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The orthodox faith and vvay to the Church explaned and iustified in answer to a popish treatise, entituled, White died blacke; wherein T.W. p. in his triple accusation of D. White for impostures, vntruths, and absurd illations, is proued a trifler: and the present controuersies betweene vs and the Romanists are more fully deliuered and cleared. By Francis White Bachelour in Diuinitie, and elder brother of Doctor Iohn White.

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Title
The orthodox faith and vvay to the Church explaned and iustified in answer to a popish treatise, entituled, White died blacke; wherein T.W. p. in his triple accusation of D. White for impostures, vntruths, and absurd illations, is proued a trifler: and the present controuersies betweene vs and the Romanists are more fully deliuered and cleared. By Francis White Bachelour in Diuinitie, and elder brother of Doctor Iohn White.
Author
White, Francis, 1564?-1638.
Publication
London :: Printed by Richard Field for William Barret, and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the three Pigeons,
1617.
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Subject terms
Worthington, Thomas, 1549-1627. -- Whyte dyed black -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800.
Catholic Church -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800.
Cite this Item
"The orthodox faith and vvay to the Church explaned and iustified in answer to a popish treatise, entituled, White died blacke; wherein T.W. p. in his triple accusation of D. White for impostures, vntruths, and absurd illations, is proued a trifler: and the present controuersies betweene vs and the Romanists are more fully deliuered and cleared. By Francis White Bachelour in Diuinitie, and elder brother of Doctor Iohn White." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A15081.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 23, 2024.

Pages

Paragr. 6. Concerning vnitie of Papists, &c.

T. W. Maister White as well knowing the force of vnity in faith, seeing it is true that God is not the author of dissen∣tion, but of peace, goeth about to shew, that Papists enioy not any vnity and concord in their doctrine.

Answ. Vnity of faith in the primitiue articles, after they be once reuealed, is simply necessarie, necessitate medij, as a requisite meanes to saluation: and vnity in other ar∣ticles is needfull, in desire, necessitate finis, as a marke whereunto Christians must ayme, and come as neere as they can. Howsoeuer it is possible, that among holy

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mene difference of iudgment may be, without the maine breach of vnity in faith: neither is euery difference of o∣pinion a dissolution of vnityf.

T. W. If Maister White or any other man can proue, that Papists haue no vnitie in doctrine, it greatly aduantageth his cause.

Answ. Doctor White in his 24. Digression, hath pro∣ued this. 1. By the confession of some of your Doctors, charging the Schoolemen with as great discord as was a∣mong the Heatheng. 2. By particular examples of the aduerse and contradictious writing of your Doctors one against another, in sundry questions. 3. By your purging of former Papists workes, of such assertions as be repug∣nant to your moderne stile. In doing whereof, you haue not spared Thomash himselfe, the grand pillar of the Lateran Church.

Now in his answer to this matter of discord, 1. The priest omitteth such testimonies as are pregnant, and con∣cerne the principall and weighty articles. 2. He salues the former imputation of discord, saying; that the conten∣tions are in points scholasticke, and not defined by the Church.

But against this Apron of fig-leaues, I oppose the ex∣amples following.

1. These positions: The Pope cannot erre in his defini∣tiue sentence; and the contrary, The Pope may erre in his de∣finitiue sentence, containe a weighty article of Popery; and yet each of these positions, are contradictiously maintai∣ned by the Popish schoolei.

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The Church was builded on Peter, the Church is not builded on Peter but vpon the rock, are contradictiously maintainedk.

2. The Popes temporall authoritie ouer Kings & Mo∣narches; his dispensations & prohibitions about the oath of allegiance; his banning, bulling, binding, blading, suborning, and the rest, are more then scholasticall litiga∣tions. The falling and rising of the greatest powers in Is∣rael; the safetie or confusion of Common-wealths and States dependeth thereupon: and yet in this matter (be∣ing plainely determined by the written word of God, & by the tradition and vnanimous consent of the primitiue Church, and all Catholike Doctors in the world, vntill the age of Hildebrand, a famous incendiarie and roote of the galle and wormewood of rebellion in the Cleargie) both our homeborne and forreine Babylonians, are rent and diuided.

And omitting others, Maister Blackwell the Arch∣priest, and the scarlet roabed Iesuite haue lately beene in open conflict, concerning this question; and M. Briarlyl, washing his hands frō the powder treason, solemnly pro∣pugneth the royall authoritie against the priestly vsurpa∣tion: but in this assertion he is oppositem to D. Staple∣tonn, and sundry other English Priests, and also gainsay∣eth the most accomplished Doctors of the moderne Ro∣man Church, in Italy, Spaine, Germanyo, &c.

3. Our Aduersaries thwart and contradict each other, concerning the authoritie of the Church and Scriptures. Some, and those most respected, giue the precedency to the Roman Church; others preferre the Scripturep.

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Some Papists esteeme the originall texts of Scripture, and make them the authenticke-rule. But a great num∣ber exalt the Latine vulgar, &c.

Suarez, Henriquez, &c. maintaine the diuine adorati∣on of the Sacramentall Elementsq, but Stapletonr denies. And in the question of iustification, merit, satisfaction, freewill, &c. the discord betweene them is such, that some of their Tenets differ nothing from vs, but onely in termes and manner of speaking; but according to others, the difference is so wide, that it admitteth no reconcilia∣tion.

I omit your different Tenet concerning the concepti∣on of the virgine Marie, and touching reprobation, suffi∣cient grace, adoration of Images.

T. W. Against prayer in an vnknowne tongue, he alled∣geth Contarenuss, saying, The prayers which mē vnderstand not, want the fruit which they should reape. But what kind of Logicke is this, Prayer for some particular reasons, is better in a vulgar tongue then in a strange, ergo, it is absolutely vn∣lawfull in a strange tongue?

Answ. In stead of your conclusion, Therefore it is ab∣solutely vnlawfull, I pray you substitute Doctor Whites conclusion, which is, Therefore the same is vnlawfull, as it is commanded by the Roman Church: and the Au∣thors produced by him, will in good Logicke confirme his assertion: For thus I reason.

That forme of prayer is vnlawfull, which depriueth people of the fruite of their particular intention to God, and their owne edification. But prayer in an vnknowne tongue, prescribed by the Romane church, doth thus: Er∣go it is vnlawfull.

The maior proposition is Saint Pauls, 1. Cor. 14. as he

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is expounded by the primitiue Fathers, and by Haimo, Lira, &c. The assumption is vpon the matter, deliuered by Cardinall Contarenus, Caietan, Thomast, &c.

T. W. He bringeth in Thomas Aquine and Caietan affir∣ming, that it were better for the edification of the Church, if prayer were in a vulgar tongue: but what Catholicke denies this, if he haue onely respect to the edification and instruction of the hearers, and nothing else? But publike prayers are di∣rected to other ends.

Answ. 1. It is certaine, that Caietan opposeth the pra∣ctise of the Romane Church, because Catharinusu the Archbishop doth so grieuously censure him, saying; that the doctrine which his words imply, was inuented of Luther and the Diuell. 2. Thomas and Caietan, by edification, vn∣derstand not onely instruction, but also inflaming of the desire and affection vnto deuotion; and those prayers which haue both these effects, are more profitable then prayers in a strange tongue, wanting the same.

T. W. For the euacuating of the force and operation of con∣fession of sinnes, he bringeth in Caietan, saying; A man by contrition without any confession is made cleane, and a formall member of the Church.

Answ. D. White in this place speaketh not of euacua∣ting confession, but onely affirmeth, that Papists haue di∣uers opinions about the same, which is true. For some say, that it is onely an institution of the Churchx; others, it is not prescribed in holy scripture but by traditiony; others, it is of the law of nature; and others, that it was ordai∣ned in the old lawz. But if the institution thereof and pre∣cept

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of Goda, concerning the same be vncertaine, then the necessitie of a desire and purpose thereof to be inclu∣cluded in contrition, is vncertaine.

T. W. Touching iustification by workes, which according to our Catholike doctrine are to be done in the state of grace, and deriue their worth not from the worker, but from the pro∣mise of God, as also from the blood of our Sauiour, &c.

Ans. The learnedst of your Church deny, that works receiue dignitie from the promise of God, affirming it to be Catholike doctrine, that they haue their perfect value and dignity by their first production, before any promise of God be added vnto themb.

T. W. The seuerall opinions of (Roman) Catholikes, about secondarie questions of Transubstantiation, are onely points of indifferency, philosophicall questions disputed in the schooles, and by seuerall men, seuerally maintained without any breach of faith; whereas diuisions in doctrine among the Protestants are such, as do wound the soundnesse of faith.

Answ. Our Aduersaries are in extremities; for many times they will haue the smallest matter in religion an ar∣ticle of faith, to wit; That Tobias his dogge had a taylec, but at another time, great differences in maine questi∣ons of Theologie, are but scholasticall contentions. And thus it is verified of them, which Augustine saith of the Donatists, Quod volumus sanctum est, & quando volumus, &c. They make our differences in accessory points, fun∣damentall, and their owne in the same kind, accidentall.

But in their doctrine of Transubstantiation, there is a reall difference betweene the elder and moderne Papists.

The elder affirmed, that the flesh of Christ was made of

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the breadd; and the substance of bread and wine, were conuerted into the substance of the body and blood of Christe. And hereupon they called a Priest a Creator of his makerf. Yea, the Trident Councellg saith: There is a conuersion of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the body of Christ, &c. But the Iesuites affirme, that the bread is not made the body of Christ, and the conuer∣sion thereof into Christs body, is by way of adductionh, and not production.

But this opinion changeth the old definition of Tran∣substantiation, and in stead of a conuersion of one sub∣stance into another, bringeth in a translocation or position of one substance in the roome of anotheri, and conioy∣neth Christs body with the signes, but transubstantiates not the signes into his bodie.

2. The old Popish faith concerning the reall presence, was, that the body and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ, are verilie, and indeed handled and broken in the Priests hands, & ground or chewed in the teeth of the faithfulk, and not onely the Sacrament hereof: but Bellarmine de∣nies this faithl, saying; That attrition or grinding of Christs body in the teeth, is not necessary, but onely the taking thereof into the mouth, and swallowing it downe whole into the sto∣macke. And if they will colour Pope Nicholas his defini∣tion, saying with the Glossator, that his speech is figura∣tiue, they depart from their owne principles; who when we speak of admitting a figure in the Sacrament, exclude the same with all reproach, calling vs Tropists Sacramen∣taries, &c.

Notes

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