Anti-Mortonus or An apology in defence of the Church of Rome. Against the grand imposture of Doctor Thomas Morton, Bishop of Durham. Whereto is added in the chapter XXXIII. An answere to his late sermon printed, and preached before His Maiesty in the cathedrall church of the same citty..

CHAP. XLII. Doctor Mortons plea for his Protestant Church.

AS profuse as you haue bene in your in∣uectiues against the Church of Rome; so briefe and succinct you are in setting forth your Protestant Congregation, which affords you so litle matter of dis∣course, that coming to treat professedly of her(f) 1.1, you confine her praises, to lesse then a small leafe of paper. You commend her, for foure things: for great Extent; for the purity of her Do∣ctrine; for her freedome from Vice; and from Schisme.

SECT. I. The small extent of the Protestant Church proueth her not to be the Catholike Church.

VVHen first you began to appeare in the world, Luther complained(g) 1.2, that he was alone, that he

alone stood in the battaile forsaken of all, and holpen by none. The Centurists(h) 1.3 confesse, that your beginning was slender, and al∣most contemptible, Luther bearing the brunt of all the world. Then you boasted your selues to be the Pusillus Grex, which Christ speaketh of in the Ghospell(i) 1.4. But now, Luthers brood being increased, partly by his disciples, and partly by the ac∣cession of many new Sects sprung from him, & knowing that the Catholike Church, according to her name must be vniuersally spread throughout the whole world whersoe∣uer Christ is acknowledged, you haue thought best, to lay claime to all those Sectaries, and to shake hands with anciēt heretikes, that you may seeme to haue a Church of large ex∣tent. If (as Bellarmine(k) 1.5 aduertised our late Soueraigne) you draw into your Church all the Nestorians, Eutychians and other heretikes of the East, and South, of which I haue spoken, if all the Hussites, Lutherans Zuinglians, Suinkfel∣dians, Anabaptists, Confessionists, Caluinists, Brownists, Familians, Arians, Samosatens, and many other Sects, with are at this day in the Prouinces of Europe by you na∣med(l) 1.6, they will (I confesse) make a great rable of Secta∣ries, that are so farre from being one Church, that they ana∣thematize, and damne each other, to the very pit of hell(m) 1.7.

Againe, these sectes being confined, some to one, and all which here you claime as parts of the Protestāt Church, to a few Prouinces of Europe, (and yet those not wholly theirs) none of them, nor all of them togeather, can be the Catholike Church, for she (sayth S. Augustine(n) 1.8 must be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, secundum totum, that is, diffused through out the whole world, as well where these Sects are, as where they are not. The Catholike Church (sayth he(o) 1.9 hath this certaine marke, that she is knowne to all nations: the Sect of Donatus is vn∣knowne to many nations, and therfore that cannot be she. So like∣wise the sects of Luther, of Caluin, of Zuinglius &c. are vn∣knowne to many nations, and therfore no one of them, nor all of them togeather can be she. By this Argument Optatus proued the Donatists, (and by the same we proue Protestants) not to be the Catholike Church, because she

is not only in a corner of Africa, or in a few Prouinces of Europe, where they are, but in many other places of the world, where they are not. Which passage of Optatus ther∣fore I know not to what end you alleage(p) 1.10, vnlesse it be to proue your Church to be a Conuenticle of heretiks. The same Argument S. Augustine vseth(q) 1.11: The Catholike Church by the denine, and most certaine testimony of holy Scriptures, is desig∣ned to be in all nations. And therfore whatsouer is alleaged vnto vs, by them, that say, Heere is Christ, there is Christ, if we be his sheepe, we must rather heare the voyce of our Shepheard, who sayth, Belieue them not: for these are not to be found in many places, where she is; and she who is euery where, is also whersoeuer they are. This therfore euidently proueth the Roman Church to be the Catholike Church: for she is not only in England, Scotland, Den∣marke, Norway, Swedland, in a part of Germany, Polonia, Bohemia, Hungaria, France, Heluetia, and Ireland, which are all the Prouinces you cold name for the extent of your Church, but in the rest of the world, where you haue no footing: for her Communion hath place either wholly, or in part, in all the Nations of Europe, in the East, and West Indies, in the Philippines, in Iaponia, in Chyna, in Per∣sia, in all the islands of the Ocean, and Medeterranean, and in many of the South Sea, in Greece, Aegypt, in Aechiopia, Armenia, Assyria, and finally in all the foure parts of the world, whersoeuer the Christian name is acknowledged. And vntill you can shew your Protestant Congregation to haue the same extent, you must confesse, that she is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, not vniuersally spread ouer all the parts of the Earth, and therfore not the Catholike Church. Whosoeuer (sayth S. Augustine(r) 1.12 do so dissent from the Church, which is the body of Christ, that their communion is not with the whole whersoe∣uer diffused, but with themselues seuerally, in some part, it is manifest that they are not the Catholike Church.

SECT. II. Whether the Protestant Church be free from Error in Doctrine.

TO proue that your Church is free from Error in do∣ctrine, you say(s) 1.13: The greatest error you can impute vnto Protestants, is that they for their fayth immediatly depend vpon Christ Iesus, as the Head of the Catholike Church. In these words you seeme tacitly to insinuate, that we depend not immediatly vpon Iesus Christ, as the Head of the Catholike Church: which is an vntruth, that needeth no refutation. We impute not that to you, as your greatest Error, nor as any Error at all; we stedfastly belieue, that Iesus Christ is the only prin∣cipall immediat Head of the Catholike Church. But we impute to you, as an Error in fayth, that you belieue not the B. of Rome to be the Lieutenant, and Vicar of Christ, and vnder him the secondary, and ministeriall Head of the Catholike Church on earth. But this is not your only error in fayth: for you hold many other old condemned heresies; as with Simon Magus, that only fayth iustifieth: With Ac∣rius, you deny Purgatory, and prayer for the dead: With Iouinian you equall Mariage with Virginity, yea and pre∣ferre it, surpassing him therin. With Virgilantius, you deny inuocation of Saints, & all religious Veneration of their relikes. With Manichaeus, you deny free-will: With the Ico∣noclasts, you pull downe, and breake the Images of Christ and his Saints, and deny that honor is to be exhibited vn∣to them: With Berengarius, you deny Transubstantiation. All these (to omit that you reiect fiue of the Sacraments, & race out of the Canon of holy Scripture, diuers canonicall bookes) are heresies anciently condemned, and anathema∣tized by the whole Church of Christ. And if S. Augustine say(t) 1.14, that whosoeuer holdeth any one heresy, is not a Catholike Christian, and S. Athanasius(u) 1.15 that, whosoeuer holdeth not the Catholike fayth entire and inuiolate, cannot be saued; what may we thinke of them, that hold so many certaine and vndoubted

heresies? or what Christian hart can forbeare to compas∣sionate their estate?

SECT. III. Doctor Mortons pretended purity of Manners, in his Protestant Church.

TO proue that your Protestant Churches are free from Vice, you say(x) 1.16: The greatest Vice you can impute vnto Protestants, is, that they impugne the Popes indulgences, the nourse∣ries of all Vices. Your denying and impugning the Popes in∣dulgences, we reckon not among your Vices, but among your Errors against fayth. Of your Vices. I forbeare to speake: your owne men both abroad, as Luther, Caluin, Melancthon, Brentius, Bucer, Eberus, Wigandus, and di∣uers others; and at home M. Geffrey, M. Stubs both of them great Preachers, and the Puritans in their Milde defence haue done it for me. Reade them, and they will informe you, that, vnder the Papacy, men were religious, and giuen to the practise of good workes; but that the professors of your Ghospell relying on their iustification by only fayth, are become carelesse of good workes, disso∣lute, proud, enuious, malicious, disdainefull, couetous, ambitious; that your eyes ought to gush out with teares, to behold the misery of your supposed Church, the great ignorance, the superficiall worship of God, the fearfull blasphemies, and swearing in howses and streets, the dis∣honor of Superiors, the pride, cruelty, fornications, adulteries, drunken∣nesse, couetousnesse, Vsuries, and other like abhominations; that youth among you becomes daily lesse tractable, and more bold to commit those vices which in former times men of yeares knew not; that in∣stead of fasting you haue brought in bibbing, and banketing, and in∣steed of praying swearing. And finally, that you equall the Iewes in hypocrisy, the Turkes in impiety and the Tartars in iniquity. All this, and much more to the same effect, is the free confession of your Brethren, faithfully set downe in their owne words, in a late Treatise of the Protestant priuat spirit.(y) 1.17 And it is so strong an Argument against your pretended refor∣mation, that your learned brother Eberus sticketh not to

say(z) 1.18, that in regard of the enormous wickednesse of your Ministry, and Church, any man may iustly doubt, whether you be the true Church. And yet you blush not to say, that the greatest vice we can impute vnto Protestants, is, that they impugne the Popes indulgen∣ces, which you falsly call, the noursery of all Vices: for by this it appeares, that not the Popes indulgences, but your new Protestant Ghospell is the noursery of all Vices; and that in lieu of a reformation, which you pretend, calling your sel∣ues The reformed Churches, you haue made a deformation of the Church of Christ.

SECT. IV. That Protestants by Schisme haue diuided themselues from the Catholike Church.

TO proue that we censure your Protestant Church of Schisme, iniustly, you say(a) 1.19: The greatest schisme you can impute to the Churches of Protestants, is, that they wilbe diui∣ded from the Church of Rome, which proudly and impiously diuideth herselfe from all other Churches of the world. And a litle be∣fore(b) 1.20, you had taxed Bellarmine, for holding, that if those of the East were but only Schismatikes, by denying subiection to the Church of Rome, yet that alone without any suspicion of heresy, might be sufficient to conclude them in the state of damnation.

Two things may here be disputed: the one, whether schisme alone, without heresy, exclude men from saluation: the other, whether Protestants be Schismatikes. Concer∣ning the first, that Schismatikes though no way guilty of heresy, for the very fault of schisme alone, are incapable of saluation, is a thing so certaine, that no man that vnder∣standeth euen the ordinary principles of Diuinity, or is versed in the writings of the ancient Fathers, can be igno∣rant therof: for schisme being of it selfe, a diuision or separa∣tion from the Catholike Church, as it is impossible, that he who is out of the Catholike Church be saued; so it is, that a schismatike dying in schisme be saued. God (sayth S. Ire∣naeus

(c) 1.21 shall iudge those, that make schismes in the Church, ambi∣tious men, not hauing the honor of God before their eyes, but rather imbracing their owne interest, then the vnity of the Church; and for little, and light causes diuiding the great and glorious body of Christ &c. For in the end they cannot make any reformation so important, as the euill of the schisme is pernicious. S. Cyprian(d) 1.22: Do they that assemble themselues without the Church, thinke Christ to be with them in their assembly? Although they should be dragged to death for the confession of the name of Christ, yet this spot is not wash't away from them, with their bloud; the inexpiable and inexcusable crime of discord is not purged with death it selfe: he cannot be a Martyr, that is not in the Church. S. Chrysostome(e) 1.23: Nothing doth so much stirre vp the wrath of God, as the diuision of the Church. Although we should do innumerable good workes, if we diuide the Vnity and ful∣nesse of the Church, we shall be punished no lesse seuerely, then they who tore his (naturall) body. S. Augustine(f) 1.24: Whosoeuer is di∣uided from the Catholike Church, although he thinke himselfe to liue neuer so laudably, yet for this only crime, that he is diuided from the vnity of Christ, the wrath of God abideth on him. And speaking of Emeritus an hereticall Bishop(g) 1.25: He cannot haue saluation, but in the Catholike Church. Out of the Church, he may haue honor, he may haue Sacraments, he may haue the Ghospell, he may haue, and preach beliefe in the name of the Father, and the Sonne, and the holy Ghost; but saluation he can find no where, but in the Catholike Church. And againe(h) 1.26: Being out of the Church, and diuided from the heap of Vnity, though thou sholdest he burned aliue for the name of Christ, yet thou sholdest be punished with eternall death. S. Ful∣gentius(i) 1.27, Belieue this, as most certaine, and vndoubted, that no heretike, nor schismatike, though baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost, though he giue neuer so great almes, yea though he shed his bloud for the name of Christ, can possibly be saued.

It being now certaine, that a Schismatike dying in schis∣me, cannot be saued, the question is, whether Protestants be schismatikes. And certainly, if S. Augustine(k) 1.28 rightly concluded the Donatists to be schismatikes, because they had separated themselues from that Church, which was spread ouer the whole earth, his Argument hath the same

force against Protestants: for if (as he hath taught) the Ca∣tholike Church is vniuersally spread ouer the whole earth, and therby, as by an vndoubted marke, is knowne, and distin∣guished from all other congregations; it followeth by ine∣uitable consequence, that the Roman Church (and none els but she) being vniuersally spread ouer the world, as well in Europe, where Protestants are, as in all other parts of the world, where they are not, either she is the Catholike Church, or els that there is no Catholike Church on earth. And therfore with great reason all antiquity hath held the Roman Church, and the Catholike Church to be termes conuertible, and that whosoeuer is diuided from her, is a schismatike, and incapable of saluation. The testimonies of the ancient Fathers in this behalfe I haue copiously allea∣ged in the first Chapter of this Apology, which to repeate heere, were actum agere.

And this sheweth, how falsly you slander the Roman Church, with diuiding herselfe proudly, and impiously from all o∣ther Churches of the world. S. Augustine said to the Donatists,(l) 1.29 that with sacrilegious fury they had separated themselues from the Chaire of S. Peter: and I wish the same might not be truly said of you: That Church, when you began, was, and still is, and shall euer be spread ouer all the world where Christ is knowne. You first liued in her, and afterwards diuided your selues from her, as all Heretikes haue done, she (sayth S. Augustine)(m) 1.30 remaining still in her roote, in her Vine, in her charity. From hence it is, that the same Father hauing recko∣ned by name all the Popes from S. Peter to Anastasius, who was then B. of Rome, compareth that Church to a Vine, and the Donatists, to branches cut off from her, as you like∣wise are. Wherfore as he said to them(n) 1.31, so we say to you: Come brethren, if you please, that you may be ingrafted into the Vine. It is a griefe toys, to see you lye so cut off. Number the Priests from the very seat of Peter &c. That is the Rock, which the proud gates of hell ouercome not. And you must remember, that the same S. Augustine is he, that said(o) 1.32, A branch cut off from the Vine, is fit for nothing but the fire.

Notes

• (f) 1.1

  Pag. 341.
• (g) 1.2

  Pref. in 1. tom & cont. Reg. Augl. fol. 497.
• (h) 1.3

  Sleid. praef. hist.
• (i) 1.4

  Luc. 12.31.
• (k) 1.5

  Cap. 14. Apolog.
• (l) 1.6

  Pag. 341.
• (m) 1.7

  See Coc∣cius to. 1. l. 8. art. 7.8.9.10.
• (n) 1.8

  Ep. 170. ad Seuer. & cont. Gaud. l. 3. c. 1.
• (o) 1.9

  Cont Lit. Petil. l. 2. c. 104.
• (p) 1.10

  Pag. 342.
• (q) 1.11

  De vnit. Eccles. c. 20.
• (r) 1.12

  Ibid. c. 4.
• (s) 1.13

  Pag. 342.
• (t) 1.14

  De haeres. fin.
• (u) 1.15

  In Symbo∣lo.
• (x) 1.16

  Pag. 342.
• (y) 1.17

  Chap. 9. sect. 8. subdi∣uis. 4.
• (z) 1.18

  Praefat. Comment. Philip. in Ep. ad Cor.
• (a) 1.19

  Pag. 341.
• (b) 1.20

  Pag. 340.
• (c) 1.21

  L. 4. c. 62.
• (d) 1.22

  L de Vni∣tate Eccles.
• (e) 1.23

  In Ep. ad Ephes Hom. 11.
• (f) 1.24

  Ep. 152. ad popul. factio. Donat.
• (g) 1.25

  Serm su∣per gest. cum Emer.
• (h) 1.26

  Ep. 204.
• (i) 1.27

  Dofide ad Pet. c. 39.
• (k) 1.28

  Ep. 170. & cont. Gau∣den. l. 3. c. 1. & cont. lit. Peti. l. 1. c. 104.
• (l) 1.29

  L. 2. cont. lit. Petil. c. 52.
• (m) 1.30

  De Symb. ad Catechum. l. 1. c. 6.
• (n) 1.31

  Psal. cont. part. Donat.
• (o) 1.32

  Tract. 8•• in Ioan.