be hee that addeth, or detracteth from the least of these sayings? (Rev. xxii. 18, 19.) What sense is there, that the Church of Rome should presume to alter Christ's Institution, and take away the Cup from the Laitie, when it is confessed by their owne Generall Councell, that Christ did institute, and the Primitive Church did administer the Sacrament in both kindes*? What reason can be alleadged, why an ignorant man should pray without understanding; when the Apostle commands us to pray with the Spirit, and to pray with the understanding also? (1 Cor. xiv.) What discretion should lead men to invocate Saints and Angels, when the Apostle doth make this unanswerable question; How shall they call upon him, in whom they have not beleeved? (Rom. x. 14.) What confidence and assurance of humane frailtie should cause them to leane to a broken staffe of their owne merites, when they may safely relye upon the sole merites of Christ Jesus? What madnesse is it to adore a piece of bread, which depends upon the intention of another man, seeing his intention may faile, and cause flat idolatrie in the worshipper; when they may safely and certainly 'adore Christ Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father? What stupiditie is it to worship a picture, the worke of mens hands, and to adventure idolatrie opon nice distinctions; when, without danger, they may worship the true God * Concil. Constant. Sess. 13. in Spirit and Truth, (John iv. 24.) as hee will bee worshipped? Lastly, what foolishnesse is it for a man to relye upon the Church, which is the authoritie of man that may erre, when hee may build upon the infallible rule of God's word, which, as is agreed on all hands, cannot erre? If men, for advantage of their cause, or for their owne preferment, will by shifts and cavills turne the neckes of Scriptures and Fathers cleane about, and wrest them to their owne side, let them beware of their example, who could not beleeve, or if they did beleeve, durst not confesse CHRIST, Because they sought the praise of men more then the praise of God! (John v. 44.) SECT. VI. THE COMMON PRETENCE OF OUR ADVERSARIES, REFUSING REFORMATION, BECAUSE WEE CANNOT ASSIGNE THE PRECISE TIME WHEN ERROURS CAME IN; REFUTED. How farre the Church of Rome stands guiltie of this crime, I will not take upon mee to censure; but sure I am, they are so farre from reforming the abuses and errours in their Church, that they will not acknowledge their poynts of Doctrine Doctrine to be erronious, unlesse we can assigne the time, and poynt at the persons, who first broached them. Now since wee are all eye-witnesses, that the errours of the Romish Church are at this day so notorious, that a very childe may perceive them; it were more fit (as I conceive) to redeeme the time, by correcting those errours, that crept into the Church, then to enquire after times and persons, which are not in their hands. If a man be sicke of a consumption, will hee refuse helpe of the Physician, except he can resolve him whether his Lungs or his Liver were first infected, and shewe the time when, and the occasion how, his bodie grew first distempered? When an house is ready to fall, men doe not stand to enquire what post or principall did first decay, or the time when the raine did first begin to rot it, but they seeke to amend that which is ruinous, and support that part, which is most subject unto falling. If you will have a more familiar example, Saint Austen will give you one. A man (saith he) falls into a pit, and calls for helpe; hee that should lend him his hand for present reliefe, falls to asking him this question; Quomodo huc cecidisti? How didst thou fall in here? But heare what answer he makes him: I pray you advise me, how I may come out, never ask me the question, how I came in?* *Obsecro, inquit, cogita quomodo hinc me liberes, non quomodo húc ceciderim, quæras. Aug. Ep. 29. In the parable of the Sower, (Matt. xiii. 24.) Christ himselfe gives a full answer to those impertinent demands: he tells us, that, after the good Seed was sowen, the enemy sowed Tares, when men were asleepe*. And from this parable, common reason will foorth-with conclude; If men were asleepe, how could they see him? If they did not see him, how could they produce him? Now as the enemy came at unawares, and in the night season, when there was none so much as dreamt of him; so likewise of this bee sure (saith our Saviour), if the good man of the house knew, at what watch the theefe would have come, he would surely have watched: (Matt. xxiv. 43.) and then certainly he would have told the time, and the person. The Doctrine that wee complaine of, is a mysterie of iniquitie, it is a mysterie cloaked with the name of Piety; and wee know, mysteries are secret, and have close and private working; they worke not openly and publiquely, but by degrees, leasurably, cunningly, and warily to avoid discoveries. And as tares sowen in good ground, being but a small seed, lie long covered and hid in the earth before they appeare, after they appeare, they grow to another shape, and so *Dormientibus hominibus. + Iniquitas sed mystica, (i.) pietatis nomine palliata. Initia vitiorum et corruptelarum in Rep. haud facilè discerni solent, quia primo parva sunt, sicut observat. Arist. lib. 5. Polit. cap. 1. 3. & 4. multiply multiply in the seed sowen; such is the condition of error sowed in the Church. First, it is an opinion broached by some private man, and haply with a good intention; then by addition it becomes an error of some one, or few which at first is not easily espied, or not much regarded: afterward it gathereth strength, and multiplieth itselfe into divers parts and members of the body; and so by continuance becomes a knowne errour, and then the servant makes complaint to his Master: Sir, didst not thou sowe good seed in thy field; from whence then hath it Tares? (Matth. xiii. 26, 27.) But, which is most observable, the servants did not espy the tares, untill such time as the good corne had sprung up, and was indangered by them. Wee say therefore, that in the Primitive Church, when any heresie did arise, that indangered the foundation, or openly disturbed the Church, such as was the heresie of the Arrians, of the Pelagians, of the Donatists, and the like, the first authours were observed, the times were knowne, the place was poynted at, and foorthwith Letters of Advertisement or Premonition † were written, (which were then in use) and were sent by the Orthodoxe Bishops and Pastors to other parts and sound members of the Catholique * Vide epistolam 79. Basil ad Eustachius Ep. Sebastiæ 79. edit. Gr. Froben. + Which were called by the ancient Greek Fathers, –λai Sleulxal. Basil Epist. citata. Church. |