Romes Ruin(1), Answer · Paragraph 18
PAR. XVIII. Of the faith of Gregory, and Austin the monk.
CHALLENGE.
Or if &c. a faith confirmed by miracle from heaven, and therefore must needs be true, and never noted to differ from the common received faith of Christendom in those days, as appeareth by the severall epistles of the said S. Gregory, to the bishops of Europe, Asia, and Africa, with all whom he held communion of faith; so as if Christ had a catholike church on earth (as needs he must) S. Gregory was of it, and being then a true church, we say, (holding still the same tenets) it must needs be so now, Gods truth being like unto him without change. And therefore if …, angell should some from heaven, to … us any other … th… we first received, we are not to hear him, the good seed being ever first sowed; and the Galatians were worthily reprehended by S. Paul, for not constantly retaining the first pl…ted faith.
Answer.
If by S. Grego…ies care, and Austin the monks pains, the wells of salvation (which long before that time had been digged in these countries, but in divers places were …ed up by barbarous Pay…ms, sworn … to the crosse of Christ) were any whit opened, and the water clean… from … …nish filth and superstition, we blesse God and … the instruments for it. The miracle you speak of if any were wrought, it was to confirm the common christian faith, not any R…mish additions thereunto or superstiti…ns. For the monk himself, he stands or falls to his own master. The water, as S. A…stin noteth, which passeth through a leaden … into a garden, waters the garden, and makes it fruitfull, yet it produceth … such good effect upon the pipe: even so ofttimes it falls out, that the instruments of much sanctifying grace to others, retain not the like measure in themselvs. Somewhat it was that the British monks, could not perswade themselvs that this Austin was (as you say) … …an … from God… his insolent and B…d. hist. Aug. lib. 2. cap. 2.irrespective carriage towards them argued in their judgement, that he could be no scholler of Christ, the great master of humilitie. And for S. Gregory himself who sent him, though he were a great light and ornament of that age in which he lived, yet the Latin proverb Greg. l. 18. in Iob. e. 14. Omne quod loquitur ad divinae autoritatis fundamentum revocet.was verified even in him, omnibus Punicis malis putridū granū inesse. No pomgranat so sweet, and sound, in which a curious eye may not find one rotten grain. Some rotten grains your own criticks have observed in him, but not neer the coat, there he is sound. In the substantiall points of faith now in controversie between us, which he had occasion to touch upon, he is truely orthodox and clearly ours: I will instance in many severall points, and all of them of importance.
1. Then for the title of oecumenicall bishop, and supream head Popes supremacy.over all bishops, he declaimeth against it, as prophane, sacrilegious, perverse, proud, insolent, anti-christian and Luciferian, contrary to the Gospel, contrary to the canons, and what not? And very ridiculous is the answer of cardinall Bellarmine hereunto in his second book de Rom. Pont. cap. 31. That universall bishop may be taken two ways, either as it signifietha power and jurisdiction over all bishops, not excluding them from being bishops, but making them subject and subordinate to their head; or, as it may import, that this universall bishop should be the only bishop in the world: ita ut caeteri non sint episcopi, sed vicarii tantum illius, that is, so that all other who hold the name of bishops, should indeed be no bishops, but only his vicars. This answer no way heals the wounds and gashes made by S. Gregories sharp stile, in inveighing against the title of universall bishop: for neither did Iohn of Constantinople, at whom S. Gregory strikes in these epistles, desire to be the only bishop of the world, nor doth the word universall import any such thing. Neither did Lucifer to whom this Gregory compares this Iohn of Ierusalem, affect to be the only angel; but as S. Gregory speaketh, Epist. lib. 4. Epistol. 78.spretis in sociali gaudio angelorum legionibus ad culmen co… est singularitatis erumpere. Despising the rank of his fellow a…gells, h… endeavoured to aspire to the top of singularity: and this is that which S. Gregory chargeth this Iohn withall, that he affected, …ulli S…b…sse & omnibus praeesse, to be under none, but above all. That he went about Epist. lib. 4. Epist. 82.cuncta Christi membra sibi universalis appellatione supp…re. That is, by the title of universall to bring all Christ… members in subjection unto him. From which passages of S. Gregory I frame this argument, he, who usurps the title of universall bishop, in such sort that he labours to be under none, but above all, is a sore-runrer of anti-christ, an imitator of Lucifer in the singularity of his pride; but the bishop of Rome affects to be under none, but above all; ergo, by S. Gregories logick he is a fore-runner of anti-christ.
2. For justification by inherent righteousnesse and the perfection Inherent righteousnes.thereof, S. Gregory renounceth it, as we do; nay, he goes farther then we in vilifying humane righteousnesse, we say no more but that our best works are not free from some stain of sin; he says in expresse terms, that if they be examined according to the rigour of justice, they are sins. Upon the ninth of Iob thus he commenteth, Cap. 11.ut saepe diximus, omnis humana justitia injustitia esse convincitur, si districte judicetur; that is, all righteousnesse of man (as we have often said) is convinced to be unrighteousnesse, if it be strictly judged; as in the same book sanctus autē vir, qui omne virtutis nostrae meritū Cap. 12.esse vitium conspicit, si ab interno arbitro districte judicetur: recte subjungit, si voluerit contendere cum eo, non poterit ei respondere unum pro mille; that is, the holy man, because he sees all the merit of our vertue to be vice, if it be strictly scanned by the inward searcher of hearts and reins; therefore he well adds, …f he will contend with him, he cannot answer one for a thousand. And the 18 chap. Si enim remota piet at… discutimur, opus nostrū poena dignum est quod remunerari praemiis Cap. 18. in Ioh.praestolamur: If we are examined without mercy our work for which we look for a reward, will prove to be worthy of punishment; and chap. 19. sed tamen sciendum est quia mundos nos ad perfectum reddere, vel vita vel lachrymae non valent, quousque nos mortalitas nostrae corruptionis tenet; that is, we must know, that neither our life, nor our tears can make us perfectly clean, as long as we continue in this frailty of corruption. With what face can you affirm, that the church of Rome holdeth still the tenets which it did in S. Gregories time? Your tenet now is, that you c… fulfill the law of God in this life; that by good works you can merit heaven, and more: that you may trust to your inherent righteousnesse, and that you are justified by it; which if you can reconcile with S. Gregories assertions above related, I doubt not but you may (in good time) reconcile all christendom.
3. For perseverance of saints in grace, S. Gregory is as firm as any Perseverance,of the reformed protestant writers: in his 34 book upon Iob, he propounds a kind of objection, how it should come to passe that Leviathan hath such power to trample gold, that is, (saith he) men Cap. 13.shining with the brightnesse of sanctifie, … if it were dirt, by defiling them with vice: sed citius respondemus, quia …urum quod pravis diab…li persua f…on…bus sterni sicut lutum potuerit, aurum …te oculos Dei …unquam fuit, & qui seduci quandoque non reversuri possunt: quasi habitum sanctitatis ante oculos hominum vide…tur amittere, sed eam ante oculos Dei nunquam habuerunt; that is, but we speedily ans…er, that that gold, which by the wicked perswasion of the devill, may be cast down as dirt, was never gold in Gods eye, &c.
4. For private ma…es without communicants, wherein the priest rehearseth the words of Christ, take, eat, and drink yee all of this, Private Masses. Dialog lib. 2. cap. 23. T…e… Dialogues have many things in them unworthy S. Gregory, and therefore are justly excepted against by many learned Criticks, yet they are ancient and bear his name, and are alledged for his in many poynts ag…i…st us, and therfore the testimonies alledged out of them are good against the adversary. & militant contra hominem … non contra rem.yet eateth and drinketh all himself, and celebrateth a strange kind of supper without any guest at all. I say, in S. Gregories time, this corruption had not crept into the church, as appeareth by those words; cum que in eadem ecclesia missarum solennia celebrarentur, atque ex more diacon…s clamaret: si quis non communicat, de… locum: and when in the same church, the solemnity of the masses were celebrated, and the deacon cryed out after the custom … if any man communicate not, let him depart or give place. If you here snatch at the word masses, I answer, that the masses S. Gregory and the fathers before him spake of were nothing but our communion, and the service thereunto belonging, so called, either a …ttendis muneribus, for the offerings that were then made, or a▪ di…ttendis catech…enis, sending away such as were not thought fit to be admitted to the holy sacrament, of which we shall have further occasion to speak, in answer to your promised reply.
5. For the princes authority over ecclesiasticall persons, S. Gregory acknowledgeth not only ordinary priests and bishops, but even the bish of Rome also himself to be subject to the emperor sacerdotes meos tuae ma… comisi, I have committed my priests into thy hands. And afterwards in his own person, ego indignus famulus vester. I your unworthy servant. Ego quidem in…imus subjectus, eandem legem per diversas terrarum partes transmitti seci, & quia lex ipsa omnipotenti Deo minime concorder; ecce, per suggestionis me… pag…am, ferenissimo Dommino …unciavi; utrobique ergo quae debut exolvi, qui et imperatori obedientiam praebui, & pro Deo quod sensi m… n…e …ui; that is I your lowest subject have published your command. And here you tray see in what terms the empire and papacy stood, when the Pope held it his duty to publish a decree of the emperour, though it were against his heart and conscience.
6. For the canon of scriptures, S. Gregory holds the book of Maccabees in the same rank as we do, profitable to he read for the edification of the church, but not to be produced as inspired by God, and of infallible authority for the confirmation of any poynt of faith; for being to alledge a testimony out of those books, he makes way for it by this preface, de qua re non inordinatè agimus, si Iob. lib. 19. cap. 13.ex libris, licet non canonicis, sed tamen ad adificationem ecclesia editis testimonium proferamus; touching which matter, we do not amisse if we bring forth a testimony out of those books, (viz. the book of Maccabees there cited) which though they are not canonicall, yet they are set forth for the edification and instruction of the church.
7. For adoration of images, he detests it as much as we: see his epistles upon record, si quis imaginem facere voluerit, minimè prohibe; Epist ex regist. lib. 9. cap. 9.adorare vero imagines omnibus modis devita. If any man will make an image, forbid him not; but by all means avoyd the worshipping of images. Who will now be a papist, when, we see, the Pope is become a zealous Calvinist?
8. Touching merit of works, S. Gregory teacheth as we do, that In …. … ▪ 7.we ought not to repose any confidence in our own merits, non in fletibus, non in actis nostris, sed in advocati nostri allegatione confidamus: let us not trust in our own weeping, and bewayling of our sins, nor in our own acts, but in the intercession of our advocate: and upon Lib. 9. c. 11.Iob, si ad virtutis opus excrevero ad vitam, non ex meritis, sed ex venia convalesco, If I grow to any work of vertue, I am restored to life, not by merits, but by pardon. I forbear to alledgemore testimonies out of S. Gregory touching this poynt, because those many clear passages, which I have produced out of him before, against the perfection of inherent righteousnesse, by a necessary consequence overthrow all merit of works also.
9. Touching certainty of salvation, S. Gregory conspireth with the doctrin of the reformed church; for having alledged certain promises of Christ in the gospel to found it upon, thus he concludes; Lib. 6. Epist. Indict 15. Ep. 33.hac it aque fulti certitudine de redemptoris nostri misericordia nihil ambigere, sed spe debemus indubit at a praesumere: non enim muneris sui largitate frustrabitur Deus, sed vires obtinendi prorsus indulget, qui velle concessit, nam jam ipsum desiderant, oppetere donum est: that is, therefore being supported with this certainty, we ought The challenge of councels. Lib. 1. indict. 9. Expla. …6. The cour…, Camp. Ratione …tia. In Cant. canticorum, The Lo…ds …ppe.not to doubt, &c. Gregories doctrin, like ours at this day, is a doctrin of faith and confidence; whereas the doctrin of the church of Rome at this day is a doctrin of distr… of diffidence.
10. Touching the power of calling synods or ecclesiasticall assemblies, which you now arrogate to the Pope; in S. Gregory his time, as a…ay before, it was in the emperours and christian princes, agreeable to the t…et of the present church of England. S. Gregory taketh notice of the emperour his masters command, for the assembling of a synod in Rome it self; juxta Christianissimi & serenissi…i rerum domini jussionem, ad beati Petri apostoli limina cum tuis sequacibus venire to volumus, ut, Authore Deo, aggregata synodo, de eaqua inter not vertitur dub…etate quod justum fuerit judicetur. According to the command of our most christian and …ra…ions Lord, we require thee to appear at S. Peters, &c.
11. Touching the definition of the church, you scoff at us for …efining the true and most proper church of Christ, which we beleeve in the creed to be the whole number of Gods elect. You term it an Idea Platonica, or an aēreall and invisible body, a Chymaera or Phantasme: and yet S. Gregory describes the church as we do. Christus secundum praescientiae suae gratiam sanctam ecclesiam de sanctis in aeternum permansuris extruxit; Christ, according to the grace of his fore-knowledge, hath built on holy church of saints eternally persevering in grace: and upon Ezck, una ecclesia est electorum praecedentium atque sequentium. There is one church of the elect, going before and following after.
12. Touching the blessed sacrament of the Lords Supper, to be administred in both kinds, it is evident, that in *Hom. 22 in Evang. Sanguis super utrum que postem ponitur, quando non solum ore cordis, sed…tore corporis christi sanguis hauritur. Quid sit sanguis, non audiendo sed bibendo d…. cistis. The blood is put upon both posts, whethe blood of Christ is drunk with the mouth of the heart, and the mouth of the holy; you have learned what is blood, not by hearing but by drinking: & again, sanguis non in manus fideliū, sed in ora funditur. The blood (of Christ) is powred, not into the hāds, but into the mouth of the faithfull.S. Gregories time, the whole congregation, consisting of the laity as well as the clergie, participated of the holy cup: his words are, pretiost sanguinis effusione genus humanum Chris…us redemit, & sacro-sancti vivifici corporis sui & sanguinis mysterium membris suis tribuit; cujus perceptione corpus suum quod est ecclesia pascitur & potatur, abluitur & sanctificatur. Christ, by the effusion of his most precious blood redeemed all mankind, and giveth to his members the mystory of his most holy quickning body and blood; by the participation whereof, his body, (which is the church) is nourished with meat and drink, and is washed and sanctified. Mark I beseech you, that S. Gregory …ith not, (lib. 4. Dial. cap. 58.) he giveth to his members in the participation of the sacrament, his body and blood for meat and drink, but the mystery of his body and blood, as elsewhere he speaketh, in Evang. Hom. 14. Realiter passus Christus i…cruce, in mysterio patitur, quoties ecclesia mil…ns sacr… … celebrat, & hoc facit in servatoris sui com…morationem: Christ having suffered really upon the crosse suffereth in a mystery, as … as the church celebrateth his holy supper, and this she doth in remembrance of her Saviour. By comparing of which places, any man may perceive, what S. Gregory meaneth by a mystery, when he opposeth it to that which was done really; I leave it to you to make the inference. And now to poynt these weapons drawn out of S. Gregories armory, and rub them over with the oyl of your eloquence; the saith of S. Gregory was never noted to differ from the common received faith of christendom in those days, as appeareth by the severall epistles of the said S. Gregory, to the bishops of Europe, Asia, and Africa, with all whom he had communion of faith, so as if Christ had a catholike church on earth (as needs he must) S. Gregory was of it, and being then a true church, … say, (holding still the same tenots) it must needs be so now, Gods truth being like unto him without change, and therefore if an angel should c…me from heaven to teach us any other doctrin, then that which we have received from S. Gregory, we are not to hear him. If an angell therefore from heaven, teach that the books of Maccabees are canonicall; or that the Pope or any other bishop may have the stile of oecumenicall bishop, or supream head over all bishops; or that our best works are not imperfect or defective, if God strictly examin them: or that true holinesse and sanctifying grace may be lost; or that masses may be celebrated without communicants; or that princes have not authority over ecclesiasticall persons; or that images are to be adored; or that men may merit by their works eternall life; or that a child of God ought to doubt of Gods mercy, and may not be assured of his salvation; or that it belongeth not to princes to call ecclesiasticall assemblies: or that the church, in the most strict sense, consisteth not of the elect only; or that the whole church consisting of laity as well as clergy may not participate the mysteries of the body and blood of Christ, entirely drinking of the holy cup, as well as eating of the bread: Let him be accursed. Methinks I hear you already cry out with her in the Poet,
Heu patior telis vulnera facta me…s!
O… with the eagle, in Iulians m…tto, feeling her self deadly wounded with an arrow feathered out of her own wing,
Nostris configimur alis.