The By-Way, Treatise · Section 18
SECT. XVIII. The most common Plea of the Romaniſts drawne from the Infallibilitie, Authoritie, and Title of the Catholique Church, is prooued to be falſe, vaine and friuolous.
TO giuegive the Church of Rome her due, let vsus take a briefe ſuruay of her firſt foundation, and let vsus fee what priuiledge did ancienly belong vntounto her, and what authoritie ſhee claimeth at this day. Firſt, the Apoſtle St. Paul in his Epiſtles to the Romans, congratulates with them, and ſendeth them this greeting:Rom. 1.7. To all that bee in Rome, beloued of God, called to be Saints: hee teſtifieth further with prayer & thankſgiuing,Verſ 8. that their Faith was ſpoken of throughout the whole world: nay more, he makes an earneſt requeſt to God, that he might ſee the members of that Church, and impart Spirituall gifts vntounto them, to the ende they might be eſtabliſhed. Theſe teſtimonies of the Apoſtle were ſpeciall Caracters of an eminent & glorious Church (although in truth; there is not ſo much as this name of a Church giuen to the Romans in all the Scriptures,The church at Babylon elected. 2. Pet. 5.13. (vnleſſe they will allow the Church at Babylon to bee the Church of Rome:) and heere was a probable aſſurance of continued ſtability and perſeuerance in the Faith in all Ages: but behold the ſame Apoſtle, which did ſo much glory in behalfe of their Catholique Faith, which gaue God thankes for them; which, without doubt, prayed for the continuance of that Faith:Verſe 9. (For God is my witneſſe (ſaith he) without ceaſing I make mention of you alwayes in my Prayers.) As if hee had foreſeene by the ſpirit of Propheſie, they would glory in their owne worth and merits: ſhortly after, in his eleuenth Chapter of the ſame Epiſtle, giues them this ſpeciall Caueat: Be not high minded, but feare: and withall giues a ſpeciall reaſon of that Caueat. For if God ſpared not the naturall branches, take heede alſo leſt hee ſpare not thee, behold therefore the bountifulneſſe and ſeueritie of God; towards them that hauehave fallen, ſeueritie; but towards thee goodneſſe, if thou continune in his goodneſſe; otherwiſe alſo thou ſhalt bee cut off. This Doctrine of the Apoſtle doth trench ſo farre into the preſent eſtate of the Church of Rome, that the Rhemiſts forbeare their Annotations vponupon this place, for the truth is theſe laſt words. Thou alſo ſhalt bee cut off, Doe plainely intimate, that the Church of Rome from the time of the Apoſtles had a poſſibilitie of falling, and conſequently was but a particular Church: for ſo it befell the Church of Ieruſalem, and much more (ſaith the Apoſtle) may it befall the Church of Rome.
Let vsus compare the teſtimonies and promiſes in behalf of the Roman Church, with other particular and famous Churches in the time of the Apoſtles, and ſee whether thoſe promiſes did more largely extend to the faith of the Roman Church, then to other Churches: St. Paul (writing to the Theſſalonians, termes them by the name of the Church) he giues this large teſtimonie in their behalfe:Theſſ. 1.8. From you ſounded out the word of the Lord, not onelyonly in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith which is toward God is gone forth into all places, that wee hauehave no need to ſpeake any thing: yea more, hee giues them a kinde of aſſurance for the perpetuitie of their faith; The Lord is faithfull, 2. Theſſ. 3 3and will eſtabliſh you, and keepe you from all euill: yet this Church is fallen away, and hath loſt her firſt faith. The Epheſians are termed by the Apoſtle,1 Tim. 3.15 The Church of the liuing God, the Pillar & ground of truth. And for this Church the Apoſtle makes this confeſſion:Epheſ. 3.14 16. I bow my knees vntounto the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to bee ſtrengthened with might by his ſpirit in the inner man: yet we ſee this Church which was the ground and pillar of truth, and for which the Apoſtle earneſtly prayed for, is raſed to the ground, and vtterly fallen from the truth. The Corinthians are tearmed by Saint Paul, 1. Cor. 1.2.The Church of God called to be Saints. And this Church is farther witneſſed by the ſame Apoſtle, that ſhee was rich in all things through Chriſt, in all kinds of ſpeech and knowledge, and that ſhee was not deſtitute of any gift: yea, he deliuers confident in behalfe of that Church, that God would eſtabliſh them vntounto the end, euen the day of the Lord Ieſus Christ: yet ſoone after ſome of them denied the Reſurrection, they fell from the truth, and are now ſubiect to the Turke. If then the Church of the Theſſalonians, of the Epheſians, of the Corinthians, (touching the outward face, and viſibilitie of the locall Churches) if they are all fallen, notwithſtanding ſuch faire teſtimonies and large promiſes in their behalfe, (which alſo were accompliſhed in the Elect) what ſtabilitie could the Church of Rome promiſe to her ſelfe, which had not ſo much as the name of a Church, but was threatned vponupon the breach of a condition, that they alſo ſhould bee cut off? Whether the condition be broken or no, I will not heere diſpute: but this I may ſafely ſay, If the Iewes being the Lords peculiar people, and the naturall branches, were broken off, how much more the Church of Rome, being but a wilde Oliue branch, might bee cut off from the faith of Chriſt? No doubt the Spirit of God foreſaw, that the Romaniſt would glory in the name of the Church, and aduance that name aboue his word; and therefore the word of God gaue not ſo much as a name of a Church, nor promiſe of infallibility & perſeuerance vntounto it, but a ſpeciall caueat to put them in mind not to be high minded. I ſay therefore to the Romaniſt, as St. Hierom ſometimes ſaid to Pammachius and Oceanus: Quiſquis es aſſertor novorum dogmatū quaeſe te vt parcas Romanis auribꝰ, parcas fidei quae Apoſtolico ore laudae tur; cur poſt quadi ingē tos annos docere nos niteris, quod antea neſciuimꝰ, cur profers in medium qd Paulus & Petrꝰ edere noluerunt, vſus que ad hūc l…ē ſi…e iſtâ doct…inâ nund Chriſtianus fuit Hieron. ad Pammach. & Oceanū.Thou who art a maintainer of newe doctrine, whatſoeuer thou bee, I pray thee ſpare the Romane eares, ſpare the Faith that is commended by the Apoſtles mouth, why goest thou about now after 400 yeeres, (I may ſay 1400) to teach vsus that Faith which wee before neuer knew? Why bringeſt thou forth that thing that Peter and Paul neuer vttered? Euermore vntill this day the Chriſtian world hath beene without this Doctrine.
But obſerue the cunning of our Aduerſaries, they doe as much glory of the Apoſtles teſtimonie, (that the Romane Faith was publiſhed through the world) (as if the ancient, and the now Romane faith were all one:) And to prooue an infallible Succeſſion in their doctrine, they pretend, that St. Cyprian, a bleſſed Martyr, did witneſſe to the world, that the Romane Church could not erre, and conſequently the Trent doctrine is the ancient faith of Chriſt and his Apoſtles.
St. Cyprian (ſaith M. Biſhop) tells vsus, that Perfidiouſneſſe and falſehood in matters of Faith, can hauehave no acceſſe to the Church of Rome: ſo that by the Apoſtles confeſſion, they challenge an eminent Viſibilitie, and by this ancient Fathers teſtimonie, they claime an aſſured ſtabilitie in matters of Faith. If theſe things were true, I ſhould craue pardon of Cyprian, not to beleeue him, becauſe the Apoſtle teacheth mee to beleeue the contrary: but the trueth is, this teſtimony ſo often alledged by our aduerſaries, makes nothing for their purpoſe; for if Cyprian ſay that Infidelitie cannot come to the Romans, whoſe faith was praiſed by the Apoſtles mouth, then can none of the people of Rome erre, becauſe the faith of them all was praiſed by the Apoſtles mouth: but the trueth is, this holy Father ſpeakes not there of matters of faith, nor of the ſtabilitie of the Romane Church, (although moſt Romaniſts ſo tranſlate it and apply it) but of the tumultuous and diſorderly courſes of certain lewd perſons, who being cenſured by the Biſhops of Africa, fled to the Biſhop of Rome for protection of their cauſe, and therupon vpbraideth them, that they came to Rome with lyes and tales, which could finde no admittance, nor harbour there,Nauigare audent et — à ſchiſmaticis et profanis literas ferre, nec cogitare eos eſſe Romanos quorum fides Apoſtolo praedicante laudata eſt, adquos perſidia non poteſt habere acceſſum Cypr. lib. 1. Epiſt 3. when as they might wel vnderſtand, that the Romans were men whoſe Faith was commended by the Apoſtle, Et ad quos perfidia non potest habere acceſſum: vntounto whom perfidiouſneſſe could hauehave no acceſſe; that is, they would giuegive no eare to their perfidious and calumnious ſuggeſtiōs. This therefore, I muſt needs ſay, is vnfaithfulneſſe and perfidiouſnes in the Church of Rome, wilfully to miſapply thoſe things which make nothing for them.
I proceed from the infallibilitie of the Church to the authoritie of it, wherein you ſhall likewiſe obſerue, the Romaniſts doe inſiſt eſpecially vponupon that knowne confeſſion of St. Auſten: Ego vero Evangelio nō crederē niſi me Catholicae Eccleſiae cōmoueret authoritas. Aug. contr. Ep. Fund. cap. 5.I ſhould not hauehave beleeued the Goſpell, except the Authoritie of the Church had mooued mee thereunto. But I pray, what doe theſe words concerne the Roman Church? why ſhould they bee applied rather to the Roman, then to his owne Church in Africa, or our Chuch in England? (for hee ſpeakes not of the Roman Church, or any particular Church, but of the Church indefinitly.) Moreouer, their owne Canus profeſſeth,Canus loc. Theol. lib. 2. cap. 8. that St. Auſten had to doe with a Manichee, who would hauehave a certaine Goſpell of his owne admitted without further diſpute: In this caſe (ſaith he) St. Austen puts the queſtion: What if you finde one, which doeth not beleeue the Goſpell? what motiue would you vſe to ſuch a one to bring him to your beliefe? I for my part (ſaith hee) ſhould not hauehave beene brought to imbrace the Goſpell, if the Churches authoritie had not ſwayed with me. … re… Cy… Epi…And from hence alſo Biſhop Canus drawes this ſound concluſion. The faith of the Goſpel is not founded vponupon the authority of the Church. This Expoſition of their Romaniſt is agreeable to our belielfe: for wee profeſſe, that the firſt outward motiue to bring men to the knowledge of the Scriptures, is the authoritie of Gods Church.Hooker Eccles. Polit. lib. 3. If I beleeue the Goſpell (ſaith Hooker) yet is Reaſon of ſingular good vſe, for that it confirmeth me in this my beliefe the more: If I doe beleeue as yet, neuertheleſſe to bring mee to the number of beleeuers, except reaſon did ſomewhat helpe, and were an inſtrument which God doeth vſe to ſuch purpoſes, what ſhould it boot to diſpute with infidels and godleſſe perſons for their converſion and perſwaſion in that poynt.
Hee therefore that ſhall conclude from St. Austens doctrine, (which he profeſſed in the name of an heretike) let him receiue his anſwer from the ſame Father, when he makes his confeſſion as a true Catholike:Ex veritatis ore agnoſoo Eccleſiam participem veritatis. Aug. in Pſal. 57. By the mouth of God which is the trueth, I know the Church of God which is partaker of the trueth. But as it happeneth ſometimes, that hee who hath fallen into the hands of an vnskilfull Phyſician, is loath afterwards to commit himſelf euen to a good one:Aug. lib. 6. Confeſſ. c. 4 So was it in the ſtate of my ſoule (ſaith Auſten) which could not bee healed by beleeuing, and for feare of beleeuing falſe things, it refuſed to be cured by true ones. And in the Chapter following, whileſt hee was yet a Manichee, hee makes this humble confeſſion: Thou, Lord, Idem Confeſſ. l. 6 c. 5.didſt perſwade mee thus, I ſay not that they were blameable who beleeued thy Bookes, which thou hast grounded by ſuch authoritie throughout almoſt all the nations of the earth, but that they indeed were blameable who beleeued them not; and that no …are was to bee giuen to any, if peraduenture they ſhould ſay to mee: How doſt thou know that theſe Bookes were imparted to mankind by the Spirit of that one God, who is true in himſelfe, and moſt true, when hee ſpeaketh to vsus; for that is the very thing it ſelfe, which is eſpecially to bee beleeued. Thus St. Auſten the Catholique, interprets Auſten the Heretique: After his converſion to the trueth, the bleſſed Spirit did perſwade him, that there was no eare to bee giuen to thoſe men which made ſuch doubts and queſtions (as are dayly made in the Church of Rome) viz. How doe you know the Scriptures to bee the Word of God? but as the Samaritans beleeued that Chriſt was the promiſed Sauiour vponupon the report of a woman, yet afterwards when they heard him themſelues, they profeſſed they beleeued him for his owne ſake, and not for the womans report: So likewiſe this holy Father, firſt conferred with fleſh and blood, as the moſt knowne & familiar meanes to introduce a ſauing knowledge; but after hee had receiued the Spirit and word of trueth, he, like the Samaritans, beleeued the Goſpel, not for the Churches ſake, but for Chriſts own authoritie, and his Goſpels ſake.
The Authoritie of the Church is rightly compared to a Key, which openeth the dore of entrance into the knowledge of the Scripture: now when a man hath entred & viewed the houſe, and by viewing it, likes it, and vponupon liking, reſolues vnchangeably to dwell there; hee doeth not ſet vp his reſolution vponupon the key that let him in, but vponupon the goodneſſe and commodiouſnes which he ſees in the houſe. I omit diuers Expoſitions of the learned Romaniſts, touching this ſaying of Auſten: Durand. l. 3 Diſt. 24 q. 1 Diedo. de Eccl. Script. & dogm. lib. 4. c. 4. Ge…ſ. de vita ſpir. Animae. lect. 2. Coroll. 7.Durand, Driedo, and Gerſon tell vsus, That thoſe words of Saint Auſten had relation to the Primitiue Church, which both ſaw Chriſts perſon, and his miracles, & heard his doctrine. Aquinas ſaith,Auguſtinus de Eccleſia vt cauſa praeponente, non vt fundamento fidei loquitur A quin. in 2 2. quaeſt. 2. art 7. that St. Austen ſpake of the Church as an ouerruling cauſe, but not as a foundation of Faith. And for a concluſion of this poynt; The minde of the faithfull beleeuer doth not reſt in the iudgement of the Church: for (ſaith Stapleton) Although the Church by reaſon of her Miniſterie and Maſterſhip receiued of God, Stapl. lib. 3. de author. Scrip. c. 12.doth cauſe vsus to beleeue, yet the reaſon wherefore wee beleeue, is not the Church, but God ſpeaking within vsus, and witneſsing his trueth vntounto vsus by his holy Spirit. Thus briefly touching the authoritie of the Church: now I proceed to our aduerſaries claim touching the Vniuerſalitie of it.
Leſsius the Ieſuite tells vsus, The Church of Rome, Sola Eccleſia Romana ei que adhaerens multitudo Eccleſia Catholica, &c. Leſſ. in Conſult. Conſid. 6.and that Church onelyonly and the multitude adhering to it, is the Catholique Church, the Religion of this Church is Catholique, the faith is Catholique, the doctrine is Catholique, and their followers are tearmed Catholikes. What is properly vnderſtood by the Catholike Church, St. Auſten deliuers in theſe words, Non haec, aut illa, It is not this Church, Toto orbe diffuſa. Aug. de rudibus Catech. c. 20.or that Church, but the Church diſperſed throughout the whole world: Maiores noſtri Catholicā nominarunt vt ex ipſo nomine oſtenderent quia per totum eſt. Aug de Vnit. Eccleſ. cap. 2.and from hence, Our Anceſtours named the Church Catholique, that by that name they might demonſtrate the Vniuerſall. If then the Church of Rome can prooue their Church Vniuerſall, there would be an end of all controuerſies: for we profeſſe our ſelues to bee members of the vniuerſall Church, wee ſay that Church can neither erre totally, nor finally; and wee willingly grant, that out of that Church there is no ſaluation. But certainly this laſt Tenet doeth ſtrongly euince, that the Roman Church is not Vniuerſall, for Saint Stephen, and St. Iames, and others ſuffered Martyrdome, and were ſaued in the Church of Hieruſalem, and in the Church of Antioch, before the Church of Rome was euer heard of; and they were all members of the vniuerſall Church. But let the Church of Rome claime what title or prerogatiue ſhe liſt, ſhee is in danger to fall vponupon a Rocke: for if ſhee confeſſe that ſhee is a particular Church, ſhee ſtands ſubiect vntounto errour; if ſhee aſſume the title of Vniuerſall, ſhe is altogether inviſible: for Vniuerſale ſentitur non videtur: That which is Vniuerſall, is vnderſtood, not ſeene. It is the Article of our Creed: I beleeue the Catholique Church: and,Hoc enim veracitèr dicitur credi quod non poteſt videri. Greg. Dial. 4. c. 4. that is truely ſaid to bee beleeued which is inuiſible, ſaith Gregorie. And that the world may know the Romaniſts are Nominals, ſuch as vaunt of the name of Catholikes, as the Donatiſts did in the Primitiue Church, when they want the nature of the thing it ſelfe, their owne Waldenſis, who well vnderſtood how to make a difference betwixt the particular Roman, and the Vniuerſal Catholike Church, tels vsus:Wald. de doctr. Fidei. lib. 2. art. 2. cap. 19. The Church whoſe faith neuer faileth, according to the promiſe made to Peter, is not any particular Church, as the Church of Africa, nor the particular Romane Church, but the Vniuerſall Church, not gathered together in a Generall Councell, which hath ſometimes erred; but it is the Catholique Church diſperſed through the whole world, from the Baptiſme of Chriſt vntounto our times, which doeth hold and maintaine the true Faith, and faithfull teſtimony of Ieſus. Neither was this the particular opinion of one priuate man, but many Biſhops, and learned Doctors did profeſſe publikely in the Councell of Ferara: Quacun que facultate Romana Eccleſ. praedita ſit, vniuerſali Eccleſiae inferior ſit. Concil. Ferar. Seſſ. 10With whatſoeuer power the Church of Rome is indued, yet it is inferiour to the Vniuerſall Church. And if wee require a cloud of witneſſes, behold both Princes, and Cardinalls, and Biſhops in the great Councell of Baſil, reſolued, and declared;Eccleſia Romana non eſt vniuerſa, ſed eſt de vniuerſalitate corporis myſtici Concil. Baſil. in Appendice. That the Church of Rome is not Vniverſall, but a part of that vniverſall myſtical body of Chriſt, as appeareth by Gregorie: Therefore for as much as it is a member of the ſaid body, it is not, neither can it be, the Head of the ſame body, ſince there is a difference betwixt Head and members.
Thus if wee looke for Infallibilitie, it is not found in the Romane Church: If wee looke for the Authoritie of the Church, it is inferiour to the Scriptures, vnleſſe they ſay, the Scripture is vnderunder the Church, as ſome ſay the Sunne is vnderunder a cloud, when it is aboue it. If wee looke for Vniuerſalitie, the Romane Church is but a member, and no ſound member of the Vniuerſall. Let vsus therefore examine in particular, where, or in whome wee ſhall finde this Church, which doeth aſſume thoſe great and glorious Titles to her ſelfe.