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.

Vntruth 29. Concerning the succession of Catholike Pastors.

T.W. After the Doctor hath Thrasonically boasted of the succession of the Protestants in his owne Church, he proceedeth further, affirming that the succession of the Pastors and Bi∣shops in the Church of Rome, hath beene interrupted, &c. Now the question here intended, is not of succession of doctrin, by which sleight, diuers of our Aduersaries vse to decline the testimonies of the ancient Fathers, alledged by vs for successi∣on, but onely of externall succession of Bishops and Pastors, &c.

Answ. 1. Few men are better able to discouer a Thraso then your selfe, being no meane artisan in this mysterie: and yet you are here mistaken, saying; Doctor White Thrasonically boasted, &c. For without any word or signe of ostentation, he onely affirmeth, That our Eng∣lish Bishops succeed lineally in their places, from the first Apo∣stles of our land: which is a matter more easie to be pro∣ued, then that Pope Paul now liuing, succeedeth Hilde∣brand or Gregorie the seuenth.

2. Where you say, that the question intended by Do∣ctor White, is not of succession of doctrine: his owne words reproue you, saying; Lineall succession is, when the persons succeed as well in doctrine as place. Page 412. and af∣ter againe; We do not deny but they haue a ranke of Bishops externally sitting one after another, but lawfull succession stands not herein. From whence it appeares, that Doctor

White speaketh of succession, as it is described by your Doctorso, and wherof there be two parts; one as it were the outward body; to wit, locall and lineall succession of person: the other is as the soule, or the animalizing part, to wit, the succession of doctrine. And surely you are dis∣posed, euen to proclaime your selfe a lyer, who terme it a sleight and euasion of the Protestants, to cal for true do∣ctrine in lawfull succession, seeing your selues make the same essentiallp in succession, and deny the Greeke churchq, which hath personall succession as wel as yours, to be a true Church, because of hereticall doctrine.

T. W. Doctor White denying, that the Roman Church hath externall succession of Bishops and Pastors, vttereth a malicious lye, and is controlled by his owne brethren: for the Centurists in the tenth Chapter of euery Century do elaborate∣ly set downe the particular succession of the Bishops of Rome, euen from Saint Peter to their owne time. Doctor Fulk in like manner saith; You can name the notable persons in all ages, in their gouernment and ministerie, and especially the succession of the Popes, &c.

Answ. 1. Doctor White speaketh of true and lawfull succession, and you produce testimonies out of Doctor Fulke and others, for succession in generall. 2. The Cen∣turistsr report the interruption of lawfull succession in your Roman Church, by schismes of Popes, and also the corrupt entrance of many Popes into the Papall throne; which argueth, that they iustified not your succession as lawfull, but onely for Storie, related the same such as it was. 3. You affirme, that the Centurists set downe the particular succession of Roman Bishops vntill their own age, whereas their work endeth in the 1300. yeare, which

was 250. yeares before their owne age: and within this time there haue hapned certain schismes, and ruptures of personall successions.

T. W. Caluin flatly denyeth succession to be found in his Church: So dangerously wounding himselfe with that sen∣tence of Augustine, The succession of Priests from the very seate of Peter, vntill this present Bishop, doth iustly hold me in the bosome of the Church.

Answ. Caluin in the place mentioned by you, onely saith; That God in our time raised vp Euangelists, whose cal∣ling was extraordinarie: but he affirmeth not in generall of all Protestant Bishops and Pastors, that they wanted externall ordination, neither intermedleth particularly with the Church of England, whose Bishops and Mini∣sters at the first had their outward ordination from the former Church.

2. Saint Augustinest testimony, who speaketh of suc∣cession when it was lawfull and incorrupt: of succession which had truth of doctrine ioyned with it: Begun with miracles, nourished with hope, increased by charity, confir∣med by antiquitie as well of doctrine as outward state, reach∣ing to the Apostles, woundeth not Maister Caluin: but sheweth how much you are degenerate, who are able at this day to shew no succession of bishops in your church agreeing to the description of Saint Augustine. And this Father in that very placeu, affirmeth; that manifest truth is to be preferred before succession, and all outward meanes, whereby he was holden in the Church; and therefore he maketh not personall succession principally or alone, a note of the Church.

T. W. Our vninterrupted succession is infallibly eui∣cted by our Aduersaries acknowledgment of the continuall

visiblenesse thereof, since the one doth reciprocally imply the other, &c.

Answ. Your visibility may proue some kind of outward succession, but it proueth not lawful succession, as appea∣reth by the Greeksx, whose Church hath alwaies beene visible, and yet according to your censure, their successi∣on is corrupt.

Notes

• o

  Hos contra Brent. l. 5. p. 233. Quando nos de successione glo∣riamur, de eo gloriamur quod 1. Episcoporum Catholicorum quorum loca tenemus, doctri∣nam successe∣rimus. Stapl. Rel. c. 1. q. 4. ar. 2. no tab. 1. Successio de qua agitur, nec locorum tantum est, nec personarum: sed etiam verae atque sanae do∣ctrinae successio. Et princip. doct. l. 13. c. 6. Gr. Val. to. 3. d. 1. q. 1. p. 7. §. 25. Bellar. de ec∣cles. l. 4. c. 8. Grets. def. Bellar. de verbo Dei, pag. 1720.
• p

  Successio per∣sonalis nulla est, vbi successio do∣ctrinae coniun∣cta non est. Stapl. l. 13. c. 6. princip. doctr.
• q

  Stapl. ib. Grae∣cae Ecclesiae, ab ipsis Apostolo∣rum fundamen∣tis, personarum successionem, demonstrate possunt.
• r

  Centur. 12. cap. 8. pag. 1189.
• s

  Reade part 1. chap. 3. paragr. 3 obseru. 2. prop. 2
• t

  Aug. to 6. cont epist. Manich. c. 4. Tenet authori∣tas, miraculis inchoata, spe nutrita, charitate aucta, vetustate firmata, &c.
• u

  Quae quidem (veritas) si tam manifesta mon∣stratur, vt in du∣bium, venire nō possit, praepo∣nenda est om∣nibus illis rebus quibus in ca∣tholica teneor.
• x

  Stapl. doctr. princip. l. 13. c. 6. Nec vbi adhuc durat talis per∣sonalis succes∣sio, catholicae tamen successioni, quicquam habere affine, aut simile: quia propter haereses quas tenent, & schisma quod faciunt, legitima illa successio non est.