The Safe Way Leading All Christians, Section 15
Sect. 15. Our chiefest Aduerſarie Cardinal Bellarmine, teſtifies the truth of our doctrine in the principall points of controuerſie betwixt vsus.
BVt admit our Tranſlation of the Scriptures were vnperfect, the Fathers doubtfull, the Romiſh writers not refined by the Inquiſitors for weightie reaſons beſt knowne vntounto themſelues were to bee reiected, yet I hope they will giuegive vsus leaue to produce ſuch writers againſt whom they take no exception, I will preſent vntounto them their owne Cardinall Bellarmine, who I thinke was the firſt and beſt that wrote the whole body of Controuerſies on their ſide, let him, I ſay, be conuented and examined without partialitie, and it ſhall appeare vponupon a reuiew, that in the principall points of difference betwixt vsus, he is inforced to confeſſe the antiquitie and ſafety of our doctrine, and plainely to acknowledge the vncertaintie and nouelty of his owne.
Firſt touching the vncertaintie of all the Trent Sacraments, it is Bellarmines confeſſion,Bell. de Iuſtif. l. 3. c. 8. None can be certaine of the certaintie of faith, that he doth receiue a true Sacrament, becauſe it depends vponupon the intention of the Miniſter, and none can know another mans intention.
Touching the ſucceſſion in perſon, it is Bellarmines confeſſion:Idem de Milit Eccleſ. ca. 10. There is no certaintie of ordination, becauſe the Sacrament of Orders depends vponupon the intention of the Ordeyner.
Touching Tranſubſtantiation, it is Bellarmines confeſſion,Idem de Euchar. lib. 3. cap. 23. it is not improbable that there is no expreſſe place of Scripture to prooue it, and it may bee doubted whether the Text will beare it.
Touching Priuate Maſſe, it is Bellarmines confeſſion:Jdē de Miſſa li. 2. cap. 9. & cap. 10. That is a more perfect and lawfull Maſſe wherein prieſts and people communicate together; Neither is there any expreſſe mention amongst the ancients where none did communicate but the Prieſt alone; but by coniectures.
Touching our prayer in a knowne tongue, it is Bellarmines confeſſion (in the Primitiue Church) when the Chriſtians were but few, Idem de ver…o Dei. li. 2. cap. 16.they did all ſing and anſwer one Amen, at the time of diuine Seruice.
Touching our Communion in both kinds:Idem de Euchar. l. 4. c. 24 it is Bellarmines confeſſion: Chriſt did inſtitute in both kinds, and the ancient Church did adminiſter vnderunder both kindes, but the multitude increaſing, the inconuenience appeared more and more, and by degrees the vſe of both kinds ceaſed.
Touching our two Sacraments, it is Bellarmines confeſſion:Jdem de Sacrament. in genere li. 1. c. 9. As for baptiſme and the Euchariſt, the thing is moſt euident, concerning the other fiue it is not ſo certaine.
Touching faith and good workes, it is Bellarmines confeſſion:Bell. de Juſtif. l. 3. c. 6. The Proteſtants doe not deny but that faith and repentance are requiſite, that is a liuely faith and an earneſt repentance, and that without them no man can be iuſtified.
Laſtly, touching Iuſtification by faith onelyonly, it is Bellarmines confeſſion:Idem l. 5. c. 7. For feare of vaine glorie, and by reaſon of the vncertaintie of our workes, Tutiſsimum, it is the ſafeſt way to relie wholly on the mercy of God.
I begge not of our Aduerſaries the points in queſtion betwixt vsus, but I wonder rather why they ſhould ſend out ſuch (Anathemas) and curſes againſt all or any of thoſe that denie their doctrine, when as their beſt learned confeſſe, that many principall points of their owne Religion, yea many Articles of faith are neither ancient, ſafe, nor Catholike: It is not the name of Catholique (which they aſſume) that makes good the Catholique doctrine, neither is it the opinion of the great learning, or the multitude on that ſide which muſt out face the truth, for our Sauiour Chriſt doth eſpecially note the members of his body by the name of a Little flocke, Feare not little flocke. Luk. 12.32.as if the paucitie of true beleeuers were the ſpeciall Caracter of the true Church: and as for the learned on that ſide, You ſee your calling brethren (ſaith the Apoſtle,) Not many wiſe men after the fleſh, 1. Cor. 1. 26.not many mightie, not many noble are called. And if our aduerſaries liſt to aſſume all learning and knowledge vntounto themſelues, I enuie not their great wiſedome, but I rather admire with wonder and pitie,Mat. 11.25. and I thanke thee O Father, Lord of heauen and earth, becauſe thou haſt hid theſe things from the wiſe and prudent, and haſt reuealed them vntounto babes. And if our aduerſaries pleaſe to reflect vponupon their owne Religion, they ſhall find likewiſe that the principall markes of the Romane Church were diſcouered and foretold long ſince by Chriſt and his Apoſtles, that it ſhould bee after the working of Sathan, with all power, and ſignes, and lying wonders: and wee know ſuch miracles are the ſpecial caracters of the Roman Church: The Spirit of God foreſaw that their doctrine would conſiſt in forginges, not onelyonly of Fathers, of Councels, of Schoolemen, but of daily miracles in their Church, and for this deceiueableneſſe of vnrighteouſneſſe, becauſe they receiued not the louelove of truth, that they might be ſaued: their iudgement was foretold, and is now accompliſhed.2. Theſſ. 2.11. God ſhall ſend them ſtrong deluſions, and they ſhall beleeue lyes. I liſt not to inſiſt vponupon ſuch feyned miracles wrought either by their Prieſts or by their companions for lucre ſake: Aliquandò in Eccleſia, fit maxima deceptio populi in miraculu fictis in Sacerdotibus. Nich. Lyra in Dan. ca. 14.It is ſufficient that their owne Schoolemen confeſſe it, but I profeſſe with Austin, As they were neceſſarie before the world beleeued to induce it to beleeue; ſo hee that ſeeketh to be confirmed by wonders, now is to be wondred as moſt of all himſelfe, in refuſing to beleeue what all the world beleeues beſides himſelfe.