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

THE SECOND PART, Concerning the Authour of the Treatise of the grounds of the Olde and Nevv Religion, and such exceptions as haue beene taken by him against the former Bookes. (Book 2)

HAuing answered the frivolous objections of Master Higgons, I will leaue him; and passe from him to his friend and collegue, the Author of the Treatise of the grounds of the Olde and New Religion; who also is pleased in his idle discourses, to take some exceptiōs against that which I haue writtē. But because hee is a very obscure Author, & such a one as the world taketh little notice of, I will not much trouble my selfe about him, nor take so much pains in discouering his weak∣nesse, as I haue done in dismasking the new convert, a man, as it seemeth, of more esteeme. Yet that the world may see what goodly stuffe it is, that these namelesse and Apocryphall Booke-makers dayly vent amongst our seduced country∣men, I will briefly and cursorily take a view of all such passages ofhis Treatise as any way concerne me. Among•…•… which, the first that offereth it selfe to our view, is in his Preface to the Reader, a 1.1 where hee citeth with great allowance and approbation, that which I haue in my Epistle Dedicatory: That all men must carefully seeke out which is the true Church, that so they may embrace her communion, follow her directions, and rest in her judgement: but b 1.2 presently chargeth Mee, that in my fourth Booke fol∣lowing, I bereaue her of almost all such prerogatiues as I formerly yeelded vnto her; so that men may not safely follow her directions, nor rest in her judgement, in that I say, that Generall Councels may erre in matters of greatest consequence, and free the Church her selfe from errour, onely in certaine principall points and Articles of Chri∣stian Religion, and not generally in all. This is a bad beginning, being a most shamelesse vntruth. For in the places cited by him, I lay downe these propositions: First, that the Church including in it all faithfull ones since CHRIST appeared in the flesh, is ab∣solutely free from all errour and ignorance of diuine things. Secondly, that the Church including all those beleeuers that are, & hauebeene since the Apostles times, is simply free from all errour, though happily not from all ignorance. Thirdly, that the Church including onely the beleeuers liuing at one time in the world, is free not one∣ly frō error in such things as men are precisely bound expressely to know & beleeue, but frō pertinaciously erring in any thing that any way pertaineth to Christian faith and religion. Fourthly, that wee must simply and absolutely, without all doubt or

question follow the directions, and rest in the iudgment of the Church, in eyther of the two former senses. Fifthly, that we must listen to the determinations of the pre∣sent Church, as to the instructions of our Elders, and fatherly admonitions and directi∣ons: but not so as to the things contained in Scripture, or beleeued by the whole Vni∣uersal Church that hath bin euer since the Apostles times. Because, as Waldensis noteth, the Church, whose faith neuer faileth, is not any particular Church, as that of Africa, or Rome, but the Vniuersall Church: neyther that Vniuersall Church, which may bee gathered together in a generall Councell, which is found sometimes to haue erred, but that which dispersed through the world from the Baptisme of Iohn continueth to our times. Sixtly, that in the iudgment of a 1.3 Waldensis, the fathers successiuely are more cer∣taine iudges in matters of faith, then a generall Councell of Bishops, though it be in a sort the highest Court of the Church, as the Treatiser sayth. All these propositions are foūd in Waldensis, who wrote with good allowance of Pope Martin the Fift, and the whole consistory of Cardinals; so that the Treatiser cannot charge Me with any wrong offered to the Church, in bereauing her of her due prerogatiues, but he must condemn him also, and blame the Pope and his Cardinals for commending the writings of such a man to the world as good, profitable, and containing nothing contrary to the Catho∣like verity, that forgotte himselfe so farre as to bereaue the Church of almost all her prerogatiues: which he cannot doe, but he must condemne Vincentius Lyrinensts like∣wise, a man beyond all exception, who absolutely concurreth in iudgement with Wal∣densis touching these points: b 1.4 assuring vs, that the state of the present Church, at sometimes may be such, as that we must be forced to flye to the iudgment of Antiqui∣ty, if we desire to find any certaiue direction. A iudgement of right discerning, sayth c 1.5 Ockā, there is euer foūd in the Church, seeing there are alwaies some right-beleeuers; but a right iudgment of men, by their power of iurisdiction maintaining truth, & sup∣pressing error, may be wanting. Nay, that somtimes there was no such iudgmēt in the Church, it is most euident. For Vincentius Lyrinensis sayth, the Arian heresie infected not some part onely, but almost the whole Christian world, soe that almost all the Bishoppes of the Latine Church were misled by force or fraud. Yea d 1.6 Athana∣sius and Hierome report, that Liberius Bishoppe of ROME was carryed away in that tempestuous whirlewinde, and subscribed to heresie: soe that there was noe sette Tribunall on earth in those dayes, to the determinations whereof it was safe to stand.

§. 2.

IN the next place, the Treatiler chargeth Mee, that whereas Luther defendeth that in∣fants in Baptisme actually beleeue, I endeauour to wrest his words to habituall faith; which sence, he sayth Luthers discourses will not admit; and for proofe hereof refer∣reth the reader to certaine places in Luther, and to the positions of his followers: but as Festus sayd vnto Paul, e 1.7 thou hast appealed to Caesar, to Caesar shalt thou goe; so seeing this Treatiser referreth the Reader to Luthers discourses, and the doctrine of his Disciples, to these I will send him, which will turne greatly to the Treatisers disaduantage. For the reader cannot but finde by Luthers discourses, and the doctrine of his Schollers, that I haue rightly deliuered his opinion to bee, that infants are filled with habituall fayth when they are regenerate, and not that they haue any such acts of faith, or knowledge of God, as men of yeares haue. Let vs therefore heare what Luther himselfe will say: some men, saith f 1.8 hee, will obiect against that which I haue said tou∣ching the necessity of faith in such as are to receiue the Sacramērs with profit, that in∣fants haue no faith, nor apprehension of Gods mercies, & that therefore either faith is not so necessarily required to the due receiuing of the sacramēt, or that infants are Bap∣tised in vaine. Here I say, that which all say, that other mens faith, euen the faith of such as present thē to Baptisme, steedeth litle children. For as the word of God is mightie when the sound therof is heard, euen to the changing of the heart of a wicked man, which is no lesse vnapt to heare the voyce of God, & to listen vnto it, thē any litle babe;

so by the prayer of the Church, which out of faith (to which all thinges are possible) presenteth it to baptisme, the child is changed, cleansed and renued by the infusion of faith, or by faith, which is infused and powred into it. Thus doth Luther expresse his owne meaning touching this poynt. Now let vs heare what his followers will say. It was agreed vpon, saith g 1.9 Chemnitius, amongst the h 1.10 followers of Luther, that when we say infants beleeue or haue faith, wee must not imagine that they do vnder∣stand or feele the motions of faith. But their errour is rejected, who suppose that in∣fants baptized please God, and are saued without any operation or working of the ho∣ly spirit in them; whereas Christ pronounceth, that vnlesse a man bee borne a new of water and of the spirit, hee cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen. So that this is all that Luther and the rest meant, that children cannot be made partakers of those benefits that God offereth to men in Baptisme, nor inherit eternall life, by vertue of the faith of the Church, without some change wrought in them by the spirit, fitting them to be joyned to God, which change or alteration in them they call faith: not meaning to attribute vnto them an actuall apprehension of Gods mercies; for they constantly deny, that they feele any such motions of faith; but a kinde of habituall faith onely, there being nothing in faith, but such an act of beleeuing, as they deny; or the seede, roote, and habit, whence actual motions in due time do flow. With whom i 1.11 Cal∣vine agreeth; for whereas the Anabaptists obiect against him, defending that infants are capable of regeneration, that the Scripture mentioneth no regeneration but by the incorruptible seed of the word of God, which infants cannot heare: he answereth, that God by his diuine power may renue and change them by some other meanes. Second∣ly hee addeth, that it is not absurde to thinke, that God doth shine into the hearts of those infants, which in infancie hee calleth out of this world to himselfe, and that hee doth make himselfe knowne vnto them in some sorte; seeing they are presently after to be receiued and admitted to the cleare and open view, and sight of his glorious face and countenance, and yet saith, he will not rashly affirme that they are indued with the same faith, which wee finde in our selues, or that they haue knowledge like vnto that of faith. And in the next section, speaking more generally, and not restraining him∣selfe to such as die in infancy, hee saith, that they are Baptized into future repentance, and faith: which vertues though they bee not presently formed in them, yet a seede of either of them lieth hid in them. The Papists are distracted into contrary opinions touching this point: For some thinke that grace the roote of faith, and other vertues, is infused into children in Baptisme, but not faith; other, that not onely grace, but the habit of faith, hope, and charity is powred into them likewise; which opinion as more probable was admitted in the Councell of Vienna, and is embraced by vs as true. Wherefore let the Reader judge whether I haue wrested the words of Luther, or the Treatiser wronged Mee.

SECT. 3.

IN the third place, hee laboureth to demonstrate and proue, that there is a contradi∣ction * 1.12 betweene the reuerend Bishop of Lincolne, and Doctour Morton, & my selfe, touching the power of ordination, which that learned Bishoppe appropriateth vnto Bishops, and we communicate in some cases to Presbyters. But this silly obiection is easily answered, for his meaning is, that none but Bishoppes regularly may ordaine, which we confesse to be true; as likewise none but they onely may confirme the bap∣tized by imposition of hands; and yet thinke, that in case of necessity, Presbyters may performe both these things, though of ordinary right belonging to Bishops only.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Pag. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• b 1.2

  Pag. 5.
• a 1.3

  Doctrinal. fid. lib. 2. art. 2. cap. 19.
• b 1.4

  Contra H•…•…, nouat. cap. 6.
• c 1.5

  Dialog. lib. 5. part. 1. cap. 28.
• d 1.6

  Athanas. in Epist. ad solitar. vit. agent. Hier. in Catal. script. Ecclesiast. in Fortunatiano.
• e 1.7

  Act. 25. 1•…•….
• f 1.8

  De captiuit. Bab. cap. de baptismo.
• g 1.9

  Chem: in ex∣am: Conc: Tri∣dent: de Baptis. can: 13:
• h 1.10

  Form: con∣cord: inter The∣olog. Sax: & su∣perior. German.
• i 1.11

  Instit: li: 4: cap: 16: sect: 17: & 19:
• * 1.12

  Pag: 22: 23: