The way to the true church wherein the principall motiues perswading according to Romanisme and questions touching the nature and authoritie of the church and scriptures, are familiarly disputed, and driuen to their issues, where, this day they sticke betweene the Papists and vs: contriued into an answer to a popish discourse concerning the rule of faith and the marks of the church. And published to admonish such as decline to papistrie of the weake and vncertaine grounds, whereupon they haue ventured their soules. Directed to all that seeke for resolution: and especially to his louing countrimen of Lancashire. By Iohn White minister of Gods word at Eccles. For the finding out of the matter and questions handled, there are three tables: two in the beginning, and one in the end of the booke.

Digression. 55. Shewing how vncertaine, and contrary, the Papists

are among themselues, touching the power of Priesthood in remitting sinnes; and concerning the first institution of Shrift, where it began.

4 The Iesuite alledging the words of Christ, mentioned Ioh. 20.22. to shew the necessitie of coming in by a lawfull cal∣ling: by the way glozeth two things vpon them, that deserue to be noted. First, that thereby the power to absolue from sins, was giuen the Apostles, & so consequently to all Priests. Which I will shew to be but a new opinion, and of no certaintie, that the reader may see the Church of Rome is not at one with her selfe touching the principallest points of her faith, and no man can be certaine of anie thing that the Iesuite saith: for these be his words, To the Apostles was giuen power to absolue from sinnes. But Fra. Victoriad saith, There be many Catholike authors, which to the power of Orders, do not simply attribute the remission of sins, or collation of grace, or any effect, truly spirituall, at all. For they say, mortall sinnes can neuer be forgiuen but by contrition, and that by the power of the keyes sinnes are neuer forgiuen, or the first grace conferred. Wherein he hath truly reported of many great and ancient Schoolemen. For so thoughte the Maister of Senten∣ces. And Maiorf saith, The sacrament of Penance doth no way blot out sinne, adding, that the Doctors hold this commonly.g Bo∣noniensis demaunding whether a Priest can remit sinne by the power of the keyes, answereth, that the keyes are taken three wayes. First for the principall authoritie simply; and so they belong to God onely. Next for authoritie, not simply principall, but precel∣lent, and so they belong to Iesus Christ onely. Thirdly for authoritie, neither principall, nor precellent, but ministeriall onely: and thus the Pope, and his successors haue the keyes, as Christ said to Peter, I will giue thee the keyes. By this ministeriall power he meanes the same that Peter Lombard, whō he alledgeth & followeth, doth,h who is now reiected for holding that the key worketh not any absolution from the sinne, but onely declareth the partie to be absolued. Buti most ancient Schoolemen follow him. Oc∣cham saith, I answer according to the Maister, that Priests bind and loose, because they declare men to be bound and loosed.

5 The which exposition, being the truth, as it ouerthroweth the present conceit holden touching the Priests absolution, that it is a iudiciall act, effecting grace, and iustifying a sinner, (whether contrite, or not contrite, that is not materiall to the Priests authoritie:) so it ineuitably destroyeth the Sacrament of Penance. For this supposed power to remit and retaine sinne, is the foundation of that Sacrament. For therefore it is beleeued to be a Sacrament, because the Scripture mentioneth the re∣mitting of sinnes by the power of the keyes; which power be∣ing no more but onely to declare them to be remitted by true contrition, without conferring anie grace to the partie, the Sa∣crament is destroyed for want of conferring grace properly: and so there is no argument in the Scripture that Penance is a Sacrament.

6 Againe, the Iesuite saith, that the Apostles had power to absolue from sin, and the people a commandement to confesse their sinnes, giuen in those words of Iohn: thereby affirming his sup∣posed Sacrament to be instituted by Christ, and in those verie words: wherein he falleth againe into the former difficulties, and worse. For in the 40. Section he said, the Protestants de∣nying Penance and Satisfaction to be needfull, go against that of Iohn Baptist, Do workes worthy of penance; and that of our Sauiour, Mat. 4. Do penance. Which cannot be so if Penance were not ordained before Christs resurrection: for howsoeuer he will thinke the deniall of Penance is against the Scripture, yet if it were not ordained till Christ was risen, he is debarred from saying we do against the words of Iohn Baptist, & Christ, Mat. 4. because those words command no Penance; or if they do, then it was not instituted in Iohn. 20. after Christs resurre∣ction. Let the Iesuite choose which he will.

7 The truth is, our aduersaries and the Church whereof they are, though they make much ado with this sacrament, be∣cause it is the net that taketh all their prouision, yet can they not tell either when or where it was instituted, or who com∣manded it. You heare what the Iesuite saith, that Christ did it in the 20. Chapter of S. Iohn: which is, I grant, the currant opi∣nion among the Iesuites, since the Councell of Trent, but in

former times it was not so, afore these men, the Paracelsians of the text, tooke it in hand. Now (k faith a late Frier) out of the Tridentine Councell, prouing the necessity of confession by disco••rse out of the authoritie of Iohn 20, we haue this to be the germane sence of that text. He saith, Now since the Tridentine Councell this is the sence, but before no such matter was beleeued. Nay contrary: for,l saith Angelus Clauasinus, a truer way (then by Iohn 20.) whereby it is proued that confession is de iure diuino, is this, that it must not be thought the Church and the Apostles would haue layed so dangerous a burden vpon men, if Christ had not giuen this precept to them, as he did concerning the other sacra∣ments, baptisme excepted, whereof it appeareth not when or how they were expresly ordained. Marke how he saith the 20. of Iohn, is not the best way to proue penance by, because the ordination thereof is no where expressed in the Scripture: that the Iesuites haue good reasonm to be contented with the testimonie of the Tridentine Councell, albeit they haue no other; and to feare lest, if the authoritie thereof be taken away, their whole Christian faith he called in question. For I assure the Reader, that afore this Councell, which was but fiftie yeares since, the sacrament of penance was neuer knowne where it was ordained, though as learned Papists had the matter in hammering as any were at Trent, as I will precisely make demonstration.

8 For one sort of them,n the Canonists especially, thinke it was taken vp by a custome or tradition of the Church, and not by any authoritie of the Scripture. And those Schoole-men also incline to this opinion,o that haue written how Christ ordai∣ned it not. The second opinion is, that it was ordained by God, and so is de iure diuino. But by what authoritie was it made knowne and propounded to vs?p Some say by tradition, with∣out any Scripture. Scotusq writeth, that either we must hold it to haue bene published by the Gospell: or if that be not sufficient, it must be said that it is a positiue law published by Christ to his Apo∣stles, & by thē to the Church, without any Scripture, as the Church holdeth many other things reuealed vnto her by word of mouth without all Scripture. And Peresiusr saith, the naked and cleare maner of this sacramentall institution, touching the substance and

circumstances thereof, standeth onely vpon diuine tradition, which the holy martyr Clemens reuealed, from the minde of Saint Peter, whom he dayly heard. But others say, it is contained in the Scrip∣ture, written: but they are not agreed where; and therefore let it be enquired where it is written? Some say in the old and new Testament both. For Galatinuss saith, the Iewes had confession. And Waldensist writeth, that Christ commanded it not, but con∣firmed and supplied the ancient custome thereof vsed in the old law. Neuerthelesse others denie this, and say, Christ appointed it in the new Testament. But in what place I maruell? The Iesuite followingu the Tridentine Councell, andx the Iesuites, saith, In the 20. of Iohn.y Others say the 16. and 18. of Matthew, when Christ gaue the keyes.z Others say at his last supper when he ordained the Eucharist.a Others, Luk. 6. and Mark. 3. when he created his Apostles.b Others thinke it was not ordai∣ned all at once, but by parts, and at seuerall times; the which opinion Victoriac thinketh the most probable: for he saith, the Doctors agree not touching the time when Christ gaue the keys: there is no certaintie, but onely that they had them. All this exclu∣deth the 20. of Iohn.

9 By all which the Reader may see what an vncertaine deuice the sacrament of Popish Penance is, whose institution cannot be found: and he may iudge to what small purpose the Iesuite alledgeth Scripture, when his owne side is so variable and vncertaine touching the same, and can agree vpon no Scripture in the present controuersie that should infallibly decide it among themselues.

§. 59. Or if it should please God to send any one in an extraordinary man∣ner, it appertaineth to his prouidence to furnish him with the gift of miracles, as he did our Sauiour Christ, or some such euident token, that it may be plainly knowne he is assuredly sent of God: otherwise the people should not be bound to beleeue him, but might without sinne reiect his doctrine and teaching, according as our Sauiour said of himselfe, Ioh. 10. Si non facio opera Patris mei, nolite credere mihi. And Ioh. 15. Si non fecissem opera in eis, quae ne∣mo alius fecit, peccatum non haberent. If I had not done workes among them, that no other hath done, they should not haue sinned: to wit, in not beleeuing. Nay, vnlesse there were some euident token of this extraordinary mission, (as there

is none such in these new men) the people should now, an ordinary course being set downe by our Sauiour, as I haue proued, sinne in beleeuing any that shall come and tell them that he is extraordinarily sent of God, if hee teach contrary to the doctrine that by ordinary Doctors and Pastors is vni∣uersally taught: though it should happen the liues of those Pastors should at any time not be so commendable, or be euidently bad: still remembring that saying of our Sauiour, Super Cathedram Mosis sederunt Scribae & Phari∣saei; omnia ergo quaecunque dixerint vobis, seruate & facite, secundum verò ope∣ra eorum nolite facere. Mat. 23.1. Considering that also of Saint Paul, Gal. 1. Si quis vobis euangelizauerit praeter id quod accepistis, anathema sit: Let him be accursed. So that since the people hath receiued from their ordinary Pastors that doctrine which hath descended by tradition, from hand to hand, from Christ and his Apostles themselues (according to that of Saint Austin, lib. 2. contra Iulian: Quod inuenerunt in Ecclesia tenuerunt, quod didicerunt docue∣runt, quod à patribus acceperunt, hoc filijs tradiderunt: That which they found in the Church, they held, &c.) whosoeuer he is that shall Euangelize any thing opposite to this, whether he seeme to be an Apostle or an Angell, and much more if he be another, to wit, one of these new men, who faile (to say no more) very much from Apostolike perfection, and Angelical puritie of life; according to Saint Paul, anathema sit: yea such a one as not onely bringeth not this Catholicke or generall receiued doctrine, but bringeth in a new and contrary doctrine, we should not according to Saint Iohn, Epist. 2. salute, or say once Aue to him: and much lesse should we giue credite to his words, or vse him as a rule of our faith, or preferre his teaching before the teaching of the Catholicke Church.

Notes

• d

  Relect 1. de potest. eccles. sect. 3.
• e

  Lib. 4. d. 18.
• f

  4 d. 14. q. 2. concl. 3.
• g

  Mich. Aygnā. Bonon. in Ps. 31
• h

  Mag. lib. 4. d. 18. Ouand. 4. d. 18. pro. 26.
• i

  Altisiod. part. 4. tract 6. cap. 8. q. 2. Alexand. part. 4. q. 80. m. 1 ad 3. Occh. 4. q 8. lit. q. Gabr. 4. d. 14. q. 2. lit. d. & n.
• k

  Ouand. 4. d. 16 pro. 15.
• l

  Verb. Confes∣sio. 2. n. 1.
• m

  Bellar. de effect. sacram. c. 25.
• n

  Glo. de poe∣nit. d. 5. in poe∣nitentia. Panor. omnes vtrius{que}. de poenit. & re∣miss.
• o

  Alexan. 4. q. 8. m 2 art. 1. & q. 17. m. 3. art. 2. Bonauent. quē refert Fr. Ouād. 4. d. 16. pro. 2.
• p

  Rosell. verb. confessio 2. n 1. Orbell. 4. d. 17. q 1.
• q

  4. d. 17. qu. 1. Idem Iansen. concord. c. 147.
• r

  De tradit. part. 3. consid. 3
• s

  De Arcan. l. 10 c. 3
• t

  Tom. 2. c. 140.
• u

  Sess 6. c. 14. & 14. c 1.
• x

  Bell. Suarez. Greg. Valent. Baron. in places where they han∣dle this question.
• y

  Antididagm. Colon. p. 108.
• z

  Dom. Soto. quem refert O∣uand. 4. d. 16. pro. 15.
• a

  Armachan. q. Armen. l 11. c. 14
• b

  Tho. 3. part. q. 84. part. 7. & Sent. 4. d. 22. q. 2 art. 3. ad. 3. §. Ad 3. quaestion.
• c

  Relect. 1. sect. 5. n. 10.