A Trial of the Romish Clergys Title to the Church, Text and commentary · Quoted chapter 16 · Extract § 4
A. D. §. 4.
§. SECT. I. That the Romane Church onelyonly is one.
Firſt I finde that the Proteſtants Church is not perfectly One, or vniforme in dogmaticall points of faith, but variable, according to the varietie of times and perſons, now holding one thing, then an other; and that the learned men thereof, are ſo much at iarre among themſelues, in matters of faith, that it is hard to finde three, in all points, of one opinion, and (which is chiefely to be pondered, as principally appertaining to the marke of Vnitie) they hauehave no meanes to end their controuerſies, ſo to returne to Vnitie, and to continue therein. For while as they admit no rule of faith, but only Scripture: which ſcriptures diuers men expoūd diuerſly, according to the diuers humours and affections, opinions and phantaſies of euerie one, neuer one admitting any one head or chiefe ruler, infallibly guided by the holy Ghoſt in his doctrine to whoſe cenſure in matters of faith, euerie one ſhould of neceſſitie ſubmit themſelues, Vt capite conſtituto, ſchiſmatis tollatur occaſio: that, (as Saint Ierome ſpeaketh) a Lib. 2. cont. Iouin.head or chiefe ruler being ordained, occaſion of ſchiſme or diuiſion may be taken away. Whilest they do thus (as they all doe thus, all proclaiming to be ruled by onelyonly Scripture, and yet almoſt in euerie one, in one point or other, expounding Scripture diuerſly, and one contrarie to an other, according to the diuers ſeeming of euerie ones ſenſe; and neuer one admitting any one ſuperiour, infallibly guided by the holy Ghoſt, to whoſe definitiue ſentence he and the reſt will be bound to ſubmit their doctrine and expoſitions): whileſt (I ſay) they doe thus, it is vnpoſſible that they ſhould In fidei occurrere vnitatem, S. Hier. in cap. 4. ad Epheſ.meet (as Saint Hierome counſelleth) in the vnitie of faith. The which vnitie in profeſſion of faith notwithſtanding, is one principall thing pertaining to the vnitie of the Church: and vnitie of the Church, is one chiefe marke, by which we must diſcerne which is the true Church.
Contrariwiſe the Romane Church is alwaies one and vniforme in faith, neuer varying, or holding any dogmaticall point contrarie to that, which in former times, from the beginning it did hold. The learned men thereof, though ſometimes differing in opinion, in matters not defined by the Church, yet inmatters of faith all conſpire in one. And no marueile, becauſe they hauehave a moſt conuenient meanes to keepe vnitie in profeſſion of faith, ſith they do acknowledge one chiefe Paſtor appointed ouer them (to wit the ſucceſſour of Saint Peter) to whoſe definitiue cenſure in matters concerning religion, they wholly ſubmit themſelues, knowing that to Saint Peter (and Matth. 16.his ſucceſſours) Chriſt our Sauiour promiſed the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen: and that he would vponupon him (and his ſucceſſours) as vponupon a ſure rocke, build his Church. Knowing alſo that the ſame our Sauiour did ſpecially pray for Saint Peter (and euerie Luke. 22.one his lawfull ſucceſſour) that this faith ſhould not faile (at leaſt ſo farre, as to teach the Church a falſe faith) to the intent, that he might be alwaies able to confirme his brethren, if at any time, they ſhould faile in the doctrine of faith. Knowing laſtly, that to Saint Peter and his ſucceſſours (which word I adde, not without ſufficient Chryſoſt. lib. 2. de Sacerdotio. S. Leo Ser. 2. de anniuerſ. aſſumpt. ſuae ad Pontif. Ioan. 21.authoritie and reaſon) Chriſt our Lord gaue moſt ample power ouer his vniuerſall Church, ſaying, Paſce oues meas, feed my ſheepe: that is to ſay, Rule or gouerne as chiefe Paſtour vnderunder me, my ſheepe; that is, all thoſe that pertaine to the ſheepfold, which is the Church; giuing him and his ſucceſſours charge to feed them, with the food of true doctrine of faith: and conſequently binding theſe his ſheepe, to receiue obediently this food of true doctrine of faith at their hands: and conſequently tying himſelfe ſo to aſſiſt him, and his ſucceſſours, with the guiding of the holy Ghoſt, that they ſhould alwaies propoſe vntounto the flock of Chriſt (which is his vniuerſal Church) the food of true faith, and that they ſhould neuer teach (ex Cathedra) any thing contrarie to true faith: ſith if he ſhould not thus aſſiſt, but ſhould permit them to teach the Church errors in faith, then the Church, which aLuke. 10. Matth. 23. Matth. 16. Iohn. 16.he hath bound to heare this Paſtor in all points, might contrarie to his purpoſe, erre, nay ſhould by him be bound to erre, which without blaſphemie cannot be ſaid. All Catholicke learnedmen therefore knowing this, do acknowledge that the definitiue ſentence of this chiefe Paſtour (either alone, or at leaſt with a generall Councell) muſt needs be alwaies an vnfallible & vndoubted truth; and that therefore they may ſafely, yea they muſt neceſſarily ſubmit all their iudgements and opinions, either in interpreting ſcripture, or otherwiſe in matters concerning religion, to the cenſure of this Apoſtolicke ſeat. The which while they do, (as they muſt alwaies do, if they will be accounted Catholicke men, and will not caſt out themſelues, or be caſt out of the companie of Catholickes) how is it poſſible that one ſhould diſſent from another in matters of faith, or at leaſt obſtinately (as hereticks do) erre in anie point of Faith?
So that this difference may be aſſigned betwixt any ſect of heretickes and the Romane Church, that heretickes are a companie not vnited among themſelues by any linke, which is able to containe and continue them in vnitie of faith: whereas the Romane Church is Plebs ſacerdoti adunata, & grex Paſtori ſuo adhaerens, as S. Cyprian ſaith, a Church ſhould be a people ioyned to their Prieſt, and a flocke cleauing to their Paſtor, whom whilſt it heareth, as it is alwaie Cypr. lib. 4. Epiſt. 9.bound to do, it is vnpoſſible, but that it ſhould retaine the vnitie of faith: like as on the contrary ſide, according to the ſaying of Saint Cyprian: Non aliunde haereſes obortae ſunt, aut nata ſchiſmata, Lib. 1. Epiſt. 3.quàm inde quòd ſacerdoti Dei non obtemperatur; nec vnus in Eccleſia ad tempus Sacerdos, nec vnus iudex vice Chriſti cogitatur: Not from any other roote hauehave hereſies and ſchiſmes ſprung vp but from this, that men do not obey the Priest of God, neither do they conſider how that in the Church there is one Prieſt and one Iudge, for the time, in ſteed of Christ.