The By-Way, Treatise · Section 22
SECT. XXII. The Church, vponupon which the learned Romanists ground their Faith, is no other then the Pope: and the Church, vponupon which the vnlearned Romaniſts do relie, is no other then their Pariſh Prieſt.
TOllet the Ieſuite obſeruing, that difference of opinions might breed ſome diſtraction in the Church, and ſcruples in the minds of the ignorant, reſolues with what ſafetie the Romiſh Proſelytes may relie vponupon their Prieſts doctrine:Si ruſticus circa articulos credat ſuo Epiſcopo propouēti aliquod dogma haereticū meretur in credendo, licet ſit error, quia tenetur credere donec ei conſtet eſſe contra Eccleſiam. Toll de Inſtruct Sacerd. lib. 4. cap 3. If one beleeue (ſaith hee) his Biſhop or Prelate preach contrarie to the Faith, thinking, that it is ſo beleeued by the Church, ſuch a one ſhall not onelyonly not ſinne, but alſo in beleeuing that falſhood, ſhall performe an act meritorious. The beliefe then of the Romiſh doctrine, doeth not conſiſt altogether in the trueth of it, but in the faith of the beleeuer: for let it be true or falſe, if it bee receiued with an affected ignorance, and a blinde obedience, the partie ſhall be ſafe, as it were by fire; that is, as they elegantly vnderſtand it, ſhall goe through the fire of Purgatory to heauen.
Cardinall Cuſanus, hath giuen his voice with Cardinal Tollet, that it is the ſafeſt and ſureſt way to relie vponupon the Prieſt as Ruler of the people, without further inquirie of the trueth: and thereupon he cries out with admiration, as if hee would aſtoniſh his Diſciples with the name of the Church:Quā firma eſt aedificatio Eccleſiae, quia nemo decipi poteſt etiam per malū praeſidentem. Si dixeris Domine obediui tibi in praepoſito, hoc tibi ſufficiet ad ſalutem, tu enim per obedientiam quam facis praepoſito, quē Eccleſia …olerat, decipi nequis etiāſi praeceperit alia quā debuit: praeſumit enim eccleſia de illa ſententia cui ſi tu obedieris magna erit me…ces tu…. Obedeen…t …tur irr…tionalis eſt co… ſu… m…ta obedientia et per fectiſsima, ſcil. quando obeditur ſine inquiſitione rationis, ſicut tumentū obedit domino ſuo. Cuſan. Exiſt lib. 2. & lib. 6. O how ſtrong is the building of the Church▪ for no man can be deceiued, no not by an euill Biſhop, if thou ſay vntounto God, O Lord, I hauehave obeyed thee in my Biſhop; this ſhall ſuffice thee vntounto ſaluation: for thou canſt not bee deceiued by thy obedience, that thou yeeldeſt to the Biſhop, whom the Church ſuffereth, although hee commaund thee other things then he ought to doe: for the Church preſumeth his ſentence to bee good; which ſentence if thou obey, thy reward ſhall bee great. Obedience therefore without reaſon, is a full and perfect obedience, that is, when thou obeyeſt without inquiring of reaſon, as a horſe is obedient to his Maſter.
The Biſhop or Prieſt then is the man we muſt obey and beleeue (for his lips preſerue knowledge, & his tongue will tell no lies,) but what if hee faile in his doctrine? what if hee erre in his opinion? are we ſure he doeth euer deliuer the conſtant Tenet of his Church? Admit then Saint Bernard were aliue; and if a poore ignorant ſoule ſhould come vntounto him, and demand of him, whether hee thinke it poſſible for a man to keepe the Commandements; will he ſay, that a man may keep them, for the Church teacheth ſo,Bernard in Can. Serm. 50. when as he himſelf confidently affirmeth; Therin thou ſhalt yeeld vntounto vsus that the Commaundements neither hauehave been fulfilled by any man in this life, nor indeed can bee. Admit that Thomas Aquinas were aliue, and one of his diſciples ſhould deſire to be reſolued, what worſhip to giuegive an Image, would he tell him, it muſt be worſhipped with Dulia, an inferiour honour, when as himſelfe proteſteth,Quod eâdē reuerentia exhibeatur Imagini Chriſti, vt ipſi Chriſto. Aquin. p. 3. q. 25. art 3. that the Image of Christ is to bee honoured with the ſame honour that Christ himſelfe is? Admit that Cardinal Caietan were aliue, and one ſhould deſire to know whether the Bookes of Macabees were canonical Scriptures, would hee teach they were Canonicall, when his fellow Canus profeſſeth,Canus li. 2. loc. Theol. cap. 11. hee was ſo farre from teaching it, that hee maintained the contrary? Looke vponupon the grand & fundamental point of Tranſubſtantiation, if a Romaniſt will conſult with the Prieſts and Biſhops of theſe late ages, it will appeare, there could be no certaintie for an ignorant lay man to build his faith vponupon the reſolution of his Prieſt or Prelate. As for inſtance in this particular poynt: If a lay Papiſt had required ſatisfaction of Biſhop Fiſher, Whether the doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation was groū ded vponupon the authoritie of the Scripture; it is preſumed, he would hauehave anſwered according to his owne writing:Roffenſ. contr. Capt. Babylonicā c. 10. N. 8. & O. Non poteſt per vllam Scripturam probare: It cannot bee proued by any (place of) Scripture. If hee had appealed from the Biſhop to a Court of Cardinals, Cardinall de Aliaco would hauehave told him,Patet quod ille modꝰ ſit poſsibilis, nec repugnat rationi nec authoritati Bibliae &c. Pet. de Alliac. in 4. Sent. q. 6. Art. 1. Caier. in 3. part q. 79. Art 1. The maner which ſuppoſeth the ſubſtance of bread to remaine, is poſsible; neither is it contrary to reaſon, nor the authoritie of the Scriptures Card. Caietan would hauehave told him, That part which the Goſpell hath not expreſſed, wee hauehave receiued expreſly from the Church: viz. the conuerſion of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Chriſt. Card. Bellarmine would hauehave told him, It is not altogether improbable, that there is no expreſſe place of Scripture to prooue it, Bellar. de Euch. lib. 3. cap. 23.and it may iustly bee doubted, whether the Text bee cleare enough to inforce it. Againe, admit an ignorant lay man would require the iudgement of particular Prieſts in former ages; Bertram a Prieſt would hauehave told him:Bertr. of the body and blood of Chriſt. ann. 1623. In reſpect of the ſubſtance of the creatures, looke whatſoeuer they were before Conſecration, they are euen the ſame after. Bellar. de Euch. l. 5. c. 15.Peter Lombard and Aquinas would hauehave told him, that the Sacrament of the Altar was a commemoratiue ſacrifice, becauſe it communicated the effects of the real killing of Chriſt. Ante Lateranenſe Cō cilium non fuit dogma fidei. Scot. in 4. Sent. diſt. 11. q. 3.Scotus would hauehave told him, Tranſubſtantiation was not beleeued as a point of faith, before the Councel of Lateran, (about 400 yeeres agoe. Durand would hauehave told him, The materiall part of the conſecrated bread was not conuerted. Durand. 4. d. 11. q. 1. & Bell. de Euchar. lib. 3. cap. 13.All theſe were Prieſts, and members of the Romane Church: they were Defenders of the Roman Faith in their times; they declared by their Writings and Inſtructions to the people, that doctrine which was altogether different, if not flatly oppoſite to the Tenet of the now Roman Church. And from hence it will follow, that either the Roman Church doth want that Vnitie in poynts of Faith, (which they ſo much magnifie amongſt themſelues) or otherwiſe it is an vnſtable, and a doubtfull way to relie vponupon the inſtructions of his Biſhop or Prieſt for the aſſurance of his right beliefe. Moreouer, that the Cardinals & Biſhops maintained a different doctrine from their owne Church, it will appeare by the ſeuerall confeſſions, & confutations of their own Churchmen. Touching Bertram, Bellar. de Script. Eccleſ. Tom. 7 p 121.(Bellarmine ſaith) Paſchaſius Ratbertus liuing at that time, wrote a booke againſt him, and confuted his errour. Touching Peter Lombard and Aquinas, Bellarmine tells vsus,Bellarm. de Euch. lib. 5. cap. 15. They were not carefull of that which is now in queſtion, viz. the daily renewed reall ſacrificing of Chriſt. Touching Scotus, their own Suarez tels vsus,Suar. in 3. Tho. Euch. diſp. 5. ſect. 2. he was to bee corrected for his opinion of the Sacrament. Touching Durand, Bellarmine profeſſeth, That ſaying of Durand is hereticall, Bellar. de Euch. lib. 3. cap. 13.although hee is no heretike, becauſe hee is ready to ſubmit to the iudgement of the Church. Thus for want of that ſure rule of faith, which is ſquared by the Word of God, both Prieſts and people reſt doubtfull of the iſſue and their ſucceſſe in controuerſie,1 Cor. 14.8. and if the Trumpet giuegive an vncertaine ſound, who ſhall prepare himſelfe vntounto the battell? (ſaith the Apoſtle.)
It is no difficult matter to runne through all ages, and all points in difference betwixt vsus, and to ſhew that many Prieſts and Biſhops, who liued and died members in the Roman Church, taught different doctrine from the now Roman faith. This way therefore is certainly vncertaine; and this was eaſily diſcouered by their Superiors, inſomuch that Stapleton, by way of preuention, preſcribeth this direction for the common people:Non quid ſed quid loquatur fidelis populus attendere debet—Ordinarius Eccleſiae Doctor audiendus eſt non indicandus. Stapl. princ. fid. doct. contr. 4 lib. 8. c. 5. & 9. They muſt not intend what is ſpoken, but attend to him that ſpeaketh, for hee is to be heard, and not iudged. And becauſe through ſuch blind obedience, and implicit beliefe, it might be thought a poore lay man will not bee able to render an account of his faith, the Rhemists proclaime it for ſound and Catholike doctrine, that if an ignorant Papiſt be conuented before the Commiſsionere for his Religion, he ſhall appeale onelyonly to the Romane Church, and his owne Church ſhall ſufficiently warrant his beliefe:Rhem. Annot. in Luk. 12.11. He ſaith enough, and defendeth himſelfe ſufficiently, ſay they, when hee anſwereth he is a Catholike man, and that hee will liue and die in that Faith, which the Catholique Church throughout all Chriſtian Countreys hath, and doeth teach, and that his Church can giuegive a reaſon of all the things which they demaund of him. How poore an Apologie he makes for his Religion that ſaith, he is a Catholike, and thinkes to be ſaued by another mans faith, who doeth not vnderſtand? Saint Peter who is pretended to be the Popes predeceſſor, taught the Catholiques of former ages an other leſſon:1. Pet. 3.15. Be ready (ſaith hee) alwayes to giuegive an anſwere to eueryevery man that asketh you a reaſon of that hope that is in you with meekeneſſe and feare.
But obſerue the policie of the Church of Rome, they pretend that Ignorance is the Mother of Deuotion, and therefore (ſay they) it will be ſufficient for the lay people to beleeue the Prieſt, and to reſt vponupon the authoritie of the Church, and for that purpoſe, Bellarmine inſtructeth his Diſciples, that the learned muſt labour, and ſearch out the myſteries of Religion, but the ignorant may ſit and take their eaſe: The oxen did plow and labour, Roues arabāt et aſinae paſcebantur iuxta eos, docet per boues ſignificari homines doctos, per aſinas homines imperitos, qui ſimplicitèr credentes in intelligētia maiorum acquieſcunt Bell. lib. 1. de Iuſtif. c. 7(ſaith Gregorie) and the aſſes fed by them: By the oxen (ſaith the Cardinall) are meant the learned Doctors of the Church, by the aſſes are meant the ignorant people, which out of ſimple beliefe reſt ſatisfied in the vnderſtanding of their Superiors. I will not applie the Cardinalls illuſtration, for I ſpeak not this out of ſcorne and diſgrace, but out of ſhame and pitie, to ſee the poore ignorant ſoule, not onelyonly abuſed in the name, but in the nature of that thing, which concernes the ſaluation of his ſoule.
Canus their owne Biſhop of Canaries, profeſſeth openly, that it was the cuſtome of vnlearned men of Saracens, of Pagans, of Heretiques, Canus loc. Theol. lib. 12. cap. 4.to receiue the blind and ſenſeleſſe opinions of their Sects, without iudgement and examination. And Eſpenceus tells vsus,Eſpenc. in 2 Tim. 3. Num. 17. It was the Colliers faith, who being demanded what hee beleeued, made anſwere, he beleeued what the Church beleeued, and the Church beleeued what hee beleeued. Is not this the practiſe of the church of Rome at this day? Are they not fully perſwaded, that without deepe ignorance of the people, it is not poſſible for their Church to ſtand? doe they not in this point particularly vrge theſe & the like Scriptures▪ Obedience is better then ſacrifice: Heare the Church: The Prieſts lips preſerue knowledge, and the like: How fitly, may I ſay, prophetically doth St. Hierome reflect vponupon the Prieſts of theſe latter times, wherein they chaſe the people from the Scriptures, and ſuffer them vtterly to know nothing:Nolint diſcipulos ratione aiſcutere, ſed ſe Praecurſores ſequi. Hier. in Eſay lib. 9 cap. 30. Theſe men (ſaith hee) challenge vntounto themſelues ſuch authoritie, that whether they teach with the right hand or the left; whether they teach good things or bad; they will not hauehave their diſciples with reaſon to examine their ſayings, but onelyonly for to follow them being their leaders. And certainly herein they much reſemble the Iewes, who as Lyra reporteth, had that conceit of their great Rabbies, in ſo much they made it their open profeſſion,Reſpōdendū eſt quicquid hoc modo proponitur, etiamſi dicant dextrā eſſe ſin: ſtrā. Lyra in Deut. ca. 11. Whatſoeuer they ſay vntounto vsus, we muſt needs receiue it; yea, although they tell vsus the right hand is the left. And this is the actiue authority the Biſhop or Pariſh Prieſt doth exerciſe toward the people; and this is the paſſiue obedience, with an implicite faith, the people ſubmits vntounto the Prieſt. GiueGive me leaue therefore to ſpeake vntounto the Roman Biſhop, or Pariſh Prieſt in the words of St Auſten the ancient Father:Aug. contr. Epiſt Manich c. 5. & Athanaſ. Tom 2 in Serm. contr. eos qui iubent ſimplicitèr credere quae ipſi dicunt. Vſque adeò me ſtultum putas &c. Doeſt thou thinke mee ſuch a foole, without reaſon rendred, I ſhould beleeue what you would hauehave mee, and what you diſlike, I ſhould not beleeue? Shall I beleeue without iudgement or reaſon? ſhall I not inquire, nor conſider, what is, what may bee, what is profitable, what is decent, what acceptable to God, what ſutable to Nature, what agreeable to Truth?
Since then no humane authoritie can bee the Rule of faith, ſince there can bee no certaintie, no infallibilitie foūd in any particular Prieſt or Biſhops, (for particular men may erre,) I will conclude with that ſafe and infallible rule which St. Chryſoſtome gaue to the Chriſtians of his time: Let vsus not hauehave the opinions of many, but let vsus, ſearch the things themſelues: for if it bee not abſurd for vsus, not to beleeue and giuegive credit to others in receiuing of moneys; but that we will reckon and tell it after them; why doe wee, in matters of greater moment, ſimply and in good faith follow the opinions of other men, eſpecially, ſeeing wee hauehave the moſt exact ballance, ſquare and rule of diuine Scriptures for the auouching of any authoritie. Obſecro et oro vos omnes vt relinqua tis quidnā huic vel illi videatur, d… que his à Scripturis haec omnia in quirite. Chryſ. Homil. 13. in 2. C. l.I requeſt therefore, and beſeech you all, to leaue & forſake what ſeemeth good to this or that (particular) man, and of theſe matters ſearch yee all things by the Scriptures. And thus briefly I proceed from the doctrine of Papal Infallibility, vntounto the grand point of the Viſibility of the Church.