doe First their prerogatiues they giue to Peter are blasphemous Secondly their allegations to proue that their Popes succeede as full heires to all Peters prerogatiues are ridiculous Whence it must needes follow that their faith is but a compost of folly blasphemy This pretended perpetuity of tradition or suspitious tale of succession from Peter is the best warrant they haue the Church doth not erre in expounding the places alleadged for her infallability and their beliefe of their infallibility in such expositions the onely security their soules can haue that obeying the former decree of worshipping the consecrate host of cōmunicating vnder one kind they doe not contemptuously disobey Gods principall lawes mangle Christs last Will and Testament vilifie his pretious body and bloud Seeing then they themselues confesse the places brought by vs against their decrees to be diuine and we haue demonstrated that mens beliefe of that infallible authority in making such decrees to bee merely humane the former conclusion is most firme that whilest men obey these decrees against that naturall sense and meaning which the former passages of scripture suggest so plainly to euery mans conscience that the Churches pretended authority set aside none would euer question whether they could admit any restraint they obey men more then God humane lawes more then diuine and much better belieue the traditions of humane fancy of whose forgery for others worldly gaine there bee strong presumptions then the expresse written testimony of the holy spirit in the especiall points of their owne saluation 12 Or if vnto the testimony of Gods spirit recorded in Scriptures wee adde history tradition Councels or former Popes decrees or whatsoeuer possibly may be pretended to proue the present Popes authority it must still bee supposed greater better knowne then all that can be brought for it or against it as will appeare if we apply our argument vsed before That authority is alwayes greater which may trie all others and must bee tried by none but such is the Popes declaration or determination of all points in controuersie whether about the canon or sence of Scriptures ouer those which are brought for it whether about the truth true meaning or authority or vnwrittē traditions whether about the lawfulnes of councels or their authentique interpretations in one word his determinations are monarchical may not be examined as S. Austen or others of the ancient fathers writings may by any law written or vnwritten So Bellarmine suteable to the Trent Councell expresly auoucheth The Fathers were onely Doctors or expositors the Pope is a iudge What then is the difference betweene a Iudge and an expositor To explane as a Iudge there is required authority to explane as a Doctor or expositor onely learning is requisite For a Doctor doth not propose his sentence as necessary to bee followed but onely so farre as reason shal councell vs but a Iudge proposeth his sentence to bee followed of necessity Whereof then will the Pope bee Iudge Of expounding Scriptures these places of Scripture which make for his pretended authority Must his sentence herein of necessity be followed By Bellarmine it must albeit wee see no reason for it either out of Scripture or nature It is for Doctors to bring reasons for their expositions but the Pope needs not except hee will nor may wee exact it of a Iudge So hee addes more expresly We admit not of Bartolus or Baldus glosses as wee doe of Empecours declarations Austine and other Fathers in their Commentaries supply the places of Teachers but the Councell and Popes exercise the function of Iudges whereunto God hath designed them But how shall we know that God hath committed all iudgement vnto them seeing wee haue beene taught by his word that hee hath committed all iudgement vnto his sonne Because all men should honour the sonne as they honour the father We reade not of any other to whom the like authority is giuen by God or his sonne yet of one whose very name shall import the vsurpation of like authority that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christs Vicar generall vnto whom the Sonne as must bee supposed doth deligate the same iudiciary power the Father deligated vnto him 13. But may a Princes declaration in no case be examined by his subiects Yes though in ciuill matters it may so farre as it concernes their consciences as whether it be consonant to Gods word or no whether it make more for the health of their soules to suffer what it inflicts vpon the refusers or to act what it commands To controle contermaund or hinder the execution of it by opposition of violence or contrary ciuill power subiects may not But for any but man to vsurpe such dominion ouer his fellow creatures soules as earthly Princes haue ouer their subiects goods lands or bodies is more then Monarchicall more then tyrannical the very Idea of Antichristianisme And what I would commend vnto the Reader as a point of especiall consideration this assertion of Bellarmine concerning the Popes absolute authoritie directly proues him as was auouched before to be a supreame head or foundation of the selfe same ranke and order with Christ no way inferiour to him in the intensiue perfection but onely in the extent of absolute soueraigntie For greater soueraignty cannot be conceiued then this That no man may examine the truth or equity of commands or consequences immediately deriued from it though immediatly concerning their eternall ioy or miserie No Prince did euer deligate such soueraigne power to his Vice gerent or deputy nor could he vnlesse for the time being at least he did vtterly relinquish his owne supreame authority or admit a full compere in his kingdome Bellarmines distinctions of a primary and secondary foundation of a ministeriall and principall head of the Church may hence he described to be but meere stales set to catch guls Their conceit of the Popes copartnership with Christ is much better resembled and more truly expressed by the Poets imaginations of Iupiter and Augustus Caesars fraternity Diuisum imperium cum Iove Caesar habet Ioue and Caesar are Kings and Gods But Ioue of heauen that 's the onely ods That Christ should retaine the title of the supreame head ouer the Church militant and the realitie of supremacie ouer the Church triumphant ouer aduersaries are not offended Because there is small hope of raising any new tribute from the Angels and Saints in heauen to the Romish churches vse and as little feare that Christ should take any secular commodity from it which aunciently it hath enioyed 14. But though it were true that we were absolutely bound to obey an absolute Monarchie of whose right none doubts yet may we examine whether euery Potentate that challengeth Monarchicall iurisdiction ouer others or giues forth such insolent edicts in ciuill matters as the Pope doth in spirituall do not goe beyond his authority in these particulars albeit his lawfull prerogatiues in respect of others be
for the Churches proposall we iointly beleeue for God speaking eyther in his written word or by tradition Yet if a man should haue asked him why he did or how possibly hee could infallibly beleeue that God did speake all the words eyther contayned in the Bible or in their traditions he must haue giuen eyther a womans answere because God spâ—ke them or this because our holy mother the Church doth say so For elsewhere he plainly auowes the Bookes of Canonicall Scripture need not be beleeued without the Churches proposall whose infallible authority was sufficiently knowne before one title of the New Testament was written and were to be acknowledged though it had neuer beene hee plainly confesseth withall that hee could not beleeue the Scriptures taught some principall Articles of faith most firmely beleeued by him vnlesse the churches authoritie did thereto moue him against the light of naturall reason Now if for the churches proposall hee beleeue that which otherwise to beleeue he had no reason at al but rather strong inducements to the contrarie as stedfastly as any other truth the Churches infallibilitie must be the true and only cause both why he beleeues the mystery proposed and distrusts the naturall dictates of his conscience to the contrary In fine hee doth not beleeue there is a Trinitie for in that Article is his instance because God hath said it but hee beleeues that God hath said it because his infallible Mother the Church doth teach it This is the misery of miseries that these Apostates should so bewitch the World as to make it thinke they beleeue the Church because God speakes by it when it is euident they doe not beleeue God but for the Churches testimonie well content to pretend his authority that her own may seeme more soueraigne Thus make they their superstitious groundlesse magical faith but as a wrench to wrest that principle of nature Whatsoeuer God saith is true to countenance any villany they can imagine as will better appeare hereafter But first the Reader must be content to be informed that by some of their tenents the same Diuine reuelations may be assented vnto by the Habite either of Theologie or of faith both which are most certaine but herein different That the former is discursiue and resembles science properly so called the latter not so but rather like vnto that habite or faculty by which we perceiue the truth of generall Maximes or vnto our bodily sight which sees diuers visibles all immediately not one after or by another Whilst some of them dispute against the certainty of priuate spirits their aguments suppose Diuine reuelations must be beleeued by the Habite of Theology which is as a sword to offend vs. Whiles we assault them and vrge the vnstabilitie of their resolutions they fly vnto the non discursiue Habite of faith infused as their best buckler to ward such blowes as the Habite of Theologie cannot beare off 6 Not heere to dispute eyther how truly or pertinently they denie faith infused to be a discursiue habite the Logicall Reader need not I hope my admonition to obserue that faith or beleefe whether habituall or actuall vnlesse discursiue cannot possibly bee resolued into any praeexistent Maxime or principle From which grant this emolument will arise vnto our cause that the Churches authoritie cannot be proued by any diuine reuelation or portion of Scripture seeing it is an Article of faith and must be beleeued eodem intuitu with that Scripture or part of Gods word whether written or vnwritten that teacheth it as light and colours are perceiued by one and the same intuition in the same instant And by this assertion we could not so properly say wee beleeue the diuine reuelation because we beleeue the church nor doe we see colours because we see the light but wee may truly say that the obiects of our faith diuine reuelations are therefore actually credible or worthy of beleefe because the infallible Church doth illustrate or propose them as the light doth make colours though invisible by night visible by day This similitude of the light and colours is not mine but Sacroboscus whom in the point in hand I most mention because Doctor Whittakers Obiections against their Churches Doctrine as it hath beene deliuered by Bellarmine and other late controuersers hath enforced him clearely to vnfold what Bellarmine Stapelton and Valentian left vnexpressed but is implicitely included in all their writings But ere we come to examine the ful incoÌ„ueniences of their opinions I must request the Reader to obserue that as oft as they mention resolution of faith they meane the discursiue habite of Theologie For al resolution of beleefe or knowledge essentially includes discourse And Bellarmine directly makes Sacroboscus expressely auoucheth the Churches authority the medius terminus or true cause whence determinate conclusions of faith are gathered From which and other equiualent assertions acknowledged by all the Romanists this day liuing it will appeare that Valentian was eyther very ignorant himselfe or presumed hee had to deale with very ignorant aduersaries when he denyed that the last resolution of Catholique faith was into the Churches authoritie which comes next in place to be examined CHAP. III. Discouering eyther the grosse ignorance or notorious craft of the Iesuite in denying his faith is finally resolued into the Churches veracity or infallibility that possibly it cannot bee resolued into any branch of the first truth 1 IT were a foolish question as Caietan sayeth Valentian hath well obserued if one should aske another why he beleeues the first truth reuealing For the assent of faith is finally resolued into the first truth It may bee Caietan was better minded towardes Truth it selfe first or secondary then this Iesuite was which vsed his authority to colour his former rotten position That the Churches proposall by their doctrine is not the cause of faith but our former distinction betweene belief it selfe it obiect often confounded or between Gods word indefinitely and determinately taken if well obserued will euince this last reason to be as foolish as the former assertion was false No man sayeth he can giue any reason besides the infallibility of the Reuealer why hee beleeues a diuine Reuelation It is true no man can giue nor would any aske why wee beleeue that which wee are fully perswaded as a diuine Reuelation But yet a reason by their positions must bee giuen why we beleeue eyther this or that truth any particular or determinat portion of Scripture to be a diuine reuelation Wherefore seeing Christian faith is alwayes of definite and particular propositions or conclusions and as Bellarmine sayeth and all the Papists must say these cannot be known but by the Church As her infallible proposall is the true and proper cause why wee belieue them to bee infallibly true because the onely cause whereby wee can belieue them to bee diuine reuelations so must it bee the essentiall principle into which our assent or
recordes and declarations written or vnwritten to be most authentique they cannot be certaine whether euer there had beene such an Emperour as they plead succession from or at least how farre his Dominions extended or where they lay This manner of plea in secular controuersies would be a meane to defeate him that made it For albeit the Christian World did acknowledge there had beene such an Emperour and that many parts of Europe of right belonged vnto his lawfull heire Yet if it were otherwise vnknowne what parts these were or who this heire should bee no Iudge would be so mad as finally to determine of eyther vpon such motiues Or if the Plaintiffe could by such courses as the World knowes oft preuaile in iudgement or other gracious respects effect his purpose hee were worse then madde that could thinke the finall resolution of his right were into the Emperours last will and testament which by his owne confession no man knowes besides himselfe and not rather into his owne presumed fidelitie or the Iudges apparant partialitie So in this controuersie whatsoeuer the Pope may pretend from Christ all in the end comes to his owne authority which wee may safely beleeue herein to bee most infallible that it will neuer prooue partiall against it selfe or define ought to his Holinesse disaduantage 10 Here againe it shall not be amisse to admonish yonger Students of another gull which the Iesuite would put vpon vs to make their Churches doctrine seeme lesse abominable in this point lest you should thinke they did aequalize the authority of the Church with diuine reuelations Valentian would perswade you it were no part of the formall obiect of faith It is true indeed that the Churches authority by their doctrine is not comprehended in the obiect of belieefe whilest it onely proposeth other Articles to bee beleeued No more is the Sunne comprehended vnder the obiects of our actuall sight whilest we behold colours or other visibles by the vertue of it But yet as it could not make colours or other things become more visible vnto vs vnlesse it selfe were the first and principall visible that is vnlesse it might bee seene more clearely then those things which wee see by it so wee would direct our sight vnto it so would it bee impossible the Churches infallible proposal could make a Romane Catholikes beliefe of Scriptures or their orthodoxal sense the stronger vnlesse it were the first and principall credible or primary obiect of his beliefe or that which must bee most clearely most certainely and most sted fastly belieued so as all other Articles besides must be belieued by the beliefe or credibility of it This is most euident out of Sacroboscus and Bellarmines resolution or explication of that point how the Churches proposall confirmes a Roman Catholiques beliefe To giue this doctrine of their Churches infallibility the right title according to the truth it is not an Article of Catholike beleefe but a Catholike Axiome of Antichristian vnbeliefe which from the necessary consequences of their assertions more strictly to be examined will easily appeare CHAP. IIII. What maner of causall dependance Romish beleefe hath on the Church that the Romanist truly and properly beleeues the Church onely not God or his word 1 THe 2. main assertions of our aduersaries whence our intended conclusion must be proued are these often mentioned heretofore First that wee cannot be infallibly perswaded of the truth of Scriptures but by the Churches proposall Secondly that without the same wee cannot bee infallibly perswaded of the true sense or meaning of these scriptures which that Church and we both belieue to be Gods word How wee should know the Scriptures to be Gods word is a probleme in Diuinity which in their iudgement cannot be assoiled without admission of Traditions or diuine vnwritten verities of whose extent and meaning the Church must be infallible Iudge It is necessary to saluation saith Bellarmine that wee know there bee some bookes diuine which questionlesse cannot by any meanes be knowne by Scriptures For albeit the Scriptures say that the Books of the Prophets or Apostles are diuine yet this I shall not certainely belieue vnlesse I first belieue that Scripture which saith thus is diuine For so wee may read euery where in Mahomets Alcoran that the Alcoran it selfe was sent from heauen but wee belieue it not Therefore this necessary point that some Scripture is diuine cannot sufficiently be gathered out of Scriptures alone Consequently seeing faith must rely vpon Gods word vnlesse wee haue God word vnwritten we can haue no faith His meaning is wee cannot know the Scriptures to be diuine but by Traditions and what Traditions are diuine what not wee cannot know but by the present visible Church as was expresly taught by the same Author before And the finall resolution of our belieuing what God hath said or not said must bee the Churches authority To this collection Sacroboseus thus farre accords Some Catholiques reiected diuers Canonicall Books without any danger and if they had wanted the Churches proposall for others as well as them they might without sinne haue doubted of the whole Canon This he thinks consonant to that of Saint Austin I would not belieue the Gospell vnlesse the Churches authority did thereto moue me He addes that we of reformed Churches making the visible Churches authority in defining points of faith vnsufficient might disclaime all without any greater sinne or danger to our soules then wee incurre by disobeying some parts of Scripture to wit the Apocryphall books canonized by the Romish church The Reader I hope obserues by these passages How Bellarmine ascribes that to Tradition which is peculiar to Gods prouidence Sacroboscus that to blind beliefe which belongs vnto the holy Spirit working faith vnto the former points by the ordinary obseruation of Gods prouidence and experiments answerable to the rules of Scriptures 2 Consequently to the Trent Councels decree concerning the second assertion Bellarmine thus collects It is necessary not onely to bee able to read Scriptures but to vnderstand them but the Scripture is often so ambiguous and intricate that it cannot bee vnderstood without the exposition of some that cannot erre therefore it alone is not sufficient Examples there be many For the equality of the diuine persons the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne as from one ioint originall Originall sinne Christes descension into Hell nd many like may indeed be deduced out of scriptures but not so plainely as to end controuersies with contentious spirits if we should produce onely testimonies of Scriptures And wee are to note there bee two things in Scripture the Characters or the written words and the sense included in them The Character is as the sheath but the sense is the very sword of the spirite Of the first of these two all are partakers for whosoeuer knowes the Character may reade the Scripture but of the sense all men are not capable nor can wee in
Waters whereon the great Whoore sits From what historie therefore doe they beleeue the Pope is Peters successour from historie canonicall or diuine no Secular Monkish or Ecclesiasticall at the best vpon which the best faith that can be founded is but humane and their professed villanie in putting in and out whatsoeuer they please into what writing soeuer Gods word only excepted makes it more then doubtfull whether many ancient Writers did euer intimate any such estimate of the Romish Church as is now fathered vpon them or rather this foule iniquitie late reuealed whilest some haue beene taken in the manner hath beene long time concealed as a mysterie of the Romish state But they beleeue not this succession from expresse written historie but from Tradition partly From Tradition of whom Of men what men Men obnoxious to error and parties in this present controuersie yet neither partiall nor erroneous while they speake ex Cathedra saith the Iesuit But who shall assure vs what they haue spoken ex Cathedra concerning this point The Councels What Councels Councels assembled by the Pope Councels of men for the most part as ill qualified as carnally minded and so palpably carried away with faction that to attribute any diuine authoritie vnto them were to blaspheme the holy Spirit Councels which the Papists themselues acknowledge not of sufficient authoritie vnlesse they follow the Popes instructions from whom likewise they must receiue their approbation The Pope must assure vs the Councell which perhaps elected him reiecting a Competitor euery way more sufficient doth not erre But that the Pope is lawfully elected that so elected he cannot erre in this assertion who shall assure vs hee himselfe or hâ—s Predecessors This then is the last resolution of our faith if it relie vpon the Church 8 We must absolutely beleeue euery Pope in his owne cause First that he himselfe is secondly that all his Predecessors vp to Saint Peter were infallible When as many of them within these few hundred years late past by their owne followers confession were such as whatsoeuer must deriue it pedigree from them may iustly be suspected to haue first descended from the father of lies such as not speaking ex Cathedra were so far from the esteeme of absolute infallibility that such as knew them best did trust them least in matters of saecular commodity and if they were found vnfaithfull in the wicked Mammon who will trust them in the true Not Papists themselues vnlesse they speake ex Cathedra Then belike our Sauiour did not foresee this exception from his generall râ—ie or Iudas by this knacke might haue proued himselfe or any other knaue as faithfull a Pastor as S. Peter 9 But if a Pope shall teach ex Cathedra that he is Peters lawfull successor and therefore of diuine infallible authority in expounding all the former places wee must notwithstanding our Sauiours caueat belieue him Why Because it must bee supposed he hath diuine testimony for this assertion As what either diuine history diuine tradition or diuine reuelation Diuine history thy disclaime nor can impudency it selfe pretend it It may bee hee hath the perpetuall traditions of his predecessors But here againe wee demaund what diuine assurance they can bring forth that euery Pope from Saint Peter downewards did giue expresse cathedrall testimony to this perpetuall succession in like authority Suppose what no Iesuite dare auouch vnlesse hee first consult his superiours whether hee must not of necessity say so for maintenance of the Popes dignity that this assertion had beene expresly conueyed from Saint Peter to the present Pope without interruption yet if any one of them did receiue it from his predecessor hauing it but as a priuate man or vpon his honesty hee might erre in deliuering it to his successor so might the third in belieuing him For no beliefe can bee more certain then it proper obiect or immediate ground If That bee fallible the beliefe must needs be vncertaine obnoxious to error and at the best humane No better is the Popes testimony vnles giuen ex Cathedra and no better is the ground of his owne beliefe of what his Predecessors told him vnlesse they tolde it him so speaking Wherfore though this present Pope should teach ex Cathedra viua voce that hee is Peters lawfull successor yet vnlesse hee can proue that none of his predecessors did euer neglect so to auouch the same truth it is euident that hee speakes more then hee can possibly know by any diuine testimony either of history or vnwritten tradition It is euident againe hee bindes vs to beleeue that by diuine faith which hee cannot possibly know himselfe but onely by faith humane For the onely ground of his assertion is this supposed perpetuall tradition and this is but humane vnlesse it bee perpetually deliuered ex Cathedra No is there any other meanes possible vnder the sunne nay either in heauen or earth for to know matters of this nature forepast but either the testimonie of others that haue gone before vs who either were themselues or tooke their relations vpon trust from such as were present when the things related were acted or else by reuelation from him who was before all times and is a present spectatour an eye witnesse of euery action 10 Our knowledge of matters forepast by the former means though Popes themselues be the relators vnlesse their relation bee cathedrall as hath been proued are but humane and fallible Things known by immediate reuelation from God are most certaine because the immediate Relator is most infallible Doth the Pope by this meanes know what his Predecessors or Saint Peter thought concerning this perpetuall succession or generally all matters concerning this point long since forepast He may as easily tell vs what any of his successors shall doe or say an hundred yeers hence And thus much if this present Pope will vndertake the Christian people then liuing may safely belieue what the Pope then being shall say of this or both of their predecessors But to belieue man as an infallible prophet of things past which cannot approue himselfe a true foreteller of things to come were to inuert Gods ordinance and mocke his word For it hath been a perpetuall law of God that no maÌ„ should euer be belieued more then man or by any faith more then humane though in matters present whereof hee might haue beene an eye witnesse vnlesse he shewed his participation of the diuine spirit by infallible praediction of things to come or euidencie of miracles fully answering to the prediction of Gods word already written as shall bee shewed at large in the next section 11 If wee put together the first elements of Romish faith as they haue beene sounded apart they make no such compound as the simple and ignorant Papists who in policy are taught to read this lesson as little children vntaught will by gessing at the whole in grosse without spelling the parts belieue they
without controuersie many and great yet limited both for number and magnitude For suppose King Henry the eight after hee had done what he could against the Pope should still haue professed his good liking of Romish religion opposing only this to all his Popish Cleargie that had challenged him of reuolt Am not I defender of the faith The Pope whom I trow you take for no false Prophet hath giuen me this prerogatiue amongst Christian Princes as expresly as euer Saint Peter bequeathed him his supremacy aboue other Bishops It is as impossible for me to defend as for his Holinesse to teach any other besides the true Catholique faith Let the proudest amongst my Prelates examine my expositions of his decrees and by S. George he shall fry a fagot for an heretick Would this or the like pretence though countenanced by royall authority haue been accepted for a iust defence that this boisterous King had not contradicted the Pope but the tatling Monkes or other priuate expositors of his decrees would this haue satisfied the Popes agents vntill the King and his Holinesse had come to personall conference for finall debatement of the case yet for Christs seruants thus to neglect their masters cause is no sinne in the Romanists iudgement yea an heresie is it not to deale so negligently in it For a sinne of no lower ranke they make it not to submit our hearts minds and affections vnto the Popes negatiue decrees though against that sence of scripture which conscience and experience giue vs. Vnto all the doubts feares or scruples these can minister it must suffice That the Pope sayth he expounds scripture no otherwise then Christ would were hee in earth but onely controls all priuate glosses or expositors of them But can any Christian heart content it selfe with such delusions and defer all examinations of doctrine vntill that dreadfull day come vpon him wherein the great Shepheard shal plead his owne cause face to face with this pretended Vicar and his associates Do we beleeue that Christ hath giuen vs a written law that he shall come to be our Iudge and call vs to a strict accompt wherein we haue transgressed or kept it yet may we not try by examination whether these Romish guides lead vs aright or awry Whether some better or clearer exposition may not be hoped for then the Pope or Councell for the present tenders to vs What if the Pope should prohibite all disputations about this point in hand whether obeying him against the true sence of scripture as we are perswaded wee yeeld greater obedience vnto him then vnto Scriptures may we not examine the equity of this decree or his exposition of that Scripture which happely he would pretend for this authority his amplius fili mi ne requiras No by their generall tenent and Valentians expresse assertion it were extreame impiety to trauerse this sence or exposition vnder pretence of obscurity c. By the same reason for ought I can see it would follow that if the question were whether obeying the Pope more then God we did obey man more then God we might not examine at least not determine whether the Pope were man or God or a middle nature betwixt both which came not within the compasse of that comparison CHAP. IX In what sence the Iesuites may truly deny they beleeue the words of man better then the words of God In what sence againe our writers truly charge them with this blasphemy 1. IF we reuiew the former discourse we may find that equiuocation which Bellarmine sought as a knot in a bulrush in our writers obiections to be directly contained in their Churches deniall of what was obiected Whilest they deny that they exalt the Churches authority aboue scriptures or mans word aboue Gods this deniall may haue a double sence They may deny a plaine and open profession or challenge of greater authority in their Church then in Scriptures Or they may denie that in effect and substance they ouerthrow all authority of Scripture saue onely so farre as it makes for their purpose 2. That the Pope should openly professe himselfe competitor with God or in expresse tearmes challenge greater authority then Scriptures haue was neuer obiected by any of our writers For all of vs know the man of sinne must be no open or outward enemy to the Church but Iudas like a disciple by profession his doctrine indeed must bee a doctrine of diuels yet counterfeiting the voice of Angels as he himselfe though by internall disposition of minde a slaue to all manner of filthinesse and impurity must bee enstiled sanctissimus Dominus the most holy Lord. If the poison of his iniquity were not wrapt vp in the titles of diuine mysteries it would forth-with be disliked by many silly superstitious soules which daily suck their bane from it because perswaded that the scriptures which they neuer haue examined whose true sence they neuer tasted but from some reliques of heathenish zeale idolatrously worship in grosse do fully warrant it When our Writers therefore obiect that the Papists exalt the Popes lawes aboue Gods had not these holy Catholicks an especiall grace to grow deafe as often as wee charge their mother with such notorious and knowne whoredomes as they see might euidently be proued vnto the world if they should stand to contest with vs their meaning is plaine that the Pope in deed and issue makes the Scriptures which in shew he seemes to reuerence of no authority but onely with reference to his owne That he and his followers should in words much magnifie Gods word written or vnwritten we do not maruell because the higher esteeme men make of it the higher still hee may exalt his throne being absolutely enabled by this deuise to make all that belongs to God his Word his Lawes his Sacraments the pretious Body and Bloud of his Sonne blessed for euer meere foot-stooles to his ambition For if the authority of Scriptures or such traditions as he pretends be established as diuine and he admitted sole absolute infallible Iudge of their meaning it would argue either Antichristian blindnesse not to see or impudency of no meaner stocke not to acknowledge that the Pope by this meane might appropriate vnto himselfe the honour due vnto God and play vpon his Creator in such sort as if a corrupt Lawyer hauing euidences committed to his trust should by vertue of them take vp rents and let leases to the Landlords dammage and Tennants ouerthrow And what is most villanous vnto whatsoeuer prerogatiues though most preiudiciall to the diuine maiesty his Parasiticall Canonists shall blasphemously entitle this most holy Father the sonne of God and his faithfullest seruants Apostles or Prophets must be brought forth to abette the forgery as if euidence giuen in Court by infamous Knights of the Post should in the finall day of hearing bee produced vnder the hands and seales of free Barons or other chiefe Peeres of the Land for as was intimated
meanes is where hee disputes whether the Pope be bound to consult other authoritie besides his owne or vse any meanes to search the truth before hee passe sentence ex cathedra that is before he charge the whole Christian World to beleeue his decision This he thinkes expedient but so farre forth onely as if it please his Holinesse to enioyne the beleefe of some particular point vpon the whole World all must beleeue that he hath consulted Scripture and antiquitie as farre as was requisite for that point as you shall after heare 2 That in such controuersies he includes the meanes of knowing Scriptures to bee the word of God is euident out of his owne words in the forecited place For the knowledge of Scriptures he would haue to be an especiall point of faith yet such as cannot be proued by Scripture but by this liuing and speaking authoritie as he expressely contends in the eleuenth paragraph of the same question His conclusion is If it bee necessarie there should be some authoritie though humane yet by diuine assistance infallible to sit as mistresse and Iudge in all controuersies of faith and not to be appropriated to any deceased as is alreadie proued it remaines that it be alwaies liuing in the Church alwayes present amongst the faithfull by succession hee meanes of Popes Thus you see the present Pope must be Iudge and Christ his Apostles must be brought in as witnesses And yet whether there were such a Christ as Saint Mathew Luke Marke and Iohn tell vs there was or whether the Gospels which goe vnder their names be Apocryphall and that of Bartholmewes onely Canonicall we cannot know but by the Popes testimonie so that in the end he is the onely Iudge and onely witnesse both of Christ the Apostles and their writings yea of all diuine truthes at least assisted with his Bishops and Cardinals Which Bellarmine though otherwise a great deale more wary then Valentian hath plainly vttered Vnlesse saith he it were for the authoritie of the present Church of Rome he meanes the Trent Councell the whole Christian faith might be called in question so might all the acts and decrees of former Councels his reason was because wee cannot know these antiquities but onely by tradition and historicall relation which are not able to produce diuine firme infallible faith 3 Thus whilest this great Clerke would digge a pit for the blinde for he could not hope I thinke this blocke should stumble any that hath eyes in his head he is fallen into the middest of it himselfe by seeking to vndermine vs he hath smothered himselfe and buried the cause he was to maintaine For if without the Trent Councels testification wee cannot by diuine faith beleeue the Scriptures or former Councels to bee of diuine authoritie How can such as were borne within these thirty yeares beleeue that Councell it selfe which ended aboue fortie yeares agoe Few this day liuing were auditors of the Cardinals and Bishops decisions there assembled not hearing them their faith must needs be grounded vpon heare sayes Againe if it bee true the Scriptures cannot be knowne to be diuine but by the authoritie of the present visible Church if this Church doe not viua voce confirme all Christians in this fundamentall truth their faith can not be diuine but humane VVhat the Pope or his Cardinals thinke of these pointes is more then any liuing knowes vnlesse they heare them speake and then it may be a great question whether they speake as they thinke Pope Alexander the sixts decisions should haue beene negatiue like the fooles boult in the Psalme There is no God No Christ No Gospell for so his meaning might haue beene interpreted as they say dreames are by contraries seeing hee neuer spake as hee thought Lastly if the Trent Councel were so necessary for the confirmation of Scriptures and other Orthodoxall writings how detestable was your Cleargies backwardnesse to affoord the Christian World this spirituall cōfort For whether feare it were the Popes authoritie should bee curbed or meere slouth and neglect of matters diuine that did detaine them their shifts to put the Emperour off the Reader may sufficiently coniecture from Sepulueda at that time Chronicler to the Emperour in his Epistle to Cardinall Contarene one of the Popes Legates in that Councell That my intermission of writing and silence in that question concerning the correction of the yeare hath beene so long I wish the fault had laid in my slouth or forgetfulnesse that I might haue beene hence occasioned to acknowledge and deprecate the blame rather then as now I freely must impute the true cause to the negligence of you Romane Priestes whome I perceiue to wax cold and to thinke of nothing lesse then of calling the Councell with hope whereof as heretofore I was excited so now despaire hath made me dull For I see well that such as are most bound to haue a vigilant care of the Churches publique welfare and not to foreslow any opportunitie of increasing her dignitie neuer so much as mention the Councell at this time as necessarie as alwayes vsefull but when Christians eyther are alreadie or are likely to be at variance In one word neuer but them when there is sure hope it may bee hindered by their discord For when peace gets it turne and all is quiet not a word of the Councell So as what they aime at by these vnseasonable edicts is so manifest as will not suffer the slowest capacitie to liue in doubt or suspition 4 This great Learned Antiquaries Learned aduice in another Epistle sent to the same Cardinall then imployed by the Pope in the Councell was not to suffer matters decreed in any former Councell lawfully assembled together to bee disputed or called in question Sufferance hereof was in his iudgment no lesse preiudiciall to the State Ecclesiastique then vnto the temporall it would be to permit malefactors trauerse the equitie of publique lawes established and knowne after sufficient proofe or confession made of Capitall offences committed against them The marginall quotations of the Trent Councell compared with this graue admonition which had antiquitie-customes Canonicall as the Author vrgeth to giue it countenance may serue as a perfect index for our instruction with what preiudice the Bishops there assembled came to determine by whose manuduction or set rules they drew their supposed inerrable lines of life Now it is impossible any determination that takes it force from multitude of voyces shoud be eyther in it selfe more certaine or more forcible to perswade others thē are the motiues or inducements that swayed the suffragants so to determine and these in this case could by Bellarmines reason be but historicall perswasions or presumptions For no Iesuite I thinke will say these Bishops had the Popes sentence ex Cathedra to assure them before hand what Councels had beene lawfully called and fully confirmed or whether all the ancient Canons they afterwardes reestablished were alreadie as authentique and certaine as
many places bee certaine of it vnlesse Tradition be assistant It is an offer worth the taking that here he makes That the sense of Scriptures is the sword of the spirit This is as much as wee contend that the sense of the Scripture is the Scripture Whence the inference is immediately necessary That if the Romish Church binde vs to belieue or absolutely practise ought contrary to the true sense and meaning of Scriptures with the like deuotion we doe Gods expresse vndoubted commandements she preferres her owne authority aboue Gods word and makes vs acknowledge that allegiance vnto her which we owe vnto the spirit For suppose wee had as yet no full assurance of the spirit for the contradictory sense to that giuen by the Church we were in christian duty to expect Gods prouidence and inuoke the spirits assistance for manifestation of the truth from all possibility wherof wee desperately exclude our selues if wee belieue one mans testimony of the spirit as absolutely irreuoucably as we would do the manifest immediate testimony of the spirit yet Sacroboscus acknowledgeth hee beliues the mystery of the Trinity as it is taught by their Church onely for the Churches authority and yet this hee beleeues as absolutely as hee doth yea as hee could belieue any other diuine Reuelation though extraordinarily made vnto himselfe 3 In both parts of beliefe aboue mentioned the causall dependance of our faith vpon the Churches proposals may be imagined three wayes eyther whilest it is in planting or after it is planted or from the first beginning of it to it full growth or from it first entrance into our hearts vntill our departure out of this world How farre and in what sort the Ministery of men in the Church is auaileable for planting faith hath been declared heretofore Eyther for the planting or supporting it the skill or authority of the teachers reaches no further then to quicken or strengthen our internal taste or apprehension of the diuine truth reuealed in Scriptures or to raise or tune our spirites as Musicke did Elishahs the better to perceiue the efficacy of Gods spirit imprinting the stampe of those diuine Reuelations in our hearts whose Characters are in our braines The present Churches proposals in respect of our beliefe is but as the Samaritan womans report was vnto the men of Sichars Many sayth the Euangelist belieued in him for the saying of the woman which testified he hath told mee all things that euer I did But this beliefe was as none in respect of that which they conceiue immediately from his owne words For they saide vnto the woman Now wee belieue not because of thy saying for we haue heard him our selues and know that this is indeede the Christ. The eare sayeth Iob tryeth the words as the mouth tasteth meates Consonant hereto is our Churches doctrine that as our bodily mouthes taste and trie meates immediately without interposition of any other mans sense or iudgement of them so must the eares of our soules trie and discerne diuine truthes without relying on other mens proposals or reports of their rellish No externall meanes whatsoeuer can in eyther case haue any vse but onely eyther for working a right disposition in the Organ whereby triall is made or by occasioning the exercise of the faculty rightly disposed How essentially faith by our aduersaries doctrine dependes vpon the churches authority is euident out of the former discourses that this dependance is perpetuall is as manifest in that they make it the iudge and rule of faith such an indefectible rule and so authentique a Iudge as in all points must be followed and may not be so far examined eyther by Gods written law or rules of nature whether it contradict not it selfe or them 4 It remaines we examine the particular maner of this dependance or what the Churches infallibility doth or can performe eyther to him that belieues or to the obiect of his beleefe whēce a Romane Catholikes faith should become more firme or certaine then another mans It must enlighten eyther his soule that it may see or diuine reuelations that they may be seene more clearely otherwise he can exceed others onely in blinde beleefe The cunningest Sophister in that schoole strictly examined vpon these points will bewray that monstrous blasphemy which some shallow braines haue hitherto hoped to couer Wee haue the same Scriptures they haue and peruse them in all the languages they doe What is it then can hinder eyther them from manifesting or vs from discerning their Truth or true meaning manifested Doe we want the Churches proposall we demand how their present Church it selfe can better discerne them then ours may what testimonie of antiquity haue they which we haue not But it may be we want spectacles to read them our Church hath but the eyes of priuate men which cannot see without a publike light Their Churches eyes are Cat-like able so to illustrate the obiects of Christian faith as to make them cleare and perspicuous to it selfe though darke and inuisible vnto vs. Suppose they could Yet Cats-eyes benefit not by-standers a whit for seeing colours in darknes albeit able themselues to see them without any other light then their owne The visible Church saith the Iesuite is able to discerne all diuine truth by her infallible publique spirit How knowes he this certainly without an infallible publique spirit perhaps as men see Cats-eyes shine in the darke when their owne doe not Let him beleeue so But what doth this beleefe aduantage him or other priuate spirits for the cleare distinct or perfect sight of what the Church proposeth Doth the proposall make diuine Truthes more perspicuous in themselues Why then are they not alike perspicuous to all that heare reade or know the Churches testimonie of them Sacroboscus hath said al that possibly can be said on their behalfe in this difficultie The Sectaries albeit they should vse the authoritie of the true Church yet cannot haue any true beleefe of the truth reuealed If the vse of it be as free to them as to Catholikes what debarres them from this benefit They doe not acknowledge the sufficiencie of the Churches proposall And as a necessary proofe or medium is not sufficient to the attayning of science vnlesse a man vse and acknowledge it formally as necessary so for establishing true faith it sufficeth not that the Church sufficiently proposeth the points to be beleeued or auoweth them by that infallible authoritie wherewith Christ hath enabled her to declare both what bookes containe Doctrines Diuine and what is the true sense of places controuersed in them but it is further necessary that wee formally vse this proposall as sufficient and embrace it as infallible 5 The reason then why a Romane Catholique rightly beleeues the Truth or true meaning of Scriptures when a Protestant that knowes the Churches testimonie as well as he in both points vncertaine is because the Catholique infallibly beleeues the Churches authority to bee
existence necessary Whatsoeuer is besides is but a shadow or picture borrowed from his infinite being Amongst created entities all essentially depending on Him Accidents haue a kind of existence peculiar to themselues yet cannot so properly bee saide to exist as their subiects on whom they haue such double dependance Nor can the Moone so truely say my beauty is mine owne as may the Sunne which lends light and splendor to this his sister as it were vpon condtion shee neuer vse it but in his sight For the same reason that for which wee belieue another thing is alwayes more truely more really and more properly belieued then that which is belieued for it if the one beliefe necessarily depend vpon the other tam in facto esse quam in fieri from the first beginning to the latter end For of beliefes thus mutually affected the one is reall and radicall the other nominall or at the most by participation onely reall This consequence is vnsound Intellectiue knowledge depends on sensitiue therefore sensitiue is of these two the surer The reason is because intellectiue knowledge depends on sensitiue onely in the acquisition not after it is acquired But this inference is most vndoubted Wee belieue the conclusion for the premisses therefore we belieue the premisses the better because beliefe of the Conclusion absolutely depends vpon the premisses during the whole continuance of it This is the great Philosophers rule and a branch of the former Axiome And some iustly question whether in Scholastique propriety of speech wee can truely say there is a beliefe of the conclusion distinct from the beleefe of the premisses or rather the beliefe of the premisses is by extrinsical denomination attributed vnto the conclusion This latter opinion at least in many Syllogismes is the truer most necessarily true in all wherein the conclusion is a particulall essentialâ—y subordinate to an vniuersall of truth vnquestionable As hee that infallibly belieues euery man is a reasonable creature infallibly belieues Socrates is such Nor can wee say there be two dictint beliefes one of the vniversall another of this particular for he that sayeth All excepteth none If Socrates then make one in the Catalogue of men hee that formerly knew all knew him to bee a reasonable Creature all he had to learne was what was meant by this name Socrates a man or a beast After he knowes him to be a man in knowing him to bee a reasonable creature hee knowes no more then he did before in that vniuersall Euery man is a reasonable Creature The like consequence holdes as firme in our present argument He that beleeues this vniuersall Whatsoeuer the Church proposeth concerning Scriptures is most true hath no more to learne but onely what particulars the church proposeth These being knowne we cannot imagine there should bee two distinct beleefes one of the churches generall infallibility another of the particular Truthes or points of faith contained in the Scripture proposed by it For as in the former case so in this He that from the churches proposall beleeues or knowes this particular The Booke of Reuelations was from God receiues no increase of former beleefe for before hee beleeued all the church did propose and therefore this particular because one of all 4 The truth of this conclusion may againe from a maine pinciple of Romish faith be thus demonstrated Whatsoeuer vnwritten traditions the Church shall propose though yet vnheard of or vnpossible otherwise to be knowne then onely by the Churches asseueration all Romanists are bound as certainly to beleeue as deuoutly to embrace as any truths contayned in the written word acknowledged by vs the Iewes and them for diuine Now if eyther from their owne experience the ioynt consent of sincere antiquitie or testimonie of Gods spirit speaking to them in priuate or what meanes soeuer else possible or imaginable they gaue any absolute credence vnto the written word or matters contained in it besides that they giue vnto the churches generall veracitie the Scriptures by addition of this credence were it great or little arising from these grounds peculiar to them must needs be more firmely beleeued and embraced then such vnwritten traditions as are in themselues suspitious vncapable of other credit then what they borrow from the Church For in respect of the Churches proposall Which is one and the same alike peremptory in both Scriptures and traditions of what kinde soeuer must be equally beleeued And if such traditions as can haue no assurance besides the Churches testimony must be as well beleeued as Scriptures or diuine truthes contained in them the former conclusion is euidently necessary that they neyther beleeue the Scriptures nor the Truthes contained in them but the Churches proposall of them onely For the least beleefe of any Diuine truth added to beleefe of the Churches proposall which equally concernes written and vnwritten verities would dissolue the former equalitie But that by the Trent Councell may not bee dissolued Therefore our aduersaries in deede and verity beleeue no Scriptures nor Diuine written Truth but the Churches proposall onely concerning them And Sacroboscus bewrayes his readinesse to beleeue the Church as absolutely as any Christian can doe God or Christ though no title of the New-testament were extant For that the Church cannot erre was an Oracle reuealed by God proposed by the Church and beleiued by the faithfull before any part of the New testament was written Now hee that without the Gospel of Iesus Christ would beleeue the Doctrines of faith as firmely as with it beleeues not the Gospel which now he hath but their authorities onely vpon which though wee had it not he would as absolute rely for all matters of doctrine supposed to be contained in it 5 Or further to illustrate the truth of our conclusion with this Iesuits former comparison which hath best illustrated the Romish churches tenent That Church in respect of the Canon of Scriptures or any part thereof is as the light is to colours As no colour can be seene of vs but by the light so by his doctrine neyther the Canon of Scriptures or any part thereof can be known without the Churches testimonie Againe as remoueall of light presently makes vs loose the sight of colours so doubt oâ— deniall of the Churches authoritie depriues vs of all true and stedfast beleefe concerning Gods Word or any matter contained in it God as they plead hath reuealed his will obscurely and vnto a distinct or cleare apprehension of what is obscurely reuealed the visible churches declaration is no lesse necessary then light to discernment of colours The reason is one in both and is this As the actuall visibilitie of colours wholly depends vpon the light as well for existence as duration so by Iesuiticall Doctrine true beleefe of Scriptures wholly depends on the visible Churches declaration as well during the whole continuance as the first producing of it By the same reason as we gather that light in it selfe is more
dicuntui Petro in triphci sunt differeÌ„tia quaed im enim dicuntur ei pro se tantum quaedam pro se omnibus â—oâ—istianis quaedam pro se successoribus id quod euidenter colligitur ex ratione diuersa qua ei dicuntur Nam quae dicuntur ei vt vni ex fidelibus certe omnibê° fidelibus dicta intelliguntur Vt Mat. 18. Si peccauerit inte â—rater tâ—us c. Quae dicuntur ei ratione aliquà propria personae ipsius ei soli dicuntur vt vade post me Satana Et Terme neâ—abis ista enim dicuntur ei ratione propriâ— imbe cillitatis et ignorantiae Quadam dicuntur ei ratione officij pastoralis quae proinde dicta intelliguntur omnibus sucessoribus vt pasâ—e oues meas et Bellar lib. 2. cap. 12. §. vltimo The Romanist makes the Pope his God in that he makes him the Rock on which the Church is built Compare Exod. 17. 1. Cor. 10. 4. The Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in the same sense Psal 18. 3. Isa 31. 9. * This obseruation will easily approoue it self to any that will reade the booke of Deuteronomium and the Psalmes * This obseruation will easily approoue it selfe to any that will reade the booke of Deuteronomium and the Psalmes * This obseuation will easily approoue it selfe to any that will reade the booke of Deuteronomium and the Psalmes How Romish ReligioÌ„ denies the virtue and power of Christ come in the flesh That Romish faith is that faith by which S. Peter confessed Christ That the Romish Church is neither that Rocke nor built vpon that Rocke against which the gates of hell cannot preuaile because their faith is vnsouÌ„d Mat. 4. 23. Math. 7. 26. Praeterea Ecclesia congregata siue consilium proprijssime est Ecclesia Christi vt etiam aduersarij concedunt nam Ecclesi a est congregatio fidelium ergo quo magis fideles suÌ„t congregati vniti eo magis proprie sunt Ecclesia at stultu est cum aliquid de alio absolute pronunciatur excipere id quod proprijssimè per illud significatur ergo cum Christus dicit Super hanc Petram aedisicabo Ecclesiam meam slultè excipitur Ecclesia vniuersalis congregata cum ea proprijssimè sit Ecclesia Bellar. lib. 2. de Con. Auc cap. 15. Of this Church the Pope is the foundation as hee auoucheth in the words going before Quod est in domo fundamentum est in corpore caput in grege Postor Vt. n. fundamentuÌ„ non pendet à domo sed domus à fundamento ita ellam caput non pendet à corpore seâ— corpus à capite pastor non pendet à grege sed grex à pastore His conclusion is Papa praest omnibus loco Christi quibus Christus ipse inuisibiliter praeest quibus etiam praeesset visâ—â—ilâ—er si visibiliter adesset Christus aut cum praeest praeesset inuisibiliter si adesset visibiliter non solem Ecclesus particularibus sed etiam toti Ecclesue vniuersall generalibus concilijs igitur etiam Papa preest Ecclesie vniuersali Either is not the Romish Church representatiue that Church spoken of Mat. 10. or else Christs promise hath sailed * Caput Ecclesiae non potest quidem errare docendo falsam doctrinem tamen potest errare male vâ—uendo malè etiam sentiendo vt prâ—uatus humo atque hoc tantuÌ„ videmus accidisse Adamo malè enim aliquando vixit sortè etiam malè de Deo sentit tamen non malè docuit Bellarminus de Ecclesia militante lib. 111. cap. 16. Some of their Popes by their owne writers confession haue beene strangely cut off in the very acts of adultery or other sinnes by them accounted mortall Christs promise vnto S. Peter but a meere mockery by the Iesuits constructioÌ„ The Romish Church of all Idols that are or haue beene the most vaine and foolish 2 Peter c. 3. v. 4. A Parallile of Atheisticall and Papisticall mockerie The Iew and the Iesuite are alike bewitched the one in expecting Messias already come and crucified by his fathers the other in looking for Antichrist already reuealed and adored by him as his God The aduersaries 〈◊〉 in deriuing oecumenicall authority perpetually infallible from Saint Peter * Rom. 12. 2. Sect. 3. cap. 13. * 2. Pe. 1. 12. c. S. Peter knew not his successors should bee infallible There be greater probabilities that S. Ioha should haue had infallible successors then S. Peter Reuel 1. ver 3. * Reu. 19. 10. Vide lib. 2. Sect. 4. cap. 4. RESPONDEO non esse eandem rationem Politici Ecclesiastici regiminis Siquidem orbis terrarum non necessario debet esse vnum regnum proinde noÌ„ necessario postulat vnum qui omnibus praesit at Ecclesia tota vnum est regnum vna ciuitas vna domus ideo ab vno tota regi debet Cuius differentiae illa est ratio quòd ad conuersationem Poliâ—â—â—orum regnoâ—um non necessariò requiratur vt omnes Prouinciae seruent easdem leges ciuiles eâ—sdens vitus Possunt enim 〈◊〉 personarum varietate diuersis vti legibus institutis dâ—irco non requiritur vnus qui omnes in vâ—itate contineat Ad conâ—eruationem verò Ecclesiae necessè est vt omnes conueniant in eadem fide â—sdem Sacramentis â—sdemque praeceptis diuinitus traditis quod sanè sierinon potest nisi sint vnus popuâ—â—s ab vno in vnitate contineantur Bellar. l. r. de Rom. Pont. c. 9. sub sinem He acknowledgeth it were conuenient the whole world should be gouerned by one ciuill Monarch Were it possible to create surely one without bloud-shed of wrong it were requisite he or any in his behalfe should resolue vs why the whole Church might not as truly be one people by coÌ„munion with Christ their head as the Tartars and Spaniards by subordination to one Lord to wit the King of Spaine suppose he were Lord of both they as far distant each from other as they are The vncertaintie of Popish councells or traditions * Luke 16. v. 11 * He that is vniust in the least is vniust also in much saieth our Sauiour in the same place v. 10. A Popes testimony of himselfe or his predecessors is authenticke Popes bind vs to belieue by diuine faith their reports of matters forepast which they cannot belieue by any other faith but humane and fallible He that will be reputed a Prophet of times forepast must shew himselfe a prophet of things to come The present Popes authority is greater then history traditions or councels or ought that can be pretended for it * Aliud est interpretari legem more doctoris aluid more iudicis id explicationem more doctoris requiritur eâ—uditio ad explicationem more iudicis requiritur authoritas Doctor enim non proponit sententiam suam vt necessario sequendâ—m sed solum quatenus ratio suadet at
Christ * Numb 11. 16. vid. 8 Luk. 10. v. 1. c. * So Exoduâ— 24. God commands Moses to come vp to the Lord in the Mount with Aaron Nadab and Abihu and 70. of the Elders of Israel which were to worship a farre off while Moses himselfe alone went neer vnto the Lord so saith S. Peter God caused Christ to bee shewed openly not to all the people but to the witnesses chosen before of God to such as did eat and drinke with him after he arose from the dead His Disciples aloâ— were present when God called Christ into heauenly places v. Exod. 24. v. 10. 11. b The excellency of the great Prophet in respect of Moses gathered from the difference betwixt Moses and the lesser Prophets * Numb 12. v. 6. 7. 8. * Iohn 1. ver 18. The gift of prophesie not habituall to ordinary Prophets * Ier. 28. Ier. 28. v. 10. 12. * Ver. 12. 15. 16 * 2. King 4. v. 2â— Iohn Baptist more then a Prophet from the vicinity of the great Prophet a Ioh. 11. v. 29. * Iohn 1. 33. See the stimulator chap. 10. Parog 5. * Iohn 10. v. 40. 41. 42. * Isai 40. v. 3. The matter of our Sauiours predictions compared with the precedent prophesies of him declare his Godhead * Isaiah 42. v. 8. 9. * Iohn 3. v. 5. Our Sauiours arbitrary discouery of secrets and predictions of futures contingent fully consonant to the receiued notions of the Messias * Iohn 1. v. 49. * Ver. 50. 51. * Gen 28. v. 12. 13. 19. * Ioh. 4. v. 25. * Ver. 29. * Ver. 42. b Iohn 16. v. 30. Our Sauiours Disciples and Apostles did according to his instructions more rely vpon his predictions then his miracles * Ioh. 2. v. 22. * Iohn 14. 29. * Iohn 16. ver 4 Foretelling the fulfilling of that Scripture He that eateth bread with me hath lift vp his heele against mee in Iudas hee gaue this generall rule from henceforth tell I you before it come that when it is come to passe yee might belieue that I am He Iohn 13. v. 19. * Iohn 12. v 28 * Marc. 9. v. 1. Math. 16. v. 28. Luk. 9. 27. 2. Pet. 1. 17. * Mark 9. v. 7 Luk. 9. v. 35 Math. 17. v. 5. * Iohn 12. v. 30. Our Sauiour in his last conâ—erence with the Iewes proclaimes himselfe to bee the great Prophet foretolde by Moses * Iohn 12. v. 44. * Iohn 12. ver 48 * Deut. 18. v. 19 * Iohn 12. v. 49. 50. a Deut. 18. v. 18. Our Sauiours propheticall spirit gaue life to his miracles though his miracles were good preparatiues to beleefe a Iohn 12. v. 37. a Iohn 14. v. 10 * Iohn 12. ver 32. The peculiar similitude between Christ Moses in the office of mediation * Deut. 18. v. 15 16. * Deut. 5. v. 28. 29. a Vide lib. 1. part 2. Sect. 3. cap. 11. Parag. 8. 9. 10. Heb 3 v. 3. * Deut. 18. v. 18. * Deut. 18. v. 18. d Heb. 10 ver 28 20. * Deut. 24. v. 10. The chiefe grounds of Moses disswading Israel for soâ—ceâ—y was their expectation of the great Prophet * Deut. 18. v. 14. * cap. 1. * Num. 23. v. 22. * God brought him out of Egypt his streÌ„gth shall be as an Vnicorne He shall eate the Nations his enemies and bruise their bones shoot them thorow with his arrows He coucheth lieth downe as a young Lion as a Lion who shall stirre him vp Blessed is he that blesseth thee and cursed is he that curseth thee I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not neere There shall come a starre of Iacob and a scepter shall rise of Israell and shall smite the coasts of Moah and destroy all the sonnes of Sheth And Edom shall be possessed and Seir shall be a possession to their enemies but Israell shall do valiantly He also that shall haue dominion shall be of Iacob and shall destroy the remnant of the Citie Num. 24. v. 8. 9. 17. 18. 19. * That our Sauiours authoritie might haue been and was more manifestly proued out of Moses and the Prophets to the ancient then it can be to the moderne Iewes altogether vnacquainted with the right manner of interpreting prophecies or such common notions or traditions as the Scribes and Pharises had in our Sauiours time a Exod. 4. v. 13 b Iohn 1. v. 20. 21. * Some interpreters obserue that S. Iohn doth purposely insert these words Now they which were sent were of the Pharisees Ioh. 1. ver 24. though other Euangelists call them onlie Leuites to notifie vnto vs that this was a traditioÌ„ known vnto that sect c Ioh. 1. ver 25. d ver 31. e Mat. 3. ve 11. f Ioel 2. 28. g Ex. 13. 21. 22. h 1. Cor. 10. 1. 2. Our Sauiours prediction of his death and resurrection was that which according to Moses prophesie did most condemne the Iewes a Mat. 27. v. 63. b Mat 12. v. 39. Math. 16. v. 14 a Act. 13. v. 27. b Luk. 16. v. 31. c Act. 13. 33. Psal 2. v. 7 d Act. 3. 26. e Ve 3. â—r 2â— * Deut. 18. 15. a Act. 26. 26. c Math. 27. 64. d Isaiah 51. v. 1. e Isai 53. v. 8. 9. f Heb. 11. 12. a Act 3. ver 23. For it shal be that euery person which shall not neare that Prophet shal be destroyed out of the people a Luk. 24. 25. b Luk. 24. 27. c v. 32. a Ioh. 5. 34. 32. b A briefe suruey of the mouth of blasphemies spokeÌ„ of by S. Iohn The chiefe arguments brought by Romish Writers to proue the excellency of their church directly contrarie to the principles of Sense Nature c Isa â— â—â—er 13. * Reuel 13. v. 4. 6. 7. * Pet. 2. c. 1. v. 14. a 2. Pet. 1. 14. * 2. Pet. 1. 16. * 2. Pet. 1. 17. * 2. Pet. 1. v. 16. * Vide lib. 2â— Sect 2. cap 5. Parag. 6. a 2. Pet. 1. v. 19. b Propheticall predictions of Christ surer grounds of faith then the liue testimonies of the Apostles that had seene Christ and conuersed with him Amplectendus est Commentarius qui interpretatur in hunc modum habemus sirmiorem id est certiorem compertioreÌ„ rationem Id enim temporis sermo Propheticorum spectatior erat latius receptus quaÌ„ sermo Apostolorum EuangelistariuÌ„ Sasbout in hunc locum 2. Pet. 1. v. 19. * Cum tam serio ac grauiter admonuit beatus Petrius vt hoc inprimis intelligeremus quod omnis inquit Prophetia scripturae propria interpretatione non fit 2. Pet. 1. ali quid è tribus significare voluit nempe 1. aut non posse vllo modo scilicet certo vel prohabili exponi scripturaÌ„ propria industia ingenio Aut. 2. non posse certo quideÌ„ exponi vnum aut alterum scripturae locum ex ingenio proprio sine collatione alioruÌ„ scripturae