The Jesuits Shifts and Evasions, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The demaunds of the Paſtors of the Church of Paris, made to Mr. Arnoux the Ieſuite.
THere is nothing more eaſier than to propound queſtions, but the difficulty conſiſteth in anſwering well. An ignorant perſon will put more queſtions in an houre, than a wiſe man can abſolue in a yeare. A knot is eaſily knit, but it is not ſo eaſily vnknit againe: from thence it proceedeth that in Controuerſie for Religion, he that feeleth himſelfe to be too weake, or that his cauſe is ill-grounded, alwaies ſeekes to make difficulties, and to finde ſome meanes to blame his aduerſaries beliefe, but as much as he can, or may, exempteth himſelfe from yeelding a reaſon of his owne faith, and is wary to enter into any proofe of his Religion.
Maſter Gontri late deceaſed, giueth this counſell in a booke which he made touching the manner how to confer with vsus: for, hauing by experience found how dangerous it is to be too forward, & that the ſureſt meanes is to bind vsus to proue that which we ſay, and ſtill to finde ſome cauilation in our confeſſion, he giueth this counſell to his Diſciples, either to be warie how to make anſwere to our demaunds, or to defend themſelues againſt our accuſations, and neuer to enter into a proofe of the Catholicke Romiſh Religion.
This counſell liketh Maſter Arnoux exceeding well: for hauing, in the preſence of his Maieſtie, ſnatcht at the margents of the confeſſion of our faith, and exclaimed againſt ſome cotations of the places of the Scripture by vsus noted, he preſſeth vsus to defend them, and to iuſtifie our allegations. And hath made a booke wherein hee diſciphereth our confeſſion of the faith, from the one end to the other.
Which booke, and all his accuſations, wee hope we hauehave in ſome ſort ſatisfied, whereby I am perſwaded that he will not hereafter enter ſo eaſily into the liſts againe. And not content to defend our ſelues, we hauehave taken on vsus the Challengers part, and hauehave alſo preſſed him to defend his Religion, to ſee if he hath ſo much capacitie in him to anſwere, as he hath readineſſe to put queſtions.
And in counterchange of that, which he doth, ſeeking to ſnatch at the places of Scripture noted in the margent of our confeſſion, we hauehave produced the allegations of the extrauagant vnam ſanctam, made by Boniface the 8. and the places of Scripture, alledged by the laſt Councell of Lateran: as for example, the Apoſtles hauing ſaid, here are two ſwords: the Lord made anſwere and ſaid, It is enough. And in the beginning of Geneſis, it is ſaid, that in the beginning God created heauen and earth. And Pſal. 72. it is ſaid, all the Kings of the earth ſhall worſhip him: And Ieſus Chriſt ſaid, all power is giuen me in heauen, and in earth, Math. 28.18. which places and many the like, are vſed by the ſaid Pope, and that counſell, to proue that the Pope hath ſoueraigne power, as well ouer temporall, as ouer ſpirituall things, and that Kings muſt worſhip him, and that he hath all power in heauen and in earth. Whereupon we aske Maſter Arnoux whether he will approue ſuch allegations: or, whether in the margents of our confeſſion he findeth any places of Scripture noted with ſuch horrible licentiouſneſſe, and manifeſt prophanation.
And in counterchange, for asking vsus a proofe of our Religion by the Word of God, we ſummon, and defie him, to proue his Religion by the Word of God, and to that end hauehave propounded theſe ſeauenteene queſtions following vntounto him.
1 In what place of the holy Scriptures God hath commaunded vsus to call vponupon dead Saints.
2 Where God hath commaunded vsus to repreſent the Trinity in ſtone or in picture.
3 In what place of the holy Scripture, we are commaunded to worſhip and ſerue the Images of Saints, or to adore them, as it is ordained by the ſecond Councell of Nice.
4 In what place of the Scripture it is commaunded to ſacrifice the body of Ieſus Chriſt in the Euchariſt, and where Ieſus Chriſt eſtabliſhed ſacrificators of his body.
5 In what place of the Scripture God hath commanded to withhold the Cup from the people in the Sacrament.
6 In what place of the Scripture, the Biſhop of Rome is eſtabliſhed and made S. Peters Succeſſor, in qualitie of head of the Church.
7 Where God commaundeth vsus, in the Church to reade the holy Scriptures to the people, in a language which they vnderſtand not.
8 Where God hath commaunded vsus to pray vntounto God, without vnderſtanding what we pray, praying in a language that he which prayeth vnderſtandeth not.
9 In what place of the Scripture, it is ſaid, that the death and paſſion of Ieſus Chriſt hath ſatisfied for the puniſhment and for the fault of ſinnes committed before baptiſme, but touching the puniſhment for ſinnes committed after baptiſme, it belongeth vntounto vsus to ſatisfie the iuſtice of God, either in this life, or in purgatorie.
10 Where God forbiddeth Prieſts and Monkes to marry.
11 In what place of the Scripture we are commanded to adore the reliques of Saints.
12 In what place of the Scripture there is any thing ſaid of the place of Limbus for little Children.
13 In what place of the Scripture it is ſaid, that the Church of Rome is the Soueraigne Iudge of doubts in faith, and that ſhe cannot erre.
14 In what place of the Scripture the Virgin Mary is called Queene of Heauen.
15 In what place of the Scripture God forbiddeth the people to reade the holy Scriptures without ſpeciall permiſſion.
16 In what place of the Scripture, power is giuen to the Pope, to gather into the treaſury of the Church, the ſuper-aboundant ſatisfactions of Saints, and of Monkes, and to conuert them into payment for others, diſtributing them by Indulgences.
17 Laſtly, where and when hath God giuen power to the Pope to depoſe Kings, to draw ſoules out of Purgatorie, and to giuegive pardons for ſeauen or eight hundred thouſand yeares.
VponUpon theſe ſeauenteene poynts, which make the Body of Popery, and wherein the abuſe and tyranny thereof conſiſteth, we aske Maſter Arnoux whether he will produce any places of holy Scripture to proue them, and wee will content our ſelues with one place onelyonly for eueryevery ſeuerall poynt. Our meaning is not to reſtraine him to finde theſe things in the Scripture word by word, it ſhall ſuffice vsus, if he can finde them there in ſubſtance, or that they can be deduced by good conſequence. For we ſeeke no delayes, nor are not tyed to the number of ſyllables, ſo the thing be proued in the word of God. Now we muſt ſee what anſwere Mr. Arnoux maketh to theſe queſtions, and how he proueth his Religion by the Word of God.