The Ancient Doctrine of the Church of England, Part 1 · Section 4

The Ancient Doctrine of the Church of England · Part 1 · Section 4

p. 61Concerning the 7. Sacraments, Spectacles, paragraph. 4. a pag. 199. uſ que ad 242.

THe Knight unjuſtly chargeth Bellarmine for laying a foundation of Atheiſme, 1Concil. Trid. Seſſ. 7. can. 1. Bell. de effect. ſacram. l. 2. c. 25. ſi tollamus authoritatem praeſentis eccleſiae, & praeſentis concilij, in dubiū revocari poterunt omnium aliorum cō ciliorum decreta & tota fides chriſtiana. 1 Eliz. 1.in ſaying that if wee ſhould take away the credit of the Roman Church and Councell of Trent (which decreeth the preciſe number of 7. Sacraments;) the Decrees of other Councels, nay even Chriſtian faith it ſelfe might be called in question, for if ſuch a generall Councell may erre, the Church may erre; if the Church may erre, the faith which that Church teacheth may faile, and conſequently there can bee no certaintie. S. Gregorie the great, did often ſay, and write, that hee did hold the 4, firſt Councels in the ſame honour that hee did the 4. Goſpels, which is the ſame, as to ſay they could as little erre as the 4. Goſpels. And the Parliament lawes of England give as great authoritie to thoſe 4. firſt Councels, as S. Gregorie doth, acknowledging that for hereſie, whatſoever is condemned for ſuch by any of them, which is in other words to acknowledge them for a Rule of faith, p. 62and conſequently of infallible authoritie: neither can any thing be ſaid more againſt the preſent Church, and preſent Councell of Trent, then againſt the Church of that time, and the Councels of thoſe times.

The Knight impertinently alledgeth the teſtimonies of S. Paul, 2You know that I have withdrawne nothing that was profitable v. 27. I have not ſhrunke to declare unto you the whole counſell of God.Acts 20.20. and Bellarmine l. 4. d. verb. Dei. All thoſe things are written by the Apoſtle, which are neceſſarie for all men, and which they preached generally unto all. For S. Paul ſpeaketh not of the written word, but of the doctrine of Chriſt by him preached; neither doth Bellarmines ſaying helpe any thing, becauſe though thoſe things which are neceſſarie in generall for all to know, which are but few bee written, there bee yet many more not written, which are neceſſarie to bee knowne by ſome in the Church.

The Knight in praying that the Anathema decreed by the Councell of Trent might fall upon his head, 3if any Papiſt could ſhew the number of ſeven Sacraments to have beene the beliefe of the Church for a thouſand yeares after Chriſt, is too forward to draw malediction upon himſelfe; it will come faſt enough to his coſt. It is an heavier thing then he is a ware of to have the curſe of a mother, and ſuch a mother as the Church which doth not curſe without cauſe,Eccleſiaſticus 3.11.Sir 3:11 nor out of paſsion. For as the Scripture ſaith, maledictio matris eradicat fundamenta, the malediction of a mother doth roote out the foundations.

The Knights definition of a Sacrament, 4to wit, that it is a ſeale witneſsing to our conſciences, that p. 63Gods promiſes are true is ſenſeleſſe, and without ground, largely refuted by Bellarmine, Bell. l. 1. de ſac. in genere. c. 14.16.and proved to bee moſt abſurd. For how can the Sacraments bee ſeales to give us aſſurance of his words, when all the aſſurance wee have of a Sacrament is his word? this is idem per idem. Beſides, what promiſes are theſe that are ſealed? or if they be ſealed, what need we more ſeales and Sacraments then one? if there may bee more, why not ſeven as well as two? Againe, how doe wee ſee the promiſes of God in the Sacraments? theſe are but fooliſh fancies bred in hereticall braines, and ſo to be contemned.

The Knights Argument againſt five of our Sacraments, 5that in them the element is not joyned to the Word, or they have not their inſtitution from Chriſt, or they bee not viſible ſignes of inviſible ſaving grace, is frivolous. For confirmation and extreame Vnction have the element, and the Word, to wit, oyle and the forme: order and penance have inſtitution from Chriſt, as is confeſſed in order the patten with an Hoſt and Chalice with wine in it is the outward element: in penance humble confeſsion with prayer, faſting, and almes-deedes, are the outward element: in Matrimonie the bodyes of a man or woman are as much an outward element, as water in baptiſme: and though Matrimonie might bee a naturall contract before the Goſpell, yet was it exalted to the dignitie of a Sacrament by Chriſt, and though it bee an holy thing as order is, yet as order is forbidden to all women, ſo upon good reaſon Mariage is forbidden to all Prieſts: becauſe it is good, p. 64but of an inferiour ranke, and not ſo agreeable to the high eſtate of Prieſt-hood.

That S. Ambroſe, 6Auſtine, Chryſoſtome, and Bede Aug. in Iohan. tract. 15 de latere in cruce pendentis lanceâ percuſſo, ſacramenta eccleſiae profluxerunt.teaching, that out of Chriſts ſide came the Sacraments of the Church prove no more two then ſeven Sacraments. For they ſay not that they were then inſtituted, or that there were no more Sacraments inſtituted, or that other Sacraments did not iſſue from thence.

Saint Ambroſe maketh expreſſe mention of the Sacrament of confirmation, 7L. 2. de ſacram. c. 24.and of penance, as Bellarmine ſheweth: who alſo yeeldeth a reaſon why S. Ambroſe in his bookes de Sacramentis mentioneth no more but three Sacraments, becauſe his intent in that worke is only to inſtruct the catechumenie in thoſe things which are to bee done at the time of Baptiſme. For hee neither writeth to the beleevers of his age, but only to ſome beginners, as is manifeſt by the title of one of his bookes: neither doth he there ſpeake of the Sacraments which the Church hath taught and declared, but of the Sacraments which thoſe beginners that hee ſpake to, had newly received.

S. Auſtine in thoſe places where hee ſpeaketh of two Sacraments reſtraineth not the number to two only. 8Reſpice ad munera eccleſiae, munus ſacramentorum in baptiſmo in Euchariſliâ, et caeteris ſanctis ſacramentis.For in his firſt Sermon upon the 103. pſalme, hee ſaith, caſt thine eyes upon the gifts, or offices of the Church in Baptiſme, the Euchariſt, and the reſt of the holy Sacraments: and in his Epiſtle 118. having brought in the two Sacraments, Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper, he addeth this generall clauſe, p. 65and if there bee any thing elſe commended in canonicall Scriptures. Neither doth the place the Knight citeth out of the third booke de doctrinâ chriſtianâ availe him any thing; for it is plaine by the word ſicuti, that he bringeth in Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper for example only, which doth no way reſtraine the number. Beſides, his word in this place is not ſacraments as the Knight citeth him, but ſigna ſignes, which is therefore a corruption of the Knights.

S. Cyprian de ablutione pedum, 9reckoneth but five Sacraments, not that hee thought there were no more:Cyp. doi ablut. ped. propter hoc benigniſſime Domine, pedes lavas diſcipulis quia poſt baptiſmum quem ſui reverentia iterari non patitur, aliud lavacrum procuraſti, quod nunquam debeat intermitti. but that it pertained not to his purpoſe to ſpeake of more in that place: his ſcope being only to ſpeake of ſuch Sacraments as had relation to our Saviours laſt Supper, and by ablutio pedum, that Authour meaneth the ſacrament of penance, as appeareth by the words following, for this, O moſt benigne Lord, thou didſt waſh thy Diſciples feet, becauſe after Baptiſme which may not be iterated, thou haſt procured another laver which muſt never bee intermitted.

S Iſidore in his ſixt booke of Etymologies cited by the Knight, 10doth not ſo much as intend to ſpeake of any Sacrament at all, but his only intent is to treat of the names of certaine feaſts, as the title of the chapter ſheweth, to wit, of feaſts and their names. Among which he putteth Chriſts Supper. Moreover, to ſhew that S. Iſidore held more then the three Sacraments the Knight ſpeaketh of, in his ſecond booke de Eccleſiaſt. offic. c. 16. & l. 23. c. 19. he mentioneth p. 66two more, Penance and Matrimonie.

Alexander hales in the place alledged by the Knight ſaith not, 11that there are no more then foure Sacraments, but on the contrarie concludes, Par. 4. q, 5. n. 7. art. 2. that there bee neither more nor fewer then ſeven Sacraments; tis true indeed that Hales was of opinion that the forme and matter which wee now uſe in the Sacrament of confirmation were not appointed by our Saviour but by the Church in the Councell, at Melda: but this Hales ſaith, ſine praejudicio, that is with leave, not ſtifly nor arrogantly maintaining his owne opinion.

Hugo de Sancto victore excludeth not Penance from being a Sacrament. 12For in his 23. chapter hee calleth Penance the ſecond board after ſhipwrack,C. 12. Septem ſunt principalia eccleſiae ſacramenta, &c. and ſaith, that if any man endanger his cleanſing, which he hath received by Baptiſme, he may ariſe, and ſcape by Penance. Moreover, the ſame Hugo in his Glaſſe of the myſteries of the Church ſaith, that there are ſeven prinoipall Sacraments of the Church, whereof five are called generall, becauſe they belong unto all, to wit, Baptiſme, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Extreame vnction; and two ſpeciall, to wit, Matrimonie and Order.

Although Bellarmine denieth that Extreame Vnction can be deduced out of the laſt of S. Marke: 13and Cajetan out of the firſt of S. Iames, and although Hugo, and Peter Lomberd, and Bonaventure, and Alenfis, and Altiſiodorenſis denie it to bee inſtituted by Chriſt: yet none of them all denie it to be a Sacrament.

p. 67Beſſarion the Cardinall ſaith not that there are but two Sacraments; 14for he was a great man in the Councell of Florence, wherein ſeven Sacraments are preciſely taught: but that we find theſe two Sacraments expreſly delivered, and that wee find none other, and none of the reſt ſo delivered, that is, ſo plainly.

Soto, though he denieth that ordination of Biſhops, 15is truly and properly a Sacrament: yet hee denieth not the Sacrament of order in the Church.

Durand ſaith indeed that Matrimonie is not ae Sacrament univocally, 16agreeing with the other ſix: but all acknowledge it to bee an errour in him, and Divines of his owne time did note it for ſuch, though the matter then were not ſo clearely defined.

Cajetan ſaith indeed, that the prudent reader cannot inferre out of the words of S. Paul, 17Epheſ. 5. hoc eſt magnum Sacramentum, that Matrimonie is a Sacrament: yet hee denieth it not to bee a Sacrament. 18For though it bee not inferred from that place,Locor. Theol. l. 8. c. 1. ſi Lutheram de hoc matrimoniorum genere diſceptare voluerint, intelligant ſe in ſcholae diſceptationem incidiſſe, necoportere catholicum ad eorum argumenta reſpondere: ſin verò argumententur matrimonium cum ſacris ceremonijs adminiſtratum Sacramentum eccleſiae non eſſe tunc catholicus reſpondeat fidenter, ſecurè contra pugnet. it may be inferred from oiher; or if neither from that nor other, yet it may bee deduced out of tradition.

Canus telleth us that the Divines ſpeake ſo uncertainly of the matter and forme of Matrimonie, that hee ſhould bee accounted an unwiſe man, who in ſo great differences of opinion, would take upon him to eſtabliſh any thing certainly: yet hee denieth not Matrimonie to be a Sacrament. For theſe are his words, if the Lutherans argue that Mariage adminiſtred with ſacred Ceremonies, ſacred matter, ſacred p. 68forme, and by a ſacred Miniſter, as it hath ever beene adminiſtred in the Roman Church, even from the Apoſtles time; if I ſay they argue that this is not a Sacrament of the Church, then let a Catholique anſwer confidently, let bim defend ſtoutly, let him gainſay ſecurely.

Vaſquez doth not ſay, that Matrimonie is not a Sacrament properly ſo taken: 19but that S. Auſtine ſpeaking of Matrimonie doth uſe the word Sacrament but in a large ſenſe: This is true, but it is but Vaſquez his private and ſingular opinion, not in a point of faith, but only in the meaning of one Father, in the uſe of a word, and in this his opinion he is contradicted by other Catholique Divines.

Bellarmine ſaith, 20that the Sacraments ſignifie three things,De Sacram. in Gen. l. 1. c. 9.Gen 50:1 one thing paſt, to wit, the Paſsion of Chriſt; another thing preſent, to wit, ſanctifying grace, which they worke in our ſoules; another thing to come, to wit, eteruall life. The ſignification of theſe three things is moſt apparant in Baptiſme, and the Euchariſt: but not ſo apparant in the reſt. Thus farre the Knight quoteth Bellarmine, but leaveth out that which followeth, tamen certum eſt implicitè illa omnia ſignificari; but it is certaine that the reſt of the Sacraments ſignifie all theſe things at leaſt implicitly.

p. 69The Hammer.

ALthough the Ieſuit was very angrie when hee wrote this Paragraph, as appeareth by his ſnarling at every paſſage almoſt: yet in his diſcretion hee thought good not to meddle with ſome things, which were too hard for his teeth. To Theophylact, Fulbert, and Paſchaſius, and the laſt paſſage out of S. Auſtine, as alſo to the refutation of the popiſh arguments for their ſeptenarie number of Sacraments, from incongruous and ridiculous congruities, hee replieth not a word, and three of their prime Schoole-men, Durand, Vaſques, and Cajetan, hee lets ſhift for themſelves, defend them he neither will nor can; yet for all this hee puts up as if hee had done wonders in this Paragraph, and filleth up the defect of ſolid anſwers with bragges, and ſwelling words of vanitie; Bullatis vndi que nugis pagina turgeſcit.But theſe bubbles wee ſhall ſee will diſſolve of themſelves, in the particular anſwer to his twentie ſeverall exceptions againſt the Knights diſcourſe.

To the firſt. 1The Ieſuit in this Paragraph thinketh that hee diſcourſeth very profoundly, for page 201. he ſaith, the Knight is not capable of it; whereas his chanel here is ſo ſhallow, that any child inſtructed in his Catechiſme, may wade p. 70thorow it. Without an infallible rule, ſaith he, there can be no certaine beliefe in God. An extreame veritie, without an unerring Pope no certaine rule of faith, an extreame falſitie: the Ieſait cannot ſee Chriſt for the Pope, nor the Scripture for the Trent Canons. Let him remove them out of the way; and if hee have an eye of faith, hee may clearly ſee both, and in them an infallible rule of faith, and certaine meanes to learne true beliefe in God. The occaſion of this diſcourſe of the Ieſuit was the Knight charging Cardinall Bellarmine for laying a foundation of Atheiſme in ſaying that if we ſhould take away the credit of the Roman Church and Councell of Trent, the Chriſtian faith it ſelfe might bee called in queſtion. The charge lieth heavie upon the Cardinall. For to diſparage the ſelfe-ſufficiencie of the holy Scriptures, and ſuſpend our Chriſtian faith upon the Decrees of a late factious conventicle, rejected by the greater part of the Chriſtian world, is a ready way to overthrow all Divine faith, and true religion. Yet the Ieſuit ſeeketh to cover the nakedneſſe of the Cardinall with theſe fig leaves, If agener all Councell may erre, the Church may erne; if the Church may erre, the faith which that Church teacheth may faile, and conſequently there can bee no certaintie. How eaſily are theſe leaves plucked away, and torne in pieces. 1. Though ſuch a Councell as the Councell of Trent, conſiſting of a few Biſhops ſwaied by the Italian faction may erre, it would not from thence follow, p. 71that the whole repreſentative Church might erre. 2. Though the whole repreſentative Church in a free and generall Councell lawfully called might erre, yet many millions in the Catholique Church may hold the orthodox beliefe, and conſequently the faith of the Church not totally faile. Yea but ſaith the Ieſuit, take away the infallibilitie of the Church there is no rule of faith. This aſſertion of his is open blaſphemie, as if God would not bee true, though all men were found liars: though the Roman Church and Pope erre a thouſand times, yet the rule of faith remaineth unvariable in the holy Scriptures. Yea but S. Gregorie equalizeth the foure firſt generall Councels to the Goſpel, and ſaith in effect, that they could as little erre as the 4. Goſpels, and that upon the deniall of their authoritie the Chriſtian faith might be ſhaken as well as by the deniall of the Goſpels: and the like authoritie giveth your Parliament unto them. I anſwer, S. Gregorie equalizeth the foure firſt generall Councels to the foure Goſpels, not in reſpect of authoritie, but in reſpect of the veritie of the articles defined in them: he ſaith not, they could as little erre, but they did as little erre, in their deciſions, or to ſpeake more properly that their doctrine was as true as Goſpell, becauſe the determinations in thoſe firſt generall Councels againſt Heretiques are evidently deduced out of holy Scriptures. Our Parliament alluding to the words of S. Gregorie ſpeaketh in the ſame ſenſe, as hee doth. Yea but p. 72ſaith the Ieſuit, your Parliament lawes acknowledge that for hereſie whatſoever is condemned for ſuch in any of thoſe Councels, which is in other words to acknowledge them for a rule of faith, and conſequently to bee of infallible authoritie, and to joyne them in the ſame ranke with the Canonicall Seriptures. Idem jungat Vulpes; by the like reaſon the Ieſuit might ſay we joyne the booke of Articles of Religion, and Homilies in the ſame ranke with the Canonicall Scriptures, becauſe we condemne for heretiques all that obſtinatly maintaine any doctrine repugnant to them: which wee doe not, becauſe we hold the Decrees of a provinciall Synod, to bee of in fallible authoritie: but becauſe wee are able to prove all the Articles there eſtabliſhed, to be conſonant to the holy Scriptures. Yea, but further ſaith the Ieſuit in the ſame ſtatute,P. 203. you give power to the Court of Parliament, with the aſſent of the Clergie in their Convocation to adjudge or determine a matter to be hereſie, which is the very ſame as to give it power to declare faith, or to be the rule thereof. I anſwer, the ſtatute giveth power to the Convocation, to declare faith, and determine hereſie out of Gods word, and by the ſentence thereof, and no otherwiſe. In ſuch ſort to declare faith, is not to be the rule of faith, but to judge and meaſure things by the rule. There is a maine difference betweene theſe two, (which yet the Ieſuit here confoundeth as if they were coincident) to declare faith, and to bee the rule of p. 73faith every Iudge declareth the Law, yet is he not the rule of the Law. The Inquiſitors in their jndices expurgatorij, and the Sorboniſts in their cenſures declare what is hereſie: yet the y are not Itrow the Rule of popiſh faith, every meater in the market declareth that ſuch or ſuch is the meaſure of corne and graine: yet is not every, or any corne-meater the Wincheſter ſtanderd. It is one thing to be the rule, and another to meaſure by the rule, and declare what we have meaſured. But to retort the Ieſuits phraſe upon himſelfe, hee is not capable it ſeemes of this diſcourſe which yet every market-woman or boy is. Well, let the authoritie of generall Councels bee great in the Church, and of the foure firſt Councels greateſt of all, quid hoc ad Rombum? what maketh this for the infallibilitie of the Trent conventicle? much ſaith the Ieſuit every way, for what, ſaith hee, can you ſay more againſt the preſent Church, and preſent Councell of Trent, then againſt the Church and Councels of thoſe times? What can we ſay? nay what can we not ſay? what have we not ſaid? or what could all the Papiſts in the world anſwer to what wee have already ſaid? After hee hath taken away the legall exceptions made againſt this conventicle by the Authour of the hiſtorie of the Councell of Trent, and of the litterae miſsivae, and Iewel his Treatiſe affixed to that Hiſtorie, and Chemniſius his Examen, and Doctor Bowles his latine Sermon preached to the Convocation, and lately printed: after hee hath p. 74proved which hee will never bee able, that the Aſſemblie at Trent was a free and generall Councell, and called by lawfull authoritie, and all the proceedings in it according to ancient Canons: yet it will ſtill fall as ſhort of the Councell of Nice in authoritie, as in antiquitie: that conſiſted of moſt eminent, learned, and holy Biſhops and Confeſſors: this for the moſt part of hungrie animals depending on the Popes trencher as Dudithius a Biſhop preſent at that Councell declareth at large in his letter ſet before the Hiſtorie of the Councell of Trent, to which I referre the reader.

To the ſecond. 2The teſtimonies alledged by the Knight for the ſufficiencie of holy Scriptures are ponderous, and weightie, and the Ieſuits exceptions to them are ſleight, vaine, and frivolous. To the teſtimonie out of the Acts, I have kept backe nothing that was profitable unto you, and I am pure from the bloud of all men, Act. 20.20.27Acts 20:20Acts 20:27for I have not ſhunned to declare unto you all the Councell of God, hee ſaith that S. Paul ſpeaketh of the doctrine by him preached, not of the written word of God: as in like manner our Saviour ſaith, that what hee heard from his Father hee made knowne unto them, Iohn 15.15. and yet delivered not one word in writing. It is true, S. Paul ſpeaketh of the doctrine which he preached, but it is as true that the doctrine which he preached hee confirmed unto them by teſtimonie of Scripture. For S. Luke ſaith Acts 17.2. that S. Paul as his manner was, reaſoned with them out of the Scriptures opening p. 75and alledging that Ieſus whom hee preached unto them was Chriſt, and they that received the word with all readineſſe of mind ſearched the Scriptures daily, whether thoſe things were ſo: Act. 24.14.Acts 24:14and again I confeſſe that after that way which they call hereſie, ſo worſhip I the God of my fathers, beleeving all things which are written in the Law, and the Prophets. If the Ieſuit had read the verſe immediatly following, teſtifying to the Iewes and Greekes repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Ieſus Chriſt: hee could not but have ſeene the abſurditie of his anſwer, wherein he denieth that S. Paul ſpeaketh of the written word. For who knoweth not that repentance towards God, and faith towards Ieſus Chriſt are written almoſt in every Sermon of the Prophets, and chapter of the Evangeliſts. What hee addeth for confirmation of his anſwer, (from the example of our Saviour, who made knowne to his Diſciples whatſoever hee heard from his Father, and yet delivered not one word in writing) no whit at all helpeth his cauſe. For albeit we grant that our Saviour wrote nothing (except wee give credit to a relation in Euſebius of a letter written by him to King Abgarus) yet hee commanded his Apoſtles to write thoſe things which they had heard and ſeene, what thou ſeeſt write it in a booke, Euſeb. eccleſ. hist. l. 1. Apoc. 1.11.Rev 1:11and ſend it to the ſeven Churches; and S. Peter ſaith,2 Ep. 8.20. that no Scripture is privatae foreign, that is, as Cal vin well rendereth the words privatae impulſionis, of private impulſion or motion: for the prophecie p. 76came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God ſpake as they were moved by the holy Ghoſt: and therefore Irenaeus ſaith expreſly,Adverſ. haereſ. .3. c. 1. non per alios diſpoſitionem ſalut is accepimus quans per quos E vangelium ad nos pervenit, quod primum praeconiaverunt, poſted ſecundùm Dei voluntatem in ſcript is reliquerunt, columnam & firmamentum fidei futurum. Euſeb. hiſt. eccl. l. 2. c. 14. fideles iterat is precibus impetrârunt à Marcout monumentum illud doctrinae quod ſermone, & verbis ill is tradidiſſet, etiam ſcript is mandatum apud eos relinqueret. Eſay 8.20.Isa 8:20 that what the Apoſtles preached firſt by word of mouth by the will of GOD, they afterwards delivered in writing to bee a pillar and foundation of our faith: and S. Auſtine affirmeth, that what Chriſt would have knowne of his words and deeds as needfull to our ſalvation, that hee gave in charge to his Apoſtles to ſet downe in writing. If this ſuffice not, I will ſtop the mouth of this Ieſuit with the free confeſſion of a greater Ieſuit then hee, Gregorie of Valence in his eight booke of the Analyſis of faith the fift chapter, minimè in ipſorum arbitrio poſitum fuit ſcribere, aut alio tempore aut alijs verbis ſcribere, the penmen of the holy Ghoſt were ſo guided by the ſpirit that it was not in their power, or at their choyce to write, or not to write, or to write at another time, or to write in other words then they did. To the teſtimonie of Bellarmine the Ieſuit gives as ſleight an anſwer as to the former out of S. Luke, whereunto I need to reply nothing, becauſe in a caſe ſo cleere wee need not the Cardinals confeſſion, having ſuch expreſſe teſtimonie of Scripture and Fathers, as namely of Eſay, to the law and to the teſtimonie, if they ſpeake not according to this word, Deut. 4.2. Curſed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them. And Moſes wrote this law, and delivered it to the Prieſts which bare the Arke. Gal. 1.8. 2 Tim. 3.15.Deut 4:2Gal 1:82 Tim 3:15it is becauſe there is no light in them, of Moyſes, yee ſhall not adde unto the words which I command you (which to bee ſpoken of the written law is apparant by comparing this text with Galathians p. 773.10. and Deuteronomie 31.9.) And the words of Chriſt, Iohn 5.39. ſearch the Scriptures, for in them you thinke you have eternall life. And of S. Iohn his beloved Diſciple, Iohn 20.31. theſe things are written that yee might beleeve that Ieſus Chriſt is the Sonne of God, and that beleeving ye might have life through his Name. And of S. Paul, if we or an Angel from heaven preach unto you any other Goſpel then that yee have received; Adverſ. hermog. c. 22. adoro ſcripturae plenitudinem: ſcriptum doceat Hermogenes, Epiſt. ad Pomp: nihil innovetur in quit Stephanus, quod traditum eſt, unde eſt iſta traditio? Vtrum de Dominicâ, & Evangelicâ authoritate deſcendens, an de Apoſtolorum mandatis, & epiſtolis veniens? ea enim facienda quae ſcripta ſunt Deus reſtatur, ſiergo aut in evangelio praecipitur aut in Apoſtolorum. epiſtolis aut Actibus continetur, obſervetur haecſanctatraditio.(that is as S. Auſtine expoundeth it praeterquam quod in Scripturis legalibus & Evangelicis accepiſt is, if any preach unto you any Goſpell beſide that which is contained in the writings of the Law and the Goſpell, let him bee accurſed. And, thou haſt knowne the Scriptures from a child which are able to make thee wiſe unto ſalvation through faith which is in Chriſt Ieſus, for all Scripture is given by Divine inſpiration, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproofe, for correction, for inſtruction and righteoſneſſe, that the man of God may bee perfect throughly furniſhed to all good workes. And of Tertullian, I adore the fulneſſe of Scriptures; let Hermogenes prove what hee ſaith out of Scriptures, or otherwiſe let him feare the woe denounced againſt all ſuch as adde any thing thereunto, or take there-from. And of S. Cyprian; our brother Steven will have nothing to bee altered in the Church tradition; Whence is this tradition, is it from the Goſpel, or the Acts of the Apoſtles, or their Epiſtles, if it be ſo then let this holy tradition bee kept, for God himſelfe witneſſeth that wee ought to obſerve thoſe things that are written. And of p. 78Athanaſius, Athanas. orat. 1. cont. Arr. Sufficiunt per ſe inſpiratae ſcripturae ad veritatis inſtructionem. Baſil. Serm. de ſide: foreign. Hom. 3. in 2. ad Tbeſſ. foreign. Et in 2. ad Cor. Hom. 3 foreign. Ierom. adverſ. Helvid. c. 3. credimus quia legimus, non credimus quia non legimus. Auguſtin. de doc. Chriſ. l. 2. c. 9. in ijs quae apertè poſita ſunt in ſcriptura inveniuntur illa amnia quae continent fidem & mores. Cyril in Evang. Iohan. l. 1.2. c. 68, ea conſcripta ſunt quae ſcribentes Sufficere put drunt ad mores dogmata que . Vincen. Lyrin. adverſ. Haeres. hic requirat aliquis cum ſit perfectus ſcripturae canon ſibi que ad omnia ſat is ſuper que ſufficiat. Biel in can. miſ. lec. 71. quae agenda, & quae fugienda, quae amanda, & quae contemnenda, quae timenda, & quae audenda, & quae credenda, & ſperanda, & caetera noſtrae ſaluti neceſſaria, quae omnia ſola docet Sacra ſcriptura.the holy Scripturesare ſufficient to inſtruct us in the truth. And of S Baſil, it is a manifeſt falling away from faith, either to refuſe any thing of thoſe that are written, or to bring in any of thoſe things which are not written. And of S. Chryſoſtome, all things that are needfull are manifeſtly ſet downe in holy Scriptures; And againe, in the holy Scriptures wee have a moſt exact ballance and rule of all things. And of S. Ierome, who maketh the Scripture a two edged ſword cutting hereſies on both ſides, both in the exceſſe, and in the defect, We beleeve, ſaith he, becauſe were ade in Scriptures, we beleeve not what were ade not. And of S. Auſtine, among thoſe things which are openly ſet downe in Scriptures, all ſuch things are to bee found as appertaine to faith and manners. And ſo of S. Cyril, all things which Chriſt ſpake and did are not written, but all are written which the writers of the Goſpell thought to bee ſufficient for doctrine of faith and manners. And of S. Vincentius Lyrinenſis, the Canon of the Scripture is perfect, and over and above ſufficient for all things. And of the prime of the Schoole-men Gabriel Biel, The Scripture alone teacheth us what we ought to beleeve and to hope for what things are to bee done, and what to bee p. 79ſhunned, and all other things that are neceſſarie to ſalvation. And of William Pepin, Dom. 2. advent ſala haec ſcriptur adocet perfectè & planè quid credendum, &c. The holy Scripture alone teacheth perfectly and plainely, what wee ought to beleeve as the articles of our Creed, what wee ought to doe, as all divine precepts what wee ought to deſire as heavenly joyes, what we ought to feare; as eternall torments. And of Scotus; In prim. ſent. prol. q. 2. ſacra ſcriptura ſufficienter continet doctrinam neceſſariam viatori.The holy Scripture ſufflciently containes doctrine neceſſarie for away faring man, that is in his travell to heaven. Howbeit, becauſe Cardinall Bellarmine beareth downe all before him, the more to convince this Ieſuit, and nonplus all Papiſts, I will examine what the Knight alledgeth out of him to our preſent purpoſe; All thing, are written, ſaith he, by the Apoſtles, which are neceſſarie for all men to know: If all things which are neceſſarie for all men to know, then all things which are neceſſarie for all Prieſts, Biſhops, Cardinals, yea and the Pope himſelfe to know, unleſſe the Ieſuit will prove them to bee no men. Aſſuredly the Apoſtles and the Fathers aſſembled at Nice and Conſtantinople ſet not downe a different Creed for the Prieſt, and for the people, but one for all Chriſtians. Yet I grant, that as the meaſures of the ſanctuarie were double to the common; ſo the learning of a Prieſt ought to bee double at leaſt to that of the common ſort: a more exact, full, and exquiſite knowledge of all, both the principles, and concluſions of faith is required in thom then in the p. 80other: yet nothing is required of them as neceſſarie to ſalvation, which may not bee drawne out of holy Scriptures, in which are contained all the treaſures of wiſdome and knowledge. 2 Tim. 3.16.17. Oecum. & Chryſ. in huno locum foreign Lit. ad Phil. Hiſp. reg. Nam quod ad Theologiam attinet quae ſumma Philoſophia eſt, his libris omnia noſtrae religionis, & divinitat is myſteria explicantur: quod verò attinet ad eam partem quae moralis nominatur, hinc quo que omnia ad omnes virtutes praecepta colliguntur, quibus quidem duabus partibus omnis noſtrae ſalutis, & falicitat is ratio continetur. Banes in 1. p. Tho. q. 1. art. 8. concluſ. 1. omnia quae non conſonant judico eorum gravioribus cenſuris inurunt id que tanta facilitate ut meritò irrideantur.2 Tim 3:162 Tim 3:17The Apoſtle ſaith not only they are able to make wiſe unto ſalvation indefinitely, but that the man of God, that is the miniſter of God, may be wiſe & not only wiſe unto ſalvation, but furniſhed to every good worke, that is, as S. Chryſoſtome and Oecumenius expound it, fully accurately, and exactly inſtructed. And for ever to ſeale the Ieſuits mouth; thus much Gregorie the thirteenth Pope of Rome in his letters to Philip King of Spaine, freely confeſſeth thus expatiating in the praiſes of holy Writ, as for Theologie which is the prime Philoſophie or metaphyſick in theſe bookes (ſpeaking of the Bible) all the my steries of our religion, and divine knowledge are unfolded, and as for that part which is tearmed morall; from hence all precepts to all vertues are gathered, and on theſe two parts depend all the courſe or meanes of our ſalvation and happineſſe.

3. To the third. What Dominicus Banes wrote of certaine Divines in his time, that were ſo free in their cenſures of other men, that they became a laughing ſtook to all men of judgement, may bee truly applyed to the Biſhops aſſembled at Trent, who are ſo free in caſting their thunder-bolts of anathemaes againſt all that differ from them in judgement, that the learned and judicious account divers of their Canons no better then Potguns. As arrowes that are ſhot bolt upright fall p. 81downe upon their heads that ſhoot them, unleſſe they carfully looke to it: ſo cauſeleſſe curſes fall alwayes upon the curſers themſelves, and hurt none elſe. This made the Knight ſo much ſleight the bruta fulmina of your Trent Councell. Yea but ſaith the Ieſuit, It is a heavie thing to have the curſe of a mother, Apo. 17.5.and ſuch a mother which doth not curſe without cauſe. The Church of Rome I grant is a mother, but mater fornicationum, as ſhee is tearmed the mother of fornications and abominations of the earth; but ſhee is none of our mother, Ieruſalem, or to ſpeake more properly the catholike chriſtian Church is our mother, the Roman Church muſt ſpeake us very faire; if wee owne her for a ſiſter, even this ſheweth her to bee no Mother, that ſhee is ever curſing us: the true Mother would by no meanes ſuffer her child to bee divided. This cruell Stepdame not only ſuffereth thoſe whom ſhee would have taken for her children to be cut in ſunder, but her ſelfe as much as in her lieth by her curſes, divideth them from God, and all the members of Chriſts myſticall body, yet wee ſpare to apply the words of the Pſalmiſt unto her; ſhee loved not bleſsing, and therefore it ſhall bee farre from her; Pſ. 109.17.18Ps 109:17Ps 109:18ſhee delighteth in curſing, and therefore ſhall it enter like oyle into her bowels, and like water into her bones. Howſoever wee are not ſcared with the bugbeare, the Ieſuit goeth about to fright us withall; Maledictio matris eradicat fundamenta, the curſe of a Mother doth roote out the foundation; For firſt the p. 82booke out of which he citeth this text is not Canonicall. Next we denie that the text any way concerneth us, who are bleſſed and not curſed by our Mother the true Catholike Church; as for the Roman Church ſhee can in no ſence bee tearmed our mother. For we had Chriſtian Religion in this Iſland, before there was any Church at Rome at all, as I have elſe-where proved at large. Laſtly, the text the Ieſuit alledgeth is falſly tranſlated,Eccleſiaſticus 3.11.Sir 3:11 he ſhould have rendred the Greeke thus; A Mother in diſhonour or defamed, is a reproach to her children, ſuch a Mother wee grant the Church to be a reproach to all her children.

To the fourth. 4The number of Sacraments we prove two manner of wayes, firſt foreign, 2 foreign; firſt by demonſtrating our two; ſecondly, by refuting the five they adde there unto. Howſoever the Ieſuit here as alſo Baylie the antagoniſt of Rivet inſult upon us, as if it were unpoſſible to prove the preciſenumber of two Sacraments and no more, becauſe neither the name, nor the number of Sacraments is any where ſet downe in terminis in Scripture: yet they ſhall find that wee faile not in proofes of this point, but they in their anſwers. For to reſerve the refutation of their five to the next Paragraph, we demonſtrate our two by arguments drawne firſt from the name, ſecondly from the definition of Sacraments, thirdly from the example of Chriſt, fourthly from the end of the Sacraments, fiftly from the teſtimonies of the ancient Doctours of the Church.

p. 831. From the name, Sacramentum is derived from the verbe ſacrare, to conſecrate, and ſignifieth a holy thing, a holy Rite whereby wee are conſecrated unto God. Now it is evident that by Baptiſme wee give our names to Chriſt, wee take our militare ſacramentum, to fight under his banner, and that thereby wee are ſanctified and conſecrated to his ſervice: the like wee may obſerve in the Lords Supper, wherein wee offer our bodies and ſoules, as a holy and lively ſacrifice unto God, we are incorporated into Chriſts body, and made one bread and one body, becauſe wee partake of one bread, the bread which we breake; Is it not the Communion of the body of Chriſt? the Cup of bleſsing which wee bleſſe, is it not the Communion of the bloud of Chriſt? In the reſt which our Adverſaries tearme Sacraments, there cannot bee given the like reaſon of the name. For by them wee neither put on Chriſt, as in Baptiſme: nor are made members of his myſticall Body, as by the Lords Supper.

2. From the definition of Sacraments; every Sacrament of the New Teſtament is a ſeale of the new Covenant.Rom. 4.11.Rom 4:11 Now it is agreed on all parts that he only hath authoritie to ſeale the charter, in whoſe authoritie it is to grant it. But wee find that Chriſt in the New Teſtament ſet only two ſeales, Baptiſme, the Inſtitution whereof wee have, Teach all nations baptizing them, Math. 28.19.Matt 28:19in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghoſt; and the Lords Supper, the inſtitution p. 84whereof wee have, bee tooke bread and brake it, ſaying, Luk 22.19.Luke 22:19this is my Body, doe this in remembrance of mee. In theſe Sacraments wee have all the conditions required, firſt an outward and viſible ſign, in Baptiſme water, in the Euchariſt bread and wine. Secondly, an Analogie or correſpondencie betweene the ſigne and the thing ſignified, betweene Water which waſheth the body, and the ſpirit which waſheth the ſoule; betweene bread and wine which nouriſheth the body, and Chriſts body and bloud which nouriſheth the ſoule. Thirdly, a promiſe of ſanctifying and ſaving grace, to all that uſe the outward rite according to our Lords inſtitution: the promiſe annexed to Baptiſme wee find,Mar. 16.16. Mtch. 26.28.Mark 16:16 Hee that beleeveth and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved; to the Euchariſt wee find, this is the bloud of the new Teſtament, which is ſhed for you, Iohn 6.51.John 6:51and for many, for the remiſsion of ſinnes, and if any one eate of this bread hee ſhall live for ever. When our adverſaries ſhall prove in each of their five ſupernumerarie ſacraments, theſe three conditions wee will ſubſcribe to their whole number of ſeven, till then wee content ourſelves with our two.

3. From the example of Chriſt. 2Chriſt our head conſecrated in his owne perſon all thoſe holy rites, which hee inſtituted for his owne members.Mat. 3.15.Matt 3:15 This Chriſt himſelfe intimateth, when being repelled by S. Iohn from his baptiſme, ſaying, I had need to bee baptized of thee, and commeſt thou to mee? He anſwered, Suffer it to bee ſo p. 85now, for thus it becommeth us to fulfill all righteouſneſſe. And S. Auſtine ſaith therefore Chriſt would bee baptized, Serm. de Epiph. baptizari voluit quia voluit facere quod faciendum omnibus imperabat, ut bor us magiſter doctrinam ſuam non tam verbis inſinuaret quam actibus exerceret.becauſe hee would doe that which hee commanded all others to doe, that as a good maſter hee might not ſo much inſinuate his Doctrine by words, as exhibit it by acts. But this our good Maſter exhibited by acts the doctrine of two Sacraments only, whereof hee participated himſelfe: of Baptiſme, Math. 3.16. And Ieſus when he was baptized, went up ſtraight way out of the water: of the Eucharift; Matth. 26.29. I will not drinke hence-forth of this fruit of the vine, untill the day when I drinke it new with you in my Fathers kingdome. Which words neceſſarily imply that before hee uttered them, hee had drunke of the cup which hee gave to them, ſaying, Drinke yee all of this.

4. From the end of the Sacraments. 4We need but two things to inſtate us in grace, remiſſion of our ſinnes, and ablution; no more to maintaine us in our chriſtian life, but birth, apparell, food and phyſick: but all theſe are ſufficiently repreſented, and effectually conveied unto us by two Sacraments. For we receive ablution by the one, abſolution by the other: wee are bred by the one, wee are fed by the other: wee are clothed by the one, wee are healed by the other.

5. From the teſtimonies of the ancient Doctours of the Church, S. Anſtine, L. 2. de Symb. ad catechumenos. c. 6. percuſſum eſt latus ut Evangelium loquitur & ſtatim manavit ſanguis, & aqua quae ſunt cccleſiae gemina Sacramenta; aqua in quâ ſponſa eſt purificata; ſanguis ex quo invenitur eſſe dotata. I ſid. l. Origin. ſunt autam Sacramenta baptiſmus & Chriſma corpus & ſanguis Chriſti. Rupert. de vict. verb. l. 12. c. 11. quae & quot ſunt praecipua ſalut is noſtrae ſacramenta? Sacrū baptiſma, ſancta corporis ejus, & ſanguinis Euchariſtia geminum ſpiritus ſancti datum. Paſc. l. de coena dom. ſacramenta Chriſtianae Eccleſiae Catholicae ſunt baptiſmus, & corpus, & ſanguis Domini. Fulbert. ep. 1. lib. part. Tom 3. tertium eſt noſcere in quo duo vitae ſacramenta continentur.Chriſts ſide was ſtrucken, as the Goſpell ſpeaketh, and preſently there iſſued out of it water and bloud, which are the p. 86two twin Sacraments of the Church, water whereby the Spouſe is purified, and bloud wherewith ſhee is endowed. S. Iſidore, the Sacraments are Baptiſme and Chriſme, the body and bloud of Chriſt. Rupertus, which and how many are the chiefe Sacraments of our ſalvation? Hee anſwers two, holy Baptiſme and the holy Euchariſt of the body and bloud of Chriſt, the double gift of the holy Ghoſt. Paſchaſius, the Catholique Sacraments of the Chriſtian Church, are Baptiſme and the body and bloud of Chriſt. Fulbertus, the way of Chriſtian religion is to beleeve the Trinitie and veritie of the Deitie, and to know the cauſe of his Baptiſme, and in whom the two Sacraments of our life are contained. Of all theſe arguments brought by Proteſtants the Ieſuit could not be ignorant. Yet hee glaunceth only at one of them, to wit, the ſecond which he would make us beleeve to bee an abſurd begging the point in queſtion; How can, ſaith he, Sacraments bee Seales to give us aſſurance of his Word, when all the aſſurance we have of a Sacrament is his Word? This is idem per idem, or a fallacie called petitio Principij. As S. Auſtine ſpake of the Phariſees, Quid aliud eructarent quàm quo pleni erant, What other things ſhould theſe Phariſees belch out, then that wherewith they were full: wee may in like manner aske, what could wee expect for the Ieſuit to belch out againſt the Knight, then that which he is full of himſelfe, ſophiſmes and fallacies. That which hee pretends to find in the Knights argument every man may ſee in his, to p. 87wit, a beggarly fallacie called homonymia. For the Word may be taken either largely for the whole Scripture, and in that ſenſe wee grant the Sacraments are confirmed by the Word, or particularly for the word of promiſe, and the Word in this ſenſe is ſealed to us by the Sacrament: and this wee prove out of the Apoſtle, againſt whom I truſt the Ieſuit dare not argue; what Circumciſion was to Abraham and the Iewes, that Baptiſme ſucceeding in the place thereof, is to vsus: but Circunciſion was a Seale to them of the righteouſneſſe of faith promiſed to Abraham and his poſteritie: Rom. 4.11.Rom 4:11therefore in like manner Baptiſme is a ſeale unto us of the like promiſe. What Bellarmine urgeth againſt our definition of a Sacrament to whom the Ieſuit ſendeth us, is refuted at large by Molineus Daneus, Rivetus, Willet, and Chamier, to whom in like manner I remand the Ieſuit, who here deſiring, as it ſeemed, to bee catechiſed aſketh, what promiſes are ſealed by the Sacraments? I anſwer, of regeneration and communion with Chriſt. His ſecond quaere is, what need more ſeales then one? or if more, why not ſeven as well as two? I anſwer, Chriſt might adde as many Seales as hee pleaſed, but in the new Teſtament hee hath put but two, neither need wee any more, the firſt ſealeth unto us our new birth, the ſecond our growth in Chriſt. If I ſhould put the like queſtion to the Ieſuit concerning the King, what need he more Seales then one? or if he would have more, why not ſeven as well as two? p. 88I know how hee would anſwer, that the King might affix as many ſeales to his patents, and other grants as hee pleaſeth: but quia fruſtra fit per plur a quod fieri poteſt per pauciora, becauſe two ſeales are ſufficient, the Privie ſeale, and the broad ſeale: therefore his Majeſtie uſeth no other. Which anſwer of his cuts the wind-pipe of his owne objection. His laſt queſtion is a blind one, how may wee ſee, ſaith he, the promiſes of God in the Sacraments? S. Ambroſe and S. Auſtine will tell him by the eye of faith, Magis videtur, ſaith S. Ambroſe, quod non videtur, that is more or better ſeene, which is not ſeene with bodily eyes; Sacraments, ſaith S. Auſtine, are viſible words, becauſe what words repreſent to the eares, that Sacraments repreſent to their eyes, which are anointed with the eye-ſalve of the ſpirit. In the Word we heare, the bloud of Chriſt clenſeth us from our ſinnes, in the Sacrament of Baptiſme we ſee it after a ſort in the waſhing of our body with water: in the Word wee heare Chriſts bloud was ſhed for us: in the Sacrament of the Euchariſt after a ſort we ſee it, by the effuſion of the Wine out of the flagon into the Chalice, and drinking it; In the Word wee heare, that Chriſt is the bread of life, which nouriſheth our ſoules to eternall life: In the Sacrament after a ſort wee ſee it by feeding on the Conſecrated elements of Bread and Wine, whereby our body is nouriſhed, and our temporall life maintained and preſerved.

To the fift. 5In the former Paragraph we handled p. 89thoſe Arguments which the Logicians tearme Dicticall,foreign. in this we are to make good our Elencticall; in the former we proved poſitively two Sacraments in this privatively we are to exclude, and caſheere all that the Church of Rome hath added to theſe two which deviſeth Sacraments upon ſo weake grounds, and detorteth Scripture in ſuch ſort for the maintenance of them, that a learned Divine wiſheth, that as for the remedie of other ſinnes, ſo there were a Sacrament inſtituted as a ſpeciall remedie againſt audacious inventions in this kind, and depravations of holy Scripture to convince them. For of an Epiphonema this is a great myſterie, Epheſ. 5.32.Eph 5:32they have made a Sacrament, the ſacrament of Matrimonie: of a promiſe, whoſe ſinnes yee remit, Iohn 20.23.John 20:23they are remitted; they have made a ſecond Sacrament the ſacrament of Penance: of an enumeration of the Governours and Miniſters of the Church, Epheſ. 4.11. And hee gave ſome, Apoſtles: ſome Prophets: ſome, Paſtours ſome, Evangeliſts: ſome teachers, a third Sacrament, the ſacrament of Order: of a relation what the Apoſtles did, Acts 8.17. In laying hands on them, who received the gift of tongues; a fourth Sacrament, the ſacrament of Confirmation: Of a Miracle in reſtoring the ſick to their former health by anoynting them with oyle in the name of the Lord; a fift Sacrament, the ſacrament of Extreame Vnction. A child cannot be biſhopped; a ſingle partie contracted; a Prieſt or Deacon ordained; a penitent reconciled; a dying p. 90man diſmiſſed in peace, without a ſacrament, the ſacrament of Extreame Vnction. If they take Sacrament in a large ſenſe, for every divine Myſterie, holy Ordinance, or ſacred Rite, they may find as well ſeventeene as ſeven Sacraments in the Scriptures: if they they take the Word in the ſtrict ſenſe for ſuch a ſacred Rite, as is inſtituted in the New Teſtament by Chriſt, with a viſible ſigne or element repreſenting and applying unto us ſome inviſible ſanctifying and ſaving grace; I wiſh the Ieſuit might but practiſe one of their Sacraments, that is, doe penance ſo long till hee found in Scripture that, and the other foure Sacraments which they have added to the two Inſtituted by Chriſt. To begin with them in order, and give Order the firſt place, wee acknowledge the ordination of Prieſts and Deacons by Biſhops to be de jure divino, and we beleeve where they are done according to Chriſts Inſtitution, that grace is ordinarily given to the party ordained, but not ſacramentall grace, not gratia gratum faciens, but gratia gratis data, a ghoſtly power for the good of others, not a neceſſary grace of the Spirit ſanctifying and ſaving the ſoule of the ordained. Beſides, this Sacrament of order is out of order. For it hath no element added to the ſanctified forme of words. Yes that it hath (ſaith Flood) the Host, Chalice, and Patent, or Letters of order. The Bread and Wine, I grant are elements appointed by Chriſt, but in another ſacrament the Euchariſt, not in this, and tis confeſſed p. 91on all ſides, that as in the Sacraments of the old Law, ſo of the New, the elements muſt not bee confounded. Neither doth Chriſt any where command that in the ordination of Biſhops, or Prieſts, ſuch a Rite or Ceremonie ſhould be uſed: neither doth the Hoſt or Chalice ſignifie or repreſent the inviſible Grace, or Ghoſtly power then given. And as for the inſtrument it is a parchment, but no element; it is a legible writing teſtifying the party is ordained, but no viſible ſigne of an inviſible grace; no Seale of the new Covenant. For the Patent, Chalice, and Bible, they are not, as before was ſaid, any ſacramentall ſignes of divine grace, but only enſignes and tokens of their ſeverall offices and functions, or inſtruments that are to bee uſed in their miniſtration beſides, every one of theſe orders is conferred by words and Ceremoniss cleane differing one from another, whereupon it followeth, that either none of them is a Sacrament properly ſo called, or that each of them apart is a Sacrament, and ſo the number of Sacraments will bee neere doubled. Bellarmines evaſion De Sacram. ordin. l. 1. c. 8. to wit, that they are all unum genere, and referred to one end will not ſerve the turne, for ſo all the other ſix Sacraments are unum genere, and all referred to one end, to wit, to unite the receivers ſome way to Chriſt, or derive ſome grace from Chriſt to them, and yet they are not one Sacrament, but as they teach, ſix diſtinct ſpecies.

p. 92For Confirmation, we allow of it as an Apoſtolicall tradition, not as a Sacrament of Divine Inſtitution. For where doth Chriſt command that thoſe who have heene baptized, ſhould bee after confirmed by a Biſhop? Where is an element or forme of words preſcribed by Chriſt as in Baptiſme and the Lords Supper? The Ieſuit anſwereth that the element in this Sacrament is chriſme, or oyle, but this cannot be: as well becauſe in divers Sacraments there ought to bee divers elements, and therefore ſith Chriſme and oyle is the element in Extreame Unction, which taketh the name from thence, it cannot bee the matter or element in Confirmation. Accedit verbum ad elementum, ſaith S. Auſtine, & fit Sacramentum, the word of promiſe being added to another element appointed by God maketh a Sacrament. In this we have neither Word nor Element, therefore as the Greeke Oratour ſpake of the evill lawes enacted in his time,Ariſtor. Rbet. l. 2. foreign, the lawes need a law to mend them: ſo we may ſay of this Sacrament of Confirmation, it needeth confirmation and better proofe for it, then yet we ſee.

For Penance, as it is practiſed at this day in the Roman Church, it is not of divine inſtitution: as it was practiſed in the Primitive Church, and is at this day in ours is a Divine ordinance, but yet no Sacrament: becauſe we find in it no outward element with a forme of words preſcribed by Chriſt: no viſible ſigne of inviſible grace. No p. 93(ſaith Flood) is not the true ſorrow of heart declared by humble confeſsion, together with prayer, faſting, and Almes-deeds, an outward element, or thing to bee perceived by ſenſe? I anſwer, that every thing perceived by ſenſe, is not preſently an element in a Sacrament, it muſt bee as the Schooles out of S. Austine define a viſible ſigne of inviſible grace. Confeſſion and prayer are indeed audible, but not viſible: Faſting and Almesdeedes are viſible, but viſible workes of pietie and charitie, not viſible elements in the Sacraments: they are morall duties, not ſacramentall Rites. For what correſpondencie is betweene theſe, and abſolution or remiſſion of ſinnes? how doth Faſting or Almes exhibit to the eye this inviſible grace? Contrition of the heart of which hee ſpeaketh, is no viſible or ſenſible ſigne, Confeſſion is ſenſible, but not viſible, nor ordained as the elements are in Sacraments to ſignifie the grace of God, but to aske it: the ſacred ſignes ought to be adminiſtred by the Prieſt, but Confeſſion is made by the penitent, the ſame may be ſaid of corporall ſatisfactions which are accompliſhed by the ſinner, and commonly in his houſe by faſtings, or whippings, or abroad by pilgrimages, whereas ſacred ſignes are to bee adminiſtred by the hands of the Prieſt, and ordinarily in the Church; Abſolution alſo cannot bee a ſacred ſigne of the grace of God, ſeeing that if it bee good and available, it is the grace of God; beſides this Abſolution, is not an p. 94element, nor a viſible ſigne of an inviſible grace, for the words are not ſeene: if it be ſaid that it is ſufficient, that it is ſignificantly the grace of God, by the ſame reaſon the preaching of the Word ſhould bee a ſacrament, for it is ſignificantly the grace of God. In all Sacraments the Word muſt bee joyned to the element; but here they will have the Word to bee an element: the impoſition of the Prieſts hands on the penitent is a viſible action, but not a viſible element, nor is it inſtituted by Chriſt. When the Trent Councell, and the Roman Catechiſme come to aſſigne the matter of this Sacrament, they doe it very faintly with a quaſi materia, Seſſ. 14. de poenit. c. 3. & Catechiſ. Rom. part. 2. c. 5. They ſay the actions of the penitent are, quaſi materia, and ſuch as the matter is, ſuch is the Sacrament quaſi ſacramentum.

For Matrimonie, it is a holy ordinance of God, but more ancient then the New Teſtament, and therefore can be no ſeale of it: it was inſtituted by God in Paradiſe, not by Chriſt in the Goſpell: yea but (ſaith the Ieſuit) though it were before a naturall contract, yet might it not be exalted by Chriſt to the dignitie of a Sacrament? I anſwer, the Ieſuit muſt not diſpute what Chriſt might doe, but what hee did; When hee proveth out of the Evangeliſts or Apoſtles, that Chriſt exalted it to the dignitie of a Sacrament, wee will hold it in that high eſteeme, but this hee can never doe: for none of the Evangeliſts relate that hee altered the Law, or nature of Matrimonie: p. 95but only that hee confirmed it, and honoured it with his preſence, and the firſt Miracle which hee wrought. Other exaltation wee find not in the Goſpell; And as S. Ierome ſpeaketh in the like kind, quia non legimus, non credimus, becauſe wee reade it not, wee beleeve it not.

Our ſecond exception againſt the Sacrament of Matrimonie is, that in it there is no outward element ſanctified by the Word of promiſe. To this the Ieſnit anſwereth; the bodies of men and women, are they not as much as an outward element? Yes ſurely as much in quantitie and more too:Bell. l. 1. de matrim. c. 6. Si matrimonium conſideretur. Vt jam factum & celebratum conjugati ſunt materiale Synbolum & externū cujus re fut at. vid. apud Chamierum Paniſtrat. Cathol. de ſacr. l. 4, c. 27. but none ever before this Ieſuit and his Maſter Bellarmine maketh mens bodies outward elements in any Sacrament: the bodies of men and their ſoules are either the Miniſters, or receivers in every Sacrament, not the elements or materiall parts thereof. The element in every Sacrament hath the denomination of the whole, as when wee ſay the ſacrament of Circumciſion, of the Paſſeover, of bread and wine: but who ever heard of the ſacrament of men and womens bodies. Our third exception againſt the ſacrament of Matrimonie is that if it bee a ſacrament conferring grace, as they teach, ex opere operato, why doe they deprive Prieſts of it? and make them take a ſolemne vow againſt it? The Ieſuit anſwereth, that though Mariagebee a holy thing, as Order alſo is, yet as Order is forbidden to all women, ſo upon good reaſon Mariage is forbidden all Prieſts. Tis true, I grant that all holy things in themſelves p. 96are not fit for all ages, ſexes, and callings. In particular it is no way fit that women ſhould be admitted into holy Orders, becauſe they are forbidden to ſpeake in the Church; 1 Cor. 14.341 Cor 14:34and it ſeemeth to bee againſt the law of nature, that the weaker and more ignoble ſex ſhould be appointed to inſtruct and governe the ſtronger and more noble: but there is not the like reaſon in Order and Matrimonie.Heb. 13.4.Heb 13:4 For the Scripture ſaith, Mariage is honourable among all, but not that the order of Prieſthood is commendable in all men. Much leſſe women, yet the Ieſuit ſaith, that upon good reaſon Mariage is forbidden Prieſts, becauſe it is not agreeable to the high and holy eſtate of Prieſthood and religious life. A ſtrange thing that a ſacrament ſhould not bee agreeable to the moſt ſacred function, that a holy Rite conferring grace ſhould not bee agreeable to a religious life. If Marriage were any diſparagement to the holineſſe of prieſthood, why did God appoint married Prieſts under the law? and Chriſt choſe married Apoſtles in the Goſpel? Euſebius ſaith of Spiridion, that though hee were married, and brought up children,Sozom. Eccleſ. hiſt. l. 1. c. 11. Chryſ. in Gen. 5.22.Gen 5:22 vet that hee was nothing thereby foreign hindered or diſparaged in his ſacred function, and S. Chryſoſtome in his Homilie upon thoſe words, Enoch walked with God, noteth it that it is ſaid twice for failing, Enoch walked with God, and begat ſonnes and daughters to teach us that marriage is no impeachment to holineſſe, or the higheſt degree of perfection, whereby p. 97wee are ſaid to walke with God. To ſhut up this point concerning Matrimonie, Cardinal Bellarmine teacheth us, that the ſeven Sacraments anwer ſeven Vertues; Baptiſme anſwereth to Faith, Confirmation to Hope, the Euchariſt to Charitie, Penance to Iuſtice, Extreame Vnction to Fortitude, and Matrimonie to continence or temperance; if ſo, then certainly Matrimonie is moſt agreeable to the office of a Biſhop or Prieſt;1 Tim. 3.2.1 Tim 3:2 For a Biſhop muſt hee continent and modeſt, and as it there followeth, the husband of one wife; and unleſſe the rules of Logick faile, if Matrimonie hold correſpondencie with temperance, the prohibition thereof, and forced ſingle life muſt needs anſwer to intemperance, as the teſtimonie of all ages proveth it.

For Extreame Vnction the lagge of all their Sacraments little or nothing can bee ſaid. For it wanteth all the three conditions requiſite to a Sacrament: it hath neither element, nor forme of words preſcribed by Chriſt, nor any promiſe of ſaving & ſanctifying grace. The Apoſtles indeed uſed oile, but as a medicine to heale the body, not as a ſacrament to cure the ſoule. As the Apoſtles uſed oyle, ſo Chriſt ſpittle in reſtoring ſight to the blind: will they hereupon make ſpittle an eighth ſacrnment? Sacraments ought to be of perpetual uſe in the Church, whereas the Unction whereof the Scripture ſpeaketh, wherby the ſick were miraculouſly cured, is ceaſed long agoe; if the Ieſuit will not give eare to us, let him yet yeeld ſo much p. 98reſpect to Cardinall Cajetan, as to peruſe what he commenteth on that text of Scripture on which the Church of Rome foundeth this Sacrament; Is any ſick among you, Iames 5.14.15.Jas 5:14Jas 5:15let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anoynting him with oyle in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith ſhall ſave the ſick, and the Lord ſhall raiſe him up, and if hee have committed ſins they ſhall bee forgiven him. Cajet. com. in hunc locum neque ex verbīs, neque ex effectu, verba baec loquuntur de Sacramentali Vnctione, ſeu ſacramento Extremae Vnctionis ſed magis de Vnctione quam inſtituit Dominus Ieſus in Evangelio à diſcipulis exercendâ in aegrot is: textus enim non dicit infirmatur quis ad mortem? ſed abſolutè infirmatur quis? & effectum dicit infirmi allemiationem. & de remiſſione peccatorum non niſi conditionaliter loquitur, cum extrema Vnctio non niſi propè articulum mortis detur, & directè ut ejus-forms ſonat, tendit ad remiſſionem peccatorum adde quod Iacobus ad unum aegrum mult os praeſbyteros tum orantes, tum. Vnguentes mandat vocari, quod ab Extremae Vnction is ritu alienumeſt.On theſe words thus Cajetan inferreth, it cannot bee gathered either from the words, nor from the effect here mentioned, that the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of ſacramentall or Ex. treame Vnction, but rather of that anoynting which Chriſt appointed in the Goſpell to bee uſed in healing the ſick, for the Text ſaith not, is any man ſick unto death, but ſimply is any man ſick; and the effect hee attributeth to this anoynting is the eaſe or raiſing of the ſick; of remiſsion of ſinnes he ſpeaks but conditionally, where as Extreame Vnction is given to none but at the point of death, and directly tendeth to remiſsion of ſinnes as the forme importeth. Adde hereunto that S. Iames commandeth many Elders to be ſent for, both to pray and anoynt the ſick, which is not done in Extreame Vnction.

p. 99To the ſixt. 6The Knight having ſhot two arrowes out of S. Auſtines quiver, the one with a head, the other without, yet ſharpe pointed: the Ieſuit quite concealeth the one, and endeavours to blunt the other. The former hee drew out of S. Auſtine his treatiſe de ſymbole ad catechumenos, where ſpeaking of Baptiſme and the Lords Supper, he ſaith, haec ſunt Eccleſiae gemina Sacramenta, theſe are the two twin Sacraments of the Church. De latere in cruce pendentis lanceâ percuſſo ſacramenta Eccleſiae profluxerunt.to this the Ieſuit anſwereth, negry quidem. To the other taken out of the 15. tract vponupon S. Iohn, that out of the ſide of Chriſt the Sacraments of the Churchiſſued, he would ſeeme to anſwer ſomething. Firſt he quarrelleth at the quotation, ſaying, I doe not thinke you will find in Chemnitius your good friend S. Ambroſe and Bede cited: Whereunto I anſwer, that though the Knights good friend Chemnitius cite not Ambroſe and Bede, yet the Ieſuits good friend Card.De Sacram. in gen. l. 2. c. 27. Amb. l. 10. in Luc. & Bed. c. 19. Ioh. intelligunt per ſanguinem qui è latere effluxit redemption is pretium, & per aquam baptiſmum. Bellarmine citeth them both, his words are, Ambroſe in his tenth booke upon S. Luke, and Bede in his comment upon the 19. of S. Iohn underſtand by blood which iſſued out of our Saviours ſide the price of our redemption by water Baptiſme. Next the Ieſuit endeavoureth to untwiſt this triple cord, by ſaying that theſe three Fathers ſpeake of Sacraments iſſuing out of Chriſts ſide, but no way reſtraine the number to two. Whereunto I reply, that though the word Sacramenta for the number may bee as well ſaid of ſeven as two Sacraments: yet where S. Auſtine alludeth to the ſame text of p. 100Scripture, and falleth upon the ſame conceite, he reſtraineth the number to two, ſaying, there iſſued out of Chriſts ſide water and blood, quae ſunt Eccleſiae gemina Sacramenta. Now I would faine know of the Ieſuit where ever hee read gemina to ſignifie ſeven, or more then two? Were the Dioſcuri which are commonly knowne by the name of gemini ſeven, or two only, to wit, Caſtor and Pollax? As for S. Ambroſe and Bede though they ſay not totidem verbis, that the two Sacraments of the Church iſſued out of Chriſts ſide, as S. Auſtine doth: yet they can bee underſtood of no more then two Sacraments: for there were but two things which iſſued out of our Saviours ſide, to wit, water and blood, whereby they underſtand Baptiſme and the Lords Supper. Had there iſſued out of our Saviours ſide, together with water and blood Chriſme or balſamum, or had a rib beene taken from thence, the Ieſuit might have ſome colour to draw more Sacraments out of it: but now ſith the Text ſaith there iſſued onelyonly two things, water and blood; and the Fathers ſay the Sacraments of the Church are thereby meant: it is moſt apparant that by Sacramenta they meant thoſe two only: which they there name in expreſſe words, Baptiſme and the price of our redemption, that is Chriſts blood in the Euchariſt.

To the ſeventh. The authoritie of S. Ambroſe is as a thorne in the Ieſuits eye, for it cannot but bee a great prejudice to their cauſe, that ſo learned p. 101a Biſhop as S. Ambroſe, writing ſix bookes profeſſedly of the Sacraments omitteth the Romiſh five, and ſpendeth his whole diſcourſe upon our two. If the Church in his time beleeved or adminiſtred ſeven Sacraments, hee could no way be excuſed of ſupine negligence for making no mention at all of the greater part of them: it were all one as if a man profeſſing to treate of the elements, or the parts of the world which are foure, or of the Pleiades or the Septentriones, or the Planets which are ſeven ſhould handle but two of that number. Bellarmine therefore and after him Flood pluck hard at this thorne, but cannot get it out (ſaying that S. Ambroſe his intent was to inſtruct the Catechumeni only, as the title of one of the books ſheweth.) For firſt S. Ambroſe hath no booke of that title, viz. An inſtruction to them who are to bee catechized, or are beginners in Chriſtianitie. The title of that booke is De ijs qui initiantur, of thoſe who are initiated or entred into holy myſteries. Secondly, this is not the title of any of the ſix bookes de ſacramentis alledged by the Knight, but of another tractate. Thirdly, admit that S. Ambroſe, as S. Auſtine and Cyrill wrote to the Catechumeni, and intended a Catechiſme: yet they were to name all the Sacraments unto them, as all Divines uſually doe in their Catechiſmes: becauſe the Sacraments are alwayes handled among the grounds, and principles of Chriſtian religion. And though the Catechumeni are not preſently admitted unto all, yet they are to learne p. 102what they are, that they may bee the better prepared in due time to receive them. Fourthly, it is evidently untrue (which the Ieſuit ſaith) that S. Ambroſe writeth not to the beleevers of that age, but only to ſome beginners. The very front of his booke proves the Ieſuit to bee frontleſſe. For S. Ambroſe his firſt words are, I will begin to ſpeake of the Sacraments which wee have received, &c. In Chriſtiano enim viro prima eſt fides, for the firſt thing in a Chriſtian man is faith. And as hee writeth to all beleevers not beginners only, ſo hee ſpeaketh alſo of the chiefe Sacraments of the New Teſtament, and not of thoſe only which the catechumeni received, as is apparant out of the fourth chapter of the firſt booke De ſacramentis. Wherein hee proveth according to the title of that Chapter, Quôd ſacramenta Chriſtia. norum diviniora ſint, & priora quàm Indaeorum, That the Sacraments of the Chrìſtians are more ancient and more divine then thoſe of the Iewes; and hee inſtanceth eſpecially in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. Laſtly, the Ieſuit in this anſwer apparantly contradicteth himſelfe, firſt, ſaying that S. Ambroſe intent in that Worke was only to inſtruct the catechumeni in thoſe things that were to be done in the time of Baptiſme, p. 210.and within a few lines after he ſaith,Bud. deaſse, Veritas nonnunquam invitis erumpit as fallens inter mendacia ab audientibus demuns agnoſcitur cum interim loquentes adbuc ſe habere in poteſtate putent. that he writeth of the Sacraments whereby they were ſo initiated which are three, Baptiſme, Confirmation, and the Euchariſt. So true is Budaeus his obſervation, That lyes daſh one with the other, and truth breakes out of p. 103the mouth of the lyar ere hee is aware. Who ever heard of the Euchariſt to bee adminiſtred in the time of Baptiſme, or that the Euchariſt was adminiſtred at all to the punies or catechumeni whileſt they were ſuch, certainly if the catecumeni or younger beginners, to whom hee ſaith S. Ambroſe wrote, were capable of the doctrine of the Euchariſt, containing in it the higheſt myſteries of Chriſtianitie, they were much more capable of Penance, Matrimonie, and Extreame Unction, which are eaſie to bee underſtood by any novice in Chriſtian religion.

To the eight. 8That it may appeare what was the judgement of S. Auſtine in this maine point of difference, betweene the Reformed and the Roman Church, I will weigh what is brought on both ſides, firſt what the Ieſuit alledgeth for ſeven: and then what the Knight for two. S. Auſtine having written divers Catechiſticall treatiſes, in which hee had occaſion to name and handle the Sacraments: yet no where defineth the number of them to bee ſeven, neither nameth all of them either joyntly or ſeverally: this the Ieſuit knowing well enough, bringeth no one teſtimonie for the proofe of their ſeven Sacraments out of him, but forceth only ſome ſentences to prove out of them that hee held more then two, as namely out of his firſt Sermon upon the 103. Pſalme, Caſt thine eyes upon the gifts or offices of the Church in Baptiſme, the Euchariſt, and the reſt of the holy Sacraments, and Epiſt. 118. p. 104having brought in two Sacraments, Baptiſme and the Lords Supper, hee addeth ſuch a generall clauſe, and if there bee any thing elſe commended in holy Scriptures; which words of his import that hee held more ſacraments then Baptiſme and the Lords Supper, in that very ſenſe wherein thoſe two by him named are called Sacraments. I anſwer, S. Auſtine in neither of theſe places taketh the word Sacrament in a ſtrict ſenſe: but in a large for every ſacred rite commended in Scripture, or gift and office of the Church. As for the word coeter is, the Ieſuit inſiſteth upon: it importeth only a generical convenience and ſimilitude not a ſpecificall; and ſo wee acknowledge that there are many ſacred rites in the Church, which agree with Baptiſme and the Lords Supper in the genericall notion of Sacraments: but not in the ſpecificall as the word Sacrament is taken for a peculiar ſeale of the New Teſtament, having thereunto annexed a promiſe of juſtifying grace. Now let us weigh what the Knight alledgeth out of S. Auſtine for two Sacraments only,De doct. Chriſ. l. 3. c. 9. Our Lord (ſaith that Father) and his Apoſtles have delivered unto us a few Sacraments in ſtead of many, in performance moſt eaſie, in ſignification moſt excellent, as is the Sacrament of Baptiſme and the Lords Supper. To diſappoint this teſtimonie, the Ieſuit firſt layeth corruption and falſification to the Knights charge, becauſe S. Auſtines words are ſigna pauca, not ſacramenta. Which is nothing but a meere cavill, for ſigna and ſacramenta are in p. 105S. Auſtine no other then ſynonima, by ſigna hee can meane no other then ſacramenta. For he inſtanceth there in no other, neither did Chriſt deliver unto us any other ſigna or ſigilla but theſe two. Yes, ſaith the Ieſuit, for it is plaine by the word ſicut, that hee bringeth in Baptiſme and the Lords Supper for example only, and doth not reſtraine the ſigna to theſe two. It is not plaine, for ſicut bringeth in an example be it one, or more, neither can wee from thence inferre that there are more. For S. Iohn ſpeaking of our Saviour ſaith, vidimus gloriam ejus ſicut unigeniti filij Dei, Wee beheld the glorie as of the only begotten Sonne of the Father. Will the Ieſuit from thence inferre that God had more only begotten ſonnes? but to expound S. Auſtine out of himſelfe thoſe ſignes or Sacraments which here hee calls a few, in his 118. Epiſtle hee tearmes most few (Sacrament is numero pauciſsimis) ſurely ſeven Sacraments are not numero pauciſsima, feweſt in number, but two are ſo: and therefore in his booke De ſymbolo ad catechumenos, he tearmeth them gemina Eccleſiae ſacramenta; which paſſage the Ieſuit taketh no notice of, becauſe hee could give no anſwer at all unto it, yet hee ſetteth a good face upon the matter ſaying, this may ſuffice for ſuch teſtimonies as were alledged out of S. Auſtine. Of all the Roman Captaines I cannot liken him fitter to any then to Terentius Varro, who though hee fought ſo unhappily againſt Hanniball at Cannae, that hee loſt 40000. men upon the place, yet hee p. 106ſeemed to bee little daunted therewith, and the Roman Senat ſent him publike thankes, quòd de republicâ non deſperâſſet, that hee deſpaired not of the Common-wealth.

To the ninth. 9The authour of the treatiſe De ablutione pedum, who was farre later then S. Cyprian, mentioneth indeed five ſacraments which are more then two, yet leſſe then ſeven, and for thoſe five hee nameth, it is evident hee intended not that they were Sacraments in a ſtrict ſenſe. For one of them is ablutio pedum, which if it bee a Sacrament in the proper ſenſe, then hath the Ieſuit an eighth ſacrament as himſelfe is ſapientum octavus. Not ſo, ſaith hee, for ablutio pedum which that Authour meaneth is the ſacrament of Penance. Then belike Peter and the Apoſtles did Penance whileſt Chriſt waſhed their feet. Although there may lie hid ſome myſterie in that ablution,L. 2. de ſac. c. 24. and therefore it may bee tearmed a Sacrament in a large ſenſe, as Bellarmine expoundeth that authour. Yet our Lord himſelfe revealeth unto us no other myſterie, nor maketh any other inference from it then a patterne of humilitie,Ioh. 13, 14.John 13:14 If I your Lord and Maſter have waſhed your feet, ye alſo ought to waſh one anothers feet. Yea but (ſaith Flood,) the authour ſpeaketh of another Laver after Baptiſme, and what can that bee other then Penance? He ſpeaketh of another laver, not of another Sacrament, which laver is no other then the laver of penitent teares. But dicis cauſa, let ablutio pedum be Penance, yet wee have but foure p. 107Sacraments mentioned by this Author, what becommeth of the other three? To this hee anſwereth that the Authour mentioned not them becauſe his ſcope was in that place to ſpeake of ſuch Sacraments as had relation to our Saviours laſt Supper. A ridiculous evaſion, for what relation hath Baptiſme, or Penance, or Confirmation, or order to our Lords Supper? But the Ieſuit like a Lawyer that hath taken his fee of his Client, thought himſelfe bound in conſcience to ſpeake ſomething in behalfe of this Authour, though nothing at all to the purpoſe, like Erucius in Tully Ego quid acceperim ſcio, quid dicam neſcio.Cic. pro. Roſc. Amer.

To the tenth. The Ieſuit in his anſwer to S. Iſidore bewrayes extreame negligence. For the Knight quoting S. Iſidore at large in his ſixt book, and not naming any chapter, this Deſultorius Miles poſting through one chapter, and finding not the words there, chargeth the Knight with falſification; whereas in the chapter immediatly following, to wit, the 19. according to the later edition of S. Iſidore (but in the 18. according to the former) the teſtimonie alledged by the Knight is found in expreſſe words, and Baptiſme, Chriſme, and the Lords Supper reckoned by him for the Sacraments of the Church there, without addition of any other; If hee had held ſeven ſacraments, queſtionleſſe in that place hee would have named all, or at leaſt the major part of them. The Ieſuit applieth a plaiſter to this ſore, to wit, that elſe-where the ſame Father mentioneth Penance p. 108and Matrimonie. But the plaiſter is too narrow, and the ſalve of no vertue at all. Firſt, it is too narrow, for though Penance and Matrimonie be added to Baptiſme, Chriſme and the Lords Supper, we have yet but foure (or if we take Chriſme not for a Ceremonie uſed in Baptiſme but a diſtinct Sacrament from it) at the moſt, but five: wee are ſtill out of our reckoning, wee heare nothing of Order and Extreame Vnction. Secondly, as the plaiſter is too narrow, ſo the ſalve ſpread on it is of no vertue at all. For though S. Iſidore compareth Penance to Baptifme in reſpect of the effect thereof, viz. waſhing away of ſinne, yet he maketh not thereby Penance a Sacrament. Whatſoever waſheth away ſinne is not therefore a Sacrament,Acts 15.9.Acts 15:9 Faith purifieth the heart, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh;Luk. 11.41.Luke 11:41 and Chriſt himſelfe ſaith, doe Almes, and all things ſhall bee cleane unto you; Yet doth it not from thence follow, that either Faith or Charitie are Sacraments. For Matrimonie he ſaith indeed there are three boones or good things in it, or as the Ieſuit tranſlateth the words, three goods of it, fides, proles & ſacramentum, faith, iſſue, and a Sacrament, but by ſacrament there hee underſtandeth the great myſterie of the union of Chriſt with his Church, whereof Matrimonie is a ſigne, and hee alludeth to the words of the Apoſtle,Epheſ. 5.34.Eph 5:34 foreign, this is a great my sterie, Apoc. 17.17. I will tell thee the myſlerie of the woman and of the beaſt.Rev 17:17which the Latine interpreter tranſlateth ſacramentum, as hee doth alſo the ſacrament of the woman, and as ſtrongly might they conclude out p. 109of him, that the Whore of Babylon is an eight Sacrament, as Matrimonie is the ſeventh.So S. Aug. de pecca…t, & remiſ. l. 1. c. 26 calleth bread which was given to the Catecumeni an holy Sacrament, and in Pſal. 44. the myſteries of Chriſtian religion Sacramenta docl rinae.Ps 44 In our booke of Homilies Mariage is called a Sacrament as all ſacred Rites may in a large ſenſe. The Ieſuit ſhould have proved according to his undertaking pag. 202. that Mariage is a Sacrament in a ſtrict ſenſe, but his proofes are as his honeſty is at large.

To the eleventh. Hallenſis lived in a darke age, yet in this point hee ſaw ſome light through a chinke, whereby he diſcovered that three of their ſuppoſed Sacraments, to wit, Order, Penance, 11and Matrimonie had their being before the New Teſtament,Part. 4. q. 5. memb. 2. and conſequently were not to bee ſaid properly the Sacraments of the new Law: and hee giveth us alſo a ſufficient reaſon to exclude the fourth, to wit, Confirmation; becauſe as hee teacheth, the forme and matter thereof were not appointed by our Saviour, but by the Church in a Councell held at Melda. Yea but ſaith the Ieſuit hee addeth, fine praejudicio dicendum, let this bee ſpoken with leave, adding, let us heare but ſuch a word from the Knights mouth, and hee ſhall ſee the matter will ſoone bee ended. For anſwer whereunto I ſay, firſt, that the words of Hallenſis, ſine praejudicio, no whit prejudice the truth of his aſſertion: but only ſhew the modeſtie of the man. Next, for the Knight, whoſoever peruſeth his Booke with the Preface, ſhall find that hee ſpeaketh farre more modeſtly and ſubmiſſively then Hallenſis here doth,Part. 4. q. 5. memb. 7. art. 2 Sed tumor Ieſuitae non capit illius modum. What Hallenſis concludeth that p. 110there be neither more nor fewer then ſeven Sacraments, maketh little againſt us, for he neither addeth Sacraments properly ſo called, nor Sacraments of the new Law, in quibus vertitur cardo quaeſtionis; if the Ieſuit ſo expound Hallenſis he maketh him contradict himſelfe, and ſo utterly diſableth his teſtimonie. For all Sacraments properly ſo called of the new Law muſt be inſtituted by Chriſt, the authour of the new Law, which Hallenſis denieth of Confirmation. Againe, they muſt have their being by the new Law, not before which hee affirmeth of three of the ſeven Sacraments as I ſhewed before.

To the twelfth. 12Whereſoever the Knight maketh mention of Hugo, the Ieſuit maketh an hideous noiſe like an hue and cry, you ſay, ſaith the Ieſuit, P. 231.of Hugo, that hee excludeth Penance from the number of the Sacraments and admitteth holy water. For both which Sir Humphrey a man may hold up his finger to you, and wagge it, you know what I meane, &c. The Knight knoweth well what you meane, and alſo what manner of men they are, who hold up their finger in ſuch ſort, viz. fooles or mad-men, utrum horum mavult accipiat. Is it a matter that deſerveth ſuch hooting to alledge Hugo de ſancto victore out of Maſter Perkins in his Problemes a moſt learned worke, againſt which never a Papiſt yet durſt quatch. How many hundred teſtimonies doe Bellarmine and Baronius, and this Ieſuit alledge at the ſecond hand? Were the allegation falſe, Maſter Perkins muſt p. 111beare the blame, who miſquoted Hugo, not the Knight, who rightly alledgeth Maſter Perkins, but the Ieſuit neither doth nor can diſprove the allegation, but out of another booke of Hugo he alledgeth a paſſage for ſeven Sacraments, which yet as I ſhall ſhew hereafter may well ſtand with that which Maſter Perkins alledgeth out of him againſt Penance. But before I expound Hugo, I wiſh the reader to obſerve in the Ieſuit, how true that is which the Naturaliſts relate concerning Serpents, that the more venemous they are,Plin. l. 8. c. 23. Aſpidi hebetes oculi dati, eoſ que non in fronte ſed in temporibus habet. the ſhorter ſighted they are. Hee who odiouſly and malitiouſly chargeth the Knight with a falſe quotation in this very place falſly quoteth the ſame Authour himſelfe. For the words hee alledgeth out of him, to wit, that there are ſeven principall Sacraments of the Church, are not found in the booke he quoteth, viz. ſpeculum de myſt. Eccleſ. c. 12. It is true ſuch like words are found in another Treatiſe of his, to wit de ſacrament is, but this neither excuſeth the Ieſuits negligence, nor helpeth at all his cauſe. For he that ſaith there are ſeven principall Sacraments, implieth that there are more then ſeven, though leſſe principall. Either Hugo taketh the word Sacrament in a large or ſtrict ſence: if in a large, he contradicteth not us; if in a ſtrict ſence, he contradicteth the Ieſuit and the Trent Fathers, for they teach there are no more then ſeven Sacraments, whether principall, or not principall. Hugo reckoning ſeven as principall tacitly admitteth other as leſſe principall. p. 112Yet the Ieſuit ſingeth an Iôpoean to himſelfe, and moſt inſolently inſulteth upon the Knight, P. 231.ſaying, Bcauſe you may leſſe doubt of Penance, whereof for thus abuſing your authour and reader you deſerve no ſmall part, he hath a particular … hapter, wherein hee calleth it as wee doe with S. Ierome the ſecond board after ſhipwrack, and ſaith that if a man endanger his clenſing which hee hath received, by Baptiſme he may riſe and eſcape by Penance. How ſay you to this Sir Humfrey? have I not juſt cauſe to tell you your owne? Agreed, ſuum cui que let the Ieſuit tell the Knight, and I will tell the Ieſuit his owne; the Knight neither holdeth with the doctrine of Merit, nor the ſacrament of Penance; the Ieſuit who holdeth both may by his beliefe merit their holy ſacrament of Penance, for egregiouſly abuſing Hugo de Sancto Victore, and S. Ierome and his reader, by making a Sacrament of a metaphor, and out of them arguing thus wooddenly againſt the Knight. Hugo hath a particular chapter wherein hee calleth Penance as wee doe with S. Ierome, the ſecond boord after ſhipwracke, Ergo, Penance is a Sacrament of the new Law; doth he not deſerve for concluding ſo abſurdly, to have the character of his owne ſacrament indelebly imprinted upon his fleſh?

To the thirteenth. 13The Knight alledgeth not Bellarmine nor Hugo, nor Peter Lombard, nor Bonaventure, nor Hallenſis, nor Altiſiodorenſis, nor Suarez himſelfe; as if they expreſly and in direct tearmes denied Extreame Unction to bee a ſacrament: p. 113this they doe not, neither as things ſtood with ſome of them might doe ſafely, the Roman Church having defined the contrarie. Yet ſo great is the force of truth, that what in words they affirme they conſequently deny; and thus much Suarez ingenuouſly confeſſeth; ſome, Suar. tom. diſp. 39 ſect 2. nonnulli negârunt hoci ſacramentum fuiſſe à Chriſto inſtitutum ex quo planè ſequebatur non eſſe verum ſacramentum.ſaith hee, have denied that this Sacrament was inſtituted by Chriſt, whence it followeth by plaine conſequence that it is no true Sacrament. Yea but ſaith Flood, if thoſe Schoole-men had lived in this age, they would have ſaid that Chriſt did inſtitute it. Whereunto I anſwer, that all Iudgements proceed ex allegatis & probatis, not allegandis & probandis upon things alledged, and proved not upon things to be alledged and proved in future times, neither is it likely that they would have altered their opinion, upon notice of the Trent deciſion, for if the Church of France, and divers other Romiſh Catholiques, as they tearme them, ſubmit not at this day to all the Decrees of that Councell: much leſſe may it bee thought that thoſe ancient and acute ſchoole Divines, who bare the greateſt ſway in their times, would have ſuffered themſelves to baffled by the pretence of a pettie Councell, charging her canons with nothing but paper-ſhot: every Sacrament of the New Teſtament is ſupported with two pillars, inſtitution by Chriſt, and a promiſe of juſtifying grace annexed to the due receivers thereof ſet downe in Scripture, the former pillar the ancient Schoolemen take from Extreame Unction: the later Bellarmine p. 114and Cajetan, how then can it ſtand? The Ieſuit anſwereth upon a third pillar unwritten tradition. But this I have proved before to be a weak and rotten one: and to ſpeake the truth it ſerveth Papiſts as pons Aſinorum did the ancient Logicians to which they fly for ſhelter, when all other helpe faileth them. Albeit they bragge much of Scripture, yet upon examination of particulars it will appeare, that their new Trent Creed conſiſting of twelve ſupernumerarie Articles, hath no foundation at all in Scripture: and therefore they are forced for their ſupport to fly to verbum Dei non ſcriptum, an unwritten word of God, which I would faine know of them how they prove to be Gods word? Whether by Scripture, or by unwritten tradition? by Scripture they cannot ſay, for it implies a flat contradiction, that verbum non ſcriptum ſhould be ſcriptum, that unwritten traditions ſhould be found in, or founded on Scripture; if they ſay they prove it to bee Gods word by tradition, then they prove idem per idem the ſame thing by it ſelfe, and build their faith upon a ſillie ſophiſme called petitio príncipij, the begging the maine point in queſtion.

To the fourteenth. 14In the allegation of Cardinal Beſſario the Ieſuit chargeth the Knight with ambiguous tranſlation,P. 225. and ſo placing the words, that they may have a double ſence, the one to deceive the ſimple, and the other to excuſe himſelfe againſt the objections of the learned: and for this he pronounceth a woe againſt him, vae p. 115peccatori terra… ingredienti duabus vijs, Woe to the ſinner going on the earth two wayes: But the truth is, as Pentheus after he was diſtracted, imagined, duplices ſe oſtendere Phoebos, Oreſles apud Euripidem Electram ſororem appellat Furiam quòd eam ne fureret in lectlo conſtringeret.that hee ſaw two Sunnes, when yet there was but one in the skie: ſo the Ieſuit in a fit of frantick malice, imagined the Knight to goe two wayes whereas hee goeth but one, and that a faire and ſtreight way, for he ſetteth the Latine words of the Cardinall without any adition or detraction in the margent, haec duo ſola ſacramenta in Evangelijs manifeſtè tradita legimus, and hee tranſlateth them faithfully: wee reade that theſe two Sacraments only were delivered us plainly in Scriptures; hee rendereth not the words we reade plainly in Scriptures, that there were two only Sacraments delivered unto us, which had beene a miſplacing of Beſſarions words, and miſ-interpretation of his meaning, bu wee reade that theſe two only were plainly delivered in the Goſpell; there is no more ambiguitie in the tranſlation then in the originall, which though it denieth not that other Sacraments may bee delivered in the Goſpell, yet it affirmeth that theſe two only are plainly delivered there, and conſequently that theſe two only are, de fide, matter of faith, and upon paine of damnation to be beleeved; for as I proved before out of S. Auſtine, and S. Chryſoſtome, all things that concerne faith and manners, and are neceſſarie to ſalvation are plainly delivered in holy Scriptures.

To the fifteenth. 15Some Papiſtsas Flood confeſſeth p. 116denie the foure inferiour Orders to be Sacraments,P. 234. and Soto denieth the ſuperiour, what a confuſion is here in your ſacrament of order? If the ordination of Biſhops be not truly and properly a Sacrament, as Dominicus Soto acknowledgeth, neither is the ordination of Prieſts a Sacrament; for what can be alledged more for the one then the other? and if the ordination of Prieſts be no ſacrament, much leſſe Deacons, or ſubdeacons or Acolytes or Exorciſts. Whether there be the ſame character imprinted in the ordination of Biſhops, and Prieſts, it is not materiall to our preſent queſtion, for if it be the ſame, then it followeth according to the doctrine of the Schooles, that they are one and the ſelfe-ſame Sacrament: if a diverſe character bee imptinted by the one, and by the other, then are they two diſtinct Sacraments. If they are the ſame Sacraments, then Soto denying the one, conſequently denieth the other to bee a Sacrament: if they are diſtinct Sacraments, then there are eight Sacraments. Yea but ſaith the Ieſuit, Whither there bee a new character in a Biſhop, or the ſame extended is no matter of faith, and therefore wee are not to diſpute with you of it, but keepe you off at the ſtaffes end, or rather out of doores: when you are once admitted into the Catholique Church, wee may admit you to ſpeake of a Schoole-point or elſe not. Wee know well that yee are loath that we ſhould heare of your differences among your ſelves: but the fire of contention cannot bee kept within the p. 117walls of your Schooles, quis enim celaverit ignem? Lumine qui ſemper proditur ipſe ſuo, it breaketh out, and if ye looke not to it, it will ſet on fire the whole fabrick of your Romiſh Babel. Meane while the Ieſuit giveth us great incouragement to deſire to bee admitted into the Roman Church, becauſe then forſooth wee ſhall have leave to tread the endleſſe mazes of ſcholaſticall diſputes.

To the ſixteenth. If Soto come ſhort, 16Durand commeth home to the point in queſtion, for hee affirmeth that which is alledged by the Knight, and confeſſed by the Ieſuit, that Matrimonie is not a Sacrament univocally, if not univocally, not truly and properly, but equivocally or analogically. Yea but ſaith the Ieſuit, all acknowledge it for anerror in Durand: hee ſaith all, but hee names none. Surely the Divines of the reformed Church acknowledge it for no error in Durand, but defend it for a truth: and for ſuch Romiſh Divines that adhere to the Councell of Trent, they are but a faction in the Church, nor is their authoritie more to be urged againſt the Doctours of the reformed Churches, then the authoritie of the Doctours of the reformed Churches againſt them: which yet if any ſhould produce againſt any of the Articles of their new Creed, they would not vouchſafe them ſo much as a looke. For the definition of the Church in the Councel of Florence, which the Ieſuit toucheth upon, it is of little or no authoritie, becauſe that Councell p. 118was not general, nor called by lawfull authoritie, but by the ſchiſmaticall Pope Eugenius the fourth, who was depoſed by a generall Councell held at Baſil.

To the ſeventeenth. 17Becauſe the Ieſuit is forbidden by the Popes law to taſt of the fruits of Matrimonie, at which it ſeemes his mouth waters, hee is content to let the tree fall to the ground, for want of ſupport. To Cardinal Cajetan who gave a ſtrong puſh at it, by denying that it can be proved to bee a Sacrament. Out of the words of S. Paul Epheſians the fift, hee anſwereth nothing but with ifs, if it be not proved out of that place it may be out of others, if out of no other, yet out of tradition to his ifs I returne fies; fie for ſhame that they ſhould bind all their followers under paine of a heavie curſe to beleeve this Sacrament of Matrimonie, and yet know not where to ground this their beliefe, upon Scripture or tradition. If it may be proved to bee a ſacrament out of S. Paul, Epheſ. 5.Eph 5their moſt learned Cardinal Cajetan is out: if it may not be proved out of thoſe words, Cardinal Bellarmine and almoſt all Papiſts that wrote ſince Cajetan are in an errour. The Ieſuit holdeth a Wolfe by the eare: hee dares neither hold with Cajetan, nor againſt him: but puts the matter off with an iff. If it cannot be proved to bee a Sacrament out of that paſſage, as Cajetan affirmeth, yet it may bee out of other texts. What texts? why doth he not name them? it is a ſigne hee feareth his coyne is counterfeit, that p. 119hee dare not bring it to the teſt. If that place which ſeemeth to make moſt for his Romiſh tenet, make nothing at all, as the acute Schooleman, and moſt learned Cardinal Cajetan confeſſeth there is no likelihood that other texts which have leſſe appearance will ſtand them in any ſtead, and therefore for his laſt refuge he flyeth to unwritten traditions, as the old Dunces as I noted before, ad pontem aſinorum.

To the eighteenth. 18Canus puts a ſtrong ſharpe weapon in our hands to wound your Trent doctrine concerning Matrimonie,Canus loc. Theol. l. 8. c. 5. in materiâ & formâ hujus Sacramenti, viz. Matrimonij ſtatuendâ, adeò ſunt inconſtantes & varij, aàeò incerti & ambigui ut ineptus juturus ſit quis in tantâ illorum varietate, & diſcrepantiâ rem aliquam certam, conſtantem, & exploratam conetur afferre. but withall forbiddeth us to ſtrike with it, as the Ieſuit Flood telleth us, as if we were at his beck, and might not uſe our weapons as wee liſt. But let him know, though he be ſo fooliſh as to give advantage, wee will not bee ſo childiſh as to leave it. If that bee true which he writeth, that the Divines of Rome write ſo uncertainly of the matter and forme of Matrimonie, that it were folly in any to goe about to reconcile theſe differences, and determine any thing certaine in the point: we will inferre upon him that it is likewiſe folly to define Matrimonie to be a Sacrament, for if the matter and forme of Matrimonie bee ſo unknowne as hee ſaith, the genus of it muſt needs be unknowne. For the genus as Porphyrie teacheth, is taken from the matter, L. de praedicab. c. de genere.and anſwereth thereunto as the difference is taken from the forme. If the genus be uncertaine, how can it bee an article of faith, that matrimonium is ſpecies ſacramenti. The whole nature of a thing p. 120conſiſteth of matter and forme, which if it bee unknowne, the ſpecificall eſſence is unknowne, and if the ſpecificall eſſence be unknowne, how can it be ranked in his predicament under its proper genus? What Papiſt ſoever therefore defineth Matrimonie, and putteth it under a Sacrament as the proper genus, Canus putteth the foole upon him take it off when you can.

To the nineteenth. 19Vaſquez giveth the Ieſuits cauſe not ſo light a blow (as hee imagineth) in ſaying that where S. Auſtine calleth Matrimonie a ſacrament, hee taketh the word Sacrament in a large ſenſe, and not in the ſtrict and proper: for if S. Auſtine bee ſo to be underſtood, he held not Matrimonie a ſacrament properly ſo called, but in a large ſence onelyonly, and if that were his judgement, we have a great advantage of our Adverſaries in the cauſe, for S. Auſtine carrieth a great ſtroake, not only becauſe hee is held the acuteſt of all the ancient Fathers, and father of all the Schoolemen: but eſpecially, becauſe the Pope in the Canon law profeſſeth Auguſtinum ſequimur in diſputationibus, Wee follow for the moſt part, ſaith Pope Gelaſius, S. Ierome in the interpretation of Scripture, S. Gregorie in matter of moralitie, but S. Auſtine in point of controverſie. Yea but ſaith Flood, this is but Vaſquez his private and ſingular opinion concerning S. Auſtine. Neither doth the Knight otherwayes urge it then as the ſingular opinion of a ſingularly learned Ieſuit enforced by evidence of truth, to give over p. 121their chiefeſt hold of antiquitie in this point the authoritie of S. Auſtine. Well, be it ſo ſaith Flood, Vaſquez is ſo farre for you, yet we have an Oliver for a Rowland, Bellarmine for Vaſquez; for this opinion of Vaſquez, is contradicted by other Catholique Divines, and by Bellarmine in particular. Where is then the unitie our Adverſaries ſo much bragge of? two of the greateſt Champions of the Pope Vaſquez and Bellarmine ſtrive about S. Auſtine, and the one refelleth the reaſons of the other, ſo that it ſeemeth our popiſh Divines are as ill reſolved about the proofe of their doctrine, as I ſhewed before out of Canus, that they were in a wood concerning the doctrine it ſelfe. Moreover I adde, that though Bellarmine may goe in equipage with Vaſquez: yet Vaſquez againſt them more diſparageth their cauſe, then Bellarmine for them helpeth it. For a teſtimonie from an enemie is of more force for us, then the teſtimonie of a friend, or rather ſworne vaſſall to the Roman Church can be for them.

To the twentieth. 20Sithence ſignification is of the eſſence of the Sacrament, and Bellarmine will have this ſignification neceſſarily to containe in it three things, the Paſsion of Chriſt, ſanctifying grace, and eternall life. And whereas farther he confeſſeth that the ſignification of theſe three things is moſt apparant in Baptiſme and the Lords Supper. The Knight ſtrongly concludeth out of him that our doctrine concerning two Sacraments is more certaine and evident, then theirs p. 122concerning ſeven, and conſequently that our beleefe is ſafer in this point then theirs. As for that which the Ieſuit addeth out of Bellarmine, that the reſt of the Sacraments ſignifie all theſe things at leaſt implicitly were it true, yet wee had the better of the cauſe. For our two Sacraments, as it is confeſſed, ſignifie theſe things plainly and evidently; theirs obſcurely and implicitly; but indeed it is not true that they ſignifie or repreſent thoſe things at all. For what repreſentation is there betweene impoſition of hands in orders, or joyning of hands in Matrimonie, or confeſſing ſinnes in penance, or chriſme in Confirmation, or oylein Extreame Unction, and the Paſſion of Chriſt, and eternall life? What the Ieſuit addeth for concluſion, that the reſt of the Knights ſection is nothing but ſuch fooliſh ſtuffe as hee is wont to talke, without rime or reaſon, needeth no other anſwer then this that the Knight indeed from p. 157. to 161. taketh an inventorie of a great deale of fooliſh ſtuffe, but it is theirs, not the Knights, to wit, that Chriſt ſatisfied the people with five loaves and two fiſhes which make ſeven, and that which Andrew ſaid, there is a boy here which hath five loaves and two fiſhes, muſt be underſtood of the ranke of S. Peters ſucceſſors, Tyraboſc. pat: Ven. vid. Gentilet examen concil. Trid. l. 4.and that which is added; make the people ſit downe, ſignifieth that ſalvation muſt bee offered to them, by teaching them the ſeven Sacraments. Againe, there are ſeven Vertues, ſeven mortall ſinnes, ſeven Planets, the Lord reſted the ſeventh day, ſeven p. 123dayes thou ſhalt eate unleavened bread; Balak effered ſeven Bulls, and ſeven Rams; and in the Apocalips wee reade of ſeven Candleſticks, ſeven Seales, ſeven Trumpets, ſeven Angels: Ergo, there are ſeven Sacraments properly ſo called, or rather properly ſo proved.

Spectatum admiſsi riſum teneatis amici? Are ſuch argumemts the reaſons of men, ſobriae & vigilant is fidei, as S. Auſtine ſpeaketh, are they not rather dreames of the ſeven Sleepers? or as Epictetus ſpake of arguments againſt the truth,Ex Hnmfr. in Vit. Iuelli. Haec ſunt infernorum ſomniorum Phantaſmata.