A collection of the works of that holy man and profound divine, Thomas Iackson ... containing his comments upon the Apostles Creed, &c. : with the life of the author and an index annexed.

CAP. XXI.

The pretended Excellencie of the supposed Roman Rule, for composing Controversies, impeached by the frequencie of Heresies in the Primitive Church, and the imper∣fection of that Union, whereof since that time they so much boast.

1 BUt let us leave off skirmishing afar off and come a little nearer to the Point. You are content to joyn with us in This, That it hath been the Practise of Hereticks from time to time, to stand much upon the Authority of Scriptures; Then were not Luther and Calvin, the first, that ever made this Odious Comparison betwixt Gods Word and the Popes, Nay you will nor deny but this Practise of urging Scripture was most frequent, and the Truth most troubled hereby in the Primitive Church. If a man might ask

you, where was this your supposed Infallibilitie then? in the swadling-clouts or unborn? If then unborn, it is too young to make younger Brethren of all Congregations else; too young to cause Christian Kings and Emperours subject their Crowns unto your upstart Mitre: If then born, albeit but in its Infancie: yet such an Herculean Power, as you professe yours to be, which puts an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to all Christian mens thoughts in Points of Faith, (for to this purpose your Controversors cite that place of Scripture, as your Vulgar reads it, Verba Sapientum sunt tanquam clavi in altum fixi per Magistrorum con∣silium, conscripta & à Pastore Uno data; viz. the Pope, istis amplius Fili mi ne re∣quires) might in all congruitie have taken Hercules Motto for its Word, Cunarum labor est angues superasse mearum: though it had lain then sleeping in the Cra∣dle, yet might it, (were it such as you would make it) easily have crusht this Seed of Serpents in the very nest, wherein they bred, and not have suffer∣ed them to grow up to flying Dragons, to pester the World far and near with their deadlie poison.

2 I would have you here to consider this Incongruity well, which I must farther prosecute in the next Dispute. You plead the necessity of your Churches Infallibility for composing all Contentions and varietie of Opinions about Scripture-sense, and yet we evidently see (which you can∣not deny) that such bitter Contentions, and dangerous varieties of Opinions about Scripture-sense, were most rife, most eagerlie prosecuted, and main∣tained, when this Title of your Churches Infallibilitie (if it were just) might have been best known, and soonest assented unto. For * 1.1 sure, the Ancient Fathers who had learned Christian Obedience, alwayes ready to give honour, where honour was due, would most willingly have acknowledged, so ab∣solute a Soveraigntie, and could have been glad to have used the Benefits of it, to have spared themselves a great deal of trouble and pains, if it could have been proved then to have been such an excellent Mean, for allaying all Con∣tentions amongst the Learned. The Pope was much to blame, to let Athana∣suis suffer such pains, exile, and abuse by the Arian faction, in the defence of the Truth, if his Infallibilitie could have composed the Quarrel. Au∣stin hath been famous throughout all Generations since, for his learned Labours against the Pelagian Heresie; Cyril for his accurate Confutation of Nestorius, and yet the Scripture was the best Weapon they knew. Nei∣ther of them did ever appeal to the Popes Infallibilitie, not the Popes them∣selves which then lived would have used any other Rule but Scripture, for their own defence.

3 Your usuall Argumentis, that unlesse God had left such an infallible Au∣thority as might take up all Controversies; he had not sufficiently provided for his Church. Then, by your consent, he left such an Authority, as was sufficient to perform this good service to it. To whom then did he commit it? To the Sea of Rome say you. How chanceth it your fore-elders did not put it in practise,

and make the Power of it better known? This Blame you cannot lay 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Almighty; for he, for his part, (by your confession) provided abundant∣ly for the Peace and Quiet of his Church. And yet it seems the Church was ill provided for, when Schisms and Heresies sprung so fast. This therefore was your Churches fault, that bore this Spiritual Sword in vain and world not use it; when the Christian world stood most in need of it, for the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Decision of Controversies. So then although we should grant you that your Church had sometimes the Birth-right, amongst all the Israel of God: y•••• might we justly say of it, as old Israel said of Reuben his eldest son, Thy ••••∣nity is gone; and we were to seek this Supream Authority, (if God had gi∣ven any such Supremacy to any) in some other Tribe which were likely to use it better.

4 * 1.2 If you reply, your Churches Authority in composing Controversies amongst the learned hath been better known since that flourishing Ag•••• learned and religious Fathers; and since it hath been so well known and ac∣knowledged, Heresies have been more thin sown, then before; few or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 till Luther arose daring to confront the Church or Popes Authority, with Scripture:) You give us hereby just cause to suspect, that Heresie had get the upper hand of Truth, for the Multitude of followers; that there had been a general Combination in Falshood till Luther brake it. For if sundry 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Ancient Hereticks, with whose Doctrine the Primitive Church was pester•…•… could under pretence of Scripture, have got into Supream Authority; or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 established their Propositions, framed (as they thought out of Gods Word) with strength of Temporal Sword, as Mahomet did his: It were great Simplicity to think, that they could not have been content, to have let the Scriptures sleep, or have threatned all with Death and Destruction, that should have urged them to the prejudice of their Opinions, especially of such Opinions as did concern their Dignity For all Falshood and Spiritual Blindnesse hates this Light, and could either wish it put out, or them utterly extinct that Object it to them. As he that hath wound himself into anothers Inheritance by some quirk in Law or Captious clause not well understood, would not be much offended to have all Evidences of primary Copies either burnt or buried, even That by which he got it, if It, upon better Consideration or more indifferent hear∣ing, were likely to overthrow his Title.

5 And if we may guesse at the course of Satans Policy, in watching his Opportunities to effect his purpose by the customary fashion of secular Po∣liticians (his Schollars) in like Cases, most probable it is, that after these Bro••'s of Dissention about the Gospel of Peace so frequent in the Primitive Church, the great Calamities, and bodily Affliction which followed thereon; most men grew weary of their Spiritual Warfare, and became slothful in the search of Scriptures, the only Armory for all munition, in this kind of war. Every man afterwards, in the fresh memory of the Church their Mothers bleeding Wounds, and the Desolation which had ensued these furious Bro••'s, became more tractable to entertain conditions of Peace: and Satan himself, who had sown the seeds of all the former Dissention, after he saw all or most weary of war, was content to turn Peace-maker for his own advantage. These were as the first Preparations for laying the Foundations of the my••••∣cal * 1.3 ••abel, in whose erection, the Marner, Method, and Circumstances of

the formers dissolution are all inverted. The Building of the first was hinder∣ed by the Confusion of Tongues, or the Division of one Language into many; whence insued the scattering of the People throughout the earth: the second * 1.4 was finished by the Concourse of divers People, and the Composition or Confusion of different Languages. For (as * 1.5 Goropius acutely observes) the present temper of modern Italian, Spanish, French (we may adde of our En∣glish) Dialects, was from the mixture of the Roman and Barbarous Tongues whilest the natural inhabitants of these Countries, (before accustomed to the Roman Language) and the Barbarians which at that time over-ran them, were inforced to imitate each other in their words and manner of speech, that they might be the better understood in matters of † 1.6 necessary Commerce or ordinary Contracts. And this is the true reason why our Ancient English La∣tinisms are not as the Latin Graecisms, which were derived by Art and Imita∣tion from clear Helicon extracted from the purest Roman; but from Latin of the base and vulgar stamp. This Confusion of the Latin and other barbarous Tongues, was but a Type or picture of confounding the Ancient true Roman Religion with barbarous Heresies, Heathenish Rites, and several kinds of Pa∣ganisms; whilest the ‖ 1.7 Romans, who had already begun to distaste the Truth, a 1.8 sought by lying Legends and false Wonders, to please the grosse Pa∣late of the Goths, Vandals, Hunnes, Alans, Franks and Saxons: and they again here-with delighted were content to imitate the other in sundry sacred and religious Rites, so as neither kept their Ancient Religion, but all imbraced this mixture or new confused Masse. And, to speak properly, that Unity whereof the Adversary so much boasts, since that flourishing Age of Fathers, wherein Contentions were so rife, and the Roman Church no better esteem∣ed then some of her sisters, was not a Positive Consent in the sincere Truth, wrought by the Spirit of God, (as a perfect Homogeneal mixture by true and lively heat) but rather a bare Negation of actual Dissention, caused by a dull Confusion of the dregs of Errour, coagulate and congealed together by Ignorance, Carelesnesse Sloth, Negligence, and want of zeal to the Truth.

6 And after this Composal was once so wrought, that men had felt some intermission of publick Dissention which they feared most: such as were in∣dustrious in the search, or would have been expert in the Knowledge of Scri∣ptures, were esteemed of but as Souldiers in the time of Peace and ease, al∣wayes * 1.9 suspected lest they should raise new Broils; And for this reason, debar∣red of free accesse unto this Armory. But how soever the Practise of exami∣ning the Churches Authority by Scripture, was for many generations rare, till Luther arose; yet during all this time, that of our Apostle (Acts 14. 17.) was in this Case most true 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 GOD did not leave himself without a Witnesse. In all these ages he had his Martyrs who in the fervency of their Zeal earnestly sought the dissolution of the coagulated Masse and extraction of Celestial Quintessences therein buried; offering their Bodies as fuel to the flames of persecutions that were to effect it.

7 Nor can you in reason demand we should give particular Instances of * 1.10 such Martyrs in every Age. For no man of sense but will easily conceive that your Church would seek by all means possible to obliterate their Fame and Memory upon whose Bodies she had exercised such extream Tyranny, left their Example might encourage Posterity to like Resolutions. Unlesse DRIFDO had (unawares I think) acquainted me with the Provost of STE∣NELDA'S Epistle to S. BERNARD, I had not known either your Cruelty against the Albigence's (or Picards, as I suppose) or their Constancy, in suffer∣ing

Tortures in themselves most grievous, yet attended with Usages as dis∣graceful; both for the manner or form of Proceeding, as injuriously inflict∣ed, as the ground or matter of Accusations brought against them were unjust and impious. The Provosts Epistle was to this effect.

8 I would gladly be resolved (Holy Father) might I enjoy your presence, whence it is that in Hereticks, the Devils members, there should be so great Resolution for defence of their Heresies, as the like can scarce be found in very religious and faithful Christians. There are (saith he) amongst us, Hereticks which put no confidence in the Suffrages of men deceased, or Prayers of Saint: Fastings and other afflictions of the Body usually undertaken for Sin, are not in their Opinion * 1.11 necessary to the righteous: Purgatory after death they acknowledge none, Deny∣ing the making of our Lords Body in the Sacrament of the Altar; the Church they affirm to be amongst them, having neither fields nor possessions. Of such we have known divers, by the multitude, misled with too much zeal, violently haled agai•…•… our will unto the flame; whose Torments they not only indured with patience, but entertained with joy. I would therefore be resolved by you, (Holy Father) whence so great Resolution, in the Devils members, should spring.

9 No question but this Provost which esteemed no better of them, then as of Hereticks or Satans members, did relate the worst Opinions then known to be held by them: and yet, He (as I would have the Reader note living in their time, laies no such odious Tenents to their charge, as those that lived long after, or were imployed by the Romish State, to write against Wickliff, Husse or Jerome of Prage, have charged them and their followers with. Dri∣edo tels us, he finds no direct Answer by way of Epistle or writing unto this venerable mans demand in particular. But out of S. Bernards Doctrine else-where delivered concerning like Hereticks, he finds this Resolution, * 1.12 The Constancy of Martyrs hath no affinity with the Stubbornnesse of Hereticks; Pie∣tie breeds contempt of Death in the one, Hardnesse of heart in the other. Such good minded men as S. Bernard, I think had least to do in the Examination of such men, most obnoxious to mis-information in the particulars of their car∣riage: with which the Civil Magistrates of France, though Romish Catholicks, better acquainted, have given them laudable Testimonies for their honest and religious Lives: and whether these mentioned by that Provost were such, as S. Bernard spake against, in the place late cited, is more then Driedo knew. Howsoever, in matters of this nature it is most true, Bernardus non vidit om∣nia, being as easie in his life time to be abused by crafty Politicians, as his Au∣thority is now by modern Jesuites. He, that will believe these men were such Hereticks as Driedo would make them, only because Driedo sayes so, may ea∣sily be perswaded that their Resolution did not spring so much from true and lively Faith, as from Humorous Obstinacy or stubborn Pride. But while we consider all Circumstances well, (though many we take from your Re∣lation, who in this Case relate nothing so well, and truly as you should) we have just cause to think they were not Hereticks, but men rightly Religious, fearing God more then men, and more observant of his Laws then of hu∣mane

Traditions. For at this time, as the Glory, the temporal Power and Authority of your Church was exceeding Great, so were the Hopes of these poor souls, lesse, either of purchasing Glory by contradicting, or private Gains by disobeying your Decrees. To attempt the one was the readiest way to procure their utter Disgrace; the other, an infallible provocation of greatest Danger. Your Church had the whole Multitude of Nations as ready at her beck to applaud your cruel designs against them, as the High-Priests and El∣ders had the Jewish People to approve our Saviours Condemnation. The manner of their Tortures, accompanied with such certainty of Ignominy and Disgrace, were dreadful to the setled and deliberate cogitations of Flesh and Bloud; their Memory (for ought they could in human probability foresee) was either to sleep with their Bodies, and lie buried in their ashes, or (if sur∣viving them) to be perpetually scourged by the scurrilous pens and tongues of their bitter Adversaries. No hope they had of being Canonized for Saints: in the vehement desire whereof some in your Church have solicited the procurement of their own violent death, by others hands.

10 All these and many other like circumstances whiles we consider, ye may brag of the Multitude and Universality as a Note of the true Church, and we will easily grant you to have been at that time far more in number, then these silly Sheep; whose admirable Constancy neverthelesse in the heat of such extream Tyrannie, and alwayes matcht with such harmlesse Simplici∣ty, doth make us think, that albeit you were the greater, yet these were that little Flock unto whose hearts, our Saviour, by his holy Spirit of comfort had said, Fear not, for it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdom, lands and possessions (as your Adversaries truly object) here on earth, ye have had none. But the Losse is little, or rather your Gain exceeding great. For these, because these you have forsaken for the Gospels sake and mine, you shall re∣ceive lands and possessions an hundred fold with life everlasting in the world to come. These Hereticks, some of you (I imagin) would say, albeit they might pretend Scriptures for the Rule of Faith, yet would not be ruled by Scri∣ptures when they were evidently brought against them. For your evidence of Scripture, to prove these Points there mentioned, we know them well enough; for some of them you professe Tradition only.

Notes

• * 1.1

  That the Fa∣thers, if we take the li••e∣rall plain Grā∣matical Sense of their words, attribute as much to Scrip∣tures as we do, our adversaries cannot deny. May we not then safely think, they meant what their words naturally im∣port? No, Va∣lentian hath found out a Mystical Inter∣pretation of them. Tom. 3. disp. 1. qu••st. 1. punct. 7. paragr. 5. Quen admo∣dum quando uni Personae divinae al qua perfectio divinitatis absoluta tribuitur, intelligunt Theologi, ab ejus perfectionis communione creaturas tantum excludi, non autem Personas alias divinas quae sunt ejusdem naturae: Ita Sancti Patres sicubi Scripturae authoritatem solam ad fidei q••••stiones finiendas valere significant: Ecclesiae certè authoritatem, quam item pro divina habent, & quam ipsa nobis com∣mendat Scriptura, minimè excludunt, sed alia five testimonia, five argumenta, quae sint tantum humana. Nam si non ita intelligerent, profecto nunquam illi in controversiis fidei, ipsa per se authoritate Ecclesiasticae traditionis ad probandum ••••rentur. At utuntor ea ipsi frequentissimè & utendum esse docent. As the non consequence of this Collection, so how f••r the Fathers did urge the Churches Authority, how the most pregnant Speeches that can be found in any of their Writings must be •…•…∣ted, will easily appear, if we consider the Two former distinctions: The one between the Infallible Rule of Faith, and the Mems or Motives inducing us to Believe: The other between that Conditional Assent, which in Cases doubtfull we must give to the Vi∣•…•… Church, and that Absolute Belief, which is onely due unto Scriptures: The Fathers used the Churches Authority against He∣•…•…, as we do theirs against Novelists, not as a Rule whereby finally to examine or determine Divine Truths, but as a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to bridle presumptuous gainsaying Opinions generally received or supposed for true, by men of sincerity and skill in Divine Misteries.
• * 1.2

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉.
• * 1.3

  •…•… of the other differing but as the resolution of Quick-silver into •…•…. The City of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 likewise 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all God willing elsewhere appear) •…•…, the other the daughter, each evidents 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…) why the •…•… Rome with the name of •…•… Romish filthinesse.
• * 1.4

  Gen. 11. 7.
• * 1.5

  In the begin∣ning of his Hermathena.
• † 1.6

  The reason why our old English parti∣cipates most of Buttery-hatch-Latin.
• ‖ 1.7

  That such was the disposition of the Romans at that time, as would easily condescended to admit a mixture of Pa∣ganism, may ap∣pear out of S. Au••••ius •…•…st books de Civi∣tate Dei, and Salv••anus de providentia.
• a 1.8

  As may ap∣pear out of s••me works going under the name of Gregory the great, and Gregory of ••owers Hi∣story.
• * 1.9

  Our Church was in the Ro∣mish Synag••gue as a little porti∣on of sine Gold, in a great mass of D••osse, until the flames of Persecution se∣vered it and made it conspi∣euous.
• * 1.10

  The miserable and shameful Persecution of •…•…o.
• * 1.11

  Jam olim an∣te annos 400. Prapositus quidam vene∣randus Stenel∣densis interro∣pabat Deatum •…•… vellum inquit, ••••ite, Sancte pater, si p••••∣sens •…•… cis 〈◊〉〈◊〉 membris tanta fortitudo in sua haeresi, quanta vix reperitur etiam in valdè religiosis Christi fidelibus. •…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉, apud nos Haeretici, qui in sustragiis mortuorum & orationibus sanctorum non confidunt: (mark the •…•… ) •…•…mia caeteras{que} afflictiones quae pro peccatis fiunt, ajunt justis non esse necessaria: purgatorium ign•…•… concedunt: altari Corpus Christi sieri negant: Ecclesiam apud se esse dicunt, non habentes agros ne{que} •…•…. Novin us etiam ex istis nonnullos esse raptos à populis nimio zelo permotis, & nobis invitis in ignem patros & •…•…; qui tormentum ignis non solum in patientia, sed & cum laetitia introierunt. Vellem igitur scire, Sancte pater, unde in Diaboli memb it tanta fortitudo. Driedo Lib. 4. de Eccles. dog. & scrip. cap. 5.
• * 1.12

  Nihil simile haber con∣stantia Ma••∣tyrum, & per∣tinacia hare∣ticorum, quia in illis pietas, in istis duritia cordus con∣temptū mortis operatur. Bernardus Han. 66. in Canticum Can∣•…•….