the history concerning Christ that He was born crucified dead c. But neither Turks nor we Damned Spirits do confide in his mercy or so much as own him as a Mediator or Saviour but dread him as a severe Judge Here alto Luther might easily have replied that there is a medium between an historical or the devil's faith and his new belief of Justification by faith alone and that if his former faith was such as did not fidere misericordiae Christi nec habuit eum pro-Mediatore sed exhorruit ut saevum Judicem confide in the mercy of Christ nor acknowledg him for a Mediator but tremble at him as a severe Judg yet such was not the faith of the Church which he deserted Ejusmodi fidem non aliam tu habebas cum ab Episcopo unctionem acciperes omnes alii ungentes simul uncti sic sentiebant non aliter de Christo This kind of faith and no other had you when you received Holy Orders from a Bishop and all others likewise Ordaining and Ordained did so believe concerning Christ This indeed if true would make one sweat but might he not here have told Satan he lied if not concerning his own yet concerning the Churches faith and have required a further proof of his word Ideo a Christo tanquam crudeli Judice confugiebatis ad S. Mariam Sanctos illi erant Mediatores inter vos Christum sic erepta est gloria Christo Hoc neque tu neque ullus alius Papista poterit inficiari Therefore flying Christ as a cruel Judge you address your selves to St. Mary and other Saints making them Mediators between you and Christ So was Christ robb'd of his Glory This neither you nor any other Papist can deny Here also Luther might truly have told Satan that he belied and mis-represented the Doctrine and practice of the Church which desires the Intercessions of the Blessed Virgin or Saints deceased to God or Christ in no other manner than she doth the intercessions of Saints living the desiring of which intercessions of Saints living is granted lawful without inferring Christ a cruel Judge or these Saints living and not Him our Mediatours c. Nor do any make their addresses so to Saints but that the same do also to Christ himself Mean-while here we may observe how zealous Satan is to rectify Luther concerning Invocation of Saints so prejudicial to our Lord's Mediatorship and accordingly Luther and his followers have endeavoured to rectify the Christian world herein Ergo uncti estis consecrati rasi sacrificastis in Missa ut Gentiles Ethnici non ut Christiani Quomodo ergo potuistis is in Missa consecrare aut veram Missam celebrare Ibi deficit quod secundum vestram propriam doctrinam vitiat personae habens potestatem consecrandi Ye were Ordained therefore Consecrated and offered Sacrifice in the Mass like to Gentiles Heathens not like Christians How therefore could ye in the Mass consecrate or celebrate true Mass when-as there was wanting what according to your own doctrine destroys the whole a person having the power of consecrating i.e. Without a true faith and knowledge of Christ no true Priests and so no true Ordination by them and so no true Consecrating or offering of Christ's true Body and Blood and so the Adoration of that which is taken for such Body is committing Idolatry This seems the Summe of the Devils arguing But the contrary appears by what hath been already said viz. That there was a true faith and knowledge of Christ retained in the Church before Luther's times and so a true Priesthood and if there was not so before how can there be any since for none may make himself a Priest nor is there any other to make him if the former Priesthood perished But whatever Satan might perswade Luther his followers are wiser than to deny a true Priesthood in the Roman Church and so might he had not Satan bin his Doctor § 40. n. 3. 2. Vnctus es tunc in Sacerdotem Missa abusus es contra institutionem contra mentem sententiam Christi instituentis Nam Christus voluit Sacramentum inter pios communicantes distribui ad edendum bibendum Ecclesia porrigi Sacerdos enim verus est Minister Ecclesiae constitutus ad praedicandum verbum porrigenda Sacramenta sicut hoc habent verba Christi in Coena sicut Paulus 1 Cor. 11. de Coena Domini loquitur Vnde a veteribus Communio appellata est quod non solus Sacerdos debeat uti Sacramento juxta institutionem Christi sed reliqui Christiani fratres una cum ipso Nunc annos quindecim totos semper solus privatim pro te in Missa usus es Sacramento non communicasti aliis You was then ordained a Priest and have ever since abused the Mass contrary to the Institution of it contrary to the mind and intent of Christ the Instituter For Christ would have it as a Sacrament distributed amongst the pious Communicants given to the Church that all may eat and drink of it Because a true Priest is a Minister of the Church appointed to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments according to the words of Christ in his last Supper and according to St. Paul 1 Cor. 11. where he speaks of the Supper of our Lord. From whence also by the Ancients it was call'd the Communion because according to Christ's Institution the Priest ought not to celebrate this Sacrament alone but other Christian brethren together with him Now for fifteen whole years together you have constantly received this Sacrament by your self and not communicated it to others Here again he might have answered that he in all his his Masses wherein himself received the Sacrament was ready also to have administred it to othes nor ever in any of them denied it to persons rightly prepared much less held it unlawful or was prohibited to exhibit it to them That therefore his partaking it alone was not his but their fault if any other were obliged to accompany him in it but neither this their fault who were no way engaged to receive it so often as he offered it nor lastly that he is obliged by any precept of our Lord 's to forbear offering to God the Father this Commemorative Sacrifice of the Death of his Son from which Christianity obtains so many benefits and consequently the partaking it himself when others do not also communicate with him And lastly concerning the sense of any Scriptures that should be pressed by Satan to be such a precept that he was to adhere not to Satan's or his own but the Churches judgment thereon He goes on Ideoque interdictum tibi erat ne porrigeres totum Sacramentum aliis And therefore was you forbidden the giving this Sacrament in both kinds to the people Here again Luther might have answered Satan as the Church doth other Adversaries That there is no precept of our Lord 's
the Church and Fathers without more proof Mean-while we see from what Author zealous forsooth of the right understanding of Christ's Institution and of God's Truth and vindicating it from former errors the Reformed have learn'd their Opposition to the Evangelical Sacrifice of the Altar Sic enim verba ungentis suffraganei clare sonant Cum enim juxta traditam ceremoniam Calicem in manus dat jam uncto Accipe inquit potestatem consecrandi sacrificandi pro vivis mortuis Quae malum haec est prorsus sinistra perversa unctio ordinatio quod Christus instituit adedendum bibendum pro tot a Ecclesia porrigendum a Saderdote una communicantibus c. ex hoc tu facias Sacrificium propitiatorium coram Deo So indeed the words of the Suffragan Bishop ordaining plainly signify For when according to the traditional ceremony he delivers the Chalice into the hands of the then Ordained he saith Take thou power of Consecrating and Sacrificing for the living and the dead What a mischief sinister and perverse Unction and Ordination is this what Christ hath instituted and ordained to be eaten and drunk for the whole Church and what ought to be given by the Priest to other communicants c. of this do you in private make a propitiatory Sacrifice before God Here also Luther might have expounded to Satan the sense of the Church and so have expected his Reply viz. The Church stiling the Sacrifice of the Altar propitiatorium only in the application of the sole satisfactory Sacrifice of our Lord offered on the Cross As also there were Sacrifices under the Law truly and properly stiled Propitiatory yet only so with relation to our Lord 's made at his death on the Cross O abominatio super omnem abominationem O abomination of abominations § 40. n. 6. 5. Mens sententia Christi est ut diximus ut Sacramentum distribuatur Ecclesiae communicantibus ad erigendam firmandam ipsorum fidem in quovis agone variarum tentationum peccati diaboli c. ad subinde renovandum praedicandum beneficium Christi Tu autem ex hoc fecisti proprium opus quod tuum sit quod tu facias sine aliis quod possis impartiri gratis vel pro pecunia aliis The mind and intention of Christ was as I said that this Sacrament should be given to the whole Church even all those that should communicate to raise and strengthen their faith in every agony of the various temptations of sin of the Devil c. thereby to renovate and set forth this benefit of Christ But you have made it your own work in that you celebrate alone without any others there present whether gratis or for money Spoken-to before the Church repels none denies the Sacrament to none worthy at any time sells it to none If Luther did the Church must not answer for his guilt What follows next is a Recapitulation designed as it were only to fasten and rivet these truths better into Luther's mind in which he was afterward to instruct the world and the matter of it replied to before Hic forsan dices etiamsi aliis in Ecclesia non porrigam sacramentum tamen ipse sumo ipse mihi porrigo Et multi in coetu etiam Sacramentum aut etiam Baptisma accipâ—unt qui tamen increduli sunt tamen ibi est verus Baptismus verum Sacramentum quare tunc in mea Missa non esset verum Sacramentum Sed hoc non est simile saith Satan quia in Baptismo sunt ut minimum duae personae baptizans baptizandus saepe multi alii de Ecclesia Et Baptizantis officium ejusmodi est quod aliis de Ecclesia quid communicat ut membris non aliis subtrahens sibi soli sumit sicut tu facis in Missa Et omnia alia quae ibi geruntur tum opus ipsum fit secundum jussum modum institutionis Christi tua autem Missa contra institutionem Christi ' Here perhaps you will say in defence that it is verum Sacramentum a true Sacrament and verum corpus Christi true Body of Christ tho the Consecrator doth not rightly administer it or is incredulous and hath no right faith although I do not administer this Sacrament to others in the Church yet I my self take it I give it also to my self There are many also in the Church receive this Sacrament as that also of Baptism which yet do not believe nevertheless it is true Baptism and a true Sacrament why then in my private Masses may there not be a true Sacrament But the case is not the same saith the Devil because in Baptism there are two persons at the least the baptizer and the baptized and often others also of the Church And the office of the baptizer is such that he communicates something to others of the Church not takes any thing from them to himself as you do in the Mass And all other things that belong to that Sacrament even the whole action is according to the command and manner of Christ's institution but your Mass is contrary to the Institution of Christ § 40. n. 7. 2. Quare non docetis quod quis possit baptizare seipsum c. Quare rejicitis Confirmationem si quis more vestro confirmaret seipsum Quare non est Absolutio siquis absolveret seipsum Quod si nunc nullum ex Sacramentis vestris aliquis ipse pro seipso facere potest aut tractare quì fit ut tibi soli hoc sacrum sacrificium facere velis c Scio saith Satan quilibet Minister aliis porrigens etiam pro se sumit sed ipse non consecrat sacramentum pro se sed sumit cum aliis Ecclesia Why then do you not teach that any one may baptize himself c. Why do you deny Confirmation to be good if according to your practice in the Eucharist any one should confirm himself Why not Absolution valid if any one should absolve himself But now if no one can consecrate or celebrate any of the other Sacraments for himself how comes it to pass that you offer sacrifice for and by your self alone I know saith the Devil that every Priest communicating others receives also himself but he consecrates not the Sacrament only for himself but receives it together with others and the Church First here if Satan proves any thing by his instances it is this that if no man may baptize or absolve or confirm therefore neither may he communicate himself But all Sacraments must not be made in every thing alike 2ly Neither in the Sacrament of the Eucharist doth any Priest consecrate or offer only for himself nor take this Sacrament only to or for himself if others be present and prepared to communicate with him but yet 1. he may give it to himself as well as to others and 2. again to himself when not to others if none offer themselves to
receive it with him For himself hath a share therein and benefit therefrom as well as others nor doth their foregoing this benefit infer or necessitate his In his angustiis saith Luther in hoc agone §. 〈◊〉 n. â— contra Diabolum volebam retundere hostem armis quibus assuetus eram sub Pâ—patu objiciâ—bamque intentionem fidem Ecclesia scil Quod Missas privatas in 〈◊〉 intentione Ecclesiae celebrassem Etiamsiego inquam non recte eâ—â—didi aut sensi tamen hoc recte credidit Ecclesia Verum Satan e contrae Age inquit prome ubi scriptum est Quod homo impius incredulus possit assistere Altari Christi consecrare conficere in fide Ecclesiae c. ubi jussit aut praecepit hoc Deus Si nunc verbum Dei non habes sed homines hoc docuerunt sine verbo tunc tota Doctrina haec est mendacium Intentio Ecclesiae non est contra clara verba intentionem Christi Ergo saith Satan non consecrasti sed solum panem vinum ut Ethnici obtulisti In these streights in this agony saith Luther as I was contending with the Devil I thought to have vanquished this great enemy with those weapons I was wont to make use of whilst a Papist I urged therefore to him the Intentention and Faith of the Church viz. That in virtue of the Church's Faith and Intention I had celebrated private Masses If I did not said I rightly believe and intend yet the Church always rightly believes But the Devil on the contrary said Shew me if you can in Scripture where it is written that a wicked faithless man may assist at Christ's Altar and consecrate and make the Sacraments in virtue of the Church's faith c. where hath God commanded or enjoyned any such thing If now you have not the word of God for it but men have traditionally taught you this without God's word then this whole doctrine is a Lye The Intention of the Church if the true Church cannot be contrary to the plain words and intention of Christ Therefore saith Satan you did not consecrate but only offer as Heathens might do the naked bread and wine There is more such like stuff Here for what the Devil would perswade Luther that Nullus impius aut incredulus potest consecrare c. no impious or unbelieving person can consecrate c. it hath bin an opinion always exploded by the Church and affirmed that Gratiae gratis datae ' extraordinary gifts and graces are communicable to wicked persons and the Augustane Confession made before Luther writ this book Art 8. granteth Licere uti Sacramentis quae per malos administrantur That it is lawful to communicate of those Sacraments which are administred by evil men quoting Matt. 23.2 3. Sedent Scribae Pharisaei in Cathedra Moysi c. ' In the chair of Moses have sate the Scribes and Pharisees c. And Sacramenta Verbum propter ordinationem mandatum Christi esse efficacia etiamsi per malos exhibeantur ' the Sacraments and Word of God are efficacious altho by evil men dispensed As for any intention of the Church it is only to confer the Sacrament according to what it believes to be the Ordination and Institution of our Lord. And that its intention and faith is contrary to the Word of God and Institution of Christ is a thing said here by Satan but not proved to Luther nor ought he to have yeilded the matter till a further evidence of it nor ought he to prefer Satan's or his own sense of Scripture before the Church's nor to account his sense clearer where so many against him think another so Mean-while here again we see from whom the first Reformer learnt such language Vbi scriptum est ubi jussit aut prâ—cepit Deus Where is it written where hath God commanded or enjoyn'd it And to plead Verbum Dei against the Church i.e. their own sense thereof against the Church's for what the word 's of Scripture be both are agreed and this with an addition of clara verba Scripturae ' plain words of Scripture on their side when a thousand men to one think the contrary when as no words of Scripture how clear soever are interpretable so as to contradict any other Scripture and the Clarum Verbum ' plain Text must comprehend not one sentence affirming what we would have but the whole word of God as no where gain-saying it And then who so fit to judge of the whole as the Church § 40. n. 9. This Encounter of Satan discovering as he imagined so much new Truth to him and so many of his former Errors but with this ill design as he imagined the intending thereby to cast him into despair for no man can think Satan to treat with him on any other termes than to deceive and do him mischief only his frauds are very various and we may fancy he proposeth one when he doth another put him as he saith into a great sweat and anguish of spirit as hath bin related before § 32. According therefore to this suspicion of his but quite mistaken in Satan's design after the relation of this Colloquy in his Book de Privata Missa he goes on thus Hic respondebunt mihi sanctissimi Patres An ignoras Diabolum esse mendacem ' Here the Holy Fathers the Popish Bishops will answer me Who doth not know that the Devil 's a Lyar To which he answers Verum quidem hoc est quod mendax sit sed ejus mendacia non sunt simplicis artificii sed longe callidiora instructiora ad fallendâ—m Ille sic adoritur ut apprehendat aliquam solidam veritatem quâ— negart non potest atque eam adeo callide versute urget acuit adeo speciose fucat suum mendacium ut fallat vel cautissimos Vti cogitatio illa quae Judae cor percâ—ssit vera erat Tradidi fanguinem innocentem hoc Judas negare non poterat Sed hoc erat Mendacium Ergo est desperandum de gratia Dei Non mentitur Satan quando accusat aut urget magnitudinem peccati c. sed ibi mentitur Satan quando ultra urget ut desperem de Gratia In summa saith he nos ab ipsorum privatis Missis ab unctione Episcoporum liberati sumus Viderint ipsi quomodo sua Pergama defendant It is true that the Devil 's a Lyar but then his Lies are not of the common make but far more subtle and abler to deceive He so accosts as to gain some solid and undeniable truth on his side and that he so craftily and acutely urges and so speciously colours over his lies as almost to deceive even the most cautious As when Judas's heart smote him that Thought of his was true I have betrayed the just blood this Judas could not deny but that was a Lie I must therefore despair of the grace of God The Devil doth not lie when
TWO DISCOURSES THE FIRST Concerning the SPIRIT of MARTIN LUTHER and the ORIGINAL of the REFORMATION THE SECOND CONCERNING THE CELIBACY OF THE CLERGY Printed at OXFORD An. 1687. CONSIDERATIONS Concerning the SPIRIT of M. LUTHER and the ORIGINAL of the REFORMATION CONTENTS PRoperties of the good and evil Spirit § 1. By which the spirits of New Teachers are to be try'd Luther's Holy life whilst a Monk § 2. The several degrees of his fall § 3. n. 1. The first degr his taking up a new doctrine whilst yet a Monk as more consolatory of Justification by Faith alone Ib. And devising new Comments on the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians prejudicial to good works proceeding from Grace § 4. Where 1. That the Church'es doctrine concerning Justification was much mistaken or much mis-related by him § 6. 2. That his new opinion concerning it is detested by many judicious Protestants § 7. 3. Void of Consolation and contradicting it self § 8. The 2d degree upon the former doctrine his holding a parity of all justified as to their future reward § 9. And vilifying Religious vows and works of Mortification and Penance especially Celibacy § 10. Writing against Monastick Vows § 11. n. 2. And much recommending the state of Marriage vilifying Celibacy § 11. n. 3.4 5 6 7. Throwing off his Monks Hood and marrying a Nun. § 12. Leaving off his Canonical hours of Prayer § 13. The 3d. deg His rejecting the authority of the present Church § 14. The 4th deg His denying the then present to be a true Church or the Clergy thereof a true Ministery affirming the Pope to be Antichrist amp c. § 15. n. 1. and § 16 17 18. The 5th deg His rejecting the authority also of the former and ancient Church Councils and Fathers § 15. n. 2. and § 19 20. Some instances and testimonies 1. Concerning his rejecting the present Church-authority § 16. 2. Maintaining the Pope to be Antichrist § 17 3. The former Ordinations of Clergy invalid § 18. 4. His rejecting Councils § 19. 5. And Fathers § 20. The 6th deg His setting up his own authority and maintaining his own doctrines as certain and infallible truths § 21. n. 1. and § 24. n. 1. Tho these in his former and latter time much varying ib. The 7th deg Impatiently suffering opposition excommunicating and anathematizing any others tho Reformed that contradicted his doctrines § 22. and § 25. The 8th deg His altering the publick Service ordaining a new Ministry Abrogating and burning the former Canon Law § 23. Instances and Testimonies for these 1. Concerning his certainty of the truth of his own doctrines § 24. n. 1. Of those also that he maintained against other Reformed § 24. n. 3. 2. Concerning his censuring and condemning those of the other Reformed opposing him § 25. Where also of their reciprocal censures of him for it § 26. 3. Concerning the instability of his doctrine § 27 9th deg His fierce contentious and railing spirit discovered in all his controversy-writings § 28. Some instances thereof 30. 10th His frequent Communications with the Devil acknowledged by himself § 32. Where Of the great variety and subtilty of Satan's temptations § 34. When this Tempter is undiscovered § 35. When this Tempter is discovered § 37. And that Luther had no secure ground to rely on that he was not by him most miserably deluded § 38. 11. In particular concerning Satan's famous disputation with him touching the Mass Nullity of the present Clergy Justifying Faith c. and Luther's behaviour therein § 39 Remarks upon it and the invalidity of those Arguments of Satan that prevailed with Luther § 40. amp c. Of Zuinglius his being in like manner deluded by Satan § 44. c. 12. That probably Luther discovered not these wiles of Satan but served him ignorantly § 46. And therefore was a more dangerous instrument of his § 47. And that there wanted not specious pretences for several things in his Reformation § 49 Nor some personal qualities that rendred him acceptable to his sect § 50. 13. The resemblance of Luther's change of Religion in several particulars to that former of Mahomet 14. The Trial of Luther's spirit as before described whether this were good or bad by the properties of these two spirits mentioned in the begnning of the Discourse § 58. Where 1. That Truth and Holiness Error and Vice have a necessary connexion § 60. 2. That where more corrupt doctrines are believed and taught there for the general must be found more dissolute lives § 61. The several bad fruits springing from Luther's doctrine that presently appeared and were confessed in his own time § 62. 15. The manner of his Death § 64. Conclusion Where concerning the just limits of blaming or censuring other mens lives and actions CONSIDERATIONS Concerning the SPIRIT of MARTIN LUTHER and the Original of the REFORMATION Properties of the good § 1. THE Spirit of God is described by the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. in its properties to be long-suffering kind not envying nor vaunting it self not puffed up not easily provoked thinking no evil bearing all things c. and the fruits thereof to be love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness meekness continency temperance Gal. 5.22 And the wisdom that is from above to be pudica pacifica modesta suadibilis chast pacific modest easie to be intreated Jam 3.17 And the Spiritual man to be Non litigans mansuetus ad omnes docibilis patiens cum modestia corripiens c. No wrangler mild towards all men docible patient correcting with modesty 2 Tim. 2.24 25. When he is reviled to bless when he is defamed to intreat when persecuted without resistance to suffer it 1 Cor. 4.12 Is described to wage a continual war against the flesh in watchings in fastings in various castigations subjections and mortifications of the body 1 Cor. 9.27 2 Cor. 11.27 These are the Properties of the good Spirit And evil Spirit On the contrary the Spirit of Satan and of this world and those acted therewith are described by the Apostle Rom. 1.29 to be Pleni invidia contentione malignitate detractores contumeliosi superbi parentibus superioribus non obedientes inventores malorum incompositi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full of envy contention malignity detractors contumelious proud disobedient to parents superiours inventers of evil unsettled and dissolute without natural affection without fidelity And 2 Tim. 3.1 to be seipsos amantes elati superbi parentibus superiorbus non obedientes sine pace incontinentes tumidi voluptatum amatores pietatis speciem habentes virtutem ejus abnegantes lovers of themselves haughty proud disobedient to parents superiours unpeaceable incontinent puffed up lovers of pleasures having an appearance of piety but denying the virtue of it And by St. Jude v. 8. c. to be carnem maculantes dominationem spernentes Majestatem blasphemantes in via Cain abeuntes Defilers of the flesh despisers of Dominion blasphemers of Majesty who
the business that should Religion once come to be disputed the whole Papacy with its adherents unable any longer either to defend their own religion or to confute the Mahometan must needs fall to the ground since they would be oblig'd to confute those things themselves most of all allow of i. e. good life good works fastings ceremonies c. named before Yet worse Discant saith he religionem Christi aliud esse quam caeremonias mores atque fidem Christi prorsus nihil discernere utrae caeremoniae mores leges sint meliores aut deteriores sed dâ—scant omnes in unam massam contusas ad justitiam nec esse satis nec â—is esse opus Let them know saith he that Christianity is something else than ceremonies and good living and that the faith of Christ says not one word whether their ceremonies customs and laws or ours be better or worse of the two but let them know this that all these pounded in one heap together would neither be sufficient nor needful to justification And again Si quis hos articulos teneat scil quod Christus sit filius Dei mortuus pro nostris peccatis resuscitatus ad vitam nostram Quod side in Illum justi peccatis remissis salvi sumus c. Quid illi noceat c. If one does but believe these articles viz. That Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose again for our justification That being justified by faith in him we obtain remision of our sins and salvation thereby what worse is he tho he neither fast pray watch nor use abstinence so much tho he be not altogether so modest in his diet apparrel carriage house-keeping c. Let both Turks and Papists excel in these things if they please yet at the same time void of true i.e. his faith c. Thus if we may believe this new Doctor and unless we will take his new fiduciary faith for the substance of Christian Religion Mahomet notwithstanding all the assistances of Grace and the Holy Spirit acting in the Church and so dearly purchased for it by our Lord hath out-done Christ and the Alcoran the holy Scriptures as to the producing and establishing of Sanctification and good Works as to mortifying the flesh and worldly lusts as to the devout service of God praying watching fasting c. And our Lord who gave himself for us that he might purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Titus 2.14 and who gave himself for his spouse the Church that he might sanctify cleanse and purify it unto himself not having spot or wrinkle c. Eph. 5.26 27. is in this his chief end much out-gone by other Religions and their working upon the bare stock of Nature Nature depraved without Regeneration without God's Spirit of Grace At tibi imperet Dominus ' the Lord rebuke thee If Christian Religion be not the holiest Religion it is not God's As for the Relation he urgeth it gives no such character of the Mahometan Religion as he pretends secondly did it it must deliver a lye nor ought any Christian to give more credit to it than to Mahometanisme § 6 And thus I have discovered unto you the main root of the first Reformation by Luther Wherein first he hath shamefully mistaken Whâ—re 1. That the Churches doctrine concerning Justification was mistaken or mis-related or mis-reported the common doctrine of the Church in all ages as indeed the reformed Religion chiefly subsists by mis-relating or mis-construing the Catholick tenents and the greatest mischief the Devil doth in the world is by his lying He hath shamefully mis-reported the Churches doctrine I say which doctrine holds our Justification to consist not only in infused Grace or inherent Righteousness through Christ's merits tho it is most true that the Regenerate are formally made just holy and righteous of formerly sinners and impious by Grace infused into them by God for Christ's merits sake but also in remission of sin through Christ's merits and in remission of sins not only before our Regeneration but after it also in which also they acknowledge that in multis offendimus omnes ' in many things we offend all See Conc. Trent sess 6. c. 7. Justificatio non est sola peccatorum remissio sed renovatio interioris hominis per susceptionem gratiae c. Justification is not only remission of sins but also renewal of the inward man by susception of grace therefore not renewal alone but also remission of sins And Bell. de Justif 2. l. 6. c. Vtraque pars Justificationis id est remissio peccatorum donum renovationis Both parts of Justification i.e. remission of sins and the gift or grace of renovation of the inward man And see Cassand consult on Art 4. This is the faith and profession of the Monks that watch fast and pray ancient and modern Luther excepted § 7 He hath broach'd a doctrine detested by the most learned of the modern Reformed See what Dr. Hammond of Fundamentals 2. That his new opinion concerning it is detested by many judicious Protectant c. 12 13. Mr. Thorndike Epilog 2. l. 7. c. p. 41. Just Weights c. 9. p. 57 95. and others have written against the Solifidian and Fiduciary as most pernicious errors Nay I may say at least the consequence thereof even detested by Luther himself in his latter time For thus he In visitatione Saxonica Multi dum audiunt from the Evangelical Teachers ut solummodo credatur omnia ipsius remitti peccata fingunt sibi fidem c. Many being taught that they need only believe that their sins are remitted devise a new faith to themselves and fancying themselves clean become temerarious and self-secure thereby Which carnal security is worse than all the errors that were ever heard of to this day Elsewhere in a Sermon super Evang. Dominicoe Iae Adventus he observes his reformed magis vindictae cupidos magis avaros magis ab omni misericordia remotos magis immodestos indisciplinatos multoque deteriores quam fuerint in Papatu to be more revengeful covetous cruel more immodest unruly and much worse than under Popery And in his Preface to the Gal. he mentions a new Sect quam minime omnium saith he praevidissem aut sperassem i.e. which of all things he should least have fore-thought or lookt for of such as taught That the ten Commandements ought to be taken out of the Church Thus as he saw the bad weeds that grew up out of his doctrine he endeavoured but in vain to tread down and stifle them and the bad influence which this new tenent speedily had on many of Luther's Disciples was observed by many others Thus Erasmus complains in an Epistle to P. Melancthon 1524. Vt largiamur esse vera quae docet Lutherus quid inutilius ad Christianam pietatem quam haec audire vulgus indoctum hoec instillari auribus adolescentum Pontificem esse
made on the Scripture His rejecting 3ly the Authority of the preâ—â—â—â— Church not displeasing to many as yeilding much comfort to great sinners and relaxing strict life the next thing which followed was the throwing off his Obedience to her Authority But this by certain degrees Questioned for his Doctrines and upon this cited to Rome he made friends to have his cause heard in Germany Heard and condemned in Germany by Card. Cajetan for one a moderate and learned Prelate he now appealed to Rome and to the Pope But well perceiving also that his doctrine would be most certainly condemned there as it was he suddenly intercepted this Appeal with another see Adams vit Luth. opera Luth. 1. tom made from the Pope to a Council But perceiving that neither thus the usual former laws of Councils being observed or only this law of all Assemblies that the much major part shall conclude the whole his doctrine could stand as indeed it did not he appeals yet again from Councils to Scripture where now he knew himself safe as any Heresy tho never so absurd would be in chusing that to be the Judge or decider of the Controversie which could never deliver any new sentence on any side and concerning the meaning of whose former sentence is the present Controversy But if he means here an Appeal to the Scriptures i.e. to that which either Christian Princes or the common professors of Christianity in general for such he names for his Judges sometimes shall declare to be the true sense of them here first it seems unreasonable concerning the meaning of God's Word to prefer the judgment of the Laity before that of the Clergy of the Churches subjects before that of their Governours Secondly Thus also his cause is lost for after all his allegations of Scripture produced and divulged in his writings the Princes and the Common people also of Christianity that condemn his doctrine did then and do still very much out-number those who approve it § 15. n. 1 The 4th his dâ—nying the then present to be a true Church or the Clergy thereof a true Ministry affirming â—he Pâ—pe to be Antichrist He stayed not here only in an absolute disobedience not only of non-assent but also of open contradiction to all Church-authority but proceeded so much farther as to deny the present visible Church or that of many former Ages to be a true Church he De judicio Ecclesiae de quavis doctrina making this the only note of the true Church that therein the Gospel be purely and sincerely preached or to have in it any true Clergy or Ministry And again from this defect of a true Clergy he argued that there had bin formerly in celebrating the Eucharist no true Consecration of the Elements for operating the presence of the Body and blood of Christ tho the mean-while he justified his own and his Disciples Consecration to be effectual herein and therefore that the people had continually committed idolatry in worshipping the naked bread as Christ's Body This urged to him as he saith De Missa privata unctione Sacerdot by the Devil to reduce him for many years guilty of such Non-consecrations to despair he assented to and afterwards maintained Next from this he made yet a further discovery of the chief Bishop in the Church the Pope his being Antichrist the Bishops his Apostles and the Universities his Lupanaria or Brothel-houses for the Universities much afflicted him § 15. n. 2 the 5th his rejecting the authority also of the fâ—rmer and ancient Church Councils Fathers Thus having cast off blasted and defied to the uttermost all present Church-Authority next sollicited that at least concerning the sense and meaning or right exposition of the Scriptures he would stand to the judgment of the ancient Church and be tryed by it This also he expresly renounced frequently vilifying the doctrine of the Fathers their weak interpretations of Scriptures and accusing them of many errors and contradictions § 16 Some Instances and testimonies 1. Concerning hâ—s rejecting the presâ— t church-â—â—â—hoâ—ity For these things it were easie to produce out of his Writings a multitude of testimonies For the newness of his opinions and his marching alone against the Doctrines of present and former Church he every where acknowledgeth it not to say glorieth in it as a thing arguing his singular illumination and wisdom Nay Erasmus Ep. to Justus Jonas saith it was observed of him That where he agreed in Sense yet he strove to express himself contrary to the former usual doctrine Aiunt Lutherum aliquoties quum eadem doceat quae caeteri tamen verbis ipsis id videri conari ut diversissima videatur adferre as particularly appears in his Expositions of some of his condemned assertions Assertio Articulorum See his book de Captivitate Babylonica in the entrance of his discourse on the Mass where Rem arduam saith he quam forte sit impossibile convelli aggredior ut quae tanto saeculorum usu firmata omniumque consensu probata sic insedorit ut necesse sit majorem partem librorum qui hodie regnant pene universam Ecclesiarum faciem tolli mutari penitusque aliud genus caeremoniarum induci seu potius reduci Sed majori cura verbum Dei oportet observare quam omnium hominum Angelorum intelligentias A hard and perhaps unfeisible task the abolishing that which being ratified by the practice of so many ages and approv'd by general consent is at length so settled that the greatest part of books now in vogue nay almost the whole face of the Church must be taken away and chang'd and quite another kind of ceremonies induc'd or rather reduc'd But the word of God is more to be regarded than all the wit of men or Angels And in his Preface to his book de abroganda Missa privata Quot medicamentis saith he quam potentibus evidentissimis Scripturis meam iâ— sius conscientiam vixdum stabilivi aut auderem unus contradicere Papae credere eum esse Antichristum Episcopos ejus esse Apostolos Academias esse ejus Lupanaria quoties mihi palpitavit tremulum cor reprehendens objecit eorum fortissimum c. With how many powerful remedies and most evident Scriptures and yet all little enough to my wavering conscience did I bring my self at length to dare one single man to contradict the Pope and believe him to be Antichrist the Bishops his Apostles the Universities his Brothel-houses How often have I trembl'd and quak'd for fear and chidingly objected to my self that their strongest and onely argument Are you alone in the right Is all the world besides in the wrong In the Preface to his book Adversus falso nominatum Ordinem Episcoporum he as it were repenting of his former respects thus defies them and withdraws his doctrine from theirs and all humane cognizance and censure Jam ante pronuncio me de câ—tero quandoquidem
and remitted the former obligation of Confession of sins to the Priests and Fasting before receiving the Communion and generally held in matters of Religion no Ecclesiastical i.e. humane laws obliging see before § 19. Began a new Ordination of Bishops and Ministers vita p. 129. descending from him after having declared their former Unction null and God's Church to be only that where the Gospel was purely preached that was his By the same authority assisted with the power of the Prince he made new Bishops and put them in the places of the deceased Against the Canonical Election of another made his intimate friend Ausdorse Bishop of Neoburg see Mâ—lch Adam vita p. 150. and Georg. Anhalâ—tinus Bishop of Mersburg By the same Authority he sentenced the Canon-law consisting of the former decrees amassed as well those of Councils as those of Popes to the fire and assembling the University solemnly burnt it in Wirtenberg vita p. 115. By the same he frequently pronounced Anathema's and Excommunications to those reformed that dissented from him in Opinion § 24. n. 1. 〈…〉 For the things said here it is easie to produce a multitude of testimonies Concerning his presumption of his own Doctrines and Expositions of God's Word he saith see before § 16. Illum se aut â—â—â—am doctrinam Episcoporum aut ullius judicio Angeli de Coelo subjâ—cere non dignari he scom'd to submit himself or his Doctrine to the judgment of the Bishops or an Angel from Heaven And Extra aleam positam esse eam omnis humani judicii sed omnium Angelorum ' past the censure of men or Angels All this only out of a high presumption that his Exposition of the Scriptures was true the Church'es false And in an Epistle to Melancthon Adam vit Luth. p. 138 De publica causa satis magno otioso animo sum qui scio certo ipsam esse justam c. Certainly knowing the publick cause i. e. his own reformed Tenents to be just and true and Christ's and God's I am courageous and unconcern'd enough about it The threatnings of these bloody Papists I value not a if we come to the ground Christ will tall with us I had rather fall with Christ than stand with the Emperour In his answer to the Emperour's Edict 1531. concerning his way of Justification by Faith alone opposing the Church'es former doctrine in this point This Artide saith he will they nill they the Pope Emperour c will stand Hell-gates cannot prevail against it the Spirit of God doth dictate this unto me this is the true Gospel c. Casting the Pope's Bull the Canon-law and the writings of his Adversaties into the publick fire in Wirtenberg he used this insolent speech joyned with that insolent act vit Luth. Adams p. 115. Quia tu conturbasti Sanctum Domini conturbet te ignis aeternus because thou hast disturbed the Holy of the Lord get thee into eternal flames And upon Gal. 1.11 12. he thus answers an Objection made against the newness of his Doctrine taught contrary to that of the former Church by so inconsiderable a person which answer because it seems to contain all the defence he could make for himself I will set you down at large § 24. n. 2. First then he frames this Objection as made by the false Apostles against St. Paul fitting the application thereof to himself Quod Paulus longe inferior esset reliquis Apostolorum Discipulis qui quod docerent servarent acceperant ab Apostolis Cur igitur inferiori vellent obtemperare authoritatem iposorum Apostolorum qui Doctores essent omnium Ecclesiarum totius orbis terrarum contemnere Valde igitur saith he speciosum robustum hoc argumentum Pseudo-Apostolorum fuit c. Paul being much inferior to the other Disciples of the Apostles who had received from the very Apostles what they did and taught why therefore should they obey him that was inferior and despise the authority of the Apostles themselves who were constituted Masters of all the Churches in the world This then saith he was the specious and great-argument of the false Apostles which even now adays retains its force with many What! say they the Apostles the Holy Fathers and their Successors have taught so and so the whole Church judgeth so and believeth so and t is impossible for Christ to permit his Church to err for so many ages And do you now pretend to be wiser than so many holy men than the whole Church c Thus it is that the Devil transforming himself into an Angel of light treacherously sets upon me by the virulent tongues of certain Hypocrites We stand not much upon say they either Pope or Bishops Nay we detest the hypocrisy and impostures of Monks c. But we cannot in the least suffer the authority of the most holy Catholick Church to be infringed There are so many ages now that she has constantly judged so and taught so all the Doctors of the Primitive Church most holy men much greater and more learned than you have still judged and taught the same And who now are you that dare depart from all these and force upon us different tenents His answer to this is Quando Satanas hoc urget conspirat cum carne ratione perterresit Conscientia desperat nisi constanter adte redeas dicas Sive Sanctus Cyprianus Ambrosius Augastinus sive Sanctus Petrus Paulus aut Johannes imo Angelus de Calo alâ—tâ—r doceat tamen hoc certe scio quod humana non suadeo sed div na heâ—â—st quod Deo omnia tribuo hominibus nihil Memini initiomâ—â— causae Doâ—â—orem Staupitium tunc summum virum Vicarium Ordinis Angustini ad me dicere Hoc mihi inquit placet quod hac Doctrina quam prâ—dicas gloriam omnia soli Deo tribuit hominibus nihil Deo a â—â—m 〈◊〉 quod luce clarius est nimium gloriae bonitatis c. attribâ—i non potest Haec vox vehementer me tum consolabatur consirmabatâ— Malto ausâ—ta â—â—tias est tribuere nimium Deo quam homiâ—â—bus Ibo 〈◊〉 cum â—id 〈◊〉 dicere possum Esto sane Ecclesia Augustinus alii Doctores item Petrus Apostolus imo Angelus de Coelo diversum doceant tamen mea doctrina est ejusmodi quod solius Dei gratiam c. When Satan urgeth thus and conspires with flesh and reason against us our conscience is troubled and will certainly despair unless we resolutely stir up our selves and say Tho St. Cyprian St. Ambrose St. Angustin tho St. Peter Paul and John yea an Angel from Heaven teach the contrary yet this I certainly know that the things I propose are not humane but divine i. e. I attribute all to God and nothing to men I remember well what Dr. Staupitius a prime man then and Vicar of St. Augustin's Order told me in the beginning of my preaching I like well said he that this Doctrine you teach gives glory
may they be so amongst such reformed as have since cast off and renounced many of Luther's more malignant doctrines and especially his Solifidian error Which Reformed methinks should have a great jealousie of the rest that were taught by him whom they have found miscarrying in so fundamental a point and that which was the first stone that he laid of the Reformation See before § 3. c. yet so far may their other errors be rationally conceived to retard and hinder even the very best amongst them as never to equal in sanctity the lives of those holy men that enjoy the light and guidance of the Catholick Faith § 61 The several bad fruits springing from Luther's doctrine that presently appeared and were confessed â—n his own time According to these positions if we examin concerning Luther's Doctrine what fruit it brought forth and that in his own time for it becomes not me to make a scrutiny further when it spread over Kingdoms or to compare and decide the holiness of Nations according to their present various professions of Religion if we enquire I say in his own time what fruit it bare especially in respect of the four main heads thereof in his gross way of delivering of them 1. The Nullity and Antichristianism of the former Ecclesiastical Prelacy and Clergy and the non-obligation of their Constitutions and Laws 2. The inutility of Works of Penance Mortifications c. 3. The Servitude of man's Will and inability to good even in the Regenerate 4. The sole Sufficiency of Faith in us for our Justification and this Faith an assurance that Christ's merits are applied to us in particular and that we in particular are justified by them and that every one by believing he is justified truly becomes so To which may be annexed his holding a parity of future glory to all justified and one in Heaven as great as another without consideration of their own different good works or sufferings in this present life We shall find in the effect as in reason it could not be otherwise That out of the first of these the band of Ecclesiastical Authority being dissolved sprang immediately a multitude of Sects invading one another as well as all of them the Church many gross Heresies and grievous Schisms and Seditions even sober Protestants being the judges here of all which must needs be accompanied with a strange spiritual or intellectual pride in thinking themselves wiser men and better interpreters of the Scriptures than their spiritual Superiours than the Doctors Fathers and Councils of the Church both of the present and many former ages And that out of the three latter people from them discovering no great utility or necessity of our own either penal or pious works grew a great dissoluteness of life on one hand and great worldliness and covetousness and its daughter oppression on the other as not believing that the laying out of their goods here could purchase for them a treasure in another place but rather such works of their own diminish their confidence in Christ's works and so ruin their Justification and cast them our of the Evangelical into the Legal Covenant § 62 For these fruits appearing in his followers see the testimonies alledged before § 7. and amongst the rest the witness of Luther himself the thing he confessed but the cause thereof he made to be the peoples or their Reformed teachers ignorance and mistaking of his Doctrines how truly this latter let the indifferent judg by what hath bin here before produced out of him writings for which review his propositions before § 3. And see Dr. Hammond's description of the natural fruits and effects that must needs grow out of one of his tenents the Solifidian error Of Fundamentals 〈◊〉 13. The summe of which is That such a one by his full assurance as it excludes all fear and doubting of his estate and also asserts the priority of such an assurance and faith before his repentance or amendment of life is fortified and secured by this one deceit from all obligation to superstruct Christian practice or holy living upon such his faith For if assurance of his good estate be the one thing necessary then nothing else that is distinct from it as a good life is affirmed to be is so And if his estate be already safe and if it be not then his believing it so is believing a lye then it needs no supply from a good life at all to make it a safe estate or to give him grounds to believe it such Nor if he be justified before he amends his life can this hinder the continuing of his Justification or intercept his Salvation if he shall never amend it especially when it is said by them that the once justified can never be unjustified Nor will this amendment and good life be necessary tho not to his Justification yet to the approving of it or of his faith to himself or others because his faith being a full assurance includes this approbation of his Justification to himself and the approbation of it to others must needs be a thing extrinsecal and impertinent to his Justification nor can man's disapproving it any way annull it c. See the Author Again For the mustiplying of Sects by throwing off the yoke of Ecclesiastical Government without casting off which Luther could not have made way for his own Sect nor could he find any reason he doing no miracles whereby to stop this gap made by him to all men besides himself Luther acknowledged no less than twenty sprung up in his own days see § 22. One of them concerning the ten Commandements that they ought to be taken out of the Church and indeed all the use of the observance of them that Luther taught was only for signs and testimonies of a true faith Ex operibus te Deus judicabit saith he id est si credideris See before § 3. And another of them concerning a fained faith of which new doctrine he saith that it was pejor omni errore qui ante hoc tempus unquam fuit See before § 7. And by reason of these Sects following his Reformation so close at the heels and in some piece or other thereof supplanting it he often foretold that the true Religion i. e. his should not continue long after his death but if so it cannot be the true Religion for against this we are certain the Gates of Hell shall never prevail or Sects abolish it See his Colloquies c. 44. of Seducers Who would have thought saith he of that mischievous Sect the Antinomians I have out-lived and endured three abominable tempests Munster the Antinomians and the Anabaptists Now seeing they are stilled and gone no such matter others do approach insomuch that there will be no end in writing how should there where no Judg to decide matters I desire no longer to live for there is no more hope of peace Ancient Bernard said well We should preach of four particulars of