A LEGACY left to PROTESTANTS, Containing Eighteen Controversies, viz. 1. Of the Holy Scriptures. 2. Of Christ's Catholic Church, etc. 3. Of the Bishop and Church of Rome, 4. Of Traditions needful, etc. DOWA, Printed 1654. To the Reader. THese ensuing Controversies were found in a learned man's study dead nine years since, and commended to the care of a Friend, who died soon after him; or otherwise they had been printed long since with the foresaid Title, by the Author himself, prefixed u● to them: desiring not to have his name or any dedication added unto them, but this, That many learned Friends had read and approved them, & that he hearty wished they might help to convert unto the true faith of Christ's Catholic Church, such Protestants as should read them, which I wish also: his Friend, Whilst he lived, T. B. A Table of the several Controversies. 1. OF the Holy Scriptures, pag. 1. 2. Of Christ's Catholic Church in general, not colourably now among Christians, the first part, pag. 14. The second part, pag. 30. 3. Of the Bishop and Church of Rome pag. 48 4. Of Traditions needfully added into the Canon of Scripture pag. 69 5. Of Protestancy begun here in England under Queen Elizabeth. pag. 82 6. Of the holy Eucharist, pag. 92 First part concerning our Saviour's real presence therein, ib. Second part, pag. 101 7. Of honouring Saints and praying to them, pag. 109 8. Of reverencing of Saints Relics, pag. 116 9 Of holy Images kept and honoured by us, pag. 120 10. Of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead, pag. 131 11. Of Sacramental Confession, pag. 135 12. Concerning the number and effects of Sacraments, pag. 145 13. Of , pag. 157 14. Of Calvin's Solifidian Justice, pag. 16● 15. Concerning the merit of good Works, pag. 169 16. About the possibility of keeping Gods Commandments, pag. 177 17. Of Feasts and Fasts Apostolically ordained, and neglected both by English Calvinists and Independents, pag. 183 18. Concerning praedestination, pag. 191 THE First Controversy, Of the holy Scriptures. WHerein our Adversaries do notoriously wrong us, and make simple people believe that we, Catholics, yield no more authority to sacred Writings, than our Church alloweth them: Whereas we firmly believe them to have been inspired by God, and therefore attribute a divine and infallible authority unto them, when they are sufficiently declared to be such, and truly Expounded unto us. For without the former condition, to wit, an undoubted knowledge of them, no man can securely rely on any doctrine contained in them; and without the latter condition of being rightly understood, all Heresies have been formerly, and may now also be drawn perniciously from them: So as about these two points, our Adversaries and we chief, and indeed only differ. They (for example) Calvinists especially, for a certain knowledge of them, rely upon-their own private Spirit, and an imaginary light shining to all faithful Readers of them; no less clearly distinguishing true Scriptures from false, then light by our eyes from darkness is discernible by us: which internal light is a mere Chimaera, (say we, and other great Protestants with us) by Calvin purposely devised, to accept or reject what Scriptures he liked, and interpret them as he pleased, without any authority to control him: which is (as St. Austin told Faustus his Manichean Lib. contra ●um 13. c. 5 Adversary) to take away all authority both of Church and Scripture, licensing every man to believe what he lifts. Whereas we Catholics, for a certain knowledge of true Scriptures rely upon the exterior and infallible testimony of Christ's Church, by himself warranted unto us, when he commanded us to hear and obey, such as he appointed therein to govern and guide us, no less than himself. And whereas Calvin deemeth it a thing very inconvenient, and against the Majesty of Scripture, to be subjected to men's judgements about declaring the sacred authority thereof: we say no, and prove it to be no more inconvenient for Scriptures then for other points of Faith to be made known by the Church's testimony unto us. And if the holy Scriptures have been written by men divinly inspired, and guided in the penning of them, (as assuredly they have been) why may they not also by men assisted by the holy Ghost be made known infallibly unto us? especially since they cannot give testimony of themselves (as Hooker and other chief Protestants Lib. 2. sect. 14. Lib. 2. sect. 4, & 7. Lib. 3. s●ct. 8. have proved) because if part of Scripture should give credit to the rest, that very part might be doubted of likewise: Unless, besides Scripture there were something els● that might assure us, which he acknowledgeth to be the authority of Christ's Church: Insomuch as Egidius Hunnius a chief Colloquio Ratisbonen si. Lutheran Divine, and sixteen others with him at Ratisbone, before sundry Princes of Germany, were by Gretzerus and Tanner, Catholic Divines, enforced to admit the Church's testimony, and historical tradition (as they c●lled it) altogether needful for an undoubted knowledge of Scripture; as heretofore many forged Scriptures have been rejected and others approved by it: Albeit they proceed not conformably therein, by not admiting into their Canon all Books and parts of Scripture so approved. For if the Church's testimony be false in declaring some Books, surely it cannot be certain in declaring others, and so we can receive no infallible assurance from her. Turtullian notwithstanding prescribeth Lib. 1. prescript c. 6. this for an undoubted truth, that what the Apostles preached, and Christ revealed unto them, cannot be testified unto us, but by the Churches which they founded: and St. Austin so affirmed the same, as he saith, He Tom. 6. contra Epist. fundament. cap. 5. would not believe the Gospel, were it not that the Church by her authority commended the same unto him. So far was he, and other Fathers from dreaming of Calvin's inward light, communicated to all faithful Readers of Scriptures; wherein the Lutherans might claim an equal share with him, as his Companions, and so they might agree about their Canon of Scripture, as now they do not, nor with any ancient Church before them. Lib. 33. contra Faustum cap. 6. Whereas St. Austin speaking of our Canon, which himself amongst other African Bishops, had declared in the third Council of Carthage, as St. Innocentius the first, had done before him, and many both Popes and Counsels Epist ad Exup●rium have done since; those Books, (saith he) by the consent of Christian Churches and Bishops of them succeeding each other downwards from the Apostles, have been warranted for true Scriptures unto us, and are only denied by you (speaking then of the Manicheans, as we do now of Protestants) few in number, and lately risen, because they make not for your Doctrine. And whereas they provoke us to the Originals, to wit, the Hebrew and Greek Texts of the old Testament, and seek by what means they can to disgrace our Vulgar Edition: We answer them first, that they themselves in their Translations of Scripture, follow sometimes the Greek, sometimes the Hebrew, and sometimes neither, but other extravagancies; yea, and often our Vulgar Translation, as they find this, or that, or a third, or fourth most convenient for them. Secondly, we tell them, that we hold it more wholesome for us, to drink the water of a pure stream, then of a troubled fountain; for that all learned, and impartial men know the Hebrew, and Greek Originals, to have been by Jewish Rabbins, since St. Hierom's time; and Grecian Heretics altered and corrupted in many places; whereas our Vulgar Edition is held in most parts thereof to be the same, which that great Doctor at Pope Damasus entreaty corrected in the new Testament according to the Greek; and translated in the Old out of the Hebrew, by St. Austin in sundry places, Lib. 10. de Civit. dei cap. 43. highly extolled; thu● also mentioned by Doctor Whitaker against Reignalds, Hierome I reverence, Damasus I commend, and the work I confess to Pag. 241. in cap. 1. Luc. v. 1. be godly & profitable for the Church: So as Beza himself is enforced to confess our Interpreter to have translated the holy Books with marvellous sincerity and religion. And Pelicanus in his Preface on the Psalter, which in our Edition is not St. Hieroms, affirmeth the Interpreter thereof, to have expressed the Hebrew Text with great learning and fidelity, not doubting him to have been some prophetical person. And many other chief Protestants have highly commended the whole Edition generally used in the Church; as Doctor Covel against M. Burges hath affirmed for 1300. past: whereas Protestants with sharp and virulent censures, mutually condemn each others translations; Zuinglius (for example) and very justly condemneth Luther for having, in his Germane Bible, changed, and left out, not only words, but whole Sentences: And Oecolampadius his Bible printed at Bazil, is censured by Beza, to be a sacrilegious corruption of Scripture. Between himself also and Castalio like censures have passed, and been published of their different versions with greater bitterness than beseemed Christian Doctors. Carolus Molineus condemneth Calvin, and saith, that in his Harmony, he maketh the Text to leap up and down as he pleaseth. Broughton hath noted multitudes of errors in all our English translations; and King James in the conference at Hampton-Court affirmed plainly, that he had never amongst them all seen a good one; and judged that of Geneva to be the worst amongst them: So full of incertainties are these new Doctors in the total sum (as I may say) of their Religion, wholly depending upon the true knowledge of Scripture: For that in their opinion no point or practice of Faith, is to be admitted, which is not expressed, or gatherable by a clear and immediate consequence out of Scripture; a tenant which shall be by me afterwards in every controversy disproved. In the mean time, to their pretence, that St. Hierome denied those very Books to be of a sacred and infallible authority, which they have rejected from the Canon of Scripture. I Answer first, that St. Hierom, as a private Doctor, might easily err in his opinion of these Books, before our Church's Canon was fully declared and accepted. Secondly, I Answer, that when Ruffinus objected this unto him, In Apologia 2a. contr● Russinum. he called him Sycophant, and said, that he had only uttered what the Jews, not himself, thought of those Books, and professed to translate Judith, because the first Nicene Council had declared the same to be canonical, albeit the Jews than denied it to be so. Neither doth it make much against the sacred authority of those Books, that the Jews admitted them not into their Canon of Scripture, because all, or most part of them were written since Esdras composed their Canon, and who can doubt but that Christ's Church might better from them Apostles, than from the Jews come to know true Scriptures. And whereas some Protestant Divines pretend against those Books, because they were not written in Hebrew; as though no Scriptures could be written in any other tongue: I can tell them here also, that it hath been discovered and confessed of late even by Protestants themselves, that the two Books of Maccabees, were first written in Hebrew, and so was Ecclesiasticus, which S. Hierom testifieth himself to have seen in Hebrew, bound up together with the Proverbs of Solomon. As for the absurdities pretended by our Adversaries to be found in those Books of Tobias, Judith, and Hester, many of our chief Divines, as Canus, Bellarmine, Serrarius, and others have cleared them, and shown no less difficulties to be found in other confessed Books of Scriptures. That some ancient Fathers also, when many forged Scriptures were extant, & not distinguished from canonical writings doubted of, or denied the authority of some Books admitted by us, is an argument that proveth over much, or just nothing: for that we know many undoubted parts of Scripture have been questioned in a like manner, the Churches Examen having in time discovered the verity of them. And albeit no one of those Books denied by Protestants wanteth the testimonies of ancient Fathers to prove the said sacred Authority; yet are there two of them (in former times especially) so approved, Sapientia and Ecclesiasti●us; the first of them was written (as St. Hierome witnesseth in his Preface on the Books of Solomon) by Philo a Jew, long before our Saviour's time, wherein he compiled the Sentences of Solomon not contained in his own Books, but by tradition other wise conserved; this Book is cited for true Scripture by S. Hierome himself, yet with this restriction Cui In c. 8 & 12 Zacha. iae in cap. Esaiae & in 18. H●●r●●iae. tamen place● librum recipere, if any man will receive this book; and without it in his latter Writings; for then perchance, he saw the Canon of Scripture more fully declared. St. Ireneus Apud Eusebi 'em li. 5. Hist. c. 8. l. 5. & 6. stomatum bomil. 12. in Leviti. cum & lib. 8. in epist. ad Romanos. He●●si. 63. homilia 33. & 34. in Math. also long before him cited it for sacred, so did St. Clement of Alexandria, so did Origen, so did S. Athanasius in Synopsi, & orat. 2. contra Arianos, so did S. Basil lib. 5. contra Eunomianos, so did S. Gregory Nissen in testimoniis ex veteri testamento cap. de Nativitate Christi ex virgine, so did S. Epiphanius, S. Chrysostom, S. Cyprian, S. Hilary in Psal. 127, S. Ambrose li. de Salomone cap. 1. S. Austin and others highly extolling the Book, as Exhortatione ad martyrium. teaching all sorts of virtue under the general notions of Wisdom and Justice, and containing in the second Chapter thereof a clear Prophecy of our Saviour's Passion, killed by the Jews, because he made himself the Son of God, etc. which alone is sufficient to prove the divine authority of this Book. Ecclesiasticus also was written by Jesus the Son of Sirach in Hebrew, and translated by his Grandchild into Greek, as appeareth by his short Prologue, before it worthily called by some Authors Panaretes, a receptacle, to wit, or store-house of all virtues, fit to instruct all sorts of Persons, and containing, as I have said, of Sapientia salomon's dispersed Sentences diligently by the Author collected, held by some also to have been one of the 72. Translators, and divinely inspired to write this book cited for Scripture, by St. Clement of Alexand●ia, by Origen, Lib. 1. paedagogi. c. 8. hom. 8. in number. & homil. 1. in Ezechiel. O●at. 2. in Julianum by S. Cyprian de opere & Elcemosina, by S. Athanasius in Synopsi & li. de virginitate, by S. Basil in regulis disputatis responsione 114. by S. Gregory Nazianzen by S. Epiphanius heresi 76, & in Anchorato, by S. Hilari, by S. Ambrose, by S. chrysostom, by S. Austin, and sundry in Psal. 144 lib. de bono mortis c. 8. other chief Fathers; yet able to prevail nothing at all with men heretically swayed to the contrary. So as the Nicene Counsels Decree about the Book of Judith, is slighted also, and regarded nothing at all by them. The second Controversy, Of Christ's Catholic Church in general, not colourably now amongst Protestants. The first Part. FOr a good beginning of this Controversy, I wish my Reader, if he be no Catholic, seriously to consider with himself, how much it importeth him to find out Christ's true Church, and to make himself a member thereof; because a Christian man (saith S. Austin) ought not to fear any thing more than to be separated from Christ's mystical body, for that so he remaineth no more a member of him; nor can he be quickened with his holy Spirit, nor receive any Li. de unit. Eccle. Light or Life of Grace from him; they remain not (saith St. Cyprian) with God, who live not concordiously in the Church of his Son: for should any out of the same fry in flames; that Death would be no crown of Faith, but a punishment of infidelity: such may be killed, but not crowned. This Church was to be that Hill cap. 1. of our Lord prepared on the top of mountains, which Esay spoke of raised above other hills, whereunto the Gentiles should flow as a Sea, saying unto each other, come let us ascend unto the hill of our Lord, and to the house cap. 54. of Jacob, to wit, Christ and his Church etc. willed by the same Prophet to enlarge the place of her Tents, to spread out the Curtains of her habitation, for that she should increase on the right hand, and on the left: and cap. 60. that her Seed should possess the Gentiles; that her gates should be open day and night, and never shut; that the people might enter continually into her; that Kings should be her cap. 42. nursing Fathers, and Queens her Mothers, etc. And it cannot be doubted, but whatsoever is spoken in the Psalms and Prophets in a hundred several places, concerning the propagation, greatness, glory, and continuance of Christ's Church and Kingdom here on earth, wherein all Psal. 71. & 2. Princes to the ends thereof were to adore him, and Nations serve him, hath been and shall be accordingly fulfilled. To say therefore, as commonly our Adversaries print in their Books, and preach in their Pulpits, that this once glorious and Catholickly dilated Church of Christ hath fallen away from the true faith and service of him, by becoming Antichristian, Idolatrous, and abominable in her Rights, and Superstitions, some say 800. some say 1000 some 1360. years together; yea, and to have declined in her Doctrines, from the very time of the Apostles first Planters thereof, and only Enarrat. in Psal. 101. to have remained in a few hidden Believers of Protestancy, but not daring to profess it in our Churches, is (as S. Austin termed it) a most false, temerarious, blasphemous, and witless assertion; contradicted by many plain Predictions of the Prophets, & Promises of Christ himself, showing that this City built upon a hill cannot be hidden, that this Tabernacle of God placed in the Sun to illuminate the world with the heavenly Rays of her doctrine cannot be obscured. That the blood of Christ once shed to redeem souls, shall never for that purpose be fruitless and uneffectuall. That Hell gates shall never prevail to overthrow that building, by himself on a rock firmly established, against them. That God's Covenant made with men to save the world by his Son's death and passion, should never be frustrated, and made void by any power of the Devil, or wickedness amongst them. Because God himself speaking thereof, saith thus, The heavens shall Esay c. 9 vanish away like smoke; the earth also shall tremble and wear away like a garment; but my salvation shall last for ever; and my justice shall never fail; and again (saith he) I will place my tabernacle amongst men, and be their God, and they shall be my people; and the Gentiles shall know that I am their Lord, when my sanctification shall be for ever amongst them. Daniel likewise speaking of Christ, saith, That his power shall be an everlasting power, and his kingdom shall never be broken, or taken from him. Cap. 2. Micheas also speaketh most plainly of Christ's Church, whereunto cap. 4. all people shall flow, and our Lord shall reign over them for ever. Our Redeemer (saith Esay) shall come, and remove all iniquity from Jacob, and this saith God shall be my league, my spirit which is in thee, speaking to his Son, and the words which I cap. 59 have put into thy mouth shall not departed from it, nor from the mouth of thy seed, nor from the mouth of thy seeds seed, from henceforth and for ever. Which Texts so plainly proveth the continuance of Christ's Church, and the truth of heavenly Doctrine therein remaining to the world's end; as Calvin himself in his Exposition thereon writeth thus; Here God promised that the Church should never be deprived of that inestimable blessing of being still governed by the holy Ghost, and maintained in the truth of heavenly doctrine; because it would have little availed us, to have had the Gospel once preached, or the holy Ghost for a time only given unto us, unless he remain continually with us, etc. Wherefore our Lord promised here to remain still with his Church, and to have a care that it shall never be deprived of true Doctrine: which being Calvins own words, may well serve to show his plain contradictions in other places about the Churches having fallen away for many ages together from the truth of heavenly doctrine, first planted in her; and to prove likewise, that all pretended reformers of her catholic, and ever continued faith, have been impostors only, and produced nought else but heretical innovations from the first, to the last of them. For if Christ had a will and power to build this house of God, and firm foundation of truth as St. Paul calleth the Church, so surely on a Rock as Hell-gates, Heresies, to wit Schisms, Scandals, Persecutions, or any hellish power else, should not prevail against it (as he expressily promised): if he Mat. 6. likewise intended to remain with it to the world's end, by his power, to wit, of guiding and protecting it: if he Mat. 28. performed his repealed promises of sending the holy Ghost to abide ever with it, for no other end but to comfort Jo. 16. & 17. guide, and lead it unto all truth, how without blasphemy, and plainly accusing him of falsehood in his promises: Can any Christian affirm her to have been idolatrous and Antichristian in her Religion for many ages together? evacuating so the glory of Contra Luciferianos. our Saviour's Cross (saith St. Hier●m) and subjecting himself to the Devil, as able to bereave him of his Church and Kingdom. God forbidden (saith the same Father) that Christ should be said to have died in vain, and his Passion become at any time fruitless and ineffectual to save us: No, no the eternal Father's promise is fulfilled, willing his Son to ask him, and he would give for an inheritance all nations of the Gentiles unto him, and the utmost bounds of the earth for his possession; Esay 62. called therefore by the Prophet Esay, Lord of the whole earth: and it will be Apo●. 7. a joyful and eternal cry of Saints in Heaven, Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord God out of every Tribe, Tongue and People, etc. So as I may say here to Protestants, what St. Optatus told the Donatists, if you seek to shut up the Catholic and Universal Church into corners, and Lib. 2. co●tra Parmenionem. seclude all nations besides yourselves from the communion thereof, where is that then, which the Son of God hath merited for us? How then will his Father's promise be fulfilled of giving all Nations unto him? Why do you infringe his promise, and seek to straighten his ample Kingdom? why do you deny his Father's great love and bounty to him? why do you war against his merits? and not permit him to enjoy what was promised unto him? why do you limit to places and times his Universal and everlasting Dominion? Wherefore to find out this true Church of Christ, and distinguish the same from heretical conventicles, and Congregations, the Apostles in their Creed, and the two first general Counsels of Nice, and Constantinople have fitly assigned these four marks of being, one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolical; which no other Church, but ours, can in their true sense colourably claim, here briefly declared by me. She is said to be one and the same in her Faith amongst all Nations, communicating Lib. de unitat. Eccl●s. with her, so that illuminated by our Lord (saith St. Cyprian) as a Sun she spreadeth her Rays throughout the world, yet so as her light is one: as a fruitful Vine she extendeth widely forth her branches; but as from one root, and body which they grow in: as a full and flowing fountain she poureth out her streams, yet so as there is still one head and origine of them. And according to St. Optatus his comparison, the multitude of particular Churches remaineth in her, as many fingers in one hand distant in places, but united in Doctrine: for that the very name of a Church importeth Union and collection of many together, in faith, government and practices of Religion, as all those things do, unto which Christ's Church is likened; for example to a kingdom, to a City, to a house or family, to a flock, to a body consisting of different members ordered, and compacted together. She is one by a continual Succession of Pastors and faithful people in her, still professing the same faith: whereas Heretics are choosers of what they will believe, and divided into so many sects, as there are heads almost amongst them. She is called holy as the mystical body of Christ vivificated by his holy Spirit, governed by a holy Law, sanctified by Sacraments continually by him, having none but faithful servants of their divine Lord remaining within her, amongst whom there are still to be found, many holy Persons; whilst others are like fruitless branches in a Vine and dead members in a living body. She is said to be Catholic for her large extent, embracing many Countries and Kingdoms of the world united in faith, and governed by her; so that she is still greater than any sort or Sect of Heretics opposite unto her. She is Apostolical in her descent, as being able to prove her Origine from the Apostles themselves, according to Tertullia's prescription, saying, The Apostles founded Churches in divers Cities, and appointed Bishops to govern them; and from these, latter Churches, by receiving and persevering in their faith, become Apostolical also: which prescription is used by ancient Irenaeus, instancing against Heretics Lib. 3. c. 3. lib. 4. c. 36. of his time, the succession of Roman Bishops in one Sea and Faith, without any mutation different from that first professed by them. St. Optatus likewise, and St. Austin have done the sam●, and pressed the Donatists, with this prescription, who like to the Heretics of this time wanted antiquity, and had no unity amongst them. Wherefore our Adversaries fly from those ancient marks of a true Church, and assign two others of their own devising, true preaching of God's word, and a due administration of Sacraments, against which we object first, that the essence rather than the sig●es of a true Church consisteth in them. Secondly, that all sorts of Heretics do equally claim them, so as no Church can be known to be a true Church certainly by them. Thirdly, that any man, desirous to be a Christian, must first know the Church, before he can know the truth of her Doctrine etc. Fourthly, that this judgement of the Churches true doctrine, and due manner of administration of Sacraments, cannot be made by ordinary persons, but by such as are learned; whereas the sign●s of a Church are to direct all sorts of persons to the knowledge of her. Fiftly, these marks may be found amongst Schismatics, damnably separated from a Catholic, and charitable communion with other Christians, as S. Austin in sundry places proved against the Donatists, who (at their first rising at least) wanted neither a true Doctrine, nor Sacraments; but a will only to live peaceably with their Brethren: so as to speak truly, Protestants have purposely devised these marks of a Church, as otherwise knowing, that the great division, which is amongst them in points and practices of faith, novelty of rising, the smallness of their extent hitherto in the world, and want of pastoral succession, would convince them to be a rabble only of Heretical Conventicles, jarring one against another. Yet rather than they will admit ours to be the true Church of Christ, in whom these signs may be found confessedly by themselves, and all predictions of the Prophets exactly fulfilled, concerning the amplitude, glory, and continuance of Christ's earthly inheritance and kingdom: they will make him a King without any Dominion, a Head without a body, a Father without a family, and a Pastor without a flock, for many ages together: Y●a, if we will believe some of them, Christ's Church was no sooner settled in the truth of heavenly Doctrine, but it declined superstitiously and wickedly from it. The Centurists (for example) in their second ●●p▪ 4. Century, after a denial of Saint Denis Areopagita his known Works, because they contain many points and practices of Doctrine against them, have accused St. Ignatius, who lived with our Saviour himself, and wa● both for his life and death gloriously renowned for speaking of Priests, Altars, Sacrifice, and several Orders of Church Ministers not admitted by them, of Colleges, of Virgins and Widows, vowing to live chastely; concerning the merit of good works, and other declinings, from the first purity of Christian Doctrine. They accuse St. Irenaeu● for mentioning a Sacrifice according to the Order of Melchisedeck instituted under the forms of Bread and Wine by our Saviour himself in his last Supper, taught by him to the Apostles, and offered since in all parts of the World according to Cap. 1. Malachies prediction thereof, and figured long before by Melchisedeck's oblation, etc. Others say Christ's Church failed in Constantine's time, when it first began as a bright Sun to break out of the ●ark clouds of ten horrible Persecutions, and spread its beams clearly throughout the world to the excessive joy of Christians; as if at that very time Antichrist had begun his reign, when Christ's Church most flourished: because then Pope Silvester, a most glorious Confessor of Christ, had the City of Rome for his residence assigned unto him, by that glorious Emperor; and they are enforced to this Blasphemy, or else to allow of our present Church and Religion undoubtedly professed in Constantine's time, by the Sacrifice of the Mass solemnly celebrated with lights on the Altar, with Prayer for the Dead, Honour done unto Saints, adoration of the sacred Host, and kneeling before it, images used in Churches, etc. as is in the Protestants Apology for Catholics, plainly proved in a whole Chapter together. Others affirm the utter overthrow of Christ's Church to have happened in the time of Pope Boniface the third; so as it hath been no where since vouchable, and visible in any part of the world, but wholly retired to the hearts of some faithful Persons knowing, but not daring to profess true Religion; members indeed of a Church framed only by imagination, and fancy, and living perchance in the land of Faries, or ●ome enchanted Lands, or in Concaves of the Moon out of this world, where there is no memory to be found of them: whereas our Catholic Church, even in the horriblest times of persecution, was by the glorious Martyrdoms of innumerable Saints, men and women, children also amongst them, Apologies written in defence of our Christian Religion, meetings of Bishops, learned expositions of Scriptures, and in many other manners maintained, as is now testified unto us. Wherefore, other Protestant Doctors not to trouble themselves with such fopperies of an invisible Church, remaining still in ours for so many ages together, affirm our Catholic Church at all times to have been the only Catholic and known Church of Christ; but not to have been altogether free from erroneous Tenants, and practices of doctrine, reform forsooth by them since Luther's and calvin's departure from it. Yet so as the Authors of this opinion differ about the imagined errors of our Church: some affirm them to have been fundamental, damnable, idolatrous, and Antichristian, which is the same, as to say, that during so many ages, Christ had no true Church at all: whilst others make a milder judgement of them, and say, that the being of a true Church was not hindered by the belief and practice of them, so as they agree not in the very being, before Luther of their Church and Religion. The second part. AND because they pretend our Church and Religion to have been resormed by them, they shall give me leave here, to declare what manner of men these Reformers were? how they were first called to make this Reformation? How they began it? And to what ancient Faith and Form of Church government they sought to reduce it. And to discuss these points Comment. in cap. 1. ad Galatas. orderly, my Reader must know, that the first father of these Reformers, was Martin Luther an Apostate Friar, of St. Augustine's order; who as he writeth himself, lived chastely and well in his Monastery for fifteen years together, but after his departure from it, he became S●●m. de Matrim. by his own confession a very monster of Lust; no more able to live without a woman, than he could leave to be a man, or forbear natural necessities of eating, drinking, spitting, & c. and luxury at one time so raged in him as for eight days together, he could neither pray nor study; and shortly after to assuage the heat thereof, one night after Supper he married forsooth, and took for his Bed-fellow, Katherive Boar a lusty Nun, after eight years of her religious profession: which troubled so much his friends, and Melancthon chief, that in an Epistle to Camerinus, You know, saith he, the manner of Luther's life; wherefore I had rather you should conjecture the rest, than I writ thereof; only I may say Luther is not a man made to live without a woman: which surely was no great commendation for an apostolical man, as he by his disciples is pretended to have been. Carolastadius, Luther's first Scholar, Priest and Dean of Wit●enberg Church, and Father of modern Sacramentarian Heretics, fierce, unlearned, and void almost of common judgement, as Melanct●on described him, prevented his Master in a like marriage, and was quickly followed therein by Peter Martyr a Priest and Canon Regular, & by Martyr Bucer a Dominican Friar, who both took Nuns for their B dfellows: and soon after Oecolampidius a Brigitan Monk did the same, and Bernardius Ochinus a Capuchin with him, drawing others like themselves to follow their example: insomuch as Zuinglius Priests and Canon of Constance, Operum ejus tom. 2. sol. 110. with the rest of his f●llows in Swizzerland so much longed to have this Evangelical liberty of wiving also granted unto them, as they humbly petitioned the Magistrates of that country for the same; as having already, not without scandal of others, experienced their own infirmity, and unableness to live without women. Calvin in like manner an under-Pastor of Noion, after he became Luther's disciple, had his Idoletta, a Widow of Strasburg, and Beza his Candida, truly called Claudia de Nossa, with whom he lived four years before he married her, enjoying her and Audibert his boy at the same time; as himself in a wanton Poem expressed his lustful delights, wherein he seemed to have had most pleasure in his Boy, & to be much troubled, that he could not enjoy them both together. So as men may truly say with St. Paul of these men, that sowing in the flesh, they reaped corruption. And if in the mean time you ask them, who dispensed with their Vows, that of Chastity in particular, whereby they were doubly tied to live continently, most of them, at least Priests and religious Persons. Luther forsooth, will tell you for his part, in a whole Book together; Lib. dè votis that the law of Christ is of Faith alone, and bindeth no man to the observance of Vows, as not warranted in Scripture unto him. Peter Martyr also in a like treatise will make you believe Lib. de ●●e●●. bat. & ●o●●● if you list, that Vows are Judaical observances, and belong not to Christians. Zuinglius will answer you, that St. Paul dispensed with all Vows of Chastity sufficiently, by saying, It is better to marry than to burn. And Calvin more cholerickly will tell you, that Continency ordained In harmonia ad cap. 10. Matt. & in cap. 7. 1. Epist. ad Co●inthios. for Priests, was an Antichristian Tyranny; and Vows of Chastity the Devil's nets to ensnare souls, pronouncing with great Authority all Christians to be free from the observance of them. But St. Paul was not of these men's mind, when he pronounced such Widows, as had given their faith to 1 Tim. 5. the Church of living chastely, and married afterwards, to have acquired damnation to themselves: and the Apostles, as Saint Epiphanius testifieth, Heresi. 61. taught it to be grande scelus, a heinous crime to marry after Chastity vowed unto God. The same also is expressly Can. 6. defined in the great Council of Chalcedon. St. Basil likewise, and St. Austin on these words of the Psalmist, Vow you and render your Vows to God, affirm the same: and many other chief Fathers have taught, that the observance of Vows rightly made, is both a natural and divine Obligation, seconded by all School divines in that Assertion, and particularly St. chrysostom, Epist. 2. writing to Theodorus a fallen Monk; St. Austin also unto Armenterius, one of the same stamp, expressly affirm the very thought of wiving after their Vow of Chastity, to have been sacrilegious and sinful in them. Concerning their manner of reforming our Church, divers great Authors have observed, that Luther began not the same in an Apostolical way, as a Sheep amongst Wolves; but rather as an enraged Wolf, seeking to devour the souls and bodies of men together: as when for example, against Tom. 2. Jenensis. 132. the Bishops of Germany, he published this roaring Bull: Now you Bishops and ma●ked Devils, look to yourselves, for Martin Luther will publish a Bull of Reformation, which will trouble you: whosoever shall help to destroy you, and root out your Authority, are true Christians and Gods Children, etc. and contrarily such as seek to defend and maintain you, are damned persons, and Imps of the Devil, & c. So as presently upon the publication of this Bull, the Clowns of Germany armed themselves, and invaded the Territories of Bishops, not sparing likewise some temporal Lords supposed to favour them, but with such ill success, as more than a hundred thousand of them are said to have been slain in sundry places by troops of expert Soldiers sent against them, so little pitied by Luther afterwards, as he would have them killed like Dogs without mercy, because they had somewhat exceeded his Commission: whose rail in the mean time against sundry great Princes, and our King Henry the eighth amongst them, only for being opposite to his new Doctrine, were scurrile, filthy, ribald, and wholly unbeseeming the tongue or pen of any Christian man, and much more of an Apostolical Person; and his especial hatred to the Pope and Church of Rome was such, and so impotently expressed by him, as should it (said he) be decreed in a general Council, that Priests might marry, I for my part, would think him more holy that Tom. 2. Jenensis. 214. kept a Whore or two, and would not marry, then do as the Council permitted him; and I would counsel all mine to do so. Calvin also began his Sect with Rebellion at Genua, as the same also was Vide Gasparem Valenbergium cap. 8. maintained in France, Scotland, Poland, and other places: and so did Zuinglius with war against his own Country, wherein himself was killed and many other armed Ministers with him: so unlike were they at their first coming to Apostolical Persons. The Vocation likewise of these new Evangelists was neither immediately from God, nor mediately from men, by any orderly lawful H●b. 5. succession from Pastors before them; against that of the Apostle, No man assumeth honour, or spiritual government unto himself, but called as Aaron was: So Christ glorified not himself to be our high Priest, etc. and as he was sent by his Father, so sent he his Disciples, saying unto them, As my Father sent me, so do I send you. And this mission hath been by a continual succession of Pastors, In Locis communibus class 4. cap. 20. still continued in the Church. So as like Thiefs they enter not by the door, who intrude themselves into Ecclesiastical Offices, and charge of Souls without it: Wherefore Luther himself, speaking of such as stole into the Office of Preaching, being not lawfully sent; examine (saith he) whether they can prove their Vocation; for God never sent any man, but either by others lawfully called, or by miracles able to prove their Vocation, no not his Son himself. And Writing to the Senate of Melhuse, he repeateth the same Doctrine, and concludeth, that wheresoever God changeth the ordinary manner of calling, he always miraculously testifieth his Mission. Let then our Adversaries, according to this rule, tell us whether they were sent mediately by men, or immediately Lib. de ne●essitate reformandi Ecclesiam ad Carolum 5. by God to reform our Church? Calvin I know writeth that he, and his fellows, in a pure zeal of glorifying God, and saving Souls, were enforced to departed from our Church. And Beza affirmeth it to have been lawful for them, to follow an extraordinary calling, when no ordinary was to be found or scarcely any. But with these answers they satisfy not Luther's demand; where are those Miracles, wholly necessary to testify this immediate Vocation? Hath now for these hundred years past, any Protestant Minister, cured so much as a lame Dog to prove his Vocation? Wherefore Doctor Seravia in his Defence against Beza, writeth thus, That Vocation, which is immediately from God, is never without Miracles and extraordinary signs done in proof thereof. For that it is a thing full of danger; and all sorts of Heretics (albeit never so absurd) may claim it in a like manner, and rely upon that alone, no man ought to thrust himself into Ecclesiastical Offices. Wherefore Bullinger, writing against the Anabaptists, You pretend (saith he) to be sent as the Apostles were, prove your Vocation by signs and miracles, which you will never do: wherefore your calling is naught and pernicious to Christ's Church. The like is written by Amandus. Polanus, Andreas Musculus, and other chief Protestant Writers. And therefore the holy Fathers St. Athanasius, St. Hilary, St. Hierom, St. Austin, and Tertullian doubted not to call such as took upon them ecclesiastical ministeries without being lawfully called unto them, false Prophets, Wolves in sheep's garments, thiefs, entering not by the door, to kill, and destroy the flock of Christ, Children without fathers, etc. Those Lib. 4. c. 43. (saith St. Irenaeus) being only true Doctors, and securely in Christ's Church to be followed, who with the truth of heavenly Doctrine have had their Succession from the Apostles. The Ordination likewise of these men was, and is still suitable to their Vocation in all Sects and Assemblies Lib. de doctrina & moribus Secta. of them; of which George Wicelius, a learned man, who lived in Luther's time, and saw the beginnings of them, writeth thus, They reject the Roman Rite of Ordination, and without more ado, he, whom the Visitors like, is sufficiently called to the ministry, elected and ordered amongst them. Neither is their manner of Ordination yet fully agreed upon: so as since that time, several Sects therein observe different fashions; and particularly amongst the Calvinists, the Elders are to choose and approve such as are to be ordered, and together with their Minister, Impose their hands on them, wherein their Ordination chief consist●th: neither holy, nor much to be regarded according to Luther● Doctrine, who to vilify the Sacrament of O●der, and take away all use thereof in Christ's Church, expressly affirmeth all sorts of Persons, men, women, and children to be in their very Baptism m●dePriests and Bishops; admitting no Tom. 2. Wit●enb●rgens● sol. 90. & l. de captain. Babiloni●a. distinction at all between Clergy men and Lay persons, as Tertullian in his Prescriptions said of Heretics in his time. One is a Bishop this day, and none to morrow; another a Priest now that was none yesterday, for that all amongst them, are admitted to Priestly Functions. Neither doth Luther stay his madness here, but saith, that the Devil himself in humane shape may conescrate the holy Eucharist, and administer other Sacraments if he will have a right intention therein, and do what Christ commanded, neither (saith he) would I lay a wager to the contrary, but that he hath at one time or other played so the part of a Pastor, perchance in their Churches, who have scarcely any thing but Baptism sacred amongst them. Lastly, Concerning Church-government, and particularly that of Geneva, craftily devised by Calvin to gain thereby to himself and his Ministers the government of that City, as Hooker in his Preface of his Ecclesiastical Policy, modestly declareth it; and Bancrost more roundly relateth the manner thereof; I may after many learned men's judgements written of the same, rightly affirm it to be a politic confusion of Civil and Ecclefiastical power together. A diabolical invention of establishing Christ in his Throne, as they term it; but indeed of disturbing the peace of States, and subverting the government of Christian Kingdoms under a colour of propagating the Gospel insomuch as Bullenger, who had somewhat helped Calvin in his erection thereof, seeing the inconveniences ensuing from the same, and writing to the Bishops of England, compared these Consistorial Lords, not in title, but in power, to the seditious Tribunes of Rome, wont to gain power and honour unto themselves, by moving tumults amongst the people. Gualterus likewise his successor in Zuirick, admonished in one letter the Bishop of London, and in another the Bishop of Eli, to look in time to that Genevian Hydra, rising then with new heads amongst them; in whose Consistories each Minister hath Pretorial, and Episcopal power enjoined together, as able with his ignorant Elders, to examine and punish with Excommunication first, and greater penalties after wards, if he be not obeyed, all sorts of Delinquents: And these Elders are in Cities, Towns, and Villages, for the most part ignorant Tradesmen, chosen and put in authority for a year only, and then returned to their shops again: without any manner at all of consecration, yet able that year, whilst they are in Office, to determine with their Ministers, and conclude seditious Counsels of War against Princes and States, which they live in; of which France, Flaunders, Scotland, Poland, and other places are able to afford dreadful examples. And in setting up this Destruction (as I may rightly ●erm it) of all ancient Church government, Calvin hath misapplied the word Presbyter, and giv●n it to his Elders. For albeit according to the Greek and Grammatical signification thereof, it may signify any E●d●● in ag● or authority: yet according to th● Ecclesiastical, and sacred use thereof, even in scripture itself, it signifies a Priest consecrated and ordained to offer the sacrifice of our L●rd bod●, and blood at the Altar, administer Sacraments, and preach I ad Tim. 5. to the people, according to St. Paul's words, affirming such Priests to be worthy of double honour, as labour in the word and doctrine, distinguish d from the Laity, and ●x●rcis●●g their hi●●● Office of governing under Bishops, Christian People committed in several Churches to the government of them, having under them fo● the ministry of the Altar; Deacons, Subdeacons', and other inferior Church Officers, as glorious St. Igna●ius in his Epistles particularly mentioneth them. What (saith he) Epist. ad Trallian●s. is the Bishop but Father, Prince and Head of the Clergy? What is Priesthood, but a holy institution of being Counsellor, and assistant to the Bishop? What are Deacons, & c. but helpers of Bishops, and Priests in performing a clean & immaculate work, as most blessed Stephen did to James, Timothy and Linus to Paul, Anacletus and Clement to Peter in serving them at Mass, distributing the Chalice to the people, keeping and dispensing the Treasures of the Church, as St. Laurence told Sixtus his Bishop desirous to be Martyred with him. Priests are good and Preachers of God's Word; Epist. ad Smi●nenses. but the Bishop is better than they: honour him as the Father of Priests, and chiefest of them, resembling God himself, and like unto Christ amongst his Disciples, & c. And writing to his own Church at Antioch, I salute (saith he) the Priests and Deacons, Subdeacons', Lectors Acolathists, Cantors, Doorkeepers, & c. your College of Virgins, etc. having then particularly written unto Hero his Deacon, and told him how our Saviour had revealed unto him, that he should next in that See succeed him. So as the whole order and form of Ecclesiastical government used in the Apostles time, is there according to all degrees thereof declared by him. Calvin therefore and his Companions in changing the same, have done, as if a few Rebels invading some part of a grea● and well settled kingdom, should change the old laws and government thereof, to be new in that as in other points of their Doctrine, and refusing to follow those therein, of whom Christ said, He that heareth Epist. 1. c. 4. you heareth me, and of whom St. John said, He that knoweth God heareth us, and ho who knoweth not God heareth us not; in this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Christ having before told his Apostles, and such no doubt as succeeded them in the government Joan. 15. of his Church, I will send unto you the Holy Ghost, and he shall give testimony unto me, and so shall you, etc. joining so together the inward teaching of the Holy Ghost, and outward teaching of the Church both to be embraced, and obeyed by all her children. For albeit (saith St. Austin) he uttered all Enarrat. in Psal. 47. these promises to his Apostles, cum illis loquebatur, no● intelligebat, yet speaking to them he meant us also, who were to the world's end to succeed them, for whom he prayed, and obtained the Holy Ghost of his heavenly Joan. 77. Father, not to remain for a time, but for ever with them. The third Controversy, Of the Bishop and Church of Rome. NOt as it is the Patriarchial, and particular Church of that City, but as it is head and chief of all other Churches subjected unto it. And I do not here without hearty grief ent●r into this Controversy, whilst I consider with myself how violently, and virulently our Adversaries, have after the accustomed manner of other Heretics before them, by preaching, and writing slanderous untruths, made not to men and women only, but even unto very children, the name of Pope, Papistry (as they call our Catholic Faith) hateful, and scarcely with patience to be mentioned amongst them; notwithstanding all learned men know, that anciently the Church of Rome hath been for the profession of her faith, and glory of her Martyrs renowned above other Churches: so as thirty three Bishops successors of S. Peter in that Chair, were slain in that City for Christ amidst their flocks, and innumerable Martyrs with them, after the two chief Apostles Peter and Paul had planted by their preaching, and watered with their blood the true Doctrine of Christ, therein thus extolled by Calvin himself, after many Lib. 4. insti. tut. c. 6, & ● untruths uttered by him. I deny not (saith he) but that th● ancient Fathers do yield every where great reverence to the Church of Rome, and speak highly of her, calling her, for honour's sake, the Apostolical S●e of the West, as freer from troubles, and more firmly retaining her first Faith, than other African or Grecian Churches: Whence it came to pass, that holy Bishops injured, and driven from their Sees, retired thither as unto a Port of Safety, and have been from time to time, by the Authority of Popes, righted and restored to their Churches. Others also in questions and doubts of Religion have repaired unto them: St. Policarp (for example) Disciple to John, and ordained Bishop of Smyrna by him, came to Pope Anicetus about the due observance of Easter, a● St. Iren●us, Eusebius, and St. Hie●●me have left written. And St. Irenaeus after him came to Rome, as Tertullian recounteth, about condemning some Heresies then newly rising. Origen likewise, as St. Hierom testifieth, submitted Epist. ad P●machiū & Oc●anum himself to Pope Fabian, and recanted some doctrines written by him. Saint Cyprian in like manner wrote many Epistles to Pope Cornelius, about sundry businesses of his Church; and the Novations then beginning to be troublesome unto him. St. Athanasius and many other Bishops of Egypt, and Libya together addressed themselves by a most humble and earnest Epistle to Pope Foelix the second to crave of him a true Copy of the Nicene Council, which the Arians had in all places burned and suppressed, to demand also a restitution to their several Churches, and to be redressed in other wrongs done unto them: for that the relief of wronged Bishops, and other chief businesses of the Church, for the eminency of hi● authority over all Churches and Bishops, belonged unto him, as it had been declared by the Father● of the Nicene Council, at which some of themselves had been present. And accordingly he that will read the Epistles of St. Leo, and St. Gregory, both surnamed great, for that high and holy esteem which the Christian world is known to have had of them, shall find them, as other Popes had done before, to have exercised authority over all Eastern and Western Bishops as Causes happened, even Patriarches themselv●s without exception, howsoever this certain truth be by Calvin impudently denied. Insomuch that the very next Popes to St. Peter, so holy in their lives, and glorious in their Martyrdoms for Christ, that it would be an impious temerity for any man to object (as some of our Adversaries have done) any affectation of Pride and Ambition unto them, are known by the prerogative of their Chair to have both claimed, and exercised this Universal Authority: Tom. 1. Conciliorum Epis. 3. Saint Anacletus (for example) the fourth Pope after S. Peter, hath these words, This holy and Apostolical Church of Rome hath obtained, not from the Apostles, but from our Saviour himself a Supreme and eminent power over all Churches, and the whole flock of Christ, when he said unto the most blessed Apostle, Thou art a rock, and upon this rock, I will build my Church, etc. S. Victor likewise so claimed this power and exercised the same over other Churches, as he excommunicated all Bishops of the lesser Asia, for their Judaical and obstinate observance of Easter; for which S. Irenaeus blamed him, not because he wanted authority, but for that he had used therein overmuch severity. S. Calixtus in his Epistle ad Benedictum expressly affirmed the Church of Rome needfully to be obeyed and followed by all Churches, as Head and chief of them. The like authority was challenged, and exercised by all these holy Popes, living within the first 300. years after Christ, Antherus, Fabian, Lucius, Dionysius, Foelix the first, Marcellus, and others. Neither were holy Fathers in that time, less earnest in defending the Supreme and Universal Authority of the Roman Church, than Popes themselves. S. Irenaeus (for example) calleth Lib. 3. c. 3. the Church of Rome the greatest, most ancient, and best known Church, founded by the two most blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, etc. Whereunto for her more powerful principality, all other Churches were to be conformed in the doctrine of Faith, and practice of Religion, naming Popes until this Li. de pudicitia. time succeeding each other. Tertullian likewise from the succession of Bishops in that See numbered by him, prescribeth against Heretics the truth of Christian Doctrine, calling the Bishop of that Church, Episcopum Episcoporum, Bishop of Bishops, and Father of the Catholic Church. S. Cyprian, in a like manner; after he had declared how Christ promised to build his Church on S. Peter, and commended the government Lib. de unitat. Eccles. of his flock unto him, saith, that albeit, all the Apostles received like Authority from Christ, yet that Peter was ordained chief of them, and that all faith was from his Chair chief to be received, saying, That no Heresies would rise in the Church, if this one Priests Authority were duly acknowledged, and obeyed as it ought to be. S. Hilary having praised S. Peter for Can. in Mat. 16. his Confession of Christ, cryeth out, Oh happy foundation of the Church, designed by that new name Cepha●, a rock, imposed on him worthy of that building, which shall stand firmly against Hell gates, etc. Saint chrysostom in more than ten several Hom. 87 in J●. & ad populum Antioch. 39, 42, 49. 80. & 87. places▪ plainly acknowledgeth the preeminency of the Roman Church, and Bishop, above other Churches and Bishops, by the dignity of Peter's Chair therein continued. S. Hierome professed himself albeit he lived in the East, under other Patriarcks; to be a sheep of Peter's flock, and to be conjoined Epist. 2. ad Damasum. with his Chair, and succession of Roman Pastors therein, as knowing Lib. 2. c. 51. Christ's Church on this Rock to have been raised: And S. Austin demanded of Petelian a chief Donatist, why dost thou call this Apostolical Chair the Chair of Pestilence? as now our Adversaries do the Seat of Antichrist, the Beast of seven heads, whereon the Whore of Babylon is said to have ridden; not distinguishing between that City, and Church therein, ever most holy and renowned, whilst that City Mistress of the world, when S. John wrote his Apocalypses, persecuted the same for 300. years together, purpled herself with the blood of Martyrs, making all Nations of the earth drunk with the poisonous cup of her Superstitions, so as Rome was to the Church of Christ in that City and other places, as Babylon was anciently to the Jewish Temple, a powerful and hateful Enemy, and is called therefore Babylon, by S. Peter, in the end of his Epistle, when he wrote, The Church which is in Babylon, saluteth you. Which is so clearly acknowledged in her supreme and Universal Authority by S. Austin, S. Optatus, S. Ambrose, and a multitude of other Fathers, as I could produce here a double Jury of them: Wherefore Calvin dissembled and lied notably, when in his Epistle to Cardinal Sodalet, he pretended to aim at no other reformation of our Church, but to reduce it to that belief and practice of Religion, which was in the Greek Church, whilst Basil, chrysostom, and the Fathers of that time lived, and used in the Latin Church, whilst Ambrose, Austin, and Hierome were in it. Whereas he rejecteth in innumerable places the confessed doctrine both of these and more ancient Fathers; and many times with plain con●umelies and reproaches vented against them, as will appear afterwards in each Controversy. When also he professed no less fraudulently, and falsely to believe and admit of all doctrines, and practices embraced in the Church of Rome, during the first 500 years after Christ: he meant nothing less; for that when the Belief, and practice of the Church in the three first Ages is objected against him, and new points of his Doctrine; his answer is, that even then the Church of Rome was not so pure, as it might in all doctrines, and practices of Religion be securely followed. With the same fraud also he maketh Lib. 4. instit. c. 9 num. 8. profession to embrace the first four general Counsels, as teaching and decreeing nothing but conformable to Scripture. Yet wher● it is urged against him, even in this very Controversy, that in all these four Counsels the Pope's supreme and universal authority is plainly acknowledged, Chastity enjoined to Priests, Vows taught to bind in Conscience, and the like points of Catholic doctrine proved out of them, he rejecteth their authority farther, than it is by God's word warranted unto him; and not only deni●th what they teach of the Pope's authority, but most impudently averreth many notorious falsehoods: For example he denith Saint Peter's having been at Rome, no less testified by ancient Authors and monuments, than that Augustus once reigned in that City; and despairing to make good such an impudent assertion, he denieth him at least to have been Bishop of that City for 25 years together, against the clear testimony of S. Hierom, following Eusebius, writing In Cronic▪ Anno 44. thus long before him, Peter a Galilean by his country, the chief Bishop of Christians, after he had founded the Church of An●ioch went to Rome, where having preached the Gospel as Bishop of that City for twenty five years, was crucified there under Nero with his head downwards, because himself desired to die so. Serm. de SS Petro & Paulo. And S. Leo, of S. Peter's first coming to Rome, makes this speech unto him, Thou hadst already, most blessed, Apostle established the Church of Ant●och, and by thy evangelical p●eaching converted unto Christ's law, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithania, when thou broughtest the Trophy of Christ's cross into the Roman arches, whether by divine ordination the honour of power, and glory of thy passion went before thee, that the faith of Christ might there chief flourish, where the Devils Tyranny had chief raged, extending from thence thy spiritual Power into more kingdoms and Countries, than formerly the Roman Captains by their many conquests had Ser. 3. de ass●m. ej●s ad Pontific. obtained; Christ having especially chosen thee to govern all Nations converted unto him, and preferred thee before the other Apostles and governor's of his Church, when he thrice committed the feeding and government of his flock unto thee, and promised to build his Church firmly upon thee. Which high Office and Power was no doubt to be extended to all true and lawful Successors of him: For as Christ's Church and Flock was still to continue, as hath been already proved, to the world's end; so were the Governors, and government thereof to be in the same manner still continued, and not during S. Peter's time only, whose authority given by Christ, differed in this from that which his fellow Apostles received likewise from him, that theirs was delegated only, and to end with their Persons, whereas his was ordinary, and to be derived (so fare as the government of the Church required) to his Successors after him, which whosoever denieth proudly unto them, saith S. Leo, he damneth himself, but lesseneth not that authority, which is given by Christ unto them. And that which was uttered by our Saviour, and understood chief of himself, may be truly applied unto S. Peter, and all lawful Successors of him, Vicarial heads, and secondary foundations of his Church established on them, wherefore he that falleth on this Rock shall be bruised, and on whom it falleth, it shall crush him. For that all such as have at any time heretofore forsaken the unity of this Church, and refused obedience to S. Peter's Successors in that Chair, departing from the faith thereof, have dashed themselves against this Rock, and only foamed out their own confusions, as may be instanced in all franticks of former times; whereby the other three Patriarchical Seats of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, have been first corrupted, and afterwards with Mahumetism overwhelmed; as now likewise hath almost happened unto the Churches of Greece, after they had been ten several times united to the Church of Rome, and fallen again from it; who yet never arrived unto that fra●●tick and witless folly of Protestants, affirming the Succession of Popes in S. Peter's Chair, even almost since the Apostles time for 1000 years (at lest) past to have been Antichrist, that single man, and professed enemy of Christ mentioned by S. Paul, who is certainly to be received by the Jews to reign in Jerusalem, and tread the holy City under his feet; to sit as a God in the Temple re-edified by him, to kill Enoch and Elias there, the two faithful witnesses of Christ, lying afterwards three days together naked in the Streets of that City: the glory of whose reign is to continue but three years and a half, called by Daniel, and S. John, a time, two times, and half a time, numbered by forty two months, or which is all one by 1260. days; when Christ shall shorten the rage of his persecution for the good of his elect, and kill this wicked man with the breath of his own mouth. All which particulars contained in Scripture, one by one, can no more agree to the whole Succession of Roman Bishops, than to the Turkish Emperors, for these thousand years past; nor indeed so much, because these have had the possession of Jerusalem for many ages together, and ever have been enemies to Christ and Christians: whereas Popes have ever been his faithful Servants, his Vicars here on earth, and chief Pastors of his flock by his own Ordination. So as ●othing could have been devised more injuriously to Christ, or more derogating from his glory in redeeming us, than to affirm (as in effect they do) that the Devil timely prevailed against him, for the overthrow of his Church, and that also by the Roman Bishop and Chair of Peter, whereon as a Rock he promised to build, so firmly, as hell gates, to wit, no power of men, or Devils, should prevail against it. In the mean time, if ad Thess. 2. we will with holy Fathers and all ancient, or modern Interpreters examine that obscure place of S. Paul, concerning the mystery of iniquity working in his time, it was not understood of Popes: but of Heretics beginning then to rise, and preparing a way for Antichrists coming; for which cause they are called by S. John Antichrists, as by corrupting the true faith, forerunners of him. And never any Sect or sort of Heretics, did perform this wicked Office against Christ & his Church, more than modern Heretics have done in their pretended reformation of our Church and Religion. Whose malice against the Bishop of Rome is so far extended, as even that blessed Apostle himself, whose Chair they succeed in, is so undervalved by them, that they seek to deny many especial privileges of our Saviour's love towards him, magnified by all ancient Fathers, and Interpreters of Scripture before them; as his having been from his first calling by the imposall of a new name, designed by Christ to be the head & foundation of his Church; and under the title of his Flock, thrice commended the same to his government; prayed for him that his faith might not fail; willing him to confirm his Brethren. He prayed not In quaest. Novi testamenti q. 75. (saith S. Austin) for James or John, or any of the rest, but for Peter alone, that his faith might not fail; because on him, as a sure foundation next to himself, the firmity of his Church chief depended. So as from this Text the un●rring judgement of him and his Successors in points of Faith, hath been as well by ancient Fathers, as later Divines, rightly gathered. Neither can it be convinced that any Bishop of Rome hath, as a private Doctor, erred in any point of Faith; much less guided the Church amiss, by falsely declaring any point, or practice of Christian Doctrine. And if amongst such a multitude of most Learned, Holy and eminent Persons, which in the See of Rome, have from age to age succeeded each other, some few have been blameful in their lives, as one amongst the twelve Apostles was a Judas, and another amongst the first seven Deacons, is commonly held to have been horribly vicious in his life and doctrine; yet prejudiced not the sanctity of the rest, nor the holiness of their Function; for why should the glory of other good Popes come to be obscured, or the high authority of that See be lessened by them; Such scandals being some of those gates of Hell, which were permitted by Christ to be opened against his Church, but never to overthrow it. Yet I may truly say here, that in numbering and naming such Popes, Protestants have notably erred; and with great malice made Boniface the eighth, and other Popes, black and abominable in their lives, who by the certain testimonies of most holy and learned persons, living in the same age; and time with them, were very good, holy, and zealous Bishops, and wrongfully defamed by unconscionable wicked men, professed adversaries unto them. And should any Pope swarve in any point from the professed and known faith of Christ's Church, and in any public manner profess his error; there would not (as our Adversary's teach) be wanting in the Church, authority or means enough to ●e●ose, or rather declare him to be no true member of the same, and so no more h●ad thereof: which is spoken of a thing in the air, and that will never h●ppen. Neither is it to be marvelled at, that we Christians should believe that the chief Pastor and Head of Christ's Church▪ for whom himself prayed that his faith might not fail, for the confirmation of his Brethren in their Christian and Catholic profession, should be infallible in his public teaching; since the High Priest of the Jews, a type only and figure of ours, was to be so strictly followed and obeyed in his doctrine, as the refusers of his sentence were by death, and no less penalty to be punished: and such as sat in the Chair of Moses, and exercised that power, which was provided by God for the instruction of his People, were by our Saviour's command, notwithstanding their bad lives, to be followed in their doctrine, and can we think that he would leave his Church void of such an external, and infallible means in all points and practices of faith to rely on? For should the Churches teaching be held fallible and uncertain, even scriptures themselves might be questioned in their authority, approved (as I have said before) by her testimony and tradition, as other declared points of doctrine. And to say that this infallible authority should be more in the flock than in the chief Pastor thereof, more in the body than in the head, more in the family than in the father and governor of it, more in a general Council than in the Pope, who hath authority to call and confirm it, is an extravagant opinion of some divines, and hath little colour of truth in it: especially considering that sundry great and general Counsels, not following the Pope's sentence and directions, given either by their Letters, or Legates in them, have perniciously in their Decrees, and scandalously erred: Whereas it cannot be proved that Pope's alone have in their doctrines so failed. Neither hath it in former times been held necessary for resolving doubts in matters of faith, or for condemning Heresies risen against them, to have a general Council presently called; but Popes alone have commonly performed that Office, acknowledged by chief Fathers in all ages to belong unto them; so as amongst many others, which might here to that purpose be instanced by me, St. Hierom writing to Pope Damasus, about admiting 3 hypostasies in the deity, or not, because that word than was of a doubtful signification, tell me (saith he) whether I shall admit them, or not, as a sheep I ask help of my Shepherd; I know not Vitalis, I refuse to believe M●lesius, I am joined to your beatitude alone, & c. And in this kind of language have other ancient fathers written to several P●p●s to have qu●stions and doubts of faith resolved by them: which they would not have done, had they not believed our Saviour's prayer, that their faith should not fail, to h●ve been heard for them by his eternal Father, and that a peculiar assistance of the Holy Ghost was promised unto them. The fourth Controversy, Of Traditions needfully added into the Canon of Scripture. OUr Adversaries, under a specious pretence of following, in the Doctrine and practice of Faith, God's word alone contained in Scripture, seek to overthrow amongst Christians all true belief, and Religion, for admitting what scriptures they list themselves, and interpreting them as they please, is in effect to have a Religion of their own making; no less absurd, than if in Kingdoms and Commonwealths, Subjects were permitted to interpret laws of themselves without admitting Judges to determine of them, or any authentical Declaration of them; so as every man may to his own advantage in suits and controversies expound them, and defend any cause, how bad, and unjust soever it be by them: And that pretence of Protestants to believe nothing which is not either expressed in Scripture, or by a clear & immediate consequence gatherable from it, is a false brag and purposely devised to exclude the Churches teaching, and deceive ignorant people, unable to note how ungroundedly, and without sense many times, texts of Scripture are cited by them, to prove their own and impugn our doctrines; insomuch as the Catholic and learned Pastor of Chaventon, a place allotted unto the Hugonits' near Paris, hath in sundry Volumes discovered the fraudulent proceed of Protestants, about maintaining points of their Religion: and particularly showed, that no point thereof can be without false Glosses of their own convinced out of Scripture. For example, when S. Paul affirmeth, all scripture divinely inspired, to be profitable to teach, to correct, to instruct in justice, that the man of God may be perfect. He doth not say, as our Adversaires falsely gather from this place, that scripture alone can make him perfect in the knowledge of heavenly truth: for that revealed and unwritten doctrines may serve likewise to increase this knowledge in him; as when S. Paul willed the Galatians to stick firmly to cap. 1. his doctrine, by writing or preaching delivered unto them; and exhorted the Thessalonians to keep those traditions, which either by his Epistles, or by 2 Thess. 2. speech they had received from him, praising the Corinthians for observing such precepts as he had given unto them: When also against Apostolical and certain tradition they urged those texts, wherein our Saviour reprehended Pharisaical and wicked doctrines, teaching plainly observances against the Law of God; sometimes also vain things and of no moment; their arguments are mere fopperies, and prove nothing against unwritten doctrines, such as are the Creed of the Apostles, the translation of the Jewish Sabbath into our Sunday, the Feasts of Easter, and Pentecost anciently observed, not for the celebration of Jewish but Christian mysteries, and many other Feasts and Fast●, kept in the Church from Apostolical tradition; the Baptism of Children, the matters and forms of Sacraments; and many other doctrines and practices of faith, not expressed in Scripture. Where in the mean time, I will ask those m●n, is it either plainly expressed or by clear consequencies gatherable from Scripture; that the Commandments of God are impossible to be observed, that men have no free will to do good or evil, that the justest men do mortally offend in their best actions, that there is no inherent justice or sanctification in us by heavenly graces communicated unto souls cleansed from sin, but that all are holy by Christ's justice alone apprehended by faith, and imputed only unto them: that each faithful man is by an Act of faith to believe, that he shall be saved; no less surely than Christ himself; that Christ died for none but the Elect, and that others were to have no share in the fruit of his death and passion for us; that Christ's body and blood are not really and corporally present in the Sacrament, but by saith only: that Sacraments of the new law are signs and seals of faith only, no graces are communicated at all to such as receive them, and many such Protestants Tenants besides, which have no true ground at all in Scripture for them. And in this pretence of gathering, and proving the faith out of scriptures only, they imitate many ancient Heretics before them: So Maximus the Arian, as S. Austin in his first In principio. book against him recounteth, rejecteth the word Homoousion, because it was not expressed in Scripture; and so did Epist. 174. Pascentius, (as the same father recounteth) and as S. Gregory Nazi●nzen relateth of Eunomius, he was wont to ask his Christian Adversaries, why they did name a God, meaning the Holy Ghost, not mentioned for such in scripture, making so (saith he) the sacred Act. 3. writings of God, a cloak of their impiety. Acasius the Arian, in the Council of Selevica, used the same words; and so did Eutiches in the Council of Constantinople under Flavianus, ask the Fathers therein assembled, in what scripture they found expressed, that cap. 6. Christ had two Natures conjoined in his Person; neither could he be drawn from those words commonly used by Protestants; I follow only the scriptures, and regard not the Father's Exposition Lib. de natura de gratia cap. 39 of them. The Pelagians also (as S. Austin cit●th their words) made profession to believe no more than Anathetisma 7. what they read in Scripture: So did the Iconomachi, or Image-breakers in the second Council of Nice; and the Albigenses said the same to S. Bernard, Hom. 66. in Cant. as himself recounteth. So did the Wiclifests, as Waldensis citeth their words, and proveth it still to have been the custom of Heretics, to cloak their Novelties under a specious and fraudulent pretence of embracing only the Lib. 2. de doctrina fidei cap. 9 Scriptures by themselves falsely expounded; which is (as there he saith) to follow their own judgements, and not Scripture; consisting (as S. Hierome told the Luciferans) not in the words, but in the true meaning of them: an adulterated sense being no less harmful, than a forged letter to be embraced. So as this learned Author demanded well of Wicklif, Why said he, should we believe your lately devised Interpretations of Scripture to prove your Heresies, more than you believe all the ancient Fathers and Doctors of Christ's Church in all places of the world and ages before you? for if you tell us that they were men and might err; I may answer, that you are not Angels, or Doctors sent from heaven; that Christians now after 1300 years should learn a new Faith and Exposition of scripture from you; wherein also you differ no less among yourselves than you have done from all antiquity before you; as having no certain rule of Faith to determine differences between you. And those very Scriptures, out of which you pretend to gather your Faith wholly, neither are, nor can be but by the Church's testimony certainly notified unto you: for as they cannot give testimony unto themselves, nor any one part to the rest; so as calvin's inward light pretended to be given unto all faithful persons, for the knowledge of them, is a mere fancy, as elsewhere I have proved. And whereas Protestants affirm, that we have in our Church many vain and unprofitable traditions; yea, repugnant unto Scripture; yet in their authority equalled by us unto them, they do herein affirm many untruths together; for that with us all Traditions are not equal in their authority; and such as are truly Apostolical, and have had their origine from the Apostles, are we say of no less authority, as the Church retaineth a memory still of them, than if they had been by their first Authors written: and we have certain rules whereby they come to be known infallibly by us The first is taught by S. Austin in these words, that point or practice Lib. 4. contra Donat. of faith, not taught in Scripture, nor decreed in Counsels, yet ever retained by the Church, is rightly believed to have from Apostolical authority descended to us; such is the Baptism of Children, & c. The second Rule is this, if any point of faith hath been unanimously taught by the holy Fathers, and yet not mentioned in Scripture; it may be securely embraced as an Apostolical tradition: such is the perpetual Virginity of the mother of God, the number of the Gospels, etc. The third Rule is, if any thing hath been practised, and believed still in the Church, which could not be at first by humane authority introduced, and established, it is to be thought to have come from the Apostles; such are the matters and form● of Sacraments, their number, and the proper effects of them, prayer for the dead, etc. The sign of the Cross used in Baptism, and other such religious customs, which if as things of light moment, they should come to be neglected (saith S. Basil) and not regarded, the Lib. de Spiritu Sancto. belief and practice of the Church in points of greater moment would totter also, and become weakened in their authority; since the Gospels themselves are not more certainly, than by the Church's tradition, and authority confirmed unto us. Tertullian with S. Basil teacheth such traditions, and Lib. de pudicitia & de coronam clitis. so doth S. Ambrose, S. Austin, and many other chief Fathers, even such as lived with, or near the Apostles themselves, as S. Dennis, S. Ignatius, S. Irenaeus, S. Justin Martyr, Origen, and S. Cyprian, blamed therefore by the Calvinists 2. cent. cap. 4. 3. cent. c. 4. for this doctrine. Eusebius also affirmeth Hegesippus a disciple of the Apostles themselves, to have wrote five Books in a simple stile, but with great sincerity of such traditions, as had been left to the Church by them against calvin's impiety, peremptorily after his manner, and proudly condemning for sacrilegious and superstitious, all external rites used in the Service of God, and not expressed in Scripture. Yet we find that himself in the order of his Genevian Congregation, hath many new rites and ordinations of his own appointment, no where mentioned in Scripture: presuming so of a power in himself, above the Apostles themselves to ordain them, for that his must be embraced, and theirs condemned, and deemed sacrilegious, albeit Lib. 3. ●4. never so authentically testified unto us. Perchance he had never read, or little regarded that important question, which ancient Irenaeus proposed about Traditions, and verities of faith believed by all good Christians, yet not expressed in Scripture. What (saith he) if the Apostles had left no Scriptures at all behind them, ought we not to have followed the order of Tradition, which they left unto those Bishops, unto whom they recommended those Churches, which had been founded by them? and to speak no more hereof, even now in our time, we know many barbarous Nations, to have received by their preaching, the faith of Christ, and to persevere holily therein, flying and detesting all Heresies contrary in any sort unto the same, who as wholly unlearned never had any Scriptures at all, but only stick unto the Traditions, which were at first by the Apostles themselves delivered unto them. And if such Traditions, as are now in our Churches retained, and observed for the order of divine Service, and decency therein to be used, should be accounted sacrilegious and abominably superstitious, as Calvin would have them. The use for example of sacred Vestments, the sign of the Cross in Baptism, Prayers said at the burial of the dead, bowing at the name of Jesus, and other like Ceremonies; that admonition of S. Paul's would come to be neglected, charging the Corinthians to do all things honestly, or in a seemly 1 Cor. 14. manner, and according to order in the Church, as we can prove from assured testimonies the Primitive Christians did, during the fi●st hundred years after Christ in their public sinaxes, or meeings at divine Service, and Sacraments together recounted by S. Dennis of Areopagita in his Ecclesiastical Hierarchy in the 2 or 3 chapters together, by S. Justin Martyr in his second Apology for Christians to Antonius Pius the Emperor, and by S. Ignatius insinuated plainly enough in many places of his Epistles, by Tertullian also in his book ●● pudicitia, and other father's living in or near unto the age of the Apostles. And such Ceremonies as are by Calvin so rejected, and condemned in the public order of divine Service, are thus by S. Austin approved in such things as are not determined in Scripture, the customs of God's Church, Epist. 87. ad Casulanum. and ancient Ordinations, are to be maintained and observed as laws prescribed unto us. Neither doth Calvin's denial of them to be lawful, because they are not expressed in Scripture, derogate any thing at all from the anciently allowed authority of them; and the want of them in his reformed or rather deformed Conventicles is a notable blemish unto them: insomuch as a great Lord of France, beholding another H●gonet Lord his friend, after a Pompous Funeral, caft like a Dog into the Earth, by two ordinary labouring men, without any Prayer or Ceremony used in the Burial of him, swore that Calvin's Religion was like a bald man's head without any hair upon it; and another Lord there present said merrily in answer of him, not without an Oath, that it was a Religion (if you will call it so) fit for Beggars than Gentlemen. The fifth Controversy, Of Protestancy begun here in England under Queen Elizabeth. ANd since continued until now, when Puritanism by covert means at home, and help of Scottish neighbours abroad, came to overtop it, and made an open way to the destruction of all settled, and constant professions of Faith, by the power of such as call themselves Independents, as depending on none but themselves in the choice of their Religion. Queen Elizabeth intended not this freedom of Sectaries now licenced unto them; nor did she of herself so dislike Cath●like Religion, but that she could have been contented to have continued the same in her kingdom, if the Flaw of her Mother's marriage, contrary to the Pope's order, and the act of her own father excluding her from the Crown, had not caused King Henry the second of France, whose eldest son Francis had newly then married Mary Queen of Scotland, and next heir to the Crown of Engand to proclaim her a Bastard, and resolved to maintain the right of his Daughter in law against her. By which unfortunate occasion her ears were opened unto bad Councillors then about her, and for their own ends busily persuading her, that if the Pope's power were still obeyed, and Catholic Religion continued among her Subjects, she could not have any certain hope of enjoying her Crown quietly: and upon this ground chief she was moved to change the ancient Religion of her Kingdom, which could not be done, but in Parliament; of which I have seen a daily Relation gotten from Mr. Camden by a Protestant Bishop, and lent by him for some days unto me. So as out of the same, I can truly affirm, that such Burgesses and Knights were cunningly packed out of every Shire and Burrow-town in the lower House; as for their inclination to Protestant Religion, or other private respects, would easily conform themselves to the Queen's intentions. And amongst the Lords in the highe● House many great ones, loath to be long absent from their Country Sports, or by their first Acts to distaste the young Queen, absented themselves from Parliament, and gave their Proxies to the old Earl of Arundel, a known Catholic, and the Duke of Norfol●● his Son in law; not doubting but that they would do all things to maintain their Religion against all uncermining thereof. But it proved not so, for the Earl put in to a vain hope of marrying the Queen, when by his age he might have been more than her father, and the Duke of Norfolk being neither sound in Religion, and for other ends of his own not sincere in his proceed; prevailed by their many Proxies, to exclude the Bishops from sitting in Parliament, all holy and learned men able to have turned the business as they listed; after which Vote passed, the Queen's party in both houses still prevailed; so as not long after new Bishops in place of the old were chosen, some come ●r●m Geneva, others out of Germany of different Religions, yet contented for honour, wealth, and wives to join in any profession: Seven of them were Apostata Monks and Friars, and most of the rest mere Laymen, having neither Ordination nor Jurisdiction, besides that which the Queen and Parliament could give them: commonly therefore called the Parliament Bishops, and Patent Prelates. I know they have tried many ways and feigned an old Record to prove their ordination from Catholic Bishops; but it is false, as I have received from two certain witnesses; the former of them was Doctor Darbishire, than Dean of S. of Paul's, and Nephew to Doctor Bo●ner Bishop of London, who almost sixty years since lived at Pont, than a holy religious man very aged, but perfect in sense and memory; who, speaking what he knew affirmed to myself and another with me, that like good fellows they made themselves Bishops at an Inn, because they could ●●t no true Bishops to consecrate them. My other witness was a Gentleman of known worth and credit, dead not many years since, whose Father a chief Judge of this Kingdom, visiting Archbishop Heath permitted, by Queen Elizabeth his god-childe, to live in Surrey at the Parsonage House of Cobham, saw a letter sent from Bishop Bonner out of the marshalsea by one of his Chaplains, to the Archbishop, read whilst they sat at Dinner together, wherein he merrily related the manner how these new Bishops (because he had dissuaded Oglethorpe Bishop of Carlisle from doing it in his Diocese) ordained one another at an Inn, where they met together. And whilst others laughed at this new manner of consecrating Bishops; the Archbishop himself gravely, and not without tears expressed his grief, to see such a ragged company of men come poor out of Foreign parts, and appointed to succeed the old Clergy in rich Deaneries, Prebendaries and Canons places: who had such ill luck in meeting with dishonest Wives, as an Ordination was put out by the Queen and Parliament, That no woman should for a wife be commended to any Minister without her honesty could be testified withal sufficiently unto him: and many, who had been Clergy men before, were urged either to take Wives, or lose their Benefices, as many were contento do, and follow these Bishop's examples. The Tenants of Faith embraced by the Queen and Parliament were Calvinian Doctrines, but the form of Church Government was seemingly Catholic, and the Title of Lord was to the new Bishops constantly to be continued, and all other Officers under them, as Deans etc. And when some for their own ends would have had the new Bishops put to pensions, the Queen would not hear of it, as affecting the ancient splendour in her new Clergy. And albeit Altars were pulled down, and in place of the Mass, a Book of Common Prayer ordained; yet the Bishops were to keep their habits, and the Ministers appointed to use Caps and Surplices, for Decencies sake in time of Service, much disliked afterwards by Puritans at home, and Protestants abroad: So that such professors are called usually by them Calvino-papiste: Calvinian Papists, Samaritans, half Jews and half Gentiles. And the Queen herself was for such ecclesiastical authority assumed by her, so much disliked abroad, as a chief Protestant Doctor wrote thus to the Elector Brandeburg of her; Elizabeth Queen of England, hath with a temerity never before heard of, made herself Papissam, a she Pope in all Churches in her kingdom: And all her Subjects must under great Penalties swear it to be so. And had she not been for her power useful in those times to the Heretics of France, Scotland, and the Low-Countries in Rebellion against their Sovereigns, she had been more than she was cried out against by them. So as it is evident, that in this change of Religion, secular policy chief prevailed to the perpetual disgrace, and shame of such as since have embraced it. And a mixture was made therein of many Religions, as the Queen and her bad Councillors listed, wholly different from any other Protestant Reform●tions; disliked therefore extremely by all several Professors of them; yet so by prejudice of opinion, education, and custom embraced by many in their affection at least thereunto; albeit the use thereof be in these times debarred unto them, as with those foolish Idolaters they still cry out, that their gods are taken from them: some affecting it the more, because it is forbidden unto them; others also because the Elizabethian Church Service and Government carried a greater decency, and outward show of Religion with it, than that which amongst later Sectaries is now used, in a Song and a Sermon only ended, without any set form of praying together, not barer of ceremony than void of devotion; and many times in ex tempore praying and preaching wholly ridiculous, like it so much as they cannot be drawn from it, even now when it is taken from them by a prevailing power, unexpectedly raised to depress Protestants, and Puritans together, to end also Bishops and Bishoprics with them. Insomuch as in these miserable times, I deem it to be a needful and high point of Christian wisdom, for Dialogo ultimo contra Luci●●rianos. each one, according to S. Hieroms rule, to leave all new Sects, and betake themselves to that Church, which hath unalteredly continued one and the same profession of faith, since the Apostles time; whilst Novelists have in vain laboured to change it, and are come themselves to nothing: so as wise men will in succeeding ages with grief and compassion, conclude and deplore the eternal damnation of such, as have lived and died in the profession of them. Was there ever (for example) any Heresy since Christ's time, so powerfully broached & subtly defended, so lastingly continued, as the Arian Heresy for a long time together; & in so many parts of the world by whole Countries, and Nations embraced with such a show of Scriptures making for it, and other arguments produced by learned men to prove it; yet we see now the same by all good Christians worthily hated and detested, as all modern Sects of Protestants will after an age or two come to be abhorred, and accounted to have been miserable Seductions of Souls, and damnable professions of different beliefs before in the world not so much as heard of, time and truth prevailing to discover the falsehood of them. The sixth Controversy. Of the Holy Eucharist. 1. PART. Concerning our Saviour's real Presence therein. Plainly imported in these words, when of br●ad blessed in his last Supper, he said, this is my body, etc. and of Wine, this my ●loud of the new Testament, which shall be shed for many in remission of Sins, ever literally understood, and believed (saith Luther) L●b. de interpret. v●rborum Caenae. by Christian Pastors and People, since the Apostles, calling his Sacramentarian Adversary's Corrupt●rs of Christ's plain words, and murderer's of souls by new and false interpretations of them: and I would have (saith he) these brave men, who from Sense and Reason chief impugn the literal understanding of them, to tell me why God by his infinite and unconceivable pow●r cannot make the same body to be at once in many places; since our Saviour's repeated and express promises of giving us his fl●sh to ●at, and his blood to drink plainly require this miracle to b● done by him for the fulfilling ●f th●m. Not distributed by parts, and in their proper forms, as the Carpharnites carnally and grossly understand them; but Sacramentally, and hiddenly under the forms of Bread ●nd wine communicated unto us. In which s●nse St. Paul asked of th● Corinthians, the Chalice of benediction which we ble●●e, is i● not the communication of Christ's blaud? and the Bread which we break, is it not the participation Ep. 1. c. 10. of our Lord's body? to wit under the forms of B●ead and Wine, wont t● be consecrated by the Apostles themselves, and distributed to the People, according to St. Justins' words: where speaking of the Primitive Christians, Apologia 2. ad Antonium. in their Sinax●s, and public meetings, we receive not in them (saith he) common Bread and Wine, but we believe them to be the Flesh and blood of our incarnate Lord. For the Bread Serm de Coena. (saith St. Cyprian) which our Lord gave unto his disciples, was not in show, but in the nature thereof changed, & made flesh by the omnipotency of Christ's words, from whom we are warranted to drink blood by Moses, in his law so strictly forbidden. And St. Catech. 1, 3, & 4. Cyrill having affirmed the same Doctrine, addeth, albeit sense suggesteth the contrary unto thee, yet let faith confirm thee, that Bread and Wine, after the invocation of the blessed Trinity are made the Body and Blood of Christ; and he who refuseth to believe In ancorato so of them (saith Epiphanius) loseth grace and salvation. St. Ambrose likewise thus plainly Lib. 4. de Sacramentis. c. 4, & 5. delivereth the same Doctrine; Bread distributed at the Altar is Bread before Consecration, but after Consecration of Bread, is made the Flesh of Christ, and let us certainly believe it. But how can that which was Bread be made so? by Consecration, by what words then, and by whose, is Consecration made? by those words of our Lord Jesus, this is my body, etc. for when the venerable Sacrament is to be made, the Priest useth not his own words, but the words of Christ, etc. and St. Hierome to the same purpose, that Bread (saith he) which our Lord broke and gave to his Disciples, was, as Epist. 100LS. quae est ad Hedibiam. we believe, his own flesh; and the Chalice which he blessed was his Blood: neither is it man now that consecrateth the Bread and Wine laid on the Altar, and maketh them the Body Homil. de proditione, Judae. and Blood of Christ, but himself who was crucified for us. (Saith St. Chrisostome) the words are pronounced by the mouth of the Priest; but the Elements are consecrated by the power of Christ's words, and as the speech of God, increase and multiply, once pronounced, hath force still to effect what he intended by them; so have Christ's words, this is my body, still power at all Tables of the Church to perfect the Sacrifice. He (saith Gaudentius) who descended In cap. 2. Exodi. from heaven, said, the Bread which I will give shall be my Flesh, who being Lord, and Creator of all things, a● he produceth Corn from the earth to make Bread, so both he can, and promised of Bread to make his Body. And he who of Water made Wine, can of Wine make his Blood, etc. think not therefore that to be earthly which is heavenly. Truth cannot lie, etc. St. Orat. magna Cate●hetica. Gregory Nissen likewise biddeth us to consider; how Christ's Body, received in many places, ●nd by thousands together, can wholly and entirely be communicated ●●●●ch one of them: wherefore I do rightly believe, Bread by God's word to be transmuted, or wholly changed into th● Body of Christ, and not to remain both together in the Sacrament; as Luther even Harmoni● in cap. 26. Matth. in calvin's opinion absurdly affirmed. And indeed all the Authorities of ancient Fathers hitherto alleged by me, do plainly prove a total change of Bread into the body; and of Wine into the blood of our Saviour, fitly called in the great Lateran councils Transubstantiation. And that in the distinct Consecrations of our Saviour's Body and Blood at the Altar; under the forms of Bread and Wine is celebrated, his mysterious Sacrifice, according to the order of Melchisedech, and foretold by Malachy the Prophet, is so plainly and frequently testified by Ancientest and Chiefest Fathers of Christ's Church, as when we cite the Testimonies, even of such as lived Lib. de vera reformatione Ecclesiae, with the Apostles themselves, Calvin passeth on us this mild and modest censure, Solemn est istis nebulonibus, etc. It is the custom of these knaves, to rake up out of the ancient Fathers, whatsoever hath been written erroneously, and falsely by them: when therefore they object Malachies foretelling a continual Sacrifice, etc. We answer (saith he) that these Fathers also taught Chri●●s bodily presence in the Sacrament; but so ridiculously as Reason and Truth enforce us to leave them. Can a Devil in human● shape have more proudly or contemptuously censured St. Irenaeus, St. Justin, St. Cyprian, St. Alhanasius, St. Chrysostom, St. Ambrose, St. Hilary, St. Augustine, and many others, chief lights of Christ's Church in their time, for learning and Sanctity highly renowned. And elsewhere I see (saith he) the Fathers, Lib. 4. In●it. cap. 28. Sect. 11. even the ancientest and chiefest amongst them, to have wrested the memory of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, and to have acknowledged therein the face of a renewed oblation, more than was agreeable to the institution thereof; imitating so the Jewish manner of sacrificing, more than Christ ordained, or the Gospel permitted. as if he alone knew better than all ancient Doctors before him, what Christ ordained in his last Supper, even such as had known the Apostles themselves, or conversed with some of their chiefest Disciples, in his Commentary also on St. Paul's Ep. to cap. 6. v. 9 the Hebrews, he hath these words, I cannot but wonder to see the ancient Fathers so preoccupated with the opinion of Christ's corporal Presence in the Sacrament; but a● one error draweth on another, when they had forged a sacrifice in the Lord's Supper, and adulterated thereby the sam●, they laboured to gather colourable Arguments, whereby they might seem to maintain their error. So as mentioning no further his impudent and unchristian boldness in accusing so many glorious Saints, now reigning with Christ in Heaven, of Judaisme, Idolatry and Superstition practised by themselves, and taught to others, I will accept here what he so plainly confesseth, that all the ancientest and chiefest Fathers of Christ's Church, held the real presence of our Saviour in the Eucharist, and acknowledged a true sacrifice in the daily Consecration thereof celebrated still by us, after their example, and our Saviour's institution; mentioned also by St. Paul, blessing Bread and 1 Cor. 10. Wine, and distributing them as the Body and Blood of our Lord, according to S. Irenaeus his words, our Lord, saying of Bread, this is my Body, and Lib. 4. c. 32. confessing the Chalice, which he consecrated to be his blood, taught us a new oblation of the new Testament, which the Church, having received it from the Apostles, offereth to God throughout the whole world, as Malachy had foretold, & c. And not to speak of those ancient Liturgies extant in Greek and Latin under divers Apostles names, and proved to have been truly theirs, by many grave and learned Authors; one●y because Protestants are not pleased for such to accept them: I will boldly here affirm, that no point or practice of faith can be more faithfully made known and testified by all manners unto us, and even in Protestant Authors themselves more plainly confessed, than that this great and only sacrifice of Christians, hath still in all ages since Christ, even until this very time, both in our Western, and those Eastern Churches of Greece, Syria, Armenia, E●ypt, and India itself been celebrated: so as yearly out of those and other parts of the world, Christians come with their Priests unto Jerusalem, many thousands of them together, having no other public service of God, but the celebration of this sacrifice used amongst them, never but in their first Apostolical Conversions taught unto them, and since still retained by them. And albeit Nestorisme, besides other ancient and condemned heresies, have crept in lamentably amongst them; yet in a Catholic belief of ●ur Saviour's presence in the Sacrament, and sacrifice of the Mass ordained by him, there is no disagreement at all between them: and this concord of many Nations remote from each other, and void of all commerce between themselves for many ages together, Lib. de Pr●script. according to Tertullia's rule, non error sed traditio est, is no error but tradition still continued amongst them. The second Part. FOr proof of the Mass also I could here, if Calvin's former confession, that the ancientest and chiefest Fathers acknowledged and celebrated the same, saved me not that labour; heap up many pregnant testimonies out of their authentical works truly collected: that being most true, which S. Epiphanius affirmed, that all the Apostles severally prescribed the order of celebrating this sacrifice. And St. Isidorus lib. 2. Officiorum, telleth us that the Mass used in his time, in these Western parts of the World, was according to St. Peter's Ordination, which mysterious and unbloudy sacrifice, albeit in the Host itself, and chief Offerer thereof it be all one with the sacrifice of the Cross; yet is it far different in the manner and ceremonies thereof; for whereas, in that his body and blood were painfully parted, and his death thereby caused, in this they are only by distinct consecrations of them mysteriously severved. So as to distinguish these sacrifices we may fitly call that other, the sacrifice of our redemption, consummated indeed fully by it, and this latter a sacrifice of Religion, for that thereby the divine persons are highly honoured and religiously served. By that our Saviour merited all graces for us, and by this other, they are applied unto us in a most liberal and loving manner, not without a most grateful acknowledgement of his effused love, and bounty exhibited in the other unto u●. So as such a Sacrifice dignifying above measure Christ's new Law and the Priesthood thereof, well became the infinite, wisdom, power, and goodness of him that ordained it, ending by his painful death on the cross the Priesthood of the old Law, and all Sacrifices thereof, and establishing a new Law, and a new Priesthood therein, according to the order of Melchisedech, whose sacrifice of Bread and Wine was a Type of this wherein Christ's Body and Blood consecrated under the forms of Bread and Wine, were first offered by himself, when he instituted this Sacrifice, and are now still, and shall be to the world's end offered by the Ministry of his Priestly servants, authorised in the oblation thereof to do as he had done before them, hoc facite in meam commemorationem, do this in remembrance of me. And whereas Protestants admit this mysterious King of Salem, to have been a lively type of our Saviour in his person, but not in his sacrifice, they contradict David's plain testimomony instanced by the Apostle, Thou art a Priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech, not of his Person only, b●cause a new order of Priesthood supposeth a new Sacrifice; no less than a new sacrifice proveth a new Priesthood, and by both together a change of the old Law, is by St. Paul necessarily inferred. For saith Ad Heb. 7. he, the Priesthood being transferred or changed, the levitical into that of Christ, according to the order of Melchisedech; it was needful also, that the Law should be translated and changed. And those who deny this new sacrifice, deny Christ's Priesthood also, both by David and St. Paul expressly averred; and lessen thereby the force of his argument, used thereby to prove the old Lib. de missa A●gulari. Law altered and changed, dreadfully making that a negative Article of their faith, which the Devil taught Luther, when the Sacrifice of the Mass was by him first denied and impugned, as himself hath particularly related▪ the disputation then passed between them, who indeed was a fit Master for such a Scholar; and the Lesson which he learned of him was a blasphemy left by a Devil, delivered unto him: albeit the arguments, whereby h● sought to prove it, as Luther recounteth them, were indeed far from concluding what the Devil sought to prove by them. How much more happily than had Luther blessed himself from such a teacher, and retained his ancient faith of this h●ly Sacrifice, the greatest, and gratefullest to God, that by him, who was wisdom itself, could have been devised: never offered (saith St. chrysostom) by the Priest at the Lib. de Sacerdotio. Altar; but Troops of Angels are invisibly about him, ready to adore their heavenly Lord, God and man offered unto his eternal Father by him, Hom. 5. in Epiph. (himself having had the Grace to see them) as Nilus his Disciple recounteth of him, ordained saith St. Eucherius, by the Son of God, that as he offered himself once for our Redemption, he might in a mysterious sacrifice be daily offered for us, jugiterqu● coleretur per mysterium, quod semel offerebatur in pretium, perennisque illa victim●viveret in memoria, uni●a & perfecta hostia fide aestim●●●● non specie corpus effecta, & sanguis Sacerdotis nostri: as a perpetual sacrifice to make Christ's bloody and painful sacrifice, whereby we were redeemed daily to be remembered by us, and represented unto us by Saint Dennis Areopagita in his Ecclesiastical Cap. 3. Hierarchy, and particularly declared in the whole order thereof, called by Calvin therefore, to deny the authority of so great a Father, a counterfeit Hom. 34. in Evangelia. babbling Author, albeit St. Gregory the Great, more than a thousand years since, citing a Testimony out of him, called him ancient and venerable Father. Hom. 2. in diversos. Origen also long before that cited him by the name of great Dionysius Areopagita: and Dionysius Alexandrimus his Scholar is affirmed by Saint Quaest. 4, cad Antiohum. Epist. ad Car●lum calvum. Maximus, Abbot and Martyr to have written Annotations on his works. St. Athanasius likewise produceth his authority to prove nine orders of angels, called by St. Chrysostom, as Anastatius Bibliothecarius testifieth, the bird of heaven. And St. John Damascene often citeth him under the title of Dionysius, amongst Divines, the greatest and holiest, to omit innumerable Lib. 2. de fide cap. 12. & lib. 2. Titulo de Synaxi, etc. like testimonies of both ancient and latter authors. This great Father then, in his Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, mentioneth the Bishop's coming unto the Altar, calling it, aram divinam: his incensing likewise thereof; his intoning the Psalms sung by the Clergy, attending him in the celebration of the sacrifice, and then causing the Catechumes to be put out of the Choir, he maketh an Oblation of the bread and Wine then to be blessed, and consecrated by him; washeth his fingers at the midst of the Altar, with the Priests kneeling by him, and after the praising of God in his works, ea quaesunt divinissima rite perficit, etc. He performeth, to wit in consecrating the Bread and Wine, most divine things, under the Signs then adored by him, crying out unto Christ, tu dixisti, hoc facite in meam commemorationem thou hast bidden us to do this in remembrance of thee, humbly acknowledging himself unworthy to celebrate so great a Sacrifice, & beseeching him to open those sacred cover and signs unto him, and spiritually clear his eyes, for the better understanding of himself present under them: which testimony alone of so great a Father, cap. 3. Apologia 2. ad Antoninum Imperatorem. confirmed by Saint Justin Martyr, and repeated in all other Apostolical Liturgies, would be abundantly ●ufficient; to prove our whole Doctrine, and belief of the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, were not our Adversaries obstinately bend to reject all such proofs, though never so convincing. The seventh Controversy. Of honouring Saints, and praying to them. THe Honour, which we Catholics yield unto Saints, is not that high Honour called Latria, due unto God only, but such an inferior honour, Genesis 18. Numeri 20 as Abraham and Joshua yielded to angels appearing unto them, which Honour being infinitely inferior to the other, given unto God himself, cannot but falsely and foolishly be called Idolatry, such as paynims yielded to their Idols, by ascribing Divinity unto them. Whereas Saints are as friends only and Servants of God, inferiourly respected and reverenced by us, according to David's words, Thy friends O Lord, are much honoured. This kind of honour was in the purest times of Christ's Church yielded to Saints, as S. Justine Apolog. 2. ad Anteninum. witnesseth in these words, we are call●d (saith he (atheists, because we worship not your Gods: it is true, we acknowledge no such Gods, but one true God alone, & c. and his only Son, who came from him and taught us to se●ve him: we reverence the whole Army of his angels, and blessed Spirits of the Prophets, etc. which honour yielded unto Saints, is by St. Deunis in his celestial and Ecclesiastical Hierarchies, by St. Ignatius in his Epistles, and in all ancient Liturgies peculiarly expressed: and in this we believe communion between them and us, that as we rejoice in their felicity and greatness, so they secure now for themselves (saith St. Cyprian) are solicitous for us: and the higher they are now in their own Heavenly glory and greatness, the more clearly do they know our necessities, and are ready from their divine Lord and ours to obtain remedies for them. And if whilst they lived here on earth they might lawfully pray for us, why may they not now do the same in their happier estate? not hindering, but increasing their Charity towards us: since especially their local remoteness from us, hindereth not their hearing of our prayers directed unto them; no otherwise than angels know by the testimony of our Mat. 22. Lucae 10. Saviour himself, the secretest conversions here of sinners, and rejoice in them, Saints being in their blessed estate, like and equal unto them, and those, who together behold the Charity of their heavenly Lord, in whom Morali 14. & lib. 4, Dialog. all things are contained, can be ignorant of nothing (saith St. Gregory) belonging unto them, in which sense St, Paul telleth us, that we are come to Mount Zion, heavenly Jerusalem, and City of the living God; to the frequency of millions of Angels, and the Church of those, who were first conscribed amongst them, etc. so gone before us, as we are hopeful to arrive unto them, and become as now they are, fully united unto him, qui est caput super omnem Ecclesiam, who is head of his whole Church, so as they and we belong to one body, and have some communion as fellow members under one and the same head together. Calvin therefore without book, and out of his own heretical fancy, affirmed the Saints of heaven to be secluded from having any commerce at all with us, and that they pray in general, but not in particular for us, because forsooth they cannot hear us: for how (saith he) hath it been revealed unto any man, that Saints have ears so long, as to reach down from heaven unto us whilst we pray unto them? Which Question had been better made by some Infidel, than any Christian Author of learning or judgement proposed: for who knoweth not that pure Spirits (such as are souls separated from bodies) have a spiritual manner both of hearing and speaking without ears, tongue, or other corporal senses: so as it would be no absurd thing, if I should tell Calvin, that Lucifer in hell knew him very well, and such Heresies as were to the ruin of souls broached by him, albeit he had no eyes to view his papers, or ears to hear his Doctrines preached, by the natural light of his understanding in absence also penetrated by him; which is as ears and eyes unto him: whose substance as we conceive not, so is the spiritual manner of his understanding things hidden wholly from us, wherein Angels and Saints in heaven do far, no doubt, exceed him, because they have a purer and higher light, to wit of glory communicated by God unto them; and according to his absurd question of long ears for Saints to hear our prayers directed unto them, a man may well conceive him to have scarcely believed, that our Saviour as Man according to his humane and glorified soul, heareth the prayers of men here on earth directed unto him, or knoweth their actions according to which notwithstanding he shall judge them. Calvin in the mean time could not but know, when he impugned our invocation of Saints; that we in our addresses unto them, intent nothing else but to obtain more easily at God's hands by their intercession blessings, and benefits needful for us. For if the joint Prayers of two or three here on earth, be more grateful to God, than of one alone, and more effectual to obtain what we ask of him; how can it be but profitable for us, to have with our own prayers the suffrages of Angels and Saints holily conjoined? we of ourselves b●ing sinful wretches, and wholly unworthy to obtain any thing of him; Wherefore as Malefactors here on earth, think themselves happy, when any favourite of their Prince will be pleased to solicit their pardon for crimes committed against him; so are we in a like manner humble suitors unto these Courtiers of heaven, to become unto their divine Lord and ours, Mediators and Intercessors for us. Neither doth this Mediation of Saints derogate any thing at all from the mediation of Christ: For that he immediately by himself and in the right of his own merits advocateth and obtaineth at his father's hands what graces he will himself, and blessings for us. Whereas Saints in a mediate and subalternate way of Mediation, by him, to wit, and his merits who redeemed them and us also, become intercessors for us. And this custom of praying in this manner unto Saints hath been so anciently used in Christ's Church, as all Greek and Latin Fathers almost, whose works are now extant, have approved and practised it. Angels (saith S. Ambrose) are to be Lib. de Vidual. invoked to our help; the Martyrs are to be sought unto, whose bodies we keep as pledges of their love towards us. And S. Hierome disputeth thus against cap. 3. Vigilantius, as now I may do against Calvin or any other Protestant, Thou sayest in thy Book, that whilst we live, we may pray for each other, but not after death: But I tell thee, that if the Apostles and Martyrs living here in bodies, could pray for others, when they cared for themselves, how much more may they now do that, after their Crowns and victories. So that if our Adversaries would admit any true Church, or practise of Religion before them, they could not but acknowledge this doctrine and custom taught and practised in our Church to have ever been truly Christian and Catholic: but as their heretical Conventicles are newly raised, so will they have a new Religion believed, and practised in them. The eighth Controversy. Of reverencing of Saints Relics. AS we yield not unto Saints themselves now in heaven a divine honour; but only a reverend respect, infinitely inferior unto it: so likewise their Relics are not, but by the same reverenced by us: And our Adversaries sencelesly abuse words, when they accuse us of Idolatry for yielding this reverence unto them, these Relics being not false Gods, or things belonging unto them; but Relics and parts of their bodies, who were God's true Servants, and either lost or spent their lives in the service of him, moving us by their very sight to a like practice of Piety, Fortitude, and other virtues eminent in them. So as in honouring their Relics, we magnify chief God's graces in them. Wherefore S. Ambrose speaking of Nazarius, and Celsus bodies, than found out newly by him, and freshly as it were bleeding in their wounds, why (said he) should not faithful people honour their bodies, since Devils do fear them, which once with torments they afflicted? Wherefore I honour that body which honoured Christ under the sword, and which shall reign in heaven with him. So as it is a notorious untruth of the Centurists first, and of Calvin after C●nt. 2. c. 3. l. de necessitate reformandi ecclesiam. them, when they affirmed the custom of honouring Relics not to have begun in the Church during the first five hundred years after Christ; for that Cajus living in the age next unto Lib. 2. Historiae c. 24. the Apostles, as Eusebius recounteth, told Proclus his Cataphrigyan Adversary, that he could show unto him in Rome the trophies of the two Apostles Pete● and Paul honoured by Christians. And the Church of Smyrna in their Epistle of S. Policarps Martyrdom, disciple to the Apostles themselves, wont for edification to be read in Christian Churches (according to S. Gregory Turinensis) recounteth, how the Jews got his body to be burned into Ashes, and thrown into a River that his Relics might not be honoured by Christians, as were in that very age the De viris illustribus in Ignatio. remnants of S. Ignatius bones gathered and sent unto Antioch, as S. Hierome recounteth. Eusebius likewise relateth De viris illustribus in Ignatio l. 7. cap. 14. great honours done to the body of Marinus by Christians, and how miraculously Apphianus his dead corpse was brought out of the Sea, and cast on Lib. 8. c. 14. Lib. 13. praeparat. Evangelit. ● cap. 7. shore to have due honours yielded unto it, as being meet (saith he elsewhere) that God's Friends and Champion's, should have at their Tombs honours yielded unto them. Orat. in Theod●si●m O●at. in Julianum Catechesi 18. Saint Basil in sundry places teacheth this honour to be due unto the Relics of Saints, and so doth his Brother S. Gregory Nissen. S. Gregory Nazianzen likewise and S. Cyril of Jerusalem. S. Hierome also against Vigilantius, particularly mentioneth, how solemnly samuel's body was brought in time of Areadius out of Jury into Thracia, with a continual procession of Bishops, Priests, and People honouring the great Prophet in his Relics, until they brought it to Chalcedon. St. Et Homiliis de S. Babild S. Ignatio juliano, &c Chrysostom in many of his Homiles ad populum Antiochenum, mentioneth great honours done unto the Relics of Saints. And Saint Austin in a whole Chapter together recounteth those great miracles, which he had seen done at S. Stephen's Relics all condemning by their testimonies the contrary doctrine Lib. 22. de civet. c. 8. of Protestants, detesting, destroying, and defacing in several manners Saints Relics; whereas David telleth us, that God will keep all the bones of his Servant●. The Nineth Controversy. Of holy Images kept and honoured by us. AMongst other Heresies anciently condemned in Christ's Church, this against the Catholic use, and veneration of Images hath been by modern Heretics perniciously again revived; and fitly served them to make us, with ignorant Persons, seem guilty of Idolatry, by yielding, as the ancient Painims did a divine honour to stocks and stones, and praying unto them as if they could hear us: in which imputations they do slanderously, and notoriously belly us, abusing many ways, simple Persons hearing and believing those assertions against us. First, for example holy Images representing Christ, or his Saints, or some other Mystery of faith are falsely called Idols by them; for that an Idol according to S. Paul is nothing in the world, meaning according to the person, or thing represented by it, to wit, a God or something else, made only by imagination and Fancy. Whereas the incarnate Son of God, his blessed Mother, & Saints, now glorified in heaven, are in our Images or Statues represented still, or such Mysteries of faith, as were in the great work of our Redemption really performed: for example, a Crucifix representeth Christ, as he hung upon the Cross painfully nailed unto it, and dying for us, more movingly so objected to our eyes, than if that sacred Mystery were by an ample discourse declared unto us. In which true sense St. Gregory called Images, the books of unlearned Persons, for this and other mysteries of Faith represented in them. And our Adversaries must be stupidly absurd, if from Scriptures themselves they learn not to distinguish Images from Idols in their proper signification: Christ for example is o●t aid to be the Image, but not the Idol ●● the Father, the m●n to be the Image, not the Idol of God. And there are many places wherein the word Idol in place of Image, could not be but absurdly & abusively used. And who but can blasphemously affirm the two Statues of Cherubins in the inmost tabernacle, covering with their wings the Ark and propitiatory Table, to have been Idols? And whereas our Adversaries object against us, that we cut off the second Commandment, and divide another into two, because our Images a●●●o●bid in it, they belly us, because in ou● Bibles the holy T●xt is no less in●●r● than in theirs, only in our Cate●hi m●s, and books written for the instruction of common Christians, and Children amongst them, we print not that which they call the second Command●ment, and we affirm to be a part and explication of the fi●st, commanding particularly the Jew's not to make the likeness of Calves, or any thing ●lse; lest then prone to Idolatry, they should yield divine honour unto it, by adoring it as God himself: of which now there is no danger among Christians, and so no use of that part of the first Commandment; and even Calvin himself Exod. 20▪ in his explication thereof is enforced to grant, that all sorts of Images or Statues are not forbidden by it. And it is well known to all learned men, that many holy Fathers have, as now we do, divided the Commandments, the ancient Hebrew Text having no division at all in it. In the mean time concerning that reverend respect, which is yielded unto Images by us: First, it is not absolutely due, or given to the material Images or Statues themselves, but as holy Persons and mysteries are represented by them, unto which our minds and intentions in beholding them ●re carried. So that in such acts the Image or Statue is respectively honoured for the person or mystery represented in it, and they are likewise honoured in them. In which sense S●. Basil said Rex dicitur regis imago non duo Reges, the image of a King is called the King, nor is he and his image called two Kings, nor is the honour divided between them; because the honour done to the Image ascendeth to the exemplar. And as in Images different persons are represented, so are different honours yielded unto them: For example, to the Image of Christ, a higher ●espect is intended by us, then to the Image of any Saint; because himself is therein honoured; which our dull Adversaries either will not, or do not understand: and therefore they exclaim against us, and make ignorant people believe that we adore a Crucifix, as Christ himself. Whereas according to St. Basil's doctrine, Christ himself is chief adored, because the honour ascendeth unto him. Concerning the timely use of Images Act. 2. & 4. amongst Christians, St. Basil, as his words are cited, in the seventh general Council, affirmeth them to Lib. 7. hist. dap. 4. have been ordained by the Apostles themselves: so as Eusebius mentioneth how the woman at Paneada cured of a bloody flux by our Saviour with the touch of his garment, erected a brass Statue of him, with a miraculous flower growing under it, curing all sorts of diseases, when it risen so high as to touch his garment: which she would not have done had she deemed it Idolatry to erect such a Statue, or Image of our Saviour in memory of that great benefit received from him. Neither would almighty God have miraculously graced the same, if it had displeased him, Tertullian Lib. de●pud. mentioneth the Image of our Saviour carrying on his back the lost sheep, to be usually engraven on the Chalices. and St. Methodius in the next age Orat. de re. after him, comparing holy pictures of Angels with profane Images of the Gentiles, affirmeth them to have been made for the glory of God. Minutius Felix likewise blamed the Gentiles In suo Oct. for hating Christ's Cross (as Heretics now do) albeit such a kind of picture was fastened on the top of the Imperial Standard, which complaint would not have been made by him, if the picture of our Saviour nailed on his Cross had not been usual amongst Christians. St. Gregory Orat. de St. Theod. Nissen telleth how much pleased the people were to see St. Th●odorus his Chapel with holy pictures decently adorned. and St. Basil his brother inviteth painters to express in a lively manner St. Barlaam, behaving himself H●m. 8. victoriously in ●●s torments, more perfectly than he could declare them. St. Austin speaketh of our Saviour's Image Lib. de con. Evan. c. 11. wont to be drawn with St. Peter and St. Paul in the same Table. Neither are the Images of Christ and his Saints more fitly any where placed, than in Churches, for that as ill pictures are apt to raise ill motions in such as behold them, so are holy pictures apt to cause in men's minds looking upon them pious thoughts, and affections. Neither are the simplest persons or very Children amongst us ●o stupid as to think them Gods, or to yield, as our adversaries falsely pretend, divine honour unto them, as the Painims did anciently to their Idols. And indeed the heresy of the I●onoclasts under two or three wicked Emperors, troublesome sin some Churches of Greece, by Jews and Negromanticks first introduced, and chief maintained, was at length with so full a consent of the whole Christian world condemned and derested; as the same Div●l surely was powerful with such heretics, as since again have revived it. And as they chief detested the Image of our Saviour hanging on his Cross, so is the same by Protestants chief hated, and was at the first rising of their Sect pulled down in all Churches, and solemnly burnt, as the proper Dagon and God of the Epist. ad Phil●d. Papists: Whereas that holy Trophy of Christ's victory (as S. Ignatius calleth it) and sign of our Redemption, fearful to our infernal Adversaries, vanquished by the Cross, was so holily reverenced by the devouter sort of Christians, from the very time of the Apostles, as they usually signed their breasts and foreheads with it, accounting themselves from all power of Devils protected by it: so as Tertu●●ian by an exaggeration affirmed Lib. de cor. milit. ca 3. & l●b. 2. ad ux. c. 5. Christians in his time, by frequent making of this sign, to wear out Catech. 4● & 13. their foreheads; by which saith St. Cyril Christ triumphed over all infernal powers, and made the very sign of Cross terrible unto them; willing therefore all Christians frequently on their breasts and fortheads to sign Lib de Is. & anima. themselves with it. And so doth St. Ambrose give the same advice: and St. Epist. 8. c. 6. Hierom writing to Demetriades a virgin, willeth her that the exterminator may have no power to hurt her, to guard herself by this sign as by the letter Tau (which was a Cross in the old Hebrew Characters) made in the Israelites foreheads, they were from the Ezech. 9 kill strokes of the Angel protected. Tertullian useth the same comparison, and so doth Origen, ask Lib. contra Nar●i. this question, what do Devils fear and tremble more at than to see the Hom. 6. in Exod. sign of the Cross, by which their power was destroyed, made faithfully by us? St. Cyprian also saith, that Cont. Jud. lib. 1. c. 8. & lib. 2. ●. 22. Moses held up his arms in form of a Cross, whilst Joshua overcame Amalek. And that Ezechiel shown, how safe we are when in our foreheads we make it. Saint Cor●elius Pope saith, that Novatian received not the Holy Ghost, because he was never with the Seal of our Lord signed by any Bishop, Epist. ad Fabium Anti●chenum. Lib. 4. c. 27. to wit in Confirmation, wherein this Sign is essentially used. Lactantius declareth the virtue of this Sign in many occasions, and especially in dissolving Magical Incantations, and silencing Oracles. And Saint Athanasius affirmeth the same to Orat. de incarnate. Christi. have been proved by many examples. Saint Gregory Nazianzene, recounteth likewise how Julian the Apostata, in an Idolatrous Temple, being terrified at the fight of many Devils, raised by a Sorcerer before him▪ ad crucem vetusque remedium confugit, had recourse to the Orat. 3. in Julian. Sign of the Cross, a sure remedy against them; & at the making thereof, the Devils vanished before him. A●d to say as Protestants do, that Devils fain this fear, to make Christians continue in this superstition, is a senseless assertion: as if Devils had been careful that wi●ked Julian, Christ's professed enemy, should leave his Superstition, or as if that hellish Impostor could so easily deceive Christian Pastors, and people, using to make that Sign for 1500 years together, yea, and the Tract. 3. in Jo. & 36. in Psal, 30. concione 3. & Serm. 19 de Sanctis. Apostles themselves, who first (as I have said) caused this Sign in Administration of Sacraments, and all sorts of blessings to be used, as is by Saint Augustine in many places expressly affirmed. And he who will read the life of Saint Anthony written by Saint Athanasius, and of Saint Hillarion written by Saint Hierome, shall see what a heavenly force they ascribed to the Sign of the Cross, either made upon themselves, or in the air against Devils, in dreadful apparitions troublesome unto them, so as by the contempt thereof, any man may conclude Protestant's to be no good Christians, or devout rememberers of Christ crucified for them. The tenth Controversy. Of purgatory and Prayer for the Dead. CAlvin saith, that with Voice, Lib. 3. Instit. c. 5, & 6. Throat, and Sides together, Purgatory is to be exploded, as a damnable invention, evacuating the death of Christ, derogating from God's mercy, and causing many Scandals and impieties to be practised amongst Christians. With like fury also he condemneth Prayers for the dead, calling it an abominable superstition, a profane Invocation of God, an inconsiderable credulity, timely (he confesseth) brought into the Church, and so timely indeed as the Apostles themselves were authors thereof. For that S. Dens S. Paul's Disciple in a whole Chapter together, declareth the manner of Christian burial used in his time, with particular prayer made by the Bishop for the party deceased. And Calvin could not but know, that Aerius was anciently condemned, and is by S. Epiphanius, S. Augustine, and others ranked amongst heretics, for denying this pious and laudable custom, ever used in Christ's Church before him, of praying for the Dead, full of charity towards souls departed, and no ways tending, either to evacuate the merits of Christ's death, or to lessen God's mercy towards us purchased by it, but rather extolling both: since to satisfy his Justice, and to lessen the rigour thereof against sinners, and sins in this life, not satisfied for by them, he is contented to accept the prayers of living persons, and to have Christ's merits, and satisfactions in several manners, as by Alms, Pennances, Sacrifices, and other means as holy Suffrages offered for them. Which made the Holy Ghost truly no doubt Machab. l. 2 to tell us, that it was a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be absolved from their sins. But by these new Doctors, Scriptures themselves must be denied, and all other testimonies rejected, if in any part they serve to disprove their novel, and groundless fancies. For if we tell them that S. Dennis of Arepa●ogita affirmed Prayers to have been offered for the dead, even in the Apostles time, they will call him a counterfeit prattling Author, whom S. Gregory 1000 years since, called an ancient & venerable Father, acknowledged by other Popes, Fathers, and Counsels to have been S. Paul's learned Scholar, and the greatest amongst Christian Divines, as S. John Damascen calleth him. If we tell them that ancient Tertullian Lib. de Corona milit. numbered Sacrifices for the dead 1400 years since, amongst Apostolical Traditions: that Origen plainly taught Hom. 6. in Exodum. a purgation of Souls, and by fire after death; that S. Cyprian held it a different Epist. ad Antonium. thing for martyrs to be crowned in their deaths, and for others to pay the last farthing, and after lasting torments to be freed out of prison; That all ancient Liturgies have prayer for the dead in them Apostolically In colloquio cum sorore de resurrectione. ordained; that S. Gregory Nissen, taught a purgation for souls after death, and so did S. Augustine in his Enchiridion, and in many other of his works; That S. Ambrose prayed for Cap. 110. Theodosius and Valentinian Emperors, in both his funeral Orations of them; that sundry ancient Fathers out of S. Paul's words, 1 Cor. 3. have gathered, that such as build upon Christ the Foundation stubble and straw, shall come not withstanding to be saved, yet so as by fire; they will not to all these and other like testimonies stick to say, that all these chief Fathers of Christ's Church, were in this point over credulous, and swayed by the bad custom of their time, in allowing and practising such superstitions, and particularly Calvin, if you tell him that S. Monica desired to be prayed for after her death, and remembered at our Lord's Altar, will answer, that it was anile votum, an old woman's tale, and dislike S. Augustine himself for recounting it. The eleventh Controversy. Of Sacramental Confession, and Priestly Absolution. CAlvin asketh us, with what face Lib. 4. Institut. c. 15. Num. 3. we can affirm Confession of sins to a Priest, to have been a divine Institution, & affirmeth also elsewhere with In Antid. Sect. 6. c. 15. a notorious falsehood, that Confession was free to be made or not, until Innocent the third, with a few horned Lib. 3. Institut. 6. 4. num. 17. beasts, ordained this snare to make a general intanglement of Christian people, calling in another place Confession of Penitents made to their Pastors, lib. 3. c. 3● num. 1. etc. 4. nu. 12. ●●iring and tearing of men's Consciences; and no less absurdly than Luther had taught before him, he denieth the Priests to have received any greater power from Christ to absolve sins, than all other Persons, men or women, only by their age and wisdom they are able to afford direction and comfort unto such as come afflicted in conscience unto them. Lib. 4. c. 1. num. 21. & 22. Yet afterwards changed in his doctrine, he affirmeth by Christ's meri●s and power of the holy Ghost, this benefit of the Church's Keys, and remission of sins to be daily imparted unto the faithful people by them, who as Legates of Christ, Lib. 3. c. 4. num. 13, & 14. 17, & 18. have the ministry of reconciliation committed unto them: exhorting in another place each one burdened with Sinfulness of his conscience, to confess them privately to the Pastor, and particularly as he can remember them: and esteem it no small benefit, that he can repair unto one, who hath this power of reconciling souls committed unto him. And from this doctrine, the use of private and public penance hath been brought into all Calvinian Cosistories, not without frequent defame of such as fit in the stool of pennances to be absolved of sins confessed by them. Whereas in our Church, men burdened in Conscience, come to their Ghostly Fathers, and are heard, whilst they confess their sins charitably by them, secure to have nothing revealed afterward which hath been confessed unto them. So that our incarnate Lord and Redeemer never opened the inmost bowels of his mercy and bounty more widely towards us, than when in his Church he erected this high Tribunal of Justice (as I may well call it) and mercy conjoined: ordaining Priests and Pastors of Souls to be Judges thereof, with most ample Commission given unto them to absolve all Crimes whatsoever committed against him, not once or twice, but so often as men fall into them, and came penitently to confess them with a purpose no more to fall into them: which kind of clemency was never used by any earthly Prince towards his Subjects, nor scarcely by any father toward his children, frequently and heinously offending him. This Commission was by Christ after his Resurrection given unto his Apostles, and all those no doubt, who were in the government of his Church afterwards to succeed them, when after he had said, ●● my Father John 20. sent me I send you, he breathed upon them, and bade them receive the holy Ghost: whose sins you remit shall be remitted unto● thames and whose sins you retain shall be retained: having first, so by breathing out of himself the holy Ghost into them, communicated a divine power to perform what his words imparted, excluding calvin's corruption of them, by affirming this power of remitting sins to signify nothing else, but to delcare by Christ's merits & mercy abundant remission for them: which were the same as to say, that Judges in their circuits receive from their Prince no power at all to free or condemn Malefactors brought before them, but only to declare (as Notaries and Criers are w●nt in Courts) the Prince's pleasure in freeing or condemning them: than which nothing can be more falsely or foolishly affirmed. And If Christ's words signified no more, St. Paul said not well of himself, and the other Apostles, that Christ had committed the Ministry 2 Cor. 5. of Reconciliation unto them, and made them his Legates, absolving such as had offended him, the effect of a Legate ever importing power granted with it. S. Ambrose therefore said well against Lib. de poenitentia, c. 2 the Novatian heretics, revived now again in modern Protestants, that under a pretended reverence yielded unto God, by leaving all power of remitting sins unto himself, they more highly injured him, by not doing what he commanded them, ask afterwards this question of them, why do ●ye baptise, if men cannot remit sins? for that this is performed fully in Baptism, and what importeth it Lib. 2. c. 10. whether by Penance or Baptism this be performed, the power of Priests given by God being alike in both Scraments. St. Leo in the same manner extolled God's mercy in this, Epist. ●1▪ ad Theodorum. that as he had ordained Baptism, ●●r the first sanctification of Souls, so likewise was Pennance ordained by him, that Graces lost by sin after Baptism, might come to be restored by the gate of reconciliation and priestly Adsolution after Confession of our sins opened unto them. The use of this Sacrament is mentioned Cap. 19 in the Acts of the Apostles, where many of the faithful are said to have come and confessed their sins with terror no doubt of conscience (saith Calvin on that place) & a desire to be absolved by the Apostles from them, and in that very age S. Dionis in his Epistle to Demophilus, sharply reprehended him for striking away with his feet, a poor penitent kneeling before Lib. c. 9 a Priest to receive pardon of sins from him, and rev●ling the Priest because he would absolve him. S. Irenaeus speaking also of a woman corrupted by one Mark a Sorcerer, saith, that after the brethren had with much difficulty converted her, she Lib. de poenitentia c. 10, & 12. spent a great time in making her Confession, weeping and deploring what she had suffered from him. Tertullian likewise blameth such, as through shame hid some sin in Confession to the Priest, choosing so, rather to be damned, than in their foulness discovered: reprehending others likewise, for coming not at all to this needful remedy for sins, after baptism graciously prepared for them. S. Clement of Alexandria Lib. 2. Strematum. Homil. in Psal. 37. in like words almost delivereth the same Doctrine, by Origen more largely declared, comparing Confession to the opening of festered wounds, that by the Priest's power they may be cleansed, cased and cured. S. Cyprian exhorteth most earnestly some Christians fallen in persecution to confess Serm. de lapsis. their sins unto the Priest, and receive Absolution from him; and commendeth some who had done so with many tears, and Signs of contrition. Lactantius condemneth the Novatians Lib. 4. instit. cap. 30. for heretics, because they denied the power of Priests to absolve sinners coming unto them, and by the use of Penance distinguisheth Catholic Can. 28. in Matth. Churches from Heretical Congregations. S. Hilary expressly affirmeth the sentence of Priests absolving sinners here upon earth, to be ratified in heaven. In regulis, etc. ad quaest. 288. S. Basil teacheth the same Doctrine, and S. Gregory Nissen his brother, adviseth a sinful woman to l●y Orat. de non judicandis aliis. open her whole soul & conscience to some charitable Priest, who will have a care to save her honour, and help Epist. 65. her. S. Hierome is blamed by Calvin for calling Penance a second table Lib. 2. & 3. de sacerd●ti●. after shipwreck. S. chrysostom highly and frequently extolleth the power which Priests have to absolve sins. And S. Augustine teacheth expressly, Lib. 2. de ●isitat. infirmorum cap. 4, & 5. that sorrow alone without Confession and Absolution of the Priest, is not sufficient to free men from their sins; because otherwise, Christ had given the Keys in vain, if there were not in his Church a needful use of them: and let not any man tell me (saith he) that he confesses them in his heart to God, who knoweth them; for Christ will have us humbly to subject ourselves to the sentence of his Priestly servants, for remission of them. Disdain not therefore (saith he) to open thy conscience fully and clearly unto them, who as Christ's Vicars and Legates have power to absolve thee. So great a Lie was that of Calvin, when he affirmed Sacramental Confession to have been left free for every man to make it, or not, until Pope Innocent the third, cum pauculis cornuti● suis, with a few horned beasts, imposed a Precept thereof to ensnare all Christians, and this, either ignorant or malicious man, might well have blushed, when he asked with what face we could affirm Confession of sins to a Priest to have been as by the Son of God, divinely ordained; who by giving such a power as he did unto Priests to absolve sins, tied guilty souls to confess them: for that without a revelation, otherwise Priests could not prudently exercise their power, and know what sins were to be remitted, or retained by them, or how they might best direct the consciences of Penitents coming unto them, or enjoin them to make a due restitution of fame, goods, etc. taken from others by them. And whereas our Adversaries object that Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople, and S. Chrysostoms' predecessor, took away the use of Confession and Penance in his Church, for a Scandal which had happened by it. I answer, it was not of private Confession, and Pennance ordained by Christ himself as parts of a Sacrament: but that which was publicly made by Penitents, before the whole Congregation, by a holy zeal of Prelates, and Penitens together anciently introduced; which might, and hath been taken away, not only by Nectarius in his City, but by S. Leo, and other Bishops; because as the fervour of Christians became cooled, sundry inconveniences happened by occasion of it, which are not wanting in all Calvinian Consistories, making their stool of Penance ridiculous, and of little benefit to such as are brought unto it. The twelfth Controversy. Concerning the number and effect of Sacraments. CAlvin seemeth in words to extol In Antideto Sess. 7. c. 5, & 6. the Sacraments of the new Law, as fountains of our Saviour, ordained to cleanse and sanctify souls; yet when he cometh more clearly to express his Doctrine, he affirmeth them, with the rest of his fellows, to be no other than bare Signs of faith, and Seals, as it were, of Christ's gracious and liberal promises made in the Gospel unto us. And therefore in the holy Council of Trent, they were justly condemned, declaring them, as the General Council of Florence had done before, not only to be Signs, but true causes of such graces as are signified by them, as fountains flowing from Christ's wounds, and graciously ordained by him, to apply easily, and efficaciously for the sanctification of our souls, such graces as by his life and death he merited for us. Wherefore S. Augustine, against Faustus, ●ib. 19 c. 10 his Mainchean Adversary, affirmeth them to work after an unspeakable manner their effect of heavenly graces in us. And elsewhere he asketh, Tract 80. in John. how water in Baptism cometh to have that force, by touching the body, to cleanse and sanctify the soul, but by being raised above its own force, & made the water of a Sacrament ordained by Christ for that purpose. In Orat. de S. Baptis. which sense also S. Gregory Nissen comparing the seed of man, and the water of Baptism together, saith, that as the natural body of a man is framed by the one, so is the soul and supernatural man framed by virtue of the other, causing graces in him. And S. Lib. 2. in Jo. c. 42. Cyrill teacheth that as water made hot by fire, scaldeth and warmeth as fire itself doth; so the water of Baptism is by the Holy Ghost, as a heavenly fire raised to have a divine virtue in it, of sanctifying soviss washed with it, called therefore by Saint Paul the Laver of Regeneration, and Renovation, because we are renewed in our souls, and supernaturally regenerated by it. And the same in a proportionable manner, may be said of other Sacraments, seven in their whole number, because the Son of God ordained seven Ceremonies to be used by us, with promises of Graces annexed unto them, if we preparedly and worthily Ad Eph. 5. receive them. Baptism for example, is said to be the Laver of life cleansing souls. Confirmation is spiritually Acts 8. to strengthen us, given with imposition of hands by the Apostles first, and since by Bishops, not without the Holy Ghost visibly heretofore, and now invisibly no doubt given by it. The holy Eucharist is as a heavenly food, and ordained to nourish John 6. our souls, declared by Christ himself in the gracious effects thereof. Penance is also a wholesome medicine to cleanse and cure the wounds and diseases of men's souls, by remission of sins promised to such as worthily receive it. Order, conferreth Graces to dispose and make men fie for Ecclesiastical Functions; for which Reasons S. Paul willed Tim●thy, made Bishop by him, to resuscitate, and make use of that Grace, which by imposition of his hands had been given unto him. Matrimony is called by the same Apostle a great Sacrament, representing the union which is between Christ and his Church, not perfectly signified without Grace given, that the beginning of man● life might (saith S. Cyrill) become sanctified by it. Extreme Unction is mentioned by S. James, and remission of sins declared to be the effect thereof. The council of Florence gathered this numher of seven Sacraments, from seven conveniences in our spiritual & corporal life equally required: a generation to wit in the on●, and a regeneration in the other, growth and increase of strength: medicines to cure diseases, Superiors to govern Subjects, means of procreation, and a comfortable departure out of thi● world, & c. That these Sacrament● give grace of themselves beyond the disposition of such as receive them, i● proved by S. Augustine, from the effect of Baptism in little children; which proceedeth neither from the sanctity of him that baptiseth, nor from any disposition in the children themselves, but merely from the virtue of the Sacrament, ex opere operato, as Divines express it. And whereas our Adversaries term this expression barbarous, In Psal. 138. I will answer them with S. Augustine, melius ●st ut nos reprehendant Grammatici, quam ut non intelligant Populi, it is better that Grammarians should reprehend us, than that the people should not understand us. And in this efficacity of Sacraments a chief dignity of our Christian Religion properly consisteth; for that never any other exterior Sacraments had power in themselves, to sanctify souls. For which cause S. Paul comparing the Sacraments of the old Law with ours, calleth them egena & infirma elementa, barren and infirm Elements. Neither do our Adversaries duly consider, as they ought, that in the denying the number and efficacity of Sacraments, they detract from the merit of our Saviour's death, and power which it had to sanctify souls in several manners, and to communicate by Sacraments heavenly Graces unto us, according to our Adversaries Doctrine, Lib de captivitat. Babilonica titulo de Baptismo. to little or no effect at all, ordained by him, Luther having written thus of them, the signs justify not, and as S. Paul said, Circumcision availeth nothing, so I say of Baptism, it is nothing, nor is the Participation of our Lord's Table any thing, they In locis common. tit. de signis. part. 8. are testimonies only, and Seals of God's love towards us. Melanctthon taught the same Doctrine, and albeit many Lutherane Divines do now departed In Antid. & l. 4. in stitutionum. from it, yet Calvin and his Adherents constantly still maintain it. Infants (saith he) are holy from their Mother's womb for Gods promise made to Abraham, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed after thee. Beza likewise maintaineth the same Doctrine, In 2. Des●nsione de Sacram. and other chief Authors amongst them. So as Baptism with them (saith John Skutts a great Lutherane Divine) is as Radling to Lib. 50. causarum c. 17. mark sheep with, that their owners may know them. And this Doctrine hath been by the Devil himself (I doubt not) purposely suggested unto these men for the damnation of innocent children dying without Baptism, by occasion thereof, as not held necessary for their salvation, expressly against the words of our Saviour, Joh. 3. Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven; so literally understood by all Christian people and Pastors, that the very Pelagians (as S. Augustine hath in sundry places affirmed of them) albeit they denied original fin, and consequently the necessity of Baptism, for the remission thereof; yet by the plainness of Christ's words, they were convinced, that children without Baptism could not enter into the Kingdom of heaven, albeit otherwise saved. And calvin's explication of Christ's Antidotis in cap. 3. Joan. words is so strained against the plain meaning, as Stapleton rightly calleth it a ridiculous corruption of them. And supposing what all good Christians believe, that Adam by his sin, lost grace for himself and his whole posterity, how can it be reasonably proved or believed, that this supernatural gift should be trausfused into children, by their very carnal generation; so as to make them holily united with Christ, without being by Baptism regenerated in him: for that Gods promise made to Abraham, and so much insisted upon by Calvin, I will be thy God, and God of thy seed after thee, literally proveth no more, than that as Abraham himself was dear to God, so should his Posterity be an elected People, and favoured particularly by him. And if we understand spiritually those words of Abraham's faithful Posterity, it proveth nothing at all for calvin's Doctrine against the necessity of Baptism for children: yet hath this bold and blind Doctor adventured to draw from this Text alone, or chief at least, the sanctification of Christian children from their Parents without Baptism, against the Catholic belief, and practise of faithful people, and Pastors' i● all ages before him. In mean while I will ask him here, whether God may not be truly said, a God of Abraham's faithful Posterity by the death of his Son, and his merits, as well by Sacraments as divers other means applied unto them; unless in their natural origin he infused sanctity into th●m▪ I cannot truly but wonder how his followers, such especially as have learning and judgement, can in a main point of faith, embrace such a new Doctrine as this is, so slenderly, or not at all proved unto them. S. Cyrill a greater Doctor, than proud Calvin can be presumed to have been, on this place of S. John treating of Baptism and the necessity thereof, expressed so clearly by our Saviour, saith, that water and the Holy Ghost were therein ●●tly conjoined by him, because man consisting of ● soul and body, whilst the one i● washed by water, the other by the Holy Ghost is sanctified and cleansed, of which Sanctification and cleansing, S. Paul speaketh thus, Christ loved his Church; and gave himself for it, that he Ad Ephes. 5. might sanctify the same; cleansing it by the Laver of water in the word of life, in few words so expressing the matter, from and effect of this Sacrament, ordained to cleanse and sanctify such as receive it; by Calvin's Doctrine flatly denied, for that all children born of Christian Parents are holy, cleansed, and adopted Gods children without it. That other saying, likewise of S. Paul, is denied by calvin's Doctrine, God (saith he) according to his mercy hath saved us by the Laver of regeneration and renovation of the Holy Ghost, abundantly poured on us through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by his grace, we might become Heirs, according to the hope of Eternal life. Teaching so plainly, that not by our natural births, but by Baptism we are regenerated, renewed by abundant graces, and have the right of God's children to an eternal life conferred on us, and that these supernatural blessings purchased by Christ's death and passion for us, cannot without Baptism be obtained, hath been in divers ancient Counsels against the Pelagians expressly declared, and often taught by S. Augustine in his books against Tom. 7. operum. them, do not believe (saith he) do not say that children dying before they are baptised can be saved, for that they are only by the Sacrament made Christians, Lib. de pecmeritis, c. ultimo l. 3. de anima & origine ejus, c. 9 Lib. 1. de Abraham c. ultimo. and faithful persons, no otherwise, than by the habit of faith, and heavenly graces infused into them. S. Ambrose teacheth the same Doctrine and saith, that God's promise to Abraham of being his God, and God of his Posterity, is not so extended to the faithful, as to sanctify their children, and make them Heirs of eternal life without Baptism, whereby they are as branches to a Vine united with Christ, and begin to live in him. And whereas in Calvin's School, it is commonly affirmed, and taught, that our Saviour's Baptism was no more powerful to give grace than S. john's was. I may truly say here, that S. John himself taught the contrary in these words, I baptise with water, Mat. 3. etc. but he that is to come after me, etc. shall baptise with the Holy Chost. And we know that the Apostles baptised Act. c. 9 again such as had received S. John's Baptism, and they received the Holy Ghost thereby, which before they had not heard of, which heavenly gift sufficiently declared the excellency and sanctifying force of our Saviour's Baptism above S. John's, senselessly and against plain Scripture, by Calvin, and his followers denied, extenuating thereby our Saviour's gracious Bounty and Mercy towards us. The thirteenth Controversy. Of . REason is the directing, and the commanding power of man's soul in all humane actions; and the excellency of our nature therein chief consisteth, whereby our will hath a freedom in itself to do, or not to do what is proposed unto it, without being enforced to either, and without this liberty, nothing either belonging to conversation or government in man's life could orderly be performed; but all Laws and power in some of commanding others must be taken quite aw●●●: rewards, punishments, admonitions, consultations, and reprehensions cease amongst men. For why should Parents and other Superiors admonish their children, servants, or Subjects; reprehend or punish them when they offend, if they have no power to do the contrary more than beasts, or mad men? according to one of Luther's articles condemned by Pope Leo the tenth, affirming man by the corruption of his nature to have lost all liberty of his will, so as he can neither choose, nor desire, nor do any good thing: as if by the sin of our first Parents, men were so degenerated from the nobleness of their nature, as to become beasts and devils together. Calvin also taught the same doctrine, so absurd in itself, and against faith and reason, as many of his disciples are known to have left him; and some of them are come so far as to embrace in this point Catholic doctrine; which is to admit a natural freedom of our will in all natural elections and actions, but in others supernatural and belonging to the service of God, the help of grace is so required, as it must first incite and move us to do them: and assist us so in the performance of them, as neither our will without grace, nor grace without our will doth any thing ever free and never enforced in them. Both these liberties of our will in natural and supernatural actions so declared, may evidently be gathered from a hundred clear places of Scripture; Moses (for example to instance Deuteron. 3. here some few of them) speaking unto his people, I invoke heaven and earth (saith he) that I have proposed unto you life and death, benediction and malediction, choose therefore life etc. Joshua likewise said to the same people, cap. 24. thou hast thy cboyce, choose this day what pleaseth thee, and whom thou wilt serve chief: on which words Calvin l. 2. instit. cap. 2. n. 7. & cap. 3. n. 10. unmindful of what he had taught in other places against , and the very name thereof hateful unto him, saith, God gave them this liberty of choosing, that being tied by their own wills, they might blame only themselves if they performed not what they had chosen. God likewise proposed unto David 2 Reg. 24. three sorts of Punishments for his sin of Pride, in numbering his people, and bade him choose which of them he would. And elsewhere David saith of himself, I have chosen to be an ●bject in the house of God, rather than to dwell in the Tabernacles of sinners. Because I have spoken (said God to Is●●● 65. his people) and you have not heard me, but did evil before me, and have chosen what I would not have you done, for this therefore, etc. like to this Speech, was our Saviour's cry unto Jerusalem, Math. 13. and S. Stephen told the Jews, that they ever rejected the Holy Ghost; which without freedom in their wills they could not have done: insomuch that St Augustine, in his Book of grace and , heapeth more than thirty pregnant places of Scripture together, to prove this Catholic point of Doctrine, so evidently gatherable from reason itself, and experienced daily both in ourselves and others, as S. Irenaeus truly affirmed, that a man is Lib. 4. c. 9 & 29. not to be accounted reasonable, who will deny the freedom of man's will, without which he could neither be Lib. 1. 6. 5. justly damned nor saved. Tertu●ian against Marcian proveth, that man loft not the liberty of his will by sin, and that the likeness of God ingraffed in his nature chief therein consisteth. And Origen in these words, and Homil. 22. inn Numeros. now O Israel, what doth thy Lord God ask of thee? writeth thus, let them blush at these words, who deny the freedom of man's will; for how could God ask any thing of men, if they had not power to offer it unto him: and to omit the like testimonies of Other Fathers, S. Augustine in three Tom. 7. whole books together, of cleareth this Controversy, for (saith S. Hierome) where necessity enforceth, Lib. 2. contra Jovinianum. nec condemn●tio, nec caro●a est, men are neither damned nor crowned. The fourteenth Controversy. Of Calvin's Solifidian Justice. AS Calvin absurdly denied proved against him in my former controversy, so hath he not lib. inst. c. 14. num. 9 10. 11. showed himself a Christian Doctor in many Tenants about the manner of our Justification, averred & taught thus plainly by him. First, that before God our best actions are not only void of merit, but mortally also defiled and sinful in the justest persons. ibid. c. 17. & 18. c. 3. n. 10. Secondly, that the holiest Souls are never cleansed from sins by any interior graces insused into them: but only by God's mercy, they are not unto the elect imputed to damnation. Thirdly, that good works are as fruits of faith gratefully by us performed, but concur not in any sort to our salvation, and that faith alone without them doth justify u8; ib. c. 11. ●. 16. 17. 18. 19 20. etc. 2. n. 1. 9 10. and by this faith he●m●aneth not that whereby revealed verities are believed by us, little valued by him: but that particular faith, whereby each elected person is to believe and firmly to persuade himself, that he is beloved of God, and sure to be saved, defined by him to be a certain assurance of enjoying eternal life, freely by ib. c. 2. n. 38. & 40. & lib. 4. 6. 17. n. 2. Christ promised, and interiorly by the holy, Ghost revealed, and signed unto him. And in his farther declaration thereof, he confesseth that many heretofore, lib. 3 c. 11. n. 13. 14. meaning the holy Fathers, conceived and taught, that by faith and good works together men were c. 14. n. 16. justified in God's sight. But we say this justice to be gained by faith alone, and that it cannot stand where good works are valued and joined with it, or confided in, even such as are spiritual and best performed by us. Which doctrine was an heresy in the Apostles time, and condemned by them, as St. Austin affirmeth, lib de fid. & ope●. c. 14 chief gathered then, as it is now from an ill understanding of hard places in S. Paul's Epistles, which unlearned and unstable persons (saith St. Peter) depraved, as they do other Scriptures to their own perdition. Which Heresies, so anciently condemned, ought now also to be banished from all Christian hearts (saith the same Father) as tending to make them careless to live well. And when S. ad Rom. 3. 5. Paul said, I think a man to be justified by faith without works, he meaneth not works by the faith and grace of Christ holily performed, but works of the Law, which the Jews were apt to glory in, even after their conversion to Christ, as if by them they had merited fare above the Gentiles to be called by him: Which false persuasion St. Paul doth refute in them. Neither are the Apostles (saith St. Austin St. Paul and St. James) contrary to each other, when the one affirmeth, a man to be justified by faith without works, & the other teaches faith without works to be dead and worth nothing: because the one speaketh of works done before faith in Christ, and the other of works by the grace and faith of Christ duly performed. Which true explication of so great a Doctor, and by many other ancient Fathers embraced, Calvin in his wont l. 3. instin. c. 21. num. 10. 1 Cor. 13. modesty calleth subterfugium ineptissimum, a most foolish evasion: albeit St. Paul in confirmarion thereof, saith, that if he had all faith able to remove mountains, yet if he wanted charity it were nothing: for, saith he, in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision, nor Prepuce availeth any thing, but faith that worketh by charity. And if Calvin had ●scribed our justification to this faith, he had taught true doctrine: But his particular faith and certain persuasion which every one must have, that he is one of Gods elect, and that Heaven is no less sure unto him than that Christ himself enjoyeth it, is a most desperate fancy overthrowing all true Faith and Religion. For whereas St. Paul willeth us ad Phil. 2. with fear and trembling to work out our Salvation: and S. Peter willeth Epist. 2. c. 1. us to strive by good works, to make sure our vocation, and he that standeth i● bidden to look that he fall not, these and other like exhortations about fearing Gods Judgements, keeping his Commandments, walking as Children of Light, and the like, have no place at all where Calvin's faith is admitted. Yea, which is more absurd, such as have it cannot pray to obtain of God perseverance in his love, and service, without being shaken in their most certain assurance of eternal life prepared for them, no less surely than for Christ himself; and why then should they pray for it or any thing belonging to the attaining thereof. But from what place of Scripture this particular faith may be gathered, by each party conceiving himself to have it revealed by the holy Ghost, and signed in his heart, I could never learn, nor any man of Judgement. For albeit Christ's promises are sweet, able to afford great help and comfort unto such, as by a true faith and good life do seek to deserve such eternal blessings as are promised in them; yet is there no one of them made unto any man in particular: nor, as they are made in general, do they want conditions needfully to be performed for the attaining of them: as when Christ said to the young man, if thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandementsses. And when he told his Mat. 5. & 19 disciples, you are my friends, if you do these things which I command you: telling them elsewhere, that if their justice did not abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, they should not enter into the kingdom of heaven: requiring so not faith alone, but deeds also. Because the beginning of eternal life (saith S. Ignatius) is faith, and the Ep. ad Eph. perfect attaining thereof is Charity, Tract. 3. in Mat. and those (saith Origen) who have faith without good works, have Lamps without Oil, like those foolish Virgins. Faith teacheth us our duties to God, but Charity C. in Mat. performeth them: St. Hilary affirmeth all men to be saved by rightly believing what God hath revealed, and doing what he commands. m. cap. 2. Epist. 8. Jac. St. Gregory Nazianzen, show thy faith by works to be alive, and the soil of your Soul to be fruitful, that you may hope to gather from it a plentitull haryest. Remember o Christian Catech. 4. 15. (saith St. Cyril) that in thy judgement thou shalt not by thy faith, but by thy works be saved or condemned. They are the oil which will keep thy Lamp flaming, when the heavenly spouse shall come to call thee. But by faith (saith St. chrysostom) ●om. 9 in we are invited to the wedding feast; but Charity is the wedding garment, with which we must come clothed unto it, when calvin's particular faith shall prove a fancy. The fifteenth Controversy. Concerning the Merit of good Works. CAlvin is so great an enemy to the Lib. 3. inst. c. 15. n. 5. very name of merit, as he wisheth that the ancient Fathers had never troubled the Church, and corrupted the true doctrine of Faith by it: and he is so fare from granting any power of meriting unto us, as he deny●th the same unto Christ himself; if we simply oppose him to the Judgement of his father, & his reason is, quia non reperitur in homine dignitas, qua posset promereri Deum: Because there can be Lib. 2. c. ●7. n. 1. found no worth in man to merit of God any thing. Using so a Nestorian manner of speaking, as if Christ had been man only, and not God also, according to St. Paul's words saying, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself; so that by the subsisting of humane nature in a divine. person, the actions and passions were Theandricall, and of an infinite value, because an infinite majesty was humbled in humane nature, by doing and suffering them for us. And that Christ merited by his obedience unto Death, and the death of the Cross, the glory of his body, and exaltation of his name above all names; so as at the name of Jesus all knees in heaven and earth below it likewise should be bowed, is by St. Paul expressly affirmed. And that question which Calvin propoundeth, quibus meritis assequi posset ibid. n. 5. homo, ut judex esset mundi, caput Angelorum etc. Argueth him guilty of folly and blasphemy together, as unwilling to have any honour, how due soever, granted unto God and Man our heavenly Redeemer. And I can answer his question in our Saviour's own Mat. 28. words, saying all power in heaven and earth is given unto me, thus explicated by Calvin himself, he speaketh not here of his eternal power, but of that which he had newly received, when he was ordained Judge of the world, a little before denied absolutely unto him; albeit the continual cry of Angels and Saints in heaven showeth this dignity, both to have been given unto him, and merited by him. The Lamb which was slain is worthy to receive all honour and glory, etc. But it is no novelty for Calvin to c. 5. n. 3. etc. 11. n. 18. & cap. 15. n. 3. contradict himself by affirming and denying the same thing in a hundred places of his Institutions only. For example in the third book, he expressly affirmeth that there can be no justice of faith, but where good works and the opinion of merit gained by by them are excluded. Albeit before c. 17. n. 1. in his second book he had blamed the overmuch niceness of some, who albeit they acknowledge us by Christ's merits to be redeemed, yet love they not to hear the name of merit pronounced, as conceiving his grace to be obscured by it: But (saith he) Christ's merits lib. 3. cap. 15. n. 3. are foolishly opposed to God's mercy for between subalternated things, there is no opposition, God's mercy, to wit, in freely justifying us, and his Sons meriting such mercy for us. God in mean time calleth those works done by his help ours, and promiseth both to accept and reward them, & c. good works therefore please God, and are not unprofitable unto such as perform them, which is Catholic doctrine, denied in other places frequently and expressly by him. Are there no merits (saith S. Augustine) of just persons? Epist. 105. ad Sixtum. Yes, assuredly because they are just; but that they are just, proceeded not of their own merits; for where grace precedeth not, merits cannot follow or be gained by any man: so as when God rewardeth our works, Epist. 46. he crowneth his own mercies in us, and he maketh himself indebted to us, not by receiving any thing from us in psal. 83. but by promising to reward our actions done for his service. And in this sense we affirm all worth and merit of our Actions to proceed from Christ, and that union which by Faith and grace we have with him; as branches in a Vine receive all growth and fruitfulness from it; whilst he infuseth his holy spirit into us, according to that of the Apostle, the charity of God is diffused into our bearts by the holy Ghost, who is given unto us; whereby we become the adopted children of God, and brethren of Christ, as partaking the same spirit with him, and come so to have a right unto a heavenly inheritance purchased for us by him. Being likewise raised to so high a dignity, our actions as done by God's adopted children, and with help of grace, become dignified also in the value of them, and worthy of that reward which God hath promised unto them; so as from first to last, Christ is the Origine, source and fountain of all merit in them. And to prove the merit of holy actions so performed by us, there are so many, and such pregnant places of scripture, as any wise man may wonder at calvin's contrary doctrine. St. Rom. 2. Paul for example, saith that God shall render unto every one according to ad Gal. 6. his works: and teacheth us, elsewhere that each one shall receive a reward according to his labours; for what a man so weth, that he shall r●ap. Call Mat. 5. (saith Christ) the workmen, and give them their hire, etc. St. Paul for his labours and combats expected to be 2 Tim. 4. crowned. Our Saviour biddeth his Apostles to rejoice at judgement approaching, because the reward of their labours and suffering shall be great in Li. 4. c. 28. heaven: Who (saith S. Irenaeus) wanteth not our services, yet requireth them of us, that for them he may bestow his blessings upon us. And how In scorpiaco cap. 6. else (saith Tertullian) do Saints in heaven differ in their glory as stars do in their brightness, but by the variety of their merits. S. Hillary hath a whole In Psal. 2. discourse concerning the merit of good works, taught by S. chrysostom, and by more than a Grand Jury of other c. 7. parte 3. Fathers: Insomuch as S. Dennis in his Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, after particular proving of rewards due to holy actions, concludeth that God's justice consisteth in this, that every one according to his work good or bad, is to be rewarded or punished. And whereas many actions are pleasing unto God if they be done, and yet not commanded by him, as to embrace Virginity or continency of life perpetually for the greater freedom to serve God; to profess poverty in a holy imitation of our Saviour, and embrace other evangelical Counsels, cum omni alacritate adimplendo ea, que non sunt praecepta, with all alacrity fulfilling things not commanded unto them: as S. Basil cap. 22. constitutionum. said of his Religious, that as men offend not in omitting them; so do they in observing them please God, and merit graces for them. And such works as these, we call works of supererogation, not that we pretend (as our Adversaries affirm falsely of us) to do services above our duty to God, and what he hath by his infinite bounty deserved from us; for to think or say so, were folly and blasphemy joined together, but because knowing our frailty and unableness to love and serve him, as the majesty of himself, and his infinite goodness meriteth love and services from us: he was pleased to command the performance of some duties under pain of being punished if we omit them, and to leave others free unto us, which we may by the assistance of his grace supererogate, and add over above those which are by him commanded strictly unto us, not without singular rewards promised by Christ unto them: as when he told S. Peter, You that have left all and followed me, shall have a hundred fold in this life, Mat. 19 and after it life everlasting: which words (saith S. Bernard) have filled the world with contemners thereof, and replenished Monasteries, and desert places with men and women, leaving the earth to gain heaven, accounting poverty their riches, and living as Angels pure in their minds, and chaste in corruptible bodies; accounting it their greatest glory to be humbled for Christ unto Superiors chosen by themselves, and obediene in all things unto them. And such works of supererogations, are not only performable by religious, but by secular Persons also, by exercising the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, also when they are not tied to the performance of them: as in fasting for mortification of their bodies, on days and times not commanded unto them, etc. The sixteenth Controversy. About the possibility of keeping Gods Commandments. I will not mention here a horrible Sect of Luther's Disciples, called commonly Antinomis, because they wholly reject the Law of Moses; according to moral precepts also, and as the Decalogue is therein contained, blasphemously affirming it to be better nailed to a Gallows, than proposed to Christians. Nor will I affirm here (as I might truly) that from Luther himself they learned this doctrine, albeit afterward disclaimed by him: who (as a Germane Author of known sincerity citeth his own words) spoke thus of Moses and his law; We hear them not, they belong to Jews, and not to Christians; so as if any one proposeth him Vlenbergius c. 18. ex ●o●●. 3. Germanico Jenensi f. 40, 41. with his commandments unto thee, and would have thee to observe them, bid him go with his Moses to the Jews, for thou art none: will him not to troublethee with them, for that he is Colloqui is mensalibus Ger. fo. 152, 153. an enemy to Christ, etc. teaching in many other places that the law of Christ is a law of faith only, and not of other precepts, entangling men's Consciences against Christian Liberty. But omitting his grossness, I will come to treat with Calvin more In luca c. 10 versum 26. smoothly, and in covert phrases teaching the same doctrine, as where he hath these words, The law can do nothing but condemn us, because it is not possible for us to perform what it commandeth, against that saying of our Saviour, My yoke is sweet, and my burden is light: and against S. John saying of Epist. 1. c. 5. God's commandments, gravia non sunt, they are not heavy: making God more cruel than any Tyrant amongst men can be, in commanding unto men things impossible to be observed by them; yet punishing with eternal torments, such as do not observe them: and (as Calvin affirmeth) that he regardeth not in the precepts of his law what men can do, but what menshould do: whereas in many plain texts of Ezech. 36. Scripture against this Blasphemy, God promised to put a new heart and a new spirit into us; whereby we should be enabled to walk in his precepts, and observe his commandments. And it is said of Joshua that he Cap. 11. fulfilld all the commandments, which Moses gave unto him, and omitted not all precepts which God had given unto him. And of S. John Baptists parents it is said, that they were just, and walked in all the commandments and justifications of our Lord without complaint: for which reason also Noah, Abraham, Job, David, and others are called in Scripture just persons and faithful servants of God, loving him with their whole heart: in which love the observance of his law, and commandments is certainly included, according to S. John's words, He who saith he loveth God, and observeth not his commandments, is a liar, to wit, according to that degree of love, which is in the first commandment required of him, not meaning an infinite love, as God is in himself worthy to be beloved nor such an ardent and incessant love, as is in the blessed of heaven towards him, nor such a love as a holy man on earth may by any helps of grace possibly attain unto; But only so far as in our love no creature be preferred before him, or for the love of any created thing we be drawn to offend him. And to this degree of divine love every man is tied, and cannot attain heaven without it, according to S. John's words, qui▪ non diligit, manet in morte, he is dead that loveth not: and for what more he addeth to this love, he shall in heaven be glorioush● ewarded. Neither can any reasonable man conceive so foolishly of our heavenly Redeemer, the Word and Wisdom of his Father, that after his last Supper, he would more than once require of his Disciples, so dear as they were unto him, that they should show their love towards him in keeping his commandments, if he had known it to have been (as Calvin affirmeth) impossible for them or any man to observe them: nor had he so sweetly required of them the obfervance of them, If you love me keep my Commandments. For had they believed calvin's wicked doctrine, they might have replied and asked of him, Lord how canst thou require of us, if we love thee to keep thy commandments; if it be impossible for us to observe them? And when the young man in the Gospel told him That he had kept them from his youth, our Saviour denied not what he said, but rather loved him for it, as the Evangelist telleth us, and proposed a higher course of Sanctity unto him. Moreover, were calvin's doctrine true, when the young man asked our Saviour, what he might do to possess life everlasting? his answer was dreadful to him and us also, If thou wil● enter into life, keep the Commandments. For if this condition be needful, as Christ's speech importeth, and impossible to be Serm. attend attend tibi. performed (as Calvin affirmeth) how can any man hope to be saved? Wherefore S. Basil rightly affirmed it to be a wicked saying, that God's Commandments were impossible to be observed. S. Hierom said well, that Christ commanded In Mal. 5. perfect things, not impossible. St. Lib. de nat. & gratia c. 43. & 69. Austin in sundry places averreth and proveth this doctrine thus declared, more than 1200. years since, in the 2. Arcasican Council: We believe as a Catholic point of faith, that men baptised by the help of Christ, & assistance of his grace, if they labour faithfully with it, may perform what to Hom. 8. de paenitentia. the attaining of eternal life is required of them. S. chrysostom moreover addeth, that many do more than is required of them to be saved. Reason likewise itself teacheth us, that if God's commandments were impossible to be observed, no man could offend by the breach of them, because no man can be reasonably tied to what is impossible to be observed by him: whence it would follow that sin, consisting in the transgression of God's law, should be no sin at all, as not voluntarily but necessarily incurred. Neither hath Christ provided sufficiently for our salvation against many texts of scripture, if by his grace he neither hath nor can enable us to fulfil his law and Commandments under pain of damnation required of us, not without a manifest cruelty against his known goodness, and mercy towards us, and against the very end of his coming to reedeem us: that as holy Zachary sung in his Canticle, Being delivered out of the bands of our enemies, we may serve him in sanctity and justice all days of our life. The seventeenth Controversy Of Feasts and Fasts Apostolically ordained, and neglected both by English Calvinists and Independants. AMongst whom no feast at all is observed but Sunday; whereas in all Provinces belonging to the Low-Country States, those, who profess calvin's doctrine, and decline not unto the utmost strictness & impiety thereof, are yearly accustomed with great solemnity to observe for two days together, the feast of our Saviour's Nativity, and in like manner the festivities of Easter and Whitsuntide. Our Saviour's Presentation also, his Incarnation, and the Epiphany are amongst them festival observed, and so are the Feasts of All Saints, and of the Apostles, with some other chief Festivities: and in other of less note Servants and Tradesmen abstain from work, as I have noted in several Cities whilst I lived amongst them, and hereby they retain some show of Christianity amongst them. Ask likewise of any Pastor or intelligent person amongst them, (as I have done of many) why they celebrate, for example, Christ's Nativity? they will tell you, it is to honour his coming into the world to redeem us. Ask also, why they keep Easter? they will answer it to be in memory of his Resurrection, after he had by his death on the Cross redeemed us. And ask them, why they celebrate Pentecost? they will say because on that day the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and Disciples of our Saviour, to write his law in their hearts and make them able to preach and teach it unto others also and Pastors in their sermons on such days have, as I have said, a commendable care to declare unto the people the mysteries and meanings of such festivities, affirming them to be no good christians, nor worthy to partake in such blessings received by the Son of God, who will not in such feasts gratefully and particularly acknowledge them. All which religious manner of observing Lib. ●. instit. cap. 8. n. 8. & sequent. Feasts for the signification of them, and chief Mysteries of faith remembered in them; is held by Calvin himself, and other pure professors of his doctrine to be plainly Judaical and superstitious. Yea, and that Sunday itself is for order's sake only in the Church to be so indifferently observed, as Christians may, if they will, choose any other day in the week in place thereof. So willing is he and his followers to blot out of men's memories all benefits and blessings by the Son of God con●●rred on us; yet they cannot but know, that Christians made in the Apostles ●●●e their Synaxes and meetings on Sunday called in the Acts by St. Paul after Act. 20. 1 Cor. 16. Apoc. 1. an Hebrew manner of speaking, una Sabbati, one or the first day of the week: and by St. John our Lord's day, and by St. Ignatius, who lived to see Epistol. ad Magnet. can. 16. Apost. Apolo. 2. de coron. milit. lib. 7. storm. hom. 7. in Exod. Christ, the chief and Queen of all days, mentioned by St. Clement, by St. Justin Martyr, by Tertullian, by St. Clement of Alexandria, by Origen and other ancient Fathers, as Apostolically ordained, and wont to be kept in memory of our Saviour's Resurrection. And if the Apostles had authority to translate the Jewish Sabbaoth, which was Saturday into our Sunday, and command the observance thereof, why should not other Feasts likewise certainly ordained by them, Lib. 5. c. 13. be by us equally observed? The day for example of our Lord's Nativity, mentioned by St. Clement, and graced by many homilies and sermons preached thereon by many chiefe Fathers. The day likewise of the Epiphany, the feasts of Easter, Pentecost, and our Saviour's Ascension in their Apostolical antiquity testified unto us: and so are the feasts of St. Stephen, St. Clemens lib. 8. constit. cap. 39 of the holy Innocents', and many days of Apostles, and Martyrs known to have been in Christ's Church timely observed. The church of Smyrna for example solemnly observed the day of St. Polycarp's martyrdom, as Eusebius recounteth; Origen mentioneth the Lib. bist. 6. 15. the feast of Innocents' celebrated in his time etc. And if the Angels in heaven hom. 3. in diversos rejoice at the conversion of Sinners on earth, why may we not as well rejoice and praise God in the glorious martyrdom of his Servants, and their happy entrance into heaven; whereby God is more glorified, and the number of blessed Souls increased ready to pray for us. And whereas it is objected by our Adversaries, that St. Paul feared the Galatians, because they did observe days months and years; willed the Colossenses also that no man should judge them either in meat or drink or part of any festivity: it is certain that he spoke of Judaical observances about meats, days, new moons, and other like Festivities. ●● c. Mat. ● lib. 4. instit. c. 12: n. 19, 20, 21. When Calvin likewise after his accustomed boldness concerning the solemn Fast in Lent, mentioned by St. Ignatius and other chief Fathers after him, as an Apostolical institution, exhorting people to a strict and religious observance thereof, he calleth it a mere foolery, and detestable wicked mockery of Christ, and useth this brainless argument to prove it, because forsooth Christ's miraculous fast, without any meat or drink at all, is obscured by it. And for that we proudly adorn ourselves with his spoils, only because in a holy imitation of him we make fewer meals, than we are accustomed a● other times, and abstain from fleshly meats most nourishing and pleasing unto us: As Daniel, to hasten the return of his c. 10. People out of their Babylonian captivity, fas●ed, and abstained from Bread desiderable, or most desired by him. And when he objecteth that in our fasts, by abstaining from flesh we imitate the Jews in the legal difference of clean and unclean meats, he lieth against his Conscience: for when he was an under-pastor of our Church at Naion, he was bound to know and teach the contrary; to wit that in Lent and on fasting days we abstain from fleshly meats to mortify ourselves, not because we conceive such meats in themselves to be unclean and unwholesome, but because they are on such days by a just precept of the Church, and an ancient custom of all good Christians forbidden unto us: And such as are sick, or have any just cause freely do eat them, without any uncleanness at all conceived of them. And why is it that he and his fellows are such professed enemies to all public fasts, and other exercises of mortification used anciently among Christians, but because under a false pretence of evangelical liberty they seek after commodities of their belly. Whereas our divine Lord himself promised, that his children Mat. 9 should fast when he was taken from them: and St. Paul counselled married 1 Cor. couples to make at times their and prayer more acceptable to God by living continently together, as in other places he willeth Pastors and Guides of Souls to exhibit themselves God's ministers in much patience, 2 Cor. 11. in vigils, injejuniis multis, in patience in labours, in watch, and much fasting: And whilst that precept did last of abstaining from blood and strangled meats, it was by all good Christians strictly observed. Lib. 4. instit. c. 12. n. 14. And if that be true which Calvin affirmeth himself, that in the Church by the power of the keys, Pastors for just causes may ordain solemn fasts, supplications, and other exercises of Christian Piety, albeit not expressed in Scripture, and that this power was usually, and lawfully practised, not only by the Apostles, but Prophets likewise before them: Why might not the Apostles also by the same power ordain the fast of Lent and Ember days: Vigils also before great feasts for the glory of God, and spiritual benefit of faithful souls throughout the whole Church constantly & continually to be observed. The Eighteenth Controversy. Concerning Predestination. WHerein Calvin's doctrines are horribly blasphemous in themselves, and injurious to the known goodness and mercy of almighty God: for whereas he was said in Scripture, not to have made Death, Sap. 1. nor to rejoice in men's perdition. That he would have all be saved, and none to perish, 1 Tim. 2. but by penance to have all return unto him. 2 Pet. 3. That God is never angry with any man (saith Fulgentius) but first offended by him; Calvin expressly affirmeth Lib. 3. cap. n. 1. & 2. etc. 21. n. 4. him in sundry places of his Institutions, of his own free will without any respect of their actions good or bad, ●o have praedestinated the greatest rart of men to be eternally ib. c, 23. n. 4. 7. & 9 etc. 24. n. 8. & 1●▪ damned, and ordained them to commit many and grievous sins, that they might become vessels of his wrath sury and indignation justly executed upon them. Yea, and that Christ died not to save them, or to purchase faith, grace or any benefit at all for them. And if you ask him with what justice Lib. instit. c. 17. & 15 Lib. 2. c. 4 Lib. 3. c. 23. In Mat. 13. God can punish sinners, whom himself ordained to offend him, yea, which is more, whom he incites, moveth and enforceth, so as they cannot resist him to commit such sins as are most heinous and displeasing unto him? he will tell you that it is areanum Lib. 2, c. 8. n. 3. quoddam humanae mentis perspicacitatem longissime excedens a secret far surpassing man's wit to be conceived, making God not only Author of men's damnation, but of those sins likewise for which he condemneth them, and so consequently a greater Tyrant than ever was amongst men, or can be imagined. First against plain authorities of Scripture, wherein God is said non Ps. 5 volcns iniquitatem, no willer of iniquity, but a hater of the wicked and all Sap. 14. Ps. 44. their impiety. That he loveth Justice and hateth all iniquity. That his eyes are clean, and cannot approve evil. That he delivereth men from temptations, but tempteth not man. Habac. 1 Jacob 1. Secondly, against the light of Faith and Reason together, by changing the nature itself of Sin, and making it a holy work; as b●ing done according to the will of God, inciting and moving men unto it, taking so away all difference between good and evil actions, by making the greatest sins of men Gods, especial works: and destroying the high attribute of sanctity in God, whereby all his Counsels, Will, and Works are said to be holy, as ever conformable to the highest rule of rectitude, his own wisdom, to wit, and goodness, which he cannot go against without denying himself in any wicked will, or action done by him. So as Eusebius said well, he amongst Lib. 6. de praep●rat. Evangilicae men must certainly be the wickedest, that will affirm God to move men to commit Adulteries, Rapines, and other Sins: because if this were so, not men, but their Creator himself should be chief Author of sch sins, ●nd men not at all in doing them, as enforced by him to commit them: which seemed so hellish a doctrine to the Magistrates of Bern, calvin's next neighbours, as under great penalties they have forbidden their Pastors to hold or teach it. And Amandus Polanus, chief Professor at Basil, hath written a whole book against this execrable doctrine. And Graverus, a chief Lutheran Divine, hath in a particular Treatise, proved calvin's whole doctrine of Predestination, impiam esse & absurdissimam, to be most wicked and absurd. Jacobus Andraeas Luther's successor at Wittenberg, hath made the like judgement In Epitome Colloquii Montis gradensis. thereof, and so have the Tigurin, and Bernian Divines in their several confession● of faith. Bullinger likewise himself hath particularly impugned it, besides other Authors, & c. And against calvin's horrible doctrine, that Christ died only for the Elect, without any benefit at all intended for others by him. Hemingius hath written a book entitled, De gratia Vniversali, of Universal Grace, wherein he proveth by many clear texts of Scripture, that Christ was sent by his Father to redeem the whole world, to save all mankind, to take away the sins of the world, to call sinners, to cleanse them with his blood & c. that his death was in itself sufficient to redeem all men, made for that purpose by themselves ineffectual. And that nothing can be more certainly and plainly testified in Scripture, than that great graces have been given unto many, who notwithstanding are damned, because they did not rightly and perseverantly make use of them. God is good (saith S. Austin) and Lib. 3. in Julianum de articulis illi fa. so impositis. he is just, he can save some without any merits, because he is good, and he cannot without demerits condemn any man, because he is just, ejus praedestinatio nunquam extra bonitatem, nunquam extra justitiam est, his predestination ever includeth goodness and justice; he knoweth before they are done the good, and evil actions of all men; yet so (saith S. Fulgentius) as he predestinateth Lib. ad Nonymum. the former, and the latter are permitted only by him. And this is true generally, that he is never angry with any man until he hath by his iniquity provoked him. And when he is said to be Author of evils in Scripture, it is to be understood of penal evils, and punishments of such, as have offended him: when likewise he is said to have hardened Pharoahs' heart, and caused the Egyptians to hate his People, to have commanded Simei to revile David; these and the like manner of speakings are to be understood, not only of permitting such persons to will and do wicked things, but of withdrawing also for just causes the light of his grace from them, and suffering the Devil more powerfully to tempt them: ordaining still to his own greater glory the wickedness of them. Let us not therefore conceive so hardly of him, who is mercy & goodness itself; that the only chief cause why he permitteth men's sins, to be this, that he may punish the Authors of them: for albeit amongst other reasons S. Paul assigneth this for one, yet are there other causes to be yielded for his permission, as to leave men to the freedom of their own wills, to show greater mercy unto them, after they have offended him; that his Sons merits may be useful in his Church, by being applied to the remission of men's sins by Sacraments, for that purpose ordained by him, whose incarnation was by Adam's sin, as the Church singeth on Easter Eve, happily occasioned; Blessedly therefore permitted by God, not absolutely willed or decreed by him, as is by Calvin falsely and wickedly affirmed: from whose patiented loving and merciful proceed towards Sinners, here in this world, after they have often and heinously offended him, we may well gather how far he is now, and ever he hath been from hasting his judgements, or delighting himself in executing the rigour of his justice on them, according to calvin's doctrine; against which we Catholics deny not God's Predestination and Reprobation of Souls to be chief parts of his general Providence over Creatures, to their several ends directed by him: but acknowledge that by the , all ordained to salvation are certainly saved by him, and by the latter others are no less certainly damned: the one is an Act of God's mercy freely and graciously without any desert at all unto some a-above others afforded by him, and the other is an act of Justice, and a will to punish such as have offended him, that is the Origin and Source of all blessings and means of attaining salvation for us in this life prepared, as St. Austin hath defined it. The other is the cause not of sin (as Calvin affirmed) but of all pain and punishment due to it, that is of God's free election, not supposing any good in ourselves before it: but this other is neither decreed nor inflicted by God, all goodness & mercy, but for some evil formerly committed. Those were not more worthy or better disposed to be chosen by God, than these other, who made themselves worthy by their ill deeds to be damned by him. As those by congruous & effectual graces are helped unto their lives end to attain Salvation, so these others want not sufficient graces, & helps to be saved with a free liberty of their wills to make use accordingly of them. God for his part doth most seriously exhort, command, by threats likewise and promises seek to draw sinners unto him out of a will to save them; so as it must be imputed unto themselves, when for their sins they justly deserve to be damned by him. And to conclude this doctrine, as a crown is prepared according to the merit of such, as are freely predestinated & chosen, so are punishments prepared & inflicted on those, who are reprobated & not chosen, as by wicked facts they have deserved them. And herein consists the abyssal depth of God's mercy to ward his elect, that in a like estate of damnation incurred by all mankind, he will have mercy of some to save them, and not of others according to his high pleasure without any wrong at all done to them. This doctrine destroys the dilemma, or mad arguument of some careless of their eternal salvation. Either I am predestinated or not? If I be, sure I am, let me do what I will, to be saved. If I be not, let me live never so holily, sure I am to be damned: because nether part of this collection is true; for if thou art predestinated to glory, it must be by living well, and serving God as thou shouldst do: and if thou failest in doing so, thou mayst assure thyself that thou art predestinated, nor canst thou have any hope to be saved. And if thou art not predestinated, thou shalt, I deny not, certainly be d●mried, but it shall be for thy own sinful life, which thou mightst have ordered otherwise by God's grace, not denied unto thee, and so have come to be predestinated and saved. And this free election and predestination of some, and not of others to grace & glory, increaseth true piety in holy souls, by perfectly subjecting them to the high will and pleasure of God; and relying on his grace, make them with fear and trembling work their own salvation, and strive as St. Peter willeth them, by living well and doing good works to make sure their election; not presuming of their own forces or merits, but solidly grounding themselves in an humble & confident hope of God's gracious love and goodness for his son's sake, and by his inexhausted merits procured for them. Leaving his secret judgements unto God himself with love and veneration, and without overcuriously diving into them, so resolved, that during their life (whatsoever shall happen unto them afterwards) they will strive as they can, by the help of his grace to please, love and serve him. FINIS.