IT Is a Rudiment bor­rowed from no triuiall schooles,Theodor. de curād. Graec. aff. Lib. 1. that Principium scientiae, est demere ex animo, se aliquid scire, opinio­nem. The first steppe to knowledge, is for a man to perswade himselfe that he knowes just nothing. VVhereupon, one of those auncient Hermits (whose conferences are re­corded by CASSIANVS) tould a scholler of his,Collat. 9. cap. 10. that he was now som­what neere vnto knowledge, as ha­uing begun to vnderstand his owne want thereof.

The Philosophers, neuer gaue a truer verdict (if wee beleeue LACTAN­TIVS) then at such time as they pro­nounced sentence of their owne igno­rance.L. 3. c. 1. SOCRATES for all his wise­dome, affirmed, that he knew only one thing, which was, his ignorance in all things. And DEMOCRITVS, who tra­uayled a great part of the world to seek for knowledge, in the pursuite wher­of, hee spent many yeares, found not­withstāding so litle of that he sought, as hee pronounced, that Trueth was drowned in some hollow pitte. And ARCISELAVS an other Philosopher, finding so great obscurity in the search of things, maintained flatly that no­thing could be knowen.

To. 10. Oper. D. Aug.S. AVGVSTINE, or who euer it was, that wrote those Sermons, ad fra­tres in Eremo, reporteth how the Phi­losopher ARISTODEMVS, spent many yeares studie, but onely to finde out the nature of a little Bee, and yet could neuer come to know it. Onely HIPPIAS, a man prodigiously self-conceited,L. 3. de Orat. would needs take vpon him the skill to know all things, as CICE­RO witnesseth. Quem ego diuinum homi­nem [Page 3] dicerem, (said witty PETRARCH) nisi insanum crederem. I should say the man were inspired by God, had I not belee­ued he was out of his wittes. Others, more wisely ballancing their weaker abilities, haue affirmed, that al humane skill, is nothing else; but a kinde of learned ignorance;Nicol. de Cusa. de docta ig­norant. l. 1. c. 1. and as one writing of this argument, said very well: Tanto quisque doctior erit, quanto se magis nouerit ignorantem.

This imperfection of knowledge, no man how learned soeuer, but shall easily finde in himselfe, if he well con­sider, how defectuous and blinde his reasons are, euen in those daily objects, which present themselues to our com­mon view; & how many things there be in the works of nature, the reasons wherof, are to men vtterly vnknowē: How in the rest, for the most part, they doe but frame conjectures; and if they chance to meete sometime with rea­sons,In Iphi­ghen Act. 4. vers 209 yet are those reasons subject to controll and contradiction, according that saying of EVRIPIDES: Rationes antiquant rationes, & tollunt.

Now if our capacitie in these things be so slender (as euery man sees) what [Page 4] is to be thought of our skill in diuine and supernatural secrets, which haue so great a disproportion, for the state of this life, with our vnderstanding? Wherefore to such as will needes clymbe by reason aboue the pitche of reason; S. GREGORIE giues a wise and profitable document in these wordes; He that in diuine mysteries can finde no reason, 9 Moral. 11. let him but reflect vpon his owne weaknes, and there he shall quickly finde the reason, why he could not finde a reason in those vnsearchable secrets.

There he shall see his owne igno­rance in a number of things which are in daily vse, that hee may the lesse wonder, though he cannot sound the depth of such an Ocean, as no man could euer yet penetrate. Hee shall there see, that the chiefest cause of his errour (as S. AVGVST. speaketh) proceeds from the ignorance and mis-vnderstanding of his owne very selfe. Lib. 1. de Ord. From hence it comes, that many foolish men haue so great an opinion of their owne wisdome, deluded with a false perswasion of that skill which indeed they want. As on the contrary, we see, that the wiser a man is, the more ignorant and foo­lish [Page 5] he reputes himselfe, because hee considers, that his knowledge euen in those things which hee best vnder­stands, is very obscure and imperfect. He compares with these, a farre grea­ter number of others which surpasse his reach, and by this comparison hee wisely perceaues, that his vnderstan­ding in most things is either very shal­lowe, or none at all.

For example, if he take but a viewe of his owne soule, which is a thing of all others, wherewith he hath neerest correspondence and familiaritie, yet, when he shal come to ponder, and se­riously debate with himselfe so many circumstances as are there to be consi­dered, hee will vndoubtedly wonder, and confesse, that there is not any one thing farther separated from his vn­derstanding. In so much as perhaps no man hath bene hitherto founde so cunningly learned, that could rightly define the substance thereof: concer­ning which poynt amongst the Philo­sophers (as LACTANTIVS writes) there was neuer yet agreement, Dei Opif. De. c. 17. of liklyhood also neuer shall be (saith he) in time to come.

The vniting of two substances so [Page 6] opposite in one person, who is able to vnderstand? Their actions also no lesse repugnant then the substances, haue troubled the wits of many wise men and great Philosophers. Which dissi­militude of operations made PLATO to affirme, that a man had three soules, being not able to vnderstand how so many disagreeing functions should grow from one, and the selfe same.

Cap. 27.S. AVGVSTINE in his Meditati­ons falles into this wonder with him­selfe vpon the consideration of mans soule. VVhat a merueilous creature is this, so strong, so weake, so little, so great; which sear­ches the secrets of God, and contemplates hea­uenly things! which, with admirable wit and skill hath inuented the practise of so many arts, for the vse and commoditie of man: which of o­ther things vnderstands so many principles, and yet concerning her owne selfe, how, and in what maner she was made, knowes nothing at all!

Eph. 121We know (saith wise SENECA) that we haue a soule, but where it is, what ma­ner of thing, and whence it is, wee know not. None of vs but vnderstandes there is somewhat which stirres and mooues his affections, yet what it is, no man can tell. Euery one findes in him­self, a kinde of forward indeauour, but whence [Page 7] it comes, he is vtterly ignorant. And to the same purpose, in another place: That we haue a soule, L. 7. nat q. c. 24. by whose commande wee are pushed forwards and pulled back, all men do acknowledge: yet is there not any man able to explicate what this ruler and commander of ours is, no more then he is able to proue vs where it is. One will tell thee, it is thy breath, another, that it is a Harmony, a thirde, that it is a di­uine motion and portion of God: a fourth, that it is a most subtile ayre: a fifte, an incorporeall power; some one or other, that it is a blood, a heate, and I know not what.

This was the agreement of the Phi­losophers, not onely in that question a­lone, but in all the rest, which they handled for the most parte, with that constancie in their opinions, as they did not only differ one from an other,Theodor de curād. Graec. affct. but euery one almost from himselfe, in the very selfe-same points of doctrine, adeò vt eorū dogmata semper dubitabilia, sem­perque inuestiganda sunt, said THEODO­RETVS, speaking of their endles di­sputes, and vnstedfast opinions: which made PLATO denie them the title of Philosophers, tearming them Philoso­phasters; as much to say, as counter­faits of that profession; Quae in ipsius [Page 8] boni verique scientia [...] versatur, saith he.

It is doubtlesse the noblest vse of mans wit that can be, to contemplate the admirable works of nature, the powerfull wonders of Almighty God; and those mushrompes, whose baser thoughts neuer mount higher pitch, then their muddie appetites, can de­serue no rancke in the societie of men; yet will the best witts also grant this, that after all their wearie search and painefull studie imployed in these things, they finde themselues as newe to learne, when it were time to giue ouer, as when they first begunne.

How many stupendious wonders be there in euery one of the foure ele­ments, which the wisest Academicks were neuer yet able to penetrate; not­withstanding their extreme diligence, & toyle some indeauour to compas the same? I doubt not also, but those points in question so many ages agoe, for ex­ample:

[Page 9] and a great number the like; do hange at this day in as doubtfull ballance, as the Philosophers left them many ages past.

It were needelesse to speake of cele­stiall bodies,De opif. Dei. c. 14 when it is manifest that euen in our owne (as LACTANTIVS well noteth) there be a great many secrets whereof he onely who made them, vnderstands the reason. Which thing we finde to be true, not onely in humaine bodies, but euen in the least Ante, worme, or Flye that breathes.

To omitte the hidden properties of sundry beasts, Fowls, & Fishes, wher­of PLINY and others doe write at large:Pl. hist. l. 32. c. 1. There needs no other instance to be sought for a wonder surpassing mans reach, then that great secrete which the said PLINY rehearseth of a little Fishe, not much bigger then a Snayle, whose power is such, that by onely cleauing to the keele of a shippe, she stoppes her violent passage in spite of al the force, that a hundred nymble Maryners, with helpe of winde and tyde can afforde her.

Let vs descend to lesser wonders, and take but a little Gnatte for example (yet [Page 10] there be others of lesser bulke) tell mee where hath nature placed so many sences in this poore silly bugge? where hath shee formed her sight? applyed her taste? inserted her smel­ling? where hath thee framed that buzzing, rude, Lib. 11. c. 2. and mighty sound (as PLINY tearmes it) in respect of so little a bodies propor­tion? with what fine arte hath shee fashioned her wings? drawen out her small and tender shankes? and other like circumstances obserued by that curious Author in his particuler description of this cor­pulent beast.

The very like obseruation made S. BASILL, of the admirable frame and property of the little Emmet, wisely reproouing their folly and rashnesse,Con. Eu­nom. ep. 168. & alibi. who presume by reason to compre­hende the mysteries of Faith, being not able to giue a true reason of so many things as come to be considered in this petty wonder.

ARNOBIVS demandes of the like reason-searchers,L. 2. con. Gent. by what kinde of workemanshippe, the heart, splene, lunges and liuer are concrete and for­med in mens bodies? whence the bones take their soliditie & hardnesse? the flesh his softnes? how the bowels [Page 11] are fashioned, the veynes contryued with such artificiall pipes and con­veyances? &c. which are poynts may seeme perhaps more soluble to some, then their answers would appeare substantiall, being well examined. And SALOMON doth acknowledge their difficultie, where he saith,Eccl. 11. That as a man is ignorant of the way by which his spirit enters into his body, and by what meanes the bones and synewes are knit together in his mothers wombe, euen so he is not able to vnderstand the workes of God, who is the framer and architect of all things created.

These questions also following, are demanded by the same Author in the place alleadged; how that rayne, for example, being a matter so fluent and slyding continually, should hang in the middle region of the ayre, and be kept from his naturall rowling course and descent? And why this water should so softly fal downe by droppes, whose nature is to gush out in streames? whence also the windes do come, and what they are? what may be the rea­son that the seas are salt? or of the diffe­rence of soyles, of which some are mellow, some others are sower and colde, &c.

Arn. l. c.For what cause so many kinde of wylde beasts, snaks and serpents were created and brought forth? What doe Owles, Buzzardes, and Vultures make in the worlde? What good doe such a number of Antes, wormes, Fleas, and mallepert Flyes? What do Spinners, Ratts, Myce, Caterpillers, Horse-lea­ches, Water-spiders, Beetles, and an in­finite rable of such like vermine?

Lib. 1. de Gen. ad lit. Con. Manich­aeos. c. 16Certainclie, S. AVGVSTINE, as great a clarke as he was, doth not stick to confesse that he knew not where­fore Myce, Frogges, Flyes, and such o­ther petty vermine were created. And in another place hee sheweth that a­mongst the workes of nature,De Ciuit Dei. l. 22 c. 4. &. 5. there be an infinite number of things, whereof no certaine reason can be giuen. And that it was expedient,Epis. 222 the reason of di­uerse of Gods admirable works should remaine vnknowen, least with quea­zie stomackes (as hee speaketh) they should grow to vulger and of lesse e­steeme,Apud a­nimos fa­stidio languidos the reason being once knowen and throughly vnderstood.

Arnob. vbi sup.Novv therefore, seeing the natures, the origine and causes, of these and a great many others, which were ouer­tedious [Page 13] to recken vp, be to our curious aduersaries vtterly vnknovven, nor they themselues are able to explaine, vvhat is true, vvhat is false: let them giue ouer to trouble and disquiet our modesty, vvho in matters of higher degree, and more vveighty conse­quence, which are poynts subject to disputes and controuersie, doe freely confesse our ignorance, and leaue them euery one to their seuerall cau­ses, judging it not fit for vs to discusse or determine them.

For vvho is able to penetrate the purpose and meaning of Almightie God?Arnob. ibid. or by vvhat reason shall a frayle man so poore and blynde a creature, and so ignorant that he knovves not his ovvne very selfe, come to vnder­stand hovv the Almighty prouidence doth order and dispose of his affaires? Wherefore, if vve bee not able to ga­ther out of our vveake discourse, the reasons of his mysteries, let vs consider vvith our selues that the cause thereof is no other, then that our reasons and conclusions are limi­ted vvithin as narrovv bounds, as vve our selues, and that vvee are no se­cretaries [Page 14] of his, to whom onely those things be knowen and euident.

We would judge it impudencie in a seruant, to prye curiously into his maisters secrets; and censure that sub­ject worthy of punishment, who should demand reasons of his Princes actions. Let vs consider, that the verie same is our case, hauing no more pri­uiledge or vvarrant for our bouldnes in this kinde, then such a vassal or ser­uant, in regarde of his Lord and Mai­ster.

With great reason said LACTAN­TIVS,L. 1. c. 1. There should be no difference betwixt God and man, if humaine witte were able to sounde the counsailes of his diuine majestie. VVherefore, Id. l. 2. c. 9. what wee cannot otherwise com­prehend, that must our faith beleeue, but let not our vnderstanding search it, least being not found, it may seeme incredible, or being found, it may be thought nothing singuler.

Certaine it is, excluding the light vve haue by Faith, we may well saye that of Ecclesiastes;Cap. 1. All things are full of difficulty, and it is not possible for man in speach to vnfolde them. What thing is more com­mon then TYME, to vvhich men square their thoughts, their actions, la­bours, [Page 14] and whole life? what more vsuall then PLACE, which enuy­rons vs? then LIGHT, by which we are guyded? then MATTER, wherwith we are garnished? then our SOVLE, by which wee are gouerned? And yet notwithstanding, the farther we wade in the search of these things, the far­ther they seeme to flye from our vn­derstanding: so many are the disputes, and variety of opinions which are growen touching the seueral natures and properties of euery one of them: To which, and the like points, I may fitlie applie those words of ARNOBI­VS concerning Logical disputs:L. 5. con. Gen. you shal haue one man deuise you one thing, an other with more subtilitie and shew of trueth, shall defend the contrary, a third, shall come and controll them bothe. After him, a fourth, who shall maintaine an opinion to affront them all. And so according to the diuers qualities of different wits, there is no thing but may bee wrested to different purposes, by endlesse glosses and interpretations.

L. 3. c. 28IT is not possible to finde out a thing that is sought for by a wrong way, said LAC­TANTIVS. No more is it possible for one to finde wisdome, that goes to learne it of a foole. Yet so doth hee, in the judgement of S. BERNARD,Epist. 87. who maks himselfe his owne Schole-master. That was the Philosophers er­ror in the search of trueth, which therefore they could neuer finde.Rom. 1. Di­centes se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt. Their wisdome was put vnto a disgracefull foyle, when that which was hidden from them, was reuealed afterwards to simple fishermen.

By this we are taught where to seek for true wisdome. Nimirùm vbi stultitiae titulus apparet; Lactant. l. 4. c. 2. cujus velamento Deus, ne arca­num diuini sui operis in propatulo esset, thesau­ros sapientiae ac veritatis abscondit. There wee must seeke for true wisdome, where wee shall meete with the tytle of foolishnes vpon the front, with the [Page 17] vayle whereof, God would hide the treasures of his wisdome and trueth, from vulger abuse and prophanati­on.

These proude men, disdaining to stoope so lowe, found just nothing af­ter their long and wearie search, but blindnesse and ignorance, the hyer of pride. Humilitie, the first steppe to wisdome,D. Hier. Ep. 27. and capitall vertue of Christi­ans, was to them vnknowen. Yet here must he begin, who will vnderstand any thing rightlie, as he should,Isai. 60. in Gods mysteries.

To follow our owne sence in this quest, is like as a man should take a blinde guyde to conduct him in a dangerous passage. And euen so doe they, who mistaking the true measure of mans vnderstanding, mak reason their Tutor in matters of Faith. These men are as wise Ra­tionals, as he that would reare vp a ladder to skale the cloudes. For what can bee more against reason it self,Epi. 190. (as S. BERNARD wisely said) then to striue by reason to clymbe a­boue the heigthe of reason? Or what more contrarie to Faithe, then to be­leeue [Page 18] no more but what a man with his owne reason may comprehend? Faith is the substance of things to be hoped.Heb. 11. Doest thou heare the word SVBSTANCE? know then that in matters of Faith, it is not lawful for thee to frame opinions, nor to dispute at thine owne pleasure; nor to be car­ryed this way or that way, by the vaine current of thine owne fan­cies, or by-pathes of erroneous per­swasions. By the word SVBSTANCE, is giuen thee to vnderstand somthing that is firme, steadie, and immoueable. Thou art confined within certaine li­mits, thou art shut vp within the com­passe of precise & narrow bounds &c.

Surely hee must needs beleeue that those things which he vnderstands not,Gul. Pa­risiensis l. 1. de fi­de. c. 2. cannot be at all, who makes his vnderstanding the square of al things that are. Like as one that were per­swaded euery thing to be conteyned within the compasse of the Moone, must of force beleeue that thing not to be, which is not there to be found.

Wee see that men of rude and grosse vnderstanding, cannot beleeue what wiser men well know to be [Page 19] true, concerning the latitude of the heauens; the Sunne, Moone, Starres, and such other common notions. Why? because their dull sences cannot ryse to the pitch of those others, more extensiue capaci­ties. And euen for the very like cause it is, that wee are not able to penetrate the reasons of supernatu­rall truthes, being poynts which farre surmount our weake and limi­ted vnderstandings. Which makes, that the knowledge wee haue of such things, can be no other, but ve­ry slender and imperfect. It may be likevvise, that Almighty God hath inflicted vpon vs this penaltie of ig­norance, in so many things, for the scourge of that curiositie and pride, vvhich vvas the cause of our first ruyne; and for the conseruation of Holy humilitie, a vertue of all other most pleasing to him.

Moreouer, it were needelesse (as S. AVGVSTINE rightly noteth) to per­swade men to beleeue, Li. 50. hom. ho. 32. if what they are to beleeue, could be shewed vnto them by reason. The same Doctor vpon those words of our Sauiour; Solus non sum, sed ego, Io. 8. & qui [Page 20] misit me Pater, demandeth hovv these tvvo poynts can agree together. For (saith he) if thy Father be vvith thee, hovv can he be said to send thee?Tract. 36 in I [...]. did hee both sende thee, and yet re­maine vvith thee? or didst thou come to vs, and still remaine there vvith him? quomodo istud creditur? quo­modo capitur? Hovv can one beleeue this? or how can a man compre­hende it? Whereunto, hee frameth this ansvvere, vvorthy to be obser­ued. Hovv a man (saith hee) is able to comprehende it, therein you say very vvell; but to aske hovv a man may beleeue it, you demaunde amisse. For that is the very rea­son, vvhy a man should beleeue it, because hee cannot easily compre­hende it. Thou doest therefore be­leeue it, for that thy vnderstanding cannot compasse it, and by beleeuing, thou art made capable thereof: for if thou beleeue it not, thou shalt ne­uer be fit to vnderstand it. Where­unto agreeth, that of PROSPER, ga­thered out of the sayings of S. AV­GVSTINE,Ex sent. Pros. 351 Credimus vt cognoscamus, non cognoscimus vt credamus; And that of the [Page 21] Prophet Esay: vnlesse you beleeue, you shall not vnderstand. Cap. 7.

S. HILARIE teacheth vs by a notable similitude,L. 10. d [...] Trin. what moderation we should vse in the search of di­uine mysteries. Like as the Sunne, (saith hee) is to be seene in that ma­ner, as it may bee viewed, and so much light thereof may the eye re­ceaue, as is allovved her, (for if one should gaze too much thereon, hee shall see a great deale lesse thereof, then othervvise he might) euen so it fares in celestiall reason. A man must there looke to vnderstand, no more then is allovved him: for, if he shall stretch beyond that proportion, he may chance to loose the vievve, euen of that vvhich vvas granted him to see. Is there then in God, that a man may vvith his vnder­standing reach vnto? There is no doubt, if hee vvill reach no further then he is permitted. For as there is in the Sunne to be seene of him that vvill see no more then hee may vvith safety of his eyes; right so, in the mysteries of God; vvherein he that vvill needes looke further [Page 22] then his limitts, shall not be able to compasse that very same, vvhich be­fore he might.

It comes here to my remembrance, vvhat a vviseman of our time did pronounce of the like busines:Lips. de Constāt. In di­uinis, superisque, vnum acumen est, nihil cer­nere: vna scientia, nihil scire. In diuine and supernaturall poynts, your only sharpnesse of sight, is to see nothing: your only skill is to knovv nothing. And he recounts a pretie ansvvere that EVCLIDES made vnto one de­manding a number of impertinen­ces concerning God: As for other poynts (saith he) I doe not knovv, but this I vvell knovv,Curiosos odere Diui. Euripid. cited by Aristot. that he is a great enemy to curious persons. Not much vnlike, vvas that of S. AVGVSTINE, to a presumptuous fellovv, vvho vvould needes knovv, vvhere­in the diuine vvisedome vvas im­ployed before hee made the vvorld: he ansvvered, That he prepared hell for to punish all such curious companions.

S. CHRISOSTOME, giues this reason,Hom. 5. in 1. ad Tim. 1. vvhy so many back-slyders fall avvay from the sinceritie of true beleefe, because they striue by their [Page 23] feeble collections, to comprehend the things which are aboue the reach of their capacities. Such maner of reasoning (saith he) serues for nothing else but to pitch them into the mayne perill of drowning, faith be­ing that firme and safe bark, which whosoeuer forsakes, must of neces­sitie fall into wracke: Which thing, the Apostle here sheweth by the ex­ample of HYMENEAEVS and A­LEXANDER, setting before our eyes their dangerous ruine, that so hee might correct and bridle vs. You see, that in those very times there wanted not such as taught peruerse doctrine, that durst with rash curio­sity, search the diuine secrets, and pre­sume with their weake and silly rea­son [...], to penetrate those mysteries which ought not to be searched with reason, but with Faith imbraced.

The gaine they are wont to reape by this busie curiositie, is,Acad. quest. lib 2. that being cir­cumuented with such guilefull and captious questions, as they are not able to cleare; they are brought thereby many times to for­sake the truth. So said he, who could best auouch it, by his owne experi­ence, [Page 24] I meane, CICERO: for when he could not reconcile together those two poynts, to witte, the Eternall foreknowledge in God of things to come, with the freedome of mans will;De Ciui. Dei. l. 5. c. 9. hee flatly denied Gods proui­dence. And so (as S. AVGVSTINE saith; VVhilest he laboured to make men free, hee made them sacrilegious. And, as LAC­TANTIVS pronounced of Epicure, v­pon a like occasion; totam rationem pe­nitùs, ignorantia rationis euertit. For want of vnderstanding the reason, hee quite ouerthrew reason it selfe.

Of this abuse, euen CALVIN him­selfe complaines, & cryes out against his own companions,In cap. 6. & 7. Ioa. who by this meanes are come (saith he) vnto a contempt of the Gospell: for that when the reason of any thing appeares not vnto them, they presently reject it as false. And to steppe a litle further, into this enemies campe, (non tanquam transfugae, Sen. ep. 2. sed tanquam exploratores) let vs obserue what remedie he giues for this disease, which, if any man shall mislike for the Counsellour, hee may doe as the LACEDEMONIANS determined vppon a certaine aduise giuen by an vnworthy speaker,A. Gel. l. 18. c. 3. to [Page 25] witte; bona sententia maneat, turpis author mutetur.

CALVIN therefore in his Instituti­ons, handling a certaine poynt of dif­ficulty;L. 1 c. 3. § 1. and not able to explicate the matter, nor outwinde himselfe; If (saith he) we vnderstand not how it is, let vs remember our owne weakenesse, and think it was not said for nothing; That God dwel­leth in a light, 1. Tim. 6. which no man is able to ap­proach or come neere vnto. And in ano­the place:Cap. 25 § 6 It is a presumptuous and foolish part, for one to wade further in the deepe searche of hidden secrets, then God permits him to vnderstand.

Likewise, in his answere to the Varlet (by that modest title he tearmes his olde friende CASTALIO) puzling about a knot,Resp. ad Propo­sit. 7. he was not able to vn­doe; at last, he breakes it asunder with this suddaine twitch: Stultescere oportet, & proprio sensu exinaniri. Doest thou not conceaue it? Thou must learne then to become a foole, and to be stripped of thine owne proper sence.

Also, treating of another like sub­tile poynt, neither explicable in wordes, nor to bee comprehended with vnderstanding; he shifts it of in [Page 26] this maner. Although it seeme incredible, that the Flesh of Christ, L. [...] c. 17 Instit. § 10. should in so great a di­stance of place, penetrate and come downe to imparte it selfe vnto vs for foode: yet let vs al­so consider, how much the secret power of the holy Ghost, surpasseth all our vnderstanding, and how foolish a thing it is for vs to think wee should measure his immensitie, by our seelie size: what our vnderstanding therfore cannot, let our Faith conceaue. How wel might DIOGE­NES,Laert. in vit. Phi­losph. haue compared this fellow to a Harpe, who geuing so good a sounde to others, did not heare himselfe?

Plato in Alcibia­de.SOCRATES the Philosopher, tea­ching ALCIBIADES, the way to knowledge, gaue him this for his first instruction, that he should learne to know his owne ignorance.L. 1. Inst. Rhet. ca. 14. And if QVINTILIANVS helde it, (as hee did) a vertue in a Grammarian, to bee ignorant in some things; doubtlesse, hee would haue thought it no vice in a Grāmarian, or any man else, to [Page 27] confesse his ignorance, in things hee knowes not. Now adaies, hee that shames not to be ignorāt, is yet ashamed to confesse it and which is more in­tollerable;Apud Stobaeū. cùm hominum pars maxima stulta sit, sapere tamen sibi videatur, said ARISTO­NYMVS; wheras, the major part of men be starke fooles; yet euery one is no­tablie conceited of his own wisdome.

They tearme this, the learned age: Indeede, I neuer heard that same, from any learned mans mouth, but this haue I heard, and partly obser­ued by experience; that euery MAR­SYAS, wil now be held for as cun­ning a Musitian, as APOLLOS selfe. And you shall haue an vnlearned PE­DANT, will runne you a Descant, vpon omne scibile, as if hee were the greatest Clarke in the worlde. Ex ipsa enim ignorantia, Theod. de curād. Graec. ff. pestem superbiae contraxe­runt: Out of the corruption of igno­rance, they haue drawen the deadly poyson of prides infecting pestilence.

It is a true saying, that emptiest vessels, make the deepest sound; and many times, where is least fyer, there is greatest smoke. Verely, euen so it fares with a number of men, who [Page 28] possest with a self-pride,Plato. l. 5 de legib. and ouer­weening of themselues, take vpon them to know much, when indeed, they know nothing at all. And that is a very certaine argument, not of learning or skill, but of temeritie, presumption, and plaine follie. Intol­lerabile est, cum quis insipiens, sibi sapere vi­detur. Stob. It is intollerable, (said EVRI­PIDES) when euery cockscombe, shall perswade himselfe, that he is a jolly prudent Sage.

This itching disease, hath taken no little increase, by our new Teach­ears, plausible admitting of all sorts of men, to the search of Scriptures; which giues incouragement, to e­uerie one that can but make a shift to reade, to thinke himselfe as well able to judge of the sence therof, as the best Diuine of them all. And this their boldnesse, they are taught to be sufficiently warranted, by our Saui­ours promising to graunt, whatsoe­uer shall be demanded in his name.Matt. 7. & 18. For euery one who asketh, receaues, and he [...] that seekes, shall finde, and it shall be opened to him that knockes, &c.

We admit all this to be true, in his [Page 29] true sence. But if they will haue it so generally to be vnderstood, then, why are they wont to tell vs, that it is not possible for men to liue chaste, seeing they may haue the gift of continencie, for the onely asking?Lib. de vnit. eccl. S. CIPRIAN, reproouing the No­uatian heretickes, for presuming v­pon that promise, made by our Sa­viour, to witte; If two of you shal con­sent, &c. told them, it was made one­ly to those, who were linked to­gether in the vnitie of the Church, and not vnto Heretickes, who are deuided from the Church. The text it selfe shewes plainely, that it was not spoken to any other, then the Apostles onely: vnto whom he said immediatly before, that whatsoeuer they should bynde and loose in earth, should be also bound and loosed in heauen. And then it followeth: Againe, I say to you, that if two of you shall consent, &c.

Wherefore, as that power of byn­ding and loosing, was not indiffe­rently giuen to all the faithfull; so neither was this promise made in­differently to all, but onely to the [Page 30] Apostles, and by them, to their law­full successors. To omitte; that our Sauiour had in vaine established, a subordinate forme of gouernement in his Church, (as after shalbe 'proued) if he would, that euery one should become his owne Schoolemaster.

These men, being brought into a fooles net, with this false opinion of vnderstanding the scripture; what is their next presumption? MARTIN LVTHER, shal tell it best, who in his girding vaine, doth notably taxe them for it, in these tearmes, which I will barely interprete, as the wordes doe sounde. There be some men perswaded, (saith he) out of a most foolish conscience, that vnlesse they become teachers, they cannot be excused from hiding their Lords money; Com. in epist. ad Galat. and by that meanes, are made guilty of dam­nation. O good brother, Christ hath in one worde freede thee from this pittifull scruple. View the Gospell, where it said, Vocatis seruis, tradidit illis bona sua. Marke, how he saith, Vocatis; to those whom he called. Tell mee, vvho hath called thee, vnto this businesse? Expect thou the, caller. In the meane time, take thou no care, for if thou wert wiser then SALOMON, or DA­NIEL, [Page 31] yet, vnlesse thou be called, shunne it as thou wouldest Hell it selfe, that there passe not one worde of teaching from thy mouth. If he shall stande in neede of thee, hee will call thee. If hee shall not call thee, neuer be afraide that thy skill will burst thee.

To returne to my purpose; QVINTI­LIANVS,Lib. 1. c. 4. requires the skill of diuers faculties in a man, that will but vn­derstande a Poet rightly as he should. And S. AVGVSTINE affirmes it were needful for such a one to haue first studied ASPER, CORNVTVS,De vtilit cred. c. 7 DONA­TVS, and the like Authors. Where he sheweth, how much more is to be learned of him, that will presume to wade into the search of those hidden & profounde mysteries, contayned in the holy Bible. But our men haue the lucke to finde out a more compen­dious way to this learning, then their ancestours could euer knowe.

It is indeed, the propertie of such, to promise extraordinarie waies to knowledge, and to become teachers of that which themselues neuer lear­ned. Nihil enim sic amant isti (saith S. AV­GVSTINE,Tract 97 in Ioan. of their like) quàm scienti­am promittere, &c. They affect nothing [Page 32] more, then to promise great skill, and doe skorne our ignorance, for belee­uing such Catholike trueths, as wee that bee children (saith he) are com­maunded to beleeue. And with this very bayte, they had drawen him so farre in his youth, that for nine years together (as himselfe writeth) he did forsake the religion,De vtil. cred. c. 1. taught him by his parents, to follow them; perswa­ding him, that Catholiks terrifie men with bug-beares of superstition, in re­quiring simplicitie of beleefe, with­out shewing first the reasons of such poynts, as they would haue one to beleeue. Whereas, they on the other side, constraine no man to beleeue, till they haue first examined and clearely vnfolded the trueth.

To this perswasion, wee see men are brought with that false opinion of knowledge, that all truthes must appeare to them euident; euery one must be an interpreter of mysteries,Epipha. haer. 49. D. Aug. haer. 20. euery man a Prophet, with these Gno­stickes; euery woman a Priest, with these Pepuzites. Hardly, shal one meete with a man of this crew, that in [...] matter of scripture specially, will [Page 33] acknowledge his ignorance, be the question neuer so difficile: whereas, men much wiser and more learned, are not halfe so confident.

The only reason I can finde here­of, is that which SALOMON teacheth,Prou. 2 [...] where he saith, Sapientior sibi, stultus vi­detur, septem viris loquentibus sententias. And wee see, how this great Sage himselfe, for all his exquisite lear­ning, was nothing ashamed to con­fesse his owne want of knowledge,Prou. 1 [...]. not onely in the law of God, but al­so euen in humaine arts and scien­ces.Hiero. Oleast. in Pent. And the learnedst Hebrewe Rabbines do confesse, that as touch­ing the signification of those two little wordes, (Vrim & Thumim) they are vtterly ignorant, and knowe not what they meane. Which likewise, S. AVGVSTINE affirmes,Quest. 170. in Exod. to bee a poynt of no small difficultie. And Doctor CAIETANE saith, that no man hitherto, hath sufficiently explicated what is the meaning of them.

The Learned ORIGEN, for all his profound skill, and painefull stu­die, in the interpretation of Scrip­tures, found so great difficultie, in ex­plicating [Page 34] two short verses, concer­ning LAMECH, in the fourth of Ge­nesis;Ep. 125. quae est ad Da­mas. that (as S. HIEROME witnes­seth) he spent the 12. and 13. booke of his Commentaries vpon Genesis, in sifting the doubtes and questions a­rysing of that place: the obscuritie whereof, so many different and sun­drie expositions of other Doctors doe sufficiently witnesse.

Venerable BEDA likewise, our learned Countreyman, whose conti­nuall imployment was in the studie of holy Scriptures, doth confesse his dulnesse of vnderstanding (so hee tearmes it) which did not a little trouble him,Praef. in Act. A­post. for that hee could not finde out the reason why, accor­ding to the Hebrewe truth and com­putation from the generall deluge, vnto the time of ABRAHAM, there are ten generations onely specified, and yet S. LVKE, (whose penne gui­ded by the same holy spirit, could not likewise erre) doth recount ac­cording to the 70. Interpreters, eleuen generations, adding that of CAINAN, in the Gospell written by him.

Of S. AVGVSTINES plaine [Page 35] dealing, in confessing his ignorance, he himselfe shall best reporte, who was so little squeamish in this kind, that in a certaine poynt of dispute, he goes thus roundly to work with his reader: To the ende, Cont. Priscil. c. 11. thou mayest now scorne me, whom thou tookest for a great Do­ctor, I answere, that I know not what they are, nor wherein they differ, one from an other. Of the same poynt, (to wit) the speci­ficall difference of Angels) he saith in another place:Enchi­rid. c. 58. Let them declare these things that can, I for my part, must confesse, I know them not. And in the Chapter following: VVhat neede is there, that one should affirme or denie, or define those thinges with douthfulnesse, which, vvithout any doubt or danger, may rest vnknowen?

He confesseth else-where, that in the Holie Scriptures, like as in many other things,Ep. 119. ad Ianu­ar. the poynts whereof hee was ignorant, were far more then those which hee vnderstood. To whom, that place of the Apostle in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, the 3. chap. 15, verse,L. de fid. & oper. c. 15. seemed so intri­cate and harde to bee expounded, that he thought it might well bee rancked with those, which S. PETER [Page 36] wrote,2. Pet. 3. were difficile to bee vnder­stood. And he saith, hee had rather heare the opinions of others there­in, then deliuer his owne. Of an o­ther like place, which is in the 2. Epist. to the Thessal. the 2. chap. and 7. verse,L. 20. de Ciuit. Dei. c. 19 he writeth in this maner: Ego prorsus quid dixerit, fateor me ignorare. I confesse in very deed, I do not know, what the Apostles meaning is by those words.

Wherefore, it was to this purpose very fitly obserued by S. GREGORIE.Hom. 22 in Euang. v. D. Amb. l. 1. c. 7. de vocat Gent. & eund. D. Greg. ho. 17. in Ezech. that in the olde Law, the relickes of the paschall Lambe were comman­ded to be burned, to the ende (saith he) wee might learne, that in the mysteries of the true LAMBE, sa­crificed for vs vpon the CROSSE, what wee cannot chewe downe with our vnderstanding, wee should burne in the flame of Faith and cha­ritie.

The like did ORIGEN obserue, concerning the sacrifices offred in the Lawe,Hom. 5. in Leuit. which, albeit they were graunted to the Priestes to eate, yet were they not all permitted vnto them, but some parte thereof was [Page 37] offred vnto God, and burned vpon the Altar. To giue vs to vnder­stand, that although it be granted vs to finde out the sense of many things contained in holy writ, yet some other things there are, which must be reserued for God himselfe. Which, being aboue our reach and vnderstanding, least happely, saieth he, wee mistake them, and conster them, otherwise then the trueth is, it were better wee should spare them to burne vpon the Altar.Vid. Ire. l. 2. c. 47. to wit, in that fire of inflamed chari­tie, whereof S. GREGORIE spake in the place before alleadged.

For what dammage can it be vn­to thy little ones (saith S. AVGVSTINE [...] speaking vnto God) if in such points,L. 4. conf c. 16. their vnderstanding fayle them, so long as they depart not from thee; but feather themselues with safety in the nest of thy Church, and there strengthen the winges of charitie, with the nourishment, of a liuely Faithe?

Wherefore (saith the same Doctor) When I heare my Christian brother,L. 5. c. 5. conf. discouering his ignorance in this or [Page 38] that, and misconstruing one thing for an other, I patiently brooke the good soules mistaking, because, I see well it cannot hurte him so long as hee beleeues nothing vnworthely of thee, O Lord, the Creator of all.

NEITHER, neede wee to feare that the common cause of our Faith should suffer wracke,Ex Arn. l 2 Cont. Gent. quo [...]d sensum. or be de­priued of necessarie defence, vnlesse it be supported with reasons and ar­guments, against euery importunate & presumptuous wrangler. As though our religion could not stand without Champions to defende it, or were e­uer the truer, for hauing many ap­proouers, or that she must be fayne to begge her authoritie from seely men. This consequence, is nothing neces­sarie. For, our faith and religion is sufficiently guarded with her owne forces, and beares vp her selfe with [Page 39] the strength of her owne pillers, be­ing so well framed, that shee can not choose but stand, all were it so, that shee had neuer an arme to de­fende her. Yea, though all tongues, with combyned courage, should striue by clamarous contradiction, to worke her subuersion.

Suppose then,Ibid. wee should be desti­tute and vnfurnished of arguments, or, peraduenture not vnderstanding the reason of thinges, should frankly confesse this our ignorance, and tell them, wee doe beleeue as wee haue heard from him, whose authoritie is more potent to perswade them rea­son, wherein is this credulitie of ours to be blamed? Is it a fault to beleeue God, and graunte that thing to be possible vnto him, which to our sen­suall reason, seemeth impossible? Is it a fault to confesse, that either wee know not these things, or that wee know them for such as are not of vs to be discussed? It is nothing so. For, what reproach or shame can it be for one to be ignorant in that, as he is not bound to know? or yet to professe without excuse or dissimula­tion [Page 40] his ignorance in things he knows not? no wise man surely will judge him blame-worthy that takes not vpon him the vnderstanding of some darke or hidden poynt, but him rather that presumes euidently to know such things, as are inuolued with insoluble knots and obscuri­ties.

He that should call euery trueth in question, whereof he were not able to conceaue the reason, might hap­pen also to doubt, whether he haue a reasonable SOVLE, and stagger, no lesse at any other vndoubted prin­ciple, which his feeble vnderstan­ding, could not be able to compasse. It is affirmed by ORIGEN, and cannot be denied,Hom. 5. in Num. that in the Chur­ches obseruations, there bee a great many things, which euery man is bound to doe, and yet the reason of them is not euident to euery one.

There be others also, which many perhaps, who sufficiently vnderstand them, cannot sufficiently explicate. And surely, if we should be said to vn­derstand no thing, but what we are able to explicate by defining the na­ture [Page 41] and propertie thereof, we need not much boast of our knowledge in most things that are. For as lear­ned MVRETVS said to this purpose;In sui [...] ad Sen. Annota­tionibus. I seeme well enough to know what a stone is, what a horse, what an Oxe, what is golde, what is siluer: of which things, notwithstanding (as of infinite others in daily vse) should one presse me with giuing him the definitions, I must intreate him to giue me time to delibrate thereof, and perhaps, after a prettie long deliberation, I should be as new to seeke for an an­swere as before; neither should I dare to affirme that I am in health, or that I am sicke, because there be so many disputes amongst the Phisici­ans, about the nature and definition of health and sicknesse. Whereupon, GALLEN said very well; Obmutescen­dum nobis foret, si ea tantum nosse dicamur, quorum definitiones tenemus.

It was a pretie answere, S. AVGV­STINE, made concerning the defini­tion of time: Si nemo ex me quaerat, scio. Li. Conf. Si querentibus respondere velim, nescio. L. 2. de pec. mer. & rem. c. vl. Hee tels vs likewise, that there be many things, wherein a man may be igno­rant, [Page 42] without prejudice to his pro­mised saluation. And that some things there are, which might not onely,L. 22. de Ciuit. Dei c. 20 with more wisdome be con­cealed, but also, with more skill re­maine vnknowen. Thererfore (saith he) let no man demaund of me that,Eiusdem libri. c. 2. which I knovv, I know not; vnlesse peraduenture, hee vvould learne not to knovv that, vvhich hee should knovv, can not be knovven.

In a certaine Epistle also, vvhich hee vvrote to S. HIEROME,Ep. 29. hee saith vnto some, vvho demanded of him, hovv the sinne of ADAM, should spread it selfe, to the infection of his poste­ritie? his answere was this: hoc, vt alia multa, ignorare me fateor. I confesse, this is one thing amongst many, which I doe not know. And to others, hee giues this counsell, in poynts of like difficultie:Tract. 36. in Io. Si intelligere non valetis, in portu, securi maneatis. If you be not able to vnderstande them, abide safe a Gods name, in the Hauen. And a­gaine: Capiat, qui potest, credat qui non potest. Yea, perhaps it is better to be ig­norāt in some things, then with dan­ger of error to learne them, as Saint [Page 43] HIEROME wisely teacheth. Only one poynt there is,Ser. 15. ad frat. in eremo. noted by S. AVGV­STINE, which were necessary for euery man to know, That pride is the mother and of-spring of all vices.

IT were an absurde thing to ima­gine, that Faith, which is a cer­taine participation of the diuine wise­dome, and a light inspired, by that first and supreame Veritie, should rely vpon so weake a foundation, as hu­maine reasons, which proceeding from the twinckling gleames of natures obscure lampe, are not able to cleare the myste of those verie ambiguities, wherewith she her selfe is encompassed.

Wherefore, it is not for any such petty euidences, that we embrace the beleefe of supernaturall trueths, but for the authoritie of Almighty God, who hauing reuealed the same vnto [Page 44] his Church, commandeth we should beleeue them, without other motiue, then the speakers authoritie. Which made S. HILARIE to affirme,L. 12. de Trin. that religious faith, and naturall ignorance, goe rancked together. According to which, we may say with PAVLVS OROSIVS: That where the discourse of reason ends, L. 1. c. 1. there Faith beginnes.

The Angelicall D. S. THO. declareth certaine reasons, wherefore Almigh­ty God doth exact our simple beleefe of such mysteries, as a man is not capable to vnderstand.L. 1 con. Gent. c. 5 First of all, that his owne glory might appeare the more emynent. For, seeing the Majestie of God, is immense and in­finite, it was fitting, that the know­ledge which man should haue of God, and things appertaining to him, should be in some sorte answerable, to so great a Majestie. Therefore, was it necessary, that hee should assuredly and stedfastly beleeue, those things of God, which, could by no reason be comprehended. And this is that great glory, which man yeeldeth vnto God, to wit, that with infallible assu­rance he doth beleeue and acknow­ledge, [Page 45] touching the immensitie, om­nipotency, wisdome and goodnesse, of the diuine Majestie, those perfe­ctions, which surpasse by infinite de­grees, all such things as are subject to humaine vnderstanding.

Secondly,Cap. 118 because it was a thing very consonant and agreeable both to the nature and aduancement of man himselfe. For seeing there bee two principal faculties of mans Soule, to vvit, his vnderstanding and vvill, it was meete that he should acknow­ledge his subjection and obedience to God, not onely with his vvill, but vvith his vnderstanding likevvise. Whereupon, like as the obedience and subjection of his vvill, consists in the deniall of it selfe, to performe the will of God: euen so, the obedi­ence of his vnderstanding, consists in the renouncing of it selfe, and sub­jecting his reason, to the diuine rea­son. Which submission of vnder­standing, man doth execute, vvhilst by Faith, hee giues assent vnto those poynts, vvhich the Christian Religi­on teacheth him to beleeue. So that it is necessarie, vvith a liuely and con­stant [Page 46] faith to beleeue, as being a thing both glorious to God, and a­uaileable to man himselfe.

A third reason was, because, as well the end,Id. 22. q. 2. art. 3. for which man was created, to wit, the cleare vision of God, as also, the meane of his sal­uation, ordained by Gods decree, to witt, his redemption, (which was to be wrought by the Sonne of God) are poynts, which farre surpasse the limits of nature, and therefore man could haue no certaine and infallible knowledge of these things, but by the light of diuine Faith. Wherefore it was most fitting, that it should be commaunded vs by GOD, to im­brace all such decrees, as were a­boue our vnderstanding, with an­invincible constant, and most assured faith, for this onely reason, that these mysteries do rely vpon diuine autho­ritie, and that with promise of re­ward, if wee obey, or eternall dam­nation, if we resist and deny our obe­dience, according to that saying of our Sauiour.Marc. vlt. He that will beleeue, and be baptised, shall be saued: but he that will not beleeue, shall be damned.

WHEREFORE, the prime and formall reason (as they tearme it) of beleeuing, is no other, then prima veritas, the first trueth and diuine au­thoritie: but the reason à posteriori, or cause propounding, is the authoritie of the Catholike Church, which, not in it selfe, but in respect of vs, is more euident, and therefore may be rightly tearmed, the rule of Faith.

As for example, the Samaritanes beleeued in Christ. but how? was it not first by the preaching of that Samaritane woman? euen so, we be­leeue the Articles of our Christian Faith, which Almighty God hath re­uealed and confirmed, by his owne authoritie, (whereupon Faith is not tearmed humaine, but diuine) yet, had we not attained vnto this Faith, nor come to the knowledge of these Ar­ticles, [Page 48] if the Samaritane woman (which is the Church) had not by her Pastors preached Christ, and these mysteries vnto vs.

Neither doth it herehence follow, that Faith depends vpon mans testi­mony, or the Scriptures authoritie vpon the authority of the Church, but onely so farre forth, as CHRIST him­self depended, vpon the testimony of IOHN BAPTIST,Io. 1. to wit, in respect of the Iewes, to whom IOHN was better knowen: or as, in respect of both Iewes and Gentiles, he depen­ded,Act. 1. vpon the testimony of his Apo­stles, by whose ministerie and prea­ching, they haue imbraced the Faith.

And this is no impeachment at all, to the infallible authoritie which the doctrine of Faith, and the diuine Scriptures haue of themselues. For, as light doeth neither increase nor di­minish, nor alter the nature of Co­lours, but onely shewes the same vn­to vs, being not otherwise able to discerne them: So the authoritie of the Catholike Church, doth neither increase nor diminish, nor alter the authoritie of Scriptures, but onely [Page 49] makes them knowen to vs, and be­leeued for such. Seeing that Faith, Rom. 10. (as the Apostle witnesseth) commeth by hearing, and the worde of God is not to be heard from any other, then authorized witnesses,1. Thes. [...] qui probati sunt à Deo, vt crederetur eis Euangelium.

But CALVIN findes fault with this explication,1. Instit. [...] 7. § and will needes haue the Scriptures discerned by their owne luster, counting it a madnesse, that a man should bee taught to discouer light from darknesse. I suppose that if Batts and Owles could speake, they would tell him they had need of some other helpe, to discouer the Sunnes brightnesse, besides her owne beames. Wherefore,1. Ethic. 4 ARISTOTLE said, that eadem nobis, atque simpliciter nota, are two different things, the cause of obscuritie, proceeding from our selues, and the weakenesse of our owne vnderstanding. As for CALVINS fancie, of discerning them by the spi­rit, it is a meare dreame; for why could not hee by that spirit, discerne the bookes of Machabees to be cano­nicall scripture,l. 18. de Ciuit. Dei. c. 36 so well as S. AVGV­STINE, and the Catholike Fathers [Page 50] had done before him; who, like duti­full children, beleeued the Church their mother in that poynt; he, like a blynde byard, and impe of disobedi­ence, would rather beleeue him­selfe.

Yet was this man so courteous else-where,L. 4. In­stit. c. 1. §. 4. as to deduce out of the very name and propertie of a mo­ther, how necessarie it is for vs to imbrace the Churches doctrine and direction: who hauing giuen vs our first life and breeding, and sithence, nourished vs with her owne breasts, must further more defende vs vnder her safegard & gouernement, donec exu­ti carne mortali similes simus Angelis. And he addeth, that our infirmitie doeth not suffer, wee should bee turned loose from her schoole, donec toto vitae cursu discipuli fuerimus. And a little after, ci­ting those wordes of the Apostle, that God hath ordained in his Church, some to bee Apostles, 1. Cor. 11 some Prophets, some Do­ctors, &c. Here wee do see, that God (saith he) although he could in a trice bring his, to perfection; noluit tamen eos adolescere in virilem aetatem, nisi educatione ecclesiae: yet would hee not that they [Page 51] should grow to mans state, otherwise then by the Churches fostring.

It is true, that the Apostles for their parts needed no schoole-maister in this kinde, as hauing bene immediat­ly taught by our Sauiour himselfe. But now there is a maine disparitie, betwixt their case and this of ours. For, like as Almightie God, in the beginning of the worlde, formed the first creatures immediatly of himselfe, but afterwards produced the others in successe of time, by their ingend­ring causes: euē so hath he likewise in­structed the first pillers of his Church by himselfe, and his onely Sonne; the rest which followed, he taught by them and their successors. And like as in the olde Testament, he did not reueale his will immediatly to euery faithfull beleeuer, but by the Prophets: the very same hath hee done in the nevv Law, by his Apo­stles and their Successors, from time to time.Luc. 10. D. Cip. l. 4. Ep. 9. D. Bas. de const. Mō. c. 29 Of whom he hath plainly pronounced: He that heareth you, heareth mee, and he that despiseth you, despiseth me. Wherefore one of them letted not to say, He that knoweth God, heareth vs. [Page 52] Another also writes in this maner: If any man obeyes not our wordes, [...]. Thes. 3 Ne commisceamini cum illo. And a­gaine,Ephes. 3. Mihiomnium Sanctorum minimo, da­ta est gratia hac, Euangelizare, & illumina­re omnes, &c.

Doubtlesse, Almighty God could immediatly haue reuealed vnto vs, what wee ought to beleeue, hauing no neede of second causes, but wee see he hath otherwise ordained in his diuine prouidence, that there should be a dependance, and a sub­ordination one to another, in all his workes, both naturall, and superna­turall: For which cause (as that great Doctor DYONISIVS sheweth) he hath appoynted the inferiour Angels to receaue their illustrations and directi­ons,De celest Hierar. c. 5. from the superiour, the rule and order of HIERARCHY requiring, vtalii purgentur, alii purgent, quidam luce illu­strentur, nonnulli illustrent: & aliqui perfi­ciantur, alii perficiant. And he saith, it is a Law decreed by God, that in euery HIERARCHY,Ibid. c. 4. there should be di­stinct orders and degrees, as first, last, middle; and that the superiours should be maisters and teachers of [Page 53] the inferiours.

We see likewise, that after it plea­sed his diuine wisdome to frame this inferiour world, and the crea­tures therein contained, hee would not otherwise maintaine their per­petuitie and succession, but by the ministerie of those celestial and more durable bodies, which therefore hee indued with certaine excellent pro­perties and perfections, that from their influence, these inferiour might receaue their life and propagation from time to time. And it seemes the Prophet DAVID forsaw in spi­rit, the like order and state of the Church then to come, which being a certaine spiritual world, compre­hendeth the heauens and earth, in a mysticall sence.Psal. 1 [...]. Wherefore he com­pares the Apostles and Superiour mi­nisters thereof, to the heauens, the people and inferiour members, to the earth. Which allegorie,Cap. 10. the Apostle also confirmeth, in his Epistle to the Romanes.

For, as the heauens in their natu­rall motions, euen so these,Roff. in def. sac. adu. Lu [...]. in their spirituall stations, doe shine and giue [Page 54] light, by their example of life, they giue heate, by their fervour of cha­ritie, moysture by wholsome coun­sels and admonitions: they quicken by comfortable promises, they thun­der by denouncing & threatning of Gods judgements; and finally, they lighten also by their working of my­racles. As that worthy and learned Prelate of our Nation B. FISHER hath to this purpose very aptly ob­serued.

This order and HIERARCHY, the holy Fathers doe euery where men­tion, as a chiefe poynt wherein the Churches ornament and dignitie, principally consisteth. And for this reason she is shadowed in the per­son of a QVEENE,Ps. 18. Circum amicta varie­tate. For this cause, she is tearmed a BODIE;1. Cor. 12 Col. 1. Mat. 13. Is. 30. 1. Tim 3. Cant. 6. for this also she is intituled, a KINGDOME, shee is called a CITIE, a HOVSE; and finally, AN ARMY IMBATTAILED IN MARTIALL ORDER, to expresse the varietie of her offices, and the differences of their seuerall charges and functions.

There needs no more to be said for [Page 55] this poynt, but that such is the will and ordinance of him, who being Lord and commander of all, and ha­uing to dispose of his Ministers and seruants, in their seuerall charges, as pleased him to imploy them,De opif. Dei. c. 20 would (as LACTANTIVS well noteth) before all things haue a certaine diuersitie and dif­ference of estates; vvhich is the cause (saith hee) that hee hath not opened the secrets of his trueth to the vulger sorte, Non in omnibus est scien­tia. 1. Cor. 8. but hath reuealed the same to a very fewe: by whom vndoubtedlie, hee would haue it taught and imparted to o­thers.

Wherefore the Apostle, warnes vs, that we obey these our teachers and ouerseers,Heb. 13. as those who must giue ac­count for our soules. Whose charge, S. PETER expresseth, where he saith: Pascite eum, qui in vobis est gregem. 1. Pet. 5 By these, doth Christ impart his will and doctrine vnto vs, which he signified in those words,Ioan. 17. where he prayed for such as were to beleeue, per verba eo­rum. And to them it was said:Matt. 5. Matt. 16. vos estis lux mundi: to them it was said: sicut misit me Pater & ego mitto vos. which two clauses, doe so amply expresse the na­ture [Page 56] both of their office and autho­ritie, as it needes no further explica­tion.

[...]. Cor. 3. Do you require (saith he) a proofe of him that speakes in me, to witt, Christ? And a­gaine: [...]. Th. 2 VVhen you haue receaued the word of God from vs, you haue receaued it, not as the word of men, but as in very deede it is, the word of God. 1. Thes. 4 And: you know what pre­cepts I haue giuen you, &c. qui haec spernit non hominem spernit sed Deum, qui etiam dedit spiritum suum sanctum in nobis. For the holy men of God, [...]. Pet. 1. haue spoken as they were inspired by the holy Ghost.

It was likewise in the Old Lawe commanded,Deut. 10 & 17. Aggaei. 2. that the people should demaund the Law of the Priests: & ad verbum eorum omne negotium pendebit. The Priests and Leuites shal teach my people what difference there is betwixt holy and pollu­ted: Ezechil. [...]4. and they shall shew them how to discerne the cleane from the vncleane. And when any controuersie shall grow, they shall stand in my iudgement and judge. And by an other Prophet: The lippes of the Priest shall keepe knowledge, Malac. 2. and they shall demaund the Lawe at his mouthe.

Moreouer, the distincton and sub­ordination of seuerall members, is a [Page 57] thing belonging to the nature of the Church, which is CHRISTS body mysticall,Rom. 12 seeing that all members (as the Apostle teacheth) can not haue the same act; and therefore it was necessa­ry,Nazian. de mode­rat. in disp. hab. that therein should be some ru­lers, and some subjects, some Pastors, and some sheepe; some placed in the foundation, others, vpon it: that some should be Doctors, other some disci­ples, some to minister the Sacraments, others to receaue them, and the like. For,1 Cor. 12 God hath placed them euery one in the bodie, like as he would: if so be they were all one member, where should be the bodie? And in another place, he giues thereof this reason,Ephes. 4. That being thus compact and knit together by this coniuncture of subministra­tion, euery member to the other, the whole body should increase, to the edifying of it selfe in charitie.

This subordination S. AVGVSTINE deduceth out of that place of the Gospell,Lib 2. quest. in Euang. cap 40. where such as were clensed from Leprosie (whereby he vnder­stands all those who were to be con­uerted from erroneous doctrine) were sent to shew themselues to the Priests.Luc. 17. [Page 58] The same hee prooueth out of other places,Act. 9. as where PAVLE was sent to ANANIAS for the like cause. Which also mooued the same Apo­stle to conferre his Gospell with o­thers,Gal 6. least peraduenture (saith he) I should runne, or had runned in vaine And this is that which hee meant, where he tea­cheth, that the spirit of Prophets, should be subiect to other Prophets. 1. Cor. 14

8 Inst. 25And CALVIN himselfe noteth, that although PAVLES vocation was a sin­guler and extraordinarie prerogatiue of God, yet was he afterwardes sent with BARNABAS,Act. 13 to teach by peculier mission, and ordination of his fellow Apostles, and that also with imposi­tion of hands, vt ecclesiastica disciplina (saith he) in designandis per homines mini­stris, conseruaretur. That the Ecclesiasti­call discipline, in ordaining mini­sters by men, might be conserued. And LVTHER in his Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Galath. doth rightly gather, that our Sauiour CHRIST, by this maner of speciall care in ordering his Church, would giue vs to vnderstand, ne temerè quis­quam docere praesumeret, nisi ab ipso vel à se [Page 59] missis, missus sit. least any man should rashly presume to teach, who had not his mission from him, or from such, as were sent by him.

Finally,Praef. ad ad lib. de d [...]ct. Christ. Act. 10. S. AVGVSTINE before al­leadged, bringeth to the same pur­pose, the example of CORNELIVS, vnto whom S. PETER was sent, by whose ministerie, he might not onely receaue the Sacraments, but also learne of him what to beleeue, what to hope, and what to loue.

To this ende,2. Cor. 5. were giuen vs Apo­stles, who are Legates for Christ: to this ende, were giuen vs Doctors,1. Cor. 12 which might interprete vnto vs the Euangelicall and Apostolicall Do­ctrine. To this ende, wee haue our Bishoppes, Act. 20. whom the holy Ghost hath appoyn­ted to rule the Church of God. That wee should not be like vnto children, wauering. Ephes. 4. &c. as the Apostle speaketh. And e­uen CALVIN himselfe confesseth,4. Instit. 3. §. 4. that the Church cannot possibly be without them. The same taught S. CIPPRIAN: the same also taught.Lib. 4. ep. 9. Cont. Lucife- S. HIEROME, where he saith, Ecclesia non est, quae non habet sacerdotes. It is no Church, that hath no Priests.

And although CALVIN reject this appellation, as also LVTHER did be­fore him, yet our prescription for that poynt, hath a better warrant, than their counter-plea. Of our Priests, was that promise of GOD, made by HIEREMIE;Hier. 33. that they should for euer continue, and surpasse the Starres in multitude. Of our Priestes, was meant that Oracle and prediction of the Prophet ESAY,Isai. 61. where he saith: vos autem Sacerdotes Domini vocabimini. And so the holy B. and Martyr,Ep. ad Iac. Hie­ro. Ep. D. Hier. Com. in Isai. S. CLEMENT, as also S. HIEROM with others, who were likely to know the trueth, haue vn­derstood that place. to omit other testimonies of antiquitie, and perpe­tuall consent of the whole Church.

Clem. Ep. 1. Damas. in ep. ad Coepisc. Beda in Luc. l, 3. c. 15. Clem. Mart. Constit. Ap. l 8. cap. 42.But now these generally named Priests, the Catholike tradition groun­ded in Scripture, doth distinguish in­to two different rankes, to witt, the superior or more principall, (who succeeding the Apostles, are named Bishoppes, and haue the first place of authoritie in the Church) and the inferiour or second rancke of Priests, who, hauing their succession, from [Page 61] the 70. Disciples,Mat. 10. Mar. 3. Luc. 6. & 10. Conc. Trid. Ses. 23. cap. 4 can. 7. are equall in po­wer of priesthood to the first, but in preeminence of order and jurisdi­ction, inferior to them. Albeit the one and the other, if we respect on­ly the bare names, are indifferently taken and vsed by the Apostle with­out distinction, but so, that he putteth a cleare and manifest difference be­twixt their functions and authority, as his owne wordes to the two Bi­shoppes,1. Tim. 5. TIMOTHIE and TITVS doe sufficiently prooue. Where, to the first, he writes, that he should not ad­mit any accusation against a Priest, without two or three witnesses:Tit. 1. to the other, that hee should correct what was amisse, and ordaine Priests throughout all Cities. By which, he giueth plainly to vnderstand, that TI­MOTHY, and TITVS as Bishoppes, (ta­king the word in his proper signi­fication) were superiours to those o­ther Priests in authoritie,v. Eph. haer. 75. whom they were to ordaine, and whose causes they were by their office, to examine, correct, and judge.

Moreouer these, and what euer o­ther Orders and degrees there are be­sides [Page 62] in the Church, as Primates, Archbishops, Abbots, and the rest, they are all,L. 3. de consid. propè fin. (as S. BERNARD shew­eth) subordinate by the institution of CHRIST himselfe, to one chiefe Prelate and ruler here in earth, ac­cording to the forme and exemplar of the ANGELICAL HIE­RARHY: ouer which, the Arch­angell MICHAELL,Apoc. 12 is noted in the Scripture, to beare the rule.

And the very same, which Saint BERNARD deduceth, from the Idaea of the Celestial HIERAR­CHY, wee may also deriue from the plat-forme of the Hebrewe si­nagogue, which was a type and fi­gure of our Church; the Law be­ing (as,Hebr. 10 the Apostle witnesseth) a shadowe of the future Evangelicall state. And this kinde of argument from the shaddow to the bodie, S. PAVL himselfe doeth warrant for no bad logicke, where he shewes, that such as preach the Gospell, 1. Cor. 9. ought to liue of the Gospel; proouing it by the like figuratiue Lawe in Deutronomine,Deut. 18. that those who wrought in the tabernacle, were to be releeued of the Tabernacle.

Wherefore, as in that Priesthood, there was a distinction of seueral or­ders and degrees, all of them sub­ordinate to one high Bishop, whose peculiar consecration, ornaments, su­preame ministerie, and different fun­ctions are described in Leuiticus;Leuit. 16 Exo 19. Hebr 9. e­uen so the like ought to be in the Chur­ches priesthood. vnlesse, one will say that God ordained this peculier forme of regiment for the Synagogue, lea­uing his Church (whose gates, Psal. 86. the Pro­phet sayth, he loued, aboue all the taberna­cles of IACOB) in a Babilonicall confusion, without orderly rule and gouernement.

Or,4. Instit. 6. was it perhaps (as CALVIN suggesteth) necessarie for that people to haue a high Priest, by whose au­thoritie, they might be helde in vni­tie, and drawen from strange religi­ons, as being but a handfull, in re­spect of Christians, and therefore as a little fielde (so he fancieth) might easily be tilled by one labourer; but the Christians common wealth not so?

Truely this reason, for the force it hath, draweth wholie on our parte, [Page 64] being as much, or more necessarie to haue a head ouer a great multitude, where vnitie is hardlier kept, and the danger of corruption greater, amidst so many false Religions, then in a smaller number. But he telles vs, that AARON was a figure of Christ, not of our chiefe Bishoppe. And wee may tell him, that hee was a figure of them both, in like maner as S. AV­GVSTINE shewes, those former sacri­fices,Lib 2. cō. Faust. c. 18. to haue prefigured the sacrifice of the Crosse, and also the daily Sa­crifice which we offer in the Church: the reason of Sacrifice and Priesthood being alike.

Wee tell him further, with the auncienth B. and Martyr ANACLETVS (who was ordained Priest by Saint PETER) that this primacie being gi­uen by CHRIST,Ep. 2. & 3. Mat. 16. Luc. 22. Io. vlt. vnto PETER, can be­long to no other then the Romaine Bishoppes, who succede PETER in his office, and pastorall charge of the vniuersall Church. For which point, there needes no further proofe, then the practise and vniforme sence of the Church it selfe, the onely best in­terpreter of our Sauiours graunt. [Page 65] VVith vs (said a wise Romaine) it is an argument of trueth, when a thing is approoued by general consent.

OVT of these, and the like rea­sons, haue the auncient Fathers from time to time, so diligently obserued the succession of Bishoppes in the Church and chayre of Rome: as vnto which,L. 3. c. 3. for her more powerfull principallitie (saith IRENAEVS) e­uery Church, that is to say, the faithful spread ouer all parts, must of necessitie ioyne them­selues The succession of whose Bi­shoppes,Con. ep. Fund. c 4 Id. ep. 162 & ep. 163. helde S. AVGVSTINE fast in the Church, as he himselfe witnesseth, who recounteth a Cata­logue of all their names, from Saint PETER, to ANASTASIVS, who liued in his time. The like did EPIPHANIVS before him,Haeresi. 27. and generally, all the Fathers doe vrge this poynte of succession, as [Page 66] an inuincible argument to confute the Heretickes, who liued in their times, as in the places here alleaged is to be seene.Iren. L. 3 c. 2. & 3. l. 4. c. 43. & deinceps. Tertul de praescript. c. 32. Cip. ep. .52. & 76. Optat. l 2 cont. Parmen. & alii pas­sim. v. Alfons. à Castro. verbo Papa.

For, as in the olde Testament, their lawfull Priesthood was deriued from AARON, which made them so punctually obserue the Leuiticall succession; (and this argument they vsed against the SAMARITANES erecting, a new scismaticall temple, in the mount Garizim,Lib. 13. Antiquit. c. 6. as IOSEPHVS recounteth) euen so in the new Te­stament, no man is to take vpon him that honour,Hebr. 5. but hee that is lawfully called by God, as AARON was, to witt, visiblie, and with peculier consecration,Leuit. 8. as we reade, that he and his children were. For so were the Apostles visiblie called,Io. 10. consecrated and sent by Christ: they by authori­tie receaued from him, did visiblie by imposition of hands,1 Tim. 4 call, consecrate, and send others: and those in like maner others, from time to time [Page 67] without interruption. By which orderly succession of Bishoppes (saith IRENAEVS) the tradition of the Apostles hath come vnto vs, and it is a most plennarie demonstration, l. 3. cap 3. th [...]t the Apostles faith and ours, is one and the selfe same.

Whereupon the Fathers gathered together,Catechi. Ro. in expos. Sym. in the Councell of Constan­tinople, for the clearer and more e­uident note of the Catholike Church, added, by diuine inspiration that clause, APOSTOLIK. For the holy spirit, who rules the Church, doth not gouerne the same by any other kinde of Ministers, then APO­STOLICK. Which spirit, was first of all giuen to the Apostles, and hath euer sithence, by the infinite goodnesse of God, remained in the Church and consequently (to vse TERTVLLIANS words) what the Apostles haue preached,Praescrip c. 21. that is to say, what Christ hath reuealed vnto them, ought not to bee otherwise prooued, but by those Churches, which the Apostles them­selues haue founded. And then (re­ducing euery race to his original off-spring, as he speaketh) why not prin­cipally [Page 68] by that Church, In qua semper Apostolicae cathedrae viguit principatus; D Aug. vbi sup wherein the Soueraintie of the A­POSTOLICALL Chaire, hath perpetually flourished: and from whence, the Gospell hath bene sent to all the parts of the world: wher­of he saith in an other place; Ipsam esse petram, In Psal. 30. quam non rincunt superbae infero­rum portae.

For which cause, the auncient Fa­thers (as namely S. HIEROME,D Hier. Ap 1. cō. R ffin. D Am. orat. de ob. Saty. and S. AMBROSE) doe call the Ro­maine Church, the CATHOLIK and vniuersall Church, vnderstan­ding that whole multitude, which alwaies adheered to the Romaine Bishoppe. And in this sense, the vniuersall Church may be called, as S. CIPRIAN tearmeth it, one Bi­shoppricke:De Simp. Praelat. where hee demaundeth how that man, who forsakes the chayre of PETER, vpon whom the Church was buylt, can warrant himselfe to be in the Church.

IN THIS CHVRCH (saith (IRE­NAEVS) hath bene euer conserued the doctrine which was left by the Apostles,Lib 3 cap. 4. as in the most rich store-house [Page 69] of Apostolicall trueth, and gate of life. TO THIS CHVRCH,T [...]rtul. p [...]aes er p. 25. haue the Apostles powred our their whole doctrine, together with their blood. WITH THE DOCTRINE OF THIS CHVRCH, as with m [...]lke,Synod. Alex. ep. ad Felic. are all Christians nourished, and by her defended, against the brunts and as­saults of wicked Hereticks. Finally,Cip. l. 1. ep 3 & 1 [...] I ē [...] 4 [...]p 8 & 9 9 Opt. l. 2 con. Donatis. Theodo­ret. l 2 c. 4 C [...]nc. Calced. Act. 3 D Hier. ep. 25 & 47 D. Bern. ep 119 & l 2. de Consid. ad Euge. Prosp. de ingratis. TO THIS CHVRCH, as to the mother Church, and guide of the rest, all antiquitie, and the whole multitude of the faithful, haue euer subscribed, acknowledging and imbracing her beleefe, as the most sound and vn­corrupted trueth. I adde PRO­SPERS testimonie, both for the verses elegancie, and authoritie of so auncient and worthy a Doctor:

THE Adversaries doe confesse, that the Fathers before allea­ged might with reason object a­gainst the Hereticks of their times, this perpetuall succession of the Ro­maine Church,L. Instit. c. 11 § 1 [...] Whitg. in Def. suae resp. fol. 348. because for some 500. yeares (as CALVIN and others doe graunt) the true religion and purer doctrine did florish, and was maintained therein. And WHIT­TAKER, a Scholler of his, wri­ting against D. SANDERS, doth ac­knowledge, that for so long a time, the Faith which was deliuered by the Apostles, PETER and PAVLL, was inuiolably taught and maintai­ned by our Church, in that puritie, wherein it was first planted. But then being vrged to bring foorth his proofes, in what age, and vnder what [Page 71] Bishop the change they pretend, was made, and who were the chanpions that stood against it; his answere was this. Whereas,Cont. Duraeum you will needs know (saith he) in whose time your super­stition crept into the Church, and what Doctor wrote against it, that poynt is not needfull for me to an­swere. Well I wot, and vnderstand out of the Scriptures, that your do­ctrine is not Apostolical. But in what age, and in what sorte, euery poynt of this your superstition came in vse, it is a thing belongs not to mee at all.

Was this any better answer, then if he should frankly haue confessed that he was able to shew no other begin­ning of any doctrine of ours, then that which hath ennobled it with those titles of AVNCIENT, CATHOLIK, AND APOSTOLIK?

True it is, that he there laboureth to perswade his Reader, that the Popes haue bene Author of a great manie poynts of our Catholike religion: as for example, that GREGORY the first, was the first Inuentor of the doctrine of Purgatorie, which CAL­VIN [Page 72] himselfe,3. Instit. 5 §. 10. and some others of his owne rancke do warrant for al that, to haue bene of a longer standing, by many hundr [...]h yeares, if praier, and sacrifice for the dead, be poynts (as they are) which necessarily in­clude the Beleefe of that doctrine.

With like felicitie, hee fathers Au­r [...]culer Confession, vpon INNOCENT the third, who was so innocent and free from that imputation, as it is ma­nifest that the IACOBITES were con­demned for hereticks 600. yeares be­fore,Guido c. 2 de I [...]c [...]b. M [...]t [...]h. P ris in H [...] 3. [...] cchin­ [...] [...] [...] ­cles Hist. [...]nc. Ca [...]on. can 32. for houlding (amongst other he­resies) that is was not necessary men should confesse their sinnes to a Priest. And the second Councel of CHALON, which was about 400. yeares before INNOCENTIVS, doth plainely shew the Churches doctrine and practise in this poynt to haue bene such at that time, as now it is. To omit the testimony of a Protestant English writer; who referres the origine thereof to LEO the first,Symund. in Apoc. of more antiquitie then al the rest. Wherin I see no reason to beleeue either the one or the other, being they tell such contrary tales; and that without further proofe, or authority, [Page 73] then their owne bare words.

Out of all doubt, if the Church could at any time either faile, or fal of into error, these prophecies follow­ing, & a great many the like, must also needs be false and erroneous. I haue espoused thee vnto my selfe, Ose. 2. (sayeth Almighty God, speaking vnto his Church) in faith, Isa. 59. vvith an euerlasting couenante. And againe: My spirite which is in thee, and my words which I haue put in thy mouth, shall not depart from thy mouth, and from the mouth of thy seede, and from the mouth of thy seedes seede, saith the Lord, from hencefoorth, and during all ages to come.

And by an other Prophet:Dan. 2. The God of heauen shall rayse vp a kingdome, which shall neuer be destroyed, nor deliuered ouer to an other people. VVhose Sunne, Is [...]. 60. & 62. shall neuer go downe, nor her Moone be darkned: but shall remaine for euer, as an euerlasting glory and gladnesse throughout all ages to come. VVhose gates shall neuer be shutt: Iere 33. whose Pastors shal neuer be silent, whose Priests shall be like the starres, for multitude. Psal. 47. Which the Pro­phet DAVID calleth, a great and eminent Citie built with ioye and tryumph of the whole earth, which God himselfe hath esta­blished [Page 74] for euer. If therefore God hath established it for euer (saith S. AVGV­STINE, vpon that place) what nee­dest thou to feare the ruyne of such a foundation?

For as in case, if a man were im­mortall, his essentiall parts, to witt, his soule and bodie must consequent­ly be also mortall: euen so the sin­ceritie of Faith, equitie of Lawes, and puritie of doctrine, which are the essentiall parts of the Church, must needes be perpetuall, because the Church it selfe is warranted to bee perpetuall. Certainly, hee that said, Ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus vsque ad consummationem saeculi, Matt. 28 did not make that promise for 500 or 600. yeares, but for all the daies and times, vntil the very end of the world.

Moreouer, if the Church could erre, doubtlesse all those tytles and appellations giuen her in the Scrip­tures should be false, and friuolous, as where she is calledApo 21 a Holie Citie, theEzech. 43. Pallace of Gods throne; aIsa. 30. & 55. direct and plaine waye, theCant. 6. spouses only Doue, theMat. 13 kingdome of heauen, theEphes 5 chaste Virgin, the spouse & bodie of Christ, theCo [...]os. 1 house of God, the1. Tim. 3. piller [Page 75] of trueth. Finally, thatIo. 14. & 16. societie to whome the spirit of trueth was promised to bee her guide and [...]r instruction in all trueth. 2 co. 111 Mat. 16. VPON VVHOM, Hell it selfe should neuer be able to fasten any venemous toothe. Whose rebelles, how euer they haue Christ in their mouthes, are denoun­ced to be no lesse aliens to Christ,Mat. 18 then the very Heathens and Publicanes..

They therefore that affirme this Church (which was once by their owne confession, such as is here described) to haue bene tainted with those fowle corrupti­ons and errors, which they pretend; what doe they else but blaspheme the Holie Ghost himselfe? for if it were so, then must it needs follow, that the spirit of trueth was sent in vaine by Christ to guyde her in all trueth, as TERTVLLIAN obserued, refuting the like impious assertion of the Here­tickes of his time. In vaine prayed he to his Father for the sending of the same spirit, to teach her the doctrine of trueth, if she could so quickly for­get the same. As though her pro­gresse and continuance therein, did not as much belong to his goodnes [Page 76] and prouidence, as did her prime in­struction.

It cannot choose but be apparant to any man of true judgement, that shall consider those wounderfull pro­mises made by God, in the scriptures, for the Churches perpetuall stability during all ages; her ample propaga­tion, splendor and glorious magnifi­cence, foretold by sundry Prophets, (as in parte hath bene shewed before) that the Protestants absurd fiction of her Ecclypse for so many ages to­gether, can be no other, then a meere desperate euasion, to shift the ineui­table force of trueth; whilst they per­ceaue, that these predictions (as no way agreeing with their obscure Conuenticles) must either necessarily haue bene fulfilled in our Church, or else the performance thereof, must be expected for the time to come; vn­lesse they will say, that those promi­ses haue fayled vs,Conrad. Schlus­sel [...] in Theol. Caluin. Beza. ep. 65. and thereupon shewe themselues plainely to be ei­ther Turkes or Iewes, as already some of them haue done, if their owne writers (who name the men) doe not misreport them.

What CASTALIOS opinion was of this poynt, may partly be gathe­red out of his Preface to the Latine Bible, which hee dedicated to King EDVVARD the Sixt: where hauing re­counted the former promises, of the Churches admirable progresse, and inlargement, It cannot be denied (saith he) but either they haue bene alreadie, or must be hereafter accomplished, or els God himselfe accused of vntrueth. If they an­answere, those promises haue bene perfor­med: I demaund, in what age? If they say, in the Apostles time, I aske them, how it chanced, that they were not in all respects consummate? and howe the knowledge and worship of God, which was promised to continue for euer, and to be more copious then the Sea-waters, should be so presently dryed vp, and quite euacuated? And so leauing the poynt in these doubtful tearmes, he graunts that the more he busies himselfe, in the consideration thereof, eò minùs praestitum hactenus video, (saith he) vtcunque oracula illa intelligas. What should one thinke, I pray you, of this mans beleefe?

IT is an vsuall tricke with such men, because they would shunne the judgement of the Catholike Church, still to appeale vnto onely Scriptures: the absurditie of which euasion, is so manifest, as no man but wil confesse, that all these differences of opinions, and in summe, all Here­sies of what nature so euer, haue growen chiefely from this roote, (as S, AVGVSTINE long since noted) dum scripturae bonae interpretantur non benè, & quod in eis non bene intelligitur, Tract. 22 in Ioan. etiam teme­rè & audacter asseritur. Whilst the true scriptures are falsly interpreted, and what is in them not rightly vnder­stood, is affirmed with rash and pre­sumptuous boldnesse. For there are no heretickes, but do read the Catho­like scriptures, neither are they he­retickes for any other cause, then that [Page 79] reading the scriptures, and not right­ly vnderstanding them, they obsti­natly maintaine their owne false as­sertions against the trueth.

So MARCION the Heretike reades the scriptures. But how?O [...]ig. ho. 31. in Leuit. as the De­uill reads them. And euen so doe the heretikes BASILIDES and VALENTI­NVS; in like maner, as we may say of LVTHER and CALVIN. These men say juste as the Deuil did to our Sauiour, Scriptum est. Therefore if at any time thou chance to heare testimonies al­leadged out of scriptures, take heede thou doest not rashly yeeld assent to to the speaker, but consider wel of what spirit hee is, least happely hee shroud himselfe vnder the cloke of sanctitie, and comming infected with heresie, play the wolfe in a sheepes cloathing. Least happely the Deuill speake of scripture in this mans per­son. Thus farre ORIGEN.

VINCENTIVS LIRINENSIS,Praef. ad lib. 1. for this reason, very fitly compares Hereticks to those who maske venemous herbs, and infectious drugges, with the tytles of wholsome medicines, that a man finding written on the out-side, [Page 80] A SOVERAIGNE RECEIT, should neuer suspect any poyson to lurke within. In which sense, IRE­NAEVS compares them to those,Praef. ad lib. 1. who sell glasse to the simple and vnwarie buyers, in stead of pearle: falsifiers of the word of God, and badde interpreters of thinges well spoken. Who frame the Propheti­call and Apostolicall sayings,Ido. l. 1. c. 2. to fitt their erroneous assertions, least they should seeme to want witnesse and warrant for what they bring.

And in this maner doe heretickes beare the banner of Christ (as Saint AVGVSTINE speaketh) against Christ himselfe,Ep. 62. and against the Go­spell,In c. 3. ad Tit. Id. l. 4. in luc. & in ps. 118. they vaunt of the Gospell. Qui per verba legis, legem impugnant, saith S. AMBROSE. With the words of the Law, they impugne the Law. Which hath giuen occasion to some learned men, to compare the scrip­tures, to a certaine plant called RO­DODAPHNE, whose leaues (as PLINY and DIOSCORIDES write) are poysonfull to beasts, and preseruatiues to men. For hereticks, like vnreasonable beasts, following [Page 81] their owne sense, make that vene­mous vnto them, which to Catho­likes, who are lead by reason to im­brace the Churches interpretation, is made wholsome & nourishing foode.

So wee see, how the mis-vnder­standing of Scripture, doth beget he­resies. De intelligentia haeresis est, non de scriptura; L 2 de Trinit. said HILARIVS to this purpose; senfus non sermo crimen habet. Which thing moued,In cap 1. ad Gal. euen LVTHER himselfe to confesse, that out of Scriptures vnderstood, according to priuate sence, there can be no argu­ment drawen in matter of Faith. OECOLAMPADIVS, a Doctor of the same schoole, affirmes as much.In cap. [...] Matth. These men were doubtlesse ouer­maistred with trueth (to vse LAC­TANTIVS his words) Et impruden­tibus vera ratio surrepsit. And the true reckoning of the matter, stole vpon them at vnwares.

Herehence, it must needes follow, that where the controuersie is of the true sense of scripture, the authori­tie of judging & decyding the same, is absurdlie by these men commit­ted to the scripture it selfe. For like [Page 82] as in ciuill affaires, where the text of the lawe is in question, the bare let­ter alone, cannot determine the pro­cesse, but there must needes be some Iudge besides to interpret the words of the law, and giue sentence in the cause: euen so it is in the very case propounded.

Wherefore I see not, with what reason they speake, who are wont to say, that the scriptures are layde open for euery man, and that euery one ought to reade and seeke his dire­ctions from thence: which to me see­meth so great an absurditie, as I can finde no comparison friuolous e­nough to match it. Somewhat like it is, as if a sicke person, who neuer fre­quented the Phisitians schooles, ne­uer heard the property of any roote or herbe described, neuer vnderstood the causes and natures of diseases, should thinke by reading of HIP­POCRATES or GALEN, to be­come as wise a Phisitian, as ESCV­LAPIVS. Or, like as a marchant, who neuer gaue himselfe to the stu­die of lawes, would take vpon him to interpret the Pandects, or imagine [Page 83] by reading of IVSTINIANVS CODEX' to passe for as cunning a Lawyer, as the learned LABEO, or that famous Counsellor, DON VLPIAN.

In summe; the infinite Commen­taries, written of all sides, for ex­playning and interpreting of scrip­tures, their hardnesse to bee vnder­stood, acknowledged by the greatest and learnedst wits, the very natural course of all sciences, requiring tea­chers, before they can be learned; the Protestants owne differences, about the vnderstanding of them, do e­vidently conuince these men to bee carried with an erroneous perswa­sion, who will needes make the scriptures so vulger, as that euerie Weauer, and Wooll-kemmer, must bee allowed, not onely to read the morall and lesse obscure parts; but euen those of most hidden and pro­found sence, such as EZECHIEL and the other Prophets, where the grea­test Rabbynes haue stucke fast; as al­so the booke of Canticles, (which by the Hebrew tradition, no man was permitted to read, till he had accom­plished the age of thirty yeares) and [Page 84] that mysticall scripture of the Apoca­lips, whereof CALVIN himselfe being demaunded what hee thought, an­swered franckly (as IO. BODIN wri­teth) se penitus ignorare, In Me­thod. hist c. 7. quid sibi velit tam ob­scurus scriptor. And LVTHTR, for the ob­scuritie thereof, would not allow it for Canonicall, eò quod humana intelli­gentia illam non assequatur. But yet hee might haue learned of a wiser Di­uine,Dionis. Alex. a­pud Eu­seb. l. 1. c. 15. that it must not therefore bee thrust out of the Canon, because it is obscure, and wearies all mens wittes; for, by that reason, totum mox euertas scripturarum Canonem, & in nudum conuer­tas nomen.

Their second shift, is conference of scriptures, which they tearme, inter­preting of one place by an other. but this is prooued, no lesse absurde, then the former. For what place can bee brought so cleare, whereof a wran­gler shall not mooue question tou­ching the vnderstanding? and hee that will cauill about the vnderstan­ding of one place, what shall let him to doe the like of an other, and a third, and of so many, as shall bee brought, against his setled peruerse [Page 85] opinion, which he by scripture will maintaine, against the others deniall: and so there shall neuer be end of con­trouersies, till some other Iudge be a­greed vpon, who by publike sentence may determine the strife.

Take me for example, an Arrian, alledging for his heresie that place of scripture, Pater maior me est. You chal­lenge him to conference, and bring him an other place, where it is said, Ego & pater vnum sumus. Verie well. but now hee will answere you againe, that this latter scripture, is to be vn­derstood, onely of the vnitie and con­sent of minde; and to prooue it, hee conferres the speach, with an other like, which our Sauiour vsed, Io. 17. vt sint vnum, sicut & nos vnum sumus. Then wil he second it with an other scrip­ture, and after that, with so many more, that exclude but you all other meanes of conuincing this heretike, besides onely scripture, and see howe well you shall bee able to stoppe his mouth.

This was plainely to be seene, in the first Niceene Councel, where that great and weighty controuersie, tou­ching [Page 86] the diuinitie of the Sonne of God,Theod. lib. 1. hist. c. 8. could not bee determined by scriptures, the Arrians in defence of their Heresie, continually wresting all that could be alleadged, and produ­cing a number of places, which in shew made for them, till the Fa­thers there assembled, from all the parts of the world, agreeing in the true vnderstanding of scriptures, fi­nally decreed, that the Faith of their elders receaued and held of all Chur­ches, before euer that poynt came in question, should be still inuiolablie kept and maintained.

Had the Church bene left destitute of all other meanes to confute He­retickes, saue onely scriptures, the Sabbatharians and Quartadecimans might seeme to haue bene vniustly con­demned for heretickes, in preferring the Iewish custome, of keeping the Sabbaoth, & time of Easter; for which they durst auouch their warrant out of Scriptures, to be better then ours. And if all things had bene expresse­ly written, which wee are bound to obserue, in vaine was tradition so carefully commended by the Apostle:2. Thes. 2 [Page 87] in vaine,1. Cor. 11 2. Tim. 2 did hee inculcate the obser­uance of his precepts, which by prea­ching he had taught his flocke; in vaine was that charge giuen of his fellow Apostle, He that hath an eare, Apoc. 2. let him hear­ken what the holy ghost prescribeth to the Churches. If these prescriptions were limited within the written worde, I see not what speciall prerogatiue the Church had left her,Dion. ec­cle. hier. l. 1. D. Bas. de S. S. l. 27. but that Here­ticks, Pagans and Iewes might as well challenge the same, and presume to be as much interessed as she, in euery my­sterie of our Christian Faith: which mysteries would easily grow in con­tempt, if euery one should haue a like power, in the discerning of them, for which cause our Sauiour did interpret parables and mysticall speeches to none but his Apostles. And S. PAVL in like affaires, obserued this distinction;1. Cor. 2 Sapientiam loquimur inter persectos.

Suppose an hereticke should denie the scripture, as MARCION and MA­NICHAEVS did many parts thereof; by what argument shal a man conuince him! Or, how doe wee know the scriptures to be of Canonicall autho­ritie, [Page 88] otherwise then by tradition? By what other proofe can we showe the Gospels of the foure Euangelists to haue bene written by them, and the Gospels, which carry the Titles of BARTHOLOMAEVS and THADDAEVS, to haue bene none of theirs, whose names they beare? Where will you finde scriptures, to prooue that bapti­zing of Infants, is expressely com­manded, against the Anabaptists, who denie the same? I appeale to the only experience of the Protestant Cleargie in England, who neither by scrip­tures, nor conference of places, could euer yet sufficiently defend, the polli­cie, rites, and ceremonies of their reli­gion, according to the forme approo­ued by Parliament, against the Puri­tanes; no more could BEZA confute the new ARRIANS, till such time, as both he and they, were in for­ced to flye vnto the Councels and Fa­thers for succour, when they percea­ued that scriptures would not serue their turnes.Ep. 81. con. Po­lonos. And BEZA for his part, vrging against those Heretickes, the authoritie of the Nicene, Ephe­sine, and Calcedon Councels, was so [Page 89] prodigal in their praises, as he affirmes that the Sunne neuer beheld, since the Apostles time, any thing more venerable, and of more ho­ly Maiesty, then those three great and famous Assemblies. And againe, reprehending the presumption of his Aduersaries, for their malepert censuring of these Fathers: Quis hic pudor est, saith he, disci­pulos sedere suorum Magistrorum Iudices? What a fowle shame is this, that schol­lers should sit as Iudges ouer their Ma­sters?

In like maner D. WHITGIFT,Fol. 351. in his Defence against the Puritanes, thought it a sufficient answere for what hee could not prooue by scrip­tures (and yet the Churches imme­morable custome, had made warran­table) to tell his Aduersarie that there­fore it must needes followe, those points, had their originals (as he spea­keth) from the Apostles themselues. And hee prooues the same out of a certaine Rule,Ep. 118. ad. Ian. which S. AVGVSTINE deliuereth in this forme. Those things that be not expressed in the scriptures, and yet by tradition obserued in the whole Church, come either from the Apostles, or from Generall [Page 90] Counsels; as the keeping of Easter, the Ascension, Comming of the Holie Ghost, and other such like.

Ad 2. Plebāos con. Ana­bap.LVTHER also, in the questi­on of Baptizing Infants, helde the au­thoritie and practise of the Church, a sufficient warrant for that poynt, al­beit there wanted Canonicall scrip­ture to prooue the same. The like was CALVINS judgement, con­cerning imposition of hands, in gi­uing Orders;Instit. l. 4. c. 3. § 16. saying, that the Apostoli­call obseruation of that ryte, ought to be vnto vs, in stead of a precept, although there be not any determi­nate precept for the same. Where­fore, let them not blame vs, for v­sing the like argument with Saint AVGVSTINE,L de Cu­ra [...]ro mor c. 2. Id. ep. 80. & ep. 118. for proofe of all such poynts, as are warranted by Catholike tradition; which BEZA in the place alledged, against the Polish Heretickes, D. WHITGIFT against CARTVVRIT, & LVTHER against the Anabaptists, were forced (as we see) to vse for their best defence. Whereby it appeares, how wisely these men with the same weapons they strike at their Aduersaries, wound their owne [Page 91] cause, altogether as badde.

TO the reasons before declared, which prooue how vnpossible it is by onely Scripture, to conuince an Hereticke, I will adioyne a true report of a certaine discourse in ma­ner and forme, as it is passed betwixt a Catholike and a Protestant, for the more ample euidence of the point in hand. They growing therefore by chance, into dispute about the wor­shippe and inuocation of Saints, The Caluinist alledged against the Chur­ches doctrine, that place of Deutero­nomie:Deut. 23 Dominum Deum tuum adorab. & illi soli seruies. The Catholike answered him, that there was no prohibition of other, then that supreame adora­tion or worshippe, which wee ac­knowledge to be dew to God only: [Page 92] and that the communication of tearmes (as one saith) doth neither al­ter nor prejudice the nature of things.Tert. Wherefore that poynt hath no fur­ther difficultie, but onely to distin­guish betwixt absolute worshippe, and that which they tearme, relatiue or respectiue, which may be giuen also to creatures,Psal. 98. verse 6. Gen. 18. & 19. Ios. 5.3. Reg. 18. Dan. 2. Act. 10. Gen. 48. And for Inuocation, the reason is alike. Of both which, hee shewed him diuers authorities out of Scripture, Where adoration and inuo­cation are mentioned to haue bene done to creatures, but in a farre diffe­rent sense, then they are to God.

The CALVINIST not content with this answere, still muttered against in­uocation to Saints, as a thing forbid­den by the scripture, and namelie, where our Sauiour saith in the Gos­spel.Matt. 11. Come vnto me, all you that labour &c. Which saying, he would haue so to be vnderstood, as if it were not law­ful to come to any other, but to Christ himselfe. The Catholike replyed, that the affirmation of the one, is no deni­all of the other: and if he would vn­derstand it so, then should it not bee likewise lawfull to come to our brethren [Page 93] here in earth, to begge their praiers for vs. Wherefore that saying of our Sauiour includes no absolute prohibition of comming to others, but onely of comming to them in that maner, and with those circumstances, as we come to him.

The wrangler, loath to giue it ouer thus, made semblance, that he had an­other place, yet clearer, for his pur­pose then that; wherewith he would second and interpret the first, which they call conference of places. And he alledged out of S. PAVLS Epistle to TIMOTHIE,2. Tim. [...] that there is but one me­diatour, which is CHRIST IESVS. The other, produced a like saying out of the Epist. of S. IAMES,Cap. 4. Vnus est legis­lator & Iudex: and yet no man will de­nie, but there be other law-makers and Iudges, without derogation to that supreame Iudge: so he tolde him, that this place, like as the former, was by him not well vnderstood, because the Apostle speaketh of that mediation, which was wrought by our redemption, (the wordes are plaine) and not of such mediation as is performed by way of suffrage [Page 94] or intercession, which in the verie same chapter hee allowes; and com­mends vnto TIMOTHY, as a publike minister, to performe that charge, for all sorts of men. Neither could him­selfe otherwise haue craued (as he did) the prayers of diuers, to whom hee wrote, nor we commend our selues to the prayers of one an other.

And to prooue, that the word Me­diator, was to be vnderstood with this distinction, he shewed that in the scriptures, it is likewise attributed to men,Deut. 5. Gal. 3. as where MOYSES for example, is tearmed a Mediator, and elsewhere also a Redeemer,Act. 7. without derogation for all that, of our onely Mediator and redeemer CHRIST. So the Pro­phet DANIEL,Dan. 4. teacheth by Almes to redeeme sinnes. And the Apo­stle saieth,Iac. 5. Hee that conuerts a sinner from his error, saues his soule. yet for all that, wee knowe, it is onelie CHRIST, who properly and abso­lutely speaking, doeth redeeme and saue vs.

Being thus put to a new shift, hee found out an other place in the Epi­pistle to the Romaines, where it is, [Page 95] saide: Howe shall they inuocate, Rom. 10 in vvhome they doe not beleeue? To this, vvas answered first, that those wordes of the Apostle, were spoken of that inuocation, which is made vnto God alone, as the Author and giuer of grace and glorie. it is mani­fest by the words going before; omnis qui inuocauerit nomen Domini saluus erit. And in this sense we graunt, that the Saints are not to be inuocated. Se­condly, that it hath no inconueni­ence to beleeue that by the prayers of Saints, we may receaue helpe: which beleefe, no doubt, PAVL himselfe had, when he besought the Romaines, Colossenses, and Ephesians to pray for him. vnlesse perhaps the Saints in earth are able to afford vs this helpe, but the Saints in heauen haue no such power, as VIGILANTIVS the hereticke blasphemed. Then in­deede (as S. HIEROME tolde him) we must needes graunt, That better is the con­dition of VIGILANTIVS, a liuing dogge, then of S. PAVL, a dead Lyon; alluding to that saying of the Hebrew Sage.

Thirdly he answered, that PHILE­MON was praysed by the same Apo­stles, [Page 96] for his charitie and the faith which he had in Domino Iesu, & in om­nes sanctos. and it is said in Exodus: Credi­dit populus Deo, & Moysi seruo eius, that it needes not seeme a thing so absurde, to joyne these two together, vt popu­lus qui crederet in Deum, aequè credidisse di­catur in seruum, saith S. HIEROME vpon that place: That the people be­leeuing in God, might be said to be­leeue also in his seruant.

The man still driuen to seeke fresh euasions, demanded how it was pos­sible that the Saints could heare vs. To that poynt, the Catholike answe­red,D. Greg. Mar. 12. c. 13. & 4 dialog c. 33. D. Th 3 p. fupplē. q. 72. a. 1. D. Aug. de cura pro mor. c. 15. ca. 16. & 17. according to the doctrine of Ca­tholike Diuines, that they hears vs, either in the beatifical vision of God, tanquam in speculo, or else by reuelation made vnto them: like as4 Reg. 5 & 6. ELIZAEVS vnderstood the fraud of GIEZI, or asDā. 2 DANIEL knew the king of Babi­lons dreame, or asAct. 5 S. PETER, the deceit of ANANIAS and SAPPHIRA. All this notwithstandidg, the wran­gler could not so be satisfied, but like a Grasse-hopper, skipping from one poynt to an other, hee brought in o­ther places, as badly vnderstood as [Page 97] the former, to no other purpose, but as their maner is, diem circulis terere, to waste the time in words, and vn­profitable jangling.

Neither can any other yshew be expected from the like contentious dispute, but such as TERTVLLIAN obserueth:Praeser. [...]. 17. extreame wearying of a mans tongue, or falling into choller, when the Catholike can no longer indure the aduersaries blasphemy. So vnpossi­ble a thing it is, to preuaile in reaso­ning with them out of scriptures, as the same Author had well lear­ned out of the experience of his time:Ibid. [...] 19. For that your victorie shall either be altogether vncertaine, or at least wise for a great part doubtfull. vbi sup. cap. 15. VVhen as your assertions shall be stiflie denied, and what you denie, shall be stil by them defended.

So pertinacious is their perseuerance in foolishnes, who take vpon them to maintaine vntruthes, said LACTANTIVS.Lact. l. 3 cap. 24. The rea­son whereof, hee giues in an other place: Infecti sunt persuasione, ac mentes eorum penitùs fuccum stultitiae perbiberunt. They are poysoned with selfe-per­swasion, and their vnderstanding hath dronke vp the syrrope of foolishnes.

Neither will they euer want euasions and shifts to bolster their badde cause, D. Aug. ep. 174. who are more desirous of contention, then trueth. For they which once transgresse the lymits of holy Church, Epiph. haeres. 77 & Apostolical Tradition, do range from one argument to another, not standing to any thing, as EPIPHANIVS noteth. And no maruaile. Nā via eunti, (saith SENE­CA) aliquid extremum est: Ep. 16. error immensus est.

THE teachers of Rhetoricke tell vs, it is against the rules of good Oratory, to make an EXORDIVM, such as the like may also serue the aduerse partie for his purpose. And the Logicians houlde it for a vitious argument, when by a like reason our Aduersaries may conclude a­gainst our selues. Of this kinde, are a number of such, as some Prote­stants vse to frame, against diuers poynts of our Catholike doctrine. For example, when they take vpon [Page 99] them to prooue that a man hath no action in the businesse of his Iustifi­cation, but onely God; they vse a kinde of argument, by which one may as wel conclude, that neither God himselfe, hath any share at all there­in, which to affirme, is a monstrous absurditie, and blasphemie, as euery man will graunt. yet by a cleare in­stance, it shall appeare no lesse war­rantable, then that of theirs; and thus I shew it.

To exclude mans free will, they alledge vs these scriptures.Rom 9. It is not in the willers power, nor in the runners, but miserentis Dei. And againe, It is hee, Phil. 2. that workes in vs, both to will and to performe. And, No man comes to mee, Ioh. 11. vnlesse my Father shall drawe him. And in another place, Doe thou, O Lord, Psal 84. conuert vs, &c. Whereupon they conclude, that man is no more but a simple patient in this affaire, as hauing no election or free will at all. Now if this bee a good conclusion, it may be as well prooued, that God himselfe workes nothing at all in a sinners conuersion, nor hath any more free will, then the sinner himselfe. It is the same [Page 100] scripture, out of which wee read; That if we wil heare his voyce, Ps. 94. we must not harden our harts. 2. Tim. 2. Hee that cleanseth himselfe from these (vices) shall be vas in honorem. Rom. 2. And, he will reward eue­ry man according to the mans owne worke. Beholde (saith he) I stand at the doore and knocke, Apoc. 3. if any man lets me in, I will come vnto him. Iac. 4. Approach vnto God, and hee will approach vnto you.

Out of these, and a great many o­ther the like places, if one would follow their kinde of Logicke, hee might as rightly conclude with the Pelagians, that a mans saluation is in his owne power, as they with the Manichees conclude, that man him­selfe hath no more to doe therein then a meere sencelesse poste. Or as wisely by this trifl [...]ng sophistrie, might a man prooue out of scrip­ture, that neither God nor wee our selues do worke our conuersion, be­cause the Prophet elsewhere attri­butes this effect to the force of Gods Law, where he saith: Lex Domini imma­culata, Psal. 118. conuer [...]ens animas. But how ridi­culous this kinde of reasoning is, e­uery one may easily perceaue.

Let vs then come to some ysshew, and by comparison finde out the follie, of this cauilling argument. For example; God hath warned vs by his Prophet,Isa 1. Ierem. 4. that wee should wash our selues, and be cleansed: If I shall conclude, that therefore he hath no hande in this worke; they will, (and with great reason they may) denie me this consequence. yet is it for all that, of the like stampe as their owne, which they collect in this maner. The Prophet cryes vnto God, to wash him from his iniquity, Psal. 50. and to create in him a new hart. there­fore man doth nothing, nor can doe any thing, in the washing of his owne.

Wel now, what course must we take for the reconciling of this difference? will they haue mee to admit their Conclusion? then must they also al­lowe that of mine, which is groun­ded vpon as good authoritie. But be­cause they neither ought nor can admitte mine, I am willing to re­nounce it, as a sophisticall deceit, but with this condition, that they shall also confesse theirs to be no better: [Page 102] the partie (as you see) being in both a­like. So that our agreement in this poynt, is not possible otherwise to growe, but by rejecting our owne collections, and taking those wordes of scripture in that sence, as the Catholike Church, hath euer vnder­stood them; to wit, that God hath the principall part in the worke of our Iustification, but so, that hee doeth require with all mans cooperation: according to that of the Prophet ZACHARIE.Zach. 1. Be conuerted vnto mee, saith our Lord, and I will be conuerted vnto you. And by the Prophet EZECHIEL; I will giue them (saith he) a new heart, Ezec. 11. and I will put a new spirit in their bowels. Yet by the same Prophet he saith: Make vnto your selues, Ib. ca. 18. a new heart, and a newe sp [...]rit.

Whereby wee see, that our Iusti­fication is in that sort the worke of God, as it doth include our owne industrie and labouring together with his grace. And so the Saints in the Apocalips, are said to haue them­selues, washed their garments white, in the blood of the LAMBE. This may suffice for an instance of their [Page 103] sophisticall proceeding in other con­trouersies of like kinde.

TO THIS may be added, an o­ther consideration, of their sa­crilegious adulterating the word of God (a practise nothing strange with these men) whereof it shall suffice to note one straine here by the waye, for a taste of their audacious presumption in this kinde, to wit, in transporting the scriptures to sences quite repugnant to themselues, and to the common vnderstanding of the Christian world.

For example, they alledge scrip­tures, to prooue that God is the au­thor of sinne, whilste they affirme that the adultery of DAVID, and the treason of IVDAS,Melanct. in c 8. ad Rom. are no lesse the proper workes of God, then the [Page 104] conuersion and vocation of S. PAVL. That,Luth. in assert. Wittēb. c. 36. Mala opera in impiis Deus operatur. That when a man committes adul­terie or murder, Dei opus est, motoris, au­thoris, impulsoris. So wrote ZVINGLIVS in his booke,Ad Catto rū Prin­cipem. De prouidentia, which he dedicated to the Landsgraue of HES­SEN. At coactus est homo ad peccandum? whereunto he answers himselfe, Fa­teor, coactum esse.

This was a short and rounde an­swere; but yet, such as BEZA, also gaue to the very like question hee propounds in his readers person.In respō. ad Castal. At non potuerunt resistere Dei voluntati, saith he? Fateor. Therefore (saith CALVIN) whatsoeuer either men or the deuill do plott,Inst. l. 1. c. 18 §. 1. Deus tamen clauum tenet. It is GOD himselfe that gouernes the sterne. And in the same place: AB­SALON violating his fathers wedlocke by in­cestuous lust, 2. Reg. 16. committed an execrable sinne: yet God himselfe, pronounced this worke to be his.

Ibid. §. 2.What more? vnlesse God (saith hee) wrought these things in the minds of men, doubtlesse, it could not be truely said of him; Ipse mutat labia veracium. Iob. 12. And then after, hee concludes in this maner: [Page 105] I haue now sufficiently shewed, §. 3. that God is called the Author of all such actions, as these controllers (he speakes of the Catholike Doctors) will needes haue to be wrought by his only bare permission.

Of the same stampe it is, & warran­ted with the like authority of SCRIP­TVM EST,Inst. l. 3. c. 24 § 2. That there be men predesti­nate to euerlasting death by the expresse will & ordinance of GOD, vvithout any deserte of theirs. That,Ib. §. 6. hee hath by his owne de­cree so established, that from their very birth, some should be allotted to ineuitable damna­tion. This indeede, saith he,§. 7. I confesse to be a dreadfull sentence: yet no man can denie but that God well knewe what ende euery man should haue, before hee created him: Et ideo praesciuerit, quia decreto suo sic ordina­rat.

By comparing these impious para­doxes, with such opposite collecti­ons, as the Catholiks deduce out of the self same scriptures, one may per­ceaue, how it is nothing strange, Ex ea­dem materia, Sen. ep. 108. suis quemque studiis apta colli­gere: For any man to frame conclusi­ons out of one and the same princi­ple, to fit his owne apprehensions, and the studies which hee most af­fects. [Page [1]06] Wee see by experience, what different electuaries Bees and Spyders doe sucke out of the same flower: and how the harmelesse Sheepe ga­ther wholsome nourishment out of the very same grasse, which giues poyson to vypers and venemous ser­pents.

S. AVGVSTINE teacheth out of the Scriptures,L. 2. de peccat. mer. & remiss. c. 17 & 18. a doctrine quite contrarie to these men, to wit; Nulllus culpae in De­um reserendam causam. And againe: Ma­lam voluntatem ad Authorem Deum refe­rendam, nesas est dicere. And he saith, it is no question to be demaunded,De Ciuit. Dei. l. 12 c 17. Chriso. ho. 23 in Act. Id. hom. 5. in Gen. Dama. de orth. fid. lib 2. c. 29 & alii passim. Theod. de Graec. aff. curat. l. 5. Quae sit efficiens, causa malae voluntatis: non enim est efficiens sed deficiens. S. BASILL hath an Homelie of this argument, Quod Deus non sit author malorum. To omitte a whole troupe of testimonies, in this kinde, well knowen to euery one that reades the auncient Doctors.

And this the scriptures themselues, both of the Olde and Newe Testa­ment, doe expressely witnesse. As where it is said:Sap. 1 God delights not in the perdition of the liuing: Sa. 11 For he loueth all things that are, and hates not any thing of all his workes. Ez. 23 He willes not the death of a [Page 107] sinner: Eccle 15 Psal. 5. Hee is Author to no man of doing wic­kedly. He is not, volens iniquitatem. They haue raysed vp towers aloft vnto Baalam, Ierem. 16 which I haue not commanded. Osee. 13. Thy per­dition, O Israel, is of thy selfe. Is the death of a sinner my will, Ezech. 18 and not rather that hee should be conuerted and liue?

It is the faith of Christians, and the Apostles doctrine, That,2. Cor 5. 1. Tim. 2 Christ dyed for all men: That, His will is, all men should be saued, who gaue himselfe a ransome for all. Hee is the sacrifice for our sinnes: 1. Io. 2. not for ours onely, but for the sinnes of the whole worlde: VVherefore, let no man say, Iac. 1. when he is tempted, that he is tempted of God, for he tempteth no man. Besides innumerable other places, to the same purpose. By which wee see, that HERETICKES (as S. AVGVSTINE noteth) whilst they will seeme to follow the onely scriptures, Ep 222 fol­low indeede their owne errors,

Now, if in case, the scriptures should seeme in some other places to insinuate the contrary, what were then to be done, but according to the same Doctors aduise, to aske counsell concerning the poynte in question. Of whom?L. 1. con. Creson. c. 33. Of the Church (saith he) quam sine vlla ambiguitate scrip­tura [Page 108] sacra demonstrat. Then it were fit­ting to consulte the lawful Doctors and Pastors therof, about the sence of these doubtfull places, rather then by such new repugnant interpretations, to set the scriptures at jarre with themselues, wresting them to euery tune, that may fit their owne jarring opinions.

S. AVGVSTINE before alleaged, found a better way to accord those scriptures together, much more con­forme to their true scope, which is the aduancement of pietie and decla­ration of Gods mercy and goodnes; for example, where it is said in the first to the Romaines, that God deliue­red the Gentiles ouer into passions of ignomi­nie: He teacheth, how this giuing them ouer, was meant, no otherwise, but as the same Apostle explicateth himselfe to the Ephesians,Eph 4. Qui desperantes semet­ipsos tradiderunt: who despairing, gaue themselues ouer. Therefore, when thou doest read the word Tradidit, Ser. 9. de diuers. c. 9. Id. epist. 105. (saith he) intellige non cogendo, sed de seren­do. For God hardneth no man by putting malice into him, but onely negatiuely, by with­drawing his mercie.

Againe, the Apostle of the like men, said in another place;2. Thes. 2 Mittet illis Deus o­perationem erroris. But how? because hee will suffer the Deuill to doe it, iusto ipsius iudicio, saith S. AVGVSTINE.De Ciui. Dei. l. 20 c. 19. And so the Prophet speaketh in the per­son of God: Dim [...]si e [...]s. yet was that no otherwise, then according to their owne harts desire,Psal. 8 as it followeth in the same verse. their owne mallicious inuentions made him to forsake them. In this sense & no other,Ioan. 12. is God some­times said in the scriptures, to excae­cate and harden, secundum euentum, L. 4. orth. fid. c. 20. non causaliter, as S. CHRISOST. noteth, and DAMASCENE also, to the like purpose obserueth. So wee read in an other Psalme:Psal. 104 Conuertit cor eorum vt odirent popu­lum suum. Not that hee turned their harts positiuely, but onely per accidens, consecution, and occasion. Whereup­on S. AVGVST. explicating this place, doth say, that because God multiplied his people, by this benefite of his, hee turned the hearts of the impious vnto mallice.

Our Sauiour also by his doctrine and miracles, is said to haue blynded and hardned the perfidious Iewes. [Page 110] But yet was not Christ therefore the cause of their error and obduration, who sought rather by those works to mollifie their harts, and drawe them to him. This kinde of ob­duration,Ad He­dib. q. 10. S. HIEROME illustrates, by a notable example. The sunne (saith hee) spreads foorth his beames to giue heate; but that one matter comes to be made soft there­by, an other to be hardned, this growes from the contrary dispositions of those subjects. For we see that waxe is melted, and clay growes hard. Euen so by one selfe same worke of God, the wicked are through their owne mallice made worse, and the good made bet­ter.

It is true, the Prophet DAVID prayed vnto Almighty God, that he would incline his heart vnto his testimo­nies, Psal. 118. and not vnto couetousnesse. by which forme of speaking, they inferre, that God inclynes mens hearts to ill in like maner, as to good. But it is to be noted, how this inclyning to e­uill, is no otherwise then occasiona­liter, as before hath bene shewed out of the authoritie of S. AVGVST. wherefore hee neither forces nor drawes men thereunto, but onely per­missiuely [Page 111] carries himselfe, by concur­ring to the materiall acte of sinne. Whereas vnto good, he inclynes them properly, and per se; by inspiring, ex­horting, and other the like effectuall meanes.

Wherefore in these and like speeches, it is no more, but to ob­serue the maner of speaking, vsed in the scriptures, and to distinguish be­twixt proper, and improper locuti­ons, betwixt acting by occasion, and by expresse will.Exo. 23. Eccl. 26. Sap. 14. Eccle. 19 We read that brybes blynde the eyes of wise men; that creatures were made for snares to intangle fooles; that wyne and weomen, make wise men to reuolt from God; because these things be oc­casions of such consequence, but yet no impulsions to force the same. And so, the patience, and longanimitie of God, ad Rom. 2. doth, (suo modo) indurate the hearts of the impenitent, as the Apostle saith.

OVT of the consideration of these mens litigious spirits, and their insatiable thirst of contention, partly touched before, wee may ga­ther ho [...] much those are deceaued, who thinke by force of arguments to stoppe their mouthes. For they, be­ing jumpe of the nature of those iangling Sophisters, whom IVVENAL describes in his Satyrs:

will face out any thing with bigge words, and clamarous contradictions, when they cannot maintaine it by a­ny better meanes. Non enim veritatem inqu [...] [...]nibus s [...]is conantur assequi, D. Greg. 8. Mor. 2 sed victo­res videri. For their care is not to finde out the trueth, but onely to get an opinion of ouercomming their Ad­uersaries.

True it is, which a wise man of our time did well obserue, (and we see it by daily experience) that Schismaticall factions are so farre from being reformed by disputations, Lips. cō. Dialog. as hereticks are thereby rather more and more incouraged, and set on fier. Wherefore, it was a notable prudent aduice, which SISINNIVS gaue to the Emperour THEODOSIVS,Soc. l. 1 hist. c. 10. that in the businesse of religion, all scholasticall contentions, should be debarred, and certaine prescript formes and rules of Faith, left by the auncient Fathers, should be brought foorth as proofes, without further controuersie. For those, who reiect Antiquitie, and the authoritie of their elders, what reason or what subtile kinde of argument, shall be able to conuince them? as that learned Champion of anti­quitie, IVSTVS LIPSIVS speaketh in the place now alleadged.

It was an olde complaint of the Primitiue Catholickes,Theodo­ret. in hist. sac. that hereticks were wonte by Sophistical and false craft of disputing, stiflie to maintaine their falshood; and to practise wicked artificiall sleights, against the plaine and simple trueth: to couer their lyes with eloquence, as with a certaine [Page 114] bayte, and to spread the snares of syllogismes, as it were so many nettes to catche the simple and lesse warie soules. And when their owne arguments were frozen and could not flye,Ep. ad Ctesiphō (saith S. HIEROME) they found out a rest for themselues, inter Aristotelis & Chrisippi spineta. For which reason, TERTVLLIAN named the Phi­losophers, the Patriarcks of hereticks.

And this custome they retaine from those parents of theirs,Arn. l. 2. con. Gent that hauing catcht a perswasion of a thing, they will neuer giue ouer the defence thereof, that so they may seeme to surpasse others in wit and learning, chiefly if it be a poynt re­mote from common vnderstanding, and wrapped in obscurities. And looke what they haue once with­out reason maintained, least they should seeme ignorant in any thing, they will with as little reason vp­holde it; falsly judging it better not to be ouercome, then by yeelding, to confesse and imbrace the trueth. So wrote ARNOBIVS, of their said pro­genitors.

Which egernesse of contentious [Page 115] dispute, droue PANAETIVS, to denie the immortallitie of the SOVLE. The like mooued DICAEARCHVS, to impugne the same trueth, in three bookes hee wrote of that argument,Cic. Tus­cul quest l. 1. as TVLLIE witnesseth. And there is no poynt of doctrine so well groun­ded, which like wittes will not at­tempt to batter, through desire of contradiction, although the thing be neuer so manifestly true; neither is there any assertion so euidently false, which they will not vndertake to a­uouch and defend with probable ar­guments. For as ARISTOTLE him­selfe doth graunt; sunt quaedam falsa, pro­babiliora quibusdam veris.

And will any man be so madde, as to waste his time in contending with such importunate wranglers? Aiunt sana sentientes, (saieth ARNOBIVS) contradicere rebus stultis, stultitiae esse maioris. lib. 2. vbi sup. Men of true judgement and vnder­standing, affirme it to be a poynte of greater follie, to contradict foolish absurdities; such as are in trueth, all the friuolous opinions of these fana­ticall heretickes. Notwithstanding, they are wont so to colour them [Page 116] with fallacious sophismes, deceitfull arguments and false conclusions, imi­tating the trueth so neere, D. Aug. l. 2. de doct Christ. c 31. for the most part, (as S. AVGVSTINE obserued) that they deceaue not onely the duller and slower ca­pacities, but many times, euen the ryper and more pregnant wits, if they be not heedefull and diligent in marking the same.

But these mens arguments, whereby they labour to auert our simple pietie from the right waye, Id de Ci­uit. Dei. lib. 12. cap. 17. that wee might walke the same rounde with them, if our reason will not serue vs to refute, our faith ought at least with skorne to reiect them.

NOw then, what else remaines, but that laying aside all vnpro­fitable disputes, wee hould fast that Apostolicum depositum, Vincen. Lirin. c. 26. or Ecclesiasticall tradition, wherewith, all the impious nouelties of all kinde of heresies, velut [Page 117] quodam spirituali gladio, saepe truncatae, sem­per{que} truncandae sunt; haue bene euer­more, and euermore shall be hewed in peeces, (as one would saye) with a certaine spiritual sword? And where­fore shall it not be lawfull for vs, to drye vp al the streames of Heresies, with the onely heate of this Sunne, to witte,Dialogo. cont. Lu­ciferian. the Catholickes Churches authoritie? as S. HIEROMES wordes are.

It was a Worthy decree of those two pyous and prudent Emperors, VALENTINIANVS and MARTIANVS, registred in the Calcedon Councell: From hencefoorth,Act. 3. let all prophane contentions be layde aparte. Hee is impious and sacrilegious, that after the determination of so many Priests, leaues any thing for his owne opi­nion to be discussed. For it is a poynt of extreame madnesse, to looke for borrowed light in the cleare Sunne­shyne. And hee seeketh falshood, who after the trueth found, goes a­bout to examine the matter any fur­ther.

Doubtlesse,D, Aug. l. 1. cont. Crescon. c. 33. VVee doe then houlde the trueth of the Scriptures, when we houlde the [Page 118] doctrine and determination of the Catholike Church, which the authoritie of Scriptures doth commende vnto vs; as S. AVGVST. witnesseth,C [...]n ep. Fund. c. 5. who confidently auou­cheth, that for his parte, hee would not haue beleeued the Gospell it selfe, had he not bene mooued with the authoritie of the Catholike Church.

Which Church, as hauing bene de­ryued from Christ,Id. de v­til. cred. c 7 & 14 l 7 con. Don. c 53 & in psal. 57. lib 2. cō Faust. c 2 & l. 1 de symb. ad Cat. c. 5. by a perpetuall lyne, and succession of Bishoppes, from the Apostles hitherto, defen­ded by myracles, against the mallici­ous bawling of heretickes, and ac­knowledged by generall consent of Nations, Princes, and People, hath worthely obtained (as hee speaketh) A [...]thoritatis culmen, the supreame title of authoritie: C [...]i nolle primas dare, (saith he) vel summae profectò temeritatis est, vel praci­pitis arrogantiae.

LVTHER plaies the Catholike, so rightly in this poynte, as I make no scruple to alleadge his authoritie, chiefely, for that TERTVLLIAN holds it a firme kinde of argument, which is drawen from the aduersarie;De Tri­nit. vt veritas etiam ab inimicis veritatis, probetur. [Page 119] The artickles of our Christian Faith, haue bene now sufficiently heard, declared,Luth. in psal. 80. and agreed vpon (saith he) by the writings and confession of the whole Christian worlde, they are by many myracles confirmed, they are sealed with the blood of many holy Martyrs, they haue bene defended by the learned bookes of al famous writers, so that they need not to be taught by any newe schoole­maister. And in the same place, hee saith, that of such poynts so warran­ted, it is not lawfull to make any doubt or controuersie; and that they are to be helde and punished, as false Prophets, which bring any thing contrarie to this alreadie receaued faith and doctrine.

To the like purpose, ERASMVS made a pithie and compendious an­swere, to the Euangelicall brethren, in these wordes. It shall suffice for the warrant of my cause, the holy­nesse of our forefathers, the authori­tie of men of most approoued liues, the reuerende majestie of Bishoppes, the consent and practise of Christian Nations; all which, if you wil con­demne [Page 120] of madnesse, I answere, I will rather be madde with them, then subscribe to you. And surely, not without great reason. For if we be­leeue QVINTILIANVS;Lib. 1. c. 10. Etiam error hone­stus est, magnos Duces sequentibus. It is no shame for a man to loose his way, when hee followes famous and worthy guydes.

Wherefore, I know no better coun­sell to shifte the importunitie of wrangling Heretickes, then to an­swere them in short tearmes, as A­THANASIVS, perswaded the B. of Co­rinth to doe,ad Epicte tum. Co­rinth. Praesulē. videlicet; Ea orthodoxe ec­clesiae non esse, neque maiores nostros ita sen­sisse. The doctrine, they bring, is no doctrine of our Church, nor did our Forefathers beleeue as these men would nowe teach vs. or else tell them as S. HIEROME,Ep ad. Pāmach. & Ocean. tolde their like; Vsque in hunc diem sine ista doctrina, mundus Christianus fuit.

They teach vs a wisdome (to vse S. GREGOR. NAZIANZENES wordes) which euer since Christ,Ep. ad Chelidō. hath lyen couered in the ashes. A heauy and lamentable case. For if within these 30. yeares our Faith had his first be­ginning, [Page 121] whereas nowe it is 400. (and as wee may say, foure times 400.) since Christ was seene in the earth; then was the Gospell all that while in vaine; in vaine was our Faith, and the martyrs haue suffred martirdome in vaine: in vaine haue our Bishoppes ruled their flocke, &c.

Our onely securitie therefore, is to relye fast vpon the authoritie of the Catholike Church, the Oracle of trueth, and supreame Chancerie (as I may tearme it) for tryall of al doubtes and controuersies that may growe in matters of faith and religion. Shee is that Mountaine, wherein AL­MIGHTIE GOD hath promised to make his perpetuall residence:Psal 67. Mons in quo beneplacitum est Deo habitare in eo; ere­nim Dominus habitabit in finem. Of which an other Prophet saith; Veni [...]e ascen­damus in montem Domini, Miche. 4. & ad Domum Dei Iacob, & docebit nos vias suas.

Shee is that strong and impreg­nable rocke, which by our Sauiours owne couenant and promise,Matt. 16. shal for euer stande firme, without feare of touche or violence, against all the furious assaults of heresies,Luc 22. and power [Page 122] of hell it selfe. Finally, shee is that Cittie built vpon a mountaine, Matth. 5. which he that sees not, giues an infallible proofe, either of his damnable mal­lice, or desperate blyndnesse. For what other can be presumed,D Aug. tract. 12. in Ep. Io. Quam coecos eos esse, qui tum magnum montem non vi­dent; qui contra lucernam in candelabro posi­tam oculos claudunt? That they are all starke blynde who see not so great a mountaine: who shut their eyes against so cleare a light, set vp in a candlesticke. Wherefore the same holie Doctor said very well:Ser 31. in seorsim excusis. Difficile non est inuenire eam; sed est difficile ne­scire eam. And he saith, that the Pro­phets did speake more obscurely of Christ,In Psa. 30 then of the Church, for that very reason, as he takes it, because they forsaw in spirit, that against the Churche, there would growe many factions, but of Christ there should not be so much contradiction. Wherefore of that, which was like to prooue most in question, the predictions, and Propheticall oracles are more plaine and euident.

IT was neuer seene that trueth and pride could together consist in one subject. Eam quippe, quam non inuenit humi­lem, veritas refugit mentem, Hom. 18. in Euang. saith S. GRE­GORIE. who well vnderstod that Al­mighty God, the author of trueth doth, resist the proud, 1. Pet. 5. and giues grace to the humble. Wherefore, holy IV­DITH said in her prayer to God:Iud. 9. Super­bi ab initio non placuerunt tibi, sed humilium & mansuetorum semper tibi placuit depreca­tio. Such were all those, to whom, and by whom, he hath reuealed the knowledge of his trueth from time to time, according to that confession of our Sauiour: Abscondisti haec à Sapientibus, Matt. 11. & reuelasti ea paruulis. to witte (as S. AVGVSTINE notablie expoundes it) Thou haste hidden these mysteries from the proud, Ser. 8. de Verb. dom. c. 7. and reuealed them to the hum­ble. Ego sum minimus Apostolorum (said [Page 124] that great Apostle) qui non sum dignus vocari Apostolus. 1. Cor. 15 who notwithstanding, he receaued his doctrine immediatly from heauen,Gal. 6. would yet goe to con­ferre his Gospel with others, lest per­aduenture he should runne in vaine.

But now LVTHER was no such foole. Hee knewe his owne strength and authoritie better, then to submit himselfe to any humaine judge­ment, who came to be judge of A­postles, Prophets, and all the world besides. Scimus enim (saith he) ipsos Pro­phetas, lib. de Missa priuita. lapsos esse, adeoque Apostolos. Verbo Christi iudicamus ecclesiam, Apostolos, atque a­deò ipsos Angelos. And of S. PETER by name, he giues this verdit: Petrus Apostolorum summus viuebat & docebat ex­tra verbum Dei. Was it a wonder, if this man tearmed the schoole Do­ctors,Ad cap. 1 Ep. ad Gal. To. 5. Wittē­berg, fol. 190. Asses, and block-heads, telling K. HARRIE he made yet lesse ac­count of their authoritie, then hee did of his? And in the same Epistle, he preferres himselfe, with his Bible, before a thousand AVGVSTINES, a thousand CIPRIANS. In an other Epistle which hee wrote to GEORGE, Duke of Saxonie, he vaunts [Page 125] himselfe, before all the writers that euer haue bene since the Apostles time, saying, that he knew there was not any like vnto him, Siue Augusti­num, siue Ambrosium, qui sunt omnium opti­mi. So vouchsafes the curteous man to grace them.

In his booke hee wrote, De formula missandi, he saith concerning the poynt of Communion vnder both kindes, that if it should so be determined by a Councell, hee then would not allow it, but in despite of that Councel and decree, wee would (saith this modest Fryer) communicate either in one kinde, or else in neither; Maledicturi vniuersos, qui ex statuto Concilij, vtra{que} v­terentur. The chollericke man be­ing admonished by his friendes to speake and wryte more moderately, what was his answere?Ep. ad Argenti­nens. Ego longè alia scribam (saith he) after I shal vnderstād that these things offend the Romaine Synode. And againe: VVhilst they are conquering of any one Heresie of mine, Praef. Captiuit. Babil. I will haue an other fresh one, ready for the stampe.

This boasting, arrogant, and spite­full spirit of LVTHERS, was so well knowen [Page 126] to those of his owne sect, that CON­RADVS GESNERVS saith, hee could not dissemble that poynte,In sua Biblio­theca. but must needes confesse, that LVTHER had a very violent and impatient spirit, & ijs omnibus intollerabilis, qui quaecunque ille dixerit, non amplectuntur. And the piti­full zealous man, prayes God, it may not prooue hurtfull to the Church, whose Infancie, or first beginnings, (it is a poynt woorth the noting) hee hath hitherto, with so happie successe aduanced.In loc com. clas. 4. Yea, LVTHER himselfe confesseth in plaine tearmes, that all men did complaine of this immodestie of his, and condemne him for his bitternesse and rayling.

Of CALVINS prodigious arrogan­cie and presumption, his owne wri­tings afford store of examples, e­nough to perswade any man that he was no scholler of that Maister, who gaue to his followers this in­struction: Discite à me, quia mitis sum & humilis corde. The Princes of his time, he tearmes,Praef. in Dan. fatuos & brutos, & quasi asi­nos brutorum animalium. Of the aunci­ent Fathers, he giues this censure; ab reptos eos in errorem fuisse, Inst. l. 3. c. 5. §. 10 nempè vt inconside­derata [Page 127] credulitas priuari iudicio solet homi­num mentes. Theol. Calv. l 2. And CONRADVS SCHLVS­SELBERG reports, how he chargeth the Apostles with alleadging the Pro­phets sayings, in an other sense then themselues intended. So that these men, (if we may beleeue them) are more like to shew vs the trueth, then all the Apostles and Doctors that haue gone before them.

OF them it is verefied, that which SALOMON saith. Inter superbos semper iurgia. Prou. 13. Wherefore it will not be vnsutable to the former considerati­on of their pride, to giue an in­stance of their furious and spitefull inuectiues, one against an other, whereby it may yet further appeare with what spirit their hearts are pos­sessed, [Page 128] from whose pennes doe flow such bitter and vncharitable stuffe. For God is not the God of dissention, 1. Cor. 3. & 14. but of peace: And so long as there is amongst them enuy and contention, what are they else, but in very deede carnall, as the Apostle saith?De votis Mon. And LVTHER himselfe af­firmes, that there is not any truer note, whereby to discerne falshood, then selfe-contradiction. A Deo e­nim ita ordinatum est, vt impij semper se­ipsos condemnant, & quod mendacia non con­sonent, sed semper contra semetipsa testan­tur.

It is an olde saying, when theeues fall out, then true men come by their owne. This man pleades here as badly for himselfe, as he did else where, writing that the Churches vnitie being once violated, there is no ende of dissentions.To. 5. c. 5 The SA­CRAMENTARIES first, then after, the ANABAPTISTS (saith he) went out from vs, who notwithstanding amongst themselues do mainely disa­gree. So one sect prouokes an other, and each one condemnes the other. The MATHEMATICIANS affirme, ces­sante vnitate, in infinitum progredi numerum. ‘[Page 129]And so saye I, that the vnitie of the Church being dissolued, it is impos­sible to stoppe the passage to errors.’

And so must I say also, that truth is trueth, although it come from the mouth of BALAAMS Asse.

To giue this man his deserued rancke, in the vauntgarde of these troopes, we will beginne with him first. He expressely commandes his followers, that none of them giue eare vnto ZVINGLIVS,Tract. [...] Orth. Conf. Eccl. Ti­gur. or any Zwin­glian Minister: that euery one should be carefull to auoyde them, as hee would auoyde the Deuill himselfe, and as those who set abroach poyse­ned Doctrine in the Church, and doe not rightly beleeue any one article of Faithe.

ZVINGLIVS on the other side,To. 2. in resp. ad Lut. lib. de Sacrā. Resp. ad Confess. in­ueyes against LVTHER, as a false Pro­phet, and one impudently affirming at randome, whatsoeuer comes first into his braine: a companion past all shame, a skoffing rayler with a brazen face, foolishly and beastly grunting like a filthy swine, of Theologicall questions: a fellow incorrigible: an heretick, seducer, impostor, a denyer of [Page 130] Christ: worse then the Hereticke MARCION, and finally, Antichrist himselfe; whose whole volumes con­taine nothing else, but manifest de­ceitful cauilles, and the obscuring and oppression of the most pure Euan­gelicall light. Qui sibi ipsis non sunt Chri­stiani, quomodo nobis erunt? said TERTVL­LIAN of such like Beagles:Praescrip. c. 14. They which are not Christians one to an other, how should wee esteeme them for such?

I suppose CALVIN was not much more modest in this kinde, then his Father ZVINGLIVS. He calles the Lu­therans in flat tearmes,Admon. 3 ad Io­ [...]ch. West phal. EVTICHIANS, and SERVETIANS, braine-sicke Gy­ants, a proude faction of Gyants; fel­lowes possest with frenzie, brute beastes, monstrously blynd, desperatly impudent; no better then deceitful and impious cauillers. How well may that prediction of ISAY the Prophet,Isa. 19. Vt Aegyptij aduersus Aegyptios concurrerent, bee applyed to the warres of this new CADMAEAN broode?

Finally the very Tytles of their bookes doe euidently shewe,Orth. Conf. vbi sup. Trac. 3. what a­greement there is amongst them­selues. [Page 131] Whereof is to be seene a Ca­tologue, containing almost 200. seue­rall ones, which they haue written, one against an other; whose names and Tytles, IVDOCVS COCCIVS reciteth;In Thes. To 1. as also in what yeare and forme, they were imprinted.In consil. Theol. par. 1. And MELANCTON confesseth, that no one thing hath more hurt their cause, then this their owne disa­greement. BEZA likewise complayneth, howe they daily differ from their owne opinions;Ep. The­ol. ep. 1. & menstruam fidem ha­bent. Where he saith, it may be apply­ed vnto them, which HILLARIVS writes of the Arrians, That they haue for euery month in the yeare, a changeable faith.

These men thus varying and squa­ring amongst themselues, notwith­standing, all of them gather out of scriptures a wrong sence, yet euery one, out of the very same wordes of scripture, gathers different and re­pugnant sences to their fellowes: as IRENAEVS noted of the like here­tickes. Wherefore,Lib. 4 [...] 69. let them agree first in these poynts of their owne diffe­rences, touching the vnderstanding of scriptures, and it will be then time enough to confute them, who in the [Page 132] meane while, sufficiently confute themselues.

Euen that one maine poynt con­cerning the reall presence in the sa­crament, shewes plainely, that they are possest with the spirite of pride and contradiction, and that they haue no certaine faith at all, but are car­ried onely with meere opinion. For, of those foure wordes of CHRIST, This is my body, there were growen diuers yeares past, fourescore sundrie opinions amongst them, euery one quite contrary to the other, as CLAV­DIVS SAINCTESIVS recounteth.Repet. 1. de Euch. c. 10. And a writer of their owne, recites a great number of bookes, which they haue published one against an other,Hospini­an. in hist. Sa­crament. p [...]rte 2. concerning that onely question. Thus wee see that, Nihil errore foecundius, vbi semel à veritate discessum est. as one sayd.

And thus it must needes fare with men, who haue no certaine rule of religion, no head, no guyde, but eue­ry man to follow his owne fancies. according to that saying of holy writ: In diebus illis non erat Rex in Israel, Iudic. 17 sed v­nusquisque quod sibi rectum videbatur, hoc fa­ciebat. For that indeede is the verie [Page 133] sourse of all heresies (as S. CIPRIAN notes) Quod Sacerdoti Dei non obtempera­ur, nec vnus in Ecclesia ad tempus Index, Epist 55. vi­ce Christi cogitatur.

Herehence hath growen that LERNA of sects and diuisions,Geneb. initio l. 4 Chronol. Prat. in Elen. Lindan. in Dial. Surius, & alii. And Lauathe­r [...]s A Zuingliā in sua his. which we now see in the world. in so much as diuerse learned writers haue ob­serued, that out of the two stockes of LVTHER and CALVIN, there haue sprong vp aboue two hundreth sects, besides newe ones, that haue crept in, since those men wrote. And how is it possible that men disagreeing in this fashion, amongst themselues, should giue true and credible rules of religion, as LACTANTIVS,Lact l. 3. c. 4 Tert. in Apol. D Cipr. ad De­metria. TERTVL­LIAN, and S. CIPRIAN doe reason?

Wherefore, wee may well saye of these men, as the same LACTANTIVS wrote of those olde Schoole-mai­sters of errors, the Philosophers. They are deuided (saith hee) into many sects, and all those sects haue diffe­rent opinions. In which of them shall wee place the trueth? question­lesse, in all it cannot be. Let vs cull out some one. If it be in that one, in all the rest it cannot be. But the [Page 34] difficultie will remaine, in which one it is. For what we giue to any one, wee take from the rest. Nowe euery secte doth alike challenge the trueth, and would abolish all the rest to establish it selfe. Nor wil she graunt another to be wise, least shee should proue her selfe a foole. But yet for all that, she is neuer the nere; for as she condemneth all the others, so is she likewise againe of all them cōdemned & disanulled. Quid ergo pug­nes aduersus homines istos, Lib. 3. c. 28. qui suo sibi gladio pereunt? quid labores vt eos destruas, quos sua ipsos destruit atque affligit oratio?

To conclude, this is once euident, and can of none be denied, that In cathedra vnitatis, posuit Deus doctrinam ve­ritatis, as S. AVGVSTINES words are. In the chaire of vnitie, God hath placed the doctrine of trueth. Which vnitie, not being with these men to be found, what other consequence can be gathered, but that they be­long not to him, who gaue this spe­ciall marke whereby his flocke should be knowen;Io. 15. si dilectionem habu­eritis ad inuicem. And for this, did he pray vnto his Father,Ioa. 17. Pater sancte, serua [Page 135] eos in nomine meo, vt sint vnum, sicut & nos. vvhich prayer, hovv wel it found his effect, appeared afterwardes by that the Euangelist saith of the Pri­mitiue Christians; Multitudo credentium, Act. 4. erat cor vnum, & anima vna. And this is euermore a rule infallible;Iac. 3. that Quae desursum est sapientia, pudica est, pacifica, modesta. Whereby it is euident, à contrario sensu, from whence these men haue receaued theirs; because it is altogether, Terrena, animalis, diabolica.

Concerning the differences, they alleadge to be founde amongst Ca­tholikes; it is very friuolous and easily ansvvered, by distinguishing, betvvixt the Conclusions of Faith, and the Reasons, vvhereby those Conclusions are proued: For of these latter onely, grovve those differences vvhich are commonly amongst Schoolemen, for the better sifting and finding out of the said reasons. For the Conclusions of Faith, are alike beleeued of all. But it is not of necessitie that an Article of Faith, or decree of a general Coun­cell, and the reason of such an Ar­ticle, or Decree, should be vvith like Obligation beleeued, vnlesse the rea­son [Page 134] it selfe be likevvise a determi­nation of the Catholike Church. vvherefore as S. AVGVSTINE saith to this purpose:Cont. Iulian. Pelag. lib 1. c. 2. Aliquando inter se docti­ssimi, atque optimi regulae Catholicae defenso­res, salua fidei compage, non consentiunt; & alius alio, de vna re, melius aliquid dicit, & verius. There are some things, vvherein sometimes the most lear­ned, and the best defenders of the Catholike rule, doe not agree a­mongst themselues; but one speaketh better, and more truely of the selfe­same thing, yet vvithout any breach at all of the linke of Faith. But this, I trust (as euery man sees) can haue no place in the Protestants dissentions.

OF such men as these, RVPER­TVS interprets those wordes of the Apocalyps:Lib 9. in Apoc. Manducauerunt linguas, [Page 135] suas, &c. They haue chewed their owne tongues. Howe haue they chewed their owne tongues, saith he? By pronouncing sentence a­gainst themselues. For against the Catholike Church, they fight with one accord, and with the selfe-same spirite of mallice; notwithstanding their perpetuall jarring and disagree­ment with one an other. Nihil enim in­terest illis, licet diuersa tractantibus, dum ad vnius veritatis expugnationem conspirent: Tert. de Praescrip. cap. 40. as TERTVLLIAN noteth. They make no reckning, how euer they contradict one an other, so long as they stande close togeather, in the batterie of Trueth.

For which cause,In Ps. 80 S. AVGVSTINE compares them to SAMPSONS Foxes, which tyed fast by the tayles, did set a fyer the Philistians corne, and ha­uing their heads loose,Ser. 56. in Cant. Chriso. in Ps. 69 D. Hie. in c. 20. Ezech. Orig. ho. 4. in Can. turned their teeth one against an other. For di­uers other respects, doth S. BERNARD and other Fathers, resemble hereticks to Foxes, vnderstanding that place of the Canticles, to be meant of them, where it is said; Capite nobis vulpeculas, exterminantes vineas.

But aboue all, these of our time play the craftie Foxes most notably, in masking their Apostacy, and re­uolt from the Church, with the guilded pretext of zeale, and colour of Reformation; which, how well they haue wrought, euery man sees, and some also of their owne, are a­shamed thereof;Iacob. And. cōc. 4. in c. 21 Luc. in so much as one of them doeth tragicallie com­plaine against Their horrible, Epicurian, and beastiall liues. And that euery man should know them (saith he) to be no Papists, nor to put any confidence in their good workes, they will be sure to doe none at all: In stead of fasting, they giue themselues to feasting and belly-cheare, night and daye. Praying, they haue turned into swearing... And this kinde of practise and course of life, it their E­uangelical profession.

Which enormities, as well of the new Teachers, as of the people in­structed by them, may worthely giue cause to doubt, whether our Euange­licall flocke (to vse PAVLVS EBERVS an Euangelicall mans words) be the true Church or no.Praef. cō Phi­lip. in ep. ad Cor. In quo tot & tam enormia vitia conspiciuntur. An other of them reports it to be growen [Page 139] into a prouerbe amongst the Calui­nists,Bened. Morgen­ster in Tract. de Eccl. Lib 3. when they are disposed to play the Epicures egregiously, they are wont to say, Hodie Lutheranicè viuamus. And SLEIDAN Writes that LVTHER himselfe confessed; Se non tam vitae ac morum probitatem, quam doctrinam profi­teri: That hee did not stand so much vpon profession of vertue and hone­sty of life, as vpon learning. And surely wee take it to bee a special note by the fruits to know the tree.

I require now but onely the judge­ment of any reasonable person, who is not possest with a prejudicate willfull perswasion, how likely it is, that these men, men of such qualitie, should be sent from GOD to re­forme the Church; and that Church, which had retained the true beleefe, (by their owne confession) for 600. yeares together; vnto which, was promised, Gods peculiar assistance for her stabilitie, and perseuerance therein, during all ages to come: And that nowe also, they should be sente in these very times, which, agree so fitly with the expresse warnings we haue in the scriptures, to take heede [Page 138] of false Prophets, that should arise in the lat­ter daies, Matt. 24. and bring in sects of perdition, and thereby seduce and draw after them many others, to their eternal damna­tion. To these, I adde last of all, the consideration of their maners, yet once againe;2. Tim. 3. 2. Pet. 2. & 3. Ep. Iud. which are so liuely painted out by three sundrie Apo­stles, as hee that will but frame the comparison, and examine them by those descriptions, shall neede no bet­ter markes whereby to know them for such, as we are warned vpon our euerlasting perill to auoyde.

Wherefore to speake of a true rea­son, why they departed from vs, it was not (as they pretend) any desire of Reformation; but rather a vitious Deformation and loosenesse of life, as their maners and behauiour, doe notably shewe. It was just a reason of that nature, as ARCESILAVS the Philosopher gaue to one, who demanded of him wherefore so ma­ny forsooke the Academick Schooles, to follow the doctrine of EPICVRVS. It is no mastery (said he) to turne Men into Eunuches; but of Eunuches to make Men, it is vnpossible.

So long as they were with vs,Li. 3. de. 25. (said S. AMBROSE, of their like) they fasted, they conteined themselues within their Monasteries, there was no place for lechery; liberty of vaine and trifling disputes, was not allowed them. Hoc delicati non potuerunt ferre. Abie­runt. This being more then flesh and blood could indure, they sought a re­medie by running out.

It is indeed the Catholike Churches discipline, and that straight way to heauen, which drew these wantons from vs, to imbrace a doctrine more sutable to their owne dispositions, as hauing no curbe to restraine their vnruely appetites, being lawfull for euery man with them to liue and do as he list himselfe. And it is a true AXIOME, which the Philosophers teach; that Facilis est transitus ab habitu ad priuationem; sed à priuatione ad habitum non datur regressus.