Imatges de pàgina
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prevent all mistaking, he thus expoundeth himself in his retractations. "Wheresoevers in these books I have made mention of the Church not having spot or wrinkle, it is not so to be taken, as if she were so now, but that she is prepared to be so, when she shall appear glorious. For now, by reason of certain ignorances and infirmities of her members, the whole Church hath cause to say every day, Forgive us our trespasses." Now as long as the Church is subject to these ignorances and infirmities, it cannot be otherwise, but there must be differences betwixt the members thereof; one part may understand that whereof another is ignorant: and, ignorance being the mother of error, one particular Church may wrongly conceive of some points, wherein others may be rightly informed. Neither will it follow thereupon, that these Churches must be of different religions, because they fully agree not in all things: or that therefore the reformed Churches in our days must disclaim all kindred with those in ancient times, because they have washed away some spots from themselves, which they discerned to have been in them.

It is not every spot that taketh away the beauty of a Church, nor every sickness that taketh away the life thereof: and therefore, though we should admit that the ancient Church of Rome was somewhat impaired both in beauty and in health too (wherein we have no reason to be sorry, that we are unlike unto her), there is no necessity, that hereupon presently she must cease to be our sister. St. Cyprian, and the rest of the African bishops that joined with him, held that such as were baptized by heretics should be rebaptized: the African bishops in the time of Aurelius were of another mind. Doth the diversity of their judgments in this point make them to have been of a diverse religion? It was the use of the ancient Church to minister the communion unto infants: which is yet also prac

Ubicunque in his libris commemoravi Ecclesiam non habentem maculam aut rugam, non sic accipiendum est quasi jam sit, sed quæ præparatur ut sit, quando apparebit etiam gloriosa. Nunc enim, propter quasdam ignorantias et infirmitates membrorum suorum, habet unde quotidie tota dicat: Dimitte nobis debita nostra. August. retract. lib. 2. cap. 18. op. tom. 1. pag. 48.

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tised by the Christians in Egypt and Ethiopia. Church of Rome, upon better consideration, hath thought fit to do otherwise; and yet for all that will not yield, that either she herself hath forsaken the religion of her ancestors, because she followeth them not in this; or that they were of the same religion with the Cophites and Habassines, because they agree together in this particular. So put case the Church of Rome now did use prayer for the dead in the same manner that the ancient Church did (which we will shew to be otherwise); the reformed Churches, that upon better advice have altered that usage, need not therefore grant, that either themselves hold a different religion from that of the fathers, because they do not precisely follow them in this; nor yet that the fathers were therefore papists, because in this point they thus concurred. For, as two may be discerned to be sisters by the likeness of their faces, although the one have some spots or blemishes which the other hath not: so a third may be brought in, which may shew like spots and blemishes, and yet have no such likeness of visage as may bewray her to be the other's sister.

But our challenger having first conceited in his mind an idea of an unspotted Church upon earth; then being far in love with the painted face of the present Church of Rome, and out of love with us, because we like not as he liketh; taketh a view of both our faces in the false glass of affection, and findeth her on whom he doteth, to answer his unspotted Church in all points, but us to agree with it in almost nothing. And thereupon "he would fain know, whether of both have the true religion? they that do not disagree with that holy Church in any point of religion; or they that agree with it but in very few, and disagree in almost all?" Indeed if that, which he assumeth for granted, could as easily be proved as it is boldly avouched; the question would quickly be resolved, whether of us both have the true religion? But he is to understand, that strong conceits are but weak proofs: and that the Jesuits have not been the first, from whom such brags as these have been heard. Dioscorus the heretic

was as pert, when he uttered these speeches in the council of Chalcedon: "I am cast out with the fathers. I defend the doctrines of the fathers. I transgress them not in any point: and I have their testimonies, not barely, but in their very books." Neither need we wonder, that he should bear us down, that the Church of Rome at this day doth not disagree from the primitive Church in any point of religion; who sticketh not so confidently to affirm, that we agree with it but in very few, and disagree in almost all. For those few points, wherein he confesseth we do agree with the ancient Church, must either be meant of such articles only, wherein we disagree from the now Church of Rome; or else of the whole body of that religion which we profess. If in the former he yield that we do agree with the primitive Church; what credit doth he leave unto himself, who with the same breath hath given out, that the present Church of Rome doth not disagree with that holy Church in any point? If he mean the latter; with what face can he say, that we agree with that holy Church but in very few points of religion, and disagree in almost all? Irenæus, who was the disciple of those which heard St. John the apostle, layeth' down the articles of that faith, in the unity whereof the churches that were founded in Germany, Spain, France, the East, Egypt, Libya, and all the world, did sweetly accord; as if they had all dwelt in one house, all had but one soul, and one heart, and one mouth. Is he able to shew one point, wherein we have broken that harmony, which Irenæus commendeth in the catholic Church of his time? But that rule of faith, so much commended by him and Tertullian and the rest of the fathers, and all the articles of the several creeds, that were ever received in the ancient Church as badges of the catholic profession (to which we willingly subscribe), is with this man almost nothing: none must now be counted a catholic, but he that can conform

* Εγώ μετὰ τῶν πατέρων ἐκβάλλομαι, ἐγὼ συνίσταμαι τοῖς τῶν πατέρων δόγμασιν. οὐ παραβαίνω ἐν τινι. καὶ τούτων τὰς χρήσεις, οὐχ ̓ à¤λôç, áλ kv ßißXions Exw. Concil. Chalced. act. 1. pag. 97. edit. Rom. Irenæ. lib. 1. cap. 2, 3. Epiph. hæres. 31.

his belief unto the creed of the new fashion, compiled by pope Pius the fourth, some four and fifty years ago.

As for the particular differences, wherein he thinketh he hath the advantage of us, when we come unto the sifting of them, it shall appear how far he was deceived in his imagination. In the mean time, having as yet not strucken one stroke, but threatened only to do wonders, if any would be so hardy to accept his challenge, he might have done very well, to have deferred his triumph, until such time as he had obtained the victory. For, as if he had borne us down with the weight of the authority of the fathers, and so astonished us therewith that we could not tell what to say for ourselves, he thus bestirreth himself, in a most ridiculous manner, fighting with his own shadow. "Will you say that these fathers," saith he, who hath not hitherto laid down so much as the name of any one father, "maintained these opinions contrary to the word of God? Why, you know that they were the pillars of Christianity, the champions of Christ his Church, and of the true catholic religion, which they most learnedly defended against divers heresies; and therefore spent all their time in a most serious study of the holy Scripture. Or will you say, that, although they knew the Scriptures to repugn, yet they brought in the aforesaid opinions by malice and corrupt intentions? Why, yourselves cannot deny, but that they lived most holy and virtuous lives, free from all malicious corrupting or perverting of God's holy word; and by their holy lives are now made worthy to reign with God in his glory. Insomuch as their admirable learning may sufficiently cross out all suspicion of ignorant error; and their innocent sanctity freeth us from all mistrust of malicious corruption."

But by his leave, he is a little too hasty. He were best to bethink himself more advisedly of that which he hath undertaken to perform; and to remember the saying of the king of Israel unto Benhadad, " Let' not him that

* Forma professionis fidei, in bulla Pii iv. edit. ann. 1564.

11 Kings, chap. 20. ver. 11.

girdeth on his harness, boast himself, as he that putteth it off." He hath taken upon him to prove, that our religion cannot be true, because it "disalloweth of many chief articles, which the saints and fathers of that primitive Church of Rome did generally hold to be true." For performance hereof, it will not be sufficient for him to shew, that some of these fathers maintained some of these opinions: he must prove, if he will be as good as his word and deal any thing to the purpose, that they held them generally; and held them too, not as opinions, but tanquam de fide, as appertaining to the substance of faith and religion. For, as Vincentius Lirinensis well observeth," the ancient consent of the holy fathers is with great care to be sought and followed by us, not in every petty question belonging to the law of God, but only, or at least principally, in the rule of faith." But all the points, propounded by our challenger, be not chief articles: and therefore if in some of them the fathers have held some opinions that will not bear weight in the balance of the sanctuary (as some conceits they had herein, which the papists themselves must confess to be erroneous), their defects in that kind do abate nothing of that reverend estimation which we have them in, for their great pains taken in the defence of the true catholic religion, and the serious study of the holy Scripture. Neither do I think that he, who thus commendeth them for the pillars of Christianity and the champions of Christ's Church, will therefore hold himself tied to stand unto every thing that they have said: sure he will not; if he follow the steps of the great ones of his own society.

For what doth he think of Justin Martyr, Irenæus, and Epiphanius? Doth he not account them among those pillars and champions he speaketh of? Yet, saith cardinal Bellarmine," I do not see how we may defend their

m Antiqua sanctorum patrum consensio non in omnibus divinæ legis quæstiunculis, sed solum, certe præcipue, in fidei regula magno nobis studio et investiganda est et sequenda. Vincent. contra hæres. cap. 39.

" Justini, Irenæi, Epiphanii, atque Oecumenii sententiam non video quo pacto ab errore possimus defendere. Bellarmin. lib. 1. de sanctor. beatit, cap. 6.

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