Examination of those Plausible Appearances in the Romish Church, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII. That their is no true vnity in the Church of Rome, and that in the reformed Church, there is no discord of importance.
BVt to consider this point neerer hand, there is no discord of moment amongst vsus; no syncere vnion amongst them: but a combination to ruine their common aduersaries; as some Princes, which otherwise bare mutual grudges one against another, entertaine neuerthelesse a league against a common enemy. So Herod and Pilate agreed, in putting to death the Lord Iesus, the sauiour of the world.
Surely it cannot be denied, but that in former ages, the dissentions in the Romish Church were very great. Their mutuall hatred was deadly, witnesse their schisme, witnesse also the great variety of opinions amongst those doctours which themselues stile Catholique. who so will see proofe of this, let him only consult the writings of Cardinall Bellarmine, there he shall find diuersities, and contrarities of opinions amongst the Catholique doctours almost about eueryevery point of religion.
But the Pope being then busied about the establishmēt of his Papall omnipotence his spirituall authority over the temporalty, yea his temporall authority ouer the temporalty, and spiritualty together, tormented not himselfe with those disputes, not so much as to interpose his authority to appease them. For those schoolebroiles at that time did not a whit preiudice his designes, but rather helped them forward. So long as these doctors sharpned their subtilties against themselues, they let him alone in peace, they outvied one another in flattering of him, each side fearing lest he should incline to its opposite. This indifferencie was both acceptable to the disagreeing parties, and beneficiall to the Pope. There were as yet no strangers which might publish the shame of these doings, and aduantage themselues by these domesticke quarrells of their enemies: they spake therefore at that time freely, and boldly vented their opinions betweene themselues. But since that, the world is well changed, their affaires are no longer at this point. Now it was to be feared, least the discord of the seruants, should ruine the authority of the Master. For this it is, that he hath desired to …ull it asleepe, that he may bend the entire forces of his supports, against the stranger, and common adversary. He was now to looke to it, that they without tooke no advantage of this dissention, & to take away the scandall of it from those that are within. This is that he hath done, but after a sorry manner, as hee could, tyrannically, and by meanes altogether shamefull. Not by a resolution of their doubts, by stating of their questions, by a rationall decision of their controversies; but by his absolute authority imposing silence vponupon the parties, by this trick…, smothering the evill, without medling with the root.
He that will be better informed concerning this, let him obserue that even at this day (for example) the true followers of Thomas yeeld not to Bellarmine, that their Angelicall Doctor concluded amisse, affirming that the image of Christ, and the true Crosse are to be worshipped with the same adoration, that Christ himselfe. That the Sorbonists will not consent to the Jesuits, that the Pope should be aboue a Councell, that he may as well depose as excommunicate Kings, that a Tyrant may lawfully be put to death even by a private man. In the meane while these points are of such consequence, that if any of them be true, they vnavoidably damne the contrary.Bellar. de imag. l. 2. c. 20.21. If the opinion of Bellarmine bee true, touching the adoration of images, that of Thomas is pure idolatrie: if the tenet of the Iesuits concerning the authority of the Pope be receiuable, that of the Sorbonists is schismaticall and hereticall.
What will be answered vsus here? Doubtlesse that these opinions are but problematicall, and may on both sides indifferently be maintained, so long as the Church hath not giuen her determination of them. This hole indeed they vsually start out at, when for the diversity of opinions which are amongst them, they are pressed not to taxe that fault in others, which is so notorious in themselues, not to vrge those lawes vponupon others which they meane to shift off themselues. Neverthelesse their by-corner reacheth not farre, they cannot runne farre, if one briefly tell them, that the sentence of the Church is not effectiue, but declaratiue, that it makes not truth but directeth to it, it makes not heresie, but points it out. Even as the opinion of the Physitian makes the disease neither better, nor worse then it is, lesse doth it make it what it is. The diseased party then of whō the Physitiā hath decreed nothing, ceaseth not to be sicke and to dye, as well as those who by a true prognosticke were iudged to be in danger of death. Whether the iudgement then of the church be interposed or not, that which deserues to bee condemned is condemnable of it selfe, and in the sequel, makes him that beleeueth it infallibly damnable.
But let any man tell me, whether there may be imagined a more compleat and formall schisme, then that which we see in the protestation of the French church against the councell of Trent: Yes, they say, but this was but in certaine points. What matters that? Seeing that a Councell is a body, and expects either to be wholy receaued, or wholy reiected: not submitting it selfe to iudgement,Vid. Sledian. comment. l. 22. that they to whom it speaketh by authority, should goe about to choose, and picke out some of its determinations. But requiring of all an absolute and vniversall obedience by reason of its authority, and the pretended presidence and guidance of the holy Ghost.
After all this, who will not be more astonished, to see that the Pope pronounceth not definitiue sentence vponupon these differences▪ dispatcheth not these difficulties, determineth not these questions. Is it because he taketh delight, to foster and cherish discord amongst his ad…erents? No, this is no time for it. He is so neerly assaulted by those without, and so lustily incountered with, that he had need hauehave good entercourse, & keepe good correspondency with those that are within. Is it then because he fauoureth all sides equally? neither, this is more vnlikely then the other. He loueth his greatnesse to well, he is to iealous of his authority, too zealous for the aduācemēt of his Papal omnipotēcy to beare no more affection to those who imploy their spirits to his bent, for his soueraignty, thē to those who crosse it, & skirmish with it. Is it not known, how these are esteemed of, in that they are tearmed Politikes, and hauehave not the name of Catholiques allowed them, but grudgingly. That which holdeth the Pope, from openly condemning some of them, is a feare by alienateing them to diminish his forces. He knoweth, that slippery things wrung to hard slide away the faster: that lines stretched too much snap in sunder. He remembreth the peremptory roughnes of Leo the tenth, he hath seene how much it hath cost him (or to speake mo…e properly) the papall Monarchy, to hauehave prosecuted the affaires of the See so eagerly, to hauehave beene so stiffely bent in the breaking of that, which (as he thinkes) might hauehave beene mollified and bended with time.
By this it is to be seene, that there is rather a conspiracy amongst them, the… a true vnion: as on the contrary, the difference amongst vsus is rather a diversity, then a diuision, in the circumstances, then in the thing; in the accessory, then in the principall; in the policy, then in the doctrine; amongst some persons, then in the Corporation, and generality of our Churches. Witnesse the harmony of our confessions, and Catechismes, a harmony grounded vponupon no other plot, or designe, then that of cōming to the kingdome of heauen, to the fruition of the heauenly inheritance, by that one and only way, the knowledge of one true God, and whom he hath sent I…sus Christ. Iohn. 17.If some turbulent spirits striue to trouble our peace, to diuide our vnity, wee account them not ours, they are spots in our feasts, Iud. v. 12,and scabs in our body, which spirituall vigour hath chased out. Surely if any one communicate not with vsus, in doctrine and charity, he is none of ours, although he impugne the same adversarie with vsus: no more, then he is of that side which impugneth vsus, vnderunder colour, that he opposeth vsus with them. They are not accounted members of the Romane Church, who oppose vsus with as much violence as shee doth, no more ought the same men to bee esteemed ours, vnderunder this couert, that they fight with vsus against the Church of Rom…; but indeede with much lesse valour and efficacy: and therefore they are much more supported by her, and shee by them reciprocally, then they support vsus.