WHerein our Adversaries do notoriously wrong us, and make simple people believe that we, Catholicks, yeeld no more authority to sacred Writings, then 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, [Page 2] all Heresies have been former­ly, and may now also be drawn per­nitiously from them: So as about these two points, our Adversaries and we chiefly, 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 faithfull Readers of them; no lesse clearly distinguishing true Scri­ptures from false, then light by our eyes from darknesse is discernable by us: which internall light is a meere Chymaera, (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 controle him: which is (as St. Austine 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 lifte [...]h.

Whereas we Catholicks, for a cer­tain knowledge of true Scriptures re­ly upon the exteriour and infallible [Page 3] t [...]stimony of Christ's Church, by him­self warranted unto us, when he com­manded us to heare and obey, such as he appointed therein to govern and guide us, no lesse then himself.

And whereas Calvin deemeth it a thing very inconvenient, and against the Majesty of Scripture, to be subject­ed to mens 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 sithence 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: Unlesse, besides Scripture there were something els [...] that might [Page 4] assure us, which he acknowledgeth to be the authority of Christs Church: Insomuch as Egidius Hunnius a cheife Colloquio Ratisbonen si. Lutheran Divine, and sixteen others with him at Ratisbone, before sundry Princes of Germany, were by Gretze­rus and Tanner, Catholick Divines, in­forced to admit the Church's testimo­ny, and historicall tradition (as they c [...]lled it) altogether needfull 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 Churches 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. prae­script 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. Austine [Page 5] 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 equall share with him, as his Companions, and so they might agree about their Canon of Scri­pture, as now they do not, nor with any antient 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 Councel of Carthage, as St. In­nocentius the first, had done before him, and many both Popes and Councels 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 onely de­nyed by you (speaking then of the Ma­nicheans, as we doe now of Prote­stants) few in number, and lately risen, [Page 6] 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 somtimes neither, but other extravagancies; yea, and often our Vulgar Transla­tion, as they finde 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 impartiall men know the Hebrew, and Greek Originals, to have been by Jewish Rabbins, since St. Hierom's time; and Grecian Hereticks 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 intreaty corrected in the new Te­stament [Page 7] 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 confesse to Pag. 241. in cap. 1. Luc. v. 1. be godly & profitable for the Church: So as Beza himself is inforced to confesse our Interpretor to have tran­slated the holy Books with marvelous sincerity and religion. And Pelicanus in his Preface on the Psalter, which in our Edition is not St. Hieroms, affir­meth the Interpretor thereof, to have expressed the Hebrew Text with great learning and fidelity, not doubting him to have been some propheticall person.

And many other cheif 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 [Page 8] having, in his German Bible, changed, and left out, not onely words, but whole Sentences: And Oecolampadius his Bible printed at Bazil, is censured by Beza, to be a sacrilegious corru­ption of Scripture. Betw [...]en himself also and Castalio like censures have passed, and been published of their dif­ferent versions with greater bitterness then 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 errours 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 summe (as I may say) of their Reli­gion, wholy 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 [Page 9] immediate consequence out of Scri­pture; a tenent which shall be by me afterwards in every controversie dis­proved.

In the mean time, to their pretence, that St. Hierome denyed 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 erre in his opini­on of these Books, before our Church­es 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 onely uttered what the Jews, not himself, thought of those Books, and professed to translate Ju­dith, because the first Nicene Councel had declared the same to be canonical, albeit the Jews then denyed it to be so. Neither doth it make much against the sacred authority of those Bookes, 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, [Page 10] and who can doubt but that Christs 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 Machabees, 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 shewed no lesse dif­ficulties to be found in other confes­sed Books of Scriptures. That some ancient Fathers also, when many for­ged Scriptures were extant, & not di­stinguish'd from canonical writings [Page 11] 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 lik [...] 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 antient 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 Salomon) by Philo a Jew, long before our Savi­ours time, wherein he compiled the Sentences of Salomon not conteined 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 [Page 12] more fully declared. St. Ireneus Apud Euse­bi um 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. Ciprian, 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 vertue under the generall notions of Wisdome and Ju­stice, and conteyning in the second Chapter thereof a clear Prophesie of our Saviours Passion, killed by the Jews, because he made himself the Son of God, &c. 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 Grand-childe 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 vertues, [Page 13] fit to instruct all sorts of Persons, and containing, as I have said, of Sapientia Salomons 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 numer. & 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. Chrysostome, by S. Austin, and sundry in Psal. 144 lib. de bono mortis c. 8. other chief Fathers; yet able to pre­vaile nothing at all with men hereti­cally swayed to the contrary. So as the Nicene Councels Decree about the Book of Judith, is slighted also, and re­garded nothing at all by them.

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 Controversie, whilest I con­sider with my self how violently, and virulently our Adversaries, have after the accustomed manner of other Here­ticks 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 Catholick Faith) hatefull, and scarcely with patience to be mentioned amongst them; notwithstanding all learned men know, that antiently the Church of Rome hath been for the profession of her faith, and glory of her Martyrs renowned above other Churches: so [Page 49] 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 bloud 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 yeeld every where great reverence to the Church of Rome, and speak highly of her, calling her, for honours 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: W [...]ence it came to passe, 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 [Page 50] 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 n [...]wly 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 Aegypt, and Li­bia 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 Councel, 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 [Page 51] and Bishops, belonged unto him, as it had been declared by the Father [...] of the Nicene Councel, at which some of them selves 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 happ'ned, even Patriarchs 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 liv [...]s, and glorious in their Martyrdomes 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 [Page 52] words, This holy and Apostolical Church of Rome hath obtained, not from the Apo­stles, but from our Saviour himself a Su­pream 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, &c. 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 expresly 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, lesse earnest in defending the Su­pream and Universal Authority of the [Page 53] Roman Church, than Popes them­selves. S. Irenaeus (for example) calleth Lib. 3. c. 3. the Church of Rome the great [...]st, most antient, and best known Church, foun­ded by the two most blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, &c. Whereunto for her more powerfull principality, all other Churches were to be conformed in the doctrine of Faith, and practice of Religion, naming Popes untill this Li. de pudi­citia. time succeeding each other. Tertullian likewise from the succession of Bishops in that See numbred by him, prescri­beth against Hereticks the truth of Christian Doctrine, calling the Bishop of that Church, Episcopum Episcoporum, Bishop of Bishops, and Father of the Catholick 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 Apost [...]es received like Authority from Christ, yet that Peter was ordained chief of them, and that all faith was from his Chair chief­ly to be received, saying, That no Heresi [...]s would rise in the Church, if this one Priests [Page 54] 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, &c. Saint Chrysostome in more than ten several Hom. 87 in J [...]. & ad populum Antioch. 39, 42, 49. 80. & 87. places▪ plainly acknowledgeth the pre­ [...]minency of the Roman Church, and Bishop, above other Churches and Bi­shops, by the dignity of Peters Chaire therein continued. S. Hierome profes­sed himself albeit he lived in the East, under other Patriarcks; to be a sheep of Peters flock, and to be conjoyned Epist. 2. ad Damasum. with his Chair, and succession of Ro­man Pastors therein, as knowing Lib. 2. c. 51. Christs Church on this Rock to have been raised: And S. Austine deman­ded of Petelian a chief Donatist, why dost thou call this Apostolical Chaire 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 [Page 55] City, and Church therein, ever most holy and renowned, whilest that City Mistresse of the world, when S. John wrote his Apocalips, persecuted the same for 300. years together, purpled her self with the bloud of Martyrs, ma­king all Nations of the earth drunk with the poysonous cup of her Super­stitions, so as Rome was to the Church of Christ in that City and other pla­ces, as Babylon was an [...]i [...]ntly to the Je­wish Temple, a powerfull and hate­full 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 supream and Universal Autho­rity by S. Austine, 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 ayme at no other reformation of our Church, but to reduce it to that be­lief and practice of Religion, which was in the Greek Church, whilest Ba­sil, [Page 56] Chrysostome, and the Fathers of that time lived, and used in the Latine Church, whilest Ambrose, Austine, and Hierome were in it. Whereas he reject­eth in innumerable places the cōfessed doctrine both of these and more anci­ent Fathers; and many times with plain con [...]umelies and reproaches vented against them, as will appear af­ [...]erwards in each Controversie. When also he professed no lesse 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 lesse; 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 ge­nerall Councels, as teaching and de­creeing nothing but conformable to Scripture. Yet wher [...] it is urged a­gainst [Page 57] him, even in this very Contro­versie, that in all these four Councels the Popes supream and universal au­thority is plainly acknowledged, Cha­stity injoyned to Priests, Vows taught to binde in Conscience, and the like points of Catholick doctrine proved out of them, he rejecteth their autho­rity farther, than it is by Gods word warranted unto him; and not onely deni [...]th what they teach of the Popes authority, but most impudently aver­reth many notorious falshoods: For example he denith Saint Peters ha­ving been at Rome, no lesse testified by antient Authors and monuments, than that Augustus once raigned 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 [Page 58] 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. Peters first coming to Rome, m [...]keth this speech unto him, Thou hadst already, most blessed, Apostle e­stablished the Church of Ant [...]och, and by thy evangelical p [...]eaching converted unto Christs law, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, A­sia and Bithania, when thou broughtest the Trophy of Christs crosse 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 chiefly flourish, where the Devils Ty­ranny had chiefly raged, extending from thence thy spirituall Power into more king­domes 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 governours 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 lawfull Successors of him: For as Christs Church and Flock was still to continue, as hath been already proved, to the worlds end; so were the Go­vernours, and government thereof to be in the same manner still continued, and not during S. Peters time onely, whose authority given by Christ, dif­fered in this from that which his fel­low Apostles received likewise from him, that theirs was delegated onely, and to end with their Persons, where­as his was ordinary, and to be derived (so farre 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 Savior, and understood chiefly 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 [Page 60] 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. Peters Successors in that Chair, depar­ting from the faith thereof, have dash­ed themselves against this Rock, and onely foamed out their own confu­sions, as may be instanced in all [...] ­ticks of former times; whereby the o­ther three Patriarchical Seats of Alex­andria, Antioch, and Hierusalem, have been first corrupted, and afterwards with Mahumeti [...]m overwhelmed; as now likewise hath almost happened unto the Churches of Greece, after they had been ten severall times unit [...]d to the Church of Rome, and faln again from it; who yet never arrived unto that fra [...]tick and witlesse folly of Pro­testants, affirming the Succession of Popes in S. Peters Chair, even almost since the Apostles time for 1000. years (at l [...]ast) 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 [Page 61] raign in Hierusalem, and tread the ho­ly City under his feet; to sit as a God in the Temple reedified by him, to kill Enoch and Elias there, the two faithful witnesses of Christ, lying afterwards three dayes together naked in the Streets of that City: the glory of whose raign is to continue but three years and a half, called by Daniel, and S. John, a time, two times, and half a time, numbred by forty two months, or which is all one by 1260. dayes; 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 Emperours, for these thousand years past; nor in­deed so much, because these have had the possession of Hierusalem for many ages together, and ever have been ene­mies to Christ and Christians: where­as Popes have ever been his faithfull 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 Devill timely pre­vailed against him, for the overthrow of his Church, and that also by the Roman Bishop and Chaire 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 an­tient, 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 Hereticks 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 Hereticks, did perform this wicked Office against Christ & his Church, more than modern Hereticks 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 undervalued by them, that they seek to deny many e­special privileges of our Saviours 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 faile; 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 faile; because on him, as a sure foundation next to himself, the firmity of his Church chiefly de­pended. So as from this Text the un­ [...]rring judgment of him and his Suc­cessors in points of Faith, hath been as well by ancien [...] Fathers, as later Di­vines, rightly gathered. Neither can it be convinced that any Bishop of Rome [Page 64] hath, as a private Doctor, erred in any point of Faith; much lesse guided the Church amisse, by falsly 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 blamefull 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 ho­linesse 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 num­bring and naming such Popes, Prote­stants have notably erred; and with great malice made Boniface the eighth, [Page 65] 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 zea [...]ous 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 Christs Church, and in any publick manner prof [...]sse his error; there would not (as our Adversari [...]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 ayre, and that will never h [...]ppen. N [...]ither is it to be marvelled at, that we Christians should b [...]lieve that the cheif Pastor and Head of Christs Church▪ for whom himself prayed that his faith might not faile, for the confirmation of his Brethren in their Christian and Catholick profes­sion, should be in [...]allible in his pub­lick teaching; sithence the High Priest [Page 66] of the Jews, a type onely 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 lesse penalty to be punished: and such as sate in the Chair of Moses, and exercised that power, which was provided by God for the instruction of his People, were by our Saviours 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 governour of it, more in a gene­rall Councel than in the Pope, who [Page 67] 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 Councels, not following the Popes sentence and di­rections, given either by their Letters, or Legats in them, have perniciously in their Decrees, and scandalously er­red: Whereas it cannot be proved that Popes 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 generall Coun­cel 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 then was of a doubtfull signification, tell me (saith he) whether I shall admit them, or not, as a sheep I ask help of [Page 68] my Sheapherd; I know not Vitalis, I refuse to believe M [...]lesius, I am joyned to your beatitude alone, &c. And in this kinde of language have other an­tient fathers written to sever [...]l P [...]p [...]s to have qu [...]stions and doubts of fai [...]h resolved by them: which they would not have done, had they not believed our Saviours 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.

OUr Adversaries, under a speci­ous pretence of following, in the Doctrine and practice of Faith, Gods 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 lesse absurd, than if in Kingdomes and Common-wealths, 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 [Page 70] 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 sence many times, texts of Scripture are cited by them, to prove their own and impugn our doctrines; insomuch as the Catholick and learned Pastor of Chaventon, a place alotted unto the Hu­gonits neer Paris, hath in sundry Vo­lumes discovered the fraudulent pro­ceedings of Protestants, about main­taining points of their Religion: and particularly shewed, 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 falsly gather from this place, that scri­pture alone can make him perfect in [Page 71] 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, pra [...]sing 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 meer fopperies, and prove nothing against unwritten doctrines, such as are the Creed of the Apostl [...]s, the translation of the Jewish Sabbath into our Sunday, the Feasts of Easter, and Pentecost antiently observed, not for the celebration of Jewish but Chri­stian mysteries, and many other Feasts and Fast [...], kept in the Church from A­postolical [Page 72] 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 express [...]d or by clear consequencies gathe [...]abl [...] from Scripture; that the Commande­ments of God are impossible to be ob­served, that men have no free will to do good or evill, that the just [...]st men do mortally offend in their best acti­ons, that there is no inherent justice or sanctification in us by heavenly graces communicated unto soules cleansed from sin, but that all are holy by Christs justice alone apprehended by faith, and imputed only unto them: that each faithfull man is by an Act of faith to believe, that he shall be saved; no lesse surely than Christ himself; that Christ dyed for none but the E­lect, and that others were to have no share in the fruit of his death and pas­sion for us; that Christs body and blood are not really and corporally present in the Sacrament, but by saith [Page 73] onely: that Sacraments of the new law are signes and seals of faith onely, no graces are communicated at all to such as receive them, and many such Protestants Tenents b [...]sides, which have no true ground at all in Scri­pture for them.

And in this pretence of gathering, and proving the faith out of scri­ptures onely, they imitate many an­ci [...]nt Hereticks before them: So Ma­ximus the Arian, as S. Austin in his first In principio. book against him recounteth, reject­eth the word Homousion, 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 Coun­cel of Selevica, used the same words; and so did Eutiches in the Councel of Constantinople under Flavianus, asking the Fathers therein assembled, in what [Page 74] scripture they found expressed, that cap. 6. Christ had two Natures conjoyned in his Person; neither could he be drawn from those words commonly used by Protestants; I follow onely the scri­ptures, and regard not the Fathers 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 Councel 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 cu­stome of Hereticks, to cloak their No­velties under a specious and fraudu­lent pretence of imbracing onely the Lib. 2. de doctrina fi­dei cap. 9. Scriptures by themselves falsly ex­pounded; which is (as there he saith) to follow their own judgments, 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 lesse harmfull, than a forged letter to be imbraced.

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 Christs Church in all places of the world and ages before you? for if you tell us that they were men and might erre; 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 lesse among your selves 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 wholy, nei­ther are, nor can be but by the Chur­ches testimony certainly notified unto you: for as they cannot give testimo­ny unto themselves, nor any one part to the rest; so as Calvins inward light pretended to be given unto all faith­full persons, for the knowledge of them, is a meer fancy, as elswhere 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 lesse 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 Councels, 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 imbraced as an A­postolical [Page 77] tradition: such is the per­petual Virginity of the mother of God, the number of the Gospels, &c. The third Rule is, if any thing hath been practiced, 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, &c. The signe of the Crosse used in Baptisme, 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; sithence the Gospels them­selves are not more certainly, than by the Churches 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 neer the Apostles them­selves, [Page 78] 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 Calvins 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 finde 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 imbraced, 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 antient Irenaeus proposed a­bout [Page 79] 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 behinde 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 wholy unlearned never had any Scriptures at all, but onely 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 s [...] ­cred [Page 80] Vestments, the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme, Prayers said at the burial of the dead, bowing at the name of Jesus, and other like Ceremonies; that admonition of S. Pauls 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 publick si­naxes, or meeings at divine Service, and Sacraments together recounted by S. Dennis of Areopagita in his Ecclesi­asticall Hierarchy in the 2 or 3 chapters together, by S. Justin Martyr in his se­cond Apology for Christians to Anto­nius Pius the Emperour, and by S. Igna­tius insinuated plainly enough in ma­ny places of his Epistles, by Tertullian also in his book [...] pudicitia, and other fathers living in or near unto the age of the Apostles.

And such Ceremonies as are by Cal­vin so rejected, and condemned in the publick order of divine Service, are thus by S. Austin approved in such [Page 81] things as are not determined in Scri­pture, the customs of Gods Church, Epist. 87. ad Casulanum. and antient Ordinations, are to be maintained and observed as laws pre­scribed unto us. Neither doth Calvins denial of them to be lawfull, because they are not expressed in Scripture, derogate any thing at all from the an­tiently 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, sware that Calvins Religion was like a bald mans 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) fitter for Beggers than Gentlemen.

ANd since continued untill 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 setled, 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 freedome of Sectaries now licensed unto them; nor did she of her self so dislike Cath [...] ­like Religion, but that she could have been contented to have continued the same in her kingdome, if the Flaw of her Mothers marriage, contrary to the Popes order, and the act of her own father excluding her from the Crown, had not caused King Henry the second [Page 83] of France, whose eldest sonne 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 Councel­lors then about her, and for their own ends busily perswading her, that if the Popes power were still obeyed, and Catholick Religion continued among her Subjects, she could not have any certain hope of enjoying her Crown quietly: and upon this ground chief­ly 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 daies 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 inc [...]ination to Protestant Religion, or other private [Page 84] respects, would easily conform them­selves to the Queens intentions. And amongst the Lords in the highe [...] House many great ones, loth 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 Arundell, a known Catho­lick, 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 proceed­ings; prevailed by their many Pro­xi [...]s, to exclude the Bishops from sit­ting in Parliament, all holy and lear­ned men able to have turned the bu­sinesse as they listed; after which Vote passed, the Queens party in both hou­ses still prevailed; so as not long af­ter new Bishops in place of the old [Page 85] were chosen, some come [...]r [...]m Geneva, others out of Germany of different Re­ligions, yet contented for honour, we [...]lth, and wives to joyn in any pro­fession: Seven of them were Apostata Monks and Friars, and most of the rest meer Lay-men, 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 waies and fained an old Record to prove their ordination from Catholick Bi­shops; but it is false, as I have recei­ved from two certain witnesses; the former of them was Doctor Darbi­shire, then Dean of S. of Pauls, and Ne­phew to Doctor Bo [...]ner Bishop of Lon­don, who almost sixty years since lived at Meuse Pont, then a holy religious man very aged, but perfect in sense and memory; who, speaking what he knew affirmed to my self and another with me, that like good fellows they made themselves Bishops at an Inn, because they could [...]t no true Bishops to con­secrate [Page 86] them. My other witnesse was a Gentleman of known worth and credit, dead not many years since, whose Father a chief Judge of this Kingdome, visiting Archbishop Heath permitted, by Queen Elizabeth his god­childe, to live in Surrey at the Parson­age House of Cobham, saw a letter sent from Bishop Bonner out of the Marshal­sey by one of his Chaplains, to the Archbishop, read whilest they sate at Dinner together, wherein he merrily related the manner how these new Bishops (because he had disswaded Oglethorpe Bishop of Carlile from doing it in his Diocesse) ordained one ano­ther at an Inn, where they met toge­ther. And whilest 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 Forraign parts, and appointed to succeed the old Clergie in rich Deanries, Preben­daries and Canons places: who had such ill luck in meeting with dishonest Wives, as an Ordination was put out [Page 87] by the Queen and Parliament, That no woman should for a wife be com­mended to any Minister without her honesty could be testified withall suf­ficiently unto him: and many, who had been Clergie men before, were ur­ged either to take Wives, or loose their Benefices, as many were conten­to do, and follow these Bishops ex­amples.

The Tenents of Faith imbraced by the Queen and Parliament were Cal­vinian Doctrines, but the form of Church Government was seemingly Catholick, and the Title of Lord was to the new Bishops constantly to be continued, and all other Officers un­der them, as Deans &c. 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 Masse, 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 [Page 88] 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 her self 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 her self Papis­sam, a she Pope in all Churches in her king­dome: And all her Subiects must under great Penalties swear it to be so. And had she not been for her power usefull in those times to the Hereticks 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 chiefly prevailed to the perpetual dis­grace, and shame of such as since have imbraced it.

And a mixture was made therein of many Religions, as the Queen and her bad Councellors list [...]d, wholy diffe­rent from any other Protestant Refor­m [...]tions; d [...]sli [...]d therefore extremely by all several Professors of them; yet so by prejudice of opinion, education, and custome imbraced by many in their affection at least thereunto; al­beit the use thereof be in these times debarred unto them, as with those foolish Id [...]laters 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 shew of Religion with it, than that which amongst la­ter Sectaries is now used, in a Song and a Sermon onely 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 [Page 90] power, unexpectedly raised to depresse Protestants, and Puritans together, to end also Bishops and Bishopricks with them.

Insomuch as in these miserable times, I deem it to be a needfull and high point of Christian wisdome, 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; whilest Novilists 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 He­resie since Christs time, so powerfully broach'd & subtly defended, so lasting­ly continued, as the Arian Heresie for a long time together; & in so many parts of the world by whole Countries, and Nations imbraced with such a shew of Scriptures making for it, and other arguments produced by learned men [Page 91] 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 falshood of them.

THe Honour, which we Catholicks yield unto Saints, is not that high Honour called Latria, due unto God only, but such an inferiour honour, Genesis 18. Numeri 20 as Abraham and Joshua yielded to an­gels appearing unto them, which Ho­nour being infinitely inferiour to the other, given unto God himself, can­not but falsly and foolishly be called Idolatry, such as Painims yielded to their Idols, by ascribing Divinity un­to them. Whereas Saints are as friends onely and Servants of God, inferiour­ly respected and reverenced by us, ac­cording to Davids words, Thy friends O Lord, are much honoured. This kind of honour was in the purest times of Christs Church yielded to Saints, as S. Justine Apolog. 2. ad Anteni­num. witnesseth in these words, we are call [...]d (saith he (athiests, because we [Page 110] 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, &c. 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 rejoyce in their felicity and great­nes, so they secure now for themselves (saith St. Cyprian) are sollicitous for us: and the higher they are now in their own Heavenly glory and great­nesse, 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: sithence especially their locall re­motenesse [Page 111] from us, hindereth not their hearing of our prayers directed unto them; no otherwise than an­gells know by the testimony of our Mat. 22. Lucae 10. Saviour himself, the secretest conver­sions here of sinners, and rejoyce in them, Saints being in their blessed estate, like and equall 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 Sion, heavenly Jerusalem, and Ci­ty of the living God; to the frequency of millions of Angells, and the Church of those, who were first conscribed amongst them, &c. so gone before us, as we are hopefull 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 [Page 112] own hereticall fancy, affirmed the Saints of heaven to be secluded from having any commerce at all with us, and that they pray in generall, 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 Authour 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 corporall 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 ruine of souls broached by him, albeit he had no eyes to view his papers, or ears to hear his Doctrines preached, by the naturall light of his understanding in absence also pene­trated by him; which is as ears and [Page 113] eys unto him: whose substance as we conceive not, so is the spiritual man­ner of his understanding things hid­den wholy 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, intend nothing else but to obtain more easily at Gods hands by their intercession blessings, and benefits needfull for us. For if the joynt Prayers of two or three here on earth, be more gratefull to God, than of one alone, and more effectuall [Page 114] 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 conjoyned? we of our selves b [...]ing sinful wretches, and wholy 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 sollicite their pardon for crimes committed a­gainst him; so are we in a like man­ner humble suiters 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 fathers 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 cu­stome [Page 115] of praying in this manner unto Saints hath been so anciently used in Christs Church, as all Greek and La­tine Fathers almost, whose works are now extant, have approved and pra­cticed it.

Angels (saith S. Ambrose) are to be Lib. de Vi­du [...]. 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 doe a­gainst Calvin or any other Protestant, Thou sayest in thy Book, that whilest 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 pr [...]ctice of Religion before them, they could not but acknowledge this doctrine and custome taught and practiced in our Church to have ever been truly Chri­stian and Catholick: but as their he­retical [Page 116] Conventicles are newly raised, so will they have a new Religion be­lieved, and practised in them.

AS we yeeld not unto Saints them­selves now in heaven a divine ho­nor; but onely a reverend respect, in­finitely inferiour unto it: so likewise their Reliques are not, but by the same reverenced by us: And our Adversa­ries sencelesly abuse words, when they accuse us of Idolatry for yeelding this reverence unto them, these Reliques being not false Gods, or things belong­ing unto them; but Reliques and parts of their bodies, who were Gods 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 [Page 117] their Reliques, we magnifie chiefly Gods graces in them. Where­fore S. Ambrose speaking of Nazarius, and Celsus bodies, then found out new­ly by him, and freshly as it were blee­ding in their wounds, why (said he) should not faithfull people honour their bodies, sithence Devils do feare them, which once with torments they afflicted? Wherefore I honour that body which honoured Christ un­der the sword, and which shall raign 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 custome of honouring Reliques 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 shew unto him in Rome the trophies of the two Apostles Pete [...] and Paul honoured by Christians. And the Chuch of Smyrna in their Epistle of S. Policarps Martyrdome, disciple to the Apostles themselves, wont for e­dification [Page 118] 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 Re­liques 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 corps was brought out of the Sea, and cast on Lib. 8. c. 14. Lib. 13. prae­parat. E­vangelit. [...] cap. 7. shore to have due honours yeelded un­to it, as being meet (saith he elswhere) that Gods Friends and Champion [...], should have at their Tombes honours yeelded 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 Reliques of Saints, and so doth his Brother S. Gregory Nissen. S. Gregory Nazianzen likewise and S. Cyril of Hie­rusalem. S. Hierome also against Vigi­lantius, particularly mentioneth, how solemnly Samuels body was brought in time of Areadius out of Jury into [Page 119] Thracia, with a continual procession of Bishops, Priests, and People honour­ing the great Prophet in his Reliques, untill they brought it to Calcedon. St. Et Homiliis de S. Babild S. Ignatio Iuliano, &c Chrysostom in many of his Homiles ad populum Antiochenum, mentioneth great honours done unto the Reliques of Saints. And Saint Austine in a whole Chapter together recounteth those great miracles, which he had seen done at S. Stephens Reliques all condemning by their testimonies the contrary do­ctrine Lib. 22. de civit. c. 8. of Protestants, detesting, de­stroying, and defacing in several man­ners Saints Reliques; whereas David telleth us, that God will keep all the bones of his Servant [...].

AMongst other Heresies anciently condemned in Christs Church, this against the Catholick use, and venera­tion of Images hath been by modern Hereticks pernitiously again revived; and fitly served them to make us, with ignorant Persons, seem guilty of Ido­latry, by yeelding, as the antient 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 bely us, abusing many waies, 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 falsly called Idols by them; for that an Idol according to S. Paul [Page 121] is nothing in the world, meaning accor­ding to the person, or thing repre­sented by it, to wit, a God or some­thing else, made onely by imaginati­on and Fancy. Whereas the incarnate Sonne 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 worke of our Redemption really performed: for example, a Cru­cifix representeth Christ, as he hung upon the Crosse painfully nailed unto it, and dying for us, more movingly so objected to our eys, than if that sa­cred Mysterie were by an ample di­scourse declared unto us. In which true sence 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 learne 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, [Page 122] 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 Arke and propitiatory T [...]ble, to have been Idols?

And whereas our Adversaries ob­ject against us, that we cut off the se­cond Commandement, and divide a­nother into two, because our Images a [...] [...]o [...]bid in it, they bely us, because in ou [...] Bibles the holy T [...]xt is no lesse in [...]r [...] than in theirs, onely 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 affirme to be a part and e [...]plication of the fi [...]st, commanding particularly the Jewes not to make the likenesse of Calves, or any thing [...]lse; least then prone to Idol [...]try, they should yield divine honour unto it, by adoring it as God himself: of which now there [Page 123] is no danger among Christians, and so no use of that part of the first Com­mandement; and even Calvin him­self Exod. 20▪ in his explication thereof is in­forced 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 Commande­ments, the ancient Hebrew Text ha­ving no division at all in it.

In the meane time concerning that reverend respect, which is yielded un­to Images by us: First, it is not ab­solutely due, or given to the materiall Images or Statues themselves, but as holy Persons and mysteries are repre­sented by them, unto which our minds and intentions in beholding them [...]re carri [...]d. So that in such acts the Im [...]ge 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 [Page 124] 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 ex­claime 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 chiefly 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 generall Councel, 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 bloudy flux by our Saviour with the touch of his garment, erected a brasse Statue of him, with a miracu­lous [Page 125] flower growing under it, curing all sorts of diseases, when it rose 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 sheepe, to be usually engraven on the Chali­ [...]es. and St. Methodius in the next age Orat. de re. after him, comparing holy pictures of Angels with prophane Images of the G [...]tiles, affirmeth them to have been made for the glory of God. Mi­nutius Felix likewise blamed the Gen­tiles In suo Oct. for hating Christ's Crosse (as Hereticks now do) albeit such a kind of picture was fastened on the top of the Imperiall Standard, which com­plaint would not have been made by him, if the picture of our Saviour nailed on his Crosse had not been usu­all amongst Christians. St. Gregory Orat. de St. Theod. Nissen telleth how much pleased the [Page 126] people were to see St. Th [...]odorus his Chappell with holy pictures decently adorned. and St. Basil his brother inviteth painters to expresse 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 Saviours 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 mens 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 yi [...]ld, as our adversaries falsly pretend, divine honour unto them, as the Painims did anciently to their Idols. And in­deed the heresie of the I [...]onoclasts un­der two or three wicked Emperours, troublesome sin some Churches of Greece, by Jews and Negromanticks [Page 127] first introduced, and chiefly main­tained, was at length with so full a consent of the whole Christian world condemned and derested; as the same Div [...]l surely was powerfull with such h [...]reticks, as since again have revived it.

And as they chiefly detested the I­mage of our Saviour hanging on his Cross, so is the same by Protestants chiefly 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 Christs victory (as S. Ignatius calleth it) and signe of our Redemption, fearfull to our infernall Adversaries, vanquished by the Crosse, 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 Divels 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 signe, to weare out [Page 128] Catech. 4 [...] & 13. their foreheads; by which saith St. Cyril Christ triumphed over all infer­nall powers, and made the very signe of Crosse terrible unto them; willing therefore all Christians frequently on their breasts and fortheads to signe Lib de Is. & anima. themselves with it. And so doth St. Ambrose give the same advise: 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 her self 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. killing strokes of the Angell prote­cted. Tertullian useth the same com­parison, and so doth Origen, asking Lib. contra Nar [...]i. this question, what do Divels feare and tremble more at than to see the Hom. 6. in Exod. signe of the Crosse, by which their power was destroyed, made faithfully by us? St. Cyprian allso saith, that Cont. Jud. lib. 1. c. 8. & lib. 2. [...]. 22. Moses held up his armes in forme of a Crosse, whilest Joshua overcame Amalek.

And that Ezechiel shewed, how safe we are when in our foreheads we [Page 129] 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 Signe is essentially used. La­ctantius declareth the vertue of this Signe in many occasions, and espe­cially in dissolving Magicall Incanta­tions, and silencing Oracles. And Saint Athanasius affirmeth the same to Orat. de in­carnat. 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 Crosse, 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 senselesse assertion: as if Devils had been carefull that wi [...]ked Julian, Christs professed enemy, should leave his Superstition, or as if that hellish Impostor could [Page 130] so easily deceive Christian Pastours, 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 ex­pressely 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 Crosse, either made upon themselves, or in the aire against Devils, in dreadfull appariti­ons troublesome unto them, so as by the contempt thereof, any man may conclude Protestants to be no good Christians, or devout rememberers of Christ crucified for them.

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 Gods mer­cy, and causing many Scandalls and impieties to be practised amongst Christians. With like fury also he condemneth Prayers for the dead, cal­ling it an abominable superstition, a prophane 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. Dennes S. Pauls Disci­ple in a whole Chapter together, de­clareth the manner of Christian buri­all used in his time, with particular prayer made by the Bishop for the [Page 132] party deceased. And Calvin could not but know, that Aerius was ancient­ly condemned, and is by S. Epiphani­us, S. Augustine, and others ranked a­mongst hereticks, for denying this pious and laudable custome, ever used in Christs Church before him, of praying for the Dead, full of cha­rity towards souls departed, and no wayes tending, either to evacuate the merits of Christs death, or to lessen Gods mercy towards us purchased by it, but rather extolling both: sithen [...]e to satisfie 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 Christs merits, and satisfactions in severall 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 sinnes. But by these new Doctours, Scriptures themselves must be denied, and all o­ther [Page 133] testimonies rejected, if in any part they serve to disprove their no­vell, and groundlesse 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 pratling Authour, whom S. Gregory 1000 years since, called an ancient & venerable Father, acknowledged by other Popes, Fathers, and Councels to have been S. Pauls learned Schollar, and the greatest amongst Christian Di­vines, as S. John Damascen calleth him. If we tell them that ancient Tertullian Lib. de Co­rona milit. numbred Sacrifices for the dead 1400 years since, amongst Apostolicall 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 [Page 134] 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 Emperours, in both his funeral Orations of them; that sundry ancient Fathers out of S. Pauls 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 Christs 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 remembred at our Lords Altar, will answer, that it was anile votum, an old womans tale, and dislike S. Augustine himself for re­counting it.

CAlvin asketh us, with what face Lib. 4. In­stitut. c. 15. Num. 3. we can affirm Confession of sinnes to a Priest, to have bin a divine Institu­tion, & affirmeth also elsewhere with In Antid. Sect. 6. c. 15. a notorious falshood, that Confessi­on was free to be made or not, untill Innocent the third, with a few horned Lib. 3. Insti­tut. 6. 4. num. 17. beasts, ordained this snare to make a generall intanglement of Christian people, calling in another place Con­fession of Penitents made to their Pa­stors, lib. 3. c. 3 [...] num. 1. &c. 4. nu. 12. [...] [...]iring and tearing of mens Consciences; and no lesse absurdly than Luther had taught before him, he denieth the Priests to have received a­ny greater power from Christ to ab­solve sinnes, than all other Persons, men or women, onely by their age and wisdome they are able to afford direction and comfort unto such as [Page 136] come afflicted in conscience unto them.

Lib. 4. c. 1. num. 21. & 22. Yet afterwards changed in his do­ctrine, he affirmeth by Christs me­ri [...]s and power of the holy Ghost, this benefit of the Churches Keyes, and remission of sinnes to be daily imparted unto the faithfull people by them, who as Legates of Christ, Lib. 3. c. 4. num. 13, & 14. 17, & 18. have the ministery of reconciliation committed unto them: exhorting in another place each one burthe­ned with Sinfulnesse of his consci­ence, to confesse them privately to the Pastor, and particularly as he can remember them: and esteeme 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 publique pennance hath been brought into all Calvinian Cosistories, not without frequent defamings of such as fit in the stoole of pennances to be absolved of sins confessed by them. Whereas in our Church, men burthened in Consci­ence, come to their Ghostly Fathers, [Page 137] and are heard, whilest they confess their sinnes 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 bow­ells of his mercie 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 conjoyned: ordaining Priests and Pastors of Soules 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 confesse 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 hainously offending him.

This Commission was by Christ after his Resurrection given unto [Page 138] 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 bad them receive the holy Ghost: whose sinnes you remit shall be remitted unto [...] thems and whose sinnes you retain shall be retained: having first, so by breathing out of himselfe the holy Ghost into them, com­municated a divine power to per­forme what his words imparted, ex­cluding Calvins corruption of them, by affirming this power of remitting sinnes to signifie nothing else, but to delcare by Christs 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 condemne Malefactors brought before them, but onely to de­clare (as Notaries and Cryers are w [...]nt in Courts) the Princes pleasure in freeing or condemning them: than which nothing can be more falsly or foolishly affirmed.

And If Christs words signified no more, St. Paul said not well of himself, and theother Apostles, that Christ had committed the Mi­nistery 2 Cor. 5. of Reconciliation unto them, and made them his Legates, absol­ving such as had offend [...]d 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 hereticks, revived now againe in moderne Protestants, that under a pretended reverence yielded unto God, by leaving all power of remitting sinnes unto himself, they more highly injured him, by not do­ing what he commanded them, asking afterwards this question of them, why doe [...]ye baptize, if men cannot remit sins? for that this is performed fully in Baptisme, and what importeth it Lib. 2. c. 10. whether by Pennance or Baptisme this be performed, the power of Priests given by God being alike in both Scraments. St. Leo in the same manner extolled Gods mercy in this, Epist. [...]1▪ ad Theodorum. that as he had ordained Baptisme, [...]r the first sanctification of Souls, [Page 140] so likewise was Pennance ordained by him, that Graces lost by sinne after Baptisme, might come to be restored by the gate of reconciliati­on and priestly Adsolution after Con­fession of our sinnes opened unto them.

The use of this Sacrament is menti­oned Cap. 19. in the Acts of the Apostles, where many of the faithfull are said to have come and confessed their sinnes 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 poore penitent kneeling before Lib. c. 9. a Priest to receive pardon of sinnes 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 [Page 141] likewise blameth such, as through shame hide some sinne in Confession to the Priest, choosing so, rather to be damned, than in their foulnesse discovered: reprehending others likewise, for coming not at all to this needfull remedy for sinnes, after baptisme 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 Priests power they may be cleansed, cased and cured. S. Cyprian exhorteth most earnestly some Chri­stians fall'n in persecution to confesse Serm. de lapsis. their sinnes 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 hereticks, because they denyed the power of Priests to absolve sinners coming unto them, and by the use of Pennance distinguisheth Catholick Can. 28. in Matth. Churches from Hereticall Congrega­tions. S. Hilary expresly affirmeth the [Page 142] sentence of Priests absolving sinners here upon earth, to be ratified in hea­ven. In regulis, &c. ad quaest. 288. S. Basil teacheth the same Do­ctrine, and S. Gregory Nissen his bro­ther, adviseth a sinfull 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 Pennance a second table Lib. 2. & 3. de sacerd [...] ­ti [...]. after shipwrack. S. Chrysostome highly and frequently extolleth the power which Priests have to absolve sinnes. And S. Augustine teacheth expresly, 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 Keyes in vain, if there were not in his Church a needfull use of them: and let not any man tell me (saith he) that he con [...]esseth them in his heart to God, who knoweth them; for Christ will have us humbly to subject our selves to the sentence of his Priestly servants, for remission of them. Di [...] ­dain not therefore (saith he) to open thy conscience fully and clearly unto [Page 143] them, who as Christs Vicars and Le­gates have power to absolve thee.

So great a Lye was that of Calvin, when he affirmed Sacramentall Con­fession to have been left free for every man to make it, or not, untill 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 malitious 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 sinnes, tyed guilty souls to confesse 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 enjoyn them to make a due restitu­tion of fame, goods, &c. taken from others by them.

And whereas our Adversaries ob­ject [Page 144] that Nectarius Bishop of Constanti­nople, and S. Chrysostoms predecessor, took away the use of Confession and Pennance in his Church, for a Scan­dall 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 publickly 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 onely 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.

CAlvin seemeth in words to extoll In Antide­to Sess. 7. c. 5, & 6. the Sacraments of the new Law, as fountains of our Saviour, ordained to cleanse and sanctifie souls; yet when he cometh more clearly to expresse his Doctrine, he affirmeth them, with the rest of his fellows, to be no other than bare Signes of faith, and Seals, as it were, of Christs grati­ous and liberall promises made in the Gospel unto us. And therefore in the holy Councell of Trent, they were justly condemned, declaring them, as the Generall Councel of Florence had done before, not onely to be Signs, but true causes of such graces as are signi­fied by them, as fountains flowing from Christs wounds, and graciously ordained by him, to apply easily, and efficaciously for the sanctification of [Page 146] 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 Baptisme cometh to have that force, by touching the bo­dy, to cleanse and sanctifi [...] 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 Baptisme together, saith, that as the naturall body of a man is framed by the one, so is the soul and super­naturall man framed by vertue 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 it self doth; so the water of Baptisme is by the Holy Ghost, as a heavenly fire raised to have a divine vertue in it, of sanctifying souis washed with it, cal­led therefore by Saint Paul the Laver of Regeneration, and Renovation, [Page 147] 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. Baptisme 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. Penn [...]nce is also a wholesome medi­cine to cleanse and cure the wounds and diseases of mens souls, by remis­sion of sinnes promised to such as worthily receive it. Order, conferreth Graces to dispose and make men fie for Ecclesiasticall Functions; for [Page 148] which Reasons S. Paul will [...]d 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 Ʋn­ction is mentioned by S. James, and remission of sinnes declared to be the effect thereof.

The councell 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, Superiours 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 [...] [Page 149] proved by S. Augustine, from the effect of Baptisme in little children; which proceedeth neither from the sanctity of him that baptiseth, nor from any disposition in the children themselves, but meerely from the vertue of the Sacrament, ex opere operato, as Divines expresse 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 [...]fficacity of Sacraments a chief di­gnity of our Christian Religion pro­perly consisteth; for that never any o­ther exteriour Sacraments had pow­er in themselves, to sanctifie 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 [Page 150] of our Saviours death, and power which it had to sanctifie souls in seve­rall 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 justifie not, and as S. Paul said, Circumcision a­vaileth nothing, so I say of Baptisme, it is nothing, nor is the Participati­on of our Lords Table any thing, they In locis commun. tit. de si­gnis. part. 8. are testimonies onely, and Seals of Gods love towards us. Melanctthon taught the same Doctrine, and albeit many Lutherane Divines do now de­part In Antid. & l. 4. in stitutionum. from it, yet Calvin and his Ad­herents constantly still maintain it. Infants (saith he) are holy from their Mothers 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 Baptisme 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 Doctine hath been by the Devil himself (I doubt not) purpose­ly suggested unto these men for the d [...]mnation of innocent children dy­ing without Baptisme, by occasion thereof, as not held necessary for their salvation, expressely against the words of our Saviour, Joh. 3. Ʋnlesse a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he shall not enter into the Kingdome 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 denyed originall finne, and consequently the necessity of Bap­tism, for the remission thereof; yet by the plainnesse of Christs words, they were convinced, that children with­out Baptisme could not enter into the Kingdome of heaven, albeit other­wise saved.

And Calvins explication of Christs 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 sinne, [Page 152] lost grace for himself and his whole posterity, how can it be reasonably proved or believed, that this superna­turall gift should be trausfused into children, by their very carnall gene­ration; so as to make them holily u­nited with Christ, without being by Baptisme 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 Abrahams faithfull Posterity, it proveth nothing at all for Calvins Doctrine against the neces­sity of Baptisme for children: yet hath this bold and blind Doctour ad­ventured to draw from this Text a­lone, or chiefly at least, the sanctifi­cation of Christian children from their Parents without Baptisme, a­gainst the Catholick belief, and pra­ctise of [...]ithfull people, and Pastours i [...] all ages before him. In mean while [Page 153] I will ask him here, whether God may not be truly said, a God of Abrahams faithfull Posterity by the death of his Son, and his merits, as well by Sacra­ments as divers other means applied unto them; unlesse in their naturall or [...]gen 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, embrac [...] such a new Doctrine as this is, so slenderly, or not at all proved unto them.

S. Cyrill a greater Doctour, than proud Calvin can be presumed to have been, on this place of S. John treat­ing of Baptisme and the necessity thereof, expressed so clearly by our Saviour, saith, that water and the Holy Ghost were therein [...]tly conjoy­ned 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 sanctifie the same; cleansing it by the [Page 154] 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 sanctifie such as receive it; by Calvins Doctrine flatly denyed, 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 denyed by Calvins Doctrine, God (saith he) according to his mercy hath saved us by the Laver of regenerati­on and renovation of the Holy Ghost, abun­dantly powred on us through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by his grace, we might become Heirs, according to the hope of Eternall life. Teaching so plainly, that not by our naturall births, but by Baptisme we are rege­nerated, renewed by abundant gra­ces, and have the right of Gods chil­dren to an eternall life conferred on us, and that these supernaturall blessings purchased by Christs death and passion for us, cannot without Baptisme be obtained, hath been in divers ancient Councels against the Pelagians expresly declared, and often [Page 155] 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 onely 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 faithfull persons, no otherwise, than by the habit of faith, and heavenly graces in­fused into them. S. Ambrose teacheth the same Doctrine and saith, that Gods pro­mise to Abraham of being his God, and God of his Posterity, is not so extended to the faithfull, as to sanctifie their chil­dren, and make them Heirs of eternall life without Baptisme, whereby they are as branches to a Vine united with Christ, and begin to live in him.

And whereas in Calvins School, it is commonly affirmed, and taught, that our Saviours Baptisme was no more powerfull to give grace than S. Johns was. I may truly say here, that S. John himself taught the contrary in these words, I baptise with water, Mat. 3. &c. but he that is to come after me, &c. shall baptise with the Holy Chost. And we know that the Apostles baptised Act. c. 9. again such as had received S. Johns Baptisme, and they received the Holy [Page 156] Ghost thereby, which before they had not heard of, which heavenly gift suf­ficiently declared the excellency and sanctifying force of our Saviours Baptisme above S. Johns, senselesly and against plain Scripture, by Calvin, and his followers denyed, extenuating thereby our Saviours gracious Boun­ty and Mercy towards us.

REason is the directing, and Free­will the commanding power of mans soul in all humane actions; and the excellency of our nature therein chiefly consisteth, whereby our will hath a freedome in it self 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 mans 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 Superiours admonish their children, servants, or Subjects; reprehend or punish them when they offend, if they have no power to do [Page 158] the contrary more than beasts, or mad men? according to one of Lu­thers 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 noblenesse of their nature, as to become beasts and devils toge­ther. Calvin also taught the same do­ctrine, so absurd in it self, 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 imbrace in this point Catholick doctrine; which is to admit a natu­rall freedome of our will in all na­turall elections and actions, but in others supernaturall and belonging to the service of God, the help of grace is so required, as it must first incite and move us to doe 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 naturall and supernaturall actions so declared, may evidently be gathered from a hundred cleare places of Scri­pture; Moyses (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 &c. Joshua likewise said to the same peo­ple, cap. 24. thou hast thy cboyce, choose this day what pleaseth thee, and whom thou wilt serve chiefly: on which words Calvin l. 2. instit. cap. 2. n. 7. & cap. 3. n. 10. unmindfull of what he had taught in other places against Free-will, and the very name thereof hatefull unto him, saith, God gave them this li­berty of choosing, that being tyed by their owne wills, they might blame onely themselves if they performed not what they had chosen.

God likewise proposed unto David 2 Reg. 24. three sorts of Punishments for his sinne of Pride, in numbring his peo­ple, and bad him choose which of them he would.

And elsewhere David saith of him­selfe, [Page 160] 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 evill before me, and have chosen what I would not have you done, for this therefore, &c. like to this Speech, was our Saviours cry unto Hierusalem, Math. 13. and S. Ste­phen told the Jews, that they ever re­jected the Holy Ghost; which with­out freedome in their wills they could not have done: insomuch that St Au­gustine, in his Book of grace and Free­will, heapeth more than thirty pre­gnant places of Scripture together, to prove this Catholick point of Do­ctrine, so evidently gatherable from reason it self, and experienced daily both in our selves 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 freedome of mans 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 sinne, [Page 161] and that the likenesse of God ingraf­fed in his nature chiefly 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 freedome of mans 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 Free-will cleareth this Controversie, for (saith S. Hierome) where necessity inforceth, Lib. 2. con­tra Jovini­anum. nec condemn [...]tio, nec caro [...]a est, men are neither damned nor crowned.

AS Calvin absurdly denyed Free­will proved against him in my for­mer controversie, so hath he not lib. inst. c. 14. num. 9. 10. 11. shewed himselfe a Christian Doctor in many Tenents about the manner of our Justification, averr'd & taught thus plainly by him.

First, that before God our best actions are not onely void of merit, but mortally also defiled and sin­full in the justest persons.

ibid. c. 17. & 18. c. 3. n. 10. Secondly, that the holiest Souls are never clensed from sinnes by any in­teriour graces insused into them: but onely by Gods mercie, they are not unto the elect imputed to damnation.

Thirdly, that good works are as fruits of faith gratefully by us per­formed, but concurre not in any sort to our salvation, and that faith [Page 163] alone withont them doth justifie u8; ib. c. 11. [...]. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. &c. 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 firmely to perswade himselfe, that he is beloved of God, and sure to be saved, defi­ned by him to be a certaine assurance of enjoying eternall life, freelie by ib. c. 2. n. 38. & 40. & lib. 4. 6. 17. n. 2. Christ promised, and interiourly 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 Gods sight. But we say this justice to be gained by faith a­lone, and that it cannot stand where good workes are valued and joyned with it, or confided in, even such as are spirituall and best performed by us. Which doctrine was an he­resie in the Apostles time, and con­demned by them, as St. Austin af­firmeth, lib de fid. & ope [...]. c. 14 chiefly gathered then, as it [Page 164] 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 owne 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 carelesse 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 farre above the Gentiles to be called by him: Which false perswasion 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 [Page 165] works done before faith in Christ, and the other of workes 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 wont­ed 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 Jesu 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 certaine per­swasion which every one must have, that he is one of Gods elect, and that Heaven is no lesse sure unto him than that Christ himselfe enjoyeth it, is a most desperate fancy overthrow­ing all true Faith and Religion.

For whereas St. Paul willeth us ad Phil. 2. with feare and trembling to worke out our Salvation: and S. Peter willeth Epist. 2. c. 1. us to strive by good workes, to [Page 166] make sure our vocation, and he that standeth i [...] bidden to looke that he fall not, these and other like exhor­tations about fearing Gods Judge­ments, keeping his Commandements, 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 obtaine of God perse­verance in his love, and service, without being shaken in their most certaine assurance of eternall life pre­pared for them, no lesse surely than for Christ himselfe; 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 him­selfe to have it revealed by the ho­ly Ghost, and signed in his heart, I could never learne, nor any man of Judgement. For albeit Christs promises are sweet, able to afford great help and comfort unto such, as by a true faith and good life doe seek to deserve such eternall blessings [Page 167] as are promised in them; yet is there no one of them made unto any man in particular: nor, as they are made in generall, doe 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 Commandementss. And when he told his Mat. 5. & 19. discipl [...]s, you are my friends, if you doe these things which I command yeu: tel­ling them elswhere, that if their justice did not abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, they should not enter in­to the kingdome of heaven: requiring so not faith alone, but deeds also.

Because the beginning of eternall 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 workes, have Lampes without Oyle, 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 commandes. [Page 168] m. cap. 2. Epist. 8. Jac. St. Gregory Nazianzen, shew thy faith by workes to be alive, and the soyle of your Soul to be fruitfull, that you may hope to gather from it a plentitull haryest. Remember ō Chri­stian Catech. 4. 15. (saith St. Cyril) that in thy judgement thou shalt not by thy faith, but by thy workes be saved or condemned. They are the oyle which will keepe thy Lamp flaming, when the heavenly spouse shall come to call thee. But by faith (saith St. Chrysostome) [...]om. 9. in we are invited to the wedding feast; but Charity is the wedding garment, with which we must come cloathed unto it, when Calvins particular faith shall prove a fancy.

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 farre 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 onely, and not God also, according to St. Paul's words saying, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe; so that by the sub­sisting of humane nature in a divine. [Page 170] person, the actions and passions were Theandricall, and of an infinite value, because an infinit 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 Crosse, 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 expresly affirmed.

And that question which Calvin pro­poundeth, quibus meritis assequi posset ibid. n. 5. homo, ut judex esset mundi, caput Ange­lorum &c. 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 owne Mat. 28. words, saying all power in heaven and earth is given unto me, thus explicated by Calvin himselfe, he speaketh not here of his eternall power, but of that which he had newly received, when hee was ordained Judge of the [Page 171] world, a little before denyed abso­lutely unto him; albeit the con­tinuall cry of Angels and Saints in heaven sheweth this dignity, both to have been given unto him, and merited by him. The Lamb which was slaine is worthy to receive all honour and glory, &c.

But it is no novelty for Calvin to c. 5. n. 3. &c. 11. n. 18. & cap. 15. n. 3. contradict himselfe by affirming and denying the same thing in a hundred places of his Institutions onely. For example in the third book, he ex­presly 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 Christs me­rits to be redeemed, yet love they not to hear the name of merit pronoun­ced, as cōceiving his grace to be obscu­red by it: But (saith he) Christs merits lib. 3. cap. 15. n. 3. are foolishly opposed to Gods mercy for betweene subalternated things, there is no opposition, Gods mercy, to wit, in freely justifying us, and [Page 172] 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 Catholick do­ctrine, denied in other places frequent­ly and expressely 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 mereies 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 sence 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 fruitfulnesse from it; whilest he infuseth his holy spirit into [Page 173] 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 Gods 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 Calvins 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, elswhere that each one shall receive a reward ac­cording to his labours; for what a man so weth, that he shall r [...]ap. Call [Page 174] Mat. 5. (saith Christ) the workmen, and give them their hire, &c. St. Paul for his labours and combats expected to be 2 Tim. 4. crowned. Our Saviour biddeth his A­postles to rejoice at judgment 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 brightnesse, 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. Chrysostome, and by more than a Grand Jury of o­ther c. 7. parte 3. Fathers: Insomuch as S. Dennis in his Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, after particular provings of rewards due to holy actions, concludeth that Gods 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 imbrace Vir­ginity [Page 175] or continency of life perpetu­ally for the greater freedome to serve God; to professe poverty in a holy imitation of our Saviour, and imbrace other evangelicall Councels, 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 falsly 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 joyned together, but because knowing our frailty and unablenesse to love and serve him, as the majesty of himself, and his infinite goodnesse 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 [Page 176] 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 Monastaries, and desert places with men and women, leaving the earth to gain heaven, accounting po­verty their riches, and living as Angels pure in their mindes, and chaste in cor­ruptible bodies; accounting it their greatest glory to be humbled for Christ unto Superiours chosen by themselves, and obediene in all things unto them. And such works of su­pererogations, are not onely perfor­mable by religious, but by secular Per­sons also, by exercising the spirituall and corporal works of mercy, also when they are not tyed to the perfor­mance of them: as in fasting for morti­fication of their bodies, on days and times not commanded unto them, &c.

I will not mention here a horrible Sect of Luthers Disciples, called com­monly Antinomi, because they wholy reject the Law of Moses; according to morall precepts also, and as the De­calogue is therein contained, blasphe­mously affirming it to be better nailed to a G [...]llows, 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 German Author of known sincerity citeth his own words) spake 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 commandem [...]nts unto thee, and would have thee to observe them, bid him go with his Moses to the Jews, [Page 178] 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, &c. teaching in many other places that the law of Christ is a law of faith only, and not of other precepts, intangling mens Consciences against Christian Liber­ty.

But omitting his grosness, I will come to treat with Calvin more In luca c. 10 versum 26. smoothly, and in covert phrases teach­ing the same d [...]ctrin, 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 yoak is sweet, and my burthen is light: and against S. John saying of Epist. 1. c. 5. Gods 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 [Page 179] 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 commande­ments. 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 commandements and justifications of our Lord without complaint: for which reason also Noah, Abraham, Job, David, and others are called in Scripture just persons and faithfull 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. Johns words, He who saith he loveth God, and observeth not his commandements, is a lyar, 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 [Page 180] 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 tyed, and can­not attain heaven without it, accor­ding to S. Johns 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 Wisdome 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 shew 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 [Page 181] of them the obfervance of them, If you love me keep my Commandements. For had they believed Calvins wicked do­ctrine, they might have replied and asked of him, Lord how can'st 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 Calvins doctrine true, when the young man asked our Saviour, what he might do to possesse life everlasting? his answer was dread­full to him and us also, If thou wil [...] en­ter into life, keep the Commandments. For if this condition be needfull, as Christs speech importeth, and impossible to be Serm. atten­de atten­de 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 Gods Command­ments were impossible to be observed. S. Hierom said well, that Christ cōman­ded In Mal. 5. [Page 182] perfect things, not impossible. St. Lib. de nat. & gratia c. 43. & 69. Austine in sundry places averreth and proveth this doctrine thus declared, more then 1200. years since, in the 2. Arcasican Council: Wee believe as a Catholick 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 eternall life is requi­red of them. S. Chrysostome moreover addeth, that many do more than is re­quired of them to be saved.

Reason likewise it self teacheth us, that if Gods commandments were impossible to be observed, no man could offend by the breach of them, be­cause no man can be reasonably tyed to what is impossible to be observed by him: whence it would follow that sinne, consisting in the transgression of Gods 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 inable us to fulfill his law and Commandements under [Page 183] pain of damnation required of us, not without a manifest cruelty against his known goodnesse, 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 dayes of our life.

AMongst whom no feast at all is ob­served but Sunday; whereas in all Provinces belonging to the Low-Country States, those, who professe Calvins doctrine, and decline not unto the utmost strictness & impiety there­of, are yearly accustomed with great solemnity to observe for two dayes together, the feast of our Saviours Na­tivity, and in like manner the festivi­ties [Page 184] of Easter and Whitsuntide. Our Saviours Presentation also, his Incar­nation, and the Epiphany are amongst them festivally observed, and so are the Feasts of All Saints, and of the A­postles, with some other chief Festivi­ties: and in other of lesse note Ser­vants and Tradesmen abstain from work, as I have noted in several Cities whilst I lived amongst them, and here­by they retain some shew 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, Christs Nativity? they will tell you, it is to honour his comming 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 Crosse 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 [Page 158] and Pastors in their sermons on such dayes 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 Chistians, 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 chiefe Mysteries of faith remembred in them; is held by Cal­vin himselfe, and other pure profes­sors of his doctrine to be plainly Ju­daicall and superstitious. Yea, and that Sunday it selfe is for orders sake onely 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 mens memories all benefits and bles­sings by the Son of God con [...]rred on us; yet they cannot but know, that Christians made in the Apostl [...]s [...]e their Synaxes and meetings on Sun­day [Page 186] 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 Lords day, and by St. Ignatius, who lived to see Epistol. ad Magnet. can. 16. A­post. Apolo. 2. de coron. milit. lib. 7. strom. hom. 7. in Ex [...]d. Christ, the chiefe and Queen of all dayes, mentioned by St. Clement, by St. Justin Martyr, by Tertullian, by St. Clement of Alexandria, by Origen and other ancient Fathers, as Apostoli­cally ordayned, 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 Lords Nativity, men­tioned by St. Clement, and graced by many homilies and sermons preach'd thereon by many chiese Fathers. The day likewise of the Epiphany, the feasts of Easter, Pentecost, and our Saviours Ascension in their Aposto­licall antiquity testified unto us: [Page 187] and so are the feasts of St. Stephen, St. Clemens lib. 8. con­stit. cap. 39. of the holy Innocents, and many dayes of Apostles, and Martyrs kown to have been in Christs Church timely observed. The church of Smyrna for ex­ample solemnly observed the day of St. Polycarp's martyrdome, as Eusebius recounteth; Origen mentioneth the Lib. bist. 6. 15. the feast of Innocents celebrated in his time &c. And if the Angels in heaven hom. 3. in diversos rejoyce at the conversion of Sinners on earth, why may we not as well rejoyce and praise God in the glori­ous martyrdome 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 dayes moneths and yeares; willed the Colossenses also that no man should judge them either in meat or drinke or part of any festivity: it is certaine that he spake of Judaical observances about meats, dayes, new moones, and other like Festivities.

[...] c. Mat. [...] lib. 4. instit. c. 12: n. 19, 20, 21. When Calvin likewise after his ac­customed boldnesse concerning the so­lemne Fast in Lent, mentioned by St. Ignatius and other chief Fathers after him, as an Apostolicall institution, exhorting people to a strict and reli­gious observance thereof, he calleth it a meere foolery, and detestable wick­ed mockery of Christ, and useth this brainlesse 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 adorne our selves with his spoyles, onely because in a holy imi­tation of him we make fewer meales, than we are accustom'd a [...] other times, and abstaine from fleshly meats most nourishing and pleasing unto us: As Daniel, to hasten the returne of his c. 10. Peoople 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 Jewes in the legal difference of clean and uncleane meats, he lyeth [Page 189] 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 dayes we abstaine from fleshly meats to mortify our selves, not because we conceive such meats in themselves to be uncleane and unwholesome, but because they are on such dayes by a just praecept of the Church, and an ancient custome of all good Christians forbidden un­to us: And such as are sick, or have any just cause freely doe eat them, without any uncleannesse at all con­ceived of them.

And why is it that he and his fel­lows are such professed enemies to all publick fasts, and other exercises of mortification used anciently a­mong Christians, but because under a false pretence of evangelicall liberty they seek after commodities of their belly. Whereas our divine Lord him­selfe 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 [Page 190] and prayer more acceptable to God by living continently together, as in other places he willeth Pastors and Guides of Souls to exhibite them­selves Gods ministers in much pati­ence, 2 Cor. 11. in vigils, injejuniis multis, in patience in labours, in watchings, and much fasting: And whilest that praecept did last of abstaining from bloud 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 himselfe, that in the Church by the power of the keys, Pastors for just causes may ordaine solemne fasts, sup­plications, and other exercises of Christian Piety, albeit not expressed in Scripture, and that this power was usually, and lawfully practi­sed, not onely 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 dayes: Vigils also before great feasts for the glorie of God, and spirituall benefit of faithfull soules throughout the whole Church con­stantly & continually to be observ'd.

WHerein Calvin's doctrines are horribly blasphemous in themselves, and injurious to the knowne goodnesse and mercy of all­mighty God: for whereas he was said in Scripture, not to have made Death, Sap. 1. nor to rejoyce in mens 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 expressely affir­meth Lib. 3. cap. n. 1. & 2. &c. 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. &c. 24. n. 8. & 1 [...] ▪ damned, and ordained them to com­mit many and grievous sinnes, that they might become vessels of his wrath sury and indignation justly executed [Page 192] 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 aske 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 sinnes as are most hainous 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 mans wit to be conceived, ma­king God not onely Author of mens damnation, but of those sinnes like­wise for which he condemneth them, and so consequently a greater Tyrant than ever was amongst men, or can be imagined.

First against plaine 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 cleane, and cannot approve [Page 193] evill. That he delivereth men from temptations, but tempteth no man. Habac. 1 Jacob 1.

Secondly, against the light of Faith and Reason together, by chan­ging the nature it selfe of Sinne, and making it a holy worke; as b [...]ing done according to the will of God, inciting and moving men unto it, ta­king so away all difference between good and evill actions, by making the greatest sins of men Gods, especiall 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 goodnesse, 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 chiefly Author of sch sins, [...]nd men not blameable at all in doing them, [Page 194] as inforced by him to commit them: which seemed so hellish a doctrine to the Magistrates of Bern, Calvins 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 whol book against this execrable doctrine. And Graverus, a chief Luthe­ran Divine, hath in a particular Trea­tise, proved Calvins whole doctrine of Predestination, impiam esse & absurdis­simam, to be most wicked and absurd. Jacobus Andraeas Luthers successor at Wit­tenberg, hath made the like judgment 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 Calvins horrible do­ctrine, that Christ died onely for the Elect, without any benefit at all intended for others by him. Hemingius hath written a book intituled, De gra­tia Ʋniversali, of Universall Grace, wherein he proveth by many clear texts of Scripture, that Christ was sent [Page 195] by his Father to redeem the whole world, to save all mankinde, to take away the sinnes of the world, to call sinners, to cleanse them with his blood &c. that his death was in it self suffi­cient to redeem all men, made for that purpose by themselves ineffectuall. And that nothing can be more cer­tainly and plainly testified in Scri­pture, then 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 goodnesse and justice; he knoweth before they are done the good, and evill actions of all men; yet so (saith S. Fulgentius) as he prede­stinateth Lib. ad No­nymum. the former, and the latter are permitted onely by him. And this is true generally, that he is never angry [Page 196] with any man untill 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 penall evils, and punishments of such, as have offended him: when likewise he is said to have hardned Pharoahs heart, and caused the Egyptians to hate his People, to have commanded Simei to revile David; these and the like maner 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 Devill more power­fully to tempt them: ordaining still to his own greater glory the wicked­nesse of them.

Let us not therefore conc [...]ive so hardly of him, who is mercy & good­nesse it self; that the onely chief cause why he permitteth mens sinnes, 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 yeild­ed for his permission, as to leave men [Page 197] to the freedome of their own wills, to shew greater mercy unto them, after they have offended him; that his Sons merits may be usefull in his Church, by being applied to the remission of mens sins by Sacraments, for that pur­pose ordained by him, whose incarna­tion was by Adams 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 falsly and wickedly affirmed: from whose patient loving and mercifull proceedings to­wards Sinners, here in this world, af­ter they have often and hainously of­fended him, we may well gather how far he is now, and ever he hath been from hasting his judgments, or de­lighting himself in executing the ri­gour of his justice on them, according to Calvins doctrine; against which we Catholicks deny not Gods Predestina­tion and Reprobation of Souls to be chief parts of his generall Providence over Creatures, to their severall ends directed by him: but acknowledge that by the sormer, all ordained to salvation are certainly saved by him, [Page 198] and by the latter others are no lesse certainly damned: the one is an Act of Gods mercy freely and graciously without any desert at all unto some a­above 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 meanes of attaining sal­vation for us in this life prepared, as St. Austine 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 Gods free election, not supposing any good in our selves be­fore it: but this other is neither de­creed nor inflicted by God, all good­ness & mercy, but for some evill 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 & effectuall graces are holpen unto their lives end to attain Salvation, so these others want not sufficient graces, & helps to be saved with a free liberty of their [Page 199] 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 prepar'd & inflicted on those, who are reproba­ted & not chosen, as by wicked facts they have deserv'd them. And herein consists the abyssall depth of Gods mercy to ward his elect, that in a like estate of damnation incurr'd 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 destroyes the dilemma, or mad arguument of some careless of their eter­nall salvation. Either I am predestinated or not? If I bee, sure I am, let me doe 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 should'st do: and if thou failest in doing so, thou mayst [Page 200] assure thy self 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 owne sinfull life, which thou mightst have ordered otherwise by Gods 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, in­creas [...]th 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 owne sal­vation, and strive as St. Peter willeth them, by living well and doing good works to make sure their election; not presuming of their owne forces or merits, but solidly grounding themselves in an humble & confident hope of Gods gracious love and goodnesse for his sons 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.