The second part of the dissuasive from popery in vindication of the first part, and further reproof and conviction of the Roman errors / by Jer. Taylor ...

SECTION VII.

The Vncharitableness of the Church of Rome in her judging of others.

4. THe next thing I charge upon them, is, That having done these things to propagate their new doctrines, and to suppress those which are more Ancient and Catholick; they are so implacably angry at all that dissent from them, that they not onely kill them (where they have power;) but damn them all, as far as their Sentence can prevail. If you be a Roman Catholick, let your life be what it will; their Sacrament of Penance is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it takes

away all their sins in a quarter of an hour: but if you differ from them, even in the least point they have de∣clar'd, you are not to be endur'd in this world, nor in the world to come. Indeed this is one of the insepa∣rable Characters of an Heretick; he sets his whole Communion and all his charity upon his article; For to be zealous in the Schism, that is the Characteristick of a good man, that's his note of Christianity: In all the rest he excuses you or tolerates you, provided you be a true believer; then you are one of the faith∣ful, a good man and a precious, you are of the Congre∣gation of the Saints, and one of the godly. All Soli∣fidians do thus; and all that do thus are Solifidians, the Church of Rome her self not excepted; for though in words she proclaims the possibility of keeping all the Commandments; yet she dispenses easier with him that breaks them all, than with him that speaks one word against any of her articles, though but the least; even the eating of fish, and forbidding flesh in Lent. So that it is faith they regard more than charity, a right belief more than a holy life; and for, this you shall be with them upon terms easie enough, provided you go not a hairs breadth from any thing of her belief. For if you do, they have provided for you two deaths and two fires, both inevitable and one Eternal. And this certainly is one of the greatest evils, of which the Church of Rome is guilty: For this in it self is the greatest and unworthiest Uncharitableness. But the procedure is of great use to their ends. For the great∣est part of Christians are those that cannot consider things leisurely and wisely, searching their bottoms, and discovering the causes, or foreseeing events, which are to come after; but are carried away by fear and hope, by affection and prepossession: and therefore the Roman Doctors are careful to govern them as they will be governed; If you dispute, you gain, it may be,

one, and lose five; but if ye threaten them with dam∣nation, you keep them in fetters; for they that are in fear of death,* 1.1 are all their life time in bondage (saith the Apostle:) and there is in the world nothing so potent as fear of the two deaths, which are the two arms and grapples of iron by which the Church of Rome takes and keeps her timorous, or consciencious, Proselytes. The easie Protestant calls upon you from Scripture, to do your duty, to build a holy life upon a holy Faith, the Faith of the Apostles, and first Di∣sciples of our Lord; he tells you, if you erre; and teaches you the truth; and if ye will obey, it is well; if not, he tells you of your sin, and that all sin deserves the wrath of God; but judges no man's person, much less any states of men. He knows that God's Judgments are righteous and true; but he knows also, that his Mercy absolves many persons, who, in his just Judgment were condemn'd: and if he had a warrant from God to say, that he should de∣stroy all the Papists, as Jonas had, concerning the Ninevites; yet he remembers that every Repen∣tance, if it be sincere, will do more, and prevail greater, and last longer, than God's anger will. Be∣sides these things, there is a strange spring, and se∣cret principle in every man's Understanding, that it is oftentimes turned about by such impulses, of which no man can give an account. But we all re∣member a most wonderful Instance of it, in the Dis∣putation between the two Reynolds's, John and Wil∣liam; the former of which being a Papist, and the later a Protestant, met, and disputed, with a purpose to confute, and to convert each other; and so they did: for those Arguments which were us'd, prevail'd ful∣ly against their adversary, and yet did not prevail with themselves. The Papist turned Protestant, and the Protestant became a Papist, and so remain'd to their

dying day.* 1.2 Of which some ingenious person gave a most handsome account, in an ex∣cellent Epigram, which for the verification of the story, I have set down in the Mar∣gent. But further yet, he considers the natural and re∣gular infirmities of mankind; and God considers them much more; he knows that in man there is nothing admirable but his ignorance, and weakness; his prejudice, and the infallible cer∣tainty of being deceiv'd in many things: he sees, that wicked men oftentimes know much more than many very good men; and that the Understanding is not of it self considerable in morality, and effects nothing in rewards and punishments: It is the will only that rules man, and can obey God. He sees and deplores it, that many men study hard, and understand little; that they dispute earnestly, and understand not one another at all; that affections creep so certainly, and mingle with their arguing, that the argument is lost, and nothing remains but the conflict of two adversaries affections; that a man is so willing, so easie, so ready to believe what makes for his Opinion, so hard to understand an argu∣ment against himself, that it is plain, it is the principle within, not the argument without, that determines him: He observes also that all the world (a few individuals ex∣cepted) are unalterably determin'd to the Religion of their Country, of their family, of their society; that there is never any considerable change made, but what is made by War and Empire, by Fear and Hope: He remembers that it is a rare thing, to see Jesuit of the Dominican Opinion; or a Dominican (untill of late) of the Je∣suit; but every order gives Laws to the Understand∣ing of their Novices, and they never change: He con∣siders

there is such ambiguity in words, by which all Law-givers express their meaning; that there is such abstruseness in mysteries of Religion, that some things are so much too high for us, that we cannot understand them rightly; and yet they are so sacred, and concern∣ing, that men will think they are bound to look into them, as far as they can; that it is no wonder if they quickly go too far, where no Understanding, if it were fitted for it, could go far enough: but in these things it will be hard not to be deceiv'd; since our words cannot rightly express those things; that there is such variety of humane Understandings, that mens Faces differ not so much as their Souls; and that if there were not so much difficulty in things, yet they could not but be variously apprehended by several men; and then considering that in twenty Opinions, it may be not one of them is true; nay, whereas Varro rec∣kon'd, that among the old Philosophers, there were 800 Opinions concerning the summum bonum, and yet not one of them hit the right: They see also that in all Religions, in all Societies, in all Families, and in all things, opinions differ; and since Opinions are too often begot by passion, by passions and violences they are kept; and every man is too apt to over-value his own Opinion; and out of a desire that every man should conform his judgment to his that teaches, men are apt to be earnest in their perswasion, and over-act the pro∣position; and from being true, as he supposes, he will think it profitable; and if you warm him either with confidence, or opposition, he quickly tells you, It is necessary; and as he loves those that think as he does, so he is ready to hate them that do not; and then secretly from wishing evil to him, he is apt to believe evil will come to him; and that it is just it should: and by this time, the Opinion is troublesome, and puts other men upon their guard against it; and then while

passion reigns, and reason is modest and patient, and talks not loud like a storm, Victory is more regarded than Truth, and men call God into the party, and his judgments are us'd for arguments, and the threatnings of the Scripture are snatched up in haste, and men throw arrows, fire-brands, and death, and by this time all the world is in an uproar. All this, and a thousand things more, the English Protestants considering, deny not their Communion to any Christian who desires it, and believes the Apostles Creed, and is of the Reli∣gion of the four first General Councils; they hope well of all that live well; they receive into their bo∣some, all true believers of what Church soever; and for them that erre, they instruct them, and then leave them to their liberty, to stand or fall before their own Master.

It was a famous saying of Stephen, the Great King of Poland; that God had reserved to himself three things. 1. To make something out of nothing. 2. To know future things, and all that shall be hereafter. 3. To have the rule over Consciences. It is this last, we say, the Church of Rome does arrogate and invade.

1. By imposing Articles, as necessary to salvation, which God never made so. Where hath God said; That it is necessary to salvation, that every humane Creature should be subject to the Roman Bishop?* 1.3 But the Church of Rome says it; and by that, at one blow, cuts off from Heaven, all the other Churches of the world, Greek, Armenian, Ethiopian, Russian, Prote∣stants: which is an Act so contrary to charity, to the hope and piety of Christians, so dishonourable to the Kingdom of Christ, so disparaging to the justice, to the wisdom and the goodness of God, as any thing which can be said. Where hath it been said, That it shall be a part of Christian Faith, To believe, that though the Fathers of the Church did Communicate

Infants, yet they did it without any opinion of neces∣ty? And yet the Church of Rome hath determin'd it, in one of her General Councils,* 1.4 as a thing, Sine Con∣troversiâ Credendum, to be believ'd without doubt, or dispute: It was indeed the first time that this was made a part of the Christian Religion; but then let all wise men take heed how they ask the Church of Rome; Where was this part of her Religion before the Council of Trent? for that's a secret: and, that this is a part of their Religion, I suppose will not be denied, when a General Council hath determin'd it to be a truth without controversie, and to be held according∣ly. Where hath God said, that those Churches that differ from the Roman Church in some propositions cannot conferre true Orders, nor appoint Ministers of the Gospel of Christ? and yet, Super totam materiam, the Church of Rome is so implacably angry, and impe∣rious with the Churches of the Protestants, that, if any English Priest turn to them, they re-ordain him; which yet themselves call sacrilegious, in case his for∣mer Ordination was valid; as it is impossible to prove it was not, there being neither in Scripture, nor Ca∣tholick tradition any Laws, Order, or Rule, touching our case in this particular. Where hath God said, that Penance is a Sacrament, or that without confession to a Priest, no man can be sav'd? If Christ did not institute it, how can it be necessary? and if he did institute it, yet the Church of Rome ought not to say, it is therefore necessary; for with them an Institution is not a Command, though Christ be the Institutor; and if Institution be equal to a Commandment, how then comes the Sacrament not to be administred in both kinds; when it is confessed, that in both kinds it was instituted?

2. The Church of Rome does so multiply Articles, that few of the Laity know the half of them, and yet

imposes them all under the same necessity; and if in any one of them, a man make a doubt he hath lost all Faith, and had as good be an Infidel; for the Chur∣che's Authority being the formal object of Faith, that is the only reason why any Article is to be believ'd; the reason is the same in all things else: and therefore you may no more deny any thing she says, than all she says; and an Infidel is as sure of Heaven, as any Chri∣stian is that calls in question any of the innumerable propositions, which with her are esteem'd de fide. Now if it be considered, that some of the Roman doctrines are a state of temptation to all the reason of man∣kind, as the doctrine of Transubstantiation; that some are at least of a supicious improbity, as worship of Ima∣ges, and of the consecrated Elements, and many o∣thers; some are of a nice and curious nature, as the doctrine of Merit, of Condignity and Congruity; some are perfectly of humane inventions, without ground of Scripture, or Tradition, as the formes of Ordina∣tion, Absolution, &c. When men see, that some things can never be believ'd heartily, and many not under∣stood fully, and more not remembred, or consider'd perfectly, and yet all impos'd upon the same necessity; and as good believe nothing, as not every thing; this way is apt to make men despise all Religion, or de∣spair of their own Salvation. The Church of Rome hath a remedy for this; and by a distinction under∣takes to save you harmless: you are not tied to believe all with an explicite Faith; it suffices that your Faith be implicite, or involved in the Faith of the Church; that is, if you believe that she says true in all things, you need inquire no further: So that by this means, the authority of their Church is made authentick, for that is the first and last of the design; and you are taught to be sav'd by the Faith of others; and a Faith is preached, that you have no need ever to look

after it; a Faith, of which you know nothing; but it matters not, as long as others do: but then it is also a Faith, which can never be the foundation of a good life; for upon ignorance, nothing that is good, can be built; no not so much as a blind obedience; for even blindly to obey, is built upon something, that you are bidden explicitely to believe; viz. the infallibility, or the authority of the Church: but upon an implicite Faith, you can no more establish a building, than you can number that which is not. Besides this, an implicite Faith in the Articles of the Church of Rome, is not sense; it is not Faith at all, that is not explicite; Faith comes by hearing, and not by not hearing: and the people of the Roman Church believe one proposition expli∣citely, that is, that their Church cannot erre; and then indeed, they are ready to believe any thing they tell them; but as yet they believe nothing but the infalli∣bility of their Guides: and to call that Faith, which is but a readiness, or disposition to have it, is like fil∣ling a man's belly with the meat he shall eat to morow night; an act of Understanding antedated. But when it is consider'd in it's own intrinsick nature and mean∣ing; it effects this proposition, that these things are indeed no objects of that Faith, by which we are to be sav'd (for it is strange, that men having the use of reason, should hope to be sav'd by the merit of a Faith that believes nothing, that knows nothing, that un∣derstands nothing) but that our Faith is completed in the essential notices of the Evangelical Covenant, in the propositions which every Christian man and woman is bound to know; and that the other propositions are but arts of Empire, and devices of Government; or the Scholastick confidence of Opinions; something to amuse consciences, and such by which the mystick persons may become more knowing and rever'd than their poor Parishioners.

3. The Church of Rome determines trifles and in∣considerable propositions, and adopts them into the family of faith; Of this nature are many things which the Popes determine in their chairs, and send them into the world as oracles. What a dangerous thing would it be esteem'd to any Roman Catholick, if he should dare to question, Whether the Consecration of the Bread and Wine be to be done by the prayer of the Priest, or by the mystick words of Hoc est corpus meum, said ove the Elements? For, that by the force of those words, said with right intention, the bread is trans∣substantiated,* 1.5 and made the body of Christ, Ecclesia Catholica magno consensu docet, said Bellarmine; so it is also in the Council of Florence, in the Instruction of the Armenians;* 1.6 so it is taught in the Catechism of the Council of Trent; so it is agreed by the Master of the Sentences and his Scholars; by Gratian, and the Lawyers; and so it is determin'd in the law it self, Cap. Cum Martha extr. de celebratione Missarum. And yet this is no certain thing; and not so agreeable to the spirituality of the Gospel, to suppose such a change made by the saying so many words. And therefore al∣though the Church does well in using all the words of Institution at the Consecration; for so they are care∣fully recited in the Liturgies of S. James, S. Clement, S. Basil, S. Chrysostom, S. Ambrose, the Anaphora of the Syrians,* 1.7 in the Universal Canon of the Ethiopians, on∣ly they do not do this so carefully in the Roman Missal, but leave out words very considerable, words which S. Luke, and S. Paul recite; viz. which is broken for you;* 1.8 or which is given for you: and to the words of Consecration of the Chalice, they add words which Christ did not speak in the Institution and Benediction; yet besides this generally the Greek Fathers, and divers of the Latine, do expressly teach, that the Consecration of the elements is made by the prayers of the Church,

recited by the Bishop or Priest: For the Scripture tells us, that Christ took the bread, he blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to them, saying, Take, eat. It is to be supposed that Christ consecrated it before he gave it to them; and yet if he did, all the Consecration was effected by his Benediction of it: And if (as the Romanists con∣tend) Christ gave the Sacrament of the Eucharist to the two Disciples at Emmaus, it is certain there is no record of any other Consecration, but by Christs blessing or praying over the elements. It is indeed possible that something more might be done than was set down, but nothing less; and therefore this Con∣secration was not done without the Benediction; and therefore Hoc est corpus meum alone cannot do it; at least there is no warrant for it in Christs Example. And when S. Peter in his Ministery did found and establish Churches, Orationum ordinem quibus oblata Deo sacrificia consecrantur à S. Petro primò fuisse in∣stitutum, said Isidore, Remigius, Hugo de S. Victore, and Alphonsus à Castro; S. Peter first instituted the order of Prayers by which the sacrifices offer'd to God were consecrated: and in the Liturgy of S. James, after the words of Institution are recited over the Elements, there is a Prayer of Consecration, O Lord, make this Bread to be the body of thy Christ, &c. Which words although Bellarmine troubles himself to answer, as Car∣dinal Bessarion did before him; yet we shall find his answers to no purpose; expounding the prayer to be onely a Confirmation, or an Amen to what was done be∣fore; for if that Consecration was made before that Prayer, how comes S. James to call it Bread after Con∣secration? And as weak are his other answers, saying, The Prayer means that God would make it so to us, not in it self: which although S. James hath nothing to warrant that Exposition; yet it is true upon ano∣ther account, that is, because the Bread becomes Christs

body onely to us, to them who communicate worthi∣ly; but never to the wicked, and it is not Christs body but in the using it, and that worthily too. And there∣fore his third Answer (which he uses first) is certainly the best; and that is the answer which Bessarion makes, That, for ought they know, the order of the words is chang'd; and that the Prayer should be set before, not after the words of Consecration. Against which, although it is sufficient to oppose, that, for ought they or we know, the order is not chang'd; for to this day, and always (so far as any record remains) the Greeks kept the same order of the words; and the Greek Fathers had their sentiment and doctrine agreeable to it. And as in S. James his Liturgy, so in the Missal said to be of S. Clement, the same order is observed; and after the words of the Institution or Declaration, God is invocated to send his Holy Spirit to make the obla∣tion to become the body and bloud of Christ. And in pursuance of this Justin Martyr calls it,* 1.9 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and Origen, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; Ad quorum preces Christi corpus sanguisque conficitur,* 1.10 said S. Hierom; and S. Austin calls the Sacrament, Prece mystica consecratum.* 1.11 But of this thing I have given an account in other places: The use I make of it now, is this; that the Church of Rome is not onely forward to decree things uncertain, or to take them for granted, which they can never prove; but when she is by chance or interest, or mistake faln upon a proposition, she will not endure any one to oppose it; and indeed, if she did suffer a change in this particular, not onely a great part of their Thomistical Theology would be found out to be sandy and inconsistent; but the whole doctrine of Transubstantiation would have no foundation. True it is, this is a new doctrine in the Church of Rome; for Amularius affirms that the Apostles did consecrate onely by Benediction; and Pope Innocent the third,

and Pope Innocent the fourth, taught that Christ did not consecrate by the words of Hoc est corpus meum: so that the doctrine is new; and yet I make no questi∣on, he that shall now say so, shall not be accounted a Ca∣tholick.

But the instances are many of this nature, not necessa∣ry to be enumerated, because they are notorious; and when the Quaestiones disputatae, as S. Thomas Aquinas calls a Volume of his Disputation, are (at least many of them) past into Catholick propositions, and become the general doctrine of their Church; they do not so much insist upon the nature of the propositions, as the securing of that authority by which they are taught. If any man dissent in the doctrine of Purgatory, or Concomitancy, and the half Communion, then pre∣sently Hannibal ad portas; they first kill him, and then damne him (as far as they can.) But in the great que∣stions of Predetermination, in which mans duty, and the force of laws, and the powers of choice, and the at∣tributes of God are deeply concerned, they differ in∣finitely, and yet they endure the difference, and keep the Communion. But if the heats and interests that are amongst them had happened to be imployed in this Instance; they would have made a dissent in these questions as damnable as any other. But the events of salvation and damnation (blessed be God) do not de∣pend upon the votes and sentences of men, but upon the price which God sets upon the propositions; and it would be considered, that there are some propositi∣ons in which men are confident and erre securely, which yet have greater influence upon the honour of God, or his dishonour, or upon good or bad life re∣spectively, than many others, in which the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 make more noise, and have less consideration. For these things they teach not, as the scribes, but as having authority; not as Doctors but as Lawgivers; which be∣cause

Christ onely is, the Apostles by the assistance of an infallible spirit did publish his Sanctions; but gave no laws of faith, but declar'd what Christ had made so; and S. Paul was careful to leave a note of diffe∣rence, with a. hoc dico ego, non Dominus: it follows that the Church of Rome does dominari fidei & con∣scientiis, make her self mistress of faith and consciences: which being the prerogative of God, it is part of his glory that he will not impart unto another. But this evil hath proceeded unto extremity, and armies have been raised to prove their propositions; and vast num∣bers of innocent persons have been put to the sword, and burnt in the fire, and expos'd to horrible torments, for denying any of their articles; and their Saints have been their Ensign bearers, particularly S. Dominick; and an office of torment and Inquisition is erected in their most zealous Countries. Nempe hoc est esse Christianum, this is the Roman manner of being Christian: And whom they can, and whom they cannot kill they excommu∣nicate, and curse, and say, they are damned. This is so contrary to the communion of Saints, and so express∣ly against the rule of the Apostle commanding us to receive them that are weak in faith, but not to receive them unto doubtful disputations; and so ruinous to the grace of charity, which hopes and speaks the best, and not absolutely the worst thing in the world; and so directly oppos'd to Christs precept, which commands▪ us, not to judge, that we be not judged; and is an ene∣my to publick peace, which is easily broken with them whom they think to be damned wretches; and is so forgetful of humane infirmity; and but little consi∣ders, that in so innumerable a company of old and new propositions, it is great odds but themselves are or may be deceiv'd; and lastly, it is so much against the very law of nature, which ever permits the Understanding free, though neither tongue nor hand; and leaves all

that to the Divine Judgement, which ought neither to be invaded nor antedated; that this evil doctrine and practice is not more easily reproved than it is per∣nicious and intolerable, and of all things in the world the most unlike the spirit of a Christian. I know that against this they have no answer to oppose, but to re∣criminate; and say that we in the Church of England do so; and hang their priests, and punish by fines and im∣prisonment their lay Proselytes. To which the answer need not be long, or to trouble the order of the dis∣course. For 1. we put none of their Laity to death for their opinion; which shews that it is not the Religion is persecuted, but some other evil appendix. 2. We do not put any of their Priests to death who is not a native of the Kingdoms; but those subjects who pass over hence, and receive orders abroad, and return with evil errands. 3. Neither were these so treated, until by the Pope our Princes were excommunicated, and the Subjects absolved from their duty to them, and incouraged to take up arms against them; and that the English Priests return'd with traiterous de∣sings, and that many conspiracies were discover'd. 4. And lastly, when much of the evil and just causes of fear did cease, the severity of procedure is taken off, and they have more liberty than hitherto they have deserv'd. Now if any of these things can be said by the Church of Rome in her defence, I am content she shall enjoy the benefit of her justification. For her rage extends to all, Laity as well as Clergy; forreign Clergy as well as Domestick, their own people and strangers, the open dissentients and the secretly suspected; those that are delated and those whom they can inquire of; and own that, which we disavow; and which if we did do, we should be reproved by our own sentences and publick profession to the contrary.

But now after all this, if it shall appear that the

danger is on the part of the Roman Church, and safety on our side, and yet that we in our censure of their doctrines are not so fierce, and in our fears of their final condition not so decretory and rash; then this doctrine of theirs against us, is both the more uncharitable, and the more unreasonable.

1. That the Church of Rome is infinitely confident they are in the right I easily believe, because they say they are; and they have causes but too many to create, or to occasion that confidence in them: for they never will consider concerning any of their Articles; their unlearned men not at all, their learned men only to con∣firm their own, and to confute their adversaries, whose arguments though never so convincing, they are bound to look upon as temptations, and to use them accord∣ingly; which thing (in case they can be in an error) may prove so like the sin against the Holy Ghost, as Milk is to Milk; if at least all conviction of error; and de∣monstrations of truth, be the effect and grace of the Spirit of God: which ought very warily to be consi∣der'd.

But this confidence is no argument of truth: for they telling their people, that they are bound to be∣lieve all that they teach with an assent, not equal to their proof of it, but much greater, even the greatest that can be; they tie them to believe it without rea∣son, or proof: for to believe more strongly than the argument inferrs, is to believe something without the argument; or at least to have some portions of Faith, which relies upon no argument; which if it be not effected by a supreme, and more infallible principle, can never be reasonable: but this they supply with telling them, that they cannot erre; and this very pro∣position it self, needing another supply (for why shall they believe this, more than any thing else, with an as∣sent greater than can be effected by their argument?)

they supply this also, with affrighting Homilies and noi∣ses of damnation. So that it is no wonder, that the Roman people are so confident; since it is not upon the strength of their argument, or cause (for they are taught to be confident beyond that) but it is upon the strength of passion, credulity, interest and fear, educa∣tion, and pretended authority: all which, As, we hope God will consider in passing his unerring sentence up∣on the poor mis-led people of the Roman Communi∣on; So, we also, considering their infirmity and our own, dare not enter into the secret of God's judge∣ment concerning all, or any of their persons; but pray for them, and offer to instruct them; we reprove their false doctrines, and use means to recall them from darkness, into some more light than there they see; but we pass no further; and we hope that this charity and modesty will not, (we are sure it ought not) be turn∣ed to our reproach, for this is the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that toleration of our erring Brethren,* 1.12 and long sufferance, which we have learn'd from God, and it ought to pro∣cure Repentance in them; and yet if it does not, we do but our duty, always remembring the words of the Great Apostle which he spake to the Church of Rome, Thou art inexcusable,* 1.13 O man, whosoever thou art, that judgest another; for in what thou judgest another, thou condemnest thy self; and we fear, and every man is bound to do so too, lest the same measure of judg∣ment we make to the errors of our Brother, be heap▪d up against our own, in case we fall into any. And the Church of Rome should do well to consider this; for she is not the less likely to erre, but much more for thinking she cannot erre; her very thinking and saying this thing, being her most Capital error, as I shall af∣terwards endeavour to make apparent. I remember that Paganinus Gaudentius, a Roman Gentleman, tells that Theódore Beza, being old, and coming into the

Camp of Henry the 4th. of France, was ask'd by some Whether he were sure that he followed the true Reli∣gion. He modestly answer'd, That he did daily pray to God, to direct him with his holy Spirit, and to give him a light from Heaven to guide him. Upon which answer, because they expounded it to be in Beza, un∣certainty, and irresolution, he says that may who heard him, took that hint, and became Roman Ca∣tholicks. It is strange it should be so, that one man's modesty should make another man bold; and that the looking upon a sound eye, should make another sore. But so it is; that in the Church of Rome, very ill use is made of our charity and modesty. However, I shall give a true account of the whole affair as it stands, and then leave it to be consider'd.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Heb. 2. 15.
• * 1.2

  Bella, inter geminos, plusquam civilia, fratres Traxerat ambiguus Religionis apex. Ille reformatae fidei pro partibus instat: Iste reformandam denegat esse fidem. Propositis causae rationibus; alter utrinque Concurrêre pares, & cecidêre pares. Quod fuit in votis, fratrem capit alter uterque: Quod fuit in fatis, perdit uterque fidem. Captivi gemini sine captivante fuerunt, Et victor victi transfuga castra petit. Quod genus hoc pugnae est, ubi victus gaudet uterque; Et tamen al••eruter••se su••erâsse dolet?
• * 1.3

  Extrav. de Ma∣jorit. & obe∣dien. Dicimus, definimus, pro∣nunciamus ab∣solutè necessa∣rium ad salu∣tem omni hu∣manae Creaturae subesse Roma∣no Pontifici.
• * 1.4

  Sess. 1. cap. 4
• * 1.5

  Lib. 1. de Sacr. Euchar. cap. 12. Sect. Est igitur.
• * 1.6

  Lib. 1. Sent. dist. 8.
• * 1.7

  Inter Evange∣listas quae omittuntur ab uno supplentur ab alio. Inno∣centius de offic.
• * 1.8

  Missae l. 3. c. 17.
• * 1.9

  Apol. 2. lib. 8. cont. Celsum.
• * 1.10

  Lib. 3. de Tri∣nit. c. 4.
• * 1.11

  Vide Divine instit. of the Office Mini∣steri••l, ••ect 7. Of the Real and Spi••. presence, Sect. 4.
• * 1.12

  Rom. 2. 4.
• * 1.13

  v. 1.