Credo ecclesiam sanctam Catholicam I beleeue the holy Catholike Church : the authoritie, vniuersalitie, and visibilitie of the church handled and discussed / by Edward Chaloner ...

SECT. IIII. The palpable abuse offered the Laytie, by obtruding the Church vnto them as their soueraigne Iudge, displayed by the present practice of the Iesuites.

NOw by this which hath beene alreadie spo∣ken touching the Church and the Pope, may appeare what sophistrie is currant in the Romish pale, and what legerdemayne, is practi∣sed in popish markets, whilest one thing is shewed and another sold, the Title of the Church being vsed but as a clowd, wherein they carrie poore people, whilest the mysterie of iniquitie more couertly workes; which being reuealed, it will appeare that a lay-papist (whose faith is lapt vp in the implicite beliefe of the Church) being defined, will proue no better, than a creature that beleeues hee knowes not what, and credits it hee knowes not why, resembling somewhat the patient which receiued this precipe of his physician.

q Si vis sanari de morbo nescio quali, Accipias herbam, qualem sed nescio vel quam, Ponas nescio vbi, sanabere nescio quande.

To make this the more palpable and euident to the sense, I will wade a little into the practicall part of this doctrine, and shew to what miserable shifts the learnedst of the Romish side are driuen, by vnder∣taking the defence of the Churches preeminency in matters of faith.

Imagine therefore, a poore papist thus tormen∣ted in his conscience. I am (saith hee) enioyned by

my Confessor, to ground my faith and beliefe vpon the authoritie of the Church. Now, woe is mee, what shall I doe? Our Masters which should bee lights to the blinde, and informe vs, which is that Church whereon we are to depend, they are distra∣cted in their opinions, one saith a Generall Coun∣cell, although without the Pope, another a Coun∣cell and the Pope together, a third that it is the Pope alone, and surely there is but one Truth, besides which can there possibly be (in so important a busi∣nesse as this is) hope of saluation? Yes (will r Bel∣larmine resolue you) for though it be hereticall not to beleeue the Church in grosse, yet is it not hereti∣call to mistake the acception of the Church, which is in effect to beleeue a false Church; for examples sake, To take a Generall Councell without the Pope for the infallible Church, inasmuch as wee see (saith hee) these tolerated by the Church which defend that opinion, although it be erronious and next to heresie. But alas (replyes the poore man) now that I am come so farre by your instructions, as to know that the Pope is the Church, which is a great deale far∣ther than many of my ghostly Fathers are come, yet because I perceiue a dissention amongst you, and that you which hold this Tenent are not agreed, when and in what matters, it is that the Pope can∣not erre, I finde my conscience but a little eased by your resolution. No matter for the Popes erring or not erring, will Bellarmine answer, for all Catholikes s (saith he) doe accord in this, that the Pope, whether he may erre or no, is yet to be heard with all obedience. But what comfort (will the man obiect) can this be

to me, that liue haply in England or Spaine, farre remote from Rome; It is the present Pope (you say) vpon whose iudgement I am to depend, whom I am neither able to heare, neither doth your t Cardinalship thinke it necessarie that hee should be a preacher to be heard. Tush (saith u Bellarmine) it is not materiall that you heare the Pope, when as there bee Preachers in your owne Parish who may in∣forme you. But (faith the man) there is no promise made, that whatsoeuer my Parochian teaches mee, is forth with the true and vndoubted doctrine of the Church, considering that he may erre and be decei∣ued. Nor haue you (will Bellarmine tell you) more assurance of the Popes word, if you and your whole Nation should trauaile to Rome to heare his resolu∣tion, x For asmuch as when he teacheth not the whole Church, he is in as much possibilitie to erre, as Inno∣cent the eighth was, when hee permitted the Norwe∣gians to celebrate the Eucharist without wine. What then is to bee done? y Greg. de Valentia in his third tome vpon Thom. 1. Disp. makes this answer, That if you finde but an Episcopall Synod, or the consent of diuers Diuines onely affirming such a doctrine to be the sentence of the Church, you are bound to beleeue it, though it bee a lye. But is it not a sinne (will the man reply) to beleeue a lye. z Gabriel Biel, and

a Tolet the Iesuite (to the end that we may see how both ancient and later Papists haue beene forced to the same streights) will answere, that if one heare his Bishop or Prelate preach contrarie to the Faith, thin∣king that it is so beleeued by the Church, such an one shall not onely not sinne, but also in beleeuing that falshood, shall commit an act meritorious.

It is no maruaile then if the Romanists boast so much of Visibilitie, considering that their faith is built fiue stories high; the Layties beliefe vpon his Pastor, the Pastors vpon the common opinion of neighbour Diuines, or an Episcopall Synod, that Episcopall Synod vpon the Church, the b Church vpon the Pope; and the Pope vpon Christ. Wherin how skilfull Artizans soeuer the Iesuites are in other Trades, I know not, surely in architecture they shew but little skil, hauing not prouided any thing to sup∣ply the roome of the Pope in the vacancie, so that for a yeare, and more, sometimes, the vpper stories must like Esops Towers bee seene to hang in the aire For howsoeuer c those which hold the supreame authoritie, to bee subiectiuely and formally in the Church, and instrumentally onely in the Pope, may supply the place of the dead Pope with a generall Councell, yet the Iesuites and others which with open cry, now adayes condemne this opinion as false and next to heresie, may be challenged of more folly, then d hee which built his house vpon the sand.

Notes

• q

  If thou woul∣dest bee cured of I know not what disease, thou must take an herbe I know not what, put it I know not where, and thou shalt bee cured I know not when.
• r

  Bellar. lib. 4. de Rom. Pont. c. 2. Non est haeretica, nam adhuc vide∣mus ab Eccle∣sia tollerari, qui illam sen∣tentiam se∣quuntur &c.
• s

  Bellar. ibid. Deinde omnes Catholici con∣ueniunt, Pon∣tificem solum, siue errare possit, siue nō, esse ab omni∣bus fidelibus obedienter audiendum.
• t

  Bellar. lib. 3. de verbo Dei, c. 5. § Si etiam intelligamus, &c.
• u

  Bellar. ibid. Nee enim po∣test Pontifex omnibus ho. minibus con∣cionari, nec est opus, cum sint in singulis Ec∣clesijs qui con∣cionentur.
• x

  Bellar. lib. 4. de Rom. Pont. c. 14. §. Qua∣dragessimus est Innocen∣tius octauus.
• y

  Valent. in Thom. tom. 3. disp. 1. quaest. 2. punct. 5. Nam vt infra quaest. 11. docebimus, quando{que} po∣test cōtingere, vt quis tenea∣tur conari ad eliciendum as∣sensum fidei supernaturalé, circaid cuius contrarium reipsa est verum. Vt si, Verbi gratia, Synodus Episcopalis, aut etiam communis consensus plurium Theologorum statueret aliquam propositio∣nem esse propositam ab Ecclesia vt de fide, atque adeo iuberetur quis praebere illi pro∣positioni assensum fidei; tunc talis teneretur conari ad eliciendum talem assensum ex praecepto fidei, & tamen cum Synodus Episcopalis & plures etiam Theologi errare possint, posset contingere &c.
• z

  Gab. lib. 3. dist. 25. q. vn. art. 1. Si quis ipse simplex & in eruditus audire praelatum suum praedicare aliquid contrarium fidei,—putans hoc a Praelato suo sic praedicatum esse creditum ab Ecclesia, talis non solum non pec∣caret, sed etiam sic credendo falsum, meretur.
• a

  Tollet. de instruct. Sacer∣dot. lib. 4. cap. 3 §. 7. Rursus si rusticus circa articulos cre∣dat suo Episco∣po proponen. ti aliquod dog∣ma haereticum, meretur in cre dendo, licet sit error; quia tenetur crede∣re, donec ei constet esse contra Eccle∣siam.
• b

  Bell. lib. 3. de Verbo Dei. c. 10. §. Respon∣deo ad hoc ar∣gumentum.
• c

  Vid. Bell. lib. 2. de concil. cap. 14.
• d

  Matth. 7. 26.