Examination of those Plausible Appearances in the Romish Church, Chapter 21
CHAP: XXI. That it is an vniust proceeding, to deny the change happened in the Church, vnderunder pretence that the Authors, time, and place of it cannot be specified.
FOr all this they imagine, that they come over vsus againe very shrewdly by a demand which they vrge vsus with, pressing vsus to tell, where, when, and by whom the change in the Church was begunne. For presuming that we cannot answere them exactly concerning this, they promise to themselues in the sequell this aduantage, that we shall be forced to yeeld vntounto them, that since the times of the apostles, matters hauehave continued at that point which wee see them to be at at this day; neuer considering that it is the vnhappie condition of time, and the ordinary pace of the world to runne on into wo…se, to loose and destroy with time that good which deserued to hauehave beene perpetuated by it. Not as if this corruption or contagion could at all endanger or hurt the true Church, the number of the faithfull and the elect, whom God sustaineth in the midst of the greatest confusions, and enlightneth in the most fearefull eclipses, as wee hauehave formerly shewed: but in as much as time shriueleth and wrinckleth, as it were, the face, and outward hue of all things.
VnderUnder the old Testament, before the publication of the yeare of Gods good pleasure, he alwaies preserved his Church, viz. his owne; yet no man denyeth, but the outward face of the Church was the subiect of many and great alterations: all confesse it, and hee which should not, would deny the Scripture. VnderUnder the new Testament the same is happened, the Church of God neuer altered in that which is essentiall, much lesse hath shee vtterly failed: but if wee consider her outwardly, in the multitude in which shee lay hid as the graine amidst the chaffe, here the change is notorious, wee offer to manifest it to him who doubteth of it. But wee say, it is a tyrannous law to compell vsus to particularise the persons, times, & places by whom, when, and where the change, and reuolt was begunne.
When the concealer of stolne goods is attached for felonie, the lawfull owner challenging his goods, and, verefying his title, gaineth his cause, and ouerthroweth the concealer, although he cannot shew where, when, and by whom the theft was committed. The Physitian forbeareth not to iudge of a disease, and to apply conuenient remedies vntounto it, although he be ignorant of the time, place and occasion of it.
Surely it is a weake conclusion in all matters, especially in religion, to infer that no alteratiō hath beene, vnderunder colour, that the author, time, and place of it cannot be punctually specified. Such an accurate enquirie, aknowledge so exact in such circumstances dependeth of the histories of times past; what then, if those histories bee not knowne? what if they bee not to bee found in the Records of Antiquity? What a multitude of alterations hauehave all along happend, the first authours, times, and places of which, it is impossible to specifie? But who is not acquainted with the ordinary dealings of Innouatours? who knoweth not that they vse to mislay or abolish such copies, and evidences as might one day be produced against them? How many bastardly books hauehave beene fathered vponupon ancient, and famous authors which they would hauehave reiected as monsters? This hath beene practised in all faculties, in Phisick, in Law, and also in Diuinity. It is then a hard and vniust proceeding in Romanists, to bind those who accuse thē for being Innouatours, to produce against them fragments foisted into the Registrie by their owne confederates whereas they produce more authētique, & vnquestionable evidēces.
He that should vndertake to conuince the Iewes of hauing adulterated, or rather abolished the purity of the ancient doctrine of their fathers: since the time of the Prophet Malachie, he would find himselfe hardly tasked, precisely to specifie the authors, times, & places of this so strange, & enormious an alteratiō. Yet it is as cleare as noone, that such a corruptiō, such a chāge hath beene in the Religiō of the Iewes. By what then is this so vndoubted a truth made euident? doubtlesse by the Scriptures, by which wee know what was the ancient Religion of the Iewes. The comparison of that samplar with the religion of the Iewes, as it was in our Sauiours time, discouereth what a great diuersity there is, betweene their new superstition and old religion: and consequently marketh out the change, though not the circūstances of it.
And indeede, when the Lord the sonne of God accused the Scribes, and Pharisees, the Doctors and interpreters of the law, and conuinced them of hauing corrupted the ancient and originall purity, he troubled not himselfe to quote vntounto them records and histories, and exquisitely to set downe where, when and by whom the innouation was begunne. He contented himselfe with the Scriptures, and went no farther then the comparison of doctrine. Yet who could better hauehave preformed such an enterprise then himselfe? who could number to the smallest scruples of time, and was superlatiuely skilled both in Chronologie, and Historie. But he was willing in his owne person, to teach vsus what method wee are to follow in discouering, and reforming abuses, to wit, that wee are not bound, scrupulously to specifie all those circumstances, which are of no importance to the maine point.