before him in the view of all the Councel And the maine point of their Contentions was about Precedency which Bishoprick should be before another Oh devout and humble Prelates O holy successors of the Apostles Are these men like to remedy Schisme in the Church that are the Authors of them themselvs How came the great Schisme of Arius but by the Prelates when but one chiefly stood up against him How got Antichrist to be Caput Vniversale Universall Head or Bishop but by the dessent of the Bishops which causing their Appeales to Rome brought the Roman Bishop to that height so as the Prelates being worse divided among themselves then the Presbyters had been before them for remedy of whose Schisme they were by mans prescription erected gave occasion to the two Bishops of the two Imperiall Cities Rome and Constantinople to stickle for one Headship over all to reconcile all And so the Popedome it selfe the Throne of the Beast was erected in Schismatis remedium for the onely Remedy of all Schisme And it is to be noted how these two Prelates strove for this supremacy and both under the veile of humility Iohn of Constantinople becomes a great Faster whereupon he was styled Iohannes Iejunator Iohn the Faster Gregory then of Rome though he thundred against Iohns Ambition calling him that had or affected that Title the forerunner of Antichrist yet seeing Iohn like to prevaile with pretence of holinesse and humility Gregory stiles himselfe servus servorum Dei He thought he would not come behind for humility but indeed therein bewraying his pride when his humility was but in emulation And we see in Gregories Registrum in sundry of his Epistles how low he descends in most base flattery to that Parricide Phocas and his Empres to visit the thresholds of Peter and Paul c. But what will not Episcopall zeale doe for the Hierarchy But thus he kept Iohn off and so made way for his own Prophecy which was Filius superbiae prope est The son of pride that is Antichrist is neere at hand And neerer surely then he was aware For Gregory deceasing and Sabianus succeeding and siting but one yeare Boniface 3. the next successor obtaind this Title of Phocas and so each confirmed other the Emperour the Pope in the Throne of Antichrist which is a Tyranny over mens Soules and the Pope the Emperours Cruelty in a Tyranny over mens Bodyes And thus came that Prophecy of the Angel Revel 17.18 to be fulfilled The Woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigned over the Kings of the Earth As Rome then did in S. Iohns time So as according to Gods word not Constantinople which was not the Imperiall Câ—ty till Constantine so made it but Rome must be the feat of the Beast and of the Whore thus described Thus from Bishops emulation ambition contention one against another for honour precedency and greatnesse in the world came Antichrist to mount upon that Beast which had 7 heads and ten hornes And your selfe confesseth The difficulty was to accommodate the Places and Precedencies of Bishops among themselves And for this you say The most equall and impartiall way was that the Honours of the Church should follow the Honours of the State So that the greater City the greater Bishop And thus Romes Primacy in Order brought him to his supremacy in Authority Againe you say The Calling of Bishops Whence this Calling Not from God And of Aarons Priesthood it was said No man takes this honour upon him but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 So all the Apostles had a speciall Calling and Commission from Christ to preach c. Paul Called to be an Aposâ—le of Iesus Christ. He stood upon his Calling he had a lawfull Calling wheron his Apostolicke Authority was founded Now you would be accounted Apostolick and the Apostles successors but where 's your Calling We find no such Calling as of lord-Lord-bishops in the Scripture Therfore you have no Authority over the inferiour Clergy not over Gods Ministers I meane Either therfore prove your Calling from God or give us leave to deny your Authority as being an usurped Tyranny If you aledge those Bishops so called Act. 20.28 Phil. 1.1 1 Tim. 3.1 Tit. 1.7 c. Prove they were Diocesan Bishops We prove them by the plain Text to be but Presbyters over the severall Congregations over which the Holy Ghost made them Episkópous Bishops or Overseers as more fully at after If you aledge Timothy and Titus for Bishops that 's soon answered they were onely Euangelists no Bishops Those Epigraphees in the end of that to 2 Tim. and Tit. they are no part of the Text but were added long after at the leasâ— 400. years It behoves you therfore to prove your Calling better before you so presse and oppresse us with your Authority But you adde L. p. 177. Among these to wit Patriarchs Metropolitans Bishops there was effectuall subjection respectively grounded upon Canon and positive Law in their severall quarters P. Here you confesse that all subjection of Metropolitans to the Patriarchs and of Bishops to the Metropolitans was but grounded upon Canon and Positive Law Ergo not upon the Canon of Scripture nor the Law of God As you confessed openly in High Commission that no one Apostle had Authority or Iurisdiction over the Rest or any of their fellows so as though you call your calling Apostolicke yet your Arch-Bishoprick is not Apostolicke in exercising Authority and Iurisdiction over all the Bishops in your Province This you have not from the Scripture I know not from what Papall Canon For as for Positive if you meane the Politick Laws of Princes you will not take your Authority from them And the Judges have declared their judgement in the Kings Edict that your exercising your Authority and keeping Courts in your own Names is now no more a trenching upon the Kings Prerogative then formerly it hath been Where the Judges are to be commended for their Discretion But it is very well Thus you are loose off from the Positive Law of the Prince and we deny you any title either of Authority or Calling over the Ministry and so you may prove to sit between two stooles or as he that hath not one string to his bow But whereas you confesse before that Bishops have no Jurisdiction one over another because the Apostles had not hence it is evident that those who are true Bishops to wit Presbyters have no jurisdiction over one another and so there is no such Order or Calling of Lord Bishops whereby they have Authority over the true Bishops and Pastors of the flocks of Christ. These things are noted sufficiently before but as Augustine writing against the Pelagians saith By these things so often repeated though the importunity of the Adversary will not be repressed yet the Truth shal be the more confirmed and the Faith of Beleevers the more firmly established L. p. 183. The
And Virgil also a heathen Roman Poet did afterwards take and borrow this from Plato expressing it in his Aeneads And so from these two might Origen borrow his Purgatory and the Church of Rome from them all three might out of this lake of Plato or Pluto if you will borrow so much Bitumen or Pitchy matter and so casting into it the stone Asbestos which being once kindled is not quenched againe it became the hot-burning lake of Purgatory as namely for the purging of Indifferent men such as are neither hot nor cold neither Beleevers nor Infidels neither Christians nor Heathen neither good fish nor flesh Indifferent between Papists and Protestants halfe for Christ and halfe or rather All for Belial Reconcilers of light and darknesse of Truth and Errour or as the Papists say such as had onely veniall sinnes not throughly purged with holy-water in this life and therfore must be purged with fire what water could not doe untill after a Venal Masse chanted for their soules they should be delivered and so passe the Pikes into the Elâ—sian Fields And this is both Authority and Antiquity sufficient for your Purgatory though you bestow much sweat in this hot Stove and in pursuing this Ignis fatuus yet haply it may purge youâ— Reputation of that venial opinion which men have of you L. p. 375. Rome but with all other particular Churches and no more then other Patriarchall Churches was and is radix existentiae the root of the Churches existence And The uniâ—ersall Nature and Beeing of the Church hath no actuall â—xistence in all her particulars And this I say for her existence onely not the purity or forme of her existence which is not here considered P. These words confirm what you have said before of your Catholicke Church consisting of particular Patriarchall Prelaticall or Hierarchicall Churches throughout the world all of them visible and conspicuous in these it existeth as in the root this existence may be without the consideration of purity as a Church may be a true Church of Christ and yet not be holy Having then answered these things before it is sufficient for this And this still confirmes what I have said of Christs true and onely holy Catholick Church which is a matter of faith in the Creed This true and onely holy Catholick Militant Church of Christ hath for its prime Radix or Root Christ in whom it existetth subsisteth and hath its beeing Then it is diffused into all the members of Christs mysticall body all the Elect over the world or in any corner thereof to the end of the world and hath no existence at all in the Hierarchy or Prelacie or in any one visible Church or particular place or Countrey but it lyes hid as the sappe in the root in all the Persons of the Elect onely and the substance and life thereof is hid with Christ in God the Prime root And the existence of this Catholicke Church cannot be considered possibly without Purity and Holinesse for it exists no where but in purity and holynesse so as every person is holy in whom it existeth And so much for this L. p. 370 371. But if she be not the Catholicke nor the root of the Catholicke Church yet Apostolick I hope she is Indeed Apostolicke she is as being the sea of one and he a Prime Apostle But then not Apostolicke as the Church is called in the Creed from the Apostles no nor the onely Apostolicke Visible I may not deny God hath hitherto preserved her but for a better end doubtlesse then they turne it to The Church of Rome indeed Apostolicke Why so As being the sea of one and he a prime Apostle That was Peter you mean sure He was a Prime Apostle though not the Prime 〈◊〉 somtimes Iames is placed before him Gal. 2.9 And Paul was no whit inferiour to those 3. Iames Peter and Iohn who were Pillars and seemed to be somwhat And in this respect may you not possibly meane Paul rather then Peter for Paul we are sure was in Rome and there preached though in prison But we read no where in Scripture that Peter was at Rome much lesse that he sate there Bishop of Rome and so fixed his Chaire there If therfore you mean Peter and pitch upon him though the Popes are faine to use somtimes two strings to their bow and to challenge their succession both from Peter and Paul and some stories speake both of Peter and Paul as Bishops there I say if you pitch upon Peter how doe you prove that Peter was at Rome and if at Rome whether Bishop there and if a Bishop there why consequently must that Sea be still Apostolicke seeing non sedes sed fides not the seat but the Faith makes Apostolicke But there be many reasons and arguments from Scripture some that Peter was not at Rome others and those more demonstrative that he was never Bishop of Rome as Pontifex or Prelate such a Bishop as you meane I have seen a Booke Printed in English by Authority which proveth that Peter was never at Rome And this he doth by computing and comparing the times and other Circumstances in the Acts and Pauls Epistles with those Histories which say he was there and Bishop there which stories neither agree with the Scripture nor with themselves nor with other Histories profane And if Peter were at Rome how cometh it that Paul being there doth not in all his Epistles make mention of him Was Peter either so obscure as Paul should not know him to be at Rome Or so proud of his new Prelacie as not to acknowledge his fellow Apostle now a Prisoner Or what was it that Paul doth not so much as mention him Because Peter being for the Circumcision should a'llotrtoepiskopoin take Pauls Bishoprick over his head who was for the Uncircumcision whereof Rome was the Metopolis Or had Peter with Demas forsaken Paul imbracing this present world in a Lordly Bishopricke But let it be given you that Peter was at Rome and Lord Bishop of Rome what then Ergo is the Church of Rome indeed Apostolicke Did Peter leave his Apostolick Bishopricke by an Intayle â—o all his successors in Rome Are â—hey Apostolicke when they are become Apostates from the faith Alas alas your words utter your spirit but no truth Onely one thing you deliver as doubtlesse where you say Visible I may not deny God hath hitherto preserved her but for a better end doubtlesse then they turne it to Visible Ergo the Pope is Peters successor Ergo the sea of Rome is indeed Apostolicke Ergo a true Church of Christ. For visible it is It is indeed that visible and conspicuous City on its seven tops or hils whereon it stood in Iohns time and now that Woman that sits and rides mounted on her seven-headed ten-horned Beast Visible with a witnesse otherwise all her pompe would loose the Grace if it wanted spectators as her Scarlet and Purple and Pearle and
your own Name This in our poore opinions will mightily take with the vulgar and easily vindicate and set upright your Graces Reputation And because we are not ignorant of your multiplicious and waighty affaires in Court not permitting your thoughts that vacancie which such a worke would require let not that trouble your Lordship our Service shall not be wanting Thus or so your Divines Well now that you heare your friends Counsell what 's your Resolution L· ibid. I confesse I looked round about these men and their motion and at last my thoughts working much upon themselves I began to perswade my selfe that I had been too long diverted from this necessary worke And that perhaps these might be in voce hominum tuba Dei in the still voyce of men the loud Trumpet of God P. And perhaps my Lord and that whereof it may be ye wil be the rather perswaded the unanimous consâ—nt of these Divines might be by the instigation of that same Spirit in which those 400. Prophets by their unanimous vote prevailed to perswade King Ahab to goe up to Ramoth Gilead that so according to Gods own purpose he might there perish But it might be you say Gods loud Trumpet What to hasten you to Judgement Certainly that lying Spirit in those Prophets was sent from GOD to prepare the way of executing vengeance on that Ahab the more speedily as who had sold himselfe to worke wickednesse in sheding Nabaths blood And surely when I look'd into the intrals of this your Booke as the Roman Southsayers of old did into the bowels and entralls of their Sacrifices and found them so exceedingly vicious and corrupt and withall like to Caesars Sacrifice wherein was found no heart which the Astrologers took for a bad signe no heart at all to the true Religion indeed it suggested these conceits into my mind about this very passage of yours But time will try all things And if you will have my poore opinion I am perswaded if you had never put pen to paper it having been super-sufficient to have expressed your mind in your other handy-works or Practises and so had reserved your Apology when requisite to your perswasive Language and powerfull Rhetorick men might have had lesse hold to take off you when you might have put all your other Actions upon a higher moving Cause as usually ye doe But for writing you know Litera Scripta manet Or else it had been better to have reprinted your First Coppy as it was at first without Alteration and in your Chaplains name still for so you should both have vindicated it from obscurity lying hid and lurking in the belly of Dr. Whites Works and also at pleasure have either owned or disclaimed it as you found occasion Or might have excused any thing that might be taken in it as offensive either imputing it to your Chapleins mistake or to want of leasure to revise it or which is the surest and most beaten way to the Printer as was lately done about that notorious Popish Book of Salis his Devotions And hereof if your Lordship knows it not I will tell you a pretty Tale. This Book of Devotion of Salis bearing the Title of Bishop of Geneva although the Church of Geneva have no such Bishops had been so long ago translated into English and being purged from those grosse points of Popery which were in the Originall Coppy was by Authority published in Print and sold well But of late dayes since you came to sit in that Chaire one undertook to translate the Originall anew and intire as it was at first set forth by the Author without altering any thing as the Translator professed in his Epistle Dedicatory to Mris Anne Roper a notorious Recusant This Translation being brought to your Chaplein to license it past for currant as containing nothing in it against Faith and Manners and so was licensed without the least correction of the grossest things in it It came to the Printer who falling aworke upon it began to stumble at some no small Popish blocks that lay in his way insomuch as he was afraid to goe on but went and shewed them to your Chaplein who making a tush at it bad him goe on and he would beare him out in it So Printed it was And coming abroad some began to find fault with it and the stinke of the Booke more and more increasing with stirring it came at length to be smelled by your Lordship Hereupon what serious examination you used about it I know not but there being some Jealousie that some one of those THREE forementioned troublesome bitter men whose Cause was then shortly to be heard might haply among other things might they have been permitted to speake freely cast that Booke in your Lordships dish the next newes we heard of it was that a Proclamation is published for the burning of the Book in Smith-field wherein also all the blame was layd upon the poore Printer for which he must to prison and you and your Chaplein were acquitted and cleared as no way faulty So easie is it with the least breath to blow away the blackest clowds when they threaten a storme either against you or your Chaplein in such cases But now in this your Booke so exactly Reprinted and revised and republished wherein also you have ratified and avowed all in your former Booke for yours you have for ever fast bound your hands that you cannot helpe your selfe at a dead lift Well 't is too late now either to prevent or remedy what is past Yet one thing there is which you may perhaps deem to be operae pretium worth your paines as wherein lyes your maine Confidence of vindicating your Reputation with good men and that is some Large Discourses in your Booke wherein you seeme to be point blanke against the Papists as about the Scripture Transubstantiation c. This indeed might say well to it and passe for currant were there not in some of them so much grosse allay as makes the whole to be reprobate Silver as the Prophet saith and also did you not commit a grosse Solecisme in writing a seeming Truth and practising apparently contrary and did you not overballance seeming Truths with too much Popish Truth throughout your Booke as will all along appeare And you know that if one dead Fly will corrupt a whole box of oyntment how much more a Swarme And a little poyson corrected and infused in a Potion proves medicinall but if uncorrected and of two great a quantity it becomes mortall and so instead of bealing kills the Patient But to proceed L. p. 9. I have thus acquainted your Majestie with all occasions which both formerly and now againe have led this Tract into the Light P. And not without cause needs your Tract to be led into the light I will not here apply that speech of Christ If the blind lead the blind but leave it to the event L. p. 11. GOD forbid I should
for beliefe And you place the Authority of the Present Church in the forefront as a prime leader and inducer to this beliefe And this you inculcate very often and Say pag. 120 I confesse every where that Tradition introduces the knowledge of them And pag. 126. you tell the Jesuite A. C. saying Herein we goe the same way with you because we allow the Tradition of the present Church to be the First inducing Motive c. So as herein you jumpe with the Jesuite So then Authority of the present Church is the Prime Or as sometimes you call it Tradition or otherwhiles The voyce of the Present Church All comes to one reckoning Then to this Leader you muster up a troop of followers as here Ordinary Grace a mind morally induced and reasonably perswaded and before a mans owne Reason and humane Testimony morall perswasion Reason and Force of the present Church the Holy Ghost Conferring of the Scripture with it selfe and other writings And what then Then and not before the Scripture gives greater and higher Reasons of Credibility to it selfe then Tradition alone could give What No more effect for all this but a Credibility I expected you should with such a Troope under the command of such a Generall as the Authority Tradiâ—ion and voyce of the present Church have effected that Rockie Forâ— of mans heart to have yealded to open the Gates of his Infidelity to let in this Beliefe that Scripture is the word of God And can you obtaine no more then a Credibility Alas poore Scripture Can all Mans witty inventions advance thy credit which they have taken away no higher then to a Credibility But thus we may see the vanity of Mans wit when it hath cast away the truth This is right as the Preacher Saith Lâ—e this onely have I found That God made man upright but they have sought out many inventions So when men reject the word of the Lord what wisdome is in them Then they fall to their inventions like Michals stuffing her Image with Goates haire and laying it in the bed instead of David Or a right Embleme hereof we have in our First Parents when they had disrobed themselves of that plain simple seamelesse but glorious robe of their Innocencie having thus lost their uprightnesse wherein God made them presently they fall to their inventions they will supply the want of that robe with a many faire fresh Fig-leaves sowed together without either needle or thread vainly imagining that this would cover their shame when indeed it was a plain signe they had lost their Glory and yet could not hide their nakednesse So when a man hath lost the Truth he shall loose his wits in his manifold Inventions before he shal be able thereby to make up his losse Thus did the Church of Rome of old no sooner had they thrust out Gods word and the preaching of it out of their Temples but up goe their Images for Lay-mens Books and in comes crowding a multitude of Ceremonies the Inventions of man as if these would make amends with advantage instead of the holy Scriptures Just your practise in the Church of England at this day And just your like practise here When you have cast a black veile over the Scriptures native beauty and light disabling them as sufficient witnesses to prove themselves the word of God you invent here a number of things to stop our mouthes to make us beleeve that by these you will bring Mans naturall blindnesse to see and his infidelity to beleeve just nothing at all that the Scriptures are the word of God So as you deale with us here as some Parents doe with their Children take the piece of gold from them and please them with a handfull of deafe nuts Onely they doe it providently to preserve the Gold from being lost but you Popishly to destroy the Gold and to set up the painted dresse of your New-nothing Or you put out the Eyes of the Scripture and then light your Candle before it as after you tell us But let 's a little examine your words First I note here what a blind guide you commend to blind men to lead them to the beliefe of the Scriptures to be the word of God For what is it Certainty No Probabilty A man is probably led But of Probability we have spoken before And take this with you for a certaine truth Probability may beget an opinion but never a belief But by whom probably led By the Authority of the present Church What present Church Of the Prelates or Hierarchy ever But who gave you Authority to be a Church Or Suppose you were the true Church of Christ who gave you this Authority to take away from the Scriptures their sufficiencie of guiding men to the faith of them and to tie men to depend upon the Authority of the present Church thereby to be induced to beleeve the Scriptures And what 's your present Church Is it not the Same with that of Rome And is not this Authority which you arrogate Romish And what if your present Church with Rome shall induce us to beleeve the Apocryphall Bookes to be part of Scripture Or some word unwritten which you call Apostolick Traditions to be equall with the word written as you agree with Bellarmine in this Distinction of the word written and unwritten as before is touched And what if as you have given us too much proofe you should limit us in beleeving the Scripture what part to beleeve for Canonicall and what otherwise For as Hierome saith The Scripture consists more in the marrow of Sentences then in the barke of words more in the Sense then in the Syllables What say you then to the 4 th Commandement which your present Church denyes to be Morall for a Seventh day Sabbath and thereby overthrow the Sanctification of the Lords day What say you of the Doctrines of Grace which you have overthrowne by your Declaration before your Articles What of Altars and the like If herein you overthrow the Sense of Scripture doe you not proclaime to the world that such and such Scriptures are not Canonicall Or if the words be still holden for Canonicall yet it must be according to the Sense of your present Church As Paulus 4. the Pope in the End of the Councel of Trent tyes all Priests by oath to interpret the Scriptures no otherwise but according to the Sense of the Catholick Church the Summe whereof is the Decrees and Canons of Trent Is not thus the whole Scripture made voyd But come on let men be primely induced by the Authority of the present Church to wit of the Prelates or Hierarchy for no other Church you allow nor we you to be any other but of Antichrist by what Argument trow you is it likelyest they will be perswaded that the Scriptures are the word of God Will you give me leave to tell you my Opinion It is this in briefe When men upon
Peters Rule But you restraine this to Romes usurped Infallibility as if without this she could not Lord it over Christendome How comes your Lordship then with your Hierarchy to Lord it over the Soules and Consciences of Gods people even over all England that other world You disclaime your church-Church-Authority and Tradition here to be Divine and Infallible By what Authority then doe you Lord it over all England Certainly Divine Authority you have none for it And as you Say of Rome so I doe to you Certainly you are no successors of the Apostles in this as both hath been and shal be more shewed And because you cite here that place of Peter what think you of it Doth it not condemn all kind of Lordship over Gods heritage As Lordship over mens Consciences in captivating them to humane Ordinances as Ceremonies in Gods worship As Lordship over Ministers forbidding them to Preach Gods word both how farre and when you please As Lordship over the very Commandements of God in dispensing with them as in the 4 th and 5 th Commandement Or Lordship over mens Soules as touching their beliefe and reading of Scriptures as the word of God all which must depend upon a necessity of your present church-Church-Authority as without which you tell them it is not fit that they should either read the Scriptures or beleeve them to be the word of God Now is Rome so far gâ—n in puting home her Infallibility as therby to Lord it over the greatest part of Christendome Then how farre are you gone in Lording it over the Soules and Consciences of all the People in England and Ministers too in all these particulars formentioned But to proceed L. p 93. The Lawfully sent Pastors and Doctors of the Church in all Ages have had and shall have continuall assistance but not infalliâ—le at least not Divine and Infallible P. Such therefore as are not Lawfull Pastors and Teachers have not continuall Assistance as all Prelates and Priests as you call yourselves But for Lawfull Pastors if they have continuall assistance whence have they it but from Christ And how then is it not â—ivine And if Divine how not Infallible The assistance certainly for so much as it is and in those things wherin it is is no lesse Infallible then Divine For that which is Divine is Infallible as was touched before But because this Assistance Divine is given to every man but in part for we know in part and we prophecie in part and to some in one kind to some in another both to whom and when and how much and to what speciall purpose as it seemeth good to the Divine wisdome but to all to profit withall and for edification as the Apostle speakes therefore it comes to passe that even good men and good Pastors lawfully called may somtimes run into some errours both by reason of humane frailties and infirmities and when they passe the bounds of their peculiar karÃsmata or Ministeriall Graces bestowed upon in this or that kind or measure and doe not keep closse to the Rule Gods word Having therefore gifts saith the Apostle differing according to the Grace that is given unto us whether Prophecie Let us Prophecie according to the proportion of Faith or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on Exhortation And yet when we have done all that we can we come farre short of what we should doe Yet all Gods Elect both Pastors and People have Christs promise so farre fullfilled in them and made good unto them by continuall Divine and Infallible Assistance of his Grace and Spirit dwelling in them that they are preserved from all those Errours which might seduce them from Christ as himsefe Saith Math. 24.24 L. p. 95. When Command is for Preaching the Restraint is added Goe Saith Christ and teach all Nations But you may not Preach all things what you please but all things which I have commanded you The publication is yours the Doctrine is mine P. How then dare your Lordship be an Instrument of Restraining and Prohibiting any Doctrine of CHRIST which hee hath in his Word commanded to be Preached and Published to his People How will you answere this be-before that Judge And why do you suborne your Arminian Faction to preach their Heresies out of your dâ—psucoi double minded Articles while you restrain Gods Ministers from preaching the Truth and Suspend them for so doing L. p. 98. Though Tradition and Scripture doe mutually yet they doe not equally confirme the Authority either of other For Scripture doth infaâ—libly confirme the Authority of Church Traditions truly so callâ—d but Tradition doth but morally and probably confirme the Authority of the Scripture P. Then Surely your Church-Traditions make the Scripture but a poore requitall when for an infallible confirmation of them they returne a Confirmation onely morall and probable Can they not returne such as they receive at least in some degree But what be those Traditions of the Church truly so called That inducing Tradition which of necessity must lead men to beleeve the Scriptures to be the word of God But shew us where hath the Scripture given you any such Authority much lesse infallibly confirmed it Or how is this a Tradition truly so called Because you call it so But if Scripture have not sufficient Light to prove themselves to be Gods word what Light find you there infallibly to confirme the Authority of your Tradition And if your Church Tradition doe not confirme the Authority of Scripture infallibly how then Ergo fallibly and deceitfully But probably you Say But probability cannot confirme truth This is a meere Solecisme of yours and any common Aristotelian would hisse it out of the Philosophy Schooles And in a Law-Case a Probable Testimony is not Legall it is no Testimony And will you Say then that the Scripture hath confirmed to your present Church such an Authority infallibly to be a confirming Testimony of the Authority of Scripture which is insufficient and illegall How much the neerer is Scripture Authority for such a Testimony Or your probable testimony doth confirme Scripture-Authority to be probable That 's all and that 's nothing saving that hereby you make the Scripture to be of no Authority at all For first you Say The Scripture hath no testimony of its Authority sufficient in it selfe Secondly that it must first have testimony from the Authority of the present Church and thirdly that this testimony is but probable not infallible Therefore necessarily it followeth that it is but at the most probable if the Scripture have any Authority at all And this is that Goates-haire wherewith you have full stuffed almost 30 of your Folio-leaves as before we have noted And yet the thread of that 16 th Section is not yet cut off or spun out L. p. 100. The Iesuite in the Church of Rome and the precise party in the Reformed Churches agree in this That the Sermons and
same unchangable truth still and hath in it sufficient evidence both to reconcile those differences and to convince the gainsayer 'T is true Let no man presume upon his owne strength for the secret of the Lord is with them that feare him Whaâ— was the cause then that you have all along your Booke as in part hath been shewed so perverted the Scriptures was it not because you took not with you for your guide the Tradition of the present Church And was not this then a prusuming upon your own strength when you goe so solely and singly to worke But what meane you by going single without the Church The not consulting the Prelates Or because the Papists object as you The Scriptures are deep and darke therfore we must in all things take the present Church Tradition in our way where it may be bad and be guided by that as by Ariadnees Thread through those manyfold Meanders of that intricate Labyrinth the Scripture as you make it Or that you meane by Church Tradition the Authority of the present Church of England as one with that Church whereof none is and that this Authority must needs proceede and like a Candle before the Sun at noon-day as before shew us the way to know the Scripture to be the word of God if we be willing to shut our eyes and blindfold to be led by the Traditionall Authority of this your Church what know we but by such Authority you may tell us puting the â—ible clasped into our hands All that is cantained within those claspes is the word of God This you may be sure of you have Authority for it you need goe no further And all your Bibles of your present Church of England being by expresse Charge bound with the Apocrypha so as they are punished that doe it not all the Books forfeited which may breed an opinion in the people that those Bookes also are a part of the word of God If now one hereupon opening the Bible and lighting upon either that ridiculous tale of Tobies Dog or that of the Angel who tells Tobiaâ— that he is his kinsman and of the Smoke of the Fishes Liver that drives away the Devill or of Razis killing of himselfe and commended for it by the writer of the Books of the Maccabees or that of the same Authors doubting whether he hath done well or no in writing that Story and the like he may possibly by this meanes be brought to think meanely of the Scriptures and that they are not the word of God because he finds such things in the Bible so as it is bound as are ridiculous false vaine impious and uncertaine whether the rest be done as it should be c. And thus by your Apocrypha delivered into his hand by the Authority and Tradition of your present Church he is brought to beleeve that either the Scriptures of thaâ— Old and New Testament are not the word of God as wherwith those Apocryphall Books are equally bound in all Bibles or else that such Tradition of the present Church it little to be regarded while pretending to lead men to the beliefe of the Scriptures to be the word of God there is no more difference made between them and the Apocrypha so full of vain lyes and ridiculous tales And perhaps you may come in also as Time and Plaâ—e will permit with your Verbum Dei non scriptum to boot the word of God not written of which you tell us before agreeing therein with Bellarmine And at last when your Tradition and Authority hath sufficiently prepared the way you will perhaps bring in your Traditions Apostolicke accompanied with the Decretalls of Gratian which your Sister Church of Rome equall with the 4 Euangelists But however were it for nothing else but to maintaine the credit of your present Church Tradition and Authority in commending to men the Scripture to be the word of God you might doe well to take away your Apocrypha which your Zeale will have placed in the midst between the two Testaments not suffering any Bibles to be bound without it which is as one saith as a Blakamore placed between two pure unspotted Virgins Nor doe I think that your Lordship so placeth your Blackamore as Ladyes put a black patch upon their Cheek or Chin as a foyle to make them seem more fayre so you to make the Scriptures the more lovely and desireable or the better to be known as things by their contraries as white by blacke or the straight by the crooked or truth by error standing near it And though Hierome who excludes the Apocrypha out of the Canon of Scripture saith they may be read ad morum institutionem non ad confirmationem Fidei for instruction of manners and not for confirmation of faith yet considering both the fooleries and falsities and vanities and commended impieties and confessed uncertainties in them as aforesayd all these things put together might be me thinks of sufficient strength to thrust out that Blackamore by the head and shoulders from betweene those two fayre and unspotted Virgins L. ibid. It is most reasonable that Theology should be allowed to have some Principles as well as other Sciences which she proves not but presupposes And the chiefest of these is That the Scriptures are of Divine Authority P. How Is the chiefest of these Principles allowed to Theologie This That the Scriptures are of Divine Authority Doe you not forget Tradition now Doe you not reckon that for the first and so the chiefest as without which the other cannot be granted Or perhaps you doe not reckon your Tradition or Authority of the present Church to be a Principle of Theology What then Perhaps of Muthology the science of setting forth Fables Or of Buttologie the science of much babble to no purpose Or Argologie the science of vaine and frivolous talke Or Carphologie a gathering of Chaffe as if you would by the heape of Chaffe shew us where the Wheat is Onely your Tradition is no Principle of Theologie and therfore a heape of chaffe wherein there is not one grain of the pure corn But let us come to see what is most reasonable It is most reasonable say you that Theologie should be alowed to have some Prinâ—iples as well as other Sciences which she proves not but presupposes And what is Theologie but the Scripture it selfe and the Doctrines therein contained And however it be with other Sciences which in comparison of Theologie are but imperfect and beggerly so as they have need to begge their a'itemata some Principles to be granted them as grounds to worke upon as the Mathematicks c. yet you might have given that honour to Queen Theologie to which all other Sciences are but handmaids as to exempt her from being a begger yea and of that too which is her own and in her own possession namely That the Scripture is the word of God This is one of Theologies prime Principles which
as you imposed upon me So as No Right that is No Orthodox Church at Rome And yet no newes it is that I granted the Roman Church to be a true Church For so much very learned Protestants have acknowledged before me and the Truth cannot deny it For that Church which receives the Scripture as the Rule of Faith though but as a partiall and imperfect Rule and both the Sacraments as instrumentall Causes and seales of Grace though they adde more and infuse these yet cannot but be a True Church in Essence How it is in manners and Doctrine I would you would loâ—ke to it with a single eye P. Not Right then not Orthodox you hold the Church of Rome to be That 's somthing yet Yet True you ever have and will hold her to be unlesse she absolutely fall away from the Faith Well And yet I wot well you give absolutely falling away from the Faith So large bounds as it is to be feared you will never come to give her for absolutely gone and fallen away from the Faith so long as she can have but one bare thread or ragge of the profession of the Faith of the Creed nay if she can but say over her Creed though as you Confesse elsewhere she hath quite overthrown the sense of it And if the sense of it be destroyed surely the Faith of it also This will more fully appeare as we goe along We come to your Reasons why you hold Rome a True Church 1. For very learned Protestants which hold with you in this First we can set both as learned and double the number of of Protestants who will weigh down the Scale against those that seem to be of your opinion Secondly we could out of those very Protestant Authors whom you mean though I suppose you seldome read such Authors and in other things scarce name them Honoris causa collect more against this opinion That the Church of Rome is a true Church then you can for it As out of Iunius himselfe for Instance I mentioned before a laâ—e Book intituled Babel no Bethel never yet answered by any Jesuite or other Priest Romish or English where the Author hath cleared all or most of those Protestants which his Adversaries alledged and I suppose you meane from this opinion of yours And then also the Author proves by many concluding Arguments and in my opinion unanswerable that the Church of Rome is no true visible Church of Christ as having lost the very Essence of a true Church To which Booke I referre your Lordship could your patience but brook the Authors name or your Conscience not tremble at the mention of him To your Second Reason First I deny that the Church of Rome receives the Scriptures as A Rule of Faith For first The Rule of Faith must be in it selfe simply Divine and Infallible But such to the Church of Rome the Scripture is not For she makes the Infallibility and Divine Authority of the Scripture to depend upon the Church as you do upon Church Tradition which you confesse to be not simply Divine and Infallible Ergo Rome receives not the Scripture as A Rule of Faith Secondly Rome receives not holds not The Rule of Faith Ergo she is not a true Church As the late Dr Carleton of Chichester in his Book of the Church hath well and learnedly proved For not to hold the Rule of Faith is to deny and destroy the Faith and to fall absolutely away from the Foundation of Faith and to set up a new and false Faith upon a new and false Foundation Nor dare or doe you say that Rome receives the Scripture as The Rule of Faith but onely as A Rule of Faith to wit a partiall Rule as Bellarmine calls it But if the Scripture be as it is The onely Rule of Faith and ever hath been in all ages so held till Rome in the Councel of Trent changed this Rule then not to hold it so for The Rule that is the onely Rule but onely as a partiall Rule joyned with other Rules equall to it as her Traditions which Bellarmine in his Book de verbo Dei non scripto calls the word of God unwritten is to reject the onely Rule and so to fall absolutely away from the Faith And you confesse that the Church of Rome holds the Scripture but as a partiall and imperfect Rule And is this nothing with you What is this but to evacuate and utterly make voyd the Rule when for a perfect intire and absolute onely Rule it is made but a partiall imperfect and joynt Rule And when humane Authority is equalled with Divine Humane Traditions with Divine Scriptures as an equall Rule of Faith Nay and those her Traditions which she calls her word of God unwritten are such as teach things directly contrary to the Doctrines of Scripture as of Purgatory Invocation of Saints and the like Is not this a'kurosai as Christ saith to make voyd and of no Authority the Commandements of God by mens Tradition Yet this Camel you can easily swallow you slight this over as a matter of nothing as if it were all one thing in a manner to hold the Scripture The Rule of Faith and A Rule of Faith namely a part or piece of the Rule The whole Rule and a partiall Rule The onely perfect Rule and An imperfect Rule All this breakes no squares with you but that Rome for all this holds the Rule of Faith and therfore you hold her for a true Church of Christ. But yet in so saying you plainly imply That if Rome held not the Rule of Faith she is no true Church of Christ but is absolutely fallen away from Christ the Foundation For you give this for a Reason that Rome is a true Church because she holds the Rule of Faith Ergo If she hold not the Rule of Faith she is no true Church of Christ but is absolutely fallen away from the Faith Whereupon I argue thus That Church which denyeth the Scripture to be the onely Intire Absolute perfect Rule of Faith is fallen absolutely away from Christ and so ceaseth to be a true Church that is to have the very Essence and beeing of a true Church of Christ But the Church of Rome denyeth the Scripture to be the onely Intire Absolute Perfect Rule of Faith Ergo the Church of Rome is absoluely fallen away from Christ and so ceaseth to be a true Church that is to have the very Essence and beeing of a true Church of Christ. The Minor Proposition is confessed by your Lordship For you say The Church of Rome holds the Scripture but as A Rule a Partiall Rule an Imperfect Rule Thus she denyeth the Scripture to be the onely Intire Absolute Perfect Rule of Faith And for the Major Proposition you doe by necessary Consequence confesse it also to be true For you set it down as a Reason why you hold the Church of Rome to be a true Church because she holds the
works as you may read in Binius his Councels And therfore I say had you indeed perused well those Tracts and yet had persisted such a tanter of that Heresie which Arminius of late hath raked out of hell which Augustine and the Orthodox Fathers and Councels had remaunded to hell you for your part and so others too might truly call it That Great Bewitching Heresie And that the Councel of Aurang as you say did set the Church right in those Doctrines of Grace and Free-will wherein they followed Augustins judgement before them how have you set the Now Church of England right of being one Instrument at least if not the greatest if not sole of seting forth such an Edict no Decree of a Councel so much as Provinciall wherein those Articles of Religion concerning the foresaid Points and Doctrines of Grace which were set so Right before you unset them as the whole Church of England maintained the Orthodox truth of them according to the Scriptures and so Augustine and the Fathers and that unanimously and universally are made like Ianus with two faces the one looking but frowningly upon the Orthodox party who are forbid to preach the Orthodox Doctrines the other looking upon your Arminian Favorites and that with an Amiable aspect as who may find their opinions in your Articles and so not onely impunity for preaching them but Dignities in your Church for but affecting and holding those Opinions so Great a bewitching Heresie is it O blind Guides of the Church of England and thou qui Primas tenes the Pilot that steers the stern if you be capable of any shame and have not drunk of that Circaean Cup blush at these things And dost thou after all thy notorious practises in suppressing the Preaching of the Doctrines of Grace and the Printing of Books written in defence of Gods saving Truth in the Church of England too intollerable to be borne and which the earth groaneth under and for which the wrath of heaven is already kindled now come thinking to blanch all by telling us a tale of this and that Councel and of St. Augustine and of that Great bewitching Pelagian Heresy Dost thou think the world is such a Baby grown or the Old Mother Church of England come to that Dotage as to beleeve because her Arch-Prelate tells her such a Provinciall councel wherein S. Augustine was condemned the whole course of the Great bewitching Heresy of Pelagius and another Provinciall set the Church right in those great Controversies of Grace and Free-will therfore her Arminian Pilot is no Pelagian Thinkest thou I say to bewitch the world with these thy inchantments which thou workest by the golden cup of thine hypocrisie Surely heavens patience cannot long brooke these darings and deep dissemblings which yet are so grosse as they are not of a thread fine enough for Hypocrisie to make a veyle of L. p. 155. To these two to wit Our Princes and the Clergy Principally the power and direction for Reformation belongs P. You told us before how the King and the Priest more then any other are bound to looke to the Integrity of the Church in Doctrine and Manners and that in the first place Here you tell us of Princes and Clergy This is some inlargement For Clergy is not one Priest except one Priest be so great as that of Rome or Canterbury that he is equivalent to the whole Clergy or is in himselfe the Clergy Collective And yet suppose your whole Clergy of Priests were assembled in Convocation what relation have you to the Princes you doe not meane I dare say the Princes assembled in Parliament Beware of that No you are content but to obtaine a Congè or License from the King to have your Convocation and then let you alone for Reformation The Princes shall not need to trouble themselves further That 's your sole worke But yet this agrees not with your two Patterns which you set in the Margent touched before to wit of King Ezechiah 2 Chro 29. and King Iosia 4. Reg. 23. though you might as well have cited 2 King 23. according to our English but you love the old latine vulgar better Now as we noted before the Kings of Israel in their Reformations of Religion did not mate themselves with the Clergy but together with all the Princes and chiefe Fathers in Israel like a Parliament for all the world commanded the Priests to execute their office according to the expresse Law of God and they also looked strictly to have it done And this you confesse elsewhere That those Kings reformed no otherwise but according to the prescript Rule of Gods Law Ergo The Priest reformed not but was himselfe to be reformed by the King and all according to Gods prescript Law But now if the Prince and Clergy or rather as I said the Clergy by the Princes leave which you can no where shew Gods prescript Law for should be the Principall or rather sole for Reformation I pray you what Reformation should we have or could we expect The Church of England once thought her selfe to be under Reformation as you tell us before although at the best it was but as one calls it in his Sermon preached in Queen Elizabeths dayes at Pauls Crosse and published in Print by Authority a halfe Reformation because as the Author of the Hunting of the Fox saith the great Fox the Pope had but his eares cropt but his whole body remained still in England in the Prelacy yet this was called a Reformateon 〈◊〉 which the Church of England thought her selfe well separated from Rome yet this is not that Reformation that gives you content And much lesse that Reformation beyond the Seas Well what Reformation is it then which you mean here Surely the same which you meant before by sincerity and integrity in Doctrine and Manners in the Church to which I referre the Reader where he shall find this Reformation clearly expounded And in summe your Reformation here will differ from the former Reformation of the Church of England in this that as that was but a halfe Reformation because it retained the Prelacy with some of Romes Ceremonies so this your Reformation shall make that up in reducing the Church of England to the Integrity and sincerity of the Church of Rome in Doctrine and Manners full and whole A thing indeed which can no otherwise but be expected so long as the Hierarchy stands in its full ruffe as it doth now in England For like will to like as you know who used the Proverbe to the Colyer Or as the Philosopher saith Every thing aspires after its perfection And the Perfection of the Hierarchy is at Rome and thence All Hierarchy and Prelacy now adayes hath and had its first Rise and Originall And therfore no mervaile if Prelates naturally affect their native Countrey Rome As the Romane Poet said in his banishment Nescio qua natale solum dulcedine cunctos Ducit immemores
Patriarch of Rome had potentiorem Principalitatem a more powerfull Principality then other Churches had And that the Protestants grant too and that not onely because the Roman Prelate was Ordine primus First in Order and Degree which some one must be to avoyd confusion but c. P. What the Protestants grant to have been de facto is one thing that such a thing is or was so and so but what they grant to have been de Iure but what Right is another And this the Reformed Protestants never granted to the Pope or any Prelate But there must be some one say you to avoyd Confusion and this according to the honour of the state and Place And that must needs be the Pope of Rome But for the purpose or end you are farre wide For instead of avoyding Confusion this strowed the way to build up Babylon Confusion it selfe And your selfe saith as much This was the very fountaine of Papall Greatnesse the Pope having his Residence in the Great Imperiall City So as Primacy joynd with Power and Authority too as that of the Pope in Rome and yours in England the Pope residing in the Imperiall City and you in the Royall Court What confusion the one hath brought to the Empire it selfe the world knows and what the other may bring to the State Royall the Lord knows and he in mercy prevent and if such confusion to States then what to the true Religion and the Churches of Christ. But hath the Pope then that pretended successor of the poore Fisherman such a Principality This is more then Primacy Unlesse Primacy be by your interpretation Principality Nay it must needs be so because if the Popes Principality be more potent then other Churches then surely your Primacy is at least a Principality too though lesse potent And who doubts of that For at your High Commission Board at Dr BASTVVICKS Censure you did prove most bravely from Scripture it selfe that you were Princes What Scripture You aledged Psal. 45.16 Instead of thy Fathers shal be thy Children whom thou mayst make Princes in all the Earth What conclude you hence Ergo Prelates are Princes We deny your inference and consequence How prove you it I know you will straight appeale to a Generall Councel if we doubt of it Stay awhile A Generall Councel is an Assembly of Prelates And then They shal be their own Iudges That 's not faire play And Bellarmine would have a great stroke there for he also aledges this place for you and himselfe too to prove that the Pope is a Prince and so all Prelates under him But by your leave we appeale to the Scriptures themselves for Interpretation as best knowing their own meaning and ablest to expresse themselves Now comparing this with other Scriptures we find that those Princes there spoken of in all Lands are understood of all Gods Children true Beleevers throughout the whole earth now under the Gospell For of these the Spirit saith He Christ hath made us Kings and Priests to God his Father Now if all true Beleevers be Kings then also Princes And in Peter we are called a royall Priesthood So Rev. 5.9 10. Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. And Jam. 2.5 Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poore of this world to be rich in Faith and heires of the Kingdome which God hath promised to them that love him How if heires of the Kingdome then Princes And Rom. 8.16 17. The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the Children of God And if Children then heires heires of God and joynt heires with Christ if s◠be we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together And many other places to this purpose We are the brethren of Christ the congregation of the first borne Therfore Princes And yet poore in this world But if Prelates be Princes they are such as Salomon describes by another Title being compared to the true Princes Gods Children There is saith he an evil which I have seen under the Sun and he saw it by the eye of Prophecy as an error which proceedeth from the Ruler What is the evil What that error of Rulers Namely Folly is set in great Dignity and the Rich set in low place I have seen Servants on Horses and Princes walking as Servants upon the earth Now who are these rich that sit in a low place The rich in Faith saith Iames. And who are these Princes that walke as Servants upon the earth Namely Gods Children who are true Princes heires of the Kingdome that are afflicted and oppressed in the world And what folly is that which is set in great dignity Who more properly then Prelates which are as those of whom Iames speakes in rich and gorgeous apparell who are set in a goodly place while Gods poore Children sit below on the footstoole And who those Servants on Horses Prelates on their footcloth riding in pompe while Gods people trudge a foot on the earth If you say you are not here meant because you are no fooles nor servants Indeed you are no small fooles For there are no greater fooles in the world then such as seem wisest in their own conceit as Prelates doe As Salomon saith Seest thou a man wise in his owne conceit there is more hope of a foole then of him Now doe not you make your selves the wisest men in the world as the onely Guides and Oracles of the Church and that even as you are Prelates And againe are there any such fooles as those who preferre the riches and honours in the world before heaven Or that warre and fight against Christ and his Kingdome And doe not you Prelates so Your own vain profession and practises proclaime you to be folly it selfe set in great dignity And are you not servants servants of sinne servants of your own lusts and other mens having them in admiration for advantage And under colour of humility as if you were servi servorum servant of servantes as the proud Pope styles himself which was Chams curse doe you not exalt your selves as Domini dominantium mounted on your rich and prancing Palphrys while you ride over the heads of the true heaven bred Princes that goe afoot on the ground And how came you to be so mounted but through the 〈◊〉 of Rulers of the earth How mounted the Pope but by the Emperours holding of his stirrup And when the Pope was terrible angry with the Emperour for holding the wrong stirrup did not the Emperour trow you then begin to see his error But it was now too late Having given their Kingdome to the Beast 't is just with God they should become his Vasalls till the time appointed But to conclude this your Ordine primus which you apply to 〈◊〉 Pope I cannot more properly and truly parallell or compare it
either in profession dissenteth or in practise differeth from the Church of Rome you reckon those among Romes corruptions Therfore on the contrary in whatsoever you are one and the same Church with Rome those must be no corruptions but the very pure Essence and Substance of that one Church which is just there where Romes is now And what are those Namely One and the same in the Hierarchy or Prelaticall Government which is so essentiall to your Church as where 't is not there 's no Church Onely with this difference The Pope Christs Vicar over the whole world and your Lordship his Vice-roy over all England that other world One and the same in all the members of this great body of the Hierarchy and in all the Officers of this Church-Government as Chancellors Archdeacons Officialls Commissaries and so downe to the very Skirts of that goodly guarded Babilonish Government One and the Same in all your Ecclesiasticall Courts as the Prerogative Court the Court of Arches the Bishops Ordinary Court the Spirituall Court the Court of Inquisition and High Commission with a little difference in the name One and the Same in their Canons and chiefly the Popes Canon Law One and the Same in your Episcopall Robes and vestments both rare and rich as purple and scarlet and fine linnen as it were the livery whereby you are known to be of one and the same house or family with that Woman Rev. 17. aliâs the Great Whore of Babilon with whom you claim Sister-hood So also in your Miters your Rochets Palls Semiters Square Caps Tippets and so cap a pied One and the Same in your Liturgy Service or Matins or Service-Booke which even your Iesuite confessed to be Catholick and so One and the Same in all your Service dressing and garbe as rich Copes Palls and other Altar-ornaments goodly guilt plate faire Crucifixes over them and devout adoration unto them and praying toward the East where your Altar and Crucifix standeth goodly gay Images and Loud-sounding Organs and sweet chanting Choristers and Chanters Deanes and Subdeanes and Prebends Epistlers and Gospellers Singing-men and Viergers and a huge Sately pome and Equipage more then I can tell where you have Long Service and Short Sermons or rather to avoyd tediousnesse none at all yea and your Service in your Cathedralls in an unknown tongue the Popish Service mumbled in a strange tongue and yours in a strange tone chanted and roared out so loud by a sort of profane and drunken Singing Men and Apish Boyes with such a black Sanctus as the people is no way edified as not knowing whether they sing a Song of Robin Hood or play a Scotish Jigge One and the Same in your Altars Priests Sacrifices Onely with some small difference in some termes and manner of expression both holding a reall presence Rome explicitly by Transubstantiation and England implicitly not daring to speake plainly how onely willing to come as neare Rome as the time will give leave in stead of an Host you will have at least your Crucifix a representation of Christs body Sacrificed on the Crosse either upon the Altar for a pawne till the Host it selfe come or as neare over the Altar as may be One and the Same in exercising an Antichristian Tyranny over mens Soules Consciences Bodies Purses Estates by holding them in hard bondage under your roaring Canons and intollerable burthens of Ceremonies but this is rather to be referred to the Title or Caput of Hierarchy the Essence and Substance of your One and the Same Church One in punishing the Transgressors of Ecclesiasticall Canons more severely then of Gods Commandements One in execution of Discipline by Excommunication in your blind Courts for every trifle which must cost more then a trifle to get off So as there must be a Commutation and Solution for Absolution One in Dispensations and Prohibitions dispensing with such as will dispend that by Licence they may Marry or eate flesh in Lent One and the Same in persecuting the true Church of Christ his Word his Ministers his People onely Rome doth it under the name of Hereticks of which you are none and you under the name of Puritans the worst of Hereticks One and the Same in bowing at the Name Iesus One and the Same in observation of Holydayes onely with some difference Rome hath more yet not an English Almanack but sets them forth at least in black attyre as the Papists veile their Images all the Lent from the peoples view to make them hunger the more after such food after their long Fast at Easter in hope that in time they may come to be cladde in Scarlet their Holy-day suit So as a Religious Gentleman late the Astronomy-Reader in Gressham-house but now translated above the Starres for Setting out an Almanacke with a Martyre to every day in stead of the Popes Saints was brought into the High Commission Court where he hardly escaped findging for an Heretick One and the Same in profaning and disesteeming the Lords day both accounting it to be of humane Authority both preferring their Church-holy-dayes before it both profaning it onely with this difference Rome profanes it onely practically but England both practically and professedly and Authentically by Speciall Dispensation and Edict One in condemning Innocents in your Ecclesiasticall Courts mixt with temporall Iudges as in your High Commission and in temporall Courts mixt with Ecclesiasticall Iudges such a sower leaven as after Ecclsieasticall Censure you deliver them over to the Secular power where through your instigation no mercy can be expected your selves being both Parties and Iudges One and the Same in holding the rule of Faith onely with this difference Rome equalling her Tradition with the Scripture and you puting a necessity of the present Churches Tradition and voyce as without which the Scripture cannot be beleeved to be the word of God as was touched before and as will appeare more fully at after So as Rome yoaketh her traditions in equall ranke with the Scripture and you put your Churches Authority and Tradition for the Forehorse to draw and lead the Scripture into mens beliefe as the Oxen drew the Arke towards Ierusalem that it is the word of God One and the Same in exempting your Clergy from the Civill power and Iudicature onely with this difference Rome hath got it in possession and you have often attempted it and openly professed your hope of Seeing the Clergy of England as high as ever they were or as the Lawyers now are In a word One and the Same in your Babilonish Faith and Religion For Rome hath so contrived some of her doctrines as those about Grace layd down in the Decrees of Trent as that those two mighty dissenting Sides about merit of Congruity to wit Andreas Vega with his Franciscans and Dominicus Soto with his Dominicans both Sides bearing a great sway and swindge in the Councel as that each side perswaded it selfe that the Decrees brought from Rome