and goodnes are imprinted in all the workes of nature and all creatures from tyme to tyme togeather with their being receaue that stamp and impression which they exhibite to be read by all intellectuall natures in one most legible language of nature common to all nations according as it is said Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei c. So in regeneration and in the progeny of Grace the author of Grace Christ Iesus is read and vnderstood in his worke and word of Grace his creatures of grace which is the Church of Christ which by that spiritually and supernaturally creating power receaue the print and characters of Christ Iesus and his truth in their hart 's and soules first which afterward's they manifest in their liues and professions and much more in the death's whereby they proclaime him and the truth of his doctrine to all ages to all nations with the last and lowdest voyce of bloud like to that voyce of our dying Lord who crying with a lowd voyce gaue vp the Ghost O tooto dull and deafe eares which the singar of God hath neuer opened which cannot heare a voyce so lowd and those blind eyes which read not those letters that most legible Scripture of Catholique truth written in the bloud of all ages since Christ redeemed the world with his and those inominate and vnlucky birds of night who flying the triall of the day shining in the Church as in the Tabernacle of the Sunne run into couert and obscurity of darke Scriptures the common rendeuous and retrait of all Heresies which they do no lesse absurdely and preposterously then as if in question of right and title grounded in law they would appeale from the suruiuing law-maker to his written lawes as they would say giue vs your Law 's in writing and then leaue them to vs we will not learne of you the vnderstanding of them for so this euer-suruiuing Law-maker is the holy Ghost presiding in the Church in all iudgements questions of fayth from whom there neuer can be any iust appeale the Scriptures his lawes which are written primarily principally in the soules and hart 's and vnderstandings of this Church In which Scriptures no Heretique or Alien can pretend any right or title of interest at all no authority nor ability of vnderstanding them Therefore although we debate right and truth by testimony of Scriptures against the vniust vsurpers of them to take from them those stoln'e weapons and recouer them to the true titler's as euen in this claime of infallibility of the Church yet this truth we learne not immediately of the Scripture written but receaue it à priori from the originall of the holy Ghost written in that one composed of many homogenious by fayth and charity that one soule I say and vnanimous spirit of the holy Church of all ages For as in our natural body one the same in diuisible soule informeth and enlifeneth the daily new acceding and aggenerate matter of nourishment so this spirit of truth informeth as it were and animateth with the spirit of Grace and truth not only the whole mysticall body of Christ all at once or once for all but successiuely euery acceding and new-borne member of the Church As therefore in processe of naturall growth we do not properly learne that we are reasonable ereatures but by the very hauing a reasonable soule and the vse thereof we know it so Catholiques do not properly learne that the Catholique Church is inerrant or infallible but by being Catholiques we belieue it For of this truth I do not see but in a true sense I might say Est hac non scripta sed natalex quam non didicimus accepimus legimus verùm ex naturâ ipsâ arripuimus hausimus expressimus ad quam non docti sed facti non instituti sed imbuti sumus A truth not written for vs but borne in vs which he haue not learned nor acquired nor read in bookes but by a second nature of Grace we are instantly possest of we haue suckt it and exprest it for which we haue beene made not taught indued with it not schooled to it Therefore I should not doubt to auouch though the whole rable of flesh bloud and heresy reclaime that it is vnderstanding it in equality of proportion no lesse innate and connaturall to a Catholique man as such to belieue that the Catholique Church is indued with infallible authority then it is naturall to a reasonable man as such to know he is endued with a reasonable soule Therefore as he should be thought an absurd and senseles man who should goe about to persuade a man by reason that he hath not a reasonable soule so is he worthily iudged an impertinent pratling Sophist who endeauours to argue a Catholique out of his beliefe of a Catholique infallible Church which stone notwithstanding I know this Aduocate neuer ceaseth to rowle and I could wish he would reflect how he may haue deserued that Sisyphian pennance howsoeuer thus I vnderstand Saxum sudat voluendo neque proficit hilum He rowles the stone and sweats for his paines not those texte therefore of Scripture which this Sisyphus presumes but the visible Church the spouse of Christ his purchase of bloud not a lease for terme of yeares according to the tenure of seruile Agar and her issue which became voyd but an euerlasting in heritance according to the tenure of Couenant made with the progeny of Sarai the house of Israel and the house of Iuda an vnabrogable and term'les decree firme and durable as the constitutions of Nature Hierem. 32. In quam traditi estis c. Rom. 6.17 as the course of sunne and moone This spouse I say hath deliuered vs this truth or rather hath borne and bred vs in it we haue suck't this milke from hir brest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rationall and fraudlesse milke conformable to reason though aboue it and therfore consummating reason and extolling it food for the Children of Obedience vt in eo crescamus that we may grow by that in stature of grace and Christian perfection from which brests and milke of Christian simplicity no errant Sophister shall be of power to remoue vs though he attempt it neuer so confidently or impudently by adiuring vs Thus he adiured a certain Catholique as we will answere at the last day arrainged I trow at the Socinian Barre to be tried by certaine select Iudges or a grand Iury of Pyrrhonian Sceptiques or the new Academy who will neuer pronounce any arrest or sentence at all but what to suspect the doctrine of the Catholique Church to question her authority to call those so many Doctours the starr's and light 's of all Christian ages who haue alwayes taught and supposed this truth so many martyrs who haue obsigned it with their bloud to call them all to their answere forsooth for their holding or teaching this doctrine and to giue this Switzer a meeting and conuincing so that
infallible Church which soeuer that be Nor will it help this Aduocate that soone after his Aduersary as it were directing his speach to Catholiques calleth that Church our Church for to Catholiques this needed no further proofe who belieue it already Whence with them he might presume it as granted according to that of S. Paul sapientiam lequimurinter perfectos we vtter wisedome diuine truth among those who belieue it reseruing that doctrine that our Catholique Roman Church is the true Church of God to the proper place as to be proued against Protestants But you shall take him very often faultring in this Fallacy Fallacy ante-dating his Aduersaries order and therefore seldome answering to the subiect in hand whereof hereafter instances will occurre very plentifully He wil say perhaps he hath fore-inserted his Aduersaries discourse entire and as it lye's in his owne Booke but to this I say againe he answer's is not as it lyes there but misordreth it to his aduantage euen as formerly ordred by himselfe For according to faire play and ingenuous behauiour although he might do well in answering the whole discourse by retaile or by parts yet he should haue taken notice of the relation and connexion of one part with another and so haue answered reason's as reasons positions as positions and not haue made euery reason a position I know he hath learned to analize a Discourse better then so and would esteeme it poore Anatomy only to dissect limbe from limbe ioynt from ioynt and neuer shew the naturall commissure and compacture of limbe with limbe ioynt with ioynt nor distinguish them according to their true Nomenclature and their seuerall both proper absolute relatiue functions But he as though the dissected were only bellua multorum capitum a beast with many head 's so he lectures vpon legs thighs belly eyes eares armes c. all vnder one appellation of Head as though all the parts and members were heads for iust so he hath anatomiz'd his Aduersaries context of speach making euery part as it were a seuerall head and why Because as in a naturall body by reason of that due order and composure of members a certaine mutuall intelligence of influences and sympathies of the members betweene themselues is entertained of which mutuall intelligence and influence depends the life and vigor of euery part and ioindy of the whoâ—e body so in the body of a rationall discourse there is the like influence of one part into another and one part vpholds strengthneth the other and to take away this mutuall correspondence and relation is to take away the very harmony of discourse none who know's what he doth will do it but he who intends to marre the musicke or loues discords and iarrings better then harmony For to this purpose which I haue said what other can be imagined he hath deuided those reasons and confirmations of his Aduersaries position into so many heads or propositions distinguishing them not only by numbers as you say first Pref. and you say againe you say thirdly then fourthly then fiftly but also by seuerally varying the odious phrase as you say confidently inough then you say with sufficient confidence thirdly you say with conuenient boldnes fourthly you say with confidence in abundance when all is indeed but one thing said the Proposition with some few proofes adioyned Yet the fauourers of his cause and person would easily pardon this poore peece of Sophistry or waue it at the least had he achieued his intent by this but now Cuibone what hath he got by this Nihil omnibus actum Tantorum Impensis operum With so much ado with so great expence of honesty and ingenuity laid out vpon a miserably Fallacy to do nothing is intollerable had he yet ouerthrowne those scattered forces or made something of his owne dissections more then a dissector of an oxe can doe now for my part I had no other drift but only to note his Fallacies and Calumnies and to do more in shewing his weake attempts vpon these disranked and dissected parts as they are singly encount'erd by him would proue an enterprise much more easy then needfull Yet because I haue shew'n his insufficiency against his first Prosection which is his Aduersaries Position whereof the ensuing members are as I haue said the proofes I will only employ a dash of pen vpon what he hath against the rest and the rather because I assure my selfe that euen in these too I shall meet with Calumnies and Fallacies these being indeed as the very soule or the naturall and proper language of his pen without which it cannot speake His Answers to his Aduersaries Arguments Fallacious or none SECT XX. Pref. YOu say sayth he againe if this infallibility be once impeach't euery one is giuen ouer to his owne wit and discourse To this he answer's by a distinction Giuen ouer to his owne wit and discourse not guiding it selfe by Scriptures he denyes this to be consequent to infallibility of the Church so impeach't giuen ouer to discourse that is right reason sanaratio say the Socinians grounded on diuine reuelation and common notions consequent deductions from them he denies this consequent to be inconnenient though it follow of the infallibility of the Church denied Answ Now this euasion his Aduersarie foresaw and therfore barred the passage which barre this nimble Aduocate slily skip's ouer taking no notice of it The barre of preuention was this And talke not here so his Aduersatie of Scripture for if the true Church may erre either in defining what Scripture is Canonicall or in deliuering the sense and meaning thereof we are still deuolued either vpon the priuate spirit or esse vpon naturall wit and iudgment What place then for discourse guided by diuine reuelation in colâ—erence of their doctrine who take away the meanes of knowing what reuelation is diuine Either materially in regard of the Canonicall Scripture or formally in regard of the true sense and interpretation of such Scriptures whereof neither the one nor the other can be afcertained without the infallible authority of the Church the only meanes to arriue to this certainty Wherefore if the man be in his wits he will find out his guide and know him to be a sure guide before he put himselfe into his iourney otherwise both the guide and guided may fall into a ditch whence neither his Logick-rules nor all his consequent deductions with twenty ropes to boot will euer be strong inough to pluck him out Now the only guide which guideth reason by Scripture is the holy Spirit the only true and sure interpreter of holy Scriptures This holy spirit is not promised to any priuate man but to the Church it is promised therefore in this Church is infallibly to be found whence he that followeth this company of men not only followeth not a company of beasts Pref. which this Aduocate would insinuate the Church may be but he followeth the holy Ghost guiding the Church But by this you may see the man miscrably tortured by vnauoidable truth euen
maugre himselfe forc't to confesse what his Aduersary teacheth and euen here relaps't into his dilemma which he may seeme to haue laid of purpose to catch him for he is fallen vpon the Scripture as interpreted by euery man's naturall with and iudgment or the priuate spirit By which touch-stone the Priuate spirit with his Logick-rules c. he will also try euery spirit 1. Joan. 4. and by his ignorantly applying the words of the Apostle Belieue not euery spirit to this purpose shew's plainly how sure an Interpreter he is of holy Scripture togeather with his right reason and common notions and Logick-rules For surely in good Logick the vniuersall and distributiâ—e signe omnis all euery importeth number and multiplicity therfore he sayth Belieue not euery spirit but trie the spirits as if he said of many spirits belieue not euery spirit because the holy spirit is but one spirit from which one spirit spirits and euery one of spirits are participations and deriued spirits Now that one spirit which is so one that it cannot be a part of number like as diuine vnity or the vnity of diuine nature is no part of number that one spirit I say is not to be tried for it cannot be but a true spirit otherwise no spirit could be knowne to be true if that one spirit could befalse which is the only rule wherby to trie all spirits but of the multitude of spirits or partaking spirits some do and all may lye Of which number of lying spirits are the Apostate Angells fince their defection from the spirit of truth and those false Prophets in whose mouth 's those lying spirits were speakers Such also were those Pseudoprophets vpon occasion of whom S. Iohn forewarneth Christians not to belieue euery spirit but to try spirits And who were those false Prophets or Apostles those lying spirits They were those of whom he had said before that they had beene in the Church and were gone out of the Church and therefore became lying spirits oftentimes actually lying always inclined and prepared to lye and so neuer to be belieued For as that first reuolt from God the spirit of truth was the originall cause why those mutinous spirits became lyar's so Apostasy from the Church of God in whom the same spirit of truth presides is the generall origen and extraction of all false Prophets and Heretiques As therefore that one prime spirit is none of those spirits euery one of which is to be tryed but by which euery numerable spirit is to be proued so the spirit which guideth the Church is not a spirit to be tried but that by which euery priuat spirit must be examined and tried In which sense also it is most truly said Prima Sedes the prime sea is iudged by none therfore it is true againe that the Church of Christ the Catholique Church is the only competent iudge of it selfe according to that receaued principle of naturall reason rectum est iudex sui obliqui what is straight of it selfe both shew's it selfe to be straight and what is crooked to be so He therefore who will presume to reforme the Church in doctrine of faith wherein the spirit of truth is her guid and teacher Dauiel 12. he shall be the starre which would giue light to the Sunne but none of those who shall shine in perpetuas aternitates For I would aske any man only sober and in his wits if the Church of God may haue erred either in determining Scriptures or the true meaning of them which point concerning Scriptures I specifie to preuent all refuge to trial by Scriptures by what other spirit shall this spirit of the Church be tried And I would gladly looke vpon that face of Impudence that would assume to it selfe what it denyeth to the Church of God and when I shall haue found him I shall know for certaine that he is one of those Antichrists of whom the same Apostle Et nunc Antichristi multi facti sunt Ex nobis prodierunt Joan. 2. 4. and euen now many are turned Antichrists they went out from vs. Yea by this very brand I will know them this indeleble character of antichrist to goe out of the Church then to question the spirit and doctrine of the Church It would be worth their labour yet once to shew when the Church of Rome went out of the Church of Christ where she left it at her departure as we shew what Church Arrius went out of whence Pelagius and Nestorius c. whence of this later age Luthâ—r and Peter Martyr and Caluin and the rest Yet besides this character of a false Prophet which is his terminus à quo the whence they goe out the Apostle hath giuen vs another their terminus ad quem the whither they goe going out of the Church Multi pseudoprophetae exierunt in mundum many false Prophets are gone out into the world and yet more plainly Ipsi de mundo sunt ideâ— de mundo loquntur mundus eos audit They are of the world they are become worldlings the world is their talke flesh blood their discourse intimating euen by this that Hereticall doctrine is carnall doctrine the language of corrupt Nature the discourse of flesh blood and therefore the world harken's to their doctrine as being of a carnall spirit symbolizing with these teachers Indeed the Society of Christians is not the world nor any hâ—mâ—genious part of the world of whom therfore our Sauiours words are truly vnderstood Vâ—s de mundâ— nonestiâ— seâ—â—gâ—â—ligi voâ— de mundo you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world Whence the whole mortall kind of man is sufficiently deuided by these two names the World and Christendome therfore that going out of the Church signified by those words prodierunt ex nobis they went out from vs could be no whither else but into the world there being no third place or family of mortall men to go vnto therefore all Heretiques are a part of that faction the World and therefore being indued swayed and guided by the spirit of the world which is a lying spirit they cannot be competent Iudges or Examiners of the spirit of the Church or any doctrine of fayth or interpretation of Scriptures But as the Church Triumphant shall iudge the world and condemne it and shall not be iudged by it so the Church now Militant is inuested with the like authority and iurisdiction towards mortall men of this world to iudge and condemne the world that is all those who are seuered from her Society and not to be iudged by them Her doctrine therefore is the sole Iudicature both of it selfe and all other crooked and oblique opinions Wherefore the counsaile of S. Iohn to try spirits is to trie them by the spirit and doctrine of the Church for vnles the spirit of the Church
of difference betweene vs and you which point held by you in opposition to the Roman Catholique hath euer beene countenanc't by any least miracle of our Sauiour or his Apostles or the opposite doctrine of Catholiques confounded by the like testimony For if you make not this appeare by your sunne of Euidence those diuine and supernaturall miracles what will remaine for your confirmation but ignis fatuus I know your Sanctuary when you haue tost turned all your creditable records and euidences you will shew vs forsooth that those points of fayth which you haue receaued and hold of the Catholique Roman Church though the tenure be merely Hereticall that is of voluntary choice because it pleaseth you to hold some such as import no restraint or that some face of truth may appeare like the face and song of Siren's to draw men vpon your rock's of pernicious Heresies those I say you will proue to haue beene attested and confirmed by those miracles of our Sauiour and his Apostles which will help your cause nothing at all but rather weaken it when by such testimony of miracles you can confirme no other doctrine but what you haue receaued from vs. Neither yet are those doctrines yours which you can proue to haue beene so confitmed I say no otherwise yours then those things which you haue stolne or keep by force from the right owners therefore they are with you as children rauish't from their mothers bosome and the company of their brethren by the Turket or Mâ—ret with whome they remayn so sequestred perforce daily testifiyng by their sighes and grones the tyranny of their restraint and their defire to returne to their Mother brethren After this violent manner are those Catholique doctrines with you and thus are holy Scriptures in your not custody but captiuity both of them entertained by you to no other end but to be slaues and seruants to your owne children the peculiar dâ—â—trines of your Schisme to carry torches before them to gaine â—ome reputation of light to those workes of darknes Although for Scriptures as I haue said before and say againe no Heretique hath them properly that is as they are the word of God which they are not but as truly interpreted for which truth of interpretation he can pretend no warrant or title at all For the Scriptures are not only the word of God but the word of the Church which hauing first conceaued them by the holy Ghost the spirit of truth brought them forth to light and bequeathed them from age to age to the children of her obedience made partakers of the same spirit and therfore they only can discerne them to be the word of God which is only discernable to those to whom it is spoken or reuealed by the same spirit which is only in the Church of Christ the one mysticall body of Christ which is also called the spirit of Christ and therefore is not to be found in any other Body or Society of men for then Christ should be the head or heads of more bodies which is absurd blasphemy And as the Church of God alone is endued with this spirit of discretion whereby she discernes what Scripture is the word of God so this Church alone hath the spirit of interpretation of Scriptures and she alone can certainly say this is the sense and meaning of this Scripture who can truly say this is Scripture as only that Daniel cold declare the interpretation and meaning of Nabuchâ—donozors dreame who could tell him what he had dreamed which none of those Wizards or Sorcerers or Enchanters could do who yet professed they would interprete the dreame so he would tell them what he had dreamed But the wise King belieued them not qua sunâ— per Allegoriam dicta But heere good Sir I must tell you as a friend I am ashamed to sâ—â— a man of your expectation hopefull promisings to come forth in this thred-bare liuery of old Heretiques this appeale from Church to Scriptures There was neuer so putide an Heretique which hauing once cast off the authority of the Church could not find some refuge or sanctuary in the darknes of Scripture hauing also togeather with that authority excussed taken to himselfe the freedome of interpreting Scriptures Belie us it Syr. it is and euer will be a maine presumption that you draw â—nder the same yoke with former Heretiques when you can not get out of the same Cart-rout which they haue track't before you Et monstrata diâ— veteris trabis â—rbita â—ulpa For first you haue gone out of the Roman Catholique Church so they from the authority of that Church you appeale to Scriptures so they then you interprete Scriptures according to your single vnderstanding without any other liuing guide or Vocall authority so they being gone out you turne all your power of Pen-gall against that Church whence you went forth so they But neither you nor your patrons nor Apostles conuert any nation to Christian fayth nor they You reduce few sonles from sinfull courses to better life nor they In the whole number of your Patriarches you cannot name one Saint nor they I see how you haue consociated your self and your Clyent 's with the knowne Heretiques of former tymes I would gladly know someone distinctiue signe by which you discerne and vindicate your selues from the formall character or character 's markes or brands of ancient Heretiques In the meane tyme let vs examin the remnant of this Remotiâ—e Rem This booke c. foretell's me plainly that in after ages great signes and wonders shall be wrought in confirmation of false doctrine Prom. But hath it fore told you that in after ages no true miracle shall be wrought in confirmation of true doctrine If not it hath foretold you nothing to the purpose you pretend Rem And that I am not to belieue any doctrine which seemes to my vnderstanding repugnant to the first Prom. Wâ—â—ch seemes repugnant c. to your vnderstanding Most ridiculâ—us 〈◊〉 no such thing was euer foretold you by the Booke of Gods Word you dreamed it But that doctrine is not to be belieued which to an infallible vnderstanding which is the vnderstanding of the Church which is guided by the spirit of truth is not only seemingly but really repugnant to Apostolicall doctrine But still you put vs in mynd of your Character your appeale to your owne vnderstanding you will not out of this Cart-rout Rem But that true doctrine should in allages haue the testimony of miracles that I am no where taught Prom. Are you any where taught the contrary Or that the testimony of miracles promised by our Sauiour is confined within a certain compasse or period of tyme Hath the Church only a lease of miracles for terme of yeare and if it hath when expired that terme or lease Vnles you can tell vs this for ought you know it is yet in being Now the promise of our Sauiour being conceaued and exprest in plaine words
and Gallant men But such is now become his zeale of Religion great pitty no man will belieue it that he had rather be esteemed not wise and Gallant then of no Religion But why thinke you hath he so misalleaged his Aduersaries words Insteed of these This wise and Gallant nation can be of no religion if not Catholique he hath them thus as though his Aduersary said wise and Gallant men can be of no religion if not of his O he would not seeme to grant his Aduersaries religion or that of the Italian nation Catholique for he would faine retaine vnto his cause the name of Catholique as both he and his associates are wont now of later day's to nick-name themselues Catholiques and laugh at one another I suppose for so doing For this name Catholique can no more stick to their profession then were it printed in wynd or water but either they are Catholiques or no if no why do they say they are if yea what is it to them that they who are not Catholique are of no religion Againe either these men conceaue of Catholique Religion as the Italian doth or no. If no then the Italians being of no religion if not Catholique concernes them nothing if they conceaue a like then t' is no disparaging imputation to say they are of no Religion if not Catholique The Italian is supposed by this writer and others who know them so wise and vnderstandâ—â—g as to make this discourse of all Societies of men who professe Christianity this the Roman Catholique is most probably the true Religion he is withall supposed so Gallant that he will not professe a religion which he iudgeth none or not true Whence he concludeth thus Either this is the true or none and then againe Either I will imbrace this or none Now if these men haue the like conceipt if they make the same Antecedent then the Consequent falls likewise vpon them if I say they be alike wise and Gallant without any disparagement at all where is now the indigne Contumely or Execrable Calumny For what other thing is this to say but that he who will not be of that religion which he belieueth the only true wil be of none Otherwise this must needes proceed from some basenes if hauing reiected the religion which he iudgeth the only true if any true he imbrace notwithstanding or seeme to imbrace some other Sect or Profession which he hath in his iudgment à fortiori reiected in reiecting the Catholique And let this Aduocate turne himselfe which way he list play his part in Tragicall Rhetorique in the Eye of the world to stirre vp Passion in the beholders and so to blind them neither he nor any else who know's the Roman and can compare it with any other as now he can shall euer be thought to be of any religion if not Catholique yea and maugre himselfe if he but dare enter into his soule seriously and sincerely all passion and affection whence partiality may arise throwne aside he shall not choose but acknowledge the Roman of all other for ought he know's the most probable In thâ—meaâ—e tyme he will halt betweene God and Belial sacrifice to neither suspend his opinion sustinere assensum as the Academiques were wont to say and consequently suspend and defer all seruice and worship of God whome where he is he know's not with the Papist or Protestant or Greek or Turke no nor how he would or should be serued vnder what notion or name of Deity So what he serues and worships as God for ought he knows is an Idol as the Arrian God to the Roman is an Idol so must the Catholique 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be to the Arrian and the God of Caluin positiue Author of sin no lesse then of grace is an Idol to all Orthodoxe Christians and so of the rest Let the Samaritan erect as many Altars as he will and accost Hierusalem by imitation of empty Ceremonies as much as he list all this notwithstanding while he adores not in Hierusalem Ioan. 4. he adores he know's not what Nos adoramus quod scimus quia salus ex Iudais est For the tyme is come long since when true Adorer's adore the Father in spirit and truth Whence it followeth that they who adore him not in spirit and truth adore not God at all for it is not inough to exhibit the external acts of adoration and religion shooting them as it were at randon as you would say let them fall where they are due wheresoeuer that be with the Catholiques or Protestants or Caluinistes or Anabaptistes or Arrians or Donatists c. for this must be a rational and voluntary Sacrifice or worship to loue whome we adore and know whom we loue for we cannot loue whom we know not and therefore our loue of God must flow from true fayth and beliefe in God without which we cannot know him From all which appeareth that this very obiecting of a Calumny and Contumely is it selfe both calumnious and contumelious both in substance and quality In substance as being a false crime obiected and then in quality of expression amplified with great bitternes of speach in a studied inuectiue and Archylochian style Strange intemperancy of a man who had not so much power and commaund ouer himselfe as to refraine from Calumny and Contumely at the least while he reprehended it Seuerall Calumnies of M. Ch. SECT V. HEnce now from this so bitter inuectiue against one falsely supposed Calumny of his aduersary he floweth into a copious conglobation of true Calumnies of his owne against his Aduersary and his Cause while he employeth for the more enforcing of his arguments or indeed filly fancies and surmises his figure Pretermission as to passe by first to say nothing secondly not to obiect to you thirdly nor to trouble you fourthly In all which first secondly thirdly c. he doth nothing else indeed but trouble entertaining his Reader with meere impertinencies nor answering any thing directly to what his aduersary writeth Pref. To passe by first sayth he that which Experience iustifies that where and when your religion hath most absolutely commaunded three and then Atheisme hath most abounded Answ Now this is a very Preuarication accompanied with a Calumny For what could be said more against himselfe in confirmation of what his Aduersary writeth and he complaineth of that the more wise and Gallant spirits can be of no religion if not Catholique For euery man knoweth where Catholique Religion hath most absolutely commaunded Calum against Cath. Rel. and yet commands and which he himselfe sufficiently intimates in these very words which is the very thing his Aduersary auoucheth saying they are strangers to that wise and Gallant Nation c. And this confirmeth furthermore that those Eminent spirits conceaued the Catholique of all other the most probably true for could they haue iudged some other Sect to haue more probability of truth in it they would rather haue imbraced that
such fayth besides the necessity of it cannot possibly mooue any scorne to religion Pref. but is rather most fit and congruous to beget a more honourable conceipt due Veneration of diuine mysteries in faythfull soules For those other who out of an excesse of an Hyperbolicall Pride will seeme to scorne whatsoeuer stand's without their sphere or because they are not will suppose there are no Eagles we can expect no lesse from them For this indeed is that verbum crucis pereuntibus stultitia that word of the crosse folly and matter of scorne to those who perish 1. Cor. 1. ijs autem qui salui fiunt id est nobis sayth S. Paul virtus Dei but to them that are saued that is to vs it is the Power of God And he who tell 's them which this Aduocate takes so hainously that he makes it some part of his Apology for Atheisme that they were as good not belieue at all as belieue with a lower degres of fayth Pref. meaning human fayth only sayth no more but true that humane fayth can neuer aspire to the purchase of supernatur all hopes that therefore in regard of euerlasting Saluation if it grow no higher it becomes fruitles and lost labour As if a generall pardon were proclaimed for all such who should make their personall appearance in such a Court or Pallace before the king vpon such a day or within such a space of tyme a man should say it were as good stay at home as to goe to the Court only and neuer enter or appeare in presence of the king because the pardon was granted to such personall appearance made not to such a iourney made for so likewise Saluation and pardon of sinnes is proclaimed and promised to such a fayth as should enter those adita those sacraries or treasuries of diuine hopes not to such as cannot and will not enter but stand without S. Leo Serm. 7. de Nat. in the mist of humane reasons or in the smoke of worldly wisedom vnable to ascend into that presence of Maiesty And yet there forsooth will they stand by this Aduocat's aduise nor goe one foot further or higher then they can see the way in that mist and will yet I thinke contest with diuine Wisedome yea and quarrell too if he vouchsafe not to come downe a degree lower and pardon them vpon equall termes or shew them some conuincing reason why it should be necessary to clymbe vp those staires of diuine fayth or why they should not sufficiently deserue pardon by taking so much paines in comming as farre as they could vpon the plaine and eauen ground of reason and why his Maiesty should annexe vnto his pardon such impossible and contradictory conditions as to require a voluntary and certaine assent to things in humane reason impossible that many moderate and considering men who would otherwise come readily and sue forth their pardons according to his Proclamation hearing of these conditions fly backe and belieue that there is either no such pardon to be expected and that this is but some forged Proclamation or that surely it is or should be granted vpon reasonable termes and such conditions as may sute with mens abilities that conditions of this impossible and contradictory nature are likely to make considering men scorne all pardons and all religion So they with their lower degree of fayth where I leaue them disputing with God at the foot of the staires proceed For thus is followeth The Church compared with Scripture SECT XIII Pref. LAstly I should desire you to consder whether your pretence that there is no good ground to belieue Scripture but your Churches infallibility ioyned with your pretending no ground for this but some text's of Scripture be not a faire way to make them that vnderstand themselues belieue neither Church nor Scripture Answ This Cauill or Calumny we might retort as he is wont almost totidem verbis as thus Whether their pretence that there is no good ground or rule whereby to determine what is truth in doctrine of fayth but Scripture ioyned with their pretending no ground for this but some text's of Scriptures togeather with euery mans naturall reason interpreting it which is as errant a guide and diuerse as the head 's of men be not a faire way to make men that vnderstand themselues belieue neither their doctrine nor their Scripture But what is this to him who cares not how his argument reflects vpon himselfe so it wound the Catholique who will be content like another Samson or Eleazar to be crush't to death vnder the ruine of his Aduersaries Trahere cùm pereas inuat he is cōtent that the ship be shot through and through wherein he sayles with the Catholique nay this would be his glory Solus nequis occidere nobiscum potes But what if we be deceaued all this while What if he be not the man Achylles himselfe but a Patroclus in his guise and fighting in his armour while he with his Socinian Myrmidons stands aloofe out of shot or if he fight and fall with Protestancy he will reuiue and reuenge himselfe in Socinianisme What I say if all this arguing for Protestancy against the Catholique be nothing else but a cunning vndermining to blow vp both Or what if this Switzer in religion fight only for pay To day for Holland to morrow perhaps for Spaine but if the warre and seruice grow hoat he willl serue neither he wil returne home and sleepe safe in the new Academy and in a whole skin Notwithstanding because this arrow howsoeuer flying from hart or hand only for Religion or for Pay being shot against a rock not entring there may chance to glance and wound some stander by who is neither rock nor rocky it will not be amisse to fore-arme such by fore-warning them It is false then which he presumeth Gratis that we pretend no other ground for the infallibility of the Church but some texts of Scriptures nor is our doctrine so incoherent to it selfe but as before and without Scripture the Church could truly say Visum est spiritui sancto nobis it hath seemed good to the holy Ghost and to vs So if no Scriptures were now the same Church guided by the same holy Ghost might truly say Visum est spiritui sancte nobis yea and this very doctrine that the same holy Ghost Spirit of truth speakes in the Church we are taught not only by this and those other texts of holy Scripture but à priori by the Church vpon whose credit and testimony we receaue this Scripture For thus I vrge Where was this Scripture where the whole Ghospell before it was written Was it not first in the Church in the soules and spirits of the Apostles and disciples of Christ wherin they were written by the fingar of the holy Ghost nay the presence of the holy Ghost sayth S. Austin was that Scripture or Scriptures written in their harts De spir
lit c. 21. Austin was that Scripture or Scriptures written in their harts Quid sunt leges Dei seriptae in cordibus nisi ipsa prasentia spiritus sancti qui est digitus Dei What are law's of God written in harts of men but the presence of the holy Ghost who is the fingar of God And this Scripture of hart 's was foretold by the Prophet Hieremy Cap. 31. Post dies illos after those days that is in the tyme of the Ghospell dabolegem meam in visceribus eorum in corde eorum scibam eam I will giue my law in their bowels and write it in their hart There was then the Scripture the Word of God the Ghospell There I say as in the Autographon the authentique the originall instrument out of that authentique and originall transcribed and copied out in parchment's or papers If then euery transcript or copy retain's the credit of a true copy or transcript so far forth as it is found agreeing with the originall it followeth that whatsoeuer we receaue vpon the authority of Scripture we receaue it first from and vpon the credit of the Church And what we read or vnderstand as Scripture is to be compared with that authentique least it may proue a false copy which we presume to be Scripture or the word of God Since then the holy Ghost euen to the consummation of the world resideth in the Church of Christ according to his promise it followeth euidently that the word of God is in the Church as in the Authentique and Originall but in writings of inke and paper only as in Copies and Transcripts What madnes then what grosse absurdity is this to belieue the Copy rather then the Originall Or with what sense can any man pretend to vnderstaÌ„d this Copy or Transcript as written with inke and paper better then by the liuing voyce of the Author himselfe of that anthentique originall the Church Since in the Church of Christ and only there resides the Author of holy Scriptures perpetually and successinely writing them and the verities contained in them in the hart 's and soules of Christians members of that Church as they are vnited by vnity of one fayth and charity with their head Christ Iesus Whence it followes furthermore that to say we receaue the Scriptures from the Church but not the sense and meaning of them is to speake contradictories For both the meaning and vnderstanding of Scriptures is in the Church and only there with certainty and infallibility of interpretation where that spirit dwel's which alone can interprete infallibly his owne authentique And besides not the letter written but the sense and meaning of the writing or the Verities therein contained are the Scripture or word of God Therefore if they receaue not these from the Church they receaue not the holy Scriptures thence but a mute and dead writing a riddle to be read according to ech man's fancy and coniecture For as no man knoweth what is hidden in the hart and soule of man but the spirit which is in man so no man can probably presume to vnderstand those hidden Verities that wisedom of God occultat am in mysterio hidden in mistery howsoeuer appearing in words but the spirit of God First therefore Christians are to inquire where that spirit is the Author of Scripture and the doore by which we must enter into the Scripture for he that presumeth to enter another way as by the way of human reason and discourse Philosophy or the like as by a posterne is worthily suspected to be a theefe in Religion it is he who openeth the sense and vnderstanding of men extending it to a more large spheare of capacity which naturall reason shuâ—'s vp and confines within the narrow bounds of naturall principles and discourse vpon them We are to enquire I say if we are yet to seeke where this spirit residesâ— and since we treat this busines with such as pretend to be vmpir'd by Scriptures to them we say as Christ to the Iewes Joh. 5. scrutamini scripturas quia vos putatis in ipsis vitam aeternaÌ„ habere Search the Scripture for there you thinke to haue life eternall Where that spirit of truth was promis'd to continue by our Sauiour there certainly it is to be sought and found and only there There I say where Christ would be nobiscum omnibus diebus vsque ad consummationem saculi to continue with vs to the worlds end from that time omnibus diebus all the day 's of posterity not by tymes or inter-spaces or intermission of his presence nor with them alone to whom he then personally directed his speach who were not to continue all the day 's of future ages vnto the worlds end and which could not be vnderstood of them as after their death inuested with immortality and in possession of eternity wherein there is neither plurality of dayes nor consummation of tyme but with their progeny and the ofspring of their Fayth who were to belieue in Christ by them and whom he ioyned with his Apostles in his prayer for them Joh. 17. and sure his prayer was heard vt ipsi vnumsint c. That they also may be one by vnity of fayth and charity vt credat mundus that the world may belieue not this age of men alone but in that sense wherein he commaunded that the Ghospell should be preach't to euery creature and belieue What quiae tu me misisti that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God Enquire then what Society of men that is who in succession to the Apostles and from their tymes in all ages haue taught and still do teach that Christ is the sonne of God who euen in this last age of vs and our Fathers haue taught this to the East and West of Indians c. and when you haue found that Society of Christian professor's when you haue found out the sunne in the clearest midday know that you haue found the Church of Christ and with that the word of God the Scriptures the Gospell together with the true and infallible interpretation of these For this Society of men is indeed Epistola Christi the Epistle yea and Ghospell of Christ 2. Cor. 3â— written non atramento sed spiritu Dei viui not with inke but with the spirit of the liuing God and this Scripture is that qua legitur ab omnibus hominibus which all men read not only such who can read the Scripture written in Hebrew Grecke or Latin c. but euen such as cannot read at all For as this Scripture is written not with inke but with the spirit in the hartes of Christians so it appeareth not in the exterior traict's of Characters but in the exterior profession and liues and Christian vertues of Christians There I say it is read euen by such who know no letters For as in the creation of Nature that creating and conseruing power of God omnipotent his wisedom also
the words of Scripture falsely interpreted I deny it For it is only an apparent and fallacious discourse therefore not discourse truly so called Now to his Confirmation The principles whence we draw these conclusions that is the holy Scriptures are agreed on by all to be infallibly true what is that to the purpose if it be not agreed in what sense they are true Therefore I say the premises may be true the consequence lawfull and good and so the conclusion true according to some sense of the premises but because that sense may be a false sense though the premises of themselues be true therefore the discourse or whole Syllogifme may deceaue and lead into error yea euen so much the more because the consequence is good But his Aduersary hath told him in the 4. Chap. of this Pamphlet so he still like to himselfe nibling and detracting from his Directors credit That from truth no man can by good consequence inferre falshood He tels him what S. Iohn hath told long since Omne mendacium ex veritate non est no lye is consequent from truth which is most true as vnderstood formally no lye is consequent of truth as it is truth but from a materiall truth a lye may follow The Scriptures are always materially true that is true in themselues and from them as true no falshood can be consequent but they may be and are commonly falsely sensed and interpreted and that purposely by Heretiques therefore from them as falsely interpreted falshood may and doth follow euen by good consequence Well then to open the Fallacy Vlceris os and so to let out the corruption Scriptures falsely interpreted are not the Word of God but the word of man the false Interpreter therefore they who are guided by Scriptures so interpreted and now the word of man may be misguided and are so euen by those Scriptures now not holy but prophaned by man His fallacious Answere or Euasion to his Aduersaries Arguments conuincing the necessity of an infallible Church SECT XXVI Pref. YOu say thirdly with sufficient confidence If the true Church may erre in defining what Scriptures be canonicall or in deliuering the sense thereof we must follow either priuat spirit or naturall wit iudgement and by them examine what Scriptures containe true or false doctrine Thus the Aduocate and what sayth he to this All this fayth he is apparently vntrue neither can any proofe of it be pretended Answ Iust so Bellarmine thou lyest Behold an Alexander loosing the Gordian knot What can no proofe be pretended Surely a sufficient diuision or enumeration of parts hath been esteemed a sufficient proofe as excluding out of the thing deuided whatsoeuer is not contained in some part or member of the diuision as if Bachelour Maister Doctour be a sufficient diuision or enumeration of the Degrees giuen in the Vniuersity he who is proued to haue taken no one of these degrees is sufficiently proued to haue taken no degree in the Vniuersity His Aduersary argues thus The authority which must determine what Scripture is Canonicall or what is the true sense of such Scripture is either the Church of God or priuate spirit or naturall wit and iudgment Not the Church according to Protestants therefore either the priuate spirit or natural wit c. If this diuision be good then the inference is apparently true if it be not good let him shew the insufficiency of the enumeration Yes Pref. Other direction we haue sayth he besides either of these three and that is the testimony of primitiue Christians Answ Ridiculus mus But do you marke the subtility of the Logician how sliely he euades and shifts the necessity of being directed by a true Church or by the spirit or by naturall wit We haue befides these the testimony of primitiue Christians And do those primitiue Christians make a fourth member in this diuision of direction distinct from the other three What difference betweene primitiue Christians and primitiue Church and then what difference to our purpose betweene the primitiue Church and the true Church which is the Church to which his Aduersary challengeth this right of direction So himselfe apparently granteth what he so desperately auoucheth to be apparently vntrue and whereof no proofe can be pretended Wherein I also note a Fallacy of fact Fallacy and fraudulent dealing his endeauouring to make his Aduersaries doctrine odicus to the ignorant Reader by his confident or impudent reiection of his reason and branding it with this Censure all is apparently vntrue c. when afterwards he granteth in effect all Surely he hopes his Aduersary will be so blind as neuer to perceaue this grant while he sayth not the same his Aduersary doth in the same words For insteed of his aduersaries true Church he hath Primitiue Christians and why not Primitiue Church as wel might you aske the Diuell why not holy-water The very word Church is Exorcisme to all Heresy as the name of IESVS to infernal fiends Another pelting fallacy you may obserue Fallacy euen in the same period We haue other direction sayth he besides the priuate spirit and the examination of the contents of Scripture As though his Aduersarie had plac't examination of the contents in the number of directions wherby to examine what is contained in Scripture as though he had proposed the very same examination the guide or director to it selfe And why this Because he had somthing which he could except against this examination of contents by shewing how it may faile in direction But what then Who giues this examination the office of Director Not his aduersary Nay rather because it may faile and may meete with many difficulties hence his Aduersary inferreth the necessity of a Director by whose assistance Christians may make this examination of Scriptures and be assuâ—â—d what Scriptures are to be receaued or reiected c. Who or what then is this true guide or director The true Church sayth his Aduersarie What sayth the Aduocate Not the true Church no by no meanes nor can any proofe of this be pretended The Church mera Chymera he will take heed of saying so Well then what other thing if not the true Church No other thing forsooth but another Word What the Primitiue Christians Do you marke how neere he came to the Church and yet escap't it Not the Church not the true Church not the Primitiue Church but primitiue Christians O Scotus O subtility of distinction most true the very name of Church ouerthroweth Protestancy But why not againe primitiue Church as well as Primitiue Christians He knew a primitiue Church will infer a deriuatiue Church it carrieth in the very common notion and obuious signification of the word the nature of a Body a Society a Society of Christians the kingdom of Christ in that Church and kingdom order and subordination commaund and subiection will by necessary sequele force a necessity of perpetuity and visibility in which propriety it must differ from
the Synagogue This is therefore a terrible hearing to Protestancy a Church Terribilis vt castrorum acies ordinata terrible as an army in battaile-array Now for Primitiue Christians they imply no such order no such coordination or subordination as of a body and therefore as so many scattered sheep they might wholy dye in their owne ashes not Phenix-like suruiue in their posterity which to affirme of a Church of Christ his establish't Common-wealth or kingdom purchas 't by right of Conquest with the inestimable price of his blood is not only Hereticall but most impious and prophane since neither the Synagogue and Law of Moyses became euacuate or abrogate viâ corruptiuâ by a corruptiue desition but past into a Church Euangelicall Law via perfectiuâ as Christ was the perficient not the corruptiue end of the Law Non veni legem soluere sed adimplere c. I came not to dissolue but to fulfill the Law c. Some other fallacious Euasions in answere to the same position of his Aduersary SECT XXVII IN the very next Paragraph I meete with another Fallacy which I haue also touch't before Pref. You say with conuenient boldnes that this infallible authority of your Church being denyed no man can be assured that any parcell of Scripture was written by diuine inspiration which is an Vntruth for which no proofe is pretended and besides voyd of modesty full of impiety Answ And I pray you obserue his notorious method his Censure is for the most part the preface to his Answere when he hath first struck his Aduersary on the head or wounded his reputation with some calumny or contumely then he wil dispute the matter not only cooly but very coldly as you shall see In the meane tyme since he is so liberall of contumelious and reproachfull language if we spare him it is mere gratuite grace no merit of his not so much as of congruity nay it may seeme much more congruous to shew the man his error where he may see it better then in himselfe For I belieue it will appeare to any vnderstanding man euen by the Genius of his stile that he hath drunke more liberally of Narcissus Well then of Aristotles as neere as it springs Whence I do not see but his President way be my Apology and very Charity will require that some sprinkling of salt be employed vpon his so great insulsity Now marke the Fallacy His aduersary sayth Take away the authority of Gods Church no man can be assured c. For Gods Church this Atturney changeth your Church as though his aduersary preassumed what is in question with Protestants Which he purposely doth not but only sheweth the necessity of a Visible Church and infallible authority shereof The fallacy of this change hath this intent to make his aduersary more odious for his preassuming antedating as also that he may impugne him more easily where he contends not which he doth almost euery where neuer strikes where his Aduersary wards So he seldome or neuer argues or answeres to the matter in hand But why now is this an vntruth void of modesty Because sayth he the experience of innumerable Christians is against it who are sufficiently assured that the Scripture is diuinely inspired and yet deny the infallibility of your Church or any other Answ What Euen of Gods Church For this is the authority this the Church which his aduersary namely and only asserteth And where is the immodesty Is it immodesty in a Catholique to proue the infallibility of the Church of God his Prime principle of Religion and that by an argument which this no Church can no otherwise answere but by rayling at it as with his Lucians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O execrable For who are those innumerable Christians Are they not the aduersaries of the Roman Church and only they And is it immodesty in a Roman Catholique to defend and proue the contrary to that which the Aduersaries of that Church would proue and do teach whereby to ouerthrow that Church and with that all Christianity But to shew him the weaknes of his argument I forme the like Innumerable Christians are sufficiently assured that no man can be assured of any parcell of holy Scripture otherwise then by the authority of the Church of God Ergo M. Ch. who denies them this assurance is voyd of all modesty And now againe why full of impiety Pref. Because sayth he if I cannot haue ground to be assured of the diuine authority of Scripture vnlesse I first belieue your Church infallible then I can haue no ground at all to belieue it Answ I expected he would say then I will be a Socinian But still you see him in his Fallacy Your Church for Gods Church And why then hath he no ground at all vpon that supposall Pref. Because there is no ground nor can any be pretended why I should belieue your Church infallible vnlesse I first belieue the Scripture diuine Answ Still Your Church Sure we shall neuer bring him back to Gods Church againe Now quite contrary I say there is no sufficient ground to omit pretences and permit them to his Hyperbolicall style why men should belieue the Scriptures diuine vnles first they belieue an infallible Church of God For to reuolue to the first birth and parentage of holy Scriptures whence haue we them who told vs they were diuine haue we not the new Testament to instance in this part from the Euangelists and Apostles And were not they the Church of God and hath any other told vs they are diuine and of diuine authority but they primarily and their posterity after them Can any man expect a more certaine testimony concerning his owne or any other mans birth then from the mother who brought him forth into the world Was not the holy Scripture cōceaued of the holy Ghost as it were in the wombe of the Church Yea those soules and spirits of Prophets Euangelists Apostles in which those Scriptures were conceaued euen formally as diuine together with the truth contained in them were they not before those Scriptures were brought to light And could any but they or vpon their credit belieue those Scriptures were of diuine yssue conceaued I say in those spirits diuinely inspired and illuminated yea and from them flowing as from a vitall principle actually and actiuely inflowing into those conceptions togeather with the holy spirit of truth Whence also it followeth euidently that those diuine truth's cannot be the formall conceptions of any soule or vnderstanding not endued and eleuated by this spirit of truth with which spirit since no man can assure himselfe to be endued yet euery Christian ought to belieue as certaine that the Church of God is indued therefore euery Christian ought to receaue those diuine truths contained in Scriptures togeather with the Scriptures themselues from the Church of God whose lawfull issue and ofspring they are Neither can this in reason seeme to a Christian any whit
then haue fallen flat into Atheisme therefore their falling thence immediatly into Atheisme is an argument of that former discourse which I haue supposed probably to haue passed in their secret discussions or this or none true Adde vnto this that in that Nation where our Religion hath and doth most absolutely commaund those wise and Gallant spirits were best acquainted with the doctrine taught in it Whervpon blinded with pride or passion or wicked life being not able to discerne the colour of truth by the light of the sunne they despaired to discerne it by candle-light And it is I confesse an experience grounded vpon great reason both of nature and manners Waight's which fall from higher places force their descent through middle obstacles more strongly and therefore fall lowest None but a Iudas called to the eminency of Apostle-ship could haue plunged himselfe into such a depth of desperate treason as to betway to death the Author of life whom when I consider how soone he fell from the spirit of his vocation to be a calumniator fratrum a Diuell as our Sauiour himselfe call's him I am induc'd to thinke he became an Apostle for no other purpose but to know our Sauiour and his doctrine and then betray him And verily I could easily belieue that of the number of those who professe Christianity more turne Atheists of those who haue beene Catholiques then of those who neuer knew Catholique religion as those who haue been bâ—rne and bred in Lutheranisme Caluinisme or the like because from so low a place they do not easily fall so farre Qui iacet in terrâ non habet vnde cadat Who lyes on the ground he fall's no lower vnles perhaps they haue taken these in their way from the Catholique for if they haue so twenty to one vnles they be some duller spirits they stay not there howsoeuer they make shew of such profession but after some short space of entertainment they goe on their iourney from thence to Adiaphorisme in religion where hauing spent some tyme in good fellowship with all professors vntill they haue consumed that litle remnant stocke of Christian or whatsoeuer else beliefe of a God they steale away after a while from thence too keeping on directly in that roade vntill they arriue to the very next Inne and the very last adioyning to the Ferry vpon the bank-side of Death and Damnation commonly called stylo veteri Atheisme now of later yeares the new Academy or Socinianisme By this the Aduocate may see what he hath gained to his Cause by this obiected Calumny Forsooth that reuolt from Catholique religion renders it selfe at last into Atheisme or Socinianisme where such reuolters I make no doubt would be glad to meete him for there men say this indifferent Trauailer dwells though they say again he hath shift of habitations and his iudgment often changeth lodging but that 's his ordinary and more constant rendeuous Calumnies against Miracles SECT VI. THe next Calumny and second in number of the Pretermissions strikes at Heauen and expect that he will haue a fling at God himselfe afore he hath done by mouing iealousy and suspicion of all miracles and histories and records of Saints whiles he would make men belieue the Catholique Church approueth forging of Miracles and lying Legends so he writes which is indeed a notorious Calumny and had he not made so much hast in running back from the Catholique as though he had come thither only to fetch fire of faction he might haue acquainted himselfe better with the practise of the holy Church in this very point of Miracles and relations concerning Saints He might haue admired their exactnes of scrutiny and all the way 's of industry to find out the truth and to reiect whatsoeuer hath the face or least shew of counterfait or vnsound Knowing well that neither truth can be of any durable consistency with falshood they expell one another euen naturally as light and darkenes but besides this Non tali auxilio nec defensoribus istis Roma caret the Catholique Church needs no such subsidies the pillar of truth craues no support of lyes and forgeries She hath in her Archiues records and euidences of this kind so authentique so authorized so testified that blindnes it selfe by no other Exorcisme but that of manifest truth hath beene compelled to see them and confesse them No otherwise then those Ministers of Pharao digitus Dei hic est But giue them leaue to question Saints and miracles who questionles had neuer yet any no not when the tyme most required them to countenance their extraordinary mission when they ran out of the Church to reforme it or as to cry fire fire when they carried it in their bosomes Calumny against holy Ceremonies SECT VII THe third passe or figuratiue omission in these word 's Not to obiect to you thirdly is a spurn'or kick as he goes by Pref. at the weake and silly Ceremonies and ridiculous obseruances so he of the Catholique Church Ans Indeed if they were only Ceremonies without the substance whereunto they relate they were surely silly Ceremonies but if euery least Ceremony include a mystery greater then hath euer entred into his little weake state or vnderstanding who is then ridiculous but he who laugh's at what he know's not yea euen therefore because he knowes it not Yet had the man but stayd to haue learned his Catechisme among vs he might haue knowne the vse and meaning of our Ceremonies now hauing come into the Church as Cato came vnto the Theater only to go out againe what meruaile if he returne a ridiculous censurer of what he only saw and vnderstood not Such post-hast were hardly tolerable in a Spie much lesse in one who comes to see and censure Of whom if I should aske what in particular were sylly and ridiculous in those ceremonies or whether the Church hath not authority to prescribe Ceremonies if the Church of England allow of ceremonies no whit more substantiall then the Roman to say no more will he be strong inough thinke you to find out a disparity Or will he rebell against all I belieue by these and many other the like passages of his booke the Chayres who haue subscribed it litle obserued how lowd an All-arme is sounded to mutinies and seditions and rebellions against all Church-gouernment But now alas euen this may seeme a thing ridiculous indeed in vs who reprehend his laughing and deriding the waiting Gentle-women or maides of Honour who geeres the Queene hir selfe For did he allow of any such thing as Religion Queene of vertues he would not grudge hir due attendance and obseruance of holy Ceremonies nor would he I thinke be so vnmannerly as to find fault with such as please the Queene Calumny against Ecclesiasticall Persons SECT VIII A Fourth Calumny with which he will not trouble vs is Pref. A great part of your doctrine specially in the points contested makes apparently for the temporall ends of the
Will he reprehend the seeking of the kingdom of God for this or the forsaking temporall estates to follow Christ in a higher way of perfection because the gaine and returne is a hundred fold in this life and therefore makes for the temporall ends of such men And are these our beaux Esprits Are these the learned new Academy that cannot make this distinction between making and being made or are they rather indeed en bon François in plaine English dull and earthly Spirits and which least they would heare not Wit 's but silly Fellows Who if they could once resolue vpon a God or any such not only omnipotent but free agent who could do and giue what he pleased should rather betake themselues with Salomon who had I thinke as good a naturall wit as the best of the new Academy and shew'd a much better in making such a choyce and in the acknowledgment of his owne weakenes and want betake themselues I say to their prayers that they might receaue the spirit of Wisedom from heauen without which spirit no meruaile if they haue no palate of heauen nor as being indeed meerely Animals any rellish of spirituall things But neither indeed do they belieue there is any such thing as holy spirit Et quem non inuenit vsquam Esse putat nusquam Concerning different opinions among Catholiques the Aduocates Fallacy and Calumny SECT X. AFter all these Rhetoricall pretermissions of temptations into so he writes and principles of Irreligion and Atheisme in Catholique doctrine as considerations which he wil seeme to esteeme of lesse moment thereby to prepare your expectation to some more weighty Only I should desire you sayth he to consider attentiuely when you conclude so often from the differences of Protestants Pref. that they haue no certainty of any part of their religion c. Whether you do not that which so magisteri ally you direct me not to do that is proceed a destructiue way c. Ans Now this Pretermissiō is no figure but a fraud Fallacy for his aduersary directs him not to proceed a meere destructiue way Now this restrictiue particle meere fraudulently left out is no figure but a fallacie of pretermission and makes indeed a kind of Non-sense in his Aduersary where there is a good and plaine sense For whosoeuer will throw downe the doctrine of another must proceed a destructiue way but he who doth nothing else but throw downe and builds nothing as he who doth nothing but ouerthrow doctrines of religion holdeth nothing prositiue in religion at least in coherence of his doctrine he proceeds a meere destructiue way and a meere Antimachus he is an Ismael sonne of Agar secundum carnem genitus a child of the flesh and therefore as euery Socinian doth persequutes the free-borne child the yssue of the Spirit but what sayth the Scripture Eijce ancillam filium eius non enim erit haeres filius ancillaecum filio liberae cast forth the handmaid and her sonne for the sonne of the hand-maid shall not coherit which the sonne of the free-woman Indeed one house could not hold them Why because Ismael was terrae homo a fierce condition'd man manus eius contra omnes manus omniam contra eum his hands against all men and all mens hands against him which is in effect to say he proceeded a meere destructiue way And I pray you is not a Socinian such an Ismael whose hands are vp against all Professors of Christianity since his reasons principles tend as his Aduersary chargeth him to the ouerthrow of all Christian Profession no lesse then of Catholique religion And doth he not deserue that all Christian hands should be employed about his eares with vnanimous consent to extinguish such a Giant But doth the sonne of Sarai proceed a meere destructiue way he dares not say it as bold as he is therefore he onely sayes he proceeds a destructiue way wherein he doth well and as euery confutant must do otherwise he doth nothing Pref. But his aduersaries Arguments so he retorts obiected against the Protestant tend to the ouerthrow of all religion because sayth he as you argue Protestants differ in many things therefore they haue no certainty of religion so an Atheist or a Sceptique may conclude as well Christians and the Professors of all religions differ in many things therefore they haue no certainty of any thing Ans I know well these are the ordinary Socinian Topickes which this man hath by hart whence they are wont to argue themselues out of all religion And it is a very Socinian and Atheisticall argument indeed that is a foolish one as foolish as this Euery man is a man therefore no man is a Christian For though euery man be a man and therefore subrect to errour some more some lesse some in one thing some in another whence difference of opinions ariseth and vncertainty is concluded yet some men are Christians and as such in matters defined to be of faith not differing nor vncertaine They should deduce thus if they would conclude to the purpose they intend Christians in points of fayth defined by their Church to be such the definition of which Church they hold as their rule of fayth disagree among themselues therfore they haue no certainty in points of religion then the solution is ready I deny that such Christians who rely on that autority of the Church defining as all Catholique Christians do disagree in any poynt of religion so defined therefore this inference of vncertainty from the differences of doctrines in poynts of fayth fals heauy vpon the backs of all Sectaries nor can be shaken off but toucheth not the Catholique Whence they should conclude if they were indeed wise and gallant either the Catholique or none Not as they are wont there is difference of opinions and doctrines among Professors of Christianity betweene Lutherans and Caluinists c. and the Catholique from them all therefore there is no certainty therefore no religion at all and therefore lastly I will be an Atheist or Socinian Whereas if these Sceptiques would be feriously sceptique indeed that is serious inquisitors of truth and not make it their whole life and busines euer to seeke neuer to find like those sylly and sinfull women of whome S. Paul semper discentes numquam ad scientiam veritatis peruenientes always learning and neuer arriuing to the knowledge of truth nay if they did not set downe for their last arrest despaire of euer knowing with those foolists Sceptiques and Pyrhonians lastly if they could be persuaded that they heare what they heare or see what they see certainely they might see discerne a vast disparity betweene these two kinds of differences the differences of Sectaries among themselues in most substantiall points of faith and those of Catholiques discepting and discussing difficulties occurring as yet vndecreed and vndetermined by authority as children of truth neuer ceasing to inquire after it
of pious inclination or willingnes to imbrace such a doctrine if they could be persuaded it were true this notwithstanding all reasons and countercheck's of flesh and bloud or whatsoeuer temporall regards to the contrary through a desire to serue God as he would be serued it is then the immediate worke of Gods grace to endue and as it were to informe such a soule with diuine faith by heauenly endowment the vnderstanding becomes eleuate and raised to a height aboue the sublunary sphere of naturall reason to a certaine proportion with diuine and supernaturall obiects by this enabled as it were with vndazeled eyes of Eagles to looke vpon the sunne Now when they say the assent to the Conclusion cannot be of greater firmity or certainty then is the certainty force or firmity of the Premises which are supposed only probable and prudentiall motiues they seuer the Premises and take them as considered in themselues alone not as they are indeed in their Eleuation and Coniunction with the supernaturall power of grace For when they say the Conclusion is qualified by the Premises weake if the Premises be weake c. nor onely so but euen the weaker of the two leades the way in this marke of reason and discourse and the Conclusion followeth that not the stronger which it cannot follow passibus aequis with equall stepp's and which therefore must imploy no more strength then the weaker that the Conclusion may follow both This is true when the Premises haue onely an vniuocall and naturall influence into the Conclusion that is when they impart only that force or value to the Conclusion which they hold of their owne and proper in right and title of nature or naturality but where their inâ—â—uence is as I may say supernaturall dispositiue to a highter forme or Act the tenure wherof is onely arbitrary and as it were at will of the Lord of Vertues due vpon no consideration of any naturall exigence or Couenant and is therefore an Equiuocall influence as of causes inflowing indeed not onely by their owne force but in vertue of their principall cause and agent which is supernaturall then in all good reason they concnrre by proeuring an effect proportionate to that principall and supernaturall cause nor improportioned to themselues as considered in that coniunction and sublimation Neither ought this to seeme strange in supernaturall influxions of causes for euen in the course of nature and in good Physiologie an accident which is a far inferiour nature may produce a substance as heat yea euen then when it is separate from the substance of fire produceth fire the reason because although as heat or as an accident it holdes an inferiour place in nature yet as it is the naturally-ioynt instrument of fire in virtute causae principalis in or by vertue of the fire it produceth fire so likewise those motiues only probable though as such vnable of themselues by reason of their improportion yet in vertue of their principall agent or prime moouer which is the holy Spirit operating and mouing in the soule conioyn'd and sublimed by that prime mouer or agent they may and do dispose to the producing of an infallible assent but of this point he will offer a more proper occasion to speake hereafter But now this is some part of the Calumny that we require things contradictory and impossible to be done Pref. and is this indeed an impossible requisite that we require a most certaine assent to beyielded to things in human reason impossible for with this he chargeth vs. Answ To which I answere it is falsely supposed by him that those things whereunto we require a most certaine assent that is an assent of diuine fayth are in human reason impossible For if they be true they are not in human reason impossible though they haue the semblance or appearance of impossibility in humane reason No truth is vntruth to human reason therefore no truth is impossible in human reason for I suppose that distinction of Truth Philosophicall and Truth Theologicall many yeares since expuls't the Vniuersity For truth in the whole latitude being the obiect of reason and vnderstanding it cannot be that any truth should imply impossibility or repugnance to human reason or vnderstanding no more then that any thing corporally visible can inuolue contradiction or impossibility to be seene by a corporall eye-sight Therefore if they be vntruth's let them be conuinc't to be vntruth's if they hold those things to be impossible in human reason which are aboue human reason no meruaile if this Aduocate belieue not the B. Trinity He will say perchance now he belieues it but how for I aske him Doth he yield a most certaineassent that is an assent of diuine fayth to the B. Trinity as that God is one God in three really distinct persons If he belieue it not with certainty of diuine fayth he belieues it not as a Christian If he do belieue with that certainty of fayth then he yield's a most certain assent to a thing as impossible in humane reason as any other point of fayth required to be belieued with a most certaine assent But why do I aske him It appeares euen by these words as well as by his words of mouth vttered vpon the forementioned occasion that he indeed belieues not the B. Trinity no nor Incarnation nor Resurrection nor any such thing impossible in his style to humane reason with any such certainty of assent as makes a Christian and distinguishes him from an Infidell or Socinian It appeares furthermore by what he writes in this place that he would haue it sufficient to belieue such mysteries with a lower degree of Fayth Now either this lower degree of fayth is diuine fayth or no. If diuine then the assent arising from such fayth is a most certaine assent or an assent with certainty excluding all deliberate positiue doubt concerning the obiect of fayth If that lower degree be not diuine fayth then it is not only a Iower degree of fayth as differing from some other diuine fayth only in degree of certainty or secundum magis minus according to more or lesse certainty as heat differ's from heat and more white from lesse white but it is different in the very species or kind of fayth as diuine fayth from human fayth which differ euen in definition and Essence of fayth Therefore the Catholique requiring diuine fayth and teaching not this Iower degree of fayth but this indeed no diuine fayth to be insufficient for the acquiring Eternall saluation requireth no more then the Apostle doth where he sayth fine fide impossibile est placere Deo without fayth it is impossible to please or serue God meaning that fayth which in that very place is by him described to be sperandarum subctantia rerum argumentum non apparentium the substance of things to be hoped the argument of things not appearing which no man can deny to be diuine fayth Now to require
were supposed the spirit of truth they could not haue beene iudged false Prophets for going out of the Church no nor for opposing the doctrine of the Church Moreouer that by which another thing is tried as by a rule must needs be supposed more perfect in regard of Iudicature then the thing tried but it is absurd to thinke that the spirit of a priuate man is more perfect in nature of Iudicature then the spirit of the Church therefore S. Iohn neuer aduised priuate men to try the spirit of the Church Lastly this very command or aduise Try euery spirit is the aduise of the Church it selfe in the person of S. Iohn a principall pillar of the Church but no man can be so silly as to thinke that the Church aduiseth priuate men to try her spirit and least of all can Heretiques challenge any such authority Heretiques also are subiects of the Church euen in that they are at the least characterically Christians which character of subiection they can neuer wipe out whersoeuer they run they are euer subiects though rebells therfore their calling the Church to question and triall is mere presumption and an act of rebellion No Catholique presumeth to trie the spirit or doctrine of the Church nay euery Catholique trieth his owne spirit and doctrine by that of the Church therefore a Catholique as such hath no priuate opinion of fayth but all Catholique that is the same with the whole Catholique Church The Catholique makes no choyce of doctrines of fayth but taketh such as are giuen him he is Gods beggar and therefore no chooser Ego autem mendicus sum pauper I am a beggar and poore Thus euery Catholique is taught both to say and belieue The Heretique makes choyce of what he will hold with the Church takes what he list's and refuseth what he list's not take And this is to be euen Etimologically an Heretique and an Heretique formally no lesse in what he takes then in what he refuses For what he takes he chooseth to take vpon his owne discretion not vpon the credit of the Church nor formally from the Church therefore he is an Heretique in all euen in the points of diuine fayth which he holdeth with the Church not of the Church and therfore holdeth nothing with diuine fayth because he is still a chooser of what he holds and so an Heretique Another Text of S. Iohn by this Aduocate corrupted and misinterpreted SECT XXI WHat this all-trying spirit can do of himselfe without the spirit of the Church will appeare by his singular talent in interpreting Scriptures nor shall I swarue from my subiect in this way for I shall demonstrate that all his interpretations are Sophismes wily and fallacious detorsions of Scripture from their true sense to his owne crooked ends Pref. S. Iohn sayth he giues a rule to all Christians to make this triall by to consider whether they confesse Iesus to be the Christ that is the guide of their fayth and Lord of their actions So he Answ The words of S. Iohn are these In hoc cognoscitur spiritus Dei c. In this the spirit of God is knowne Euery spirit that confesseth Iesus Christ to haue come in fleth is of God and euery spirit that dissolueth Iesus is not of God and this is Antichrist The affirmatiue part of which copulate sentence as some other the like occurring in the Epistles of S. Iohn is to be vnderstood in sensu formali as thus Euery spirit which coufesseth Iesus Christ to haue taken flesh as confessing this truth is of God who is the author and warrant of this truth therefore of him who confesseth this supernaturall truth it may be truly said Caro sanguis non reuelauit hoc tibi flesh and blood hath not reuealed this vnto thee being a truth aboue the conceipt of flesh and blood which restriction to a formall sense is both sufficient and often tymes necessary for the verifying of many the like sentences of â—oly Scripture Wherefore although the negatiue to deny Iesus Christ to haue taken flesh be a sufficient note whereby to discerne a false spirit yet the affirmatiue to confesse Iesus Christ to haue come in flesh is but a part of the rule The other part is the character of Christian Charity as the same Apostle teacheth in the same Chapter Omnis qui diligit ex Deo natus est Euery one that loueth is borne of God therefore these two rules we find conioyned in the precedent Chapter hoc est mandatum â—ius vt credanius in nomine silij eius Iesu Christi diligamus alterutrum This is his commaundment that we belieue in the name of his sonne Iesus Christ and that we loue one another for in these two vertues indeed a Christian is consummate For fayth in Iesus Christ the sonne of God incarnate includeth all points of fayth because it implyeth the beliefe of all that Iesus Christ hath taught or teacheth either by himselfe or by his Church according to that saying of of his Qui vos audit me audit in which sense also the affirmatiue proposition of the Apostle Euery one who confesseth that Iesus Christ came in flesh c. hath a true construction euen without restriction but then it is nothing to the purpose of this Aduocate who by this rule would exclude the necessity of beliefe of other points of fayth proposed by the Church to make this confession of Christ to haue come in flesh the rule whereby to try spirits As therefore that other cognoisance of a Christian mutuall Charity according to that of our Sauiour In hoc cognoscent omnes c. all men shall know you to be my disciples by this ensigne or character of mutuall loue excludeth not that of fayth or the confession of the sonne of God Incarnate from being a rule whereby to discerne spirits and to know who are true Christians So this rule of Fayth in Christ excludeth not that of Charity and neither of them nor both exclude a third giuen by the same Apostle Qui nouit Deum audit nos Cap. 4. qui non est ex Deo non audit nos in hoc cognoscimus spiritum veritatis spiritum erroris See heere an expresse rule to try spirits by He who know's God heares vs he who is not of God heareth not vs in this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error Now it is most absurd to think the force of that rule to be limited and confined with the age of the Apostles therefore by that vs is vnderstood the Church or if they were to be heard of posterity in their writings we caÌ„not heare them so without an interpreter which interpreter as before hath beene proued can be no other of infallible authority but the Church Now that the Apostles were to continue in their posterity of Apostles Euangelists c. that is Preachers and Teachers of Christs Ghospell Doctors and Pastors c. ad consummationem Sanctorum
vntill the number of Saints were consummate that is to the end of the world appeareth playne by the words of the Apostle to the Ephesians Ephes 4. therefore to the hearing and belieuing those succeding Apostles Doctors c. is extended the obligation of succeding ages For can we be so senseles as to thinke those succeeding Doctors haue imposed vpon them the obligation of teaching and not other Christian subiects the obligation of hearing Or was our Sauiour so imprudent an Oeconomus or dispenser of his gift's and talents that he would furnish those whom he had designed hearers and learners in his Christian schoole with greater sufficiency for discerning spirits or greater assurance of not erring then those quos dedit whom he appointed to be their Maisters and Teachers Obedite prapositis vestris subiacete ijs obey your Prelates and be subiect to them And wherein are they Praepositi Prelates or Gouernours Certainly in those things for which they must render account to God which are things appertaing to their soules for they are to render account for your soules sayth the Apostle in that place To them therfore appertaine spirituall instructions and all spirituall directions to them the triall and discretion of spirits Or shall the subiects first try their Prelates spirits yea the highest Prelature and authority on earth before they obey Is this to be directed or to direct Or who is heere the Prelate he who is tryed or he who tryeth And is not this grosse Anarchy and Confusion Haue these spirits any conceipt of Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy Or do they belieue there is any such thing as Order and Subordination in the greatest Empire and kingdom vpon earth the Church of God By what hath beene said it appeareth that S. Iohn by giuing that rule of triall the Confession of the sonne of God in flesh neuer intended to exclude other rules Therefore this is a miserable and fallacious consequence which this Aduocate insinuates saying S. Iohn giues this rule of triall to consider whether men confesse Iesus to be the Christ not whether they acknowledge the Pope to be his Vicar Ergo to examine whether they acknowledge this is no part of triall This consequence I say is no better then this We must try mens spirits by considering whether they confesse Iesus to be the Christ Ergo not whether they confesse that Christ dyed for the sinnes oâ— the world or whether he rose from death or no c. Now hath not this man good reason to rely so much vpon his neuer-failing rules of Logick in matters of Fayth who makes such goodly consequences I can in charity belieue he hath more Logick then he makes shew of in this worke otherwise I see no obligation he hath to rely vpon it so confidently You may likewise note his skill in Logick by this other consequence Pref. which he likewise insinuates S. Paul sayth try all things and hold fast that which is good Ergo we must try all things after this manner which S. Paul teacheth not we must try all things by our owne spirit or the Scripture interpreted by our owne spirit with the help of neuer-failing rules of Logick Or thus Try all things Ergo try euen that by which all things are to be tryed Try the spirit of the Church try the spirit of God for without this spirit of truth which we know not where it is but in the Church it is most certaine that neither Scriptures can be vnderstood nor any other certaine rule imagined by which we may try any spirit or doctrine of fayth So the aduise of the Apostle should be de impossibili of a thing impossible if he aduised vs to try all things by any other rule And as well might this Logician infer out of this principle try all things thus Try all things whether they be crooked or straight by that which is certainly straight Ergo try that which is certainly straight by that which may be crooked And as well he might infer thus Season all things with salt Ergo season salt too for with what other thing shall salt be seasoned Si sal euanuerit in quo sâ—lietur So likewise if that all-trying spirit may erre by what other spirit shall it be tryed His fallacious Interpretation of a text of S. Peter 1.3 vers 15. SECT XXII AFter he had abused the testimony of S. Paul it was to be expected S. Peter should not escape He would be their second Nero ioyne them in the execution of a morall death much more tyrannicall then that of Nero which though it could deuide their soules from their bodies yet it could neuer seuer their soules from Christian truth and a truth which themselues had taught the inseparability of truth and diuine authority from the pillar of truth Pref. I say no more sayth this Aduocate then S. Peter sayth in commaunding all Christians to giue a reason of their Hope Answ But the truth is S. Peter sayth not so nor is it probable he had any intent to ingage Christians in a greater obligation then Christ himselfe had imposed which was only to confesse him vpon due occasions neuer to deny him or the truth of his doctrine S Peters words are these Dominum autem sanctificate in cordibus vestris parati c. Sanctify our Lord in your harts all way ready to giue satisfaction as the Latin version hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ready to exhibite your Apology to euery man who requireth a reason of your Hope Now who seeth not a large difference betweene giuing a reason and requiring it or betweene exhibiting an Apology or other satisfaction to him who requireth a reason and giuing him a reason There are other way 's of satisfaction and Apology besides giuing a reason at the least particular reasons for the seuerall doctrines of fayth as this Aduocate seemes to require who would haue nothing belieued but after a particular tryall and discussion of it So he that answered only Christianus sum I am a Christian was no way reprehensible by this aduise or precept of S. Peter Is not he ready to Apologize to defend his religion who is ready to die for it which a man may do without giuing any other particular reason of his beliefe by his only confessing or professing it vpon fit occasions Or if he vnderstand an obligation imposed by the Apostle vpon all Christians to giue a reason of their beliefe what meanes he That euery Christian is bound to giue or be able to giue a reason of euery point of Christian beliefe How is it credible that such a morall impossibility should be of obligation Or doth he indeed suppose that no Christian is bound to belieue more then that whereof he can giue a reason Now then shall he say with truth I belieue in God the Father with the rest as followeth in the Apostles Creed For surely he inbound not to say he belieues what he belieues not and as sure it is he is
not able to giue a particular reason of euery article of this Creed The Socinian will say he is bound to belieue no more What sayth Mâ—Ch whome in this Treatise of his we suppose a Christian vntill he declare himselfe a little more expressely a very litle will serue the turne But let him forme his discourse out of this text of S. Peter Euery man is bound to giue a reason of his beliefe or Hope Ergo Euery man is bound to giue a particular reason for euery point of his beliâ—fe or Hope when will he make good this illation by his neuer failing rules of Logick Againe if euery Christian were charged with this obligation to giue a reason to euery one requiring it what kind of reason should that be Must it need 's be a conuincing reason and satisfaction not only in it selfe but respectiuely in regard of the requirers vnderstanding or disposition What if he be a Iew or Infidell or Socinian shall I belieue no more then that wherof I can giue a conuincing satisfactory reason to a Iew Infidell or Socinian Let him tell vs what kind of reason he requires that we may know the obligation he layes vpon vs. In the meane tyme I doubt not to auerre and proue that the meanest Catholique is able to giue a more satisfactory account of euery point of Catholique faith then the most learned Protestant can of any one As thus why do you belieue three Persons one God because sayth the Catholique I belieue the Catholique Church which teacheth me so to belieue And so of the rest Now because no Protestant giues or can giue this reason in coherence with his Protestant principles of necessity he giues a worse if any For whether his reason be his owne or any other humane discourse whatsoeuer independant of this authority of the Church or secluding it or be it Scripture yea Canonicall Scripture interpreted by himselfe or any priuate Spirit he giueth no better an account then an Arrius Eutychius Donatist c. hath or might haue giuen in defence of their Heresies Thus much concerning the abused authority of S. Peter VVords of our Sauiour fallaciously abused SECT XXIII HEnce he proceedeth with some pretty Rhetorique method of blasphemy if you marke him as hauing first prophaned the testimony of S. Iohn after him S. Paul next S. Peter the Vicar and Viceroy of Christ in the Christian world Iam proximus ardet Vcalegon the very next house is a fire it was not probable he could stay himselfe in this precipice Lastly therefore he prophaneth Christ himselfe so truly may it be said of Heresy Inclinata est ad mortem domus â—ius ad inferâ—s semitae eiâ—s Prou. 2. Her howse is hanging towards death and her path's lead to hell Our Sauiours words are these Luc. 12. When you see a cloud rising from the West you say we shall haue raine and so it happen's And when the Southwind blow's you say the summer appreaches Hypocrites know you to discerne the face of heauen and earth and do you not discerne this tyme of my presence or comming But why also do you not discerne what is iust by your selues That is as if he had said you who are so skilfull as to read the prognostick signes of the heauens and by them foretell future euents of weather or seasons why do you not by your selues that is by those internall signes and tokens of your soules remorse of conscience secret inclinations and other the like indicatures of what is iust or vniust why do you not by these discerne what is iust And what affinity hath this discourse of our Sauiour with this Aduocates application that therefore euery man must of himselfe examine and try by his owne discourse or Scriptures interpreted by himselfe what is true doctrine in points of supernaturall beliefe What tokens or prognosticks haue men for these What light of naturall reason or what indicature of inward motions or naturall inclinations shew the truth of supernaturall mysteries And not without some Fallacy hath this interpreter made choice to translate Fallacy iustum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right rather then iust why of your selues iudge you not what is right because right hath a more apparent reference to matter of doctrine in this positure of words of which doctrine he would haue euery man to be his owne iudge then iust hath which rather implyeth a relation to morall actions Another sentence of our Sauiour abused SECT XXIIII TO as litle purpose and with asmuch violence and irreuerence are those words of our Sauiour If the blind lead the blind c. applied by him For whether in probability follow the blind they who follow the Church of God as their guide to which is promis't the spirit of truth or they who follow either their owne priuate spirit or naturall reason and discourse or the Scripture interpreted by these which is to them as blind as the interpreters of it But by these goodly expositions and applications of Scriptures you see how substantially they are furnish't for examining and trying spirits and doctrines of fayth by Scriptures and naturall discourse and neuer-failing rules of Logick And Good Syr would a man euer wish that any man should make himselfe more ridiculous then to take neuer-failing or infallibility from the Church of God and giue it to Logick-rules This is to robbe Peter indeed but sure it is not to pay Paul His false Logick or misapplication of Logick-rules SECT XXV OBserue now forth with in the close of misapplyed Scripture his fallacious misapplication of Logick precepts and Dialectique forme of discourse Great confidence no doubt he had in the ignorance or negligence of his Reader He hoped to lye hid in these brakes of thorny and intricate Paralogismes to appeare only in gay flowers of soft language Mollit sermones suos extranea Pron 2. so Heresy is wont to soften and file her language Howsoeuer he giues me a warrant by his example to syllogize his loose Periods shape them into Logicall-formes Which for my part I professe to do with much more fidelity then he doth wherein I will appeale to the iudgement of other men yea and especially of those his more learned and more sober Co-academiques Thus then he argueth Discourse truly so called misguideth no man Drawing conclusions out of Scriptures by good consequence is discourse truly so called Ergo drawing Conclusions out of Scripture c. misguideth no man To this I answere that although Discourse truly so called misguideth no man ex vi formae by that forme of lawfull discourse yet ex vi materiae in regard of the matter it often doth But drawing of conclusions out of Scripture by good consequence is discourse truly so called this I distinguish Drawing them out of Scriptures formally taken that is truly vnderstood and this by good consequence is discoursetruly so called I yeild Out of the Scriptures taken only materially that is out of
derogatory from the maiesty of the diuine word to be conceaued in the spirit of man no more then it was from the Maiesty of the Sonne of God to be conceaued in the wombe of the B. Virgin Mary and that as there the Eternall Word was inuested with humane flesh so heere in these spirits of men as in the wombe of the Church the Word of God sowne by the holy Ghost should be inuested with humane notion and brought forth to light of the world in the guise of humane speach and voyce In which sense we may interprete that testimony of the holy Baptist Ego vox clamantis I am the voyce of the cryer as his voyce was the inuesture of that Word of the holy Ghost crying in the desert by which it was conueyed to the eares of mortall men so is the voyce and declaration of the Church the meanes by which the Word of God and all Truth contained in it is conueyed to our soules and vnderstandings And as that cry of the Holy Ghost was first conceaued in the spirit of the Baptist then vttered by his voyce to the world so these Scriptures were first conceaued in the Church those Apostolicall spirits in which they were first imprinted and inuested if I may so speak by the operation and Energy of that fire which appeared in tongues afterwards vttered vpon due occasions in words and writings As therefore those of that tyme heard the voyce of that cryer in the desart from the mouth of the Baptist so all Christians heare and must heare the word of God and diuine truth by the mouth of the Church Well then what this man so confidently auerreth that there is no ground yea that no ground can be pretended why we should hold Gods Church for so he must say if he say any thing against what his Aduersary sayes infallible vnles we first belieue the Scripture diuine I as confidently deny And for as much as respects priority or antecedency of beliefe since the Scripture as I haue said is no other word but what the Church hath and daily doth vtter vnto vs whether historicall or dogmaticall or howsoeuer first conceaued in the vnderstanding and spirit of the Church it followeth that as we haue receaued it vpon her credit telling and teaching vs that it is diuine so we must à Priori belieue the Church as infallible witnes or reporter before we can belieue the infallibility of Scripture which she reporteth it followeth also that we must belieue the Church interpreting the Scripture for it is incredible that any other man should better vnderstand what I speake according as I haue conceaued or what I meane by the words I speake then I my selfe the speaker who only intend to vtter my conceipt It followeth yet further that although there were no Scripture and these Christian Verities had descended to vs only by Tradition and by the testimony of former ages transmitting them successiuely from Christ to this present age we should be bound to belieue the Church that is that continued succession of men belieuing those Christian Verities vnles we will say there was no obligation vpon men to belieue in God and to worship him according to that beliefe before the tyme of Moyses before the Scriptures were For was not Circumcision obligatory before Moyses and was not the posterity of Abraham obliged to belieue and practise that tradition as of diuine authority of which our Sauiour sayth Moyses dedit rebis Circumcisionem non quia ex Moyse est sed ex Patribus He will say You proue the Church infallible by Scriptures your Scriptures must be first belieued infallible I answer we proue this out of Scriptures against such as professe to belieue Scriptures not the Church as out of their owne principles it followeth not thence that we first belieue the Scripturs diuine or infallible For though in methode of confuting such Aduersaries we begin with the Scriptures yet in the methode of belieuing we begin from the Church vpon whose credit we belieue the Scriptures to be diuine and according to this method commencing from the Church Christian fayth was first propagated among nations and imbraced by Heathens Nor will it be to the purpose to reply that Heathens were induced to belieue by reason of miracles This I say is not to the purpose how the Church gained this credit but hence it is inferred that in regard of Christian Beliefe the Church had the Precedency before Scriptures that is the Church was belieued before the Scriptures were belieued Wherefore to conclude this point if it be impiety not to belieue Scriptures as no doubt it is yet it is an impiety no way deducible from this doctrine that the beliefe of an infallible Church is precedent to the beliefe of Scriptures But it is not hard to conceaue by the very carriage of the busines as he handles it what he driues at in all this discourse which is indeed to euacuate all authority both of Church and Scriptures and vpon the ruines of both to build the Godles Socinianisme Therefore all inferences which may seeme any way to perplexe Christian doctrine or force it into straits are his aduantages It was the prudent industry of the Roman Consull to prouoke Catiline whose secret practises and designes vpon the Common-Wealth he had vnderstood into open warre and rebeilion for he supposed no Cittizen would then appeare in his defence or make the oppression of a Tyrant his quarrell As no man would approue the fyering of the house wherein himselfe were or wracking the shippe wherein he sayled himselfe I suppose likewise if this pretended Champion for Protestancy were once discouered and strip't to the naked truth of what he is indeed that is as I haue said a very Socinian Mole vnderworking euen Protestancy it selfe and all Religion no Protestant who hath any zeale of the Religion he professeth would euer be seene in his patronage nor willingly I thinke in his company nor would he vouchsafe the ordinary greeting or salutation as good-morrow Ep. 2. Joan. to him who acknowledgeth neither day nor morning of Christian religion or God saue you to him who doubts whether there be any such thing as God Saluation nor would they thinke him fit to conuerse among Christians who hath disputed himselfe out of all termes of Christian commerce and conuersation His Calumny concerning Protestants reputed Atheists c. by Catholiques SECT XXVIII Pref. YOu say fifthly and lastly sayth this Aduocate with confidence in abundance that none can deny the infallible authority of your Church but he must abandone all infused fayth and true religion if he de but vnderstand himselfe Answ This Aduocate himselfe is no small part of proof of the truth of this Hypothetique who since he hath relaps't from this doctrine of infallible authority of the Church hath withall disclaimed all infused fayth as his Aduersary hath charged him vpon information more then credible wherin that is in abandoning both I confesse
the authority of the Church applying them in confirmation of this mistery gather a necessity of acknowledging the infallible authority of the Church without which notwithstanding holy Scriptures we should be in doubt how to belieue some principall point of Christian beliefe The necessity of which authority appeareth yet more euidently euen by what he quarrells concerning the doctrines of Eusebius Origen and those other questioned and controuled by the like authority of the Church Against which authority no faculty of wit and vnderstanding no eminency or glory of science and erudition could preuaile no not martyrdome it self could protect any error against orthodoxe beliefe or escape the censure of this supreme Iudge on earth What he sayth of Cardinall Peron informing the world of some Errors of those Ancients Calumny against Peron if he meane the world knew them not before discourers great plenty of ignorance in himself if he knew it without his information he sayth nothing for could not Socinians who deuoure Christian Libraries to no other end but to digest them into scandals read the very same in others of far more ancient authority then this most learned Cardinall In that the Arrians would gladly be tryed by the Fathers before the Councell of Nice they shew their hereticall spirit which always flyes from the authority of a Visible Vocall and liuing Iudge to the mute copy of Gods or mans word as here to defunct authors who left behind them their priuate opinions in things at that tyme not expressely defined which is indeed to fly to their owne interpretations both of Fathers Scriptures from a publique authority to which a neuer failing assistance is diuinely promised to some particular or single opinions of priuate men to whom no such assistance was promised But whither will not a theefe fly from the sentence of authority which can condemne him And whither not an Heretique from the Church And who doubts but the Church of Christ is most representatiuely and iointly and vnanimously in a generall Councell as a kingdom in a Parlament or full senate in which mysticall body then as euer yea then more effectually and actiuely then euer the holy Ghost as the soule informing moueth and directeth Whither flyes he then who flyes from this Church but from the spirit of God Quo ibo à spiritu tuo Whether shall I fly from your spirit True he flyeth from Christ but escapes him not from him a Sauiour to him a Iudge from his Mercy to his Iustice si desceudero in infeinum ades if I go downe to hell you are there And is this the Socinian scandall or is this any way leading men into Socinianisme that the Church of God assembled together of purpose to examine or determine some question of fayth hath defined the contrary to some doctrine or opinion of some priuate Doctor or Doctors who as such whatsoeuer they preiudged could not say as the Councell could Visum est spiritui sancto nobis it hath seemed good to the holy Ghost and vs You see then the weaknes of this Fallacious Calumny yet strong inough to cast a mist before the eyes of the vnlearned or vnpassioned Reader the number of which sort because it like to affoard him most voyces their applause and approbation is the triumph he aymes at His Sophisticall Calumny concerning differences of Catholique Doctors in questions vndefined SECT XXXI ANother occasion or inducement to Socinianisme pretended by this Aduocate are those different opinions of Scholastique Deuines in points of doctrine as yet vndetermined by the Church this is also one of those a thousand tymes recoct Crambes like some cold Seruice daily brought in only to furnish vp the table vntill it grow mouldy and meat for no body But what is this towards the disabling or disparaging the authority of the Church in points now defined and no longer disputed as douâ—â—full Will the Socinian hence argue thus In some points of doctrine vndecided some Catholique Doctors disagree among themselues Ergo in points decided they haue no certainty Who seeth not the inconsequence of this illation If they differ concerning the modification of diuine Prescience and the different respect and habitude which it hath to future euents necessary or contingent abloâ—ute or conditionall will they out of this variance inferre the vncertainty of diuine prenotion or conclude that God foreseeth not at all But yet see how he concludes for the Socinians Pref. The Dominicans sayth he maintaine on the one side that God can foresee nothing but what he decrees The Iesuit's on the otherside that he doth not decree all things Answ Iungentur iam Gryphes equis he will make these one and other sides to meete in one syllogisme and so be no more sides at all and then no different doctrines at all which is the quite contrary conclusion to what he assumeth Reflect setiously vpon these different propositions of the Dominicans and Iesuits and you shall find them contradictories and so impossible to inflow into one Conclusion true or false by any lawfull consequence For ex nihilo nihil and contradictories annihilate one the other Now this proposition God foresees nothing but what be decrees is in effect equiualent to this God decrees all that he foresees Againe God decrees not all things as ratione materiae equipollent to this God decrees not something which be foresees for the question being stated of things future or which shal be both sides grant that God foresees them the difference betweene them is hâ—w he foresees them Now let any man commit the two propositions as ioynt premises and see whether from that complexion or commission the Socinian conclusion can any way result Nay you shall find it generally true which I haue said That two Contradictions can neuer ioyne in any such commission to produce a third proposition as truly consequent from them but see them now committed and obserue how ready and obuious the Conclusion will be which the Socinians draw from them Dominicans God foreseeth nothing but what he decrees Iefuits God doth not decree all things Socin Ergo God doth not foresee all things In what mood and figure Logician But what Socinian syllogizing is this to ioyne two propositions of contrary doctrines and repugnant in themselues in one formall complexion of premises and out of those to inferre the conclusion Is it wonder if of so monstrous a coniunction of premises a prodigious conclusion be brought forth the conclusion being the naturall issue of the premises Might he not aswell conclude from two propositions the one of Catholiques the other of Arrians in like manner thus Cath. The Sonne is consubstantiall with the Father Arr. The Father is greater then the Sonne Socin The Sonne is lesse and equall to his Father An obuious conclusion sayth the Socinian as though he would say Fairely encounterd and kisse it For out of this absurd conclusion he will further question whether there be any such thing as Father Sonne in
in any College of the Vniuersity The two former he should hold affirmatiue the third negatiue For according to all those who truly belieue there is a God all food and nourishment of bodies hath subsistence and being from him nay rather it is God that feedeth and nourisheth in all sortes of viands but in the way of Socinians God himselfe hath no subsistence according to whose principles all that concerneth God or Deity is doubtfull and vncertaine or only apparence and imagination But in this doubtfulnes imagination c. there is no reality or subsistence of truth what remaineth then of God and consequently what feeding remayneth but only vpon second Incentions vnreall notions c And certainely he may seeme very insatiable whome all that God is with him cannot satiate therefore he ought to be satisfied with second Intentions therefore he cannot in equity complaine if his Colledge send him to the Logick or Metaphysick Schooles to take vp his Commons in Notions and second Intentions Adde vnto this that it is directly against the first intention of the Founders of Colledges that any Socinian should haue Commons there therefore he must feed vpon second Intentions The Antecedent I proue for those Founders indowed their Colledges with meanes and maintenance only for such who belieue in God yea and in Christ too as themselues all belieued therefore it is contrary to their intentions which were real intentions that Socinians should haue any Commons there at all Ergo Chymara bombinans in vacuâ— debet comedere secundas intentiones His geering of Schoole-termes and Angells vpon the needles point SECT XXXV COncerning the place of Angels or the coexistency of more Angels in the same materiall place though much mâ—ght be said in a more high way of Theory Acroamatique abstractions and tenuity of Notions and sublimity of Speculation whereby I could shew that the man only raues and geeres his owne Ignorance yet both because I seeme now to know his diet that he feeds more grossely and also because he insinuates some weaknes of braine least I should be accessory to the vtter exterminating of his reason though it seemes to me a strange matter to exterminate or banish that which dwels no where as a Socinians reason hath no residence nor can indeed be resident any where a shrow'd property and adangerous obstacle to be interposed betweene any such pretendent and a Bishopricke or a Chaire yet I will not venture to perplexe him in such mazes and labyrinths of intricate subtilities Yet here I could not choose but wonder at the inconstancy of the man that he who professeth so much honour to Logick who relies vpon it with such confidence that he attributes more infallibility to Logick-rules then to the Church of God should so slight and auile second Intentions and Notions which either as mentall or vocall are the very style and idiome and mother-tongue of Logick For what other thing are Predicables and Predicaments Syllogismes and Enthememes Categoriques and Hypothetiques and the like Nay what one of all the seauen liberall Sciences can subsist or vphold it selfe in due honour or disuulgar it self without those proper and seuerall notions and termes of art And are the notions of Scholastique Diuinity the only notions that signify nothing What if they signify nothing to him that vnderstands them not do they cease by that to be significant If the Sunne in the clearest shine discouer no colours to the blind is it not therefore retectiue of colours to those that vse eyes I would gladly know of him those notions or any of those in common vse of Catholique Schooles that signify nothing If he haue met with any such or rather any by him supposed such he might haue done well before he threw his Censure head long to aduise with the Doctour of the Chaire who would haue instructed him in their true signification whose patience and modesty of condescendence to this Aduocates Ignorance I cannot but take notice of who wold dissemble such adisparagement of his faculty in Schoole-diuinity and his vse of such termes and notions proper to such schooles Howsoeuer these are not the webs wherewith we pretend to eatch soules No. We rather employ S. Peters nets to this end to whome and the rest of the Apostles it was said Faciaâ—â— ves fieri piscateres hominum I will make you fishers of men which nets are the doctrines of Christian fayth and manners tyed to his chaire which are the nets indeed wherein not flyes but birds yea euen Eagles haue beene and are caught in euery Region vnder the sunne But the doctrines of Heretiques and disputes of Socinians are indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thin and weake cobwebs wherein only flies 2. Pet. 2. light and weake spirits instabiles anima irresolute soules are intangled and whom so taken in the webbe the skulking spider that all enuenoming spirit suddainly inuades kill 's with his poysonous doctrine For they are Heretiques and Socinians who hauing suck't from the most fragrant and soueraigne flowers of holy Scriptures the hony which they conuert to poyson spinne it out of their owne braines and bowel's their owne naturall reason and discourse and weaue it into nets wherwith to catch such soules But such nets are cast in vayne before the ey 's of birds those Orthodoxe spirits who fly aboue or euen through them carrying away together both the webbe and webster dissipating both into the ayre by discouering them And truly though all Heretiques may be called Spiders their doctrine Cobwebbs yet most of all Socinians with their not doctrines but doubts Vpon whom therefore were the Goddesse Minerua to pronounce againe sentence of execution she would not doome them to hang till they were dead no but as when she condemned her Emulatresse Arachne Viue quidem pende tamen improba dixit Liue but hang for the life of a Socinian is wholy pendant in opinions alway's hanging and no better worth You haue seene his purgation how effectually he hath vindicated his Deuines from the pretended Calumny euen so as I haue related but that in his very transition from this Paragraph he hath left behind him the impression of a Socinian pride Pref. But I haue too much honour'd saith he the poorenes of this detractation to take notice of it Answ Whence also as from many other the like traict's you may conceaue in what spring he hath washt his face who thinks he honours whersoeuer he daignes to take notice If content be riches he needs to purchase no more rich already and happy inough who doth so easily please himselfe only poore and vnhappy in this that he hath no riuall in his Authadie His Calumny and Fallacy concerning the declining of Protestancy intimated by his Aduersary SECT XXXVI HEnce he passeth from a pretended Calumny to not so much as a pretexible or colourable Accusation but somthing which he fallaciously phrazeth Accusation and is no such thing For what foole can thinke any man accuseth or
blameth that thing which no man can doubt but he wisheth Pref. Your other part sayth he of your Accusation strikes deeper and is more considerable and that tells vs that Protestancy waxeth weary of it selfe that the Professors of it they especially of greatest worth loue temper and moderation c. Answ Is this an Accusation Can his Aduersary possibly be conceaued to blame this Why then doth he so depraue the cleare sense of his Aduersaries words but only to make him odious euen to them whom he commends for their better inclination towards antiquity and truth for their temper and moderation Which simple relation of his Aduersary exhibited without all bitternes of speach or any offensiue style see how he exulcerates With what bitternes of a black Censure as though he had dip't his pen succo nigra loliginis or in felle amaritudinis in the gall of bitternes as S. Peter said to Simon Magus an Apostata from the Church of God and who after his Apostasy returning to his trade deluded many by his encharmed wing's of pride and imposture Heare his owne words after his Aduersaries euen as related by himself and as you are a louer of truth true iudgment take the paines to cōpare them Pref. Which scurrilous libell sayth he voyd of all truth discretion and honesty c. Answ And is not this indeed scurrilous railing void of all truth discretion and honesty For doth this man deserue to be speared or to be treated calmely who tempests so rudely who rides with so loose a bridle of passion or no bridle at all that he out-runs euen himself and self-knowne truth And yet after this he enter's into his Aduersaries bosome to rauish thence a concealed thought contrary to what his words carry before them and contrary to his very thought Pref. For did you conceaue sayth he such inclination of men of worth and learning to your party can any man imagine you would proclaime it and bid men take heed of it Answ I answere No he would not nor doth he any where bid them take heed of it but take notice of the vnsettled condition of all Heresy which either fall's further into Turcisme Socinianisme Atheisme c. as we see it hath in many part 's of the world which haue laps't from the Roman or else floates for euer turnes round as it were in an vncessant wheele of Error 's much like the wheele of Fortune and not a litle in conformity with that vntill they returne to the pillar of truth and partake the firmity and weight thereof from the spirit of truth which resides there whose speciall guift all stability and ballast of soules is without which they are as light as that chaffe which the vnquenchable fire shall burne or as that dust quem proijcit ventus à facie terrae But what wonder to returne thither whence we haue a litle digrest if he make a quite contrary construction of his Aduersaries words since he cannot belieue himselfe who hath so often belyed himselfe Pref. Sic notus Vlysses do we know the Iesuit's no better Ans Yes Aiax you know them and they you Pref. Are they turned preuaricator's against their owne cause Ans I am sure you are Take which cause you will and euen heere good Syr marke if he turne not preuaricator euen against himselfe Pref. Are they likely men to betray and expose their owne Agent 's Instruments and to awaken the eyes of Iealousy and to raise the clamour of the people against them Certainly your zeale to the Sea of Eome testified by your Fourth Vow of speciall Obedience to the Pope proper to your Order and your cunning carriage of all affaires for the greater aduantage and aduancement of that Sea are cleare demonstrations that if you had thought thus you would neuer haue said so Answ Heere before I passe any farther it will not be absurd I thinke to giue him a companion to couple him with Iohn Donne whose words in his booke which he hath entitled with his owne Name Pseudo-martyr are so like these of the Aduocate as if they had beene spit out of the same mouth Heare some passages of the Deans to this very purpose Psendom cap. 4. But all your labour is to vnderstand the present state of kingdoms and where any ouerture is giuen for the Popes aduantage or wherein any opposition or hinderance is interiected against his purposes And againe If they be as they say in their Constitutions but bacula senis the old mans staues the old man is the Pope they are bound to say once a weeke one masse to their Geuerals intention though they know not what it is And of this generall intention the center and basis is the aduancement of that Sea about which these Planetary monkes haue their course and reuolutions And yet more But the Iesuit's in this latter age haue found the vse of the compasse which is the Popes will c. They are more seuere maintainers and increaser's then any other of those doctrines of the Roman Church which we noted to beget this inclination that is to Martyrdom Thus far the Deane Answ Now would I know who exorcised these spirits Who forc't them by any torture to proclame these so high praises of their aduersaries what haue the Iesuit's deserued of these men that they should be so honoured by their testimonies aboue all other Orders or Professors of the Roman Catholique Church For at least to those who acknowledg subiection to the Roman Sea whose approbation without doubt they couet more then of any other they testify their supreme prayse and commendation For what more highly commendable in the iudgments of all such Catholique spirits then their so vigilant seruice and obedience to him whom they iointly belieue to be the Vicar of Christ What more admirably laudable then to be the staff of Christ Iesus in the hand of his Deputy on earth then to make the aduancement of his Church the Basis and Center of their intentions But then chiefly by what so commemorable merit of their Order towards these men mere aliens strangers to them can they haue deserued those diuine Elogies Encomions fitter to be celebrated in the honour of the Apostles themselues to whom indeed they are most due and proper The Iesuit's must needs blush to heare themselues so dignified as to be called Planetary monkes or which is all one Apostolicall monkes for these Planetary monkes wander no whither but whither they are sent with the same commission of the Apostles establish't by those words Euntes in mundum vniuersum c. going into the whole world preach this Ghospell c. And he was sure a Planetary monke 1. Cor. 4. who said of himselfe and his Coapostles instabiles sumus we haue no setled habitation Now for these Planets to haue their courses and reuolutions about the same center with the Apostles the aduancement of the Church and Ghospell of Christ is so high a point
of glory and dignity that the Apostles themselues aspired to no higher Now would I know I say againe who made these penâ— their ennemies trumpets Or who blew them or plaid them to what tune he listed Are they not asham'd of such preuarication But you may pardon them they did it against their will 's they had no such interition in a word digitus Dei hic est they were exorcised Nor haue we cause to glory they will say If we prays'd you with truth's yet we pepperd you with lyes Thus hath this couple preuaricated as you see vnwittingly and vnwillingly True which may be their Apology for any good they do for any Catholique Profession at any tyme A Comicall a Parmenian beneuolence Plus hodie boni feci imprudens quà m sciens anto hunc diem vmquam I haue done more good to day vnawares then euer I did wittingly in my life As for any preuarication of his Aduersary if his words offer a preuaricating sense that is disaduantagious to the writers cause it is an ordinary lapse a very vsuall ouersight as not to obserue all aduantages in the speach or writing of other men so not to foresee or auoid all disaduantages in his owne I assure my selfe he pretends no exemption from the common condition of mortality 〈…〉 which is incertae prouidentia nostra failing of prouidence and caution in many things wherin naturall sagacity of wit or iudgment carries the torch if he haue neither swaru'd from the prescript of Fayth nor Charity If otherwise he haue incurred some disaduantage I verily thinke he will be content rather to seeme lesse prouident then so cunning a dissembler as this Aduersary would make him Notwithstanding the ground of this preuarication layd by this Aduocate is indeed an vntruth of his owne which is this that Pref. As the Samaritan's saw in the disciples countenance that they meant to goe to Hierusalem so you pretend sayth he that it is euen legible in the forehead 's of thâ—se men that they are euen going nay making hast to Rome Answ This had beene preuarication indeed but they are the words which this shameles Atturney infoist's and masketh in a different Character as continued in his Aduersaries discourse and as his words who hath no such Now for that latent or pretexed meaning or intention which this Aduocate this Politique-would-be would seeme to haue decipher'd in his Aduersaries writing it is altogether as improbable as the interpretation is malicious whereby while he pretends to free him from one preuarication much lesse he endeauours to winde him into a greater For what greater Preuarication indeed or what folly more disaduantagious to his cause then to haue gone about to seeme angry yea enraged as this Interpreter intimates against those whose approaches to Catholique Religion in some exterior expressions he describes Sic notus Vlysses Was euer Aiax more mystaken in Vlysâ—es euen then when he raued with madnes Was there any pollicy to endeauour to alienate such men of that temper and moderation yea and learning too to staue them off to beat them from the doores whose reentrance into the house he couets aboue all things O yes forsooth Pref. You foresaw your tyme of preuailing or euen subsisting would be short if other Aduersaries gaue you no more aduantage then these do Answ O Policy beyond the moone We are more likely to preuaile with such or subsist by such who wish vs all extirpated whose daily outcries for so many yeares haue by all meanes endeauoured to awake the Lawes who attempt daily to raze out all monuments and memory of Catholique Religion who are so far from brooking the name of sesuit that they are enemies to the name of Iesus all impressions of which they would deface both in print and picture With these we can hope to preuaile by these subsist rather then with men of temper and moderation as though all aduantages which gaue vs argument or matter to write though we write in our owne bloud were our greatest booty and content O grosse Policy but O witty discoueryl though to find it out where it lurk't vnder a pretended folly of preuarication Sic notus Vlysses as very a Vlysses as he was this slye Aduocate this Palamedes hath detected him Now all the wit of antique and moderne discoueries huic herbam porrigito palmam date yield primacy to this Battus into an Iudex or Touchstone is a stale and fabled metamorphosis sub illis Montibus inquit erant erant sub montibus illis They were there vnder those hill's quoth he and so they were Here is a Battus who hath discouered what was neuer hid hath exposed to publique view the inuisible Eele And hath not the man reason to glory in this discouery Iudge you whether he hath or no And in further conformation of his owne perswasion that he hath indeed found out the Nilus-head retected his Aduersaries drift's and policy and layd them open to the world that no man can doubt but it is the very meaning of the riddle which this Oedipus hath read heare how conuincingly he argues it Pref. out of the sillinesse and poorenesse of his Aduersaries suggestions and partly the apparent vanity and falshood of them So he Answ But he might haue done well to haue told vs in particular what he charged with falshood But we must be content with what he can do He can tell vs something is false but what he cannot tell nor will he particularize of purpose that the Reader may apply this confuse and vndetermined imputation to any particular as he pleaseth and withall suspect all Heare now his solid confutation of those silly suggestions Pref. What if out of Deuotion towards God out of a desire that his should be worhipped as in spirit and truth in the first place so also in the beauty of holynes what if out of feare that too much simplicity and nakednes in the publique seruice of God may beget in the ordinary sort of men a dull and stupid irreuerence c. I say what if out of these considerations the gouernors of our Church more of late then formerly haue set theÌ„selues to adorne and beautisy the places where Gods honour dwels and to make them as heauenly as they can with earthly ornaments is this a signe they are warping towards Popery Answ To all which I answere what if his Aduersary blame none of all these either things or considerations but rather like them well What if he inferre out of all this no such matter as any reall or intended approach to the Roman Church No it is manifest inough what he inferr's which is that which writes and expresseth in words plaine inough that Protestancy is subiect to perpetuall changes And in a more generall way he infers the powerfull working of truth which will infallibly in tyme become victorious The reason because all truth hath existence and subsistence from and in God it is his Word wheras error and
Canonicall Word Therfore I hope I shall do him no wrong in thinking he had a purpose to consecrate his Motiues by a mystery of number I shall also make bold to conceaue him so learned as to know the great vertue and efficiency which not only the Schoole of Pithagoras but the retyâ—ing Cabalists and learned Rabbius yea the holy Fathers themselues attribute to numbers and euen namely to this number of Ten. Whence I will imagine he had here regard to the Decalogue of Diuine Commaundements in conformity to which he proposed to himselfe his Decalogue of Motiues Perhaps he considered with all the reward of such man whose integrity of obseruance and obedience to those Commaund's should receaue singali denarium which denarius diurnus Anagogically vnderstood is life euer lasting that one entire day of Eternity vninterrupted by night or intermission of happines And this Decalogist may haue cause to feare though other cares at this tyme by land and water diuert his feare or imploy it otherwise least at the numbring and counting day this very Decalogue may be obiected against him Nonne ex denarie connenisti mecum Was not your agreement with the Catholique Church ex denariâ— out of your owne Decalogue of Motiues But now he saith he repents the bargaine There was also to be considered in this number a mystery of congruity NoeÌ„ was the tenth Generation of man NoeÌ„ signifieth Rest. So in the tenth Motiue it seemes this Moueable intended to rest and moue no further as all motion's render themselues to some terme of rest vnlesse you will except the Circular and the motion of such men who moue in a Circle of whome the Prophet Psal 11. Jud. in circuitu impij ambulant Wicked men walke in a Circle and as those cloud ' of which S. Iude nubes sine aquâ quae à ventis circumferuntur dry cloud 's without all moisture of diuine Grace as * Socinians those who haue no Grace so much as in their Catechisme what more dry and Graceles cloud 's then they these are hurried round omni vente dectrinae with euery blast and change of doctrine whose Religion hath no residence Ephes 4. And such a one is he who hauing arriued to the truth by ten step 's or Motiues by ten I say the pause and period of number falls back and begin's a new account Semper ad vsque decem numero crescente venitur Because denarius est omnis numerus sayth the learned Mirandula the tenth is all number for thus farre his march and motion was as the progresse of the iust in the path of light Prousâ—b â— Iustorum sâ—mitae quasilux splendens procedit crescit vsque ad perfectum diem the path of iust men as a shinning light proceed's increase's still vntill the noone or perfect day This noon-day or perfect day is the terme period of this progresse this that denarius diurnus the day of diuine Truth as obscurely reuealed to be belieued in this life to be enioyed in the next in the clarity of blissifull vision For this tenth of euerlasting day is the place and residence of the eternall Beatitude of mankind of which S. Austin Attende Serm. de decimit quod creatura decima inter intellectuales creatur as est homo quia Angeli in nouem ordinibus consistunt decimus verò ordo est hominum Obserue that man is the tenth in number of intellectuall creatures for there are nine orders of Angels the tenth order is of men Now this vnhappy man after much study I doubt not and paines taken in the search of truth and Religion hauing now happily aduanc't his progresse Motiues to this number of Perfection and to the hope of communion with Angelicall Hierarchies euen there and then like vnto Lot's wife or the fabulous Orpheus transgre'st the couenant and look't back ibi omnis effusus labor There all the labor was lost or as the Greeke prouerbe hath it Hydria in foribus the pitchard broken in the very entry or threshold And now the mystery of the sacred number fouly betrayed of those ten goodly Motiues nothing remaines to him the Mouer but the number the soule and spirit now departed they moue no more then a carcasse and may therefore not vnfiâ—ly carry before them in their title Nos numerus sumus We are a number Yet euen these though vnnaturally massacr'ed by him who gaue them light Natis sepulchrum Notwithstanding may perhap's reuiued to lfie be Motiues againe and mooue others who will entertaine them though their pittilesse Parent hath cast them off And because I conceaue this resurrection may be atchieued without a miracle I will presume to attempt it though weakly a stronger spirit will performe it more effectually 1. Motiues 2. Remotiues 3. Promotiues or Replicants I. Motiue BEcause perpetuall visible profession which could neuer be wanting to the Religion of Christ nor any part of it is apparently wanting to Protestant Religion so farre as concernes the points in contestation I. Remotiue God hath mayther deoâ—eed nor foretold that his true doctrine should de facto be alwayes visibly professed without any mixture of falshood I. Promotiue or Replicant If by this restrictiue de facto you vnderstand that such visible profession of vnmixt or pure Truth was only so decreed or foretold that de iure it should be so that is of right there ought to be alwayes visible profession of true doctrine without any mixture of falshood but that de facto such vnmixt doctrine to be so professed indeed was nether decreed nor foretold Against this I reply in behalf of your Motiue This were no Priuiledge at all of the Christian Church for de iure of right not only the Church but the Synagogue too was so make profession of true doctrine without mixture of falshood Nay de iure euen the Gentiles should haue worshi'pt God according to truth without falshood and those Philosophers should haue taught the truth which they vnderstood concerning God without mixture of vntruth for the contrary of which they are coÌ„demned by S. Paul Rom. 1. What was then the effect and intent of the spirit of truth so sent as to continue to the end of the world in the Church of Christ Was it only to impose a duty and obligation vpon the Church to teach truth without falshood And was the Church to be Columna veritaetis the pillar of 〈◊〉 de iure only not de faâ—â—o Who can safely leaue or rely vpon that Pillar which only should stand but may as well fall as stand Was this the purchase that cost the dearest bloud of the Sonne of God a duty only and a deeper damnation of the Church not corresponding with this duty Was this the loue of Christ Iesus Ephes 5. towards his dearest spouse so great that he would dy for her to the end he might sanctify her and wash her in the lauer of water in his word that he might exhibit
to himselfe a glorious Church hauing neither spot nor wrinkle nor any such thing And is all this come at length to a de iure not de facto to a what should be only not a what is And is this that state of beauty no lesse permanent then spotles wherein tyme which withers and wrinkles all the beauty of fields ' and flowers ' aruit foenum cecidit flos should cause no fading or impayring because 1. Pet. 1. Verbum Domini manet in aeternum that word of truth is euerlasting which as the forme and soule of beauty in this glorious spouse should neuer abandon her Now doth Christ Iesus thus sanctify his Spouse or no hath he purchast her this permanent Beauty or no If no then is he frustrate of his designe which was to espouse vnto himselfe a Church which should de facto indeed not deiure of duty only be euer Holy for though it be placed in the particular choice of euery single man to be holy or no thus and in such sort that no man is or shall be holy or vertuous of force or against his wil or not freely yet it is not in the particular choice or power of any particular man or men no nor in the malice of Hell it selfe to effect that Christ Iesus shall not haue a holy Church on earth euen to the worlds end For this was the intent of his precious death bloud-shed vt sanctificaret that he might de facto fanctify his Spouse that he might acquire vnto her a perpetuity of beauty not a duty only to preserue it And this intent can neuer be frustrate and yet it should be if the spouse of Christ should only of duty alwayes be holy but were not so indeed Or tell me is she spotlesse who should haue no spot's but hath them Is that a faire face which should be so and is not hath she no wrinkles who should haue none Rem But God hath neither decreed nor foretold that his true doctrine should de facto be alway's visibly profess't without any mixture of falshood Prom. What because he hath not foretold it to you who haue lost your eares of hearing or haue stop't them with humane reason or dwell too neere the Catadupa and the noise of waters or conuerse with bleating or bellowing cattle in fine haue your attention taken vp in the traffick care and tumult of earthly commodities that you cannot heare the musick of the Sphear's or the harmony of heauenly Truth And haue all men forfaited their eares since you haue beene deafe on the left eare or forgotten what you haue heard heretofore with the right But to other men it hath beene told and foretold in all the languages of the world they haue heard it foretold in those words of Esay Esay 35. Eterit ibi semita via via Sanctorum vocabitur hae erit vobisvia directa c. and this shall be a direct or straight way so that fooles shall not mistake it But Socinians are no simple fooles they may mistake it Now if this way be humane reason humanum est errare nothing human as such is exempt from error If the Scripture be this way the wisest may erre in interpreting it and then it is no way or at least not the way of Saints nor the true and straight way when a false interpretation hath distorted it But the doctrine of the Church is that Via Sanctorum the way of Saints wherein the spirit of truth residing according to promise interprets holy Scriptures which then becoms a way and a straight way wherin a Foole shall not erre 1. Cor. 3. Ibid. a Foole I say who hath made himself a foole that he may be made wise by Christian wisedom which is folly to the world and to Socinianisme as the wisedom of the world and Socinian Reason is madnes and folly to God and Christian Religion Againe they haue heard foretold in those words of our Sauiour Math. 28. 16. Ecce ego vobiscum sum c. and those other Et portae tuferi non praualebunt aduersus eam the power of hell shall not preuaile against it the preseruation of the Church of God from error of doctrine from all falshood of heresy They vnderstand it decreed by God Ephes and foretold by S. Paul Et ipse dedit quosdam Apostoles alios prophet as c. ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerij which worke of ministery necessarily supposeth visibility of the Ministers and ministred in adificationem corporis Christi for the edifying or building vp the body of Christ which is his Church the members whereof being to accede throughout all ages to this mysticall body by the Visible ministery of those Visible ministers Prelates Teachers and Gouernours inferre a necessity of true doctrine visibly taught or to be taught them by those their Prelates without which truth of doctrine they could not be the regenerate issue of the spirit of Truth They haue likewise heard the Church of God called by S. Paul 1. Tim. 1. Domus Deiviui columna firmamâ—ntum Veritatis the house of the liuing God the pillar and proppe of truth Of the house of God it is said Domum tuam decet sanctitudo Domine Psalm 92. in longitudinem dierum sanctitude becomes thy house O Lord for euer which fanctitude consistes in the rectitude of the vnderstanding and will of man rectified by truth of doctrine both in fayth and manners Ibid. And this is sure that visible house wherin S. Timothy was to be wary and to know how to conuerse for the edification and example of others who should be eye-witnesses and eare-witnesses of his doings and sayings This Church is also the pillar and proppe of Truth which proppe or pillar surely shall stand while truth hath need of a proppe which shall be in order to mankind while man is mortall obnoxious to errour and lapse in question of diuine truth To this pillar of Truth Isa 59. Johan 14.16 Johan 16.13 the spirit of God is by speciall Couenant tied to the worlds end or is himself this pillar of Truth and that spirit of truth which shall teach the Church and by the Church omnem veritatem all truth that is all necessary truth which necessary truth certainly excludes all falshood in doctrine of fayth and manners which are the points in contestation between the Catholicks and Protestants All this and much more the Fathers and Doctors of the Catholique Church haue heard and belieued as foretold and decreed by God concerning the Visible profession of true doctrine in the Church of Christ without any mixture of falshood and the continuance of such Visible Profession de facto not de iure only Nor if you can glosse these Scriptures to anothersense shall they cease for that to tell vs this truth to whom the Catholique Church doth so interpret them and who as sonnes of obedience haue learned to turne the
that I doubt you will reiect or deride what I shall propose concerning the Diuels ordinary missions Otherwise I should hope to moue you to belieue that the Diuels Apostles doindeed belieue the Diuell and execute his charges and commaunds in preaching false Doctrines And as S. Paul could say Sâ—io cui credidi I know whom I haue belieued so could Luther that he was not God whom he belieued may partly appeare by that his ingenuous acknowledgment so notoriously celebrated Nec propter Deum incepi nec propter DeuÌ„definam I began not for God nor will I end for God For as the spirit of God yea and holy Angels haue their seeret immissions influxions impulsions vpon the soules of good Christians and worke them by degrees to conformity of their vnderstandings and wils to theirs in such sort that those holy Conformists deserue themselues to be called Angels as we read of S. Baptist and others by reason also of which Conformity it is said in generall termes qui adharet Deo vnus spiritus fit cum eo he who cleaueth to God becomes one spirit with him so hath the Diuell his ordinary immissions illusions and suggestions into a foule which deadly sinne wrought vp at length to the ripenes of some desperate heresy or infidelity hath opened vnto him and deliuered him the keyes of the hart and all the doores of senses who forthwith takes possession and reuels there commaunds as in his owne vntill at last by his daily and customary instigations suggestions and illusions he hath affected the like Conformity of iudgment and affection and bringeth such a man to so neare a resemblance and similitude of himselfe that he may worthily be called a Diuell as Iudas was by our Sauiour Nonâ—e ego res elegi duodecim rnus exvobis diabolus est I haue read a sentence of Trismâ—gisâ—us to this purpose Quandâ— damon in hâ—manam insâ—uit animam semina propria notiouis inspergit when the Diuell inflow's into the soule of a man he spawnâ—â— the seeds of his proper notion there and who can expect from such seed or spawne any other but a Diuellesh frye which shall resemble the parent in notions and affections and shall therefore execute his will not as aliud agentes or praeter intentionem not intending it as the Diuell oftentymes executes Gods will but with the very same intention and affection as our Sauiour not obscurely teacheth Vos quae vidistis apud Patrem vestrum facitis Ioan 8. you do as you haue seene and learned of your father And againe Vos facitis opera Patrisvestri you do the workes of your father and that they do them willingly purposely intendingly he expresseth more plainely in the words following Vos ex Patre Diabolo estis desideria Patris vestri vultis facere the Diuell is your father and you will accomplish his desires Now certainly if euer he had an obsequious child or seruant with whom he might deale confidently and openly not couertly perswading one thing and intending another Luther was the man in whom he might confide Theolog. Tigur Confest Germ. Hospinian histor Sacrament and who would run whither he would bid him goe and preach on the top of the howse what he had learned of him in his Closet and that de facto he taught false and reprobate doctrines the most learned Protestants testify These things put togeather and confidered that the Diuell is the author of lyes that he hath his false Prophets by whome he preacheth them for truths that he hath them at his commauÌ„d c. we haue reason to make the Diuels disswading the Masse and his perswading Luther to preach against it some probable Motiue as you heretofore to persist in the receaued doctrine of the Church rather then to be perswaded by the Diuell to the contrary doctrine of Protestants Rem Or the Diuell might perswade Luther from the Masse hoping that others would make his disswasion from it an argument for it as we see Papists do and be afraid of following Luther as confessing himselfe to haue beene perswaded by the Diuell Prom. You indeere the Diuell still more and more by the honour you do him First you haue made him an Apostle and preacher of true Christian doctrine as you suppose it and now you make him also a true Prophet who foresaw the Catholiques would not belieue his doctrine and so would persist in their former beliefe They do not belieue him indeed nor you who teach the same doctrine which the Diuell did And I hope Syr you will pardon our scruple our scruple I say to belieue the Diuell rather then the Catholique Church If you do not pardon vs this indifferent men will thinke you vnreasonable who expect we should pardon you who make a scruple to belieue the Church rather then the Diuell What would you haue vs do You know Syr according to the principles of Sceptiques and Soctuians opinions are carried to and fro vpon the wheeles of affections some men are more scrupulous then others and some make a scruple of one thing some of another as they are diuersly affected towards she matter of their scruples Catholiques for this is a Catholique scruple not flowing from any single or particular fancy stand affected towards the iudgment of the Catholique Church therefore according to the Sceptique way of Philosophers they make a scruple to follow the diuells doctrine and to fly from the doctrine of the Churchâ— you out of a contrary affection make a scruple to relinquish the Diuells doctrine to follow the Church Quot capitum viuunt totidem studiorum Millia Well Syr you may liue to remember you had a faire warning giuen you by your self to take heed of following him who professeth himselfe to follow the Diuell So this eight Motiue staÌ„ds yet in force and may moue others yea and will one day I dare say moone you too at least to a Phrygian repentance IX Motiue Because the Protestant cause is now and hath byn from the beginning maintained with grosse falsifications and calumnies whereof their prime Controuersy-writers are noteriously and in a high degree guilty IX Remotiue Iliaâ—â—s intra â—â—tres peccatur extra Papist's are more guilty of this then the Protestants Euen this very Author in this very Pamphlet hath not so many leaâ—es at falsications and calumnias IX Promotiue To this ninth Remotiue I know some will say Iliacâ—s intra mures mentitur extra Within and without the Treian or Roman wall 's he doth the same thing he deserues the whetstone in his owne iudgment and therfore he giues and takes it to himselfe as is manifest by the Paralell of his Motiues and Remotiues in those within in these without the wall 's Let vs first declare what we vnderstand by falsifications the same which you no doubt vnderstood in your Motiue when it moued you that is testimonies or authorities of Scriptures Fathers c. falsely alleaged Sentences or doctrines of