Of the Church fiue bookes. By Richard Field Doctor of Diuinity and sometimes Deane of Glocester.

THE FOVRTH BOOK, OF THE PRIVILEDGES OF THE CHVRCH. (Book 4)

CHAP. 1.

Of the divers kindes of the priviledges of the Church, and of the different ac∣ceptions of the name of the Church.

NOw it remayneth, that wee proceede to the o∣ther parts of our first generall diuision, to wit, the priviledges that pertaine to the Church, & the diverse and different degrees, orders, and callings of them, to whom the gouernement of it is committed. The priviledges, that pertaine to the Church, are of two sorts: The first, pro∣per to the best, and most essentiall parts of it, to wit, the elect and chosen of God; as are the pro∣mises and assurances of euerlasting loue and happinesse: the second, such as are communi∣cable vnto others, not partaking in that highest degree of vnitie, the partes of the Church haue amongst themselues, or with Christ their head. These are specially foure: the first, the possession of the rich treasure of heauenly trueth; whence it is called by a 1.1 Irenaeus Depositoriū diues; & by the b 1.2 Apostle, the pillar and ground of truth. The second is the office of teaching and witnessing the same truth. The third, the authority to iudge of such differences, as arise amongst men, concerning any part of it. The fourth, is power to make lawes, for the better guiding & gouerning of them, that professe this truth.

Touching the first, that wee may the better vnderstand, in what degree and sort, and vpon what assurances, the Church is possessed of the knowledge and profession of the truth reuealed in Christ; wee must obserue the diverse accep∣tions of the name of Church: for accordingly, more or lesse in this kinde is at∣tributed to it, and verified of it. The Romanistes make the Church to bee of three sorts. For there is (as they say,) Ecclesia virtualis, repraesentativa, & es∣sentialis. By the name of virtuall Church, they vnderstand the Bishoppe of Rome, who, being by Christes appointment (as they suppose) chiefe Pastor of the whole Church, hath in himselfe, eminently and virtually, as great certain∣ty of truth, & infallibility of iudgement, as is in the whole Church, vpon whom dependeth all that certainety of truth, that is found in it. By the name of re∣presentatiue Church, they vnderstand the assembly of Bishops in a generall Councell, representing the whole body of the Church, from the seuerall parts whereof they come. By the name of the essentiall Church, they vnderstand

the whole multitude of the beleeuers.

This essentiall Church, either comprehendeth all the faithfull, that are and haue beene, since CHRIST appeared in the flesh; or all that are, and haue beene since the Apostles time; or onely those that now presently liue in the world.

CHAP. 2.

Of the different degrees of infallibility found in the Church.

IF we speake of the Church, as it comprehendeth the whole number of be∣leeuers, that are, and haue beene, since CHRIST appeared in the flesh, it is absolutely free from all errour and ignorance of Diuine things, that are to be knowne by revelation, Quid enim latuit Petrum, &c. For, as Ter∣tullian sayth rightly and aptly to this purpose, What was hidden and concealed from Peter, vpon whom Christ promised to build his Church, and to whom hee gaue * 1.3 the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen? from Iohn the Disciple hee so dearely lo∣ued, which leaned on his breast at the mysticall Supper? and the rest of that bles∣sed company? that should after bee manifested to succeeding generations? so that touching the Church taken in this sort: there is no question, but it is absolutely led into the knowledge of all truth, without any mixture of ignorance, errour, or danger of being deceiued.

Let vs come therefore to the second acception of the name of the Church, as it comprehendeth onely all those beleeuers, that are, and haue beene since the Apostles time. The whole Church, taken in this sort, may bee ignorant in sun∣dry things, which though they bee contained within the compasse of revealed truth, yet are not of necessitie to be expressely knowne by all that will be saued: but that the whole Church in this sort conceiued, should erre in any thing of this nature, it is impossible; seeing errour, which is an aberration, declining, or swaruing from the truth once deliuered, necessarily implyeth a kinde of parti∣cularity and novelty.

Neither onely is the whole Church (comprehending all the beleeuers that are, and haue beene since the Apostles time) freed from errour in matter of faith; But wee thinke it impossible also that any errour, whatsoeuer, should be found in all the Pastors and guides of the Church, thus generally taken. Second∣ly, though there may be some question, whether any errour may be found in all them, whose writings now remaine, yet because they haue all written of no∣thing, but that which is absolutely necessary to bee knowne, for the attayning of euerlasting saluation, and that was euer generally receiued, it is not possible they should all be convinced of errour. Thirdly, though all, whose writings re∣maine, haue not written of a thing; yet if all that mention it, doe constantly consent in it, and their consent be strengthened by vniuersall practise, wee dare not charge them with errour. Yea, though their consent be not strengthened by such practise, if it be concerning things expressed in the Word of trueth, or by necessary and evident deduction to be demonstrated from thence, we thinke no errour can be found in all them, that speake of things of that nature, if in euery age of the Church some be found to haue written of them. b 1.4 But in things that cannot be clearely deduced from the rule of faith, and word of diuine and hea∣uenly trueth, wee thinke it possible, that all that haue written of such things, might erre and be deceiued.

This matter is excellently handled by c 1.5 Pererius, Augustinus Eugubinus, Cor∣nelius Iansenius, & Hieronymus ab Oleastro: who hold it probable, that Paradise doth not remaine in originall beauty, notwithstanding the consent of all the auncient (that haue written of that matter) to the contrary. Soe likewise, d 1.6 Caietaine and e 1.7 Andradius professe, they dare goe against the torrent of all the Doctours, and dissent from them, in the interpretation of some parts of Scripture.

f 1.8 Bellarmine blameth Pererius, Eugubinus, and the rest, for that they durst im∣brace an opinion contrary to the iudgment of antiquity: yet doth hee not fasten vpon them any note of heresie, or sauouring of heresie.

Touching the Church, as it cōprehendeth only the belieuers that now are, & presently liue in the world, it is most certaine & agreed vpon, that in things ne∣cessary to be known & belieued expressely and distinctly, it neuer is ignorant, much lesse doth erre. Yea, in things that are not absolutely necessary to be kno∣wen & belieued expressely & distinctly, we cōstantly belieue, that this Church can neuer erre, nor doubt pertinaciously, but that there shall euer be some found ready to imbrace the truth, if it be manifested vnto them, and such as shall not wholly neglect the search and inquiry after it, as times and meanes giue leaue.

As therefore wee hold it impossible, the Church should euer by Apostasie and missebeliefe wholly depart from God (in prouing whereof, h 1.9 Bellarmine confesseth, his fellowes haue taken much needlesse paines, seeing no man of our profession thinketh any such thing;) so we hold that it neuer falleth into any he∣resie: so that he is as much to be blamed, for idle & needeles busying himselfe, in prouing that the visible Church never falleth into heresie, which we most wil∣lingly grant. * 1.10

CHAP: 3.

Of the meaning of certaine speeches of Caluine, touching the erring of the Church.

THat a 1.11 which he alleageth out of Caluine, and others, as if they supposed the true Church to be sometimes altogether inuisible, and that the outward profession of the trueth doth sometimes wholly faile, is to no purpose; for they meane not that it is wholly inuisible at any time, but that it is not alwayes to be esteemed by outward appearance; that sometimes the state of things is such, that the greatest, in place of Ministery in the Church, peruert all things; & that they, that defend the truth, make thēselues a reproach.

To this purpose, b 1.12 Occam hath diuerse excellent things out of Hierome: and c 1.13 Vincentius Lirinensis sheweth, that the poisoned doctrine of the Arians did in∣fect, not onely a part, but almost the whole Church: soe that almost all the Bi∣shops of the Latine Church were misseled, and fewe found to defend and main∣taine the truth, as beseemed them.

There are therefore foure things, d 1.14 which Caluin sayth. The first, that the Church may not so farre presume of the assistance of the spirit of truth, as that she may deuise newe articles of faith; and, without the certaine direction of the word of God, proceede in the determination of doubts in matters of religion. The second that she must not relie vpon traditions, & a pretended vnwritten word, but must cōtain her selfe within the compasse of that heauenly doctrine, which is comprehended in the scripture. The 3^d, that so containing her selfe she connot erre. The 4^th, that we haue no assurance, that Church shall alwaies so pre∣cisely follow the directions of the word of truth, as that she shall neuer erre; but soe farrefoorth only, that she shall euer be free from all errour in things neces∣sary to saluation, and such things that men cannot be ignorant of, to erre in,

without pertinacy, or ouer-grosse and damnable negligence; yea, that shee is secured from erring in any thing, with hereticall pertinacy.

This last part of Calvins speach it is, that the Iesuite disliketh, that he sayth, The Church is not absolutely freed from errour, but from some kinde of errour onely. Yet e 1.15 Melchior Canus confesseth, that sundry great Diuines seeme to be of this opinion: as the Authour of the Interlineall glosse; Thomas Aquinas, Cardinall Turricremata, and Alfonsus á Castro; Yea, Picus Mirand•…•…la in his theoremes is of the same opinion, confirming it by the authority of Aquinas, who thinketh, that the Church may erre in Canonizing of Saints, and propo∣sing such to be honoured, whom God rejecteth from his presence, as vessels of his wrath.

Notwithstanding, the f 1.16 Romanists at this day seeme to hold, that the whole Church, that presently is in the world, cannot erre in any thing, that either concerneth faith or manners, which they endevour to proue by these reasons.

CHAP. 4.

Of their reasons, who thinke the present Church free from all errour in matters of faith.

FIrst, for that it is the pillar and ground of trueth: secondly, for that it is guided by Christ her head, and spouse: and thirdly, because it is led by the spirit of trueth. These reasons will be found exceeding weake, if we examine them. Let vs therefore take a particular view of them.

a 1.17 First the Apostle (say they) calleth the Church the Pillar and ground of trueth; therefore it cannot erre. These wordes cannot proue that, for confir∣mation whereof our aduersaries alleage them; seeing hee speaketh in this place of a particular Church, to wit, the Church of the Ephesians, in which hee left Timotheus, when he departed from it. Now, that particular Churches may erre in matter of fayth, and become hereticall, our adversaries make no que∣stion.

That the Apostle speaketh of the Church of Ephesus, and calleth it The pillar and ground of trueth, it appeareth by all circumstances of the place. These things haue I written, sayth hee, hoping to come shortly vnto thee; but if I tarrie longer, that thou mayest know, how to behaue thy selfe, in the house of God. That house of God, in which Paul left Timothie, in which he directeth him, how to behaue himselfe till hee come, he calleth The Church of God, and Pillar of truth; that Timothie might bethinke him the better, how to demeane himselfe in the government of it.

The Church of God is named the Pillar of trueth; not, as if the truth did de∣pend on the Church; or, as if God could not otherwise man fest it, than by her Ministery; or, that our fayth should be built on the authority of it; or, that we should thinke it absolutely free from all ignorance and errour: but because it doth strongly hold and maintaine the sauing profession of the truth, notwith∣standing all the violence of wicked and cruell enemies, as both the Ordinary glosse, and that of Lyra doe interpret it; and for that by instructions, admoni∣tions and comforts, it strengtheneth, stayeth, and supporteth such as other∣wise would fall, as the Interlineall glosse seemeth to expresse it. So then the Church is The pillar of trueth, not, because it is absolutely free from all errour, or, that our faith should be builded vpon the infallibility of it; but because it alway retayneth a saving profession of heauenly trueth, and by strength of rea∣sons, force of perswasions, timelinesse of admonitions, comforts of Sacraments, and other meanes of sauing grace, (The powerfull force whereof the sonnes of God doe feele) it strengtheneth and stayeth the weakenesse of all them, that depend vpon it.

This is it, that Calvine meaneth, when hee sayth the Church is called, The pillar of trueth, because it firmely holdeth the profession of it, and strengtheneth others by the knowledge of it. Bellarmines cavill, that, if this were all, the Church might more fitly be compared to a chest, than a Pillar, is not worth the answering: for it doth not onely preserue the trueth as a hidden treasure, but by publique profession (notwithstanding all forces endeavouring to shake it) publisheth it vnto the world, & stayeth the weakenesse of others, by the know∣ledge of it; in which respect it is fitly compared to a Pillar, and not vnto an Arke or chest:

The second reason is much more weake than the former. For thus they argue: The Church is governed by Christ, as by her head and spouse; and by the spirit, as by the soule and fountaine of her life; therefore if shee erre, her er∣rour must be imputed vnto Christ, and to the spirit of trueth. This their conse∣quence is blasphemous and impious. For who knoweth not, that particular men, companies of men, and Churches are governed by Christ, as by their head and spouse, & by the spirit of trueth, as being the fountaine of their spirituall life; as the Churches of Corinth, Galatia, and the b 1.18 Churches mentioned in the Revelation of S. Iohn, called golden Candle stickes, in the midst whereof the Sonne of God did walke, yet had they their dangerous and grievous errours, and de∣faults, for which they were blamed; so that by the argument of our adversaries men may blame the spirit of trueth for their errours.

That which the Iesuite addeth, that Christ the husband of the Church is bound to free it from all errour in matter of faith, whence any great euill may ensue, is as childish an argument, as may be devised. For if great and grievous euils may be found in the Church, then, notwithstanding this argument, errours also. Now that the Church is subject to great & grieuous euils, he that maketh any questiō, seemeth to know nothing at all. As therfore God giueth that grace, whereby the children of the Church may avoyde great and grievous euils, and neuer with-draweth the same, but for punishment of former sinne, and con∣tempt of grace: so he giueth the gracious meanes of illumination, and neuer withdraweth the meanes of knowledge, but when the contempt of the light of knowledge, and the abusing of it, procure the same. So that the sinnes and er∣rours of the children of the Church, proceede from themselues, and not from any defect, or want of Christ, the husband of the Church.

The third reason is, he that heareth not the Church, must bee holden for an Ethnike, therefore it cannot erre. c 1.19 But they should know, that Christ speaketh in that place of the Sanedrim of the Iewes, which whosoeuer refused to o∣bey, they held him as an Ethnicke. Yet was not that great Councell of State, a∣mong the Iewes, free from danger of erring. If these wordes of our Saviour be applyed to the Church, as they are ordinarily by the Fathers, they must be vn∣derstood by the censures of the Church, which are not alwayes just and righ∣teous, d 1.20 as Augustine sheweth, and not of her doctrinall determination.

But, saith Bellarmine, the Councels were wont to denounce Anathema to all that obey not their decrees: therefore they thought they could not erre. To this we answere, that they denounce Anathema, not because they thinke euery one that disobeyeth the decree of the Councell to bee accursed, but because they are perswaded in particular, that this is the eternall truth of God, which they propose, therefore they accurse them that obstinately shall resist, as e 1.21 Paul willeth euery Christian man, to Anathematize an Angell comming from Heauen, if he shall teach him any other doctrine, then he hath already learned, yet is not e∣uery particular Christian, free from possibility of erring.

The other argument, that because the Church is holy, and her profession holy, therefore shee cannot erre, will proue as well, that particular Churches cannot erre, as the vniversall. If they say, the vniversall Church is holy, and the profession of it holy, in such adegree as freeth it from error, it is petitio principii.

Their next argument is, that if the Church be not free generally from erring, but only from erring in things necessary to saluation, many Catholike verities may be called in question & doubted of: for that there are many things that per∣taine to faith, which are not necessary to saluation. This argument holdeth not: for though the Church which comprehendeth onely the number of beleeuers, that are at one time in the world, may erre, yet haue men other meanes to finde out the truth, as namely, the Scriptures, and resolutions of former times, which whosoeuer findeth, is bound to beleeue, though the rest of the Church not fin∣ding them, may in the mercies of God be saued.

That which is alleaged out of the Fathers, is to no purpose: for they speake of the Church, as it comprehendeth the faithfull that are, and haue been, which we confesse cannot erre in matters of faith.

CHAP. 5.

Of the promises made vnto the Church, how it is secured from errour, and of the dif∣ferent degrees of the obedience, we owe vnto it.

THe right vnderstanding of the promisses made, and due considerati∣on of the parties to whom they are made, will leade vs to the right vnderstanding of the Churches infallibility, and assurance of truth. For, seeing, though they be made to all the faithfull generally, and to the particular Churches as well as to the whole, yet they are vnderstood to bee performed proportionably, according to the measure, and degree, of each part, but to the whole Church wholly, and entirely; the Church being particular, not onely in respect of place, but also of time, the whole is not necessary to be performed, to the Church of one time, (vnlesse wee speake of the Primitiue, wherein the whole was originally) but to the Church that comprehen∣deth the whole number of beleeuers, that are and haue beene: in which sense that promise is to bee vnderstood, a 1.22 that the spirit shall leade the Church into all trueth.

Hither wee may refer, those different degrees of obedience, which wee must yeeld to them, that commaund and teach vs, in the Church of God, excellent∣ly described, and set downe, by b 1.23 Waldensis. We must, sayth he, reuerence, and re∣spect, the authority of all Catholike Doctours, whose doctrine and writings the Church alloweth: wee must more regard the authority of Catholicke Bishops: more then these, the authority of the Apostolicke Churches; amongst them, more specially the Church of Rome; of a generall Councell, more thē all these: yet we must not listen so to the determinations of these, nor so certainly assent vnto thē, as to the things cōtai∣ned in the Scripture, or beleeued by the whole vniuersall Church, that hath bin euer since the Apostles time, but as to the instructiōs of our Elders, & fatherly admonitiōs. We must, sayth he, obey without scrupulous questioning, with all modesty of minde, and reuerence of body, with all good allowance, acceptation and repose in the words of them that teach us, vnlesse they teach us any thing, which the authority of the higher and superiour controlleth; yet so as then the humble, and obedient children of the Church, must not insolently insult vpon them, from whom they are forced to dissent, but must dissent with a reuerent, childe-like, and respectfull shamefast∣nesse.

Thus hee prooueth out of c 1.24 Augustine, Tom: 7. lib. 2. De baptismo contra Donatistas. Who knoweth not, (sayth S. Augustine) that the sacred and Canonicall Scriptures of the old and new Testaments, are contained within their set & certaine boundes; and that they are so, & in such sort, set in a higher degree of authority, then any of the writings of the succeding Bishops, that of them we may not doubt nor make any question, whether it be true or right, that is there contained: but the wri∣tings

of the Bishops of the Church, which either haue beene published since the perfecting of the Canon of Scripture, or which shall be hereafter, may be censured and reproued, by the wiser judgment of any, that are skilfull in the same things, whereof they write; or by the grauer authority of other Bishops, and the wisdome of them that are learned themselues, and able to teach others: and by the determinations of Councels, if happily they haue gone aside from the truth; And the Councels themselues, which are holden in seuerall Coun∣tries and Prouinces, must giue place to the authority of generall councels, ga∣thered & assembled out of the whole Christian World: & of plenary Councels, oftentimes, the former are to be corrected by the later, when by experience, & more perfect knowledge of things, that which was shut, is opened, and that knowne which was hidden before. Euery of these must be content to yeeld one to another, without the puffe of sacrilegious pride, without swelling arrogan∣cie, without euious contending, with all holy humility, with all Catholike pea∣ceable disposition, and Christian charity.

Thus then we thinke, that particular men and Churches may erre damnably, because notwithstanding, others may worship God aright, but that the whole Church, at one time, cannot so erre; for that then, the Church should cease vtter∣ly for a time, and so not be Catholicke, being not at all times; and Christ should somtimes be without a Church; yet, that errours, not preiudicing the saluation of them that erre, may be found in the Church that is at one time in the world, we make no doubt; only the whole symbolicall and catholike Church, which is, and was, beeing wholly free from errour.

Thus touching the possession of the rich treasures of heauenly truth, I haue sufficiently cleared our iudgment, which is the same, that all wise and learned men haue euer beene of, to wit, that the Church which comprehendeth the whole number of belieuers, that are and haue beene, since Christ appeared in the flesh, (so including the Apostles) can neither erre in, nor be ignorant of a∣ny thing that was to be reuealed by Christ, the eternall Word and Angell of the great Couenant of God. Secondly, that the Church, that comprehendeth all the faithfull that are and haue beene since the Apostles, may be ignorant of some things, which in processe of time shall be known, but cannot erre in any thing. Thirdly, that all the Pastours of this Church, cannot erre. Fourthly, that all the Pastors, that haue committed the treasure of their wisdome & learning to wri∣ting, cannot erre in any thing wherein they consent in their writings: because it is not possible, that they should all haue writen of any thing, but such as touch the very life of the Christian faith generally receiued in all their times. Fiftly, that it is not possible, that all that doe speake of a thing, consenting together, should erre, if it be a matter of substance, and if in euery age some haue written of it, though many that haue written, be silent and say nothing of it. Sixtly, that the most famous & renowned in all ages, consenting in any thing, that toucheth the substance of the Christian faith, & no man dissenting from them, (without note of nouelty & singularity,) may not without intolerable rashnesse, be char∣ged with errour. d 1.25 Seuenthly, that though the writings of the auncient may be much corrupted, so that the cōsent of antiquity cānot alwaies be easily known, yet there will be euer some meanes to find it out, & to discry the errours, and frauds of the corruptors: & so I vnderstād that of Vincentius Lirinensis, that the iudgmēt of antiquity is to be sought out, at the very first rising of heresies & not

afterwards when they are grown inveterate; for that then they will corrupt the monuments of antiquity. 8, That the whole present Church may be ignorant of some things, and erre in them; but that in matters necessary to bee knowne and beleeued expressely, it cannot erre, and that it cannot erre in any the least thing, with pertinacie, such and so great as is found in Heretickes. Ninthly, that Councels and Popes, may erre in matters of greatest consequence.

This our opinion thus layde downe, is defended by Waldensis, Occam, and o∣thers. e 1.26

Waldensis saith, the Church, whose faith neuer faileth, according to the promise made to Peter, who bare the figure of the Church, when Christ said, I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not, is not any particular Church, as the Church of Africa, within the bounds whereof Donatus did inclose it: nor the particular Romane Church, but the vniversall Church, not gathered toge∣ther in a generall Councell, which hath sometimes erred, as that at Ariminium vnder Taurus the Governour, and that at Constantinople vnder Iustinian the younger, but it is the Catholique Church, dispersed through the whole world, from the Baptisme of Christ vnto our times, which doth holde and maintaine the true faith, and the faithfull testimony of Iesus.

CHAP. 6.

Of the Churches office of teaching and witnessing the truth; and of their errour, who thinke the authority of the Church is the rule of our faith, and that shee may make new articles of our faith.

THus hauing spoken of the Churches assured possession of the know∣ledge of the truth, in thenext place wee are to speake of her office of teaching, & witnessing the same: touching the which, our adversaries fall into two dangerous errours: the first, that the authority of the Church is Regula fidei, & ratio credendi, the rule of our faith, & the reason why we belieue. The second, that the Church may make new articles of faith.

Touching the first of these erroneous conceipts, the most of them doe teach, that the last thing to which the perswasion of our faith resolueth it selfe, & the maine ground whereupon it stayeth, is the authoritie of the Church guided by the spirit of truth. For (say they) if infidels and misbeleeuers demaund of vs, why we beleeue the Trinity of persons in the Vnity of the same Divine es∣sence, the Incarnation of the Sonne of God, the Resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come: we answere, because these things are contayned in the Scriptures. If they proceede farther to aske, why wee beleeue the Scrip∣ture: we answere, because it is the word of God: if, why wee beleeue it to bee the word of God: because the Church doth so testifie of it: f 1.27 if, why we beleeue the testimony of the Church, because it is guided by the spirit of truth: so that, that vpon which our faith settleth her perswasion touching these things, is the authority of the Catholique Church, ledde and guided by the spirit of truth.

If it be said, that it is one of the things to bee beleeued, that the Church is thus guided by the spirit, & therefore that the authority of the Church cannot be the reason & cause of beleeuing all things, that pertain to the Christian faith, because not of those things which concerne her owne authority: g 1.28 Stapleton who professeth to handle this matter most exactly. Sometimes seemeth to say, that this article of faith, that the Church is guided by the spirit, and appointed by God to be a faithfull mistrisse of heauenly truth, is not among the Articles of faith, nor in the number of things to be beleeued. Which the Rhemists vpon these words,

The h 1.29 Church is the pillar and ground of truth, most constantly affirme, saying, We must beleeue, heare, and obey the Church, as the Touch∣stone, Pillar, and firmament of truth: for all this is comprised in the principle, I beleeue the holy Catholique Church.

Sometimes, that though perhaps in that Article it be implyed, that wee be∣leeue whatsoeuer the Church teacheth vs, yet not necessarily, that wee beleeue, that the Church is a faithfull and infallible witnesse, & mistresse of trueth.

And sometimes, as in his i 1.30 triplication against Whitaker, he sayth, that when we professe that we beleeue the holy Catholike Church, we doe not onely pro∣fesse to beleeue that there is such a Church in the world, but that wee are mem∣bers of it, and doe beleeue and embrace the doctrine of it, as being guided in∣fallibly by the spirit of trueth; and that wee are taught in the Articles of our faith, that the Church ought to bee listned vnto, as to an infallible mistresse of heauenly trueth. Surely it seemeth, his braine was much crased when he thus wrote, saying, vnsaying, & saying, he knew not what. That which he addeth, that this proposition, God doth reveale vnto vs his heavenly truth, & teach vs the mysteries of his kingdome by the ministery of his Church, is a transcen∣dent, wherevpon that article, wherein wee professe to beleeue the Catholike Church, doth depend, as all the rest do, & is not an Article of the Creede; doth but more & more shew the distemper of his head. But in that which hee addeth for confirmation hereof, that we do not professe in the first Article of our faith, to beleeue God as the reuealer of all hidden and heauenly truth, and to rest in him as in the fountaine of all illumination, is the note & brand of an impious miscreant. For this doubtlesse is the first thing implyed in our faith towards God, that we yeeld him this honour, to be the great master of all trueth, vpon whose authority we will depend, renouncing all our owne wisedome, & know∣ing, k 1.31 that as no man knoweth the things of a man, but the spirit of a man; so no man knoweth the things of God, but the spirit of Got; l 1.32 and, that flesh and blood cannot reueale these things vnto vs, but our father which is in heauen.

That the precept of louing God aboue all, is not distinctly set downe among the rest of the tenne commaundements, but is implyed, though principally in the first, yet generally in all, is to no purpose. If he thinke, it is not at all con∣tayned in the Decalogue, his folly is too too great.

CHAP. 7.

Of the manifold errours of Papistes, touching the last resolution of our faith, and the refutation of the same.

THus wee see, hee cannot avoid it, but that the Church is one of the things to be beleeued, & therefore cannot be the first & generall cause of beleeuing all things that are to be beleeued. For when we are to be perswaded of the authority of the Church, it is doubtfull vnto vs, and therefore cannot free vs from doubting, or settle our perswasion; because that which setleth the perswasion, must not be doubted of.

There is no question then, but that the authority of the old Testament may bee brought to proue the new, to him, that is perswaded of the old, and doub∣teth of the newe; and the authoritie of the newe, to proue the old, to him, that is perswaded of the new, and doubteth of the old: but to him that doubteth of both, we must not alledge the authority of either of these, but some other thing: so likewise, we may proue the authority of the Scripture by the Church, to him that is already perswaded of the Church; & of the Church by the Scrip∣ture to him, that is perswaded of the Scripture; but to him that doubteth of both, we must bring other reasons. For no man proveth a thing doubtfull, by that which is as much doubted of, as it selfe. So that to proue the authority & infallibility of the Church, by the testimony and authoritie of the Church, which is the thing doubted of, is, as if one taking vpon him to be a Lawgiuer, whose authority is doubted of, should first make a law, and publish his procla∣mation, and by vertue there of giue himselfe power, to make lawes; his au∣thority

of making the first lawe, being as much doubted of as the second.

Thus then it being cleare and euident, that it is one of the things that are to bee beleeued, that the Church is guided by the spirit, if Stapleton be asked, why he beleeueeth it to bee soe guided, hee sayth, hee soe beleeueth, because the spirit mooueth him so to beleeue. But he should knowe, that three things concurre to make us beleeue that whereof we are doubtfull. The light of Di∣uine vnderstanding, as that whereby wee apprehend the things of God; The spirit, as the author of this illumination; and the reasons and motiues, by force whereof, the spirit induceth, mooueth, and perswadeth vs. Euen as in the ap∣prehension of things within the compasse of the light of nature, when wee are to be perswaded of a thing, seeming doubtfull unto vs, not only the actiō of him that perswadeth vs, and the light of naturall vnderstanding, are required to the effecting of it, but also the force of reasons winning vs to assent to that, we are to be perswaded of. Wee therefore demand not of Stapleton, who it is that per∣swadeth vs to belieue, or what that light of vnderstanding is, that maketh him capable of such perswasion; but, what those reasons, or motiues are, by force whereof, the spirit settleth his minde, in the perswasion of the truth of those things, he formerly doubted of.

a 1.33 Surely he sayth, the highest and last reason, that moueth a man to beleeu the things that partaine to faith, is the authority of the Church. Let vs suppose it to be so, touching all other things; yet can it not be so, in respect of those things, we are to beleeue touching the authority of the Church it selfe. What is the motiue then, whereby the spirit moueth vs to beleeue, that the Church hath diuine authority? Hee sayth, because it is so contained in the Scripture; and in the Articles of the Creed. See then if he be not forced to runne round in a circle. He beleeueth other matters of faith, because contained in the Scripture; and the Scripture, because it is the word of God; and that it is the word of God, be∣cause the Church deliuereth it to be so; and the Church, because it is ledde by the spirit; and that it is ledde by the spirit, because it is so contained in the Scrip∣ture, and the Creede. This kind of circulation, b 1.34 Campian reckoneth amongst the Sophismes, he wrongfully imputeth vnto vs: but it will euer be found true, that the Prophet pronounceth of the wicked; c 1.35 Impij ambulant in circuitu; The wicked runne round, till they be giddie, and are in the end, where they were, when they began.

Out of this maze Stapleton cannot get himselfe, vnlesse hee flye to humane motiues and inducements, and make them the highest and last reason of his faith, and soe indeede hee doth. For fearing that hee hath not sayd well, in saying he beleeueth the Church is guided by the spirit, because it is contained in the Scripture, hee addeth another reason, why hee so beleeueth, because it is the generall opinion, and conceipt of all Christian men, that it is so guided: and so indeed his perswasion stayeth it selfe vpon humane grounds, though hee bee vnwilling that men should so thinke, and conceiue.

Th•…•…se mazes and labyrinths, other Papists seeking to avoyd, runne without any such shewe of feare, as Stapleton bewrayeth, into most grosse absurdities; some thinking, that the authority of the Church is the reason moouing vs to beleeue all other things; and that we beleeue that the Church is ledde and gui∣ded by the spirit, and that the truth of God, which the Church teacheth vs, moued thereunto by humane motiues; namely for that, that must needes be the truth, which so many miracles haue confirmed, which a few weake and sil∣ly men, contemptible in the eyes of the world, haue wonne all the world to be∣lieue, & haue holden out the defence of it, against all the furies of enemies what∣soeuer: which they could not haue done, had not the spirit and power of the most high beene with them, making them more then conquerours. This is the opinion of d 1.36 Durandus, who maketh humane motiues and induce∣ments, the highest and last reason of his faith; to which also Stapleton

flyeth, though vnwillingly. Others thinke, that wee beleeue by the sole and absolute commaund of the will, either finding nothing, or nothing of sufficient force to perswade vs. Both these conceipts are to be examined by vs.

Concerning the first, wee are to obserue, that the Schoolemen make two kindes of faith, calling the one fidem infusam, an infused faith, wrought in vs by the inlightning spirit of God, and staying it selfe vpon the truth of God: the other fidem acquisitam, a humane and naturall faith, grounding it selfe vpon hu∣mane authoritie, and wrought by humane motiues and perswasions. So that according to the opinion of these men, we beleeue the Articles of our Christi∣an faith, and whatsoeuer is contayned in the bookes of the Prophets and A∣postles, because wee are perswaded, that they were revealed by Almighty God; and this pertaineth to infused faith, as they thinke: but that they were reuealed, there is nothing that perswadeth vs, e 1.37 but the authority of the Church, and because wee haue so learned, & receiued of our forefathers: and this pertaineth to humane faith, and is meerely a naturall and humane perswa∣sion, like that the Saracens haue, touching the superstition of Mahomet, who therefore beleeue them, because their Auncestors haue deliuered them vnto them.

If this opinion were true, (as Melchior Canus rightly noteth, the finall stay of our infused faith, and the first reason moouing vs so to beleeue, should not be the truth of God, but humane authority. For wee should beleeue the Articles of our faith, because they were revealed, and beleeue they were revealed, because our Auncestours so deliuered vnto vs, and the Church so be∣leeueth. And from hence it would farther follow, that seeing the assent yeelded to the conclusion, can be no greater, nor more certaine, then that which is yeelded to the premisses, whence it is deduced & inferred, we should haue no greater certainty of things Diuine and revealed, then such as humane meanes and causes can yeeld. f 1.38 And so, seeing wee can neuer bee so well perswa∣ded of any man, or multitude of men, but that we may justly feare, either they are deceiued, or will deceiue: if our faith depend vpon such grounds, we can∣not firmely & vndoubtedly beleeue. Nay it is consequent vpon this absurd opi∣nion, that the Children of the Church, and they of the houshold of faith, haue no infused or Diuine faith at all: for that, whatsoeuer is revealed by the God of truth, is true, the Heathens make no doubt, but doubt whether any thing were so revealed: and that any thing was so revealed, if these men say true, we haue no assurance but by humane meanes and causes.

But the absurdity hereof, the same Canus out of Calvin, doth very learnedly demonstrate, reasoning in this sort. If all they that haue beene our teachers, nay, if all the Angels in Heauen, shall teach vs any other, or contrary doctrine to that we haue receiued, we must holde them accursed, and not suffer our faith to bee shaken by them, as the Apostle chargeth vs in the Epistle to the Gala∣tians: therefore our faith doth not rely vpon humane causes or grounds of assu∣rance. g 1.39 Ne mens nostra vacillet, altius petenda, quàm ab hominum vel ratione, vel auctoritate, scripturae authoritas. Besides, our faith, and that of the Apostles and Prophets, being the same, it must needes haue the same object, & the same ground and stay to rest vpon, in both: but they builded themselues vpon the sure and vnmooueable rocke of Diuine truth, and authority: therefore we must doe so likewise. If any man desire farther satisfaction herein, let him reade Ca∣nus, and Calvin, to whom in these things Canus is much beholding.

Others therefore, to avoide this absurdity, run into that other before men∣tioned, that we beleeue the things that are diuine, by the meere and absolute command of our will, not finding any sufficient motiues & reasons of perswa∣sion: & hereupon they define faith in this sort: Fides est assensus firmus ineuidēs, that is, faith is a firme, certaine, & ful assent of the mind, beleeuing those things, the truth whereof no way appeareth vnto vs. For father explication, and bet∣ter

clearing of this definition of faith, they make two kindes of certainty; for there is, as they say, certitudo evidentiae, and certitudo adhaerentiae; that is, there is a certainty of evidence, which is of those things, the truth whereof appea∣reth vnto vs; and another of adherence and firme cleauing to that, the trueth whereof appeareth not vnto vs. This later they suppose to bee the certainty that is found in fayth, and there vpon they hold, that a man may beleeue a thing meerely because hee will, without any motiues or reason of perswasion at all: the contrary whereof when Picus Mirandula proposed, among other his conclusions to bee disputed in Rome, hee was charged with heresie for it. But hee sufficiently cleared himselfe from all such imputation, and improued their fantasie that so thinke, by vnanswerable reasons, which I haue thought good to lay downe in this place.

It h 1.40 is not, sayth hee, in the power of a man, to thinke a thing to bee, or not to bee, meerely because hee will; therefore much lesse firmely to beleeue it. The trueth of the antecedent wee finde by experience, and it evidently appea∣reth vnto vs, because if a doubtfull proposition bee proposed, concerning which the vnderstanding and minde of man resolueth nothing, seeing no rea∣son to leade to resolue one way or other, the minde thus doubtfull cannot in∣cline any way, till there bee some inducement, either of reason, sight of the eye, or testimony or authority of them wee are well conceipted of, to settle our perswasion. Secondly, a man cannot assent to any thing, or judge it to bee true, vnlesse it so appeare vnto him; but the sole acte of a mans will, cannot make a thing to appeare and seeme true or false, but either the euidence of the thing, or the testimony and authority of some one, of whose judgement he is well perswaded. Thirdly, though the action of vnderstanding quoad exerciti∣um, as to consider of a thing, and thinke vpon it, or to turne away such conside∣ration from it, depend on the will; yet not quoad specificationem, as to assent or dissent: for these opposite and contrary kinds of the vnderstandings actions, are from the contrary and different appearing of things vnto vs. Fourthly, the sole command of the will cannot make a man to beleeue that, which being de∣manded why hee beleeueth, he giueth reasons and alledgeth inducements: but so it is, that in matters of our Christian faith, we alledge sundry reasons, mo∣uing vs to beleeue as Christians doe, as appeareth by the course i 1.41 of all Diuines, who lay downe eight principall reasons moouing men to beleeue the Gospell; namely the light of propheticall prediction, the harmony and agreement of the Scriptures, the diligence of them that receiued them, carefully seeking to dis∣cerne betweene truth and errour, the authority & grauitie of the writers, the reasonablenesse of the things written, & the vnreasonablenes of all contrary er∣rours, the stability of the Church, and the miracles that haue beene done for the confirmation of the faith it professeth. Fiftly, if there be two, whereof one beleeueth precisely, because he will, and another, onely because hee will not beleeue, refuseth to beleeue the same thing, the acte of neither of these is more reasonable then the other, being like vnto the will of a Tyrant, that is not guided at all by reason, but makes his owne liking, the rule of his actions. Now, who is so impious to say, The Christians, that beleeue the Gospell, haue no more reason to leade them so to doe, then the Infidels that refuse to be∣leeue?

With Picus, in the confutation of this senselesse conceipt, wee may joyne k 1.42 Cardinall Cameracensis, who farther sheweth, that as a man cannot perswade himselfe of a thing, meerely because hee will, without any reason at all; so, ha∣uing reason, hee cannot perswade himselfe more strongly and assuredly of it, then the reason hee hath, will afforde; for if hee doe, it is so farre an vnreaso∣nable acte, like that of a Tyrant before mentioned. l 1.43 Durandus likewise is of the same opinion. Assentiri nullus potest, nisi ei quod apparet verum: igitur opor∣t•…•…t quèd illud quòd creditur, appareat rationi verum, vel in se, vel ratione m•…•…dij

per quod assentitur; & si non in se, sed tantùm ratione medij, illud medium appare∣bit verum, vel in se, vel per aliud medium; & si non est processus in infinitum, opor∣tet quòd deueniatur ad primum, quod apparet rationi esse verum in se, & secundum se: That is, No man can yeeld assent to any thing, but that which appeareth to him to be true: therefore whatsoeuer a man beleeueth, must seeme and appeare vnto him to bee true, either immediatly and by it selfe, or in respect of that medium, by force whereof he is perswaded to beleeue; and if it doe not appeare vnto him to be true in and by it selfe, but onely in respect of the medium, that medium must appeare true, either in respect of it selfe, or by another medium; and because there is no infinite proceeding in these things, wee must at last come to some first thing, which in and by it selfe, must appeare to be true.

CHAP. 8.

Of the last resolution of true faith, and wherevpon it stayeth it selfe.

IN naturall and humane knowledge, there are two sortes of thinges: some that are evident vnto vs immediatly in, and by themselues; and some, that are not. The former of these, are likewise of two sorts: for there are some knowen onely by intuitiue knowledge, as contingent things: so that wee cannot apprehend the trueth of any proposition framed of such things, vnlesse wee intuitiuely apprehend the things, whereof such propositions are framed; (as, that Peter & Iohn now walke, now leape for ioy, or tremble for feare, wee cannot know, vnlesse wee intuitiuely behold, both these men, and these things to agree vnto them.) Other things there are vniuersall, necessary, and alwayes of one sort: these may bee evidently knowen by abstractiue know∣ledge. Of these, there may be framed two sorts of propositions: for there are some propositions per se notae, originally cleare and euident, the termini or sin∣gle wordes whereof, being rightly conceiued by vs, wee cannot but know the trueth of the whole propositions: (as, that euery whole and entire thing, is greater and better then any part of it.) a 1.44 And other propositions there are, which are not thus originally cleare and evident, vpon the right vnderstanding of the termini or single wordes whereof they are composed, but a man doub∣teth of them, till hee see them deduced by cleare and evident consequence from the former; these things a man is properly sayd to learne.

Thus hauing spoken of things euident in themselues, let vs come to the things that in themselues are neuer evident vnto vs, either that they are or what they are: but that they are, and what they are, appeareth vnto vs by a forraine medium, without the compasse of the things themselues. Of this sort are those things wee are perswaded of, vpon the report of others; this is the certainty wee haue of things beleeued: the trueth of them in themselues appea∣reth not vnto vs, nor is seene of vs; in which sense faith may rightly be named a firme assent without evidence; and there may bee a certainty of adherence, as the Schoolemen call it, without evidence; yet must the credite of him that speaketh, bee knowen vnto vs, and wee must euidently discerne, that he doth speake vnto vs, vpon whose testimony wee rely.

The Schoolemen make three sorts of things; some that are beleeued because they are first knowen, as the first principles originally cleare and euident vnto vs, and the conclusions demonstratiuely prooued out of those principles: other thinges, that are beleeued and neuer knowen, as all the matters of fact that are reported in the Scripture, which wee canne neuer know by the immediate eui∣dence of the things themselues, but mediately, in that wee know they are deli∣uered vnto vs by him that cannot lie. And a third sort of things that are first beleeued, and afterwards the vnderstanding being inlightned, and the heart cleansed, they are discerned of vs to be true.

The opinion of the ordinary Papists is, that the things pertayning to our faith, are beleeued, because God reuealeth and deliuereth them to be so, as wee are required to beleeue; but that we know not that God hath reuealed any such thing, but by humane conjectures and probabilities: so weakely doe they make our faith to bee grounded. Wee confesse, that faith may rightly bee sayde to bee a firme assent, without evidence of many of the things belee∣ued, in themselues: but the Medium, by force whereof wee are draw∣en to beleeue, must bee evident vnto vs, as Durandus doeth rightly de∣monstrate.

b 1.45 Augustine noteth, that there are three things found in the soule of man; Opinion, Beleefe or Faith, and Science; the first of these is necessarily and euer joyned with imperfection and defect, to wit, danger and feare of erring: the third is euer perfect, excluding both: the second, standing in the middest, is of a middle nature, and dependeth vpon the third. For otherwise, to beleeue their reports, whose credite is not knowne vnto vs, is levitie and rashnesse. Faith therefore, that is commendable, and without fault, presupposeth knowledge, & right beleeuing groweth out of it. We hold therefore, that euery true Chri∣stian doth most evidently discerne and know, that it is God that speaketh in the Scriptures; which Calvin excellently expresseth. c 1.46 Illius virtute (saith he) illuminati, iam non aut nostro, aut aliorum iudicio credimus â Deo esse Scripturam, sed supra humanum iudicium certo certius constituimus, non secus, ac si ipsius Dei numen illic intueremur, hominum ministerio ab ipsissimo. Dei ore fluxisse. After we are enlightned by the spirit, we doe no longer trust, either our owne iudgement, or the iudgement of other men, that the Scriptures are of God; but aboue all certainety of humane iudgement, we most certainely resolue, as if in them we saw the Maiesty and glory of God, as Moses saw it in the Mount, that by the ministery of men, they came vnto vs from Gods owne most sacred mouth

Heereunto doth S. Augustine fully agree, shewing that the authority of the Church, is but an introduction to the spirituall discerning of diuine things, and that men rest not in it. Wherevpon he sayth, d 1.47 Homini non valenti verum intu∣eri, vt ad id fiat idoneus, purgarique se sinat, praesto est auctoritas, quam partim mi∣raculis, partim multitudine valere nemo ambigit: that is, Men that are not yet able to discerne the heauenly truth, that they may be fitted to it, and suffer them∣selues to be purged from their impurity, hindring them from it, haue the benefite of the direction of authority, which standeth vpon two things: the one, the greatnesse of miracles, and wondrous workes done; the other, multitude. Christ e 1.48 sayth Au∣gustine) being to bring a salving medicine into the World, and to reforme the most corrupt and wicked manners of the sonnes of men, by miracles got him∣selfe authority, by authority wonne credit, by the credit he had gotten; drew multitudes after him, which cotinuing long in one course of profession, in tract and continuance of time, gained the reverent estimation of antiquity, and so strengthened the opinion of Religion professed by them. These things (saith * 1.49 Augustine) are not necessary to men of spirituall & heauenly vnderstanding: but we are now to shew how men may become wise, & attaine the knowledge of spirituall things, This they cannot attayne to, vnlesse they bee purged from their soules vncleannesse: from which they cannot be purged, vnlesse they listen to them, that are already wise and exercised in things that are diuine, and ther∣fore they must begin with authority.

Hugo de Sancto Victore maketh three sorts of beleeuers: for there are (sayth he) qui solâ pietate credere eligunt, qui vtrùm credendum sit, vel non credendum, ratione non comprehendunt, alii ratione approbant quod fide credunt, alii puritate cordis, & mundâ conscientiâ, interius iam gustare incipiunt, quod fide crediderunt.

The first are moued to beleeue out of piety, finding the Maiesty of God to present it selfe vnto them in the word of truth, and happy communion of the people professing the same, challenging their attention and readinesse to bee

taught by him: In the second the light of diuine reason causeth approbation of that they belieue: In the third sort, the purity of diuine vnderstanding, appre∣hendeth most certainely, the things belieued, and causeth a foretasting of those things, that hereafter more fully shall be enjoied. They that are thus established in the faith, do now already begin to foretast that, which they long in heauē di∣stinctly to know and enjoy, and begin already to haue God present with them,

by force of diuine contemplation; so that if all the world should be turned into miracles, they could not remoue them from the certainety of their perswasion. Hence it is, that Pycus sayth in his Conclusions, that as faith which is but a bare credulity, is in degree of perfection lesse then Science, soe true faith is greater and more certaine, then any science gotten by demonstration.

Thus then we may easily discerue, what is the formall reason of our faith, or inducing vs to beleeue. In things that are therefore belieued, because knowne, as in the principles & conclusions of naturall knowledge, the euidence of things appearing to vs, is the formall reason of our beleefe and perswasion. In things first belieued, and afterwards known, the euidence of the things appearing vn∣to vs, being inlightned by the light of grace. In things only belieued, and not knowne, the authority of God himselfe whom wee do most certainly discerne, to speake in the worde of Faith, which is preached vnto vs. Si g 1.50 puros oculos, & integros sensus, illuc afferamus (sayth Caluin) statim occurret Dei majestas quae subactâ reclamandi audaciâ, nos sibi parere cogat. If we bring pure eyes, and per∣fect senses,

the Majesty of God presently presenteth it selfe vnto us, in the di∣uine Scripture, and beating down al thoughts of contradicting or doubting of things so heauenly, forceth vs to obey. h 1.51 For Non dubium vim numinis illic vi∣gere

& spirare sentimus, quâ ad parendum scientes quidem, ac volentes, viuidiùs tamen & efficaciùs, quàm pro humana, aut voluntate, aut scientia, trahimur ac ac∣cendimur. We find a greater light of vnderstanding, shining vnto vs in this do∣ctrine

of faith, then is found within the compasse of nature: a satisfaction tou∣ching many things, in which humane reason could not satisfie vs in: a joy & ex∣ultation of the heart, such and so great, as groweth not out of nature. This ma∣keth

vs assure our selues, the doctrine which thus affecteth vs, is reuealed from God: that they are the only people of God, and haue the meanes of happinesse, where this treasure of heauenly wisdome is found: that those bookes are the ri∣chest jewell, that the world possesseth, and ought to be the Canon of our faith, which this people deliuereth unto vs, as receiued from them, to whom these things were first of all made knowne, and reuealed.

So then that God speaketh in the Scripture, and is the Author of it, we know more certainely, than any thing that is knowne by naturall light of reason: and thereupon wee beleeue all things therein contained, though many of them are such, as can neuer be knowne of vs, as those that are historicall and other such as are not knowne at first, though after we haue belieued, we begin to vnderstand and know them. Herevnto agree the best learned, and most deuout and religi∣ous amongst the Schoole-men. For the greater part of them were giuen to curious disputes, but voyd of all deuotion, as i 1.52 Gerson complaineth. k 1.53 Ale∣xander of Hales sayth, there is a certainty of speculation, and a certainetie of experience: a certainty in respect of the vnderstanding, and a certainetie in respect of the affection: a certainty in respect of the spirituall man, and a certainety in respect of the naturall man: and pronounceth that the things apprehended by vs in diuine knowledge, are more certainely discerned by such as are spirituall, in the certainty of experience, in the certainety which is in respect of affection, and by way of spirituall taste and feeling, than anie thing is discerned in the light of naturall vnderstanding. Quàm dulcia faucibus meis eloquia tua! l 1.54 (sayth the Prophet Dauid) How sweete are thy wordes (O Lord) vnto my mouth! They are sweeter than the hony, and the hony combe. And again, I haue knowne long since, that thou hast established them for euer.

Thus then it is true, that the authority of Gods Church, prepareth vs vnto the faith, and serueth as an introduction, to bring vs to the discerning and perfect apprehension of diuine things, but is not the ground of our faith, and reason of beleeuing. And that doubtlesse is the meaning of those wordes m 1.55 of Au∣gustine, that hee would not beleeue the Gospell, if the authority of the Church did not moue him thereunto.

CHAP. 9.

Of the meaning of those wordes of Augustine, that he would not beleeue th•…•… Gospell, if the authority of the Church did not moue him.

THe Diuines giue two explications of these wordes of Augustine. For a 1.56 Occam and some others say, the Church, whereof hee speaketh, is not the multitude of beleeuers, that now are in the World, but the whole number of them, that are, and haue beene, since Christ appeared in the flesh; so including the Apostles: in which sense, they confesse the Church comprehending in it the Apostles, and writers of the whole Scripture of the new Testament, is of greater authority, then the bookes of the Gospell written by them, and deliuered to posterities. Others, taking the name of the Church, to signifie onely the beleeuers that now presently are in the world, say the meaning of Augustine is, that he had neuer beleeued the Gospell, if the autho∣ritie of the Church had not beene an introduction vnto him: Not that, his faith rested vpon it, as a finall stay, but that it caused him so farre to respect the word of the Gospell, to listen vnto it, and with a kinde of acquisite and hu∣mane faith, to beleeue it, that hee was thereby fitted to a better illumination, by force whereof hee might more certainely know, and beleeue it to be of God. To which purpose b 1.57 Waldensis out of Thomas Aquinas obserueth, that as the Sa∣maritans beleeued that Christ was the promised Sauiour, vpon the report of the woman, that talked with him, made vnto them; but afterwardes hauing seene him, and talked with him, they professed that they beleeved, not for her saying any longer: for themselues had heard him speake, and did know that hee was the Saviour of the world indeed. So men at the first beginne to beleeue mo∣ued so to doe, by the authority of the Church; but rest not in it, but in the in∣fallible assurance of diuine trueth. Vpon the mistaking of this saying of S. Augustine, and an erroneous conceit, that our faith stayeth wholly vpon the authority and testimony of the Church, hath growne that opinion, that the au∣thority of the Church is greater, than the authority of the Scriptures.

CHAP. 10.

Of the Papistes preferring the Churches authority before the Scripture.

TOuching which odious comparison, I find some shew of difference a∣mongst the Papistes, but none indeede. Some affirme, that the au∣thorities of the Church, and of the Scripture, being in divers kindes, may in diverse sorts, and respects, either of them be sayd to be grea∣ter, then the other: to wit, the one in nature of an euidence, the other of a Iudge; and that therefore the comparing of them in authority is vnfit and su∣perfluous. Others say, that the Church is greater then Scriptures. a 1.58 The Rhemists seeme to be of the first sort, seeking to conceale that, which indeede they thinke, because they would not incurre the dislike and ill opinion of men, naturally abhorring from so odious a comparison. Yet in the same place they doe make the comparison, and preferre the Church before the Scriptures. 1. In respect of antiquity, in that it was before them. 2. In excellencie of nature,

in that the Church is the spouse of Christ, the Temple of God, the proper subject of God, and his graces, for which the Scriptures were, and not the Church for the Scriptures. 3. In power of judging of doubts and controversies, the Church hauing judiciall power, the Scripture not being capable of it. 4. In euidence, the definition of the Church being more cleare and evident, then those of the Scriptures.

b 1.59 Stapleton sayth, the comparison may be made, and the Church preferred before the Scriptures, foure wayes. 1. So, as if the Church might define contra∣ry to the Scriptures, as shee may contrary to the writings of particular men, how great soeuer. In this sense, they of the Church of Rome make not the comparison, neither doe we charge them with any such thing, though Stapleton be pleased to say so of vs. 2. So, as the Church may define, though not contrary to, yet beside the Scripture or written Word of God. This comparison is not made properly, touching the preheminence of one aboue another in au∣thority, but the extent of one beyond the other, as Stapleton rightly noteth. In this sense the Romanists make the Church greater in authority than the Scrip∣tures, that is, the extent of the Churches authority, larger than of the Scrip∣tures, to bring in their traditions: but this wee deny, and will in due place im∣proue their errour herein. Thirdly, in the obedience they both challenge of vs, where they all say, that we are bound with as great affection of piety, to o∣bey and submit our selues vnto the determinations of the Church, as of the Scriptures: both being infallible, of diuine and heauenly authority, against which no man may resist, and that it is a matter of faith so to thinke. Yea, some of them, as Stapleton in the same place, are not ashamed to say, that wee are bound with greater certaintie of faith, to subscribe vnto the determinations of the Church, than of the Scriptures; and that it is the authority of the Church, that maketh vs accept, embrace, and beleeue the Scriptures. Fourthly, in the nature of the things themselues, in which respect, they preferre the Church be∣fore the Scriptures; as being in it selfe more excellent then the Scriptures: as the subject by which the spirit worketh, is more excellent then the thing hee worketh by it.

CHAP. 11.

Of the refutation of their errour, who preferre the authority of the Church before the Scripture.

THat wee may the better discerne, what is to bee resolued, touching these two latter comparisons betweene the Church and the Scrip∣tures; wee must remember that which I haue before noted, tou∣ching them both. For first, the name of the Church sometimes comprehendeth onely the beleeuers, that now presently are liuing in the world. Sometimes not onely these, but all them also, that haue beene since the Apostles times. Sometimes all that are, and haue beene since Christ appeared in the flesh.

If the comparison bee made betweene the Church, consisting onely of the faithfull that now are and the Scripture, wee absolutely deny the equality of their authority; and say it is impiety to thinke, that both may challenge an e∣quall degree of obedience, and faith to bee yeelded to them: for it cannot bee proued, that the Church, thus taken, is free from errour; nay themselues with one consent confesse, a 1.60 that generall Councels, representing this Church, may erre, though not in matters of substance, which they purposely meete to deter∣mine, yet in other passages, and in the reasons, and motiues, leading to such de∣terminations: and consequently the whole Church may erre in the same things: the one, in their opinion, being no more infallible, than the other. Yea,

some of them feare not to pronounce, b 1.61 that Popes and generall Councells may erre damnably, and that the Church itselfe may erre in matters not fundamen∣tall, though without pertinacy, as Picus in his theoremes, and Waldensis, who freeth only the vniuersall Church, consisting of the faithfull that are, and haue beene, from errour, and not the present Church, as I shewed before. We are so farre then, from preferring the Church thus taken, (as Stapleton in the place a∣boue mentioned, professeth he taketh it) in authority before the Scripture, that we thinke it impiety, to imagine it to be equall.

That the authority of the Church maketh vs to beleeue, with an humane, and acquisite faith, we deny not, but that it maketh vs to beleeue with a diuine faith, we deny, as before. If the comparison be made, between the Church consi∣sting of all the faithfull that haue bin since, & besides the Apostles, & writers of the holy Scriptures, though we think the Church thus taken to be free from any error; yet dare we not make it equall to the Scripture: For that the Scripture is infallibly true, as inspired immediatly frō the spirit of truth, securing the writers of it from errour; The Church not in respect of the condition of the men, of whom it consisteth, or the manner of the guiding of the spirit, (each particular man being subject vnto errour) but in respect of the generality and vniversality of it, in euery part whereof, in every time, no errour could possibly be found: And for that, whatsoeuer is vniuersally deliuered by it, is thereby prooued to be from the Apostles, of whose faith wee are secure. Thus then the whole Church thus taken, is subiect to the Scripture, in all her parts, and hath her infallibility from it: and therefore in her manner of hauing the truth, is inferi∣our vnto it, neither are we bound to receiue her doctrines as the sacred Scrip∣tures. Besides, though the Church taken in this sort be free from errour, yet not from ignorance of many things, wherein we may be instructed by the scripture. So that it is possible for a man to vnderstand the naturall & literall sense of some parts of Scripture, and from thence some things, that were not in such sort knowne and deliuered by any, that went before: as Andradius, and Caietanus, do proue at large.

If the comparison be made betweene the Church, consisting of all the belie∣uers, that are and haue beene, since Christ appeared in the flesh, so including the Apostles, and their blessed assistants the Euangelists: we deny not, but that the Church is of greater authority, antiquity, and excellencie than the Scripture of the new Testament, as the witnesse is better then his testimonie, and the Lawgi∣uer greater then the Lawes made by him, as Stapleton alleageth. But he is to proue the present Church greater in authority than the Scripture: which hee vndertaketh, but performeth not. His reason, that the Scripture was giuen for the good of the Church, and that therefore the Church is better than the Scrip∣ture, proueth not the thing intended. For, as the people are more excellent in degree of being, and nature of things, than the lawes that be made for their good, yet are the lawes of more authority, and must ouer-rule and direct the people: so though the Scriptures, being but significations, declarations, and ma∣nifestations of diuine truth, be not better in degree of things, than the Church, yet in power of prescribing, directing, and ouer-ruling our faith, they are in∣comparably greater. That which the Rhemists adde, to shew the greatnesse of the Church aboue the Scripture, because the Church hath judiciall power, to determine doubts and controuersies, whereof as they suppose, the Scripture is not capable, I will examine in the next part, when I come to speake of the po∣wer of judging, which the Church hath.

This errour of the Romanists imagining the authority of the Church to bee greater than the Scripture, all the best learned in the Church of Rome euer resi∣sted, as c 1.62 Waldensis, d 1.63 Occam, e 1.64 Gerson, and sundry others.

CHAP. 12.

Of their errour who thinke the Church may make new articles of faith.

VNto this errour is joyned, and out of this hath growne another not vnlike, that the Church may make new articles of faith; which though Stapleton and some other of our time seeme to disclaime, yet do they indeede fall into it. For the better vnderstanding whereof we must obserue, as a 1.65 Occam fitly noteth, that an Article of faith is sometimes strictly ta∣ken, onely for one of those diuine verities, which are contained in the creede of the Apostles: sometimes generally for any Catholike verity. This question is not meant of articles of faith in the first sense, but in the second; and so the meaning of the question is, whether the Church that now is, may by her approbation make those assertions and propositions to be Catholike verities, that were not before, or those hereticall that were not. A Catholike vetity is a diuine truth, which euery Christian is bound to beleeue. The things which Christian men are bound to beleeue, are of two sorts, and consequently there are two sorts of Catholike verities; to wit, some so neerely touching the matter of eternall saluation, that a man cannot be saued, vnlesse hee expressely knowe and beleeue them; others farther remooued, which if a man beleeue implicitè, and in praepara∣tione animi, it sufficeth; These must bee beleeued expressely and distinctly, if their coherence with, or dependance on the former, do appeare vnto vs, so that the manifest deduction of them from the former, will make them such, as must be expressely beleeued.

Our aduersaries confesse, that the approbation and determination of the Church, cannot make that a truth which was not, nor that a Diuine or Catho∣like truth, that was not so before: but they thinke, that the Church by her bare and sole determination, may make that verity to be in such sort Catholike, that euery one, vnderstanding of such determination, must expressely beleeue it, that was not so, and in such degree Catholike before. But wee thinke, that it is not the authority of the Church, but the cleare deduction from the things which we are bound expressely to beleeue, that maketh things of that sort, that they must be particularly and distinctly known & beleeued, that were not ne∣cessarily so to bee beleeued before: b 1.66 and therefore before, and without such de∣termination, men seeing cleerely the deduction of things of this nature from the former, and refusing to beleeue them, are condemned of hereticall pertinacy; and men not seeing that deduction, after the decree of a Councell hath passed vpon them, may still doubt and refuse to beleeue, without hereticall pertinacy.

We cannot therefore condemne the Grecians as heretickes, as the Romanists doe, because wee cannot perswade our selues of them generally, that they

see that, which they deny touching the proceeding of the holy Ghost, deduced from the indubitate principles of our Christian faith, or that they impiously neglect the search of the trueth. What is it then (will some men say) that the decree of a Councell doth effect? Surely nothing else, but the rejecting of such as are otherwise minded, from the societies of those men and Chur∣ches, with whom the decree of the Councell doth prevaile; and with all wise men, the more wary and fearefull pronouncing any thing of those matters, con∣cerning which so graue authority hath passed her sentence. The Papists proceed further, and thinke it hereticall pertinacie, to gainsay the decrees of a Councell, though they finde the reasons, by which they of the Councell were mooued so to thinke and determine, to bee too weake, and not to conclude the thing inten∣ded, c 1.67 as, in the matter of Transubstantiation, they thinke it heresie to gainesay the decrees of those Councels that haue defined it, and yet many of them judge all the reasons, alleaged to proue it, too weake to proue it. In deed if it were certaine, as they suppose, that a generall Councell could not erre, this were a sufficient deduction, These things are decreede in a generall Councell: There∣fore ture; because it is consequent, that that is true, which is affirmed by him that cannot erre.

Thus wee see what it is to bee thought, touching this question, whether the Church may make new Articles of faith: onely one thing must be added for the further clearing hereof. The Papistes thinke, that the Church may adde to the Canon of the Scripture bookes not yet admitted, as the bookes of Her∣mas the Scholler of Paul, intituled Pastor, and the constitutions of Clement; which if it should doe, we were to receiue them with no lesse respect, then the Epistle of Iames, and other bookes of the New Testament. d 1.68 This we thinke to be a most grosse heresie, and contrrry to their owne principles, who making the number of Canonicall bookes a tradition, must necessarily receiue it from a certaine and constant report of the ancient. But hereof no more in this place, because the exact handling of it pertaineth to another place, to wit, touching the Scriptures.

CHAP. 13

Of the Churches authority to iudge of the differences that arise, touching matters of faith.

THus hauing spoken of the Churches assured possession of diuine truth, and her office of teaching, testifying, and proposing the same, the next thing that followeth, is her authority to judge of the diffe∣rences that may arise, touching matters of the faith taught by her, or any part thereof, and more specially touching the interpretation of the Scrip∣tures and word of God. Iudgement is an acte of reason, discerning whether a thing be or not, and whether it be that it seemeth to be, and is thought or said to be.

This judgment is of two sortes: The first, of definitiue and authenticall power. The second of Recognition. The judgement of authenticall power, de∣fining what is to bee thought of each thing, and prescribing to mens consci∣ences so to thinke, is proper to God: being originally found in the father, who by his sonne as by the immediate and prime messenger, and Angell of his se∣cret Counsell, and by the holy Ghost as the spirit of illumination, maketh knowne vnto men what they must thinke, and perswadeth them so to thinke. So that the supreame judgement wherein the conscience of men doeth rest, in the things of GOD, is proper to GOD, who onely by his spirit teacheth

the conscience, and giueth vnto it assurance of truth. Neither is God the su∣preme Iudge, onely inrespect of the godly, who stay not, till they resolue their perswasions into the certainty of his diuine testimony and vndoubted au∣thority, but also in respect of the wicked, who in their erronious conceipts are judged by him, and of whose sinister and vile courses he sitteth in judgement, while he confoundeth their tongues, diuideth them one from another, maketh them crosse themselues, and bringeth all they doe to nothing. This judgement all are forced to stand vnto, and this is that, that maketh a finall end of all con∣troversies, according to that of a 1.69 Gamaliel; If this thing be of God it will prosper and prevaile, and wee inresisting it, shall be found fighters against God, if not it will come to naught. Thus then the judgement of God the father as supreme, the judgement of the sonne as the eternall word of God, of the spirit as the fountaine of all illumination, making vs discerne what is true, is that, in which wee finally rest. The judgement or determination of the word of God is that, wherein wee rest as the rule of our faith: and the light of Diuine vnderstan∣ding, as that, whereby we iudge of all things.

The judgement of Recognition is of three sorts. For there is a judgement of discretion, common to all Christian men, a judgement of direction proper to the guides of the Church, and a judgement of jurisdiction proper to them, that are in cheife places of authority. The first of these is nothing else, but an acte of vnderstanding, discerning whether things be or not, and whether also they bee that which they seeme to bee. The second endeuoureth to make others discerne likewise: and the third by authority suppresseth all those, that shall thinke and pronounce otherwise, then they judge that haue the judgement of Iurisdiction.

Touching the judgement of Recognition, wee acknowledge, the judgement of the vniuersall Church, comprehending the faithfull that are and haue beene, to be infallible. In the Church that comprehendeth onely the beleeuers that liue at one time in the world, b 1.70 there is alwayes found a right judgement of discretion, and right pronouncing of each thing necessary, all neuer falling into damnable errour, nor into any error pertinaciously; but a right judgement of men by their power of jurisdiction mantayning the truth, and suppressing er∣rour, is not alwayes found.

So that sometimes almost all, may conspire aga•…•…nst the truth, or consent to betray the sincerity of the Christian profession, as they did in the Councells of Ariminium & Seleucia, in which case as Occam aptly obserueth out of Hierome, men haue nothing left vnto them, but with sorrowfull hearts to referre all vn∣to God. If (sayth Hierome) iniquity prevaile in the Church which is the house of God, if iustice be oppressed, if the madnes of them, that should teach & guide others, proceed so farre, as to pervert all the straight wayes of God, to receiue rewards, to doe wrong, to treade downe the poore in the gates, and to refuse to heare their complaynts, let good men in such times hold their peace, let them not giue that which is holy vnto dogges, let them not cast pearles before swine, least they turne againe and trample them vnder •…•…eete, let them imitate Ieremie the Prophet, who speaketh of himselfe in this sort, I sate alone, because I was full of bitternesse. Euen so (sayth Occam) when heresies prevaile in the Chri∣stian world, when truth is trampled vnder feete in the streetes, and Prelates, & Princes being enemies to it, endevour with all their power to destroy it, when they shall condemne the doctrine of the Fathers, molest, disquiet, and murder the true professours, let good men in such times, hold their peace, keepe si∣lence, and be still, let them not giue holy things to dogges, nor cast pearles be∣fore swine, least they turne and tread them vnder feete, least they wrest and a∣buse the Scriptures to their owne perdition, and the scandall of others: but let them with the Prophet sit alone, and complaine that their soules are full of bit∣ter heavinesse.

CHAP. 14.

Of the rule of the Churches judgment.

THus hauing set downe the diuerse kinds of iudgment, which must de∣termine and end all controuersies in matter of faith and religion, it re∣maineth to shewe what is the rule of that iudgment, whereby the Church discerneth betweene truth and falsehood, the faith and heresie, and to whom it properly pertaineth to interpret those things which touching this rule are doubtfull.

As the measure of each thing is that, by vertue whereof wee know what it is, and the quantity of it; so the rule is that, by application whereof, wee know whether it be that which it should be, and be so, as it should be. The rule of acti∣on is that whereby we know whether it be right, and performed as it should be, or not. The rule of doctrine is that, whereby wee know whether it be true or false.

a 1.71 The rule of our faith in generall, whereby we know it to be true, is the infi∣nite excellencie of God; (who in eminent sort possesseth all those perfections, which in the creatures are diuided, and found in an inferiour sort:) in the full & perfect vnion with whom, and inioying of whom, consisteth all happinesse.

For by this rule we know, that the doctrine of faith, which only professeth to bring vs backe to God, to possesse and enioy him, (not as he is participated of vs, but as he is in himselfe) and maketh vs, already, to beginne to tast the sweet∣nesse of so great and happy an vnion, is not only true, but Diuine and Heauenly, such as nature could not teach vs, but is to be learned onely of God himselfe.

It being presupposed in the generalily, that the doctrine of the Christian faith is of God and containeth nothing but heauenly truth; in the next place we are to inquire, by what rule wee are to iudge of particular things contained within the compasse of it. This rule is first, the summary comprehension of such principall articles of this diuine knowledge, as are the principles whence all other things are concluded, and inferred. These are contained in the creed of the Apostles. Secondly, all such things as every Christian is bound expressely to beleeue, by the light & direction whereof he iudgeth of other things, which are not absolutely necessary, soe particularly to be knowne. These are rightly sayd to bee the rule of our faith, because the principles of euery science are the rule whereby wee iudge of the truth of all things, as being better and more generally knowne, then any other thing, and the cause of knowing them.

Thirdly, the Analogie, due proportion, and correspondence, that one thing in this diuiue knowledge hath with another, soe that men cannot erre in one of them, without erring in another; nor rightly vnderstand one, but they must like∣wise rightly conceiue the rest. Fourthly, whatsoeuer bookes were deliuered vnto vs, as written by them, to whom the first and immediate reuelation of di∣uine truth was made. Fiftly, whatsoeuer hath been deliuered by all the Saints with one consent, which haue left their iudgment and opinion in writing. Sixt∣ly, whatsoeuer the most famous haue constantly and vniformely delivered, as a matter of faith, no man contradicting, though many other Ecclesiasticall wri∣ters be silent, and say nothing of it. Seuenthly, that which the most and most fa∣mous in euery age constantly deliuered, as matter of faith, and as receiued of them that went before them, in such sort that the contradictors and gain∣sayers w•…•…re in their beginnings noted for singularity, nouelty and diuision, and afterwards in processe of time (if they persisted in such contradiction) char∣ged with heresie.

These three latter rules of our faith we admit, not because they are equall with the former, & originally in themselues containe the direction of our faith, but because nothing can be deliuered, with such and so full consent of the peo∣ple of God, as in them is expressed, but it must needes bee, from those first Au∣thors and founders of our Christian profession. The Romanists adde vnto these the decrees of Councels, and determinations of Popes, making these also to bee the rules of faith: but because we haue no proofe of their infallibility, we num∣ber them not with the rest.

Thus then we see, how many things, in seuerall degrees and sorts, are said to be rules of our faith. The infinite excellency of God, as that whereby the truth of the heauenly doctrine is proued. The articles of faith, and other verities euer expressely knowne in the Church, as the first principles, are the canon, by which we judge of conclusions from thence inferred. The Scripture, as containing in it all that doctrine of faith, which Christ the Sonne of GOD deliuered. The vnifor•…•…e practice, and consenting judgement of them that went before vs, as a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and vndoubted explication, of the things contayned in the Scripture.

The Scripture (saith b 1.72 Vincentius Lirinensis,) is full and sufficient to all pur∣poses: but because of the manifold turnings of heretiques, it is necessary▪ that the line of Propheticall and Apostolicall interpretation, be drawn•…•… •…•…owne, and directed vnto vs, according to the rule of Ecclesiasticall and Catholique sense. So then, we doe not so make the Scripture the rule of our faith, but that other things, in their kinde, are rules likewise, in such sort, that it is not safe, without respect had vnto them, to judge of things by the Scripture alone. For without the first rule, we cannot know the Scripture to be of God. Without the second and third, we haue no forme of Christian doctrine, by the direction whereof to judge of particular doubts and questions: without the other rules, wee cannot know the authors, and number of the Bookes of Scripture, nor the meaning of the things therein written. c 1.73 For who shalbe able to vnderstand them, but hee that is settledin these things, which the Apostles presupposed, in their de∣liuery of the Scripture.

We doe not therefore, so make the Scripture the rule of our faith, as to ne∣glect the other, nor so admit the other, as to detract any thing from the pleni∣tude of the Scripture, in which all things are contained that must bee belee∣ued.

CHAP. 15.

Of the challenge of Papists against the rule of Scripture, charging it with ob∣scurity, and imperfection.

THis rule our adversaries least esteeme of, charging it with obscurity and imperfection, and thereupon rely vpon humane interpretations, and vncertaine traditions. Touching their first challenge made against this rule of the scripture, as being obscure and darke, and so not fit to giue direction to our faith, vnlesse it borrow light from some thing else: wee aunswere, there is no question, but there are manifold difficulties in the scripture, proceeding partly from the high and excellent nature of the things therein contained, which are without the compasse of naturall vn∣derstanding, and so are wholly hidden from naturall men, and not knowne of them that are spirituall, without much trauaile, and studious meditation; part∣ly out of the ignorance of tongues, and of the nature of such things, by the cō∣parison whereof, the matters of divine knowledge are manifested vnto vs. But the difference betweene their opinion and ours, concerning this difficultie is, first in that they thinke the scripture so obscure and hard to be vnderstood, that

Heretiques may wrest and abuse it at their pleasures, and no man be able to con∣vince their folly, by the evidence of the Scripture it selfe. Secondly, in that they thinke, that wee cannot by any helpes bee assured out of the Scripture it selfe, and the nature of the things therein contayned, that that is the true mea∣ning of it, which wee thinke to be, but that we rest in it, onely for the autho∣rity of the Church. But wee say, that men, not neglecting that light of di∣rection, which the Church yeeldeth, nor other helpes and meanes, may be as∣sured out of the nature of the things themselues, the conference of places, the knowledge of tongues, and the sutable correspondence, that one part of diuine truth hath with another, that they haue found out the true meaning of it, and so be able to convince the adversaries and gainesayers.

CHAP. 16.

Of the interpretation of Scripture, and to whom it pertayneth.

TOuching this poynt, there are two questions vsually proposed; the one to whom the interpretation of the Scripture pertaineth: the other by what rules and meanes, men may finde out t•…•…e true meaning of it. T•…•…ching the first, our Adversaries jangle m•…•…ch, with many decla∣mations, against priuate interpretations, and interpretations of private spirits, and make the world beleeue, that wee follow no other rule of interpretation, but each mans private fancie.

For answere herevnto, we say with a 1.74 Stapleton, that interpretations of Scrip∣ture may be sayd to be private, and the spirits whence they proceede, named priuate, either Ratione personae, modi, or finis: That is, in respect of the person who interpreteth, the manner of his proceeding in interpreting, or the end of his interpretation. A priuate interpretation, proceeding from a priuate spi∣rit in the first sense, is euery interpretation deliuered by men of priuate condi∣tion. In the second sense, is that, which men of what condition soeuer, deli∣uer, contemning and neglecting those publike meanes which are knowen to all, and are to be vsed by all that desire to finde the trueth.

In the third sense that, which proceeding from men of priuate condition, is not so proposed and vrged by them, as if they would binde all other to receiue and imbrace it, but is intended onely to their owne satisfaction. The first kind of interpretation, proceeding from a private spirit, is not to be disliked, if the parties so interpreting neither neglect the common rules & meanes, of attay∣ning the right sense of that they interpret, contemne the judgement of other men, nor presumptuously take vpon them, to teach others, and enforce them to beleeue that, which they apprehend for trueth, without any authority so to doe.

But priuate spirits in the second sense, that is men of such dispositions, as will follow their owne fancies, and neglect the common rules of direction, as Enthusiasts, and trust to their owne sense, without conference and due respect to other mens judgements, wee accurse. This is all we say touching this mat∣ter: wherein I would faine know, what our aduersaries dislike. Surely nothing at all, as it will appeare to euery one, that shall but looke into the place aboue alledged out of Stapleton. But say they, there must bee some authenticall in∣terpretation of Scripture, which euery one must bee bound to stand vnto, or else there will be no end of quarrels and contentions, The interpretation of Scripture is nothing else, but the explication and clearing of the meaning of it. This is either true or false. The true interpretation of the Scripture, is of two sorts. For there is an interpretation, which deliuereth that which is true, and contayned in the Scripture, or from thence to bee concluded, though not meant in that place which is expounded.

This is not absolutely and perfectly a true interpretation, because though it truely deliuereth such doctrine as is contayned in the Scripture, and nothing contrarie to the place interpreted, yet it doth not expresse that, that is particu∣larly meant, in the place expounded. There is therefore another kind of true interpretations, when not onely that is deliuered which is contayned in the Scripture, but that which is meant in the particular places expounded.

Likewise false interpretations are of two sorts: some deliuering that which is vtterly false, and contrary to the Scripture; some others onely fayling in this, that they attaine not the true sense, of the particular places expounded. An ex∣ample of the former, is that interpretation of that place of b 1.75 Genesis, The sonnes of God saw the daughters of men, &c. c 1.76 which some of the Fathers haue deliue∣red, vnderstanding by the sonnes of God, the Angels of Heauen, whose fall they suppose proceeded from the loue of women. Which errour they con∣firme by that of the Apostle, that women must come vayled into the Church for the Angels: that is as they interpret, least the Angels should fall in loue with them. A false interpretation of the later kind; d 1.77 Andradius sheweth, some thinke that exposition of the wordes of the Prophet Esaie, e 1.78 Quis enarrabit ge∣nerationem eius? Who shall declare his generation, deliuered by many of the Fa∣thers, vnderstanding thereby the eternall generation of the son of God, which no man shall declare. Whereas, by the name of generation, the Prophet mea∣neth that multitude, that shall beleeue in Christ, which shall be so great, as can∣not be expressed.

An authenticall interpretation, is that, which is not only true, but so clearely and in such sort, that euery one is bound to imbrace and to receiue it. As be∣fore we made 3 kinds of judgment, the one of discretion common to all, the o∣ther of direction common to the Pastors of the Church, and a third of jurisdi∣ction, proper to them that haue supreame power in the Church: so likewise wee make three kindes of interpretation; the first private, and so euery one may interpret the Scripture, that is, privately with himselfe conceiue, or deli∣uer to other, what hee thinketh the meaning of it to bee; the second of pub∣like direction, and so the Pastors of the Church may publikely propose what they conceiue of it; and the third of jurisdiction, and so they that haue supreme power, that is the Bishops assembled in a generall Councell, may interpret the Scripture, and by their authority suppresse all them that shall gainesay such in∣terpretations, and subject euery man that shall disobey such determinations as they consent vpon, to excommunication and censures of like nature.

But for authenticall interpretation of Scriptures, which every mans consci∣ence is bound to yeeld vnto, it is of an higher nature: neither doe wee thinke any of these to be such, as proceeding from any of those before named & spe∣cified; to whom wee graunt a power of interpretation. Touching the inter∣pretations which the Fathers haue deliuered, we receiue them as vndoubtedly true, in the generall doctrine they consent in, and so farre forth esteeme them as authenticall: yet doe wee thinke that holding the faith of the Fathers, it is lawfull to dissent from that interpretation of some particular places, which the greater part of them haue deliuered, or perhaps all that haue written of them, and to find out some other not mentioned by any of the Auncient.

CHAP. 17.

Of the interpretation of the Fathers, and how farre wee are bound to admit it.

THe Fathers, (a 1.79 sayth Andradius) especially they of the Greeke Church, being ignorant of the Hebrew tongue, following Origen, did rather striue, with all their wit and learning, to devise Allegories; and to frame the manners of men, then to cleare the hard places of the law and the Prophets. Nay, euen Hierome himselfe, who more diligently then any of the rest, sought out the meaning and sense of the Propheticall and diuine O∣racles, yet often to avoyde the obscurities of their words, betaketh himselfe to Allegories. In this sense it is that b 1.80 Cardinall Caietan saith, hee will not feare to goe against the torrent of all the Doctors; for which saying Andradius sheweth, that Canus and others doe vnjustly blame him. For though wee may not goe from the faith of the Fathers, nor from the maine trueth of doctrine, which they deliuer in different interpretations, yet may wee interpret some parts of the Scripture otherwise, then any of the Auncient euer did, weighing the circumstances of places, the nature and force of words in the Originall, and hauing other helpes necessary.

Neither is this to contemne the vniforme and maine consent of the Fathers, but rather more exactly to illustrate and explaine those things, which they did allegorically vnderstand, or not so diligently trauaile in, as is fit for them that come after, to doe. It is not then so strange a thing to say, that there are many places of Scripture, the true literall, and natural sense whereof, we cannot finde in any of the Ancient. Neither is this to charge them with error in faith: seeing the sense they giue, tendeth to the furtherance of the true faith, and the better forming of mens manners to godlinesse. Wherefore, wee feare not to pronounce with Andradius, that whosoeuer denyeth, that the true and literall sense of sundry texts of Scripture hath beene found out in this last age (where∣in c 1.81 as Guido Fabritius rightly noteth, all things seeme to bee renewed, and all learning to be newly borne into the world, that so Christ might bee newly fa∣shioned in vs, and wee new borne in him) is most vnthankefull vnto God, that hath so richly shed out his benefites vpon the children of this generation, & vngratefull towards those men, who with so great paines, so happy successe, and so much benefit to Gods Church, haue travailed therein.

Neither is Andradius only of this opinion, but Iansenius, & Maldonatus also, who both of them do in sundry places professe, they rest not satisfied in any in∣terpretation giuen by the Fathers, but preferre other found out in this age. For example, in the explication of that place of Iohn, Of his fulnesse, we haue all re∣ceiued, grace for grace; d 1.82 Maldonatus, refuseth all the interpretations of the Fathers, and giueth this of his owne, We haue receiued, of Christs fulnesse, most excellent gifts of grace, yet no man hath receiued al, but euery one is defectiue, yea, euery one lacketh something, that another hath. But he may acknowledge the goodnesse of God towards him, in that hee hath some other in stead of it, which the other hath not, and so may rightly bee saide to haue receiued grace for grace, because in stead of that grace he wanteth, and another hath, hee hath receiued some other, which the other wanteth. Many other instances might bee giuen out of Caietane, Andradius, Iansenius, Maldonatus, and other worthy Divines of the Church of Rome: but this may suffice.

CHAP: 18.

Of the diuers senses of Scripture.

THus hauing set downe to whom the interpretation of the Scripture pertaineth, it remaineth, that wee speake of the rules, directions, and helpes, that men haue to leade thē to the finding out of the right mea∣ning of it. But, because some suppose the Scripture hath many & vn∣certain senses, before we enter into the discourse of the rules, which must direct vs in interpreting, wee must speake something of the multiplicity of senses, supposed to be in the words of Scripture, which may seeme to contrary all cer∣tainety of interpretation. There is therefore a double sense of the sacred words and sentences of Scripture, for there is a literall sense, and a spirituall or mysti∣call sense. The literall sense is either proper, or natiue, when the words are to be taken, as originally in their proper signification they import, or figura∣tiue, when the words are translated from their naturall and proper significati∣on, to signifie something resembled by those things, they do primarily import. a 1.83 As when Christ sayth, hee hath other sheepe, which are not of this fould.

The spirituall or mysticall sense of the Scripture is, when the words either properly, or figuratiuely, signifie somethings, which are figures and significati∣ons of other things. This is Threefoold: Allegoricall, Tropologicall, Anagogi∣call. The first is, when things spoken of in the old Testament, are figures of somethings in the Newe. So it was literally true, that b 1.84 Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond-woman, the other by a free: but these two sonnes of Abraham imported some other thing in the state of the newe Testament, to wit, two dif∣ferent sorts of men. c 1.85 And here wee may obserue the difference, betweene an Allegory and a Type. A Type is, when some perticular person, or fact, in the old Testament, demonstrateth, and shadoweth out vnto vs some particular person, or fact in the newe. An allegory, when something in the old Testa∣ment, in a spirituall, and mysticall sort, shadoweth out vnto vs in a generality, things in some proportion answering in the newe. So d 1.86 Dauid, ouercomming Goliah, was a Type of Christ, and allegorically did shadow out that victory, which wee obtaine in the state of the newe Testament, ouer those ghostly ene∣mies that rise vp against vs.

The Tropologicall sense of Scripture is, when one thing deliuered and re∣ported in the Scripture, signifieth some other thing, pertaining to the behauiour and conuersation of men: as when God forbade to e 1.87 muzzle the mouth of the oxe, that treadeth out the corne. This prohibition did literally signifie, that God would not haue labouring oxen restrained from feeding, while they were trea∣ding out the corne. But this respect, which God had vnto these his creatures of inferiour cōdition, did signifie, that much lesse they which labour for our soules good, are to be denied the things of this life.

Anagogicall, when the things literally expressed vnto vs, do signifie some∣thing in the state of heauen happinesse. f 1.88 God sware in his wrath, to the Israelites, that they should not enter into his rest, meaning the land of Canaan: but the A∣postle from thence concludeth, that vnbeleeuers shall not enter into that eter∣nall rest of the Saints in heauen; because the rest of the Israelites in the land of Canaan, after their manyfold dangers, vexations and trauels, was a figure of the eternall rest in heauen. This diuision of the manifold senses of Scripture is taken out of Eucherius.

Hierom maketh three kinds of exposition of Scripture, Historicall, Tropolo∣gicall, and Spirituall: that which he nameth spiritual comprehendeth both those before expressed by Eucherius, to wit, Allegoricall & Anagogicall. Augustine maketh the expositiō of the Scripture to be twofold, Historical, & Allegorical.

The former he maketh to be twofold, to wit, Analogicall, & Aetiologicall: and the later he maketh to comprehend that, which properly is called Allegoricall, and the other two, to wit, Tropologicall, and Anagogicall.

The reason of this diuersity of mysticall senses is, because the old Testament was a figure of the new; and the new, of future glory. This multiplicity of sen∣ses breedeth no vncertainety in the Scripture, nor Aequivocation, because the words of the Scripture do not doubtfully signifie so diuers and different things, but the things certainly signified by the words, are signes & significations of di∣uers things. All these are founded vpon one literall & certain sense, from which onely in matter of question and doubt an argument may be drawen. The thing wherein Origen offended, was not, that hee found out spirituall and mysticall senses of the diuine Scripture, but because hee thought there is no literall true sense of them, but mysticall onely, so ouerthrowing the trueth of the sacred history of the booke of God. And the fault of many others in former times was, that following him too much, they neglected the literall sense, and ouer∣curiously sought out allegories, and mysticall senses; whereas yet the literall sense alone hath force and power to establish trueth, and improue error. g 1.89 And this doubtlesse is the first and chiefest vse and necessity of following the literall sense. Another is, for that, being the foundation of the mysticall, if wee finde it not out, wee may runne into many errours. The Manichees out of those wordes of the Psalmist, where hee sayth, that God hath made a Tabernacle for the Sunne in heaven, out of which, it commeth in the morning, as a Bridegroome out of his chamber, to shew the brightnesse of his countenance to the sonnes of men; reading, Posuit tabernaculum suum in sole, God placed his Tabernacle, or appoin∣ted and made himselfe a Tabernacle in the Sunne, inferred, that Christ ascended into the highest heauens, without our flesh, leauing his body behind him, with∣in the compasse of the globe of the Sunne, so that his flesh is to be adored in the Sunne, as in a Tabernacle wherein it resteth and remayneth. h 1.90 Now as their course is not to bee excused, which follow the mysticall sense onely, & neglect the literall: so they are no lesse faulty, that follow the literall sense onely, and doe not at all consider the mysteries of spirituall vnderstanding, and informati∣on of Christian and godly conversation, which in the word of God, doe offer themselues vnto them. For they make the Scriptures, especially of the old te∣stament, where so many things of outward observation, ceremonie, and puri∣fication were prescribed, vnsauorie, and to seeme lesse diuine, than the lawes and prescriptions of the Gentiles, as the Athenians, Lacedaemonians, and other, and the manifold histories of former times, to serue little to edification.

Betweene both these extreames, a meane is to be kept, that neither the one, nor the other be neglected: so that we must neither be like them, that reiecting the literall exposition, seeke out fond and childish Allegories, and so ouerthrow the trueth of the diuine historie, as Origen did, or neglect the knowledge of it, publishing their owne idle and ridiculous conceits, as if they were the great & hidden mysteries of the Christian faith and religion; nor like those, which rest in the bare and naked wordes, and syllables, without collecting from thence, such instructions as are fit. The former (sayth Sixtus Senensis) are to know, that howsoeuer they imagine, the literall exposition of the Scripture to bee ea∣sie, obvious, and triuiall, yet it is indeed the hardest of all other. Whereupon, both Hierome and Augustine confesse, that at first, to decline the obscurities and difficulties of the text of Scripture, they followed mysticall senses, as be∣ing more easie; but afterward when they grew in age, & so in ripenesse of iudg∣ment they sought out the other, which is literall.

Thus we see the difference betweene the literall and mysticall sense of Scrip∣ture, and how and in what sort the one is the ground of the other. Which that wee misconceiue not, nor take one for another, wee must remember, that by the literall sense of Scripture, wee vnderstand not that onely, which the words

doe properly afford, but which they primarily affoord, according to the intenti∣on of him that vseth them, and the construction of them that heare them. The mysticall sense opposite hereunto, is that which is not primarily intended by him that speaketh words, hauing such mysticall sense. All the allegories there∣fore, parables, and Aenigmaticall speaches which are vsed in Scripture, not be∣ing verified either in the intention of the speaker, or construction of the hea∣rer, in sort as the words properly import, but as signifying things resembled by the things they properly import, doe literally signifie that, which by com∣parison of such things, they make vs vnderstand.

Here it is not out of place, to obserue the difference betweene a proverbe, pa∣rable, allegory, and aenigmaticall speech or riddle. A proverbe is a sententious saying, much in vse, and famous, for the most part somewhat obscure, by me∣taphoricall wordes expressing something to vs, and alluding to something not distinctly expressed. Though sometimes any famous and common saying, bee named a Proverbe. A Parable is, when one thing is compared and resembled to another; so Christ compared the kingdome of Heauen to leauen, to a graine of mustard seede, to ten virgins, to a net cast into the sea. Though sometimes the similitude of a thing, and not any such speach, wherein comparison is made be∣tweene one thing, and another, is named a Parable.

i 1.91 Abraham recepit filium suum in parabola, that is, Abraham receiued his son from such an estate, as was most like to the state of the dead. An allegorie is, when he that speaketh intendeth to signifie, and insinuate some other thing, than his words in their primary vse, and signification doe import. k 1.92 Behold, saith Christ, the sower went out to sow, &c. A Riddle, or Aenigmaticall speach, is an obscure al∣legorie. l 1.93 The trees went forth to anoint them a King: and againe: m 1.94 Out of the ea∣ter came meate, & out of the strong came sweetnesse. The Scripture is full of these Allegories, Parables, Proverbiall and Aenigmaticall speaches; GOD in teaching vs, taking that course, he knoweth fittest for vs, and making vs vnderstand things heauenly, and invisible, by those that are earthly and vi∣sible.

And as God doth thus speake vnto vs in parables, Allegories, and Riddles, so did he shew the Prophets of old, in dreames and visions, the things that are heauenly, by those that are earthly, and the things that are invisible, by those that are visible: as in the Revelation, n 1.95 Saint Iohn saw seuen golden Candlesticks, and one like the Sonne of man walking in the middest of them. o 1.96 There is none of these Aenigmaticall, Allegoricall, or Parabolicall speaches, nor none of these visions, but either by some things knowne to them, to whom they were pro∣posed, or by speciall explication added to them, or per novi facti exhibitionem, by seeming the thing performed, that was so obscurely shadowed onely, may bee vnderstood. p 1.97 From these without these helpes of vnderstanding; wee can conclude nothing that is doubtfull. An example of vnderstanding Aenig∣maticall and hard speaches, by force of some things knowne vnto vs, giuing light vnto them, is the riddle of Samson, Out of the eater came meate, &c. which sny one, knowing that out of a Lyon hee had taken hony, would vnderstand, but another could not. By explication added, q 1.98 as the mysterie of the seuen starres, and seuen golden Candlestickes, is expounded to Iohn, that saw the vi∣sion of them. By evidence of the thing exhibited and performed, r 1.99 Destroy this Temple, (sayth Christ) and in three dayes I will build it, and raise it vp againe. The disciples after they saw him risen from the dead, remembred these words, & vn∣derstood that they were spoken of our Sauiour, of the Temple of his body, and the re∣surrection of it. s 1.100 So likewise, when they saw the miserable and abhominable o∣verthrow of Ierusalem, and the Temple, they could not but vnderstand what was meant by the prophecie of Daniel, touching the abomination of desolati∣on, standing in the holy place.

Thus hauing cleared that doubt, which some make, touching the mul∣tiplicitie

of senses of the words of Scripture, as if there were no certaine meaning of them, and hauing shewed which is that sense, we must principally seek after, as being the foūdation of the rest, it remaineth that we come to speak of the rules of direction, & the helpes we haue, to attaine to the vnderstanding of the true meaning of the Scripture. For as Hierome fitly noteth, t 1.101 Non pu∣temus in verbis scripturarum esse euangelium, sed in sensu, non in superficie, sed in medulla, non in sermonum folijs, sed in radice rationis. We must not thinke that the Gospell consisteth in the words of Scripture, but in the sense and meaning, not in the outward rinde and skinne, but in the inward pith and marrow, not in the leaues of the words, but in the roote and ground of reason.

CHAP: 19.

Of the rules we are to follow, and the helpes we are to trust to, in interpreting the Scriptures.

TOuching the rules wee are to follow, the helpes wee are to trust vnto, and the things required in the interpretation of Scripture, I thinke we may thus resolue. First there is required an illumination of the vnder∣standing: for the naturall man perceiueth not the things of God, for they are spiritually discerned, but the spirituall man iudgeth all things, and himselfe is iudged of none. Secondly a minde free from the thought of other things depending on God, as the fountaine of illumination, desirous of the truth, with resolution to imbrace it, though contrary to the conceits of naturall men. Thirdly, the knowledge of the rule of faith, formerly set downe, and the practice of the Saints according to the same. Fourthly, a due consideration, what will follow vpon our interpretation, agreeing with, or contrary to, the things generally receiued, and beleeued among Christians: in which conside∣ration the conference of other places of Scripture, and the things there deli∣uered is necessary. For the consideration of the circumstances of the places in∣terpreted, the occasion of the words the things going before, and following after. Sixtly, the knowledge of all those Histories, Artes, and Sciences which may helpe vs. For, seeing grace presupposeth nature, and the Scripture doth not teach vs, but presupposeth wee know already, the things that may be dis∣cerned by the light of nature, many doe not vnderstand sundry passages of Scripture, because they bring not with them, to the study of it, that degree of naturall knowledge, which is requisite. Seuenthly, the knowledge of the ori∣ginall tongues, and the phrases and Idiotismes of them. Soe that to resolue this matter yet more distinctly and fully, there are some things required for the attaining of the right vnderstanding of Scripture, as making vs capable of such vnderstanding, of which sort is the illumination of the minde: some things as meanes, whereby wee attaine vnto it. These are of two sorts, either dispo∣sing and preparing only, as often reading, meditating, and praying, or else gui∣ding vs in the very search it selfe. Thēse are either generall and most infal∣lible, as the rule of faith, which if wee follow, wee are sure not to depart from the generall verity of the Christian faith: or more proper and speciall, dire∣cting vs to the true finding out of the meaning of particular places of Scrip∣ture. There is therefore betweene our aduersaries, and vs, no difference in this matter, if they wil vnderstand themselues. For we confesse, that neither con∣ference of places, nor consideration of the antecedentia & consequentia, nor loo∣king into the originals, are of any force, vnlesse we finde the things, which wee conceiue to bee vnderstood and meant in the places interpreted, to be conso∣nant to the rule of faith. a 1.102 And they confesse, that though alone, and with∣out respect had to the rule of faith, they be but probable meanes of direction,

and not absolutely certaine, yet that being joyned with the rule of faith, they helpe and are exceedingly necessary.

b 1.103 Illyricus in his Clauis scripturae, speaking of the difficulties that are found in Scripture, and how they may be cleared, sheweth that nothing is more necessa∣ry for the vnderstanding of the Scripture, than to be rightly taught the generall principles, and axiomes of Diuinity, out of which doe flowe, and on which do depend, whatsoeuer things are contained in the Scripture; and then commeth to the other media assigned before. Neither is there any of our Diuines, that euer thought otherwise.

CHAP: 20.

Of the supposed imperfection of Scriptures, and the supply of Traditions.

THus hauing shewed what that difficulty and obscurity is, which is found in Scripture, who must interpret it, and by what rules they must be guided in the interpretatiō of it; it remaineth, that in the next place, we cleare the scriptures, from the other imputation of our adversaries, which is imperfection, which they indeauour to supply by addition of tradi∣tions. The necessity of writing, for the preseruation and safe keeping of those treasures of learning, and wisdome, which wee desire should remaine and be knowne to posterities, appeareth, in that fewe things remaine, of Socrates, Py∣thagoras, & others, renowned, in the times wherein they liued for wisdome and learning, because they left nothing in writing, as also by that a 1.104 of blessed Iob, Oh that my wordes were written &c. as if there were no other meanes to preserue the remembrance of things, that they should neuer be forgotten, but writing on∣ly. The Auncients had the knowledge of God without writing, but how soone it decayed, it easily appeareth. Surely it failed in euery family, in one at the least, till the time of Iacob father of the 12. Patriarkes. And therefore, after God took the whole posterity of Iacob to be his peculiar people, (a fauour which he shewed not to any of his fathers before) hee gaue them his lawes in writing: which Scripture or writing was so full and perfect, b 1.105 that the Iewes had nothing deliuered vnto them, pertaining to the knowledge or seruice of God, that was not written.

The instance that our adversaries giue to the contrary, is concerning the fe∣males, and males dying before the eighth day, who not being circumcised, they presume they were sanctified to God, and found remission of their Originall and birth sinne, by some other sacred rite, and Sacramentall meanes appointed by God, though not written. c 1.106 This instance is clearely refuted, by Andradius. If (sayth he) we shall more diligently looke into the thing itselfe, wee shall finde, that the Iewes had no set, or certaine rite of religion, wherewith to sanctifie & cleanse their women children, or males that died before circumcision, from the pollution of originall sin: and if perhaps any did sometimes vse any forme, or rite, it was rather a matter of priuate, & voluntary deuotion, than of necessitie. For whereas parents stand bound, by the generall law of God and nature, with all thankefull acknowledgment, to receiue their children, as a great and speciall benefit from God, this their faith, pietie, and thankefullnesse joyned with de∣sire of, and prayer for their Good, prosperous, and happy estate, was accep∣ted, and found fauour with God, on the behalfe of their children. Whereupon d 1.107 Gregory pronounceth, that the faith of the parents, was of the same force with them of the old time, that the Baptisme of water is with vs. And whereas Augustine sayth, it is not likely that the people of God, before the institu∣tion of Circumcision, had noe Sacrament wherewith to present their chil∣dren to GOD, though the Scripture haue not expressed it, it is not to bee

vnderstood, (sayth Andradius) of any outward ceremonies necessary for the sanctification of those Infants, but of any rite, & offering them to GOD, whether mentall onely, or outwardly object to the eye, and sense.

That which Andradius addeth, that it could not be knowne, but by traditi∣on onely, that the faith of the parents was in stead of circumcision, before cir∣cumcision was instituted, and after the institution of it to them that might not lawfully, or could not possibly be circumcised, is frivolous; for men knew it, & concluded it out of the generall, and common rules of reason, and equity.

Touching the state of the people of God, since the comming of Christ, our adversaries make no doubt, but they can easily proue, that the writings, which the Church that now is, hath, are defectiue and imperfect. This they endeauour to proue: First, because the Scriptures of the New Testament, were written vpon particular occasions offered, and not of purpose to containe a perfect rule of faith. Secondly, because they were written by the Apostles and other Apo∣stolique men, out of their owne motions, and not by commandement from Christ the Sonne of GOD. But vnto both these Arguments alleadged by our Adversaries, we answere, that they containe matter of very grosse errour.

For first, who seeth not plainly, that the Evangelistes writing the historie of Christs life and death, Saint Luke in the booke of the Acts of the Apostles, de∣scribing the comming of the Holy Ghost; the admirable gifts of grace powred vpon the Apostles, and the Churches established, and ordered by them: and the blessed Apostle Saint Iohn, writing the Revelations which hee saw, concerning the future state of things, to the end of the world; meant to deliuer a perfect summe of Christian doctrine, and direction of Christian faith. It is true indeed, that the Epistles of the Apostles, directed to the Christian Churches that then were, were occasionally written, yet so, as by the providence of God, all such things as the Church beleeueth, not being found in the other parts of Scrip∣ture purposely writtē, are most clearely, & at large deliuered in these Epistles.

Secondly, touching the other part of their Argument, which they bring to convince the Scripture of imperfection, because they that wrote it, had no commaundement to write, wee thinke it needeth no refutation, for e 1.108 the ab∣surditie of it is evident and cleare of it selfe. f 1.109 For who knoweth not, that the Scriptures are not of any priuate motion, but that the holy men of God, were moued, impelled, and carried by the spirit of truth to the performance of this worke, doing nothing without the instinct of the Spirit, which was vnto them a Commandement.

The imperfection & defect supposed to be foundin the Scripture, our adver∣saries endeavour to supply, by addition of traditions. The name of Tradition, sometimes signifieth euery Christian doctrine, deliuered frō one, to another, ei∣ther by liuely voyce only, or by writing, as Exod. 17. Scribe hoc ob monumentum in libro, & trade in auribus Iosuae: Write this for a remembrance in a Booke, and deliuer it in the eares of Iosuah, Act. 6. 14. The written Law of Moses, is called a Tradition. Audivimus eum dicentem, quoniam Iesus destruet locum istum, & mutabit traditiones quas tradidit nobis Moses. We heard him say, that Iesus shall destroy this place, and change the traditions, which Moses deliuered vnto vs. Sometimes the name of tradition signifieth that which is deliuered by liuely voyce onely, and not written. g 1.110 That which I receiued of the Lord, saith the Apo∣stle, that I deliuered vnto you. In this question, by tradition, we vnderstand such parts of Christian doctrine or discipline, as were not written by them, by whom they were first deliuered.

For thus our Adversaries vnderstand Traditions, which they diuide into di∣vers kindes. First, in respect of the Authors, so making them of three sorts, Di∣vine, Apostolicall & Ecclesiasticall. Secondly, in respect of the matter they con∣cerne, in which respect they make them to be of tvvo sorts: for either they cō∣cerne matters of faith, or matters of manners: and these latter againe either

temporall or perpetuall, vniuersall or particular. All these in their seuerall kindes they make equall with the wordes, precepts, and doctrines of Christ, the Apostles & Pastors of the Church left vnto vs in writing. Neither is there any reason why they should not so doe, if they could proue any such vnwritten verities. For it is not the writing, that giueth things their authoritie, but the worth & credite of him that deliuereth them, though but by word and liuely voyce onely.

The only doubt is, whether there be any such vnwritten traditions or not.

Much contention there hath beene, about Traditions, some vrging the neces∣sity of them, and other rejecting them. For the clearing whereof we must ob∣serue, that though we reiect the vncertaine and vaine traditions of the Papists, yet wee reiect not all. For first wee receiue the number and names of the au∣thors of bookes Diuine & Canonicall, as deliuered by tradition. This tradi∣tion we admitte, for that, though the bookes of Scripture haue not their au∣thority from the Approbation of the Church, but winne credite of themselues, and yeeld sufficient satisfaction to all men, of their Diuine truth, whence wee judge the Church that receiueth them, to bee led by the spirit of God; yet the number, Authors, and integrity of the parts of these bookes, wee receiue as deliuered by tradition.

The second kinde of tradition which wee admitte, is that summarie com∣prehension, of the cheefe heads of Christian doctrine, contayned in the Creed of the Apostles, which was deliuered to the Church, as a rule of her faith. h 1.111 For though euery part thereof be contayned in the Scripture, yet the orderly connexion, & distinct explication of these principall articles gathered into an Epitome, wherein are implyed, and whence are inferred, all conclusions theolo∣gicall, is rightly named a tradition. The 3^d is that forme of Christian doctrine, and explication of the seuerall parts thereof, which the first Christians recei∣uing of the same Apostles, that deliuered to them the Scriptures, commended to posterities. This may rightly be named a tradition, not as if we were to be∣leeue any thing, without the warrant and authority of the Scripture, but for that wee neede a plaine and distinct explication of many things, which are some∣what obscurely contayned in the Scripture: which being explicated, the Scrip∣tures which otherwise we should not so easily haue vnderstood, yeeld vs satis∣faction that they are so indeede, as the Church deliuereth them vnto vs.

The fourth kind of tradition, is the continued practise of such things, as nei∣ther are contayned in the Scripture expressely, nor the examples of such pra∣ctise expressely there deliuered, though the grounds, reasons, and causes of the necessity of such practise, be there contayned, and the benefit, or good that fol∣loweth of it. Of this sort is the Baptisme of Infantes, which is therefore na∣med a tradition, because it is not expressely deliuered in Scripture, That the A∣postles did baptize infants, nor any expresse precept there found, that they should so doe. Yet is not this so receiued by bare and naked tradition, but that wee find the Scripture to deliuer vnto vs the grounds of it. The fift kind of tra∣ditions, comprehendeth such observations, as in particular, are not commanded in Scripture, nor the necessity of them from thence concluded, though in gene∣rall without limitation of times, and other circumstances, such things be there commanded. Of this sort, many thinke the observation of the lent fast to be, the fast of the fourth and the sixt dayes of the weeke, and some other.

That the Apostles deliuered by liuely voyce, many obseruations, dispensable, and alterable, according to the circumstances of times, and persons, we make no question. Onely this we say, i 1.112 that they are confounded with Ecclesiasticall traditions; so that which they are, doth hardly appeare, and that they doe not necessarily binde posterities. The custome of standing at prayer on the Lords day, and betweene Easter and Whitsontinde, was generally receiued, as de∣liuered by Apostolique tradition, and when some beganne to breake it, is was

confirmed by the k 1.113 Councell of Nice, yet is it not thought necessary to be obser∣ued in our time.

Out of this which hath beene sayd, wee may easily resolue what is to bee thought touching traditions. For first the Canon of scripture being admit∣ted as deliuered by Tradition, (though the diuine truth of it, be in it selfe cleare and euident vnto vs, not depending of the Churches authority,) there is noe matter of faith deliuered by bare and onely tradition, as the Romanists seeme to Imagine. Yea this is so cleare, that therein they contrary themselues, in∣deauouring to proue by scripture the same things they pretend to hold by tra∣dition as wee shall finde, if wee run through the things questioned betweene them and vs. The onely cleare instance they seeme to giue, is touching the per∣petuall virginity of Mary, which they say cannot be proued by scripture, and yet is necessary to be beleeued.

But they should know, that this is no point of Christian faith. That shee was a Virgin before, in, and after the birth of Christ, wee are bound to beleeue as an article of our faith, and so much is deliuered in scripture and in the Apostles Creede: but that shee continued so euer after, is a seemely truth, deliuered vnto vs by the Church of God, fitting the sanctity of the blessed Virgin, and the honour due to soe sanctified a vessell of Christs incarnation, as her body was: and soe is de pietate, but not de necessitate fidei, as the Schoole-men vse to speake. Neither was Heluidius condemned of Heresie, for the deniall hereof, but be∣cause pertinaciously hee vrged the deniall of it, vpon misconstruction of scrip∣ture, as if the deniall of it had beene a matter of faith. Touching this Allegation of our Aduersaries, concerning Maries perpetuall Virginity, wee must know, that howsoeuer they pretend to hold it onely by tradition, l 1.114 yet the Fathers, that defend it against Heluidius, endeauour to proue it by the Scripture. Their instance of Childrens Baptisme, is most apparantly against themselues, for they confesse it may be proued by scripture. m 1.115 Bellarmine proueth it by three rea∣sons, taken from the scripture. The first is, from the proportion betweene Baptisme and Circumcision, the Circumcision of Children then, and the Bap∣tisme of them now. This argument he saith as they propose it, cannot be auoy∣ded. The second from these two places Iohn. 3. Except a man be borne a new, of water and of the spirit, hee cannot enter into the kingdome of Heauen. And that other, Suffer little children to come vnto mee, for vnto such belongeth the Kingdome of Heauen.

This Argument he sayth is strong, effectuall, and pregnant, to proue the ne∣cessity of the Baptisme of Infants. The third is taken from the Baptizing of whole families by the Apostles, in which by all likelihood, there were infants.

Surely in this point of traditions, our aduersaries bewray their great folly & inconstancie, making it euident to the whole world, they know not what they say. Bellarmine sayth, that many things, touching the matter and forme of sa∣craments, are holden by tradition, as not being contained in scripture: and yet in the particulars, n 1.116 there is nothing defined in the Church of Rome touching these things, which he indeauoureth not to proue by scripture. Some alleage, for proofe of tradition, the consubstantiality of the sonne of God with the Fa∣ther, and the proceeding of the holy Ghost from them both. Others constant∣ly affirme, that these things are proued by scripture. Some of them say Pu∣gatory is holden by tradition, others thinke it may bee proued by scripture, ^g Melchior Canus endeauouring to proue the necessity of traditions, produceth sundry things as not written, as inuocation of Saints, worshipping of images, the Priests consecrating, and partaking in both parts of the sacrament. That ordination and confirmation, are to bee conferred, and giuen, but onely once: which when hee hath alleaged, hee dareth not say, the scripture doth not deliuer them for feare of gainesaying the truth in some of them, and his owne * 1.117 fellowes in other. And therefore hee sayth, These things perhaps, the scripture

hath not deliuered. p 1.118 For Bellarmine thinketh, the Scripture doeth strongly proue the Invocation and worship of Saints and Angels: and who is so impu∣dent to deny, that the Ministers of the Church, are bound by the commaunde∣ment of Christ, contayned in the Scripture, to consecrate and participate in both parts of the Sacrament? That confirmation, and ordination, once conferred, are not to be reiterated, may be concluded out of the nature of them, described vnto vs in the Scripture. So that for matters of faith, wee may conclude accor∣ding to the judgement of the best and most learned, of our adversaries them∣selues, that there is nothing to be beleeued, which is not either expressely con∣tayned in Scripture, or at least by necessary consequence from thence, and other things evident in the light of nature, or in the matter of fact, to bee concluded. That there were many speeches and diuine sayings of our Sauiour Christ, which though they were neuer written by the Evangelists, the Apostles, and others conversant with him in the dayes of his flesh, knew and faithfully pre∣serued and kept, q 1.119 as Mary did all things, which she heard him speake, and saw him doe, (of which sort was that, alleadged by the Apostle, r 1.120 It is more blessed to giue then to receiue) wee make no question: but that there are any of those vnwritten speeches, or Actions, necessary to bee knowne for our salvation, or containing any other matter of diuine knowledge, then is written, or that are certainely knowne vnto the Church now, we vtterly deny. All the historicall things (s 1.121 saith Bishop Lindan) which are reported concerning Christ, not con∣tained in Scripture, are fabulous, or vncertaine. Which doubtlesse was the rea∣son, why more errours were found in the writings of the first t 1.122 Fathers of the Primitiue Church, then in those that were further remoued from those first be∣ginnings, because they were abused by the false and vncertaine reports of tra∣ditions, which in those times men greedily hearkened after, as liuing with thē, which had beene conversant with the Apostles or their Schollers, as wee shall finde by that is reported of u 1.123 Papias, and it appeareth by the writings of others.

Thus hauing made it cleare and evident, that it is not safe to relye vpon tra∣ditions in things concerning the faith, let vs come to those traditions, which concerne the manners and conversation of men.

That the Apostles deliuered many things of this nature to the Churches, some by way of precept, some by way of Councell and advice onely, some to parti∣cular Churches, and some to all, some to continue but for a time, and some to continue for euer, we make no doubt. Of this sort is the observation of the Lords day, the precept whereof is not found in Scripture, though the practice be, and so may be named a tradition. And sundry other things there are, which doubtlesse the Apostles deliuered by tradition, but they are confounded with Ecclesiasticall traditions, as x 1.124 Waldensis aptly noteth, that wee might the more reuerence the constitutions of the Church, and are dispensable by the guides of the Church: because the Apostles, and Apostolike men that deliuered them, did not deliuer them as reporting the immediate precepts of Christ himselfe, but by vertue of their Pastorall power and office; and so it little concerneth vs, exactly to know, whether they were deliuered by the Apostles themselues, or their next after-commers: For if they were deliuered by the Apostles, yet are they dispensable by the authority of the Church: and if not by them, but by o∣thers, they may not be dispensed with, nor altered, but by the same authority.

CHAP. 21.

Of the rules, whereby true Traditions may be knowen from counterfaite.

THus hauing set downe the kindes and sorts of traditions, it remaineth to examine, by what meanes wee may come to discerne, and by what rules wee may judge, which are true and indubitate traditions. The first rule is deliuered by a 1.125 Augustine; Quod vniuersa tenet ecclesia, nec conciliis institutum, sed semper retentum est, non nisi auctoritate Apostolicâ tradi∣tum, rectissimè creditur. Whatsoeuer the whole Church holdeth, not being decreed by the authority of Councelles, but hauing been euer holden, may rightly be thought, to haue proceeded from Apostolike authority. The second rule is, whatsoeuer all, or the most famous, and renowmed, in all ages, or at the least in diuerse ages, haue constantly deliuered, as receiued from them that went before them, no man contradicting or doubting of it, may bee thought to be an Apostolicall tra∣dition. The third rule, is the constant Testimony, of the Pastors of an Aposto∣like Church, successiuely deliuered: to which some adde, the present testimo∣ny of any Apostolike Church, whose declinings when they beganne, we cannot precisely tell. But none of the Fathers admitte this rule. For when they vrge the authority and testimony of Apostolike Churches, for the proofe, or re∣proofe of true or pretended traditions, they stand vpon the consenting voyce, or silence, of the Pastors of such Churches, successiuely in diverse ages con∣cerning such things. Some adde the testimony of the present Church: but we enquire after the rule, whereby the present Church may know true traditions from false: and besides, though the whole multitude of beleeuers, at one time in the world, cannot erre pertinaciously, and damnably, in embracing false traditions, in stead of true; yet they that most sway things in the Church may, yea euen the greater part of a generall councell; so that this can be no sure rule for men to iudge of traditions by. And therefore b 1.126 Canus reasoneth foolish∣ly, that whatsoeuer the Church of Rome practiceth, which shee may not doe without speciall warrant from God, and yet hath no warrant in Scripture so to doe, the same things and the practise of them shee hath receiued by traditi∣on. Hee giueth example in the present practice of the Romish Church, in dis∣pensing with, & remitting vowes and oathes, and in dissoluing marriages, (not consummate by carnall knowledge,) by admitting men into orders of Religi∣on. But this practice of the Romish Church, wee condemne, as wicked, and Antichristian.

CHAP. 22.

Of the difference of bookes Canonicall and Apocriphall.

THus hauing answered our aduersaries obiections, touching the obscu∣ritie, and imperfections, of the scripture, which wee affirme to be the rule of our faith; it remayneth, that in particular wee consider, which are the bookes of this Scripture, contayning the rule of our faith, and where the indubitate, and certaine verity of them, is to be found, whether in the originals, or in the Translations. The bookes which Moses, the Prophets, and Apostles deliuered to the world, containe the Canon, that is the rule of piety, faith, and religion, which the sonnes of men receiued by Reuelation from heauen, and therefore are rightly named Canonicall. The matter of these bookes, wee beleeue to haue beene inspired from the holy Ghost, for our in∣struction; whose authoritie is so great, that no man may doubt of them. The writers of these bookes, were in such sort guided, and directed by the spirit of

trueth, in composing of them, that not to beleeue them, were impious. Where∣vpon a 1.127 Augustine writing to Hierome, saith, Ego solis eis scriptoribus, qui Ca∣nonici appellantur, didici hunc timorem, honoremque deferre, vt nullum eorum scribendo errasse firmissimè teneam; at si quod in iis invenero, quod videatur con∣trarium veritati, nihil aliud existimem, quàm mendosum esse codicem, vel non esse assecutum interpretem, quod dictum est, vel me minimè intellexisse non ambigam: alios autem ita lego, vt quantalibet sanctitate, doctrinâve polleant, non ideo verum putem, quia ita senserunt, sed quia mihi per illos auctores canonicos vel probabiles rationes, quod à vero non abhorreat, persuadere potuerunt. That is, I haue learned to yeelde that reuerence and honour to those writers onely that are called Canonicall, to thinke that none of them could erre in writing; but if in them I find any thing that may seeme contrary to the trueth, I perswade my selfe that either the Copie is cor∣rupt, or the interpreter defectiue and faultie, or that the fault is in my not vnder∣standing of it: but other authors I so read, that how great soeuer their learning & sanctitie bee, I doe not therefore thinke any thing to bee true, because they haue so thought, but because they perswade me that it is true, by the authority of the Cano∣nicall authors,, or the probability of Reason.

Besides the indubitate writings of those Canonicall Authours, there are other bookes written of the same argument, which because the credite and authori∣ty of the authors of them is not knowen, are named Apocryphall.

Bookes are named Apocryphall, first because the authour of them is not knowen: and in this sense some of the Bookes of Canonicall Scripture, as the bookes of Chronicles, of Hester, and a great part of the Psalmes may be named Apocryphall, though vnproperly, and vnfitly: (The authority of the authors of them, not being doubted of, though their names, and other personall conditi∣ons be not knowen.) a 1.128 And therefore Andradius reprehendeth the Glosse, which defineth those things to be Apocryphall, quae incerto authore prodita sunt, the author and publisher whereof is not knowen.

Secondly, bookes are therefore named Apocryphall, because the authority and credite of them is called in question, it being doubted, whether they pro∣ceeded from the inspiration of the holy spirit; so that they cannot serue for the confirmation of any thing that is called in question. In this seuse b 1.129 Hierome calleth the bookes of the Macchabees, and the rest of that kinde, Apocryphall, though they were read privately and publikely, for the edification of the peo∣ple, and the information of manners.

c 1.130 Thirdly, such bookes are named Apocryphall, as are meerely fabulous and full of impiety, and therefore interdicted, and forbidden to bee read, or regar∣ded at all. The auncientest of the Fathers, name these onely Apocryphall, and so doth Hierome sometimes, calling those of the second ranke, Hagiographall: d 1.131 though this name be sometimes giuen to those Canonicall bookes which per∣taine not to the Lawe nor the Prophets, as the booke of Iob, the Psalmes, the bookes of Salomon, Esdras, the Chronicles, &c. so diuiding the whole Canon of the Scripture, of the old Testament, into the Law, the Prophets, and the Ha∣giographall bookes, that is, those, which not hauing any proper name of diffe∣rence, retaine and are knowen, by the common name of holy writ.

CHAP. 23.

Of the Canonicall and Apocryphall bookes of Scripture.

THe bookes of the old Testament were committed to the Church of the Iewes: wherevpon that is one of the things in respect whereof, the a 1.132 Apostle preferreth them before the Gentiles, that to them were committed the Oracles of God. This Church of the Iewes, admit∣ted but onely 22 bookes, as deliuered vnto them from God, to bee the Canon

of their faith, according to the nūber of the letters of their Alphabet, as b 1.133 Iosephus sheweth. For though they sometimes reckon foure and twenty, and somtimes seuen and twenty, yet they adde no more in one of these accounts, than in the other. For, repeating Iod thrice, for honour of the Name of GOD, and so the number of the letters rising to foure and twenty, they number the bookes of Canonicall Scripture to be foure and twenty, dividing the booke of Ruth from the Iudges, and the Lamentations from the Prophecies of Ieremy, and reckoning them by themselues, which in the former account they joyned with them. These bookes thus numbred c 1.134 Hierome fitly compareth to the foure and twen∣ty Elders mentioned in the Revelation, Qui adorabant, & prostratis vultibus, offerebant coronas suas, Which prostrating themselues, adored and worshipped the Lambe, acknowledging that they receiued their Crownes of him: Stantibus coram quatuor animalibus, oculatis antè, & retrò, in praeteritum & futurum respicienti∣bus. Those foure admirable liuing creatures, hauing eyes before, and behind, looking to things past, and to come, standing before him. And because fiue of the He∣brew letters are double, d 1.135 they sometimes reckon the bookes of the holy Ca∣non so, as that they make them rise to the number of seuen and twenty, recko∣ning the first and second of Samuel, of Kings, of Chronicles, and of Esdras, by themselues seuerally, which in the first accompt were numbred together, two of euery of these being accompted, but as one booke, and dividing Ruth from the Iudges. These onely did the auncient Church of the Iewes receiue, as Di∣vine and Canonicall.

That other bookes were added vnto these, whose authority not being certain and knowne, are named Apocryphall, fell out on this sort. e 1.136 The Iewes in their latter times, f 1.137 before, and at the comming of Christ, were of two g 1.138 sorts; some properly and for distinctions sake named Hebrewes, commorant at Hierusalem, and in the holy Land; others named Helenists, that is, Iewes of the dispersion, mingled with the Grecians. These had written sundry bookes in Greeke, which they made vse of, together with other parts of the Old Testament, which they had of the Translation of the Septuagint: but the Hebrewes receiued onely the two and twenty bookes before mentioned. Hence it came, that the Iewes deliuered a double Canon of the Scripture, to the Christian Churches: the one pure, indubitate, and divine, which is the Hebrew Canon; the other in Greeke, enriched with, or rather adulterated by the addition of certain bookes written in those times, when God raised vp no more Prophets among his people. This volume thus mixed of diuers sorts of bookes, the Christians receiued of the Iewes. These bookes joyned in one volume, were translated out of Greeke into Latine, and read by them of the Latine Church, in that Translation: h 1.139 for there was no Catholique Christian, that euer translated the Scriptures of the old Te∣stament, out of Hebrew into Latine, before Hieromes time, nor none after him, till our age.

Hence it came, that the Fathers of the Greeke Church, hauing Origen, and sundry other learned in the Hebrew tongue, and making search into the anti∣quities and originals of the Iewes, receiued as Canonicall, onely the two and twenty bookes, written in the Hebrew, and did account all those books, which were added in the Greeke to bee Apocryphall. The Latines receiuing them both in one Translation, and bound vp in one volume, vsed sundry parts of the Apocryphall bookes, in their prayers, and readings, together with the other, and cited them in their writings: yet did none of them make any Catalogue of Canonicall, and Apocryphall bookes, and number them amongst the Canoni∣call, before the i 1.140 third Councell of Carthage, wherein Augustine was present, at which time also k 1.141 Innocentius liued; which Fathers seeme to adde to the Ca∣non diuers bookes which the Hebrewes receiue not. Hierome translating the Scriptures out of the Hebrew, and most exactly learning what was the He∣brew Canon, rejected all besides the two and twenty Hebrew bookes, as the

Grecians did before, and as after him, all men of note in the Latine Church did.

There was great exception taken to Hierome, for aduenturing to translate the scripture out of Hebrew, and among others l 1.142 Augustine and the Africans, seemed not much to like it. They therefore reckon the bookes of Scripture, according as they found them in vse in the Latine Church, not exactly noting the difference of the one, from the other: yet not denying, but that the Hebrew Canon consisted only of two and twenty bookes, and that many tooke excepti∣ons to them, when they alleaged any testimonies out of those bookes, the He∣brewes admit not. Against which exceptions, m 1.143 Augustine no otherwise iusti∣fieth himselfe but by the vse of the Church in reading them. Which proofe is too weake to proue them Canonicall, seeing the prayer of Manasses, confessed by our aduersaries to be Apocryphall, the third and fourth of Esdras, the booke called Pastor, and some other, were likewise read by them of the Church, cited by them in their writings, and many things translated out of them, into the publike prayers, and Liturgies of the Church.

Thus then these Fathers not looking carefully into the originals, name all those bookes Canonicall, which the vse of Gods Church approoued as profi∣table, and containing matter of good instruction, and so numbred the bookes of Wisdome, & the rest with the Canonicall. Whose opinion yet, as Caietane thin∣keth, was not that they were absolutely Canonicall, but in a sort, in that they containe a good direction of mens manners. These the Greeke Fathers rejected from the Canon, admitting only those which the reformed Churches at this day admitte, as also almost all the diuines of the Latine Church, after Hierome, doe.

That some of the Greeke Fathers rejected the booke of Hester, it was, (as n 1.144 Sixtus Senensis rightly noteth) by reason of those Apocryphall additions, which they not being skilfull in the Hebrew tongue, did not discerne from the true parts of it, which errour made them to reject the whole booke as Apocryphall, This was also the reason, why they admitted those Apochryphall additaments, joyned to the booke of Daniel.

Howsoeuer, it appeareth that all they, which diligently looked into these things, did admit all those bookes which we admitte and reject all those which we reject. Neither is there any one amongst all the auncient, before the third Councell of Carthage, that clearely, and of set purpose, numbreth the bookes * 1.145 controuersed betweene vs and our aduersaries, with the bookes of the Canon. o 1.146 Melito, then Bishop of Sardis, going purposely into the East parts of the world, that he might diligently search out the monuments and sacred bookes of diuine knowledge, reckoneth those only Canonicall, which we do, saue that he addeth the booke of Wisdome. p 1.147 Origen admitteth and acknowledgeth onely two and twenty bookes of the old Testament. Athanasius likewise numbreth the books of the Canon in the same sort, and addeth, There are also certaine other bookes which are read only to the Catechumens, and nouices. r 1.148 Hilarius sayth, the law of the old Couenant, is contained in two and twenty bookes, answerable to the number of the Hebrew letters. s 1.149 Nazianzene also, is of the same opinion, and t 1.150 Cyrillus Bishop of Hierusalem, onely he addeth the booke of Baruch, thinking it to be a part of Ieremies Prophecies: but suffereth not any others to be added, saying, The Apostles and first Bishops which deliuered these only, were wiser, and much more to be esteemed, than such as now goe about to adde others. Of the same judgment are u 1.151 Epiphanius, x 1.152 Ruffinus, y 1.153 Hierome, and z 1.154 Gregory. And a 1.155 Iosephus confirmeth the opinion of these Fathers saying, that from the time of Artaxerxes, till the age wherein he liued, all things were cōmitted to writing, which concerned the state of Gods people and Religion: but that they were not of equall authority, with those, which were formerly written, because after that time, the indubitate succession of the Prophets ceased.

Vnto these authorities of the Fathers, some of our aduersaries (as b 1.156 Andra∣dius and others) doe answere, that they speake of the Canon of the Hebrewes, and not of the Canon of the Church; so not denying absolutely these bookes to bee canonicall, but that they are not so esteemed by the Iewes: but this aun∣swere c 1.157 the wordes of Hierome doe most clearely refute. As (sayth hee) the Church, not the Synagogue of the Iewes, readeth the bookes of Iudeth, Tobi∣as, and the Maccabees, but receiueth them not as Canonicall Scriptures: so likewise it may reade these two bookes of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus for the edification of the people, but not for confirmation of doubtfull poynts of do∣ctrine. And therefore Bellarmine, Sixtus Senensis, and others, clearely con∣fesse, that this answere of Andradius is insufficient.

They therefore adde another, to wit, that the Canon was not perfectly knowen, and confirmed, in the time of those Fathers. Wee aske them when it was confirmed. If they say, in the Councell of Nice, which (as d 1.158 Hierome sayth some report) receiued the booke of Iudeth, as Canonicall, though e 1.159 Lin∣dan say it is not likely it did, and that Hierome did not say it did so, but that some reported so; wee aske how it came to passe, that so many Catholike Di∣uines, after the Nicene Councell, reiected these bookes as they did before. If they say, they were confirmed in the Councell of Cartharge, that was but a pro∣uinciall Councell, as was that of Laodicea, in which they are not mentioned. If they say the Councell of Carthage was confirmed in the sixt generall Councell holden at Trullo; wee answere, first, that it was no more confirmed there, f 1.160 than that of Laodicea: and as g 1.161 Canus noteth, the sixt Councell doeth not ex∣pressely name the third Councell of Carthage, but onely speaketh of Canons a∣greed vpon in new Carthage. h 1.162 Secondly, wee say, that those Canons of the sixt Councell, wherein this pretended confirmation is found, are of no credit with the Romanists; so that it is cleare, that neither the Nicene Councell, nor this other, did confirme the authoritie of the bookes questioned, as appeareth by the consent of almost all the worthiest Diuines in the Church, after those Councells till our age, as i 1.163 Gregory, k 1.164 Damascenus, l 1.165 Hugo de Sancto Victore, m 1.166 Ricardus de sancto Victore, n 1.167 Petrus Cluniacensis, o 1.168 Lyranus, p 1.169 Dionysius Car∣thusianus, q 1.170 Hugo Cardinalis, r 1.171 Thomas Aquinas, s 1.172 Occam, t 1.173 Picus Mirandula, u 1.174 Waldensis, x 1.175 Armacanus, y 1.176 Driedo, Caietane, and others.

CHAP. 24.

Of the vncertainty and contrariety found amongst Papists touching bookes Canonicall and Apocryphall now controversed.

BVt let vs come particularly to the bookes controversed, and see how sweetely our aduersaries agree with themselues, in admitting or reie∣cting them. First, touching the booke of Baruch, though the Coun∣cell of Florence and Trent, haue confirmed it to be Canonicall: yet a 1.177 Mel∣chior Canus sayth, it is doubtfull, whether it be or not; and yet sayth, if it bee not Canonicall, the Councels of Florence & Trent haue erred, and the people of God beene long abused, and the Church in greevous errour. b 1.178 And els∣where againe he sayth, the Church hath not certainely resolued, that it is Ca∣nonicall, and that it yeeldeth no certaine, cleare, and indubitate proofe in mat∣ters

of faith. c 1.179 Driedo denyeth it to be canonicall, & saith, Cyprian, Ambrose, and others of the Fathers cited the Booke of Baruch, as also the third and fourth of Esdras, not as Canonicall, but as containing matter of good instruction, not contrary, but consonant to the faith. The additions of the booke of Hester, d 1.180 Sixtus absolutely rejecteth, as vaine and foolish, contrary to the judgements of the Papists; yet admitteth the additions to Daniel. These also e 1.181 Driedo re∣jecteth, notwithstanding the decree of the Tridentine Councell, f 1.182 as the author of the booke De mirabilibus Scripturae did long before, calling the story of Bell and the Dragon a fable. g 1.183 Melchior Canus professeth he dareth not pronounce it hereticall, to deny any, or all of the controversed bookes of the Old Testament, and yet confidently pronounceth it hereticall to deny any of the bookes of the New Testament, which were sometimes doubted of; so that it seemeth a man may dissent from a generall Councell, and not be an Hereticke, and that the Councell of Trent proceeded not vpon so good grounds of reason, in approo∣uing the one, as the other, contrary to their judgment, who say, we may as well doubt of the Bookes of the New Testament, whereof some doubted in former times, as of these of the Olde.

But it is easie to shew their errour who so thinke, and to confirme the opini∣on of Canus, that there is not so great reason, why we should doubt of the one, as the other. For first, the Bookes of the New Testament were neuer doub∣ted of, but by some few, in comparison of them that receiued and approued them: the most and most renowned for piety, learning, and right judgement, euer receiuing them. For, to begin with those, of which there hath beene most doubt, The Epistle to the Hebrewes, and the booke of the Revelation of S▪ Iohn. h 1.184 Hierome witnesseth, that they neuer wanted the approbation of the worthiest and greatest parts of Gods Church. Illud (sayth he) nostris dicendum est, hanc epistolam quae inscribitur ad Hebraeos, non solum ab Ecclesiis Orientis, sed ab omnibus retrò Ecclesiasticis scriptoribus, quasi Pauli Epistolam suscipi, licèt eam plerique vel Barnabae, vel Clementis, arbitrentur esse, &c.

Let our men know, that the Epistle to the Hebrewes, is not onely receiued, and approued, by all the Churches of the East, that now presently are, but by all Ecclesiasticall writers of the Greeke Churches, that haue beene heretofore, as the Epistle of Paul: though many thinke it rather to haue beene written by Barnabas or Clemens: and that it skilleth not who wrote it, seeing it was written by an Authour approued in the Church ofGod, and is dayly read in the same. If

the custome of the Latines receiue it not among the Canonicall Scriptures, no more doe the Greeke Churches admit the Revelation of Saint Iohn: and yet we following the authority of the Auncient, receiue them both. Secondly, the Churches of the Gentiles, to which the Bookes of the New Testament were deliuered, were in parts of the world farre remote one from another, and did not immediatly all of them receiue all the parts of these diuine bookes, from the Authors of them, but from those particular Churches, to which they were specially directed, or in the middest whereof the writers of them remai∣ned, at the time of the writing of them. And therefore it is not to bee mar∣vailed at, if being deliuered and transmitted from one to another, some recei∣ued them sooner, and some later. But the Bookes of the Olde Testament were deliuered to one nationall Church only, and yet these now controver∣sed were neuer receiued by it. Thirdly, these Bookes of the New Te∣stament, whereof some informer times did doubt, were written in the A∣postles times, whom GOD honoured with the first, immediate, and vn∣doubted revelation of Divine trueth: these, after the succession of the Pro∣phets were ceased. Fourthly, the bookes of the Olde Testament now con∣troversed, were not written in the Hebrew, but in Greeke, by such of the Iewes as were of the dispersion, and therefore neuer receiued by the He∣brewes, nor counted amongst the sacred Bookes of the Canon; which they

diuided i 1.185 into the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalmes; to which Christ giueth testimony in the Gospell. Lastly, the reason mouing some, to doubt of the bookes of the new Testament, was the vncertainty of the names of the authors, or something mistaken, misconstrued, or not understood in the bookes, which in time was cleared, and they afterward generally receiued. But the A∣pochryphall bookes of the old Testament, were rejected, as being written, when there was no more vndoubted succession of Prophets, by the whole Church of the Hebrewes, and euer after by the best and worthiest guides of the Christian Churches.

That the bookes of the newe Testament, called in question by some, were doubted of vpon such weake reasons, as hath beene sayd, will easily appeare. The Epistle to the Hebrewes was therefore doubted of by some, because the difference, and diuersity of the style, made them thinke it not to be Pauls, whose name it carried, and by others, because the author of it seemed to them, to fa∣uour the errour of the Nouatians, in denying the reconciliation of such, as fall after baptisme. The second Epistle of Peter some doubted of, because of the diuersity of the style, which Hierome rejecteth. The Epistle of Iames, because of the vncertainty of the author, it being doubtfull, which Iames was the author of it. The Epistle of Iude, because the author of it, alleageth the authoritie of an Apochryphall booke of Enoch, as they imagined. The second and third of Iohn, because they are sayd to haue beene written by Iohn the elder, some denyed to bee the Epistles of Iohn the Apostle, ascribing them to ano∣ther Iohn. The Reuelation was doubted of, first, because of the doubtfullnesse of the Title of Iohn the Diuine; secondly, because of the difficultie, and obscuri∣tie, of the words of this Prophecie, or Reuelation; and lastly, because the author of this booke, seemeth to fauour the heresie of the Millenaries. But the Latine Church receiued this booke, as Canonicall, as also the best and most learned of the Greekes, k 1.186 as Dionysius Alexandrinus, though hee de∣ny it to haue beene written by Iohn the Euangelist: l 1.187 Epiphanius condem∣neth the Alogi, as heretickes, because they denie the Gospell, and Re∣uelation of Saint Iohn. m 1.188 Tertullian reckoneth it among the errours of Cer∣don, that hee rejected the bookes of the Actes, and the Reuelation: and writing against n 1.189 Marcion, hee sheweth, that hee also did denie the same booke. o 1.190 Irenaeus sayth, this Reuelation was manifested vnto Iohn, and seene of him, but a little before his time. p 1.191 Iustinus Martyr doth attri∣bute this booke to Iohn, and doth account it a Diuine Reuelation. Origen in his Preface before the Gospell of Iohn, sayth, that Iohn the sonne of Zebe∣dee, saw in the Reuelation, an Angell flying thorow the middest of heauen, ha∣uing the eternall Gospell. The Councell of q 1.192 Ancyra pronounceth it to bee sacred, and that Iohn was the author of it. r 1.193 Thus then I hope it doth appeare, that there is not so much reason to doubt of the bookes of the newe Testament, called sometimes in question, as of those of the old: seeing the former were ne∣uer doubted of, but by some fewe, vpon reasons friuolous, the weakenesse whereof being discouered, all Catholike Christians, with one consent receiued them, accounting them no better than Heretickes, which either doubted of them, or denied them; whereas the later were rejected by the whole Church of the Iewes, by all antiquity, and the whole current of Gods Church, some fewe onely excepted, being ignorant of the tongues, and not exactly looking into the monuments of antiquity, s 1.194 and diuided amongst themselues, some ad∣mitting more, and some not all those, which our aduersaries now receiue.

Wherefore as wee cannot but condemne the inconsiderate rashnesse, of such either t 1.195 of the Romish, or reformed Churches, as in our time make question of any of the bookes of the newe Testament, that are, and haue beene, long read in the Churches of GOD, as Canonicall, throughout the whole world; so likewise wee thinke their boldnesse inexcusable, who in these last ages

make those bookes Canonicall, which neuer were so esteemed by Gods Church before; and goe about to binde all mens consciences soe to receiue them, a∣gainst the current of antiquity and the iudgement of the best learned, in euery age, euen to our times.

CHAP: 25.

Of the diuers editions of the Scripture, and in what tongue it was originally written.

THus hauing shewed, that the Scripture containeth a perfect rule of our faith, and hauing likewise made it appeare, what bookes they are, which are canonicall, and containe this rule of our Christian faith and Religion; it remaineth that wee search out, what editions there are of these Scriptures, and which are authenticall, and of indubitate authority and credit. The whole Scripture of the old Testament, was written in Hebrewe, a 1.196 saue that some fewe things, were translated into the bookes of Esdras, and Da∣niel, out of the publike recordes, and monuments of the Chaldees in that tongue, as the copies of letters, and publike actes and proceedings, all things which the spirit of God did absolutely deliuer, being expressed vnto vs in the same bookes in Hebrewe.

The opinion of some hath beene, that the whole Scripture of the old Testa∣ment perished, and was lost in the time of the captiuity of Babylon, and that it was newly composed by Esdras. To which purpose they alleage the authori∣ty of b 1.197 Basil who seemeth to say some such thing: and likewise the testimony of the author of the fourth booke of Esdras, where it is sayd, that the bookes of the lawe being burnt, God sent the holy Ghost into Esdras, separated him from the people, for the space of fortie daies, caused him to prouide boxe tables, and men writing swiftly, and that in forty dayes they wrote twoe hundred and foure bookes; but this booke being Apochryphall, & full of Cabalisticall vanity, doth rather weaken, then strengthen this opinion. That which is alledged out of the second of Esdras, and the eight, doth not proue, that Esdras did newely com∣pose the bookes of Scripture, but only that he brought them c 1.198 forth: which im∣plyeth, that they were not vtterly lost, nor did wholly perish. Neither indeed is it likely, though that Scripture which was kept in the Temple was burnt, that Ezechiell, Daniell, Ieremie, Haggai, Zacharie, Mardocheus, and Esdras him∣selfe, were so negligent, as not to preserue the bookes of the Scripture. So that all that Esdras did, was nothing else, but the bringing together, and putting in∣to order the scattered partes of this scripture, and the correcting of such faults, as in time by the negligence of the writers, were crept into the seuerall Copies of it. This point is handled at large by Bellarmine, and excellently cleared by him, and therefore it is needlesse to insist vpon it longer. So then the same scrip∣ture, which Moses and the Prophets deliuered, Esdras sought out and religi∣ously commended vnto the people.

Onely d 1.199 Hierome is of opinion, that hee found out newe Hebrewe letters, and left the old to the Samaritans, which Bellarmine out of e 1.200 Hierome confir∣meth, because the last letter of the Hebrewe Alphabet, was like the Greeke T, and had a similitude of the Crosse, as that of the Samaritanes now hath, but that now, hath no similitude with it. f 1.201 Picus Mirandula professeth, that hauing conferred with sundry Iewes, about this matter, they all constantly denyed this alteration of letters. And to what purpose should Esdras alter the forme of letters, which MOSES and the Prophets had vsed? Neither doth Hierome, in the place cited by Bellarmine, speake of the Greeke T, but sayth

onely, that the last of the auncient Hebrew letters, had a similitude of the Crosse, as now that of the Samaritans hath.

But this being a matter of no great moment, let euery man judge as he think∣eth best. This then we constantly hold, that as the whole Scripture of the Olde Testament, was written in Hebrew, so the same neuer perished wholly, in any of the captiuities of the Iewes, but was religiously preserued, euen the same which Moses and the Prophets deliuered to the people of God.

After the returne of the people from Babylon, their tongue & language was mixed of the Hebrew, & Chaldee, and named the Syriacke tongue, from the Re∣gion or Countrey vvhere it was vsed; in which Christ made all his Sermons to the people, as being best vnderstood of them. Yet were not the bookes of the New Testament written in this Language, but in Greeke, because they were to be made common to the Churches of the Gentiles, among which, the Greeke tongue was most generally vnderstood.

g 1.202 There are three tongues most famous in the world, as Hugo de Sancto Vi∣ctore noteth: the Latine, Greeke, and Hebrew, propter regnum, sapientiam, legem: the first, because of the Monarchy of the Romanes, who, as they subjected the people, which they did conquere, to their lawes & customes, so they did force them to learne their language: the second, because in it, the great Philosophers and Wise men of the world, left the monuments of their wisedome, & learning to posterities: the third, because in it, God deliuered his Law, & the interpre∣tation of it, by Moses, and the Prophets, to the people of Israell, his chosen. A∣mongst all these, the Greeke was most generally vnderstood by the learned of all Nations, because in it, all the renowned wise men of the world, had written, & all that were studious, learned it, that they might vnderstand their writings.

Hence it came, that the books of the New testament were written in Greek, because God would not honour one Nation of the world more then another, nor force his people to borrow the bookes of Scripture one from another.

Onely some doubt there is, touching the Gospel of Mathew, & the Epistle to the Hebrewes, which are supposed to haue been written in Hebrew, and the Go∣spell of Marke, written, as some say, in Latine. That the Gospell of Mathew was written in Hebrew, h 1.203 Hierome, & others affirme. i 1.204 Guido Fabritius sayth, it was written in Hebrew, but in vulgar Hebrew, which is the Syriacke, that they of Hierusalem did speake: which opinion k 1.205 others seeme to incline vnto, the Gospell in Hebrew, which some bring forth, being of no credit. The Epistle to the Hebrewes, l 1.206 some say was written in Hebrew, & translated by Luke, or Bar∣nab as into Greeke. m 1.207 The Syrians say, the Gospell of Marke was first written in Latine, & that afterward hee translated both it, and the whole New Testament beside into Syriacke, which they say, they haue preserued to this day. This Sy∣riacke Translation of the New Testament, was not knowne in these parts of the world, till our age, as n 1.208 Fabritius Boderianus noteth▪ who thereupon breaketh out into the praises of our times, if the men of this generation either knew the happinesse thereof, or how to vse it. Howbeit that Marke was Authour of this Syriacke translation, which the Syrians in this age haue deliuered vnto vs, o 1.209 wee cannot perswade our selues, because none of the Fathers that liued in Syria, and Egypt, as Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, Eusebius, Athanasius, Theophilus, E∣piphanius, Hierome, Cyrill, Theodoret, and Damascen, make any mention of it: & besides, it is apparantly defectiue in diuerse things: as the learned note. So then, the indubitate originals of these parts of the New Testament in Hebrew or Syriacke, if they were written at first in these tongues, being lost, and the Church depriued of them, the Greeke is holden to bee Originall, in respect of all the bookes of the New Testament. For that, either they were all written in it, or translated into it, by the Apostles, or Apostolike men.

CHAP. 26.

Of the translations of the old Testament out of Hebrew into Greeke.

THus hauing deliuered, in what tongues the Scriptures, and bookes of God were written, it remayneth that we enquire, what the principall translations of them haue beene, and whether the indubitate verity of them, be in the originals, or in the translations. a 1.210 There was, as some suppose, a translation of the old Testament out of Hebrew into Greeke, before the time of Alexander the great: but the first that was in note, and remayned long in esteeme in the world, was that of the Septuagint, in the time of Ptolo∣maeus Philadelphus; b 1.211 Who, intending to furnish a Librarie at Alexandria, with all the choisest bookes the world would affoord, amongst other places, sent to Hierusalem, to the rulers & guides of the people there, who sent vnto him, the bookes of Moses and the Prophets, written in Hebrewe, in letters of gold. Which hee not vnderstanding, sent the second time, for interpreters, and they * 1.212 sent vnto him 72, in imitation of Moses, who when hee went vp to the Mount to receiue the Law, being commaunded to take with him 70, of the Elders of Israell: added two to the number prescribed, lest taking six out of some Tribes, and but fiue out of other, some dislike might haue grown amongst them. These in 70, dayes translated the whole old Testament, out of Hebrew into Greeke. For though Iosephus and the Iewes say, they translated onely the bookes of Mo∣ses, c 1.213 yet the consenting voyce of all the Fathers, affirming that they translated the whole, mooueth vs rather to thinke, the whole was translated by them, then onely the bookes of Moses; vnlesse wee say with d 1.214 Iunius, for the reconci∣ling of this difference, that onely the bookes of Moses, were translated by the first 72. sent to Ptolomee, and the rest afterwards, by 72 also, though not the same.

That which some report, that they were shutte vp in severall celles, which long after were to be seene at Alexandria, e 1.215 Hierome rejecteth as a fable; shew∣ing, that no such thing is reported by Aristaeus, that was present at the businesse, * 1.216 and that no remaynder of any such celles, was to bee found at Alexandria, but that they met in one place, and conferring together euery day, till the ninth houre, in 70 dayes, perfected the whole worke; and Augustine leaueth it doubtfull. This fable is vrged by some to proue, that these translatours were g 1.217 guided by a propheticall spirite, and so could not erre: which false and absurd conceite, Hierome condemneth likewise.

The second translation of the old Testament, out of Hebrew into Greeke, was that of Aquila, in the time of Adrian the Emperour: the 3. of Theodotion, in the time of Commodus. The fourth, of Symachus, in the time of Seuerus. The fift, without name of author, was found in the City of Hiericho, in the time of Antonius Caracalla. The sixt, in Nicopolis, in the dayes of Alexander the son of Mammca. The i 1.218 seaventh, of Origen, who translated not, but corrected the translation of the Septuagint, adding some things out of Theodotions translation, which additions he noted with the marke of a shining starre, detracting other thinges, which he pearced through with a spitte. k 1.219 The eight, of Lucian the Martyr, was not a translation, but a correction only of such faults, as were crept into the translation of the Septuagint. This was found at Nicomedia, in the time of Constantine, l 1.220 Lucian being martyred long before, in the dayes of Dioclesian the Emperour.

The ninth, of Hesichius, was likewise but a correction of such things as were amisse in the vulgar editions of the Septuagint. It appeareth by Hierome, in his preface before the bookes of Chronicles, that they of Alexandria & Egypt,

vsed that edition of the Septuagint, which Hesichius corrected: they of Constan∣tinople, that of Lucian the Martyr: and they of the Prouinces, and Countries ly∣ing betweene these, that which Origen corrected.

The Greeke translation found to neede correction, and corrected by these, as it seemeth, was called by the name of the common edition, not as being a dif∣ferent translation, from that of the Septuagint, but as being that, which was com∣mon in all mens hands, and much altered, and corrupted, from the originall pu∣rity which these worthy men endeauoured to restore it to againe. m 1.221 And was so named because there was another, preserued in greater purity, in that worthy worke of Origen, that filled all the famous libraries in the world, in those times; n 1.222 in which first diuiding euery page into sixe columnes, or pillars, in the first, he put the Hebrewe in the Hebrewe Characters; in the second, in Greeke; in the third, the interpretation of Aquila; in the fourth, of Symmachus; in the fift, of the Septuagint; in the sixt, of Theodotion, and named the volumes thus dis∣posed, in respect of the foure translations, Tetrapla, a foure fould worke; in re∣spect of these translations, and the Hebrewe in two kind of Characters, placed in two seuerall pillars or Columnes, Hexapla, a sixefould worke; to which after∣wards adding in two other pillars, or columnes, the fift and sixt translations, be∣fore mentioned, found in Hiericho, and Nicopolis, he named the whole Octapla, an eightfould worke.

CHAP. 27.

Of the Latine Translations, and of the authority of the vulgar Latine.

THus hauing deliuered what translations there are, and haue beene of the old testament out of Hebrewe into Greeke, let vs see, what translati∣ons there are, and haue beene of the old, and newe Testament, into La∣tine. They, sayth a 1.223 Augustine, that translated the old Testament, out of Hebrewe into Greeke, may easily be numbred; but they that translated the old and newe Testament out of Greeke into Latine, cannot be numbred. Yet amongst soe many and diuerse translations, it seemeth there was one more common then the rest called by b 1.224 Gregory, the old translation, and by Hierome vpon c 1.225 Esay, the vulgar; who disliketh it, & preferreth the translation of Symma∣chus, and Theodotion, before it, in the interpretation of the place of the Prophet he there expoundeth. The first that translated the old Testament out of He∣brewe into Latine was Hierome, and the last, till our age; whereupon great ex∣ception was taken to him for it, as appeareth by his seuerall Epistles, where∣in he excuseth and defendeth himselfe. Yet notwithstanding all these dislikes, and exceptions, it appeareth by d 1.226 Gregory, that a newe translation beganne to be in vse in the Church, not long after Hieromes time: which is thought to be that, we now call the vulgar. e 1.227 Whether this translation be Hieromes, or not, there is great variety of iudgment. Some, as Pagnine, and Paule Bishop of Forosem∣pronium, deny it to be Hieromes: others, as Augustinus Eugubinus, and Picus Mirandula, affirme it to be his: Other, as Driedo, and Sixtus Senensis, thinke it to be mixed of the old and newe.

Bellarmine deliuereth his opinion in certaine propositions, whereof the first is, that we haue the Latine text of the newe Testament, not of Hieromes transla∣tion, but of his correction only: the second, that we haue the Psalmes of the old trāslatiō, formerly in vse: the reasō whereof is thought to be, because the Church fearfull to giue any offence to the weake, would not admitte any alteration in them, being dayly read, and sung in the assemblies of the faithfull: the third, that wee haue the bookes of Ecclesiasticus, Wisdome, and the Maccabees, of the old translation, the author whereof is not knowne: the fourth, that we haue all the rest of Hieromes translation.

This translation, some thinke so perfect, as that it is not to bee corrected ac∣cording to the Originals, if in any thing it dissent from them, but that rather, they are to be holden corrupt, in all such places of difference. Now because this Translation in many places, and sundry things, is found to dissent from the Originals, therefore they inferre a great corruption of the originalls. This is the erroneous conceit of Lindan, f 1.228 Canus, and others of that sort, against whom in the just defence of the trueth of the originals, the best learned in the Church of Rome oppose themselues, as Iohn Isaacke, g 1.229 Arrias Montanus, Driedo, h 1.230 Andradius, Sixtus Senensis, and many moe. The chiefest argument of the adverse part is, for that if this translation be not pure and faultlesse, the Church had not the word of God, so long as it vsed this translation onely. For answere hereunto, Andradius demaundeth, if the Church were not as perfect, and as assuredly possessed of the truth, before this translation of Hierome, as since; if it were, he demandeth if they that liued in those times, did not as much admire the Translation of the Septuagint, and the Latine translations out of it, as they doe the vulgar. Now, that they did, he proueth at large, out of sundry of the auncient, who held that the Septuagint were ledde in translating, with a propheticall spirit, freeing them from danger of errour, so far forth, that Hie∣rome was greatly disliked, for adventuring to translate after them, as if he could correct any thing that they had done. Yea so great opposition did he find, i 1.231 that he was forced to giue way to the clamours, and out-cryes of his adversaries, to attribute much vnto them, and to make shew that he would neuer haue begun this worke of a new translation, if that of the Septuagint had remained, & been preserued in originall purity; k 1.232 though sometimes hee feare not to pronounce, that they passed by many things of purpose, mistook many things of ignorance, and suppressed other, because they would not make knowne the dishonour of their nation to strangers. Now (saith Andradius) I would know, whether in all the places, wherein the translations then in vse, differed frō the originals; the o∣riginals were corrupted. If they were, then our translation, which cōmeth nee∣rer to the originals, & leaueth the former translatiō sis corrupt, & so while these men endeavour to defend, they ouerthrow the authority of the vulgar transla∣tion. But some perhaps will demand, whether the Church of God in those times, had not the true Scriptures of God, & whether the Church of God at any time haue beene without an approued translation. Hereunto Andradius answereth, that the Church doth approue translations, not pronouncing that there is no∣thing amisse in them, or that they depart not from the true sense, and right mea∣ning of any particular place, but that the Diuine Mysteries are therein truely deliuered, and nothing that concerneth faith, religion, or good manners, igno∣rantly, or fraudulently suppressed.

The Councell of Trent defined, that the vulgar Latine translation shall bee holden as authenticall; but hee sayth, Andreas Vega who was present at the Councell, reported that the Fathers of the Councell meant not to determine, that it is not defectiue, or faulty, but that it is not erroneous, and faulty, in such sort, as that any hurtfull, or pernicious opinion in matters of faith, or manners, may necessarily be deduced from it. And that this was the meaning of the Councell, he saith, Andreas Vega alleadged the authority of the Cardinall of Saint Crosse, afterwards Pope, who deliuered so much vnto him. So that the Church of God doth not receiue any translation, as free from all errour, and in that sense authenticall, but thinketh that to bee the peculiar excellencie of the originals, which are by some vnjustly disgraced, and called in question, as if they were so corrupted, that translations should be preferred before them.

CHAP. 28.

Of the trueth of the Hebrew text of Scripture.

FOr first, touching the Hebrew text, which some suppose hath beene cor∣rupted by the Iewes, it is not likely that of purpose they would corrupt it: for then they would specially haue corrupted those places, which make most clearely against them, and for the Christians; but those places are not corrupted, as Andradius sheweth, and proueth by the testimony of Iohn Isaake, who was wonne to Christianity, by the pregnancy of a Chapter of Esayes prophecie in Hebrew.

Neither is it likely, a 1.233 dum aliis inuiderent authoritatem, sibi abstulisse verita∣tem; that while they were vnwilling that we should haue any authoritie, for confir∣mation of our faith in their Scriptures, they would depriue themselues, of the truth of them, which they euer held the richest treasure in the world. b 1.234 Especially seeing it hath euer beene thought by the wisest in Gods Church, that God in his prouidence, hath therefore preserued these forlorne, and forsaken Crea∣tures, and dispersed them into the seuerall Nations, and kingdomes of the World, that they might giue testimony to the truth of our faith, by those mo∣numents of Moses, and the Prophets, which they honour and embrace, as re∣ceiued from God himselfe.

Thus then, we are perswaded, that there is no great nor generall corruption of the Hebrew text of Scripture, and that the faults which by negligence, in time crept into it, are but few, and such as by helpe of the Mazzoreth, may easily be amended. But because c 1.235 Andradius, d 1.236 Bellarmine, and other of our aduersaries, haue vndertaken the defence of the truth, and confutation of their fellowes error in this poynt, I will no longer insist vpon it: let vs come there∣fore to the new Testament.

CHAP. 29:

Of the supposed Corruptions of the Greeke text of Scripture.

IN the new testament, sayth, a 1.237 Sixtus Senensis, out of b 1.238 Hierome, if any que∣stion arise amongst them that reade the Scriptures, in Latine, and there ap∣peare difference & variety amongst the translations, we must haue recourse to the Greeke as to the fountaine, assuring our selues, that there were euer some incorrupt and true Copies of the new Testament, found amongst them, that read the same in Greeke, out of which the Latine might be corrected; and that if some faults be found in the Greeke Copies, by the negligence, or mista∣king of them that wrote them out, they may easily be discerned, by laying to∣gether sundry Copies, casually corrupted, it so falling out, that what in one booke is depraued, by the fault of the writers, in another is found right. Now sayth he, whereas certaine heretikes did say, that either Hierome did not tran∣slate the same Greeke that now is, or that he translated it very ill, it is to be aun∣swered, that the Greeke is the same, which all Christians read & translated, be∣fore and after Hierome; but that he translated it not, but onely in some things corrected the old translation, he found in vse before, and that yet notwithstan∣ding, that vulgar and old translation, is not wholly to bee abandoned and reie∣cted: for that, though it doe not exactly agree with the Greeke, which is the o∣riginall, yet it omitteth nothing in matter of faith, or truth of story, nor hath

any thing contrary to the trueth of religion.

The Romanists, to proue that the Greeke text of the new Testament is cor∣rupted, and consequently that it is not safe to correct the Latine translations by it, alledge certaine places, which they presume, they can easily demonstrate to bee corrupted. c 1.239 Bellarmine giueth instance in these that follow. In the 1 Cor: 15. the Greeke that now is, hath in all Copies, The first man was of the earth, earthly, the second man is the Lord from heaven: the later part of this sentence, d 1.240 Tertullian supposeth to haue beene corrupted, and altered by the Marcionites, instead of that the Latine text hath, The second man was from heauen, heauenly, as e 1.241 Ambrose, f 1.242 Hierome, and many of the Fathers read also. Touching this place wee aunswere, that not onely the Greeke Copies now extant haue it, as we read and translate, but the Syriacke & Arabicke also, and that g 1.243 Damascene de Orthodoxa fide readeth in the same sort.

h 1.244 Notwithstanding because many of the Fathers both Greeke and Latine, fol∣low the other reading, we thinke it very doubtfull which is the originall veri∣ty. This difference of the reading of the Apostles words, is a matter of no great moment, seeing neither of them contayne any thing contrary to the rule of faith, or verity of Christian religion, The second place they produce, is 1 Iohn: 4. 3. Where the Greeke hath, Euery spirit that confesseth not &c. but the Latine, euery spirit that dissolueth Iesus. It is true, that Socrates in his history, * 1.245 sayth, that the auncient Greeke Copies had as the Latine now hath, and that these words were put out, by such as diuided the person of Christ: yet seeing not onely all copies of the Greeke text, but the Syriacke translation also hath, Euery spirit that confesseth not &c. and Cyprian so citeth the place, and i 1.246 Au∣gustine readeth and interpreteth both; wee thinke it likewise very doubtfull, which is the originall verity.

The next place is the 1. Cor: 7. where in the vulgar Latine wee reade in this sort. He, that is with a wife, is carefull for the things of the World, how hee may please his wife, and is diuided, that is, distracted with many cares: but in the Greeke it is thus, Hee that hath a wife, is carefull for the thinges of the world, how to please his wife; there is a difference betweene a wife and a virgine, or they are di∣vided one from another. That the former is the true reading of the Apostles words, Bellarmine proueth, because Hierome against k 1.247 Iouinian affirmeth it to be so, and some other of the Fathers follow the same.

But he should know, that not onely the most part of all the Greeke Copies haue as wee translate, but the Syriacke, and Arabicke translations also. Besides, Basil, the Greeke Scholiast, Theophylact, and Hierome himselfe against▪ Heluidi∣us, and to Eustochium de Custodia Virginitatis. So that this proofe of the cor∣ruption of the Originalls, prooueth too weake. The next allegation concerning the 12. to the Romanes, of serving the Lord, and seruing the time, is much weaker. For Beza sheweth that some Greeke Copies haue, as the vulgar hath, and as Bellarmine sayth, the truth is, seruing the Lord. That the story of the Adulteresse in the 8 of Iohn, is not found in many Greeke Copies, doth not proue the generall corruption of the Greeke text, which is the thing our aduer∣saries vndertake to proue. For if it did, the Latine also should bee reiected, as corrupted and false. For as l 1.248 Hierome witnesseth, many of the Latine Copies wanted this story, as well as the Greeke. m 1.249 Some of the auncient, were of opini∣on, that this story was first found, in the Apocryphall Gospell, according to the Hebrewes. But whatsoeuer wee thinke of it, it maketh nothing against the authority of the Greeke text, seeing it was euer found in some Greeke Copies though not in all.

n 1.250 The Rhemists, to disgrace the Greeke, alledge sundry places, where they say, our translators choose rather to follow the vulgar Latine, then the Greeke, thereby acknowledging, that it is corrupt. But if wee examine the particulars, wee shall finde, that this their allegation, is nothing else, but a lying and false

report. For they euer follow some, and those the best and most incorrupt Greeke Copies, as o 1.251 Beza sheweth. Wherefore fayling in this allegation, they betake themselues to another, not of falsehood, but of superfluitie: the first in∣stance whereof that they giue, is the sixt of Mathew, where the Lords prayer in the vulgar Latine, endeth with that petition, deliuer vs from euill, leauing out for thine is the Kingdome, the power, and the glory, which they suppose to bee su∣perfluously added in the Greeke. But these men should know, that though it were granted, that these words were superfluous, yet nothing is thereby dero∣gated from the Greeke, seeing some Greeke Copies, and they very auncient, o∣mit them, as Beza sheweth. Their next instance, is Rom. 11. where the vul∣gar Latine hath, If of grace, not of workes: otherwise grace should be no more grace: to which is added by way of Antithesis, and opposition, in the Greeke, If of workes, not of grace, otherwise workes, should be no more workes. It will be very hard for our adversaries to proue, that these latter words are superfluously ad∣ded, being found not onely in the most Greeke Copies, but in the Syriacke trans∣lation. But if it were granted, yet there is one Greeke Copie of great antiquity, that omitteth these words, as well as the vulgar Latine. The next instance is the sixt of Marke, and the 11. Verily I say vnto you, it shall be easier for Sodome and Gomorrha, &c. If it were granted, that these wordes were superfluously added, which yet there is no reason to doe, seeing besides very many Greeke Copies, the Syriacke translation hath them also, yet would this make nothing for the improuing of the credite of the Greeke, seeing as Beza professeth, there are three Greeke Copies that omit them. The like may bee said, touching the next allegation of Mathew, the 20, 22, 23. where these wordes, and bee baptised with the baptisme, that I am baptised with, are supposed to bee su∣perfluous; for there are some Greeke Copies that omit them, as well as the vulgar.

Thus hauing examined the seuerall allegations of our adversaries, against the authoritie, and credite, of the Greeke Text of the New Testament, wee see that they faile in them, neither being able to convince it of falsehood, nor super∣fluitie. Wherefore to conclude this matter, wee say with Hierome, that the Latine editions are to be corrected by the Greeke; & that by the providence of GOD, the verity of the Scriptures of the New Testament, hath euer beene preserued in the originall: That those faults and errours which are crept into some Copies, may easily by the helpe of others, be corrected, and that there is no difference in matter of substance, in so great variety of Copies, as are found in the world. If any man say, the Greeke hath beene corrupted since the dayes of Hierome, and that therefore, though hee in his time, thought the translations might bee corrected by the originals, yet now wee may not take the same course; we answere, it may easily be proued, that all those supposed corruptions, which they now finde in the Greeke, were found in it, in Hie∣romes time. For there are but two places, to wit, 1. Corinth. 15. and 1. Iohn 4. 3. where all Greeke Copies, haue otherwise then they say the truth is, and these places were corrupted, (if there bee any errour in the present reading,) before Hieromes time. Thus much touching the sufficiencie of the Scrip∣tures, and the editions, wherein the authenticall veritie of the same is to bee sought.

CHAP. 30.

Of the Power of the Church in making Lawes.

NOw it remaineth that wee come to the next part of our diuision tou∣ching the power of the Church, in making lawes. a 1.252 As the will of God, willing and purposing the being of each thing, is the first, and highest cause, of things: so the same will of God, determining what is fitte to bee, what, of what kinde, in what sort, each thing must bee, that it may attaine, and possesse, the vttermost degree of perfection, the orderly dispo∣sition of things, requireth, to bee communicated to it, is the first and highest lawe to the whole world. And as the will of God determining what is fitte, defining what ought to bee, and what must bee, if the Creatures attaine their highest perfection, is a generall lawe to all Creatures: soe when he maketh knowne to creatures rationall, and of an vnderstanding nature, which haue power to doe or omitte thinges thus fitte to bee done, that though hee leaue it in their power, and freedome of choise, to doe, or omitte them, yet they shall be tyed, either to doe them, or to loose the good they desire to enjoy, & in∣curre the euils they would avoyd: It is more specially named a lawe of com∣mandement, precept, or direction, binding them vpon whom it is imposed, to the performance of that it requireth.

The Precepts and Commandements of Almighty God, are of two sorts: for either they are such, as in respect of the nature and condition of the things themselues, are good, and soe binde all men, at all times: or else they are posi∣tiue, prescribing things variable according to the diuersities of times, and the different condition of men liuing in them, The former kinde of lawes, God imposed vpon men, in the day of their creation, or redemption, and restaurati∣on, together with the very nature, and being, which hee gaue them: the later prescribing things not naturally and perpetually good, but good onely at some time, to some men, and to some purposes and vses, to which they serue, were not imposed at first, together with the institution of nature, or the restaura∣tion of the same by grace, but are then imposed, when the things they pre∣scribe are iudged good, and beneficiall, Soe God prescribed, before the com∣ming of Christ his sonne, those sacrifices, and offerings, which now hee re∣gardeth not: and hath now instituted those Sacraments, Ceremonies, and rites of Religion, which before were not knowne in the world.

Thus wee see, that the originall of all lawes is the will of God: who, as hee reserueth for himselfe, the honor of being the supreame, first, and highest cause of all thinges, and yet communicateth part of his Diuine power, to subordinate and inferiour causes: so though he alone be the great lawegiuer to euery crea∣ture, yet hee communicateth part of his authority, to such among the sonnes of men, as he is pleased to make greater than others, giuing them power to com∣mand, and prescribe lawes vnto them.

Touching this matter thus generally deliuered, there is noe difference be∣tweene vs, and our aduersaries. For it is confessed on both sides, that God who is the great lawgiuer to the whole world, hath chosen out some from a∣mongst the rest of the sonnes of men, whom hee hath beene pleased to honour with his owne name, to set vpon his owne seat, and to make rulers and law∣giuers vnto his people: but the question is, within what bounds this power is contained, and how farre the band of lawes, made by such authority extendeth.

CHAP. 31.

Of the boundes, within which, the power of the Church in making lawes is con∣tayned, and whether shee may make lawes concerning the worshippe of God.

TOuching the first, the question is vsually proposed, whether the Ru∣lers of Gods Church, and people, may make lawes concerning Gods worshippe, and service. For the clearing whereof, a 1.253 Stapleton distin∣guisheth the things pertayning to the worshippe and service of God, into three sorts. The first, such as are seales, assurances, and in their sort, and kinde, causes of grace; as the sacrifices in old time, and the sacraments now: the second, such as remooue the impediments of grace, dispose to the receipt of it, and worke other spirituall and supernaturall effectes, though they giue not grace in so high degree as the first; as the signing with the signe of the Crosse, sprinkling with holy water, and the like: the third, such as are vsed onely for order, and comelinesse, in the performance of the principall, and essentiall du∣ties of Gods worshippe, and seruice. These being the diuerse sorts of things, pertayning to the worshippe and seruice of God, the question and controuersie betweene vs and our aduersaries, is onely touching thinges of the second ranke. For they confesse, the Church hath no power, to institute things of the first sort, and wee willingly grant vnto it, a most ample power, in things of the third sort. Let vs first therefore lay downe their opinion, and then examine the trueth, or falshood of it.

Their opinion is, that the Church hath power to institute Ceremonies, and obseruations, though not to iustifie, and giue grace, as doe the sacraments, yet to cure diseases, driue away deuils, purge out veniall sinnes, and to worke o∣ther the like spirituall, and supernaturall effects; and that not onely by way of imp•…•…tration, and by force of the prayers of the Church, which hath prayed, that they that vse such things may enjoy such happy benefites, but ex opere ope∣rato, by the very worke wrought, the vse of these things, applying the merits of Christ, to the effecting of these inferiour effects, as the Sacraments doe, to the effects of Iustification and remission of sinnes.

The signe of the Crosse, sayth b 1.254 Bellarmine, driueth away Diuels, three wayes; first, by the deuotion of them that vse it, it being a kinde of invocation of his name, that was crucified for the redemption of the world, expressed not by words, but by this signe: Secondly, by the impression of feare, which the verie sight and apprehension of it worketh in the diuell, as being the thing whereby Christ wrought his overthrow: Thirdly, ex opere operato; in which sort Infidells vsing this signe, haue wrought these effects.

The Rhemists vpon 1. Tim, 4. 5. Euery Creature is good, &c. haue these ob∣seruations: First, that euery creature is by nature, and condition of creation good: Secondly, that Sathan vniustly vsurpeth vpon these creatures, in, & by them, seeking to hurt the bodies, and soules of men: Thirdly, that by prayer, and inuocation of Gods name, notwithstanding the curse vpon all creatures, & Sa∣thans readinesse to doe vs harme, they are good and comfortable to vs, so that in them wee taste the sweetenesse of Diuine goodnesse: Fourthly, that the bles∣sings of Gods Church, and her Ministers, doe not onely stay and hinder Sathans working, remoue the curse, and make the creatures serue for our good, accor∣dingly as at the first they were appointed, but apply them also to so sacred v∣ses, as to be instruments of remission of sinnes, iustification, and infusion of grace; as appeareth in the sacraments instituted by Christ: Fiftly, that besides, and out of the vse of Sacraments, the prayers and blessings of the Church, doe sanctifie diuers creatures, to the working of spirituall, and supernaturall effects, as to expell Diuells, cure diseases, and remitte veniall sinnes; and that not only,

as sanctified things are wont to doe, in that they stirre vp, and increase devoti∣on, and the fervour of piety, but in that the Ministers of the Church, by their soueraigne authority, haue annexed to the vse of them, power to worke such effects. This last proposition containeth the whole matter of difference be∣tweene them and vs; for touching all the former, wee consent and agree with them.

For clearing of this point, wee lay downe these propositions: First, that by ordinary prayers, the Creatures of God are sanctified to ordinary vses. Second∣ly, that the presenting them, or some part of them, in holy places, and to holy persons, to be blessed of them, maketh the vse of them more comfortable, then the former blessing, but addeth no supernaturall force, efficacie or grace vnto them. Thirdly, that Christ appointed, and the Church daylie sanctifieth, the Creatures of God, and elements of this world, to bee the matter of his Sacra∣ments. Fourthly, that bread being appointed to bee the matter of the Sacra∣ment of the body of Christ, and water of Baptisme, the Christians in ancient time, held that bread, which had beene offered and presented at the Lords Ta∣ble, (out of which a part was consecrated for the vse of the Sacrament,) more holy then other bread: And this is that bread, c 1.255 Augustine saith, was giuen to the Catechumens: as also they religiously kept of that water, which had beene hallowed for the vse of Baptisme, and by the vse of it, strengthened their assu∣rance, of enjoying the benefites, which are bestowed on men, in Baptisme. Neither can our adversaries clearely proue, any separate sanctifying of water to haue beene vsed in the Primitiue Church. If they could, it were nothing else but the bringing of some part of this element, into holy places, with hum∣ble desire, that they which in memory of Baptisme, should vse it, and so have their faith strengthened, might more and more receiue the effects of sauing grace, as the Christians of Russia, and d 1.256 Aethiopia, vnto this day, on the Epipha∣ny, on which day they remember the Baptisme of Christ, goe into the water, praying vnto God, that the effects of the Sacrament of Baptisme, may more & more be seene and appeare in them. Fiftly, that the Church consecrateth sundry outward things, to the vse of Gods seruice, not giuing them any new quality, force, or efficacie, but onely praying, that God will bee pleased to accept that, which is done in, or with them, and to worke in vs, that, the vse of them im∣porteth. Sixtly, holy men hauing the gift of miracles, did vse sometimes wa∣ter, sometimes oyle, sometimes other things, and gaue them to bee vsed by o∣ther, for the working of miraculous effects, after the example of Elizeus, and Christ himselfe: of which sort is that of Ioseph mentioned by e 1.257 Epiphanius, who filling a vessell with water, signing it with the signe of the Crosse, and casting it into a certaine fire, caused it to burne, though Sathan hindered it before, that it could not burne; as likewise that of f 1.258 Hilarion, who gaue a kind of hallowed oyle to certaine, who, by vsing it, were cured of their diseases. But the con∣secrating of oyle, salt, water, and the like things, by men not hauing the gift of miracles, to driue away deuils, cure diseases, remit veniall sinnes, and worke o∣ther spirituall and supernaturall effects ex opere operato, by application of the merites of Christ, was neuer knowne in the Primitiue Church, nor any such forme of exorcising or blessing as they now vse.

That which the Rhemists alleadge, touching the Liuer of a fish vsed by g 1.259 To∣bie, the piece of the holy earth where Christ was buried, preseruing a mans chamber from the infestation of diuels, and the force of holy reliques, tormen∣ting them, maketh nothing to this purpose, all these examples being miracu∣lous. h 1.260 Touching the harpe of Dauid, quieting Saul, there is a reason for it in Nature, though the repressing of Sathans rage, were miraculous. That Infidels haue sometimes driuen away diuels by the signe of the Crosse, it was by the speciall dispensation of Almighty God, who would thereby glorifie his Sonne; whose Crosse the world despised; and not as if this Ceremonie had force,

ex opere operato, to worke such effects. That the name of Iesus, did miraculously cast out Diuels, in the Primitiue Church (which is the next allegation) who euer made doubt? but what maketh this to the purpose? That which they al∣ledge, that Saint Gregory did vsually send his benediction, and remission of sins, in, and with such tokens, as were sanctified by his blessing, and touch of the Martyrs reliques, as now his successours doe the like hallowed remembrances of religion, is very vaine. i 1.261 For Gregory did not send any such blessing of of his owne, or remission of sinnes, by force of it, as nowe his successours do, but onely certaine things, that had pertained to Christ or his Apostles: k 1.262 as part of the wood of the crosse of Christ, or of the chaines wherewith the A∣postles were bound, and with them the blessing of Christ and those Apostles, to such as should conforme themselues, to his sufferinges, or their faith. That which they alledge out of the l 1.263 third Councell of Carthage, touching the blessing of milke, honey, grapes and corne, bewrayeth their ignorance. For that Ca∣non speaketh not of any such blessing; but forbiddeth any thing, besides bread and wine mingled with water for the matter of the Sacrament, and grapes and corne to bee presented on the Altar. m 1.264 The Canon of the Apostles is to the same effect, forbidding any thing, but newe grapes, and corne in their season, and oyle for the lights, & incense to be vsed, in the time of the oblation, to be presented on the Altar, willing the first fruites, to be carried to the Bi∣shops house, and prescribing what shall be done with such presents. The n 1.265 sixt generall Councell, finding that some did giue to the people, with the Sacra∣ment, these grapes &c: forbad it, and prescribed that being blessed, they should be deliuered priuately to the Catechumens, and others, that they might praise God, who hath giuen so good, and pleasing things, for the nourishment of mens bodies; but speaketh nothing of blessing of them, to be instruments of remission of sinnes, and of the like spirituall and supernaturall effects.

Thus wee see, our aduersaries cannot proue, that the Church hath power to annexe vnto such Ceremonies, and obseruations, as shee deuiseth, the remis∣sion of sinnes, and the working of other spirituall, and supernaturall effects, which is the only thing questioned betweene them, and vs, touching the po∣wer of the Church. So that all the power the Church hath, more then by her authority, to publish the Commaundements of Christ the sonne of God, and by her censures, to punish the offenders against the same, is onely in prescribing things that pertaine to comelinesse and order.

Comelinesse requireth, that not only that grauity, and modesty, doe appeare in the performance of the workes of Gods seruice, that beseemeth actions of that nature, but also that such rites, and ceremonies, be vsed, as may cause a due respect vnto, and regard of the things performed, and thereby stirre men vppe, to greater feruour and deuotion. Caeremoniae, Ceremonies, are so named, as o 1.266 Liuie thinketh, from a Towne called Caere, in the which the Romans did hide their sacred thinges, when the Gaules inuaded Rome. Other thinke, Cere∣monies are so named a Carendo, of abstaining from certaine things, as the Iewes abstained from swines slesh, and sundrie other things, forbidden by God as vncleane.

Ceremonies are outward acts of religion, hauing institution either from the instinct of nature, as the lifting vp of the hands and eyes to heauen, the bowing of the knee, the striking of the breast, and such like: or immediately from God, as the sacraments, or from the Churches prescription, and either onely serue to expresse such spirituall and heauenly affections, dispositions, motions, and de∣sires, as are or should be in men; or else to signifie, assure, and conuey vnto them, such benefits of sauing grace, as God in Christ is pleased to bestowe on them. To the former purpose, and end, the Church hath power to ordaine Ceremo∣nies; to the later God onely.

Order requireth, that there be sette howres for prayer, preaching and mini∣string

the sacraments, that there be silence, and attention, when the things are performed, that womē be silent in the Church, that all things be administred ac∣cording to the rules of discipline. Thus we see within what bounds, the power of the Church is contained, and how farre it hath authority to command, and prescribe, in things pertaining to the worship and seruice of God.

CHAP. 32.

Of the nature of Lawes, and how they binde.

Now it remaineth that wee examine, how farre the band of such lawes extendeth, as the Church maketh, and whether they binde the conscience, or onely the outward man. For the clearing whereof, first wee must obserue, in what sense it is, that lawes are sayde to binde; and secondly, what it is, to binde the conscience. Lawgiuers are sayd to binde them, to whome they giue lawes, when they determine and sette downe, what is fitte to be done, what things they are, the doing whereof they approoue, and the omission whereof they dislike, and then signifie to them whom they command, that though they haue power and liberty of choyse, to doe, or omitte, the things prescribed, yet that they will soe, and in such sort, limitte them, in the vse of their libertie, as that either they shall doe that they are commanded, or be depriued of the good they desire, and incurre the euils they would auoyd. None can thus tye and limit men, but they that haue power to depriue them of the good they desire, and bring vpon them the contrary e∣uils. So that no man knowing what hee doth, prescribeth, or commandeth any thing, vnder greater penalties, then he hath power to inflict, nor any thing but that whereof hee canne take notice, whether it be done or not, that so hee may accordingly reward or punish, the doing, or omission of it.

Hence it followeth, that mortall men forget themselues, and keepe not with∣in their owne boundes, when either they commaund, vnder paine of eternall damnation, which none but God can inflict, (according to that of our Sauiour, a 1.267 Feare not them, that can kill the body: but feare him rather, that hath power, to cast both body and soule into hell fire.) b 1.268 or take vpon them to prescribe inward acti∣ons, of the soule or spirit, or the performance of outward actions, with inward affections; whereas none but God that searcheth the heart, canne either take knowledge of things of this kind, or conuent the offenders, and judge and trye them. Thus then wee see, what it is to binde, and that none can binde men to the performance of any thing, but by the feare of such punishments, as they haue power to inflict.

CHAP. 33.

Of the nature of Conscience, and how the Conscience is bound.

IN the next place wee are to see, what the nature of Conscience is, and how the Conscience is bound. Conscience is the priuity, the soule hath, to things known to none, but to God & her selfe. Hence it is, that conscience hath a fearefull apprehension of punishments for euills done, though neither knowne, nor possible to be knowne, to any, but God, and the offendour alone. The punishments that men can inflict, wee neuer feare, vnlesse our euill do∣ings be known to them. For, though we haue conscience of them, & be priuy to

them, yet if they bee hidden from them, vve knovv they neither vvill, nor can punish vs. To binde the conscience then, is to bind the soule and spirit of man, with the feare of such punishments (to bee inflicted by him that so bindeth) as the conscience feareth, that is as men feare, though none but God & themselues be privie to their doings. Now these are onely such as God alone inflicteth: & therefore seeing none haue power to binde but by feare of such punishments, as they haue power to inflict, none can binde the conscience, but God alone. a 1.269 Neither should the question be proposed, whether humane lawes binde the conscience, but whether binding the outward man, to the performance of out∣ward things, by force, & feare of outward punishments, to be inflicted by men, the not performance of such things, or the not performance of them with such affections as were fit, be not a sinne against God, of which the conscience will accuse vs, hee hauing commaunded vs to obey the Magistrates and Rulers hee hath set ouer vs. For answere whereunto wee say, there are three sorts of things commaunded by Magistrates. First, euill, and against God. Secondly, injurious in respect of them to whom they are prescribed, or at least vnprofi∣table to the Common-wealth in which they are prescribed. Thirdly, such as are profitable, and beneficiall to the societie of men, to whom they are prescri∣bed. Touching the first sort of things, God hath not commaunded vs to obey, neither must we obey, but rather say to them that cōmand vs such things, with the b 1.270 Apostles, whether it be fit to obey God, or men, judge you. Yet wee must so refuse to obey, that we shew no contempt of their office, and authori∣tie, which is of God, though they abuse it. Touching the second sort of things, all that God requireth of vs, is that we shew no contempt of sacred authoritie, though not rightly vsed, that we scandalize not others, and that wee be subject to such penalties, and punishments, as they that commaund such things, doe lay vpon vs; so that God requireth our willing, and ready obedience, onely in things of the third sort. The breach & violation of this kinde of lawes, is sin, not for that humane lawes haue power to binde the conscience, or that it is simply, and absolutely sinfull to breake them, but because the things they com∣maund, are of that nature, that not to performe them, is contrary to justice, cha∣ritie, and the desire wee should haue, to procure the common good of them, with whom wee liue. Wee are bound then sometimes to the performance of things prescribed by humane lawes, in such sort that the not performance of them is sinne; c 1.271 not ex sola legislatoris voluntate, sed ex ipsa legum vtilitate, as Stapleton rightly obserued. But some man will say, What doe the lawes then effect? seeing it is the Law of Iustice, and charitie that doth binde vs, and not the particularitie of Lawes, newly made. To this wee answere, that many things are good and profitable, if they be generally obserued, vvhich vvithout such generall obseruation, vvill doe no good: as for one man to pay tribute, or for one man to stay his goods from transportation, is no vvay beneficiall to the Common-vvealth; vvhich vvould bee very profitable, if all did so. Novv the Lavv procureth a generall obseruation: vvhence it commeth that a man is bound by the Lavv of charity, and justice, to that, after the making of a Lavv, vvhich before he vvas not bound vnto.

And this is it that Stapleton meaneth, vvhen hee sayth, that humane Lavves doe binde the conscience, not ex voluntate legislatoris, sed ex ipsa legum vtilita∣te, & ratione. Not because they prescribe such things, but because the things so prescribed, if they bee generally obserued, are profitable to the Common-vvealth.

By this vvhich hath been said, it appeareth, that they doe impiously vsurpe, and assume to themselues that vvhich is proper to God, d 1.272 vvho vvill haue all their Lavves taken for diuine Lavves, and such as binde the conscience no lesse then the Lavves of GOD, vvho publish all their Canons and con∣stitutions in such sorte, that they threaten damnation to all offenders:

Whereas no creature hath power, to prescribe, commaund or prohibite any thing, vnder paine of sinne, and eternall punishment, vnlesse the partie so commaunded, were formerly either expressely, or by implication, either for∣mally, or by force and vertue of some generall dutie, bounde vnto it by Gods lawe before; because God onely, hath power of eternall life or death.

The soule of man, as it receiueth from GOD onely, the life of grace, so it loseth the same, when hee for the transgression of his lawes, and precepts, for∣saketh it. For as none but hee, can giue this life, so none but hee, canne take it away: hee onely hath the keyes of DAVID, hee openeth, and no man shutteth, hee shutteth and no man openeth. Hence it followeth, that no law∣giver may commaund any thing, vnder paine of eternall punishment, but God onely, because he onely hath power to inflict this kinde of punishment. And that no man incurreth the guilt of eternall condemnation, but by violating the lawes of God. Wherevpon Augustine defineth sinnes, to be thoughts, words, and deedes, against the law of God.

That men doe sinne, in not keeping, and obseruing the lawes of men, it is because, being generally bound by Gods lawe to doe those things, which set forward the common good, many things being commaunded, and so generally obserued, grow to bee beneficiall, which without such generall observation, flowing from the prescript of law, were not so: and so though not formally, yet by vertue of generall duety, men are tyed to the doing of them, vnder paine of sinne, and the punishments that deseruedly follow it.

CHAP. 34:

Of their reasons, who thinke, that humane Law es doe binde the Con∣science.

THe reasons which a 1.273 Bellarmine and other of that faction bring, to proue that humane lawes doe binde the conscience, are so vaine and friuolous, that they deserue no answere: yet least our aduersaries should thinke, wee therefore passe them ouer without examination, because wee feare the force and weight of them, I will breefely take a view of them, and let the Reader see their weakenesse. To binde, sayth Bellarmine, is either the essence or essentiall property of a lawe; therefore all lawes, whe∣ther they bee of God, or of men, doe binde in the same sort. Hee should haue sayd, therefore all lawes doc binde, whether they bee of God, or of men. For to say. It is the essentiall property of a lawe to binde, therefore all lawes doe binde in the same sorte, is as if a man should thus reason, It is essentiall to all naturall bodies to haue motion, therefore the same kinde of motion; where∣as yet the fire goeth vpward, and the earth downewards, thinges without life mooue but one way, either towards, or from the center of the worlde; thinges liuing euery way. His next reason is more childish then this: for hee reaso∣neth thus, If lawes doe binde onely in that they are diuine, then all diuine lawes should equally binde. This reason concludeth nothing against vs. For first, no man sayth, that lawes binde onely, because diuine, (for it is essentiall to euery lawe to binde) but that they binde the conscience, because they are diuine. And secondly, wee adde, that all diuine lawes, doe equally binde the conscience. For the conscience doth as much feare Gods displeasure, and e∣ternall punishment, for one sinne, as for another, though not so great displea∣sure, nor so greiuous punishment. And so they equally binde the conscience; though there bee no equality, either of the sinnes, or of the punishment, the conscience feareth, and seeketh, to decline.

His third reason, that Gods commandement maketh those actions that were before indifferent, to be actions of vertue, therefore men by their precepts, doe so likewise, is very strange, and therefore hee endeauoureth to confirme it. The reason (sayth hee) why Gods precepts, and commandements, make actions that were indifferent, as to eate swines flesh, or not to eate it, to be actions of vertue, is because they are rules of mens manners and conuersation, but mens lawes likewise are rules of mens liues, manners and conuersation, therefore they in like sort make those actions that were before indifferent to be actions of vertue. To this wee answere, that there are many great differences, be∣tweene these two rules. First, for that, the one containeth, a certaine, and in∣fallible direction; the other oftentimes leadeth out of the way. Secondly, that the lawes of God, are rules in such sort, that the very thoughts of the heart, di∣uerting from that, which they prescribe, are sinfull; but mens lawes are kept and fullfilled, with how bad affections soeuer, the things bee done, that are pre∣scribed. Thirdly, because the vse of nothing being lawfull vnto vs, in respect of conscience, longer, nor farther, then God the supreme Lord of all, alloweth the same; it is an action of vertue, to abstaine from things, denyed vnto vs by GOD, either in the first institution of nature or by his positiue lawe: but men hauing no such power, no such thing is consequent vpon their commaun∣dements, or prohibitions. Lastly, Gods lawe, both that which is naturall, that is, giuen when nature was first instituted, and that which is positiue, is the rule of mens liues absolutely: which if they bee conformed vnto, they are morally good; if they varie from, they are euill and wicked: but the lawes of men, are rules onely in respect of outward conuersation, framing it to the good of the commonwealth. Soe that a man, euen according to the rules of Philosophy, may bee a good Cittizen, that is not a good man. His next reason is taken, from the comparison of a King and his Viceroy, the Pope, and his Legate, and the lawes, and edicts of these, binding in the same sort.

To this wee answere, that the comparison holdeth not: first, because the King and his Viceroy, command the same things, and to the same ends; but if wee compare God, and men, the lawes of God, and the lawes of men, wee shall finde a great difference betweene them, both in the things they commaund, and the ends for which they command; the one requiring inward actions, and the performance of outward with inward affections; the other outward onely. Secondly, because both the King, and his viceroy, haue power to take notice of all kind of offences, committed against both the one and the other, and to punish them with the same kind of punishment; but there are many offences committed against God, by every man, whereof men can take no notice; and if they could, yet haue no power to inflict such punishments, as God doth. b 1.274 His last reason is taken from that place of the Apostle, where he requireth vs to bee subject, to power and authority, for conscience sake. To this wee answere, first that it is a matter of conscience, to be subject in all things: for subjection is re∣quired generally, and absolutely, where obedience is not. Secondly, we say, that it is a matter of conscience, to seeke and procure, the good of the common∣wealth; and that therefore, it is a matter of conscience to obey good, and profi∣table lawes, so farre, as we are perswaded, our obedience is profitable. Thus haue we breefely examined their reasons, who thinke, that humane lawes binde the conscience, the weakenesse whereof, I hope all men of any judgment will easily discerne.

Wherefore to conclude this matter, touching the Churches power in ma∣king lawes, there are three things which we dislike in the doctrine, & practise of the Romane Church. First, that they take vpon them to prescribe Ceremo∣nies, and observations, hauing power to conferre grace, for the remission of ve∣niall sinnes, and the working of other spirituall & supernaturall effects. Second∣ly, that they assume vnto themselues that which is proper vnto God, & seeke to rule in the conscience. Thirdly, that by the multiplicitie of lawes, they dange∣rously insnare the consciences of men, and oppresse them with heauy burdens. To this purpose, is the complaint that c 1.275 Gerson long since made, that the Lawes of the Church were too many, and in a great part childish and vnprofitable, bringing vs into a worse estate then that of the Iewes, as d 1.276 Augustine to Ianua∣rius complained, when things were much better than in latter times they haue beene. Neither sayth Gerson, are they content to burden vs with the multiplici∣tie of their lawes; but as if they preferred their owne inventions before the Lawes of God, they most rigorously exact the performance of the things their owne lawes prescribe, & neglect the Lawes of God, as Christ told the Phari∣sees, and hypocrites of his time, pronouncing against them, that by their vaine traditions, they made the lawes of God of none effect. To shew how vnjust and vnreasonable the Romane Lawgiuers are, in burdening men with so many tra∣ditions, e 1.277 the same Gerson fitly obserueth, that Adam in the time of his inno∣cencie, had but one commaundement, which yet vnhappily he brake: and that therefore, they seeme to haue no sense of mans miserable & wretched conditi∣on, nor any way to compassionate his infirmitie, that charge him with so many precepts, besides those of God and Nature. Whereupon he grauely and wisely concludeth, that he supposeth, that the wisest, and best, amongst the guides of Gods Church, had not so ill a meaning, as to haue all their constitutions, & ordi∣nances taken for lawes, properly so named, much lesse strictly binding the con∣science; but for threatnings, admonitions, counsailes, and directions onely. And that, when there groweth a generall neglect, they seeme to consent to the abolishing of them againe. For seeing, lex instituitur, cùm promulgatur, vigo∣rem habet, cum moribus vtentium approbatur, Lawes are made, when they are published by such as haue authoritie, but haue life, force, and vigour. when the manners of men receiuing, and obeying them, giue them allowance. Generall, & long continued disuse, is, and justly may be thought, an abolishing, and abro∣gating of humane lawes: Whereas contrarywise, against the Lawes of God, and Nature, no prescription, or contrary vse, doth euer pre∣vaile; but euery such contrary custome, or practise, is rightly judged a corruption, and fault.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Contra hae∣reses l 3. c. 4.
• b 1.2

  1 Timothy, 3. 15.
• * 1.3

  a Lib. de prae∣script adversus haereticos.
• b 1.4

  Eorum quae dul 〈◊〉〈◊〉 esse pos∣sunt circa fi∣dem, quaedam sunt quae ex Scripturis di∣vinis deductione infallibili inferri p•…•…ssunt: quaedam, quae non possunt: quemadmodum per beatum Hierony∣mum beatam Virginem esse corporaliter in coelo, ex scripturis certitudinaliter haberi non potest: sicut etiam •…•…c quod 〈◊〉〈◊〉, de quibus dicitur Math. 27. multa corpora sanctorum surrexeru•…•…t cum eo, &c. corporaliter ascenderint in coelum▪ nec quod corporaliter non ascenderint infallibiter deduci non potest ex scripturis divinis. Occam. lib. 3. 1. •…•…ractat 3. part. cap. 10.
• c 1.5

  Pererius in Genesim. lib. 7. q. 7. Cornelius Iansenius cap. 14•…•…. concordiae Euangelicae. Bellarm. de gra∣tiâ 1. hominis li. 1. c. 12, 14. o∣stendit nemi∣nem ex veteri∣bus dicere pa∣radisum perijs∣se, & omnes qui de eo scripse∣runt, affirmar•…•… adhuc superes∣se; & tamen ali∣ter sentire Pe∣rerium Eugu∣binum, Ianseni∣um, Hieron. ab Oleastro & Va∣tablum.
• d 1.6

  Caietan: in proaem. comm: in Genes.
• e 1.7

  Andradius de script: sacrae & traditionum authoritate. li. 2. fol. 257. 260.
• f 1.8

  Bellarm. de gra. prim: hominis lib. 1. cap. 14.
• h 1.9

  Bellar. de ecclesia militante lib. 3. c. 13.
• * 1.10

  g Occam dialog. 1. part. lib. 3. cap. 28.
• a 1.11

  Bellar. de ec∣clesia militant, l. 3. c. 13.
• b 1.12

  Dialog. part. 1. li. 5. cap. 28.
• c 1.13

  Con•…•…: profa∣nas haer: noui∣tates.
• d 1.14

  Caluin. instit▪ l. 4. c. 8. sect. 11. 12. cited by Bel. de militante ecclesia lib. 3. cap. 14.
• e 1.15

  Melchior Ca∣nus de aucto∣rirate ecclesiae Catholicae, li. 4. c. 2. Picus the∣oremate 4. ec∣clesia vniuersa∣lis in ijs quae pertinent ad substantiam fi∣de•…•… errare non potest: in alijs potest, vt osten∣dit Thomas &c.
• f 1.16

  Bellarm. de eccle sia mili∣tante. l. 3. c. 14.
• a 1.17

  1 Tim. 3. 15.
• b 1.18

  Revel. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 12.
• c 1.19

  See the same proued at large by Erastus, wri∣ting of the Pres∣by teries and excommunicati∣ons, and by Do∣ctor Bilson now B. of Winch in his booke of the per∣petuall gouern∣ment of the Church c. 4.
• d 1.20

  De vera reli∣gione c. 6.
• e 1.21

  Gal. 1.
• a 1.22

  Ioh. 16. 13.
• b 1.23

  W•…•…ldensis doctrinal. fidei lib. 2. art. 2. cap. 27.
• c 1.24

  Lib. 2 de bap∣tismo, contra Donatistas c. 3.
• d 1.25

  Vincentius Lirinensis sayth, if heresies be inueterate, and so haue time and means to cor∣rupt the monu∣ments of antiquity, for the confutation of them, we must flee to the Scriptures only. Soe did Luther and the rest in the beginning, seeming to decline the triall by the Fathers, because the corruptions of their writings were so many, as could not easily be disco∣uered at the first: but now hauing found out by the helpe of so many learned men, both of our aduersaries, and amongst our selues, that haue trauelled in that kind, which are their vndoubted workes, and which doubtfull or vndoubtedly forged, wee willingly admit the triall by the Fathers.
• e 1.26

  Waldensis doctrin. fidei l. 2. art. 2. cap. 19. ibidem certio∣res iudices esse dicit in causa fidei patres suc∣cessivè, quàm Synodum An∣tisti•…•…um gene∣ralem, & cap. 20 ait Gregorium non comparare 4. concilia scripturis, sed similitudinem quandam insi∣nuate, sicut Christus in E∣vangelio, Volo ut sitis perfecti sicut pater ve∣ster.
• f 1.27

  Primum inter credibilia, quod est ratio cre∣dendi alia, & ad quod fit ultima ma resolutio credibilium, est, credere Eccle∣siam regi à spi∣ritu sancto. Durand. l. 3. dist. 24. quaest. 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉. Vera esse con∣tenta in scrip∣tura, & a Chri∣sto revelata, per nullam vi∣am scimus, nisi quia hoc credit Ecclesia, & sic audivimus à patribus no∣stris. Greg. Ari∣min. l. 1. dist. 1. q. 1. art. 4.
• g 1.28

  Relect. con∣•…•…o. 4. de pote∣state ecclesiae in se. q. 3. art. 2. resp. ad argu∣mentum 5.
• h 1.29

  1 Tim. 3. 15.
• i 1.30

  Fol. 189.
• k 1.31

  1 Cor. 2. 11.
• l 1.32

  Math. 16. 17.
• a 1.33

  Triplicatio fol. 188.
• b 1.34

  Campiani 10 rationes.
• c 1.35

  Psalm. 11. 10.
• d 1.36

  Durandus. li. 3. dist. 24. q. 1. art. 1. & distin: 25. q. 3.
• e 1.37

  Greg. A•…•…imi∣nensis l. 1. d. 1. q. 1 fol. 7.
• f 1.38

  Canus l. 1. c. 8.
• g 1.39

  Calv. instit. l. 1. c. 7. 4.
• h 1.40

  Apologia qu. 8. de liberta te credendi.
• i 1.41

  Scotus prol. sententiarum qu. 2.
• k 1.42

  Sententia∣rum quaest. 1. art. 2. sicut im∣possibile est as∣sentiri sine ra∣tione, ita vide∣tur impossibile assentiri plus quàm ratio probat, vel vi detur probare.
• l 1.43

  Durandus 3. •…•…nt. distinct. 24 quaest 3.
• a 1.44

  Aliacensis 1. sent, citat. Lin∣coln. 1. poster. cap. 1.
• b 1.45

  De vtilit cre∣dendiad Ho∣noratum c. 1•…•….
• c 1.46

  Lib. 1. instit. c 7. 5.
• d 1.47

  De vtil. cre∣dendi adHono∣ratum c. 16.
• e 1.48

  Cap. 14. 15 16
• * 1.49

  In sententiis.
• g 1.50

  Caluin. instit: lib. 1. cap. 7. 4.
• h 1.51

  Lib, 1. 7. 5.
• i 1.52

  Gers. de exa∣minatione do∣ctrinarum.
• k 1.53

  Lib. 1. qu. 1. summ: theolo∣gicae memb. 4. art. 2.
• l 1.54

  Psalm. 118.
• m 1.55

  Contra ep. fundamenti, c. 5.
• a 1.56

  Dialog. l. 1. part. 1. c. 4. vbi ait totam mul∣titudinem vi∣uentium non esse ma•…•…oris auctoritatis quàm evange∣lium sanctum, quia debet illud defendere vs∣que ad san∣guinem.
• b 1.57

  Doctrinal. fidei li. 2. art. 2. cap. 21. vbi ad. fert exemplum Nathanielis, quem Philip∣pus induxit ad credendum in Christum, quemadmodū nos inducunt parentes & paedagogi: nec tamen sunt maioris aucto∣ritatis quam Christus.
• a 1.58

  Annotat. in 2. ad Galat.
• b 1.59

  Relect. con∣tro. 4. de pote∣state ecclesiae in se. q. 5. in ex∣plicatione q.
• a 1.60

  Canual. 5. c. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 p. 170.
• b 1.61

  Multi opinan∣nantur concili∣um generale errare posse, quia non inni∣titur praecise diuinae reucla∣tioni, led pro∣cedit secundum sensum propri∣um assistente sibi influentia generali &c. Occam lib. 3. tract: 1. part. 3. cap: 8.
• c 1.62

  Waldens. doct. fidei lib. 2. art. 2. cap. 21.
• d 1.63

  Occam lib. 1. part. 1. c. 4.
• e 1.64

  Gers. de vita spiritual. ani∣mae. lect. co∣•…•…ollario. 7.
• a 1.65

  Dialog. 1. part. l. 2. c. 14.
• b 1.66

  Diceret fortè aliquis quod simplices non debent credere nisi ea quae Papae & Cardi∣nales tradunt credere expli∣citè, nec debent inuestigare se∣creta scripturae, sed communibus contenti de intellectu praeoprio non debent prsumere, vt aliquid credant explici∣tè nisi quòd ijs Papa & Cardinales tradiderint: dicendum est quod simplices non debent praesumere, sed sacrae scripturae firmiter inhaerere, vt quod euidenter conspexerint ex sacris scripturis inferri, hoc explicitè credant, siue fu∣erit siue non fuerit à Papa & Cardinalibus declaratum: & ratio hujus est, quoniam Papa & Cardinales non sunt regula fidei nostrae: sed si contra regulam fidej, quam scriptura docet, definire praesumpserint, non sequendi, sed ā Catholicis arguendi sunt. Occam tractat. 2. part. 2. cap. 10. Quidam moderni dicunt multas esse veritates conso∣nas scripturae, quae non sunt Catholicae, quia non definitae á Papa: & multos errores non habendos pro haeresibus, quia non damnati à Papa: sed si aliqua sit veritas scripturae consona, & definiatur à Papa, dicunt quod sit Catho∣lica. Occam li. 2. part. 1. cap. 11. 12. improbat hanc opinionem: & cap. 14. ostendit Papam non sacere nouam Catho∣licam veritatem, sed tantum vt nec asserendo nec opinando dicatur contrarium illius quod antè fuit Catholica veri∣tas: & quod dicentes contrarium, excommunicationis sententiae subdantur. Waldens. doctrinal. fidei: lib: 2. art. 2. c. 22. ait, ecclesiam non posse condere nouum articulum fidei. cum iam creuerit in perfectum &c.
• c 1.67

  Scotus in 4. dist. •…•…1. q. 3. so∣luti omnes ra∣tiones adductas pro confirma∣tione dogmatis transsubstantia∣tionis, et tamen tenet, quia defi∣nitum ab eccle∣sia. Biel in Ca∣nonum missae. lect. 41. osten∣dit rationes probantes tran∣substantiatio∣nem non esse efficaces, te∣nendam ta∣men hanc ve∣ritatem propter Ecclesiae deter∣minationem.
• d 1.68

  Qui adhuc credunt Scrip∣turarum cano∣nem imperfe∣ctum, et posse adhuc augeri per authorita∣tem Ecclesiae, cum Iudaeis plenitudinem temporis expe∣ctant sub Iu∣daico forsitan Messiâ. Wald. doctr. fidei l. 2. art. 2. cap. 20.
• a 1.69

  Acts. 3. 34.
• b 1.70

  Est iudicium certa & veridi-, ca cognitionis quo vnusquis∣que bene iudi∣cat de ijs quae noscit, & illud iudicium per∣tinetad quem∣libet in quali∣bet arte peri∣tum. est aliud iudicium au∣thoritatis seu iudicialis sen∣tentiae: 1 Modo loquendo de iudicio in ec∣clesia militante est certum iu∣dicium de ijs quae necesse est credere expli∣citè: & semper erunt aliqui Catholici, qui tali modo in vera fide ex∣plicite perma∣ne bunt: sed cir∣ca illa quae non sunt necesaria explicitè crede∣dere, non sem∣per erit tale iudicium: quia de multis, licet piè dubitare, nunquam ta∣men omnes circa lista per∣tinaciter erra∣bunt vel dubi∣tabunt: iudici∣um verò au∣thoritatis non est semper cer∣tum in ecclesia, sicut patuit tempore Libe∣rii. Occam. di∣al. l. 5. part. 1. c. 28.
• a 1.71

  Theologo∣rum sententi∣am de foeli∣citate superna∣turali altissi∣mis philosophi∣ae radicibus ni∣xam & stabili∣tam stare dilu∣cidè compro∣babo: foelicitas est possessio at∣{que} adeptio pri∣mi boni: bo∣num adipisci dupliciter pos∣sunt res creatae aut in seipsis, aut in ipso, nam & in seipso hoc bonum est su∣per omnia ex∣altatum, suae in∣habitans diui∣nitatis abyssos, & per omnia diffusum in om∣nibus inueni∣tur: vmb•…•…a po∣tius foelicitatis quàm vera foe∣licitas est attin∣gere Deum in creatura, non in ipso Deo quemadmod•…•… creatura non summabonitas, sed summae bo∣nitatis, id est diuinae, tenuis vmbra est: Vn∣de vera & con∣summata foeli∣citas ad De•…•… fa∣ciem contuen∣dam quae est omne bonum, vt ipse dixit, & ad perfectam cum illo prin∣cipio, à quo e∣manauimus, v •…•…em, nos reu•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ddu∣cit: ad hanc •…•…∣licitatem sola religio Christi∣ana nos dirigit, & impellit Pi cus Heptapl•…•…, l•…•…. 7. in prooemio.
• b 1.72

  Contra pro∣fanas haeret: novitates.
• c 1.73

  The Apostles wrote to them they had former∣ly taught more at large: neither can the scriptures be vnderstood now, but onely by such as will •…•…ee taught by the successors of the Apostles and guides of the Church, though being so taught, they may finde assuredly by the scriptures them∣selues, that they doe vnderstand them aright.
• a 1.74

  Cont. 5. q. 4. art. 2. explicat. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• b 1.75

  Genesis 6. 2.
• c 1.76

  Tertul. de ive∣landis Virg ni∣bus. Debet ad∣umbrari facies tam periculo∣sa, quae vsque ad coelum scandola i•…•…cu∣lata est &c. Iu∣stinus Martyr & Clemens, Gen. 6. Dei fi∣lios qui homi∣num filias conspexe∣runt Angelos interpretan•…•… Andrad: de script. & tradi∣tionum autho∣ritate. l. 2. fol. 262.
• d 1.77

  Andrad: ib: fol. 257.
• e 1.78

  Esay. 53.
• a 1.79

  Andradius defens. &c. l. 2. fol. 257. et 260.
• b 1.80

  Caietan pro∣oemio com∣ment. in Gen.
• c 1.81

  I•…•… praefat. in Novi Testa∣menti Syriaci Latinam inter∣pret.
• d 1.82

  Comment. in Ioh. c. 1.
• a 1.83

  Iohn 10. 16.
• b 1.84

  Galat. 4. 22.
• c 1.85

  Illyrycus in claue Ser ptu∣rae, de multipli∣ci sacra•…•…um li∣terarum sensu, haec doctissimè tradit collecta ex varijs autho∣ribus.
• d 1.86

  1. Sam. 17. 50.
• e 1.87

  Deut: 25 4. 1 Cor. 9. 9.
• f 1.88

  Psal. 95, 8. Hebr: 4. 1.
• g 1.89

  Sixtus Sen∣nens▪ Biblio∣thecae l. 3. de vsu & vtilitate historicae & mysticae expo∣positionis.
• h 1.90

  Intellectus sacri eloquij, inter textum & mysterium, magna est li∣bratione pen∣sandus. Multae enim eius sen∣tentiae tantâ allegoriarum conceptione sunt gravidae, vt quisquis eas adsolam tenere historiam niti∣tur, earum no∣ticiá per suam incuriam pri∣uetur▪ nonnul∣li verò ita ex∣terioribus in∣seruiunt, •…•…t si quis eas subti∣lius penetrare desiderat, intus quidem nihil inueniat, sed e∣tiam sibi quod foris loquun∣tur abscondat. Greg. moral. l 21. in cap. 31. cap. 1.
• i 1.91

  Iansenius in concordiam E∣vangel. c. 52. fol. 402.
• k 1.92

  Math. •…•…7. 3.
• l 1.93

  Iudicum c. 9.
• m 1.94

  Cap. 14.
• n 1.95

  Revel. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• o 1.96

  Occam l. 3. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. tract. part. 3. c. 19.
• p 1.97

  Not from ehe mysticall or spiri∣tuall senses aboue mentioned.
• q 1.98

  Revel. 1. 20.
• r 1.99

  Iohn 2. 19. 22.
• s 1.100

  Math. 24. 15
• t 1.101

  In epist. ad Gal. in cap. 1.
• a 1.102

  Stapl. cont. 6. q. 7. exp. art.
• b 1.103

  De causis dif∣ficultatis scrip∣turae & remedi∣js. remed. 2.
• a 1.104

  Iob. 19. 24.
• b 1.105

  Bellar. l. 4. c. 8. de verbo non scripto. Non de•…•…unt in∣quit, aliqui Ca∣tholicorum, qui negant vl∣lam fuisse tradi∣tionem non scriptam apud Iudaeos.
• c 1.106

  Andrad. de∣fen. l. 2. fo. 125.
• d 1.107

  Moral. l. 4. c. 2.
• e 1.108

  Aug. lib. 1. de consensu Evan∣gelista•…•…um cap. ult. quicquid il le de suis factis et dictis nos legere voluit, hoc scribendum illis tanquam suis manibus imperauit.
• f 1.109

  2 Pet. 1. 20. 21.
• g 1.110

  1 Cor. 11. 23
• h 1.111

  Illa verba quae audiuisti•…•… per diuinas Scripturas sparsa sunt inde collecta & ad vnum redacta &c. Aug. ad ca∣techumenos lib. 1. de sym∣bolo cap. 1.
• i 1.112

  Waldensi•…•… tom. 3. titulo 7. cap. 63. tra∣ditiones apo∣stolicas à purè ecclesiasticis iam temporis vastitate nes∣cimus discer∣nere.
• k 1.113

  Concilium Nicen. can: 20. The custome of ministring bap∣tisme only at Ea∣ster and Whitson∣tide except in case of necessity was very general. whereupon Leo reprehendeth the Bishops •…•…f Sici∣lia for that con∣temning this tra∣dition of the aun∣cient they did baptise on the day of Epiphany.
• l 1.114

  They proued it out of the 44. of Ezechiel 2. as Hiero. sheweth in his comment vpon this place. Index biblicus in regijs biblijs vacabulo Maria multis scriptu∣rae locis signifi∣cari perpetuam virginitatem Mariae ostendit
• m 1.115

  Bellar. de sa∣cra. baptis. lib. 1. cap. 8.
• n 1.116

  We shall finde an vncertaintie touching the forme and words of forme of all those pretended Sacraments of mariage, penance vnction and con∣firmation: which in scripture are not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vn∣to vs as sacra∣ments.
• * 1.117

  o Canus lib. 3. c. 3. fundamen∣tum. 3.
• p 1.118

  L. 1. de sanct. beatit. & l. 2. c. 12. de sancto∣rum imagini∣bus probat te∣stimoniis scrip∣turae imagines esse colendas.
• q 1.119

  Lucae 2. 19.
• r 1.120

  Acts 20. 35
• s 1.121

  Panopl. l. 4. c. 20.
• t 1.122

  Tertul. Iraen. Arnobius, Pa∣pias, Lactanti∣us, &c.
• u 1.123

  Euseb. l. 3. c. 35. Pererius in Genesin l. 3. q. 5. ait errorem Chiliastarum quo multi ve∣terum fuerunt implicati ab Asiae presbyte∣ris esse prose∣minatum. Irae∣neus l. 3: ad∣vers. haereses c. 39. persuadere studet Chri∣stum dominum annos prope 50 in terris vixis∣se, idque pro∣bat vel eo po∣tissimum argu∣mento quod presbyteri Asiae Apostolorum discipuli id sibi ab Apostolis traditum docu∣erunt.
• x 1.124

  Tom. 3. tit. 7. c. 63.
• a 1.125

  Lib. 4. contra Donatistas, c. 23.
• b 1.126

  De traditio∣nibus, l. 3. c. 4.
• a 1.127

  Aug Hiero∣nym.
• a 1.128

  De lib. cano∣nicis, l. 3. fo. 287
• b 1.129

  In prologo Galiato.
• c 1.130

  Lib. Apocry∣phi appellan∣tur, non quòd habendi sint in aliqua auctori∣tate secreta, sed quia nulla testi∣ficationis luce de nescio quo secreto, nescio quorum prae∣sumptione pro∣lati sunt Aug. contra Faustum Ma∣nichaeum. l. 11. cap. 2.
• d 1.131

  Andrad. de lib. canonicis fol. 286.
• a 1.132

  Rom. 3. 1, 2.
• b 1.133

  Cont. Appi∣anum l. 1. Euse∣bius l. 3. c. 10
• c 1.134

  Prefat. in lib. Reg.
• d 1.135

  Damascen l. 4 orthodoxae fid. c. 18
• e 1.136

  Acts, 6. 1.
• f 1.137

  Glossa ordi∣natia &
• g 1.138

  Ly∣rani in eundem locum.
• h 1.139

  Iudaeus, Aqui∣la, Symachus, & Theodosion, Iudaizantes haeretici sunt recepti Hier. praef. in lib. Iobi.
• i 1.140

  Concilium Carth. 3. can. 47
• k 1.141

  Innocentius E•…•…uperio ep. 5. cap. ult.
• l 1.142

  Aug: Hieron. epist. 10.
• m 1.143

  De praedesti∣natione San∣ctorum. c. 14.
• n 1.144

  Bibliothecae sanctae. l. 1. pag. 20.
• * 1.145

  q In Synopsi.
• o 1.146

  Eusebius l. 4. cap. 25.
• p 1.147

  Eusebius 6. c. 24.
• r 1.148

  In prolog. ex∣planat. Psalmo∣rum.
• s 1.149

  De genuinis scripturae libris, & cygneorum carminum. lib: ad Seleucum de recta educatio∣ne.
• t 1.150

  4. Catechesi∣sion.
• u 1.151

  Contra Epi∣cur. haeres. 8. & de mensuris, & ponderibus.
• x 1.152

  In expositio∣ne Symboli.
• y 1.153

  In prolog. Galiato.
• z 1.154

  In Iob. li. 19. cap. 17.
• a 1.155

  Eusebius. li. 3. cap. 10.
• b 1.156

  De lib. Cano∣nicis, l. 3. pap: 289.
• c 1.157

  Praefatio in lib. Solom. Ep. Chromatium & Heliodorum.
• d 1.158

  In praefat. in lib. Iudeth,
• e 1.159

  Ponopliae li: 3. cap. 3. Si Ni∣cena Synodus olim hunc lu∣deth libr. cum alijs, in Cano∣nem redegerat, cur annis 80. post cam non recenset Lao∣dicena? cur Nazianz: eius non meminit? sed legitur computasse ait Hier. quod mihi dubitantis suspicionem subindica•…•…e vi∣detur.
• f 1.160

  Laodicense Conc lium manifestè con∣firmatum est à Synodo Trullan•…•…: Canus lib. 2. cap: 9.
• g 1.161

  Lib. 2. cap. 9.
• h 1.162

  Quod acta 6, Synodi parengrapha sint Alberti Pighij Diatribae.
• i 1.163

  Moral. lib. 19. in cap 29. Iobi 1. 17.
• k 1.164

  Lib. 4. cap. 18, Orthodoxae fidei.
• l 1.165

  Erudi∣tionis Didascalicae, lib. 4. cap. 2.
• m 1.166

  Exceptionum lib. 2. cap. 9.
• n 1.167

  De auctoritate veteris Testamenti, folio 25.
• o 1.168

  In praefat. in lib. Tobiae.
• p 1.169

  Prolog. in Ecclesiasticum.
• q 1.170

  In prolog. in Ecclesiasticum.
• r 1.171

  In summa theolo∣gica. 1, part. quaest. 89, art. 8. ad. 2.
• s 1.172

  Dialog. lib. 3. 1. tractatus part. 3. cap. 16.
• t 1.173

  Theoremat: 5.
• u 1.174

  Doctri∣nal. fidei, lib. 2. art. 2, cap. 22.
• x 1.175

  Lib. 19. cap. 19. in quaest. Armeniorum.
• y 1.176

  De Eccles. dog. lib. 1. cap. vlt.
• a 1.177

  Li. 2. c 9.
• b 1.178

  Lib. 12. cap. 6.
• c 1.179

  In catal. scrip∣tur. l. r. c, 4.
• d 1.180

  Biblioth. l. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. p. 19
• e 1.181

  In cat. scrip∣tur. lib. r. c. ult.
• f 1.182

  Lib. 2. cap. 32.
• g 1.183

  Lib. 2. cap. 9.
• h 1.184

  In epist. ad Dardanum de terra promissi∣onis.
• i 1.185

  Aug. li 2. cont epist. Gauden∣tij, c. 23. scrip∣turam quam appellant Mac∣cabaeorum, non habent Iudaei, si∣cut Legem, & Prophetas & Psalmos, qui∣bus Dominus testimonium perhibet ta•…•…∣quam testibus suis, Lucae 24. 4•…•…. Sixtus Bi∣bliothecae San∣ctae li. 1. de va∣ria partitione librorum ca∣nonicorum.
• k 1.186

  Euseb l. 7. c: 24
• l 1.187

  Heresi 51, 75.
• m 1.188

  De praescrip∣tionibus.
• n 1.189

  Lib. 4.
• o 1.190

  Lib. 1. cap. vlt.
• p 1.191

  Dialog. cum Triphone.
• q 1.192

  Conc. Anci ran. cap vlt.
• r 1.193

  Graecos qui Hier. teste, A∣pocalypsin non recipiebant, & paucos & ob∣scuros fuisse necesse est. Bellar: de vet bo Dei l 1. c. 19.
• s 1.194

  Canones A∣postolorum, can. 84. Tobi∣am, Iudeth, & E•…•…clesiasticum inter canoni∣cos non nume∣rant. Gelasius Papa cum con∣cilio 70, Epis∣coporum nul∣lam 2. Macca∣baeo•…•…um men∣tionem facit. Genebrard. in Chronolog. pag. 9 4. Esdrae ad canonem pertinere vult. Bellar. de verbo Dei, lib. 1. c. 20. vbi ostendit dubium esse qui•…•… multi sen∣•…•…erint de;, Es •…•…rae.
• t 1.195

  Caiet•…•…n: Lu∣ther.
• a 1.196

  Iunius in Bel∣lar. contro: 1. li. 2. art. 9.
• b 1.197

  In epist: ad Chilonem, ep. 181. in monte Carmelo seces∣su facto, Esdras omnes▪ diuinos libros ex man∣dato Dei eruc∣tauit.
• c 1.198

  Bellar. l. 2. c. 1. de verbo dei.
• d 1.199

  In prolog. Galeato.
• e 1.200

  In 9. Ezechi∣clis.
• f 1.201

  Epist. ignoto amico. 5. d.
• g 1.202

  Hugo de S. Victore erudit: theologicae in speculum ec∣clesiae de cele∣bratione missae cap. 7.
• h 1.203

  In Catal. Script. Eccles. de Matthaeo verba faciens.
• i 1.204

  In praef. Novi Test. Syriaci Trans.
• k 1.205

  Bellarm. l. 2. de verbo dei c. 4. Andrad. de lib. canon. l. 3. fol 320.
• l 1.206

  Euseb. l. 6. c. 13 l. 3. c, 33.
• m 1.207

  Guido Fa∣britius in praef. praedicta. The originall la∣tine text of Marke is said to be kept at Venice till this day.
• n 1.208

  Eadem praef.
• o 1.209

  Bellar. l. 2. de verb. Dei c. 4.
• a 1.210

  Bellar. l. 2. de verbo Dei c. 5: ostendit ali∣quos ita sensis∣se.
• b 1.211

  Epiphanius de mensuris & ponderibus.
• * 1.212

  f De doctrina Christiana, l. 2. c. 15.
• c 1.213

  Bellar: de ver∣bo Dei, l. 2. c. 6.
• d 1.214

  Iunius in Bellar: contro: 1. lib. 2. cap. 6.
• e 1.215

  Hiero: in Pen∣tateuchum Mosis praefat.
• * 1.216

  h Epiphanius de mensuris & ponderibus.
• g 1.217

  Aug. saepe ac saepius 72 pro∣phetas appel∣lat, et eodem quo prophetae, spiritu incitatos illa etiam scrip∣sisse, in quibus ab Hebraea ora∣tione dissenti∣unt, confirmat, Andrad. de vul∣gatae editionis auctoritate l. 4. fol. 355.
• i 1.218

  Hiero: ad Aug. ep. & prae∣fat. lib. Iob.
• k 1.219

  Epiphanius de mensuris & ponderibus.
• l 1.220

  Eusebius lib. 9. cap: 6: Hiero: in li. 16. comment. E∣saiae ad Eusto∣chium prooem: de illis verbis, sepulchrum pate•…•…s est gu•…•…ur eorum, ait non haberi in Hebraico, nec esse in 70 interpretibus, sed in editione vulgata, quae communis di∣citur, & in to∣to orbe diuersa est.
• m 1.221

  Hiero. in E∣pist. ad Suniam & Fretellam.
• n 1.222

  Epiphanius de mensuris & ponderibus. Eusebius lib. 6. cap, 16.
• a 1.223

  De doctrina Christiana lib. 2. cap. 11.
• b 1.224

  Ad Leandrum episcopum in expositionem beati Iob. epist. cap. 5. nouam translationem dissero, sed vt comprobatio∣nis causa exi∣git, nunc no∣uam nunc ve∣terem per testi∣monia assumo: Sedes apostoli∣ca vtraque vti∣tur.
• c 1.225

  In Esaiae cap. 49.
• d 1.226

  In a place a∣boue cited.
• e 1.227

  Bellar. li. 2. ca. 9. de verbo dei.
• f 1.228

  L. 2. c. 13.
• g 1.229

  Arrias Mon∣tanus de varia in Hebraicis lib. lectione, ac de Mazzoreth ratione et usu in Regiis Bi∣bliis.
• h 1.230

  Andrad. in his 4. booke intrea∣ting of the au∣thority of the vulgar translati∣on, sheweth his owne opinion, as also the iudge∣ment of Iohn Isaack, and Dri∣edo for the iu∣•…•…ification of the originalls.
• i 1.231

  Praefat. in Pa∣ralip. &c. scri∣bit: Si versio 70, integra ha∣beretur ut ab iis edita fuit, se frustra labora∣turum in Bi∣bliis transfe∣rendis.
• k 1.232

  In 2. & 8. cap. Esaiae, & 17: Ie∣remiae, aliaquia ante Christi adventum in∣terpretati sunt nequaquam percepisse, alia, ne gentis suae gloriam obscu∣rarent, noluisse sub Egyptio∣rum oculos subiicere. Andrad. l. 4. de∣fens. fid. Trid. Ibidem.
• a 1.233

  Aug. lib. 15. de ciuitate Dei cap: 13.
• b 1.234

  Ipsa prophetia quid aliud nisi â nostris puta∣retur conficta, si non inimico∣rum codicibus probaretur. I deo ne occi∣deris eos, ne ipsius entis nomen extin∣xeris, ne quan∣do obliuiscan∣tur legis tuae; disperge illos in virtute tua: Si enim in vno loco essent ter∣rarum, non adiuvarent testimon o praedicationem evangelij quae fructificat in toto orbe terrarum: ideo disperge illos in virtute tua, vt eius ipsius, cuius fuerunt negatores, persecutores, interfectores, vbique sint testes per legem, &c. Aug. Paulino epist. 59.
• c 1.235

  Lib. 4. desensionis fidei Tridentinae.
• d 1.236

  Lib. 2. de verbo Dei cap. 2.
• a 1.237

  Bibliothecae li: 7. haeres. 1.
• b 1.238

  Ad Suniam & Fritellam.
• c 1.239

  Lib. 2. cap. 7. de verbo dei.
• d 1.240

  Lib. 5. contra Marcionem.
• e 1.241

  In 1. Cor. 15.
• f 1.242

  In eundem locum.
• g 1.243

  De Orthodo∣xa fide l. 3. c. 12
• h 1.244

  Contra Iu∣daeos lib. 2. c. 8.
• * 1.245

  Li. 7. 32:
• i 1.246

  Exposi. in ep: Iohan: tracta∣tu, 6.
• k 1.247

  Lib. 1: loqui∣tur de latinis codicibus & in illis ait legi, di∣visa est mulier & virgo: quod quanquam ha∣beat suum sen∣sum, & à se quoque pro qualitate loci sic edissertum sit, tamen non esse apostolicae veritatis pro∣nunciat.
• l 1.248

  Lib: 2. contra Pelagianos.
• m 1.249

  Sixtus bibli∣othecae li. 1. de 2. ordine libro∣rum novi testa∣menti.
• n 1.250

  In their preface before the new testament tran∣slated by them.
• o 1.251

  In his anno∣tations vpon the seuerall places obiected by the R•…•…e∣mists.
• a 1.252

  Cameracensis in principio in primum sen∣tentiarum.
• a 1.253

  Contro 5. de potestate ec∣clesiae circa cultum religio∣nis quaest. 6. art. 1. in explicatio∣ne articuli.
• b 1.254

  De ima•…•…inib. Sanctorum l 2. cap. •…•…0.
• c 1.255

  Lib. 2. de pec∣catorum merit. & remiss. c. 26.
• d 1.256

  Damianus Agoes de mo∣ribus Aethiop.
• e 1.257

  Haeresi 30
• f 1.258

  Hier. in Hilar. vit.
• g 1.259

  Tob. 11.
• h 1.260

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 Sam. 16. 23.
• i 1.261

  Epist. lib. 3. in∣dict: 12. cap. 30. l. 7. indict. 1. cap. 34.
• k 1.262

  These were of∣ten accompanyed with miracvlous effects in those times, as appea∣reth by Gregory in the places ci∣ted.
• l 1.263

  Canon. 24.
• m 1.264

  Canon. 3.
• n 1.265

  Can: 28.
• o 1.266

  Lib. 5. & Va∣lerius Maxi∣mus lib. 1. ca. 1.
• a 1.267

  Math. 10. 28.
• b 1.268

  Gers. de vita spirituali ani∣mae lect. 4. Co∣rollar. 1. 2.
• a 1.269

  Quamvis peccet quis transgrediendo leges humanas, non tamen li∣gant conscien∣tiam: patet per simile de prae∣ceptis medico∣rum, quae despi∣cere quis non potest sine pec∣cato, & tamen non ligant conscientiam. Gers. de vita spirituali anim. lect. 4. corol. 5. ubi reprehen∣dit eos qui fulminant et tot condunt le∣ges, quot nun∣quam legere possumus.
• b 1.270

  Acts 4. 19.
• c 1.271

  Stapleton contro. 5. de potest. eccles. circa leges mor. quaest. 7. art. 2. in explic. art.
• d 1.272

  Gers. de au∣ferribilitate Papae conside∣rat. 8. aequali tenore quaeri∣tur observari lex humana, sive sit illa ca∣nonica, secula∣ris, vel ciuilis, quemadmo∣dum custodiri divinam absq: ulla variatione necesse est: in∣de venit illa Christi quae∣stio Math. 5. Ir∣rit•…•… fecistis mandatum Dei propter •…•…aditi∣ones vestras.
• a 1.273

  Bellar. 1. tom. contro. 5. l. 3. de laicis c. 11.
• b 1.274

  That which Bellarmine h•…•…th, that faultes and punish ments are relatiues, and that therefore none can subiect a man to punish∣ment but he that can binde him to the doing of that vnder paine of sin against God, for the no•…•… doing whereof he is pu∣nishable, is too childish a parologisme. For it is true, that faultes and punishments are relatiues, but proportionably: faultes against God and punishments inflicted by him: and faultes against men and the punishments, men are wont to inflict: Wee may therefore conclude; that wheresoeuer there is any punishment some fault w•…•…nt before: the reproofe that an vnskillfull Paynter is subiect v•…•…∣to is a punishment of his fault in paynting ill: but not of his sinne against God: for defects, in this kind are not breaches of his lawe.
• c 1.275

  De vita spi∣rituali animae: & in eodem lo∣co ait hanc fu∣isse querelam quam olim ad beatum Ber∣nardum detu∣lerunt quidam ex Monachis, & propter quam compes∣cendam scripsit volumen pul∣cherrimum de praecepto & dis∣pensatione: et idem de Viba∣no 5. inquit, quod gloriaba∣tur se Papa esse ob hanc causam praecipue quod nullis poenis excommunica∣tionum et irre∣gularitatum es∣set obnoxius, qui si dilexisset proximos sicut seipsum et hoc adver tisset, re∣laxasset fortas∣sis tot laqueos, tot onera, tot pe•…•…icula.
• d 1.276

  Scotus l. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. d. 40 q. 1. Quan∣tum ad caere∣monialia, lex nova est longè facilior quàm vetus, in quan∣tum à Christo data est: et in margine, Pon∣dera hoc con∣traprae sumptu∣osos Praelatos, slatuta in la∣queum damna∣tionis subdito∣rum quotidiè multiplicantes.
• e 1.277

  De vita spirit. animae lect. 2.