 nu mar 213 It is the testimony of Cardinall Baronius Although the most holy Fathers whome for their great learning wee rightly terme the Doctors of the Church were indued aboue others with the grace of Gods holy Spirit yet the Catholique Roman Church doth not follow them alwayes and in all things expounding of the Scriptures Here is an other confession of a great Cardinall who was not ignorant of the Articles of his faith that notwithstanding the Trent Decree and the Popes Bull the Church did not alwayes follow the exposition of the Fathers Now if any shall require a reason why the Pope and Cardinalls of former ages dissent from others of these later times in expounding of the Scriptures Frier Stella who doth not condemne the Exposition giuen by the ancient Doctors Benè tameÌ„ scimus Pygmaeos gygaÌ„tum humeris impositos plusquaÌ„ ipsos gygantes videre Stel. enarrat in Luc. ca. 10. protesteth Hee knoweth full well
sword in the scabberd that is the true sense of the Scripture in the sheath of the letter The Scriptures doe not containe clearely all the mysteries of Religion for they were not giuen to that end to prescribe an absolute forme of faith but Tradition containes in it all truth it comprehends all the mysteries of faith and all the estate of Christian Religion and resolues all doubts which may arise concerning faith and from hence it will follow that Tradition is the Interpreter of all Scriptures the Iudge of all Controuersies the Remouer of all errors and from whose judgment we ought not to appeale to an other Iudge yea rather all Iudges are bound both to regard and follow her judgement Now if we looke backe and consider those blasphemous speeches vsed against the Scriptures and compare those passages with the reuerend regard they giue vnto Traditions wee cannot but conceiue there were some speciall reasons that induced the Pope Trent Councell to set Traditions in the first place Quam TraditionuÌ„ authoritateÌ„ si tollas nutare iam vacillare videbuntur Andrad de Orth. expli lib. 2. Andradius who well vnderstood the state of the Church of Rome being present at the making of that decree giues this generall lesson in their behalfe Many poynts of Romane doctrine would reele and totter if they were not supported by the helpe of Traditions But it may not bee forgotten Sutor de Translat Bibl. c. 22. their owne Monke Petrus de Sutor more particularly shewes one speciall cause why the Scriptures were denied vnto the lay people viz. Because many things being taught by the Romane Church and not contained in the Scriptures would more easily drawe the people from the traditions and obseruances of their Church And another reason why Traditions are in that speciall request aboue the Scriptures is rendred by their owne Bishop Canus Canus loc Theol lib. 3. cap. 3. Because Tradition is not onely of greater force against heretiques then the Scripture but almost all disputation with heretiques is to bee referred to Traditions Thus you see by the confessions of two learned Romanists there was great cause why traditions should haue the first place amongst the Articles of the Creed for the one saith they preuent the reading of the Scriptures which otherwise would discouer the doctrine of their Church the other saith they are more availeable then the Scriptures to confute the doctrine of heretiques These testimonies premised for the honour and authoritie of Papall Traditions let vs examine what are meant by Traditions and next which are those Traditions that are of that high esteeme in the Romane Church for if their Traditions bee of equall authoritie with the Scriptures and yet are not contained in the Scriptures there is great reason they should bee approoued by testimonies and witnesses aequiualent to the Scriptures Kellis Suruey l. 8. c. 3. Doctor Kellison tells vs that Tradition is nothing else but an opinion or custome of the Church not written in holy Scriptures but yet deliuered by the hands of the Church from time to time from Christians to Christians euen to the last age And Saint Austen declareth more properly VVhatsoeuer the Vniuersall Church doth hold Aug. lib 4. contra Donat c. 24. not being ordained by Councells but hath beene euer held that is beleeued most rightly to be an Apostolicall Tradition It appeares therefore that Papall Traditions which are of equall authority with the Scriptures must haue Vniuersalitie of Churches and consent of ages or to vse the wordes of their Trent Councell Such as are preserued by a continuall succession in the Catholike Church All doctrinall Traditions of this nature are receiued by the Reformed Churches for wee all professe with the same Father Conc. Trid. Sess 4. Whatsoeuer is vsed by the Church throughout all the world is to bee obserued and it would bee most insolent madnesse to dispute against the same Let vs heare therefore out of their owne mouthes what are those Traditions which are not written in any Apostolique Authour and yet haue those requisite conditions and speciall characters of the Roman Church viz. Antiquity Vniuersality and Succession Pet. à Soto in lib. cont Brentium Petrus à Soto giues vs to vnderstand that the sacrifice of the Altar the vnction of Chrysme Inuocation of Saints Prayers for the dead the Popes Supremacie Consecration of water in Baptisme the whole Sacrament of Confirmation Orders Matrimony Penance Extreame vnction Merit of workes Necessitie of satisfaction and confession to a Priest are all Traditions of the Romane Church Canis in Catech. c. 5. de precept Eccles Coster in refut script Wallesij antith 6. Canus loc Theol. li 3. ca. 3. Canisius and Costerus referre to Traditions the worship of Images set times of fasting all the Ceremonies of the Masse Melchior Canus tells vs the imploring helpe of holy Martyrs and celebrating their memories the worshipping of Images the consecrating and receiuing of the body and blood of Christ by the Priest the Sacraments of Confirmation and Orders not to bee reiterated are no where happily to bee found in Scriptures but amongst all the Romanists as it is obserued by reuerend Whitakers there is none doth so fully and punctually set downe the Traditions of the Romane Church as their Bishop Lindan who amongst other Traditions Whit. coÌ„tr 1. c. 5. quest 6. mentions the Reall presence the Communion vnder one kinde priuate Masse Indulgences Purgatory Peters liuing and dying at Rome All or most of these Traditions are substantiall and fundamentall poynts and the denyall of them makes a man an heretike in their Church Now it is very obseruable in the first place that no vnwritten Tradition hath any ground or foundation in the Scripture Peres de Tradit p 4. for Tradition is so taken saith Peresius that it is distinguished against the doctrine which is found in the Canonicall bookes of Scripture and consequently touching all or any of the Papall Traditions there is no vse at all of Scriptures Herein then stands the difference betwixt the Church of Rome and vs Multa pertinere ad Christianorum doctrinam et fideÌ„ quae nec apertè nec obscuâ—è in sacris literis coÌ„tinentur Canus loc Theol. ca. 3. fund 3. There are many things saith Canus belonging to the doctrine faith of Christians which are neyther contained in the sacred Scriptures manifestly or obscurely and this he vnderstands by the Traditions of his owne Church There is no point of Faith taught in our Church which is not expressely contained in the Scriptures or by necessarie consequence deduced from thence and if we receiue the witnesse of men yet the witnesse of God is greater 1. Ioh. 5.9 But that which is incongruous to common sense and altogether different from the Romish doctrine those men which generally professe that vnwritten Traditions are so called because they are distinguished from the word written as Bellarmine confesseth
in the name of the Fathers as if they were the true children only heires of their doctrine when as in truth their chiefest points of faith were scarse known much lesse beleeued de fide in their dayes Neither do I conceiue that the Romanists doe thus vaunt of the Fathers because they are fauorable to their cause but because they knowe the common people can learne nothing of the Fathers but what they heare and vnderstand from the report of their owne Priests Looke vpon the practise of the greatest champions in the Roman church doth not Andradius Card. Bellarmine and Card. Caietan contrary to the Article of the Roman Creed decline the Exposition of the ancient Fathers Doth not Cardinall Baronius professe that the Church of Rome doth not alwayes follow the consent of Fathers Doth not their owne Lyra witnes that the sayings of the holy Fathers are not of so great authoritie Nam dicta Sanctorum Patrum noÌ„ sunt tantae authoritatis quin liceat contrarium tenere in t is quae per Scripturas non determinaÌ„tur Lyra. in Math. 1. but that it is lawfull to hold the contrary to them in those things which are not determined by the Scriptures Doeth not their Bishop Canus acknowledge that the ancient Fathers sometimes erre and against the ordinary course of Nature bring forth a monster Canus loc Theol lib. 7 c. 3 n. 7. Nay more doe not their own Diuines at Doway make this publike declaration Cum igitur in Catholicis veteribê° aliis plurimos feramê° errores extenuemê° excusemus excogitato commento persaepe negemus coÌ„modum iis sensum affingamus cuÌ„ opponuntur in disputationibê° aut in confictionibus cum aduersariis Ind. Expur Belgiâ— p. 5. Edit Antw. An 1. 1571. We beare with many errours in the old Catholike Writers wee extenuate them wee excuse them and by inuenting some deuised shift we oftentimes deny them and faine some commodious sense for them when they are obiected in disputations or conflicts with our aduersaries If therefore the best learned Romanists sometimes excuse them somtimes decline them sometimes condemne them shall we think the Fathers are all theirs I appeale to their owne confessions First touching the words of Christ Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will build my Church Maldonat the Iesuite makes this confession The meaning of these words viz. Mald. in Math. 16.19 p. 352. That the Rocke is Christ seemes not to mee to bee the true meaning which all the Fathers thinke to be so whom euer I remember to haue read Hillary excepted In like maner touching the words Whatsoeuer thou loosest on earth shall be loosed in Heauen c. he makes this publike profession I will not interpret Idem Ibid. that this which is heere spoken to Peter is spoken also in the same sense to the other Apostles although I see all Interpreters to be of that mind Communis sententia TheologoruÌ„ admittit simplicitèr merituÌ„ de coÌ„digno quae senteÌ„tia verissima est Bell. de Iustif l. 5. c. 16 Origen onely excepted Will you haue instances without exception It is the common sentence of all Diuines sayeth Bellarmine simply to admit merit of condignitie which sentence is most true Yet their owne Fryar Walden protested confidently Sicut omnes sancti priores vsque ad recentes Catholicos communis scripsit Ecclesia Wal. Tom. 3 de Sacram. tit 1. cap. 7. that he was the sounder Diuine and more faithfull Catholike who doth simply denie such merit as all the former Saints that is all the ancient Fathers and the vniuersall Church vntil the late Schoolemen haue written Againe it is the generall vote of the later Romanists that the words This is my body are the very formall and efficient cause of Transubstantiation yet their owne Archb. of Caesarea witnesseth Christoph li. 1. pa. 115. that all the orthodox Fathers both Greek and Latin teach that Consecration is made by Christs prayer and benediction and not by those words This is my body Lastly it is the generall Tenet of the Roman Church at this day that the blessed Virgin was conceiued without original sinne in so much as Bellarmine professeth Inter Catholices non sunt numerandi Bell. de Amissa gra l. 4. c. 15 they are not to be numbred amongst Catholikes that thinke the contrary and yet their owne Bishop Canus witnesseth with vs that Sansti omnes Sancti omnes vno ore asseueraruÌ„t beatam virgineÌ„ in peccato originali conceptam fuisse Canus loc Theol lib. 7 c. 1 n. 1. n. 3. All the holy Fathers vno ore with one consent affirme the blessed virgin to haue been conceiued in originall sinne The Fathers then by their good leaue are not all theirs in some capital points by their own confessions they are none of theirs nay they are reputed no good Catholiques by their own Tenets that teach not contrary to the Vniforme consent of Fathers I proceed to the examinanation of more witnesses in the fundamentall poynts of their Roman faith Touching the Communion in one kind Patres Primitiua Ecclesia populum à CoÌ„munione calicis non prohibebant nos arcemê° Aene. Syl. Epist 130. it is the confession of Aeneas Syluius The Fathers in the Primitiue Church did not forbid the people to drinke of the Cup but wee driue them from it Touching the doctrine of Transubstantiation it is the confession of Card. Cusanus Certaine of the ancient Fathers are found of this mind Cusan exercit lib. 6. that the bread in the Sacrament is not transubstantiated nor changed in nature Touching Priuate Masse it is the confession of Cardinall Bellarmine Bell. de Missa lib. 2. c. 9. There is no expresse testimony amongst the ancient Fathers but it may be gathered by coniectures Touching Prayer Seruice in an vnknown tongue it is the confession of Cassander Cassand Liturg. cap. 28. The Canonicall Prayers and especially the words of Consecration the ancient Fathers did so read it that all the people might vnderstand and say Amen Touching Adoration of Images it is the confession of Massonus a learned Papist E Bibliothecâ Papirii Massoni â—â—eius libellis de picturis et imaginibus There is no example in Scriptures or Fathers for Adoration of Images they ought to bee taken for ornament to please the sight not to instruct the people Touching Indulgences and Pardons it is the confession of Cardinall Caietan There is no authoritie of Scriptures or Fathers Caiet opusc 16. c. 1. Greeke or Latine that bring them to our knowledge Touching Purgatory it is the confession of Fisher Bishop of Rochester Roff Art 18. contra Lutherum Of Purgatory there is very little or no mention amongst the ancient Fathers Touching the number of seuen Sacraments it is Bellarmines confession Bell. de effect Sacrament lib. 2. cap. 24. The Protestants ought not to require of vs to shew the
and his associates haue taken great paines to little purpose but I submit my opinion to the iudgment of the learned proceed from the Fathers in generall to particulars wherin I wil instance in two principall Lights of the Westerne Church St. Austen and St. Gregory the one Bishop of Hippo the other Bishop of Rome whereby you shal plainly discerne how the later Popes and Bishops doe differ from the former and how these two Fathers of the Church concurre expresly with the doctrine professed in the Reformed Churches different from the Roman SECT XII Saint Austen in particular is much disparaged by the Romanists and for instance in many seuerall poynts of moment wherein he professedly concurreth with vs is expresly reiected by them TOrrensis the Iesuite hath abbreuiated all St. Austens workes and published them in honour of his Church by the name of Augustiniana Confessio Austens Confession Brerely the Priest hath contracted his doctrine into a lesser modell and more particularly applyed it to the Roman faith by the name of Saint Austens Religion as if Saint Austen and the Romanists did professe one and the same Religion made one and the same confession of their faith To say little of their great brags of this holy Father I will giue you but one instance and so descend into particulars Is Author est Augustinus vt eius sententia si vel nulla scriptura nulla ratione nullis aliis authoribus probaretur sola personae reuerentia satis magna authoritatem meretur Mal. in Ioh. 6. num 68. Maldonat the Iesuite tels vs that Saint Austen is an Author of that esteeme that his opinion were it neither proued by â—cripture nor reason nor any other Author yet the sole reuerence of his person deserues sufficient authoritie of it selfe Here is an ample testimony touching the great light of the westerne Church but look we backe to the Iesuits proceeding in that very Tract vpon the same Chap. within six foregoing Verses of the same Text where he giues this free full approbation of this learned Father and finding that S. Austens Exposition of an other Scripture did disagree from the Romane Church Non nego me huim interpretationis authorem nemineÌ„ habere sed hanc eò magis probo quaÌ„ illaÌ„ alteraÌ„ Augustini caeteraâ—uÌ„alioqui probatissimam quòd haec cuÌ„ Caluinistarum sensu magis pugnat Mald. in Ioh. 6 n 62. and accord wholly with the Protestant faith instantly as it were with the same breath cryes out against him I confesse I haue no author for my Exposition but I rather allow it then that of Austens although his of the rest be most probable because this of mine doeth more crosse the sense of the Caluinists I will descend into particulars and notwithstanding our aduersaries great brags of St. Austen I will giue you instances in many principal poynts of doctrine wherein they plainely intimate by their owne confessions he is wholly ours 1. Touching the proofe of Purgatory whereas Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 3. The fire shall trie euery mans worke of what sort it is for the day shall declare it Aug. de fide oper c. 16 St. Austen interprets by this fire is meant the fire of tribulation in this world Bell de Pur. lib. 1. cap. 5. but this opinion of his we haue reiected saith Bellarmine 2. Saint Austen saith When Peter receiued the keyes hee represented the holy Church § Quarto Aug. Tract in Ioh. 50. and therefore the power of the keyes was not giuen to Peter onely Albertus Pigghius is a witnesse against him that hee is the onely man De Augustino possem dicere quod vnus homo fuerit hâc in re nec firmitèr secum nec cuÌ„ aliis consentiens Hier. Eccles lib 6 cap. 4. who in this poynt neither agreeth constantly with himselfe nor with others 3. Saint Austen saith by the daily sacrifice spoken of in the Prophet Malachie is meant the prayers and praises of Saints Azorius makes answere Aug. lib. 2 contr lit cap â—6 Reliquum veteruÌ„ PatruÌ„ coetum atponimê° et Concil Tridentini testimonium Azor. Instit Moral part 1. l. â—0 c. 11. Aug contr Adim c. 12. Iewel Art 12 pa 346. Wee oppose against him the generall consent of other Fathers and the testimonie of the Councell of Trent 4. St. Austen saith Christ spake these words This is my body when hee gaue a signe of his body Master Hardin makes answere that St. Austen fighting against the Mâ—nichees oftentimes vseth not his owne sense and meaning but those things which by some means howsoeuer it were might seeme to giue him aduantage against them so as he might put them to the worst 5. St. Austen saith Those words of Saint Luke August de Consens Evang lib. 3. cap. 1. I will not hencefoorth drinke of the fruit of the Vine are to be vnderstood of the Sacramentall Cup and consequently the fruit of the vine was wine in substance after consecration Dico Augustinum non expendisse hunc locum diligenter Bellar. de Eâ—ch li. 1. cap 11. Bellarmine is a witnesse against him that hee did not well consider of that text which appeares by this that hee passed it ouer lightly 6. Saint Austen saith The Israelites eate of the same spirituall meate Aug in Ioh. Tract 26. but not the same corporall which wee eate for they eate Manna wee an other meat but both the same spirituall meat Maldonat confesseth this is the doctrine of the Caluinists Hoc dicopersua um me habereâ— D. AugustinuÌ„ si nostrâ fuisset aetate longè alitèr censurum Mâ—ld in Ioh. 6. n. 50. but saith he I am verily perswaded that if Austen had been liuing in these dayes and had seene the Calutnists so interpret Saint Paul he would haue beene of an other mind especially being such an vtter enemy to heretikes 7. Saint Austen saith Sine fide etiaÌ„ quae videÌ„tur bona opera in peccata vertuntur Aug. contr duas Ep. Pelag. ad Bonif l. 3. c. 5. Non sequeÌ„da illa opinio quam TridentinuÌ„ Concilium nuper merito damnauit omnia infidelium opera esse peccata quaÌ„uis maximuÌ„ authorem DiuuÌ„ AugustinuÌ„ habuisse videatur Mald. Com. in Math. 7.18 The workes which are done without faith though they seeme good are turned into sinne Maldonat answers Wee may not defend that opinion which the Councell of Trent did of late iustly condemne although the great Father S. Austen seeme to be of that opinion 8. Saint Austen saith He crowneth thee Coronat te quia dona sua coronat non merita tua Aug. in Psal 10â— Bish in his Refor of a Cathol deformed because he crowneth his owne gifts not thy merits M. Bishop protesteth that Saint Austen was too wise to let any such foolish sentence to passe his pen. 9. Saint Austen saith I know certaine worshippers of Tombes and Pictures August de Mor. Eccles li. 1. c. 34. Bell.