The By-Way, Treatise · Section 17
SECT. XVII. In the Romane Church, which our Aduerſaries ſo highly extoll aboue the Scriptures, there is neither ſafetie, nor certaintie, whether they vnderſtand the Eſſentiall or Repreſentatiue, or the Vertuall, or the Conſiſtoriall Church.
CAmpian the Ieſuite, who formerly made his claime to all Fathers and Councels, now in the name of the Church, inſults againſt the Proteſtants in this manner:Audito nomine Eccleſiae hoſtis expalluit. Campian. Rat 3. So ſoone as the Aduerſarie heard the Church named, he waxed wan and pale. Indeed I confeſſe, it would terrifie a religious and ſober minded man, to heare ſuch daily blaſphemies vttered againſt the Maieſtie of Gods word, and to ſound out nothing but the honour and authoritie of the Church: who can but wax wan and pale out of pitty & charity, to heare the Church named, and ſee that ſhe hath kept the name only, and loſt her wonted nature? who can but waxe wan and pale, to ſee her ſpoiled and bereft of her Iewels & treaſurie of the ſacred Scriptures, and retaine onelyonly the caskets and boxes, (the bare name of a Church) where thoſe Iewels lay? Looke vponupon the beſt learned of the Roman Church, and tell me if they will not aſtoniſh a true beleeuing Chriſtian, and make him change his countenance, to heare ſuch odious compariſons, betwixt the Scriptures and the Church:In altiori genere (viz) in genere cauſae efficientis atque adeò aliquâ ex parte formalis. Stapl Relect contro. 4 q. 4. ar. 3. & 9. 3. ar. 1. The Church (ſaith Stapleton) is an infallible foundation of faith in a higher kind then the Scripture: for the Scripture is but a foundation in testimonie and matter to be beleeued; but the Church is the efficient cauſe of Faith, and in ſome ſort the very formall: & In Relect. princ fid. dog. cont. 4. q. 5.nay more, if both of them bee properly conſidered, and compared together, the Church is a more noble ſubiect then the Scripture: Eam Eccleſia authoritatē eſſe — quia et ſcripturas quo que ipſas laxādi et conſignā difacultatē &c Idem Princip. Anal. Pio ſenſupie que dici poteſt, ſcripturas ſi de ſtituantur eccleſiae authoritate non plus valere quā Acſopi fabulas Hoſ. li. 3. de autho ſacr. Scripturae.yea, the Church hath ſuch authoritie, that ſhee may ſet at libertie, or ſeale vp the Scriptures themſelues: yea, ſaith Hoſius, a man may ſpeake it in a good, a godly ſenſe, the Scriptures are of no more account, without the authority of the Church, then Aeſops fables.
Neither let this ſeeme ſtrange, that the Romaniſts inſiſt principally vponupon the authoritie of the Church: for he that ſhall looke back, and obſerue how the ſacred Scriptures are condemned of Obſcuritie and Inſufficiencie; he that will conſider how the holy Fathers are cenſured, and reiected by them, as counterfet or erronious; he that ſhall note the Decrees and Canon of Councells condemned as ſpurious, or ſuperfluous; theſe things I ſay conſidered, it is no maruell our aduerſaries flie to the Roman Church,Dicitis praecepto Chriſti obediendum eſſe primo lo…o, deinde eccleſiae et ſi aliter praeceperit Eccleſia quam Chriſtus, nō Eccleſia ſed Chriſto obedie odū eſſe, certè in hoc eſt omnium praeſumptionū initiū quādo iudicant particulares ſuū ſenſum indiuinis praeceptis cōform…arē quā vniuerſa Eccleſiae. Nich. Cuſa. ad Proem. Epiſt 2. and for this ſpeciall cauſe aduance the name of the Church aboue all. Cardinall Cuſanus, by way of obiection, puts the queſtion to the Bohemians, whether they were better obey the Word of God or the Church: You ſay, wee must firſt obey Christs Commandements, and afterwards the Church; and if the Church command vsus to doe otherwiſe then Chriſt commandeth, wee must obey Chriſt, and not the Church. It is true, that the Proteſtants rightly propoſe that queſtion, (which without all queſtion) cannot otherwiſe bee reſolued: but heare what anſwere hee makes them: Verily, herein ſtandeth the beginning of all preſumption, when particular men thinke their owne iudgement to bee more agreeable to Gods commandements, Dicetū forſitan quomodò mutubuntur pracepta Chriſti authoritate Eccleſia, vt tūc ſint obligatoria quando Eccleſia placu erit. Dico nulla eſſe Chriſti pracepta niſi quae per Eccleſiam protalibus accepta ſint, Mutato iudicio Eccleſiae, mutatū eſt Dei Iudiciū. Idem Epiſt. 3.then the iudgement of the vniuerſall Church: nay, hee puts the queſtion further; Perhaps you will ſay, How ſhall Christes commandements be changed by the authoritie of the Church, that they ſhall binde vsus, when the Church ſhall thinke it good? I tell thee (ſaith hee) there is nothing to bee taken for Christs commandements, vnleſſe it bee to bee ſo allowed of the Church: when the Church hath once changed her iudgement, Gods iudgement is likewiſe changed. Cardinall Hoſius giues his conſent with Cardinall Cuſanus, and mor… plainly reſolues the queſtion in few words:Quod Eccleſia docet expreſſum Deiverbum eſt, et quod contra ſenſum et conſenſum Eccleſia docetur expreſſum Diaboli verbum eſt. Hoſ. de expreſſo verbo Dei. Whatſoeuer the Church teacheth, is the expreſſe word of God; and whatſoeuer is taught againſt the ſenſ… and meaning of the Church, … the expreſſe word of the Deuill. To ſay nothing of the doctrine of Deuils, (viz.) the forbidding of Meats, and Marriage, (foretold by the Apoſtle, and now fulfilled in the Church of Rome,) I will giuegive you an inſtance or two in the word of God, and the doctrine of the Romane Church, that you may the better diſcerne, whether the Church changing her iudgment, there be any variableneſſe, or ſhadow of turning with Chriſt, and whether the doctrine of the Roman church bee not expreſſely againſt the Word of God.Etſi Apoſtolus lingua intellectâ preces velit celebrari, tamen ſanctā Eccleſiā iuſtiſsimis de cauſis cō tra ſtatuiſſe Bened. Mont. in 1. Cor. 14.
Touching Prayer in an vnknowne tongue, it is the confeſſion of Benedict, Montanus, a Pariſian Doctor: Etſi Apoſtolus &c. Although the Apoſtle thought good to hauehave Prayer in a knowne tongue, yet the Church, vponupon good cauſes, hath decreed the contrarie. Touching Adoration of Images,Licet in lege veteri prohibita fuiſsent lege diuinâ imagines viſibiles, nedum ipſius Dei nihilo minùs Eccleſia. Ioh. Rag. orat▪ in Conc. Baſil. de Cōmun ſub vtra que ſpecie. it is the confeſſion of Iohannes Raguſius, in his Oration at the Councell of Baſil: Licet in Lege, &c. Although in the old time the viſible Images of God, yea and of his Saints were forbidden by the Law of God, and no libertie was ſince granted either in the Old or New Teſtament, to make any ſuch, yet (the Church) taught by the holy Spirit, hath not onelyonly permitted, but decreed and ordained it. Touching the Communion in both kinds, it is the confeſſion o… the Generall Councell of Conſtance, Conc. Conſtant. Seſſ. 13. Conc. Trid. Seſſ. 5. Can. 2.and the Councell of Trent, Licet Chriſtus &c Although Chriſt did inſtitu… the Sacrament in both kinds yet ſaith the Trent Councel he that ſhall ſay (the Catholik… Church) hath not altered it fo… good cauſes, or that they err… in ſo doing, let him bee accurſed. Theſe are ſpeciall poin… with them, and the denya… of any of theſe, make a ma… heretike in the Church … Rome; yet by their ow… confeſſion are decreed wi… Non obſtante. Notwithsta… ding Christ and his Apoſtles taught the contrary. Obſerue then the difference betwixt the Goſpell of Chriſt, and the doctrine of the Roman Church; the Spirit of God denounced a curſe, both againſt men and Angels, that ſhould teach any other doctrine, then that they receiued from the Scriptures; the Church of Rome pronounceth Anathema againſt all thoſe that do not teach, and beleeue the doctrine of their Church, although it be different from the Scriptures.
I confeſſe the name of the Church is honourable, and her credit ſingular; but that which ſtickes with mee, and as I conceiue is worthy of all mens obſeruation; the name of the Church, which is ſo much magnified, and adored of all Romaniſts, and Romiſh Proſelytes, I ſay, that Romane Church, is neither vnderſtood by the ignorant what it is, neither is it reſolued by the learned amongſt them, in certaine, what is properly meant & vnderſtood by it.
Firſt then, we muſt know, as the Church hath many parts to act;Eccleſia Eſſentialis. Repreſentatiua. Virtualis. Cōſiſtorialis Bell. de Eccleſ. li. 3. c. 2. ſo likewiſe the Romaniſts make her of foure ſeuerall ſorts: The Eſſentiall Church, and this (ſaith Bellarmine) is a company of men profeſsing the ſame Christian Faith and Sacraments, and acknowledging the Biſhop of Rome to bee the chiefe Paſtor and Vicar of Chriſt vponupon the earth. The Repreſentatiue Church; and this is an Aſſembly of Biſhops in a generall Councell, repreſenting the whole bodie of the Church. The Vertuall Church; and this is the Biſhop of Rome, who is ſaid to bee the chiefe Paſtor of the whole Church, and hath in himſelfe eminently and vertually both truth and infallibilitie of iudgment, and vponupon whom dependeth all that certaintie of truth which is found in the whole Church. The Confistoriall Church; and this conſiſteth of the Pope and Cardinals, and is termed by the S…rboniſts, The Court of Rome. Curia Romana.Touching theſe ſeuerall acceptions of the Church, there are ſeuerall and different opinions. The Gloſſe vponupon Gratian put the firſt queſtion,Quaero de quâ Eccleſiâ intelligas, quoà hic dicitur quod non poſsit errare. Reſ. Ipſa congraegatio fideliū hîc dicitur Eccleſia. Cauſa 24. q. 1. c. A recta. Conciliū legitimū omniū conſenſu maximè propriè dici poſsit Eccleſia. Bell de Conc. et Eccleſ. l. 1. c. 18 Per Eccleſiā intelligimꝰ Pontif. Romanum qui pro tē pore Eccleſia nauiculā moderatur, et Eccleſiā Papā interpretantur non abnuo. Deſp. ca. 10 lib. 3. de verbo Dei. Greg. de Val. diſp. Theol. Tō. 1. diſp. 1. q. &c. Apud moder nos maximè importat hoc nomen Eccleſia quemadmodum hoc Eccleſia Rom. vrbis dudū obtinutt, cuius miniſtri et Preſidentes ſunt Papa et Cardinales ipſius, qui iam ex vſu quodam obtinuerunt dici Eccleſia. Defenſ. pacis part. 2. cap. 2. Cerem. li. 1 Sect 8 c. 6. and thus reſolues it: I would know what Church you vnderſtand when you ſay, It cannot erre. I anſwere, It is the congregation of the faithfull, that is heere meant by the Church. To the ſecond, Bellarmine replies: A lawfull Councell, by the moſt generall conſent is most properly termed the Church. To the third, Gretzerus the Ieſuite makes this confeſſion I deny not, but by the Church wee vnderſtand the Biſhop of Rome for the time being, who guides the Ship of the militant Church: and Gregory de Valentia, by the Church wee meane her Head, that is to ſay, the Romane Biſhop in whom reſideth the full authoritie of the Church. To the fourth, Marſilius Patauinus giues his free aſſent: that the name of the Church is of great conſequence amongſt the moderne Writers, whoſe Miniſters and Preſidents are the Pope and Cardinalls, which now by vſe and cuſtome hauehave at last obtained to bee called the Church: and of this Church the Pope himſelfe hath made this declaration, Yee ſhall bee the Senatours of my citie, and like vntounto Kings, the very hookes and ſtayes of the world, vponupon whom the very doore of the Church Militant muſt bee turned and ruled. Now amidſt theſe different opinions, it muſt needes ſeem queſtionable, to which of theſe Churches a poore ignorant ſoule (who deſires ſatisfaction in matters of Religion) ſhould addreſſe himſelfe: if hee require iudgement of the Eſſentiall Church, there is little comfort, and leſſe aſſurance to be had from them, for they conſiſt moſt of the ignorant and common people, and hauehave chiefeſt need of inſtruction themſelues: beſides, it is impoſſible to know the iudgment of all Chriſtians, (who make the vniuerſall Church) in all or any particular poynts of Religion. If he appeale to Councells, their right calling is vncertaine, their Decrees and Canons are doubtfull, for many of them are adiudged by themſelues erronious, many ſpurious and counterfet: If hee would conſult with the Pope and Cardinals in their Conſiſtorie, it is a iourney too coſtly and tedious; beſides, it will appeare they are ſubiect vntounto errour.
It reſteth then that we examine the infallibilitie of particular Churches, and in particular that wee enquire whether the Roman church be that Church which wee are commanded to heare and obey, by the authoritie of the Scriptures.