The Safe Way Leading All Christians, Section 10
Sect. 10. The Teſtimonies of our Aduerſaries touching the infallible certaintie of the Proteſtant faith, and the vncertaintie of the Romiſh.
OF what ſtrength and force is truth, it appeares by this, that ſhe extorts a full and ample teſtimony of her doctrine from her ſworne enemies, and yet for further proofe of our cauſe, I will giuegive another ſummons to the prime men euen of their grand Inqueſt, who, without partialitie, will teſtifie in our behalfe, that our Church is built vponupon a more ſtable and ſure foundation then the Papacie, and that our doctrine is more fruitfull and profitable, and eueryevery way more ſafe and comfortable for the beleefe of eueryevery Chriſtian, and the ſaluation of the beleeuer.
Touching the certaintie of faith, it is Bellarmines confeſſion,Bellar. de Jnſtit. lib. 3. cap. 8. None can be certaine of the certaintie of faith that hee doth receiue a true Sacrament, for as much as the Sacrament cannot be made without the intention of the Miniſter, and none can ſee another mans intention. This confeſſion being layed for a poſitiue ground of their Religion, the Church of Rome hath ouer throwne in one Tenet all certaintie of true faith; To begin with the Sacrament of Baptiſme: If the Prieſts intention faile (by their doctrine) the Inſant is not baptized, he is but as a Heathen out of the Church, and conſequently in the ſtate of damnation. Looke vponupon their Sacrament of Orders, it is the confeſſion of learned Bellar mine: Bellar. de Milit Eccleſ. ca. 10. ad ſecundum.If we conſider in Biſhops their power of Ordination and Iuriſdiction, we hauehave no more then a Morall certaintie that they are true Biſhops; and there he giues the reaſon for it, Becauſe the Sacrament of Orders depends vponupon the Intention of the ordeiner. Looke vponupon the Sacrament of Matrimony, and of this there is no certaintie, becauſe it doth depend vponupon the Intention of the Miniſter, and if he faile in his Intention at the time of ſolemnization, the married people liue all their dayes in adulterie: ſo that by their owne confeſſion there is no certaintie of Chriſtianitie by Baptiſme, no certaintie of their Sacrament of Orders, and conſequently no certaintie of ſucceſſion in perſon, (which they ſo much magnifie in their Church:) beſides if in the whole ſucceſſion of Popes and Paſtors, the Intention of any one Prieſt did faile either in Baptiſme or in Orders, all ſucceeding generations that ordaine and conſecrate both Prieſt and people are become vtterly voide and of none effect. He that is bound vponupon a curſe to beleeue ſeuen Sacraments, and yet is not certaine of any one, muſt be ſaued by an implicit faith, and yet it is to be feared for want of their Prieſts intention, the poore ignorant ſoule doth ſometimes worſhip a peece of bread, becauſe the conſecration of Chriſts body depends (ſay they) vponupon the intention of the Prieſt, and no man doth know another mans intention.
Againe touching their Inuocation of Saints, they are vncertain whether the Saints do heare their prayers: they are vncertaine whether ſome they pray vntounto, be Saints in heauen, or Diuels in hell. Touching the firſt,Biel. in C…n. Miſſae Lect. 28. Pet. Lomb. Senten lib. 4. diſt. 45. It is not certaine (ſaith Biel) but it may ſeeme probable that God reuealeth vntounto Saints, all thoſe ſuits which men preſent vntounto them; and ſaith Peter Lombard, It is not incredible that the ſoules of Saints heare the prayers of the ſuppliants. Here is nothing but probabilitie and vncertaintie, and yet admit it were more then probable, that they did heare our prayers, yet there is no certaintie that al ſuch are Saints which are canonized by the Romane Church:Accedit quod miracula quae ab Eccleſiae ſuſcipiuntur in Canonizationibus ſanctorum, quae tamen maximè authentica ſunt cum humano teſtimonio innitantur, non omnino certa ſunt, quoniā, &c. Caret. in epuſc. de concep. Virg. Mar. ca. 1. Fidei Christianae certitudo non humano mor… certa eſſe debet, ſed infallibile omnino debet habere testimonium. Caret. ibid. It cannot be knowne infallibly (ſaith Caietan) that the miracles whereon the Church groundeth the Canonization of Saints bee true, by reaſon the credit thereof depends on the reports of men, who may deceiue others, and bee deceiued themſelues. And vponupon this vncertaintie Saint Auſtin complained in his dayes: That many were tormented with the diuell, who were worſhipped by men on earth. Whoſe reaſon and authoritie was ſo vndoubtedly true,Bellar. de ſanct. Beat. lib. 1. c. 9. that Bellarmine had no way to auoide it but with a Fortaſſe &c. Peraduenture (ſaith he) it is none of Auſtins: and yet if Bellarmines anſwer were true, which is but a peraduenture, yet, I ſay, he witneſſeth from Sulpitius that the common people did long celebrate one for a Martyr, Idem ibidem cap. 7.who afterwards appeared and told them that he was damned: and their owne Caſſander giues vsus the like example,Caſſand. Conſult. Artic. 21. that S. Martin found a place honored in the name of a holy Martyr to be the Sepulcher of a wicked robber.
Touching Purgatorie, Tale aliquid etiam post hanc vitam incredible non est, & vtrum …a ſu quaeri potest. Auguſt. ad Laurent. c. 69it is vncertaine: It is not incredible (ſaith Auſtin) that ſome ſuch thing ſhould be after life, but whether it bee ſo or no, it may be a queſtion. Touching the place the Romane Church, hath defined nothing touching the puniſhment;Bell lib. 2. de purg. ca. 6. c. 11. & 9. Whether it be by materiall fire or ſome other meanes it is doubtfull, ſaith Bellarmine: touching the continuance of ſoules there, it is not certaine, Dominicus Soto thinketh that no man continueth in this purgation ten yeares: If this be true (ſaith the Cardinall) no ſoule needs ſtay in purging one houre. Againe Sir Thomas Moore held for certaine, that in Purgatory there was no water, and this hee prooues out of the Prophet Dauid: Thou haſt deliuered thy priſoners out of the place where there was no water. Roffenſis Biſhop of Rocheſter, would prooue out of the ſame Prophet, that in Purgatory there is good ſtore of water, For we hauehave paſſed through fire and water, ſaith the Pſalmiſt.Gregor. lib. 4. Dialog. c. 55 Laſtly, Gregory who gaue the firſt Credo to Purgatory, tels vsus ſome were purged by fire, ſome by hote baths, and this he learned by viſions and reuelations: and how ſafe it is to ground an Article of faith vponupon the ſpirits and apparitions of dead men, I leaue it to be iudged. If wee deſcend to the age next after Gregorie, Bed. Hiſt. Aug. lib. 5. c. 13.Venerable Bede by a viſion alſo eſtabliſhed a fourth place; he tells vsus of an apparition of a ghoſt, reporting there was an infernall place where ſoules ſuffered no paine, where they had a faire green meadow, with a brooke running through it; Nec improbabile, &c. Neither is it improbable (ſaith Bellarmine) there ſhould be ſuch an honourable priſon,Bellar. li. 2. de purg. c. 7. Mitiſſimū Purgatorium. which is a moſt milde and temperate Purgatorie. This Saint Auſtin held as a doubtfull opinion. Saint Gregorie gaue credit to it from the viſions of dead men; and Bede receiued it from the reports of wandering ghoſts: the firſt conceiued it doubtfully to bee in fire, the ſecond in hot baths, the third in a part of hell, where they had meadowes and riuers of waters: and from theſe and the like vncertainties, wee appeale from the Church of Rome in this Article of faith, and conclude with Saint Auſtin: Know that when the ſoule is ſeparated from the body; Auguſt. li. de Ʋanit. ſaeculi. ca. 1.(ſtatim) preſently it is either placed in Paradiſe for his good workes, or caſt headlong into the bottome of hell for his ſinnes.
Touching Pardons and Indulgences, Durand tels vsus,Durand. in 4. diſt. 2. quae. 3. Little can be ſaid of any certaintie, or as vndoubtfully true, ſeeing neither the Scriptures nor Fathers ſpeake expreſly of them. Gerſ. de Indulg. conſid. 8And Gerſon ſaith, Whether the power of the keyes extend onelyonly to ſuch as are on earth, or to them alſo that are in Purgatorie, the opinions of men are contrarie and vncertaine.
Touching the adoration of Images, they are vncertaine what worſhip to giuegive them:Nicen. Synod. 2. Act. 7. Epiſt. Tharaſ. & totius Synod. ad Conſtant. & Jraeneum. Tharraſius in the ſecond Councell of Nice teacheth, that the Images are to be adored that is kiſſed and loued, for (ſay they) that which a man loueth, that he adoreth, and that which hee adoreth, that he earneſtly loueth. Here they pretended nothing but a ciuill kind of embracing, or kiſſing, without any corporall ſubmiſſion to Images; about foure hundred yeares after, Thomas Aquinas and other Schoolemen taught: Becauſe Chriſt himſelfe is adored with diuine honour, it is conſequent that his Image is to bee adored with diuine honour. This learned founder had many Proſelites, as namely, Bonauenture, Caietā, Swarez, Vaſques, Iacobus de Graphijs, & diuers others who taught the ſame doctrine, and it ſeemes the Images themſelues were ſenſible of ſo beneficiall a patton. For (Antoninus tels vsus) whilſt Thomas was praying deuoutly before a Crucifix, he was lifted vp a cubit aboue the ground, and a voice proceeded from the crucifix, ſaying,A…ton. Sum. Hist. tit. 23. (7.11.) O Thomas thou haſt written worthily concerning me. If we deſcend to the Councell of Trent, they tell vsus, due honour and veneration muſt bee giuen, but what honour that is, which of due belongs vntounto them, is not expreſſed, neither is it vnderſtood of the people. Bellarmine tels them negatiuely, that they are not to be worſhipped (as in the dayes of Thomas) with diuine honour, neither is it ſafe to teach ſo in the hearing of the people:Bellar. de Jmagin. lib. c. 11. for (ſaith he) thoſe that defend Images to be adored with diuine honour, are driuen to vſe ſuch ſubtile diſtinctions, which they themſelues can ſcarcely vnderſtand, much leſſe the ignorant. Thus firſt they began with ambiguous termes to teach men to embrace Images (as two friends ſalute each other) then they taught the Latria, Nic. Synod. vt ſupra.the diuine honour to bee giuen in plaine deeds: and laſtly they ſay, That worſhip muſt bee giuen improperly to the image which is properly due to Chriſt. This vncertaintie of doctrine hath bred another dangerous conſequence, for by reaſon idolatrie is incident to this doubtfull Tenet, Gregorie de Valentia would maintaine that there is a kinde of idolatrie lawfull,Lib. 2. de Idolat. cap. 7. Otherwiſe (ſaith he)Pet. 1.4.3. Saint Peter would not hauehave charged Chriſtians to abſtaine from vnlawfull idolatrie, except ſome had beene lawfull. By which reaſon S. Paul likewiſe did affoord proofe for theft and adulterie, and the like,Epheſ. 5.11. for he bids vsus hauehave no fellowſhip with the vnfruitful works of darkneſſe: therefore wee may as well conclude, ſome workes of darkneſſe are fruitfull.
Concerning the two Sacraments of Baptiſme,Bell. de Sacr. in gen. l. 2. c. 9 and the Euchariſt, It is moſt euident (ſaith Bellarmine) but concerning the reſt of the Sacraments it is not ſo certaine. And ſaith Canus, Can. lib. 8. c. ….The Diuines ſpeake ſo vncertainly of the matter and forme of matrimonie, that they doe not reſolue whether it giues grace or not. Laſtly, concerning the vndoubted truth in the Church of God: The Scriptures are written (ſaith the Apoſtle) that wee might hauehave the certaintie whereof we are inſtructed: Grauitèr peccarent in rebus ad ſalutem animae pertinētibus, &c. eo ſol… quod certis incerta preponerent. Auguſt. de Bapt. cont. Donat. c. 3.but it is vncertaine whether Traditions and vnwritten verities deliuered from hand to hand, hauing no foundation in the Scriptures, do not varie from their firſt inſtitution.