shew in those wordes I answere it is to be said that one thing may be said to be before another two waies Tho. Aq. 22. q. 4. ar 7. one way of it selfe another way by accident and of it selfe faith is the first of all other vertues for as in things agible and to be done the end is the beginning as is abouesaid it is behoofefull that the Theologicall vertues which haue the last end for their obiect be the first and take place of other vertues and for the last end it selfe it is behoofefull that first it be in the vnderstanding then in the will because the will is not carried vpon any thing but as it is apprehended in the vnderstanding therefore for that the last end is in the will by hope and charitie and in the vnderstanding by faith Tho. Aqu. 12. q. 34. art 4. ad princip art q. 13. art 3. it is behoofefull that faith be the first of all vertues because naturall vnderstanding cannot reach vnto God as he is the obiect of blisse in which sort hope and charitie aymeth vnto him yet accidentally another vertue may be before faith for the cause which is accidentally is accidentally the first Now to remoue the impediment appertaineth to that cause which is accidentally as it is manifest by the Philosopher accordingly Aristoteles in 8. Phisuli 8. text 32. to 2. whereunto some vertues may bee said accidentally to be before faith in how much they remoue the impediments of beleeuing as fortitude remoueth inordinate feare hindering faith humilitie pride by which the vnderstanding refuseth to submit it selfe to the truth of faith and the same may be said of some other vertues although they be not truly vertues vnlesse faith be presupposed Augustin contra Iouinianum l. 4. cap. 3 tom 7. as it appeareth by Saint Augustine in his booke against Iouinian Hence it appeareth by this Doctor that if faith be wanting no Christian can haue that reuealed knowledge which necessarily for his saluation hee is bound to haue and therefore I incessantly laboured to finde out the assurednesse of this faith and the more that I thought how I might finde out this faith so necessarie to saluation it pleased God to suffer me to proceede in my search for some infallible rule by which I might measure without danger of mistaking the true faith of Christ and thereby be most comfortably led as with the fierie pillar like the Israelites by night through the wildernesse of this world Exo. 13. vers 22. vnto the most desired land of euerlasting happinesse and securitie where that promise of God made by the mouth of his Prophet may be verified of vs Esay 32. vers 18 My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places CHAP. VI. Containing the fourth fundamentall obseruation about the rule and straight mete-wand of the true Christian faith BEing thus arriued by Gods grace to discouer and rightly to obserue how important a thing it is to build vpon this foundation of true faith The true Canonicall Scriptures the chief rule of faith without which all the building of our soules would be but weake and soone fall to ruine I felt my selfe most forcibly moued by Gods Spirit with all humilitie and diligence to search out the most straight rule where no crookednesse should appeare with the which I might so truly measure out the right faith and true Church of God which Saint Paul calleth the Piller and firmament of truth In the desire whereof occurred vnto my memorie the Angell that talked with Saint Iohn Apocal. 21. vers 15. hauing a golden reed in his hand to measure the spirituall Hierusalem with all the gates the walles the foundations and all the parts of that great citie wishing that it would please God to bestow vpon me such a golden reed wherewith I might measure out the true faith and Church of God that all that are crooked in faith and misproportioned in their liues might find out the truth and be in the number of those of whom the Psalmist saith Psalme 32.11 Laetamini in domino exultate insti gloriamini omnes recti corde Be glad ye righteous and reioyce in the Lord and bee ioyfull all yee that are vpright in heart Whereupon I began to reflect vpon the chiefest rules spoken of either by the Church of Rome or other Churches pretending reformation and examining with a great desire of truth whether visibilitie and continuance of personall succession of Bishops in any Church or whether the Popes sole iudgement and definitiue sentence either with a Councell or tanquam ex Cathedra without a Councell or whether vnwritten traditions or whether the written word and facred Scriptures could be vnto me a straight rule of true faith and of the true Church of Christ me thought I found by all probable euidences and allowed testimonies that only and principally the written word of God I meane the true canonicall Scriptures could be the golden rod and straight mete-wand wherewith the true proportion and frame of Christian faith could bee measured in so much that me thought I might well say to my inexplicable comfort and to the honor of God as that high soaring Eagle Saint Iohn said Apoc. 11. vers 1. There was giuen me a reed like vnto a rod and it was said vnto mee rise and mete the Temple of God and the Altar and them that worship therein 2 But heere thou wilt say gentle Reader that this is but an imagined golden reed Obiections against Scripture as the chiefe or certaine rule and that this is but as crooked a measure as any other in respect of the many difficult places of Scripture which tire out the braines of the most learned as also in regard of the diuersitie of iudgements that is found about the sence of Scriptures for that the translations hauing been diuers it is hard for any man to iudge which is the truest but all these mists of but apparent reasons will easily be disperst if thou wilt please but heedily to peruse the proofes and authorities I bring for this my sure and strongest fundamentall obseruation I know onely but three kinds of strong arguments that may be produced for any veritie as namely the sacred Scriptures the authoritie of the learned and the force of natural reasons all which three do proclaime with a loud voice vnto vs that the written word is the most certain sufficient and infallible rule of faith that we can haue in this world and consequently the true golden mete-wand of Gods eternall truth and all Christian reuealed verities 3 This haue I gathered first out of the Scriptures By proofe of Scripture Esay 8.20 for I find in Esay the Prophet that we must repaire to the Law and to the testimonie if any speake not according to that word Prou. 2. vers 1. Prou. 2. vers 9. there is no light in them I
learned Doctor whom they call the Angelicall Doctor sayth Tho. Aqu. lec in 1. Tim. 6. The doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is called Canonicall because it is as it were the rule of our vnderstanding 1. q. 1. ar 4. And againe our faith resteth and stayeth it selfe vpon the reuelation giuen to the Apostles and Prophets which writ the Canonicall bookes 1. q. 1. ar 8. and not vpon reuelation if any such haue beene made to other Doctors And also in another place hee sheweth how all iudgement of truth is to be referred to the Scriptures saying In arguing it properly vseth viz. the said reuealed knowledge Tho. 1 q. part 1. q. 1. ar 8. ad 2. whereof he speaketh of necessitie the authorities of Canonicall Scripture but the authorities of other Doctors of the Church as it were arguing out of her owne but probably For our faith doth relie vpon the reuelation made to the Apostles and Prophets who wrote the Canonicall bookes nd not vpon any reuelation made to other Doctors Therefore Augustine sayth in his Epistle to Hierome Epi. 19. Paulo post princip to 2. I haue learned to giue this honor to the onely bookes of Scriptures which are called Canonicall as to beleeue most firmely that not one author of them hath erred in writing but others I reade so that with what soeuer holinesse and learning they are endued as not therefore to thinke any thing a truth because they haue held or written so And in another place Faith doth cleaue vnto all the articles of faith for one medium to wit for the first truth proposed vnto vs in Scriptures according to the doctrine of the Church vnderstanding rightly and therefore hee that swarueth from this meane doth totally want faith Antoninus the Archbishop of Florence writeth expressely Sum. part 3. tit 18. c. 3. ff 3. That God hath spoken but once and that in the holy Scripture and so plentifully to meete with all temptations and all cases that may fall out and all good workes that as Gregorie in the two and twentieth booke of his Morals expounds it he needes no more speake vnto vs concerning any necessarie matter seeing all things are found in the Scripture Gerson a great man in the Councell of Constance sayth De com sub vtraque specie The Scripture is the rule of our faith which being well vnderstood no authoritie of men is to be admitted against it Durandus sayth That generally in the things that touch our faith wee must speake to that which the Scripture deliuereth Praef. in sent least any man fall into that which the Apostle noteth 1. Cor. 8. If he thinke he knoweth something yet the knoweth nothing as he ought to know for the manner of our knowledge must be not to exceede the measure of faith and the holy Scripture expresseth the measure of faith Alliaco the Cardinall sayth 1. Sent. q. 1. ar 3. The verities themselues of the sacted Canon be the principles of Diuinitie because the finall resolution of Theologicall discourse is made into them and originally from them is drawne euery conclusion of Diuinitie Conradus Clingius sayth Locor l. 3. c. 29. pag. 290. The Scripture is the infallible rule of truth yea the measure and iudge of the truth Peresius the Diuinitie Reader at Barcelona in Spaine sayth The authoritie of no Saint is of infallible truth Iac. Per. de ratio con li. 2. c. 19. for Saint Augustine giues that honor onely to the sacred Scriptures Whereupon I frame this reason That onely is the infallible rule which is of infallible truth but the Scripture onely is of infallible truth therefore the Scripture onely is the infallible rule 8 Bellarmine also writeth thus Other late Writers De verbo Dei li. 1. cap. 2. The rule of faith must be certaine and knowne for if it be not certaine it is no rule at all if it be not knowne it is no rule to vs but nothing more certaine nothing better knowne than the sacred Scripture contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles wherefore the sacred Scripture is the rule of faith most certaine and most safe and God hath taught vs by corporall letters which wee might see and reade what he would haue vs beleeue concerning him Whence I gather that if the Swenckfeldians are to bee drawne to the written Text then ought those of the Church of Rome also be recalled to the same rule from their vncertaine traditions from the Popes sole definitiue sentence and from their Councels not teaching by Scriptures If nothing be more knowne nothing more certaine as the Cardinall confesseth than the Scriptures why doe they reiect them from being the rule as not sufficient to preserue from error not knowne ynough The same Cardinall sayth in another place De not eccles c. 2. ff respond Simpliciter The Scripture is better knowne than the Church in some case as namely where it is receiued and speaketh plainly and the question is of the Church Willauincentius confesseth The Scriptures and they alone are able to teach vs to saluation De ratio stud Theol. li. 1. c. 31. pag. 21. as the Apostle in the third chapter of his second Epistle to Timothie affirmeth saying All Scripture is inspired of God in which words the Apostle comprehendeth all things that are needfull to the saluation of man Comment in 2. Tim c 3 in vers 15 16. Espenceus writeth That if any thing be needfull either to be knowne or done the Scriptures teach the truth reproue the false reclaime from euill persuade to good neither yet doe they make a man good in some sort but perfect yea they can teach a man to saluation and make him learned sufficiently Panormitane writeth thus One faithfull man Part 1. de elect polest ca. significa though priuate is more to be beleeued than the Pope or a whole Councell if he haue better reason on his side and authoritie of the Old and New Testament And Gerson more sully De exemp doct part 1. considera 5. The examination and triall of doctrine concerning faith belongeth not onely to the Pope and Councell but to euery one also that is sufficiently seene in the holy Scripture because euery one is a fit iudge of that he knoweth And againe some lay-man not authorised may be so excellently learned in the Scripture that his assertion shall be more to be credited than the Popes definitiue sentence for the Gospell is more to be credited than the Pope Therefore if such a lay man though he be priuate teach a truth contained in the Gospell and the Pope either know it not or will not know it yet it is euident that his iudgement is to be preferred Costerus Cesterus sayth That such verities concerning our faith as are absolutely necessarie to be knowne and beleeued of all men are plainely taught in the Scriptures themselues Doctor Saunders sayth Rock pag. 193. Wee
haue most plaine Scriptures in all points for the Catholike faith he meaneth the faith of the present Church of Rome Doctor Hill in his quart of reasons the eight reason And Doctor Hill seemes willing to haue it thought that they build vpon the Scriptures in all points of doctrine when he sayth Neither may here the Protestants reply and say that the Papists build vpon miracles visions prophecies and vpon such like but not vpon the Word for all that they alledge are most agreeable to the word of God neither doe they teach any doctrine but such as is deriued out of the holy Bible This affertion sheweth much weaknesse of iudgement and little skill euen in the grounds of Diuinitie for who is so ignorant that knoweth not the Papists doe build vpon miracles visions prophecies And who so simple amongst them that know not that they build least vpon the word when they generaly teach that the written word is not sufficient for faith without traditions And what a foule misbeseeming vntruth is it for a Doctor to say That all that they alleadge are most agreeable to the word of God when they ordinarily obiect that the perpetuall virginitie of the virgine Marie the assumption of her bodie into heauen the baptizing of reasonlesse children the keeping of the Sunday and others the like are not to be proued by the word of God but are built onely vpon traditions Is not this then a very grosse forgetfulnesse to affirme That they teach not any Doctrine but such as is deriued out of the holie Bible And yet he forgetteth himselfe so much that againe in the same reasons hee saith euen for the time past That the Catholikes meaning Papists euer squared their Doctrine by the Line and the Leuell of the word of hir Spouse and therfore neuer had cause to reiect the least iote of the holie Bible and at one word the Catholikes follow the Bible By all which it seemeth most apparent that the learned doe approue the word of God that is the Canonicall Scriptures to be the most certain sufficient and most infallible rule that can be assigned What reason then haue I to forsake the iugement of so many learned men both ancient and moderne Writers who heerein are most conformable to Scripture it selfe 9 For if we consider rightly of the nature of faith Natural reason sheweth this rule obseruing that the knowledge whereto it consenteth and the end to which it leadeth are supernaturall nothing can seeme more agreeable to naturall discourse than to gather also that only that book which containes Gods reuealed verities can be the sufficientesi means to know them which is the holy writings of the old and new Testament If a man should aske me why I beleeue the creation of the world all the miracles wrought by Moses Elias and Elisaeus that there is a God that Christ is is the sonne of God that he was borne of a virgine I cannot answere with assurednesse because this Priest or that Priest teacheth me so for reason will obiect that hee may erre or that all Priests agree not therein or that first I must be assured he teacheth me doctrine of such a Church as cannot misinstruct me which I must know by some other meanes Therefore my only answere must be that I beleeue because those Scriptures reuealed from God doe teach me which are the most sufficient rule whereby I can haue assured knowledge of truth reuealed from God by all which it seemed most cleare vnto m that onely the Scriptures can be the most assured sufficient and infallible rule by which I am to measure my faith and all vertues belonging thereunto and therefore all other rules are verie subiect to the crookednesse of many errors Siluest vers 60. fides Nu. 2. Hence I began to see my former error in holding with Siluester that the Pope as the vice gerent of Christ vpon earth was to be my rule according to his assertion taken out of Saint Thomas The Pope hath the primacie of the vniuersall Church to whom it appertaineth to determine those things which belong to faith 22. 1. 11. ar 3. that they may bee held of all with a constant faith and in him resideth the authority of the vniuersall Church Therefore it belongeth to faith to adhere vnto the sentence of the chiefe Bishop in those things which belong to faith yea also in those things which belong vnto good manners because in such the Church cannot erre nor consequently her head as head or as Bishop which I vnderstand alwaies to be true when in doubts he is required not as a learned man or such a person but as the head of Christianity or according to Archidiaconus Note this when he determineth with the Councell of Cardinals but the first is better because the Pope may be without Cardinals But when I remembred that two Popes namely Sixtus and Clemens set out two Bibles within two yeares space for Sixtus Bible came forth in the yeare 1590. and Clements in the yeare 1592. with commaundement to be read and followed vpon penalties mentioned in their seuerall breues wherein many disagreements contradictions and contrarieties appeared in so important a matter of faith as the appointment of what is Scripture and what is not that herein Pope Sixtus grieuously erred I concluded that the Popes sentence definitiue could not bee a sufficient rule for me to measure my faith by vnlesse I would be like vnto a principall Romane Clarke of this land affirming that heere in England he thought the opinion of Cardinall Bellarmine the best to be held concerning deposition of kings namely that the Pope hath his dominion in temporalties onely indirectly yet if he were in Rome he would follow the opinion of Bosius that he hath it directly as the most plausible there And much wondering that such an assertion should passe from the mouth of so graue a man I began to inferre that if but place or persons were the rule of such mens faith in matters of such waight it was time for me who regarded but the saluation of my soule to seeke after some better rule more sure and infallible 10 Now then courteous Reader hauing found out this most sufficient rule of faith namely the holy Scriptures I referre my selfe vnto your impartiall censure to iudge whether I could doe lesse then to measure all the doctrinall points of my faith by this golden meet-wand and therewith measure out the spirituall and true Church of Christ which if thou shalt iudge fit for me I hope such shall be the care of thine owne saluation as to vse it alwaies in like manner for thy selfe that thy faith may be free from all crookednesse of heresies and thereby be made partakers of Gods promises for the manifold diuisions about the Church the diuers errours taught by those that pretend to bee other mens Teachers and euen the loue of thy selfe may well make thee say with holy Dauid following the
because so it wanteth an essentiall part thereof Therefore very iustifiable is his Maiesties assertion when reckoning vp the nouelties of the Church of Rome amongst the rest he ranketh the amputation of the one halfe of the Sacrament from the People Praemonit 4 Secondly that the doctrine of the Church of Rome doth crosse Christs institution It also crosseth Christs institution is also most cleere to any iudiciall man for as my Italian master teacheth me That the Eucharist was instituted in the last Supper Tract 4. de sacra c. 1. dico 2. after the washing of feet before the vsuall Supper the first is a matter of faith out of the Gospell and it is defined in Clementine Vnico in the Tridentine Councell where it sayth Ses 13. c. 1. 2. This is the tradition of the auncient Fathers Now then if this be so we must examine whether Christ did institute it vnder both kindes or not for if he did then certainely it is also so to be ministred likewise to the people because hee bid that to be done in remembrance of him which he himselfe did then his meaning not being to institute two Sacraments of the Supper whereof the one for the Priestes should consist of two parts or of two kindes the other for the people but of one I finde Saint Matthew to record Christs institution in this manner As they did eate Iesus tooke the bread Mat. 26. v. 26.27.28.29 and when he had blessed it he brake it and gaue it to the Disciples and said Take eat this is my bodie Also he tooke the Cuppe and when he had giuen thankes he gaue it them saying Drinke ye all of it for this is my bloud of the New Testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes I finde aso Saint Marke to set it down thus Mark 14. v. 22. And as they did eate Iesus tooke the bread and when he ahd giuen thankes hee brake it and gaue it to them and said Take eate this is my bodie And also hee tooke the Cuppe and when hee had giuen thankes gaue it to them and they all dranke of it and hee said vnto them This is my bloud of that New Testament which is shed for many S. Luke records it thus Luk. 22.19 20 And he tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue to them saying This is my bodie which is giuen for you doe this in remembrance of me Likewise also after supper he tooke the Cup saying This Cup is that new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you 1. Cor. 11. v. 23 24.25.26 27.28.29 And S. Paule most largely explicates the same Institution saying I haue receiued a Precept of the Lord which I also haue deliuered vnto you that the Lord Iesus in the night when he was betrayed tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and said Take eat this is my bodie which is broken for you this doe ye in remembrance of me After the same manner also he tooke the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud this doe as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me for as often as ye shall eate this Bread and drinke this Cup ye shew the Lords death till he come Wherefore whosoeuer shall eat this Bread and drinke the Cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. Let euery man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eat of this Bread and drinke of this Cup for he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because he discerneth not the Lords bodie Now out of all these places of S. Mathew S. Marke S. Luke and S. Paule I finde both kindes instituted by Christ and so inseparably intimated with a copulatiue coniunction that whosoeuer separateth them can but most insolently oppose himselfe against Christs institution and the essence of the Sacrament What greater pride can there be than when Christ sayth in expresse words Drinke ye all of this as well as eate the bread than with the Church of Rome to contradict him teaching the people onely to eat the bread and not drinke the wine Or what greater presumption than so rudely to thwart S. Paule who calleth the institution of the Sacrament a Precept which he deliuereth to the people specifying both formes of bread and wine commaunding as well the receiuing of the wine to be drunke in remembrance of Christ as the bread to be eaten and therefore if the one bind lay people the other also doth as strongly oblige them especially since S. Paule in another place sayth thus 1 Cor. 10.16.17 The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ for we that are may are one bread and one bodie because we doe partake of one bread and one Chalice The Church of Rome taking away the participation of the Chalice in ministring the Sacrament to lay people onely vnder the forme of bread maketh S. Paule to speake false who ioyneth both formes together with a coniunction copulatiue shewing that we are many one bodie because wee participate of both making vs all one And it is here to be noted how the Bibles printed amongst our aduersaries doe varie about this Text and may be suspected that they haue played Legier du maine with the Bible as well in their last corrected Latine as in the Greeke concerning this Text for in them both of one Chalice is left out and yet in an olde Manuscript which I haue now in my hands and in another Bible printed at Paris in the yeare of our Lord 1583 the text is That omnes quidem de vno pane de vno calice participamus We all partake of one bread and of one Chalice Whereby it is more than probably to be feared some notorious imposture hath beene committed in leauing out the Chalice in the latest vulgar editions So that now all these places of Scripture being iudicially weighed the amputation of one part of the Sacrament seemeth not onely to controll Christs owne institution but also his absolute commandement 5 Besides that it is a meere noueltie It is also a noueltie Lib. de Eccles obseruat c. 19. p. 388. Thom. in 1. Cor. 11. lect 5. 6. Aeneas Sil. Hist Bohem. c. 52. Bellar. de Euehalib 4. cap. 26. not grounded vpon antiquitie is most apparant to all that rightly examine the matter for at the first the people receiued the cup as well as the bread afterward sayth Micrologus the Romane Order commandeth the wine also to be consecrated that the people may fully communicate and this was approued by many learned Writers Yet in time the Councell of Constance See 13. ff item ipsae forbad it and then all of the Church of Rome began to change