S. Peter Redeemed with corruptible thinges as Siluer and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot S. Iohn the Baptist speaking of Christ admonisheth vs to behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world S. Paul proclaymeth that Christ hath Redeemed his Church with his owne Blood not with the Blood of Thomes Becket or of any other The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes auoucheth constantly that Christ entred in once vnto the Holy place and obtained eternall Redemption for his Elect. And S. Peter boldly affirmeth to Annas Caiaphas Iohn Alexander and the rest that there is Saluation in no other saue onely in Iesus Christ. Secondly that both Becket and other Popish supposed Saintes are not Mediators of Saluation in some lower and inferiour degree but euen in the highest in the selfe-same with our Lord Iesus Of Thomâ—s Becket besides that which we haue heard of his Blood I find in an other Prayer made to him these expresse wordes Mores actus et vitam corrige et in pacis nos viam dirige Sâ—lue gregis tutor egregie saelua tuae gaudentes gloriae Correct our manners deedes and life guide vs into the way of peace Haile noble Patron of the flocke saue them that reioyce in thine honour Of S. Paul I find this Prayer O beate Paule Apostole te deprecor vt ab Angelo sathanae me eripias et a ventura ira liberes et in caelum introducas O blessed Apostle Paul I pray thee that thou wilt deliuer me from the Angel of Sathan and free me from wrath to come and bring me into Heauen Of S. James this O faelix Apostole magna martyr Iacobe to colentes adiuua peregrinos vndique tuos clemens protege ducens ad caelestia O happy Apostle and mighty Martyr Iames helpe them that worship thee defende curteously thy Pilgrimes on euery side and bring them to Heauenly ioyes To S. Martin they pray thus Caecis das viam mutisque loquelam tu nos adiuua mundans immunda qui fugâ—â— daemonia nos hic libera O Martin thou causest the blind to see and the dumbe to speake helpe vs and cleanse the vncleane thou that castest out Deuils deliuer vs heere The Papistes pray in this maner to the blessed Virgin O Maria gloriosa in delitijs delitiosa praepara nobis gloriaÌ„ O Mary glorious in dainties delitious prepare thou glorie for vs. Againe in an other place thus Maria mater gratiae mater misericordiae tu nos ab hoste protege et hora mortis suscipe O Mary the mother of Grace the mother of Mercie defend thou vs from our ghostly enimie and receiue vs at the houre of death Againe in an other place thus Veni Regina Gentium dele flammas reatuum dele quodcunque deuium da vitam innocentium Come ô Queene of the Gentiles extinguish the firie heate of our sinnes blot out whatsoeuer is amisse and make vs lead an innocent life Againe in their old Latine Primers the people are thus taught to pray In extremiâ— diebus meis esto auxiliatrix et saluatrix et animam meaÌ„ et animam patris mei et matris meae fratrum sororum parentum amicorum benefactorum meorum et omnium fidelium defunctorum ac viuorum ab aeterna mortis caligine libera ipso auxiliante quem portasti Domino nostro Iesu Christo filio tuo O glorious Virgin Mary be thou my helper and sauiour in my last dayes and deliuer from the mist of eternall death both mine owne soule and my Fathers soule and the soules of my Mother Brethren Sisters Parentes Friendes Benefactors and of all the Faythfull liuing and dead by his helpe whom thou didest beare our Lord Iesus Christ thy Sonne Againe after two or three leaues in this maner Vt in tuo sancto tremendo ac terribili iudicio in conspectu vnigeniti filij tui cui pater dedit omne iudicium me liberes et protegas a paenis inferni et participem me facias caelestium gaudioruÌ„ I beseech thee most mercifull and chast Virgin Mary that in thine holy fearefull and terrible iudgement in the sight of thine onely Sonne thou wilt deliuer and defend mee from the paines of Hell and make mee partaker of Heauenly ioyes These Prayers if they be well marked will be found to conteine in them euery iote of Power Right Maiestie Glorie Soueraigntie whatsoeuer either is or ought to be yeelded to our Lord Iesus Christ. Yea these two last praiers make the blessed virgin Mary not only equall with Christ but far aboue him For first the Virgin Mary is desired to defend vs from the tortures and paines of Hell Secondly to bring vs to the ioyes of Heauen Thirdly the last Iudgement is called her Iudgement Fourthly she is called Our sauiour Fiftly she is requested to saue father mother brother sister friendes benefactors the quicke and the dead and all this must be done euen by the helpe of Christ her Sonne Now by the former Prayers she is made equall with Iesus Christ and by the last farre aboue him For she is the Sauiour and he the Intercessour which I gather out of these wordes ipso auxiliante c. by the helpe of our Lord Iesus Christ. For by these words and the rest afore-going the Virgin Mary doth saue vs and Christ is but the instrument that helpeth her in the worke of our Saluation Which how intollerable Blasphemie it is let the indifferent and iudicious Reader iudge dixi B. C. The Merites of Christ and his Saintes may auaile vs for the obtaining of spirituall giftes the merites of Christ as the principall cause the Merites of Saintes as dependent of his and the secondarie cause T. B. I answere first that Popish Saintes by Popish doctrine are not the Secondarie but euen the Chiefe and Primarie causes of mans Saluation This is already prooued Secondly that it is intollerable Blasphemie against the Sonne of God to make his Creatures either principall or secondarie causes of mans Saluation This is likewise already prooued Yea the blessed Virgin Mary the most holy pure Creature that euer was on Earth or is in Heauen was so farre from challenging to her selfe to be either the Principall or Secondary cause of Saluation that she in the spirit of true humilitie proclaymed the flat contrarie to the world in these most Christian golden wordes My Soule doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour B. C. That God and his Creatures may in this maner without any iniurie to his name be ioyned togeather we learne out of sacred Scripture Iacob desired God his Angel to blesse his Children The Israelites cryed out The Sword of our Lord and Gideon In Exodus wee read thus They beleeued our Lord and Moses his seruant Saint Paul testified before Christ Iesus and the elect Angels
frâ—tres magis satagite vt per bona opera câ—râ—aÌ„ vestraÌ„ vocationem et electionem facâ—utis Againe thus Whom hee hath Predestinate those hath he Called and whom he hath Called those hath he Iustified and whom he hath iustified those hath he glorified Secondly to auoyde tormentes which are due to all euill workes For as th'Apostle teacheth vs Death is the stipend of sinne And our M. Christ telleth vs That euery euill Tree which bringeth not foorth good fruite shal be cut downe and cast into the Fire Yea that hee which had not on a Wedding garment was bound hand foote and so cast into vtter darkenesse Thirdly to attaine corporall and eternall reward So sayth holy Writ Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world for I was hungry and yee gaue mee to eate I was thirsty and yee gaue mee to drinke For which respect Moses is sayd to haue had regard vnto reward And euen so is reward promised to him that giueth but a cuppe of cold Water in Gods name In respect of our Neighbours for diuers considerations First to put away scandall Woe to that man by whom scandall commeth you are the cause that Gods name is blasphemed among the Gentiles Secondly that we may profite our Neighbours by our good examples Let your Light so shine before men that they may see your Good workes and glorifie your Father which is in Heauen Now because our late Popes our newly hatched Jesuites and Jesuiteâ— Papistes are so full of Good workes at least in their owne corrupt perswasions that they are able with the same to merite Heauen and eternall Glorie I am content to imploy my Penne in speaking a litle thereof that the world may vnderstand the same for edification sake I will say nothing of the outragious behauiour of the Romish Papistes in time of Carnâ—uà le at Rome when and where for many dayes or rather weekes togeather men and women gadde vp and downe in the streetes and into houses some on Horse-backe some on foote transformed vnder Vizardes men into womans apparrell and women into mans apparrell and so to the great scandall of all good people that see or heare thereof worke wickednesse as the same goeth intollerable and odible to God and all good men Two kindes of notorious workes I will onely touch for the present the Stewes the Hospitall De sancto spiritu The Romanes forsooth are so mortified and so holy partly by the Pope for the time being who if he be truely named is not onely Holy but Holynesse it selfe in the abstract partly by the preachinges and other instructions of Jesuites and Iesuited Popelinges that the Pope forsooth must perforce permit them to haue common Brothel-houses or Stewes so to satisfie their beastly inordinate carnall lustes I meane not heere to dispute whether sinne in some cases may be tolerated or noe I haue written of that subiect else where at large But this I meane for the good of the Reader and edification-sake to make it euident to the world that the Romish Papistes who glorie in their meritorious workes are the worst liuers vpon earth The Stewes are not sufficient to bridle the outrage of the inordinate carnall lust of the Saints at Rome but they must further haue a second Toleration or Dispensation for an Hospitall of Charitie forsooth called for the surpassing vertue thereof by the name of the holy Ghost The end of this Hospitall is this to keepe Whores and Whore-maisters from villanous and most cruell Murders Euery night one of that holy Hospitall whatcheth diligently and turning about a Wheele made for the purpose receiueth new borne Bastardes into their câ—stodie The Wheele is so artificially contriued that they can not know or see who bringeth the said Infant-bastardes The Children are curteously receiued haue vsage and education as if they were legitimate The Hospitall is very rich and well able to maintaine all that are brought thither It findeth moe and more able friendes then any other Hospitall More Landes and Goods are giuen to it then to any other And no maruell seeing all that the Romish Saintes doe giue to it is giuen for the maintenaunce and education of their beloued Bastardes When these Bastards come to yeares of discretion either sooner or latter as it seemeth good to the Fathers then they come to visite the sayd Hospitall and to see their owne Bastardes and for a worke of Charitie they make choyse of those whom they loue and like the best Will not such Holy workes of mercie merite Heauen condignely by Popish Fayth and Diuinitie it is approoued with great solemnitie But how will some say doe the Fathers know their owne Bastardes I answere that it is a thing very easie to be done For the Fathers and Mothers or some by their procurement doe hang about the neckes of their Bastardes speciall Tokens or Iewels by which they may know them an other day Which Tokens the Gouernours of the Hospitall by the Lawes thereof which they are sworne to obey obserue and performe must carefully from time to time keepe and see that they neuer be taken from their Neckes during their aboade in the sayd Hospitall This Storie I haue for this end heere inserted that the world may know the meritorious workes of the Pope Iesuites and other Romish Papistes The censure whereof I leaue to the iudicious and honest Reader The 11. Conclusion As it is true by the constant Doctrine of best Learned Popish Writers that the best Workers are not condignely meritorious of Eternall life without the Promise of God made to reward them So it is in like maner true also that albeit by reason of Gods Promise the Reward be iustly both giuen and expected yet neither doth nor can the sayd Promise in reâ— veritate and true estimation of the Worke and the Reward make the worke condignely meritorious of the same Reward Eternall glorie I euer vnderstand This Conclusion consisteth of two partes the former whereof is copiously prooued in the seuenth Conclusion afore-going The latter I prooue by many meanes and inuincible reasons First because a Promise although it make the thing promised to be iustly a kind of debt and so of iustice both required and expected neither doth nor can change the nature of the Worke or attribute any condignitie or worthinesse to the same Secondly because the Promise is freely made and farre exceedeth the worthinesse of the Worke. So sayth the popish Fryer John de Combis in these very wordes Deus nes punit citra condignum remunerat vltra condignum God punisheth vs lesse then we be worthy and rewardeth vs farre aboue our desertes So sayth Abbot Bernard in these expresse wordes Aeternam vitam nullis potes operibus promereri nisi gratis detur et illa Thou must beleeue that thou canst not merite eternall life with any
punire et damnare popoteram non simpliciter assumpsi sed elegi vos multis alijs neglectis ex massa corruptionis Sequitur docet igitur Christus hoc verbo quod ipse sit author nostrae salutis Deinde quod gratia est quicquid habemus siue sint dona illa iustificantia Fides Spes Charitas Spiritus sanctus c. Siue externa illa dona quae alio nomine dicuntur gratiae gratis datae I saith hee haue chosen you This Text may bee vnderstood either of Election to the Apostleship or of eternall Election to Saluation For in both there is grace but no merit and both are wrought by Christ for in him and through him did God chose vs euen before the world was made I saith he who am God and therefore stand in need of nothing I who can punish and condemne haue not simply taken you but reiecting many others haue chosen you out of the masse of corruption Christ therefore doth by these words teach vs that hee is the authour of our saluation Then that whatsoeuer we haue the same is grace whether they be those iustifying gifts faith hope charity the holy Spirit the like or other externall gifts which by another name are called graces freely giuen That which our Sauiour sayth of Marie Magdalene that many sinnes were forgiuen her because shee loued much doth serue well to illustrate that which is here obiected of the kingdome of heauen For Christes Argument is not drawne from the cause but from the effect as if Christ had sayd we may know by her great loue that great gifts are bestowed on her that many sinnes are forgiuen her for that not remission of her sinnes proceeded from her loue but her loue from the forgiuenesse of her sinnes the similitude of the debtors doth plainly insinuate the same vnto vs. Christ told Peter of two debters whereof the one owed fiue hundred pence the other fiftie and that when they had not wherewith to pay the creditour forgaue them both he therefore demaunded of Peter whether of the debtours loued the creditour more Peter answered that he to whom more was forgiuen Christ approoued Peters answere and concluded thereupon that seeing Marie Magdalene loued more he might know that shee had more forgiuen her Because saith Christ to whom little is forgiuen the same loueth little neither is it possible to draw any other meaning out of Christs wordes The reason is euident because Christ saith plainely that the debts were freely forgiuen the debters who were not able to pay the debts For otherwise Maries forgiuenesse could haue no coherence with the similitude of the debters Out of this discourse these points are euidently deduced First that wee are the sonnes of God not by nature for so wee are his enemies and the children of wrath but by grace and adoption in Iesus Christ. Secondly that God chose vs to be his children before wee were borne Thirdly that he chose vs not because wee were holy but that we might bee holy and immaculate in his sight Fourthly that he predestinated vs to be his children by adoption not for any good workes which we either had done or could doe but for his owne good pleasure to the glorie of his grace for as to doe any workes at all before we be borne is altogether impossible so to doe good workes when we are borne seeing we are conceiued in sinne borne in sinne and by nature the children of warth is impossible in like manner Fiftly that all our good Workes are the effects and fruites of our predestination For if it be true as it is most true els the Apostle were a lyer that we were elected to be holy and to doe good Workes it is also true it can neuer be denyed that holy life and good Workes are the effects of our Election and Predestination in Christ Iesus For this cause saith the Apostle that Predestination proceedes freely of Gods eternall purpose Iustification of Predestination and Glorification of Iustification For first he choseth vs in Christ then he iustifieth vs in Christ thirdly and lastly he glorifieth vs for his owne Names sake B. C. And beside in the same place Damnation is giuen to had Workes Get ye away from me ye cursed saith Christ into euerlasting fire which was prepared for the deuill and his angels For I was an hungry and you gaue mee not to eate Seeing then the Scripture declareth plainely that bad workes deserue damnation and hee the cause thereof as plainly doth it also signifie that good Workes merit heauen and be the cause thereof T. B. I answer that there is great disparitie between saluation damnation therefore that good works can not merit saluation though euil works be enough for damnation The reason hereof is euident both in Phylosophy and Diuinitie because as S. Dionysius Areopagita sayth and the popish angelicall doctour Aquinas approueth the same Bonum ex integra causa existet malum ex quolibet defectu Good is of an intire and whole cause but euill comes of euery defect Yea that more is required to good then to euill dayly experience teacheth vs for one may soone doe that hurt to his neighbour which can not without great cost and long time bee cured againe For euery childe can tell our Iesuite that one stroake is able to kill a man but twentie potions and twentie chirurgicall actions can not restore him to life againe So one leape is enough to cast one into the bottome of a pitte or deepe gulfe but twentie hops skippes or leapes will not bring him vp againe This Saint Austen well obserued when hee left in Writing to all posteritie That it is a greater thing to iustifie the Wicked man then to make Heauen and Earth Free-will of it selfe is able to doe euill in the highest degree but of it selfe it hath no power at all either to doe well or to will well For it is God that worketh in you saith the Apostle both the will the deed euen of his good pleasure Againe in an other place thus To will is present with me but I find no meanes to performe that which is good Againe in an other place thus No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Againe in an other place thus we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God All which and much more our sweete Sauiour compriseth in these few pethy and most golden wordes For without me yee can doe nothing Much more I could say to the same effect but I refraine for two respectes First because I haue regard to breuitie Secondly for that this matter is disputed at large and soundly prooued in the Conclusions afore-going especially in the first sixt and seuenth B. C. Wee find also in Scripture that men are sayd worthy of Reward That you may be counted worthy of
a Vaile hanging in the Doores of the same Church dyed and painted which had the Image as it were of Christ or some Saint for I doe not well remember whose Image it was Therefore when I saw in the Church of Christ a mans Image against the authoritie of the Scriptures I tore it in peeces and aduised the Keepers of that place of the Church in Anablatha to burie some poore body with it I pray you commaund that hencefoorth such Vailes which make against our Religion be not hanged vp in the Church of Christ. The same Epiphanius in an other place hath these expresse wordes Re vera sanctuÌ„ erat corpus Mariae non tamen Deus Re vera virgo erat ipsa virgo et honorata sed non ad adorationem nobis data sed ipsa adorâ—ns eum qui ex ipsa carne genitus est de caelis vero ex finibus paternis accessit Sequitur Neque Helias adorandus est etiamst in viuis sit Neque lohannes adorandus neque Thecla neque quisquam Sanctus adoratur Non. N. dominabitur nobis antiquus error vt relinquamus viuentem et adoremus ea quae ab ipso sacta sunt Sequitur Sit in honore Maria Pater et Filius ei Spiritus sanctus adoretur Muriam nemo adoret non dico mulierem imò neque virum Deo debetur hoc mysterium Neque Angeli capiunt talem glorificationem Sequitur Etsi pulcherrima est Maria et sancta et honorata a non ad adorationeÌ„ The body of Mary was holy indeed but she was not God The Virgin was a Virgin indeed and honorable but not giuen to vs to be adored But she adoreth him who being borne of her according to the flesh came downe from Heauen euen from his Fathers Throne Helias ought not to be Worshipped if he were this day liuing amongst vs. Neither is John to be Adored neither Thecla neither any other Saint For the old Errour may not so farre ouerrule vs that we forsake the liuing God and Adore the Workmanshippe of his handes Let Mary be had in honour let the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost be Adored Let none Adore Mary I say not the Woman but neither the Man this mysterie is due to GOD alone The Angels are not capable of such glorification Though Mary be most beautifull and holy and honourable yet is she not to be Adored Thus discourseth S. Epiphanius affirming resolutely that onely GOD ought to be Worshipped and Adored not any Saintes in Heauen or on Earth much lesse their Images The 16. Chapter of Church seruice in the Vulgar tongue B. C. TO prooue that the Publique Seruice of the Church ought to be in the Vulgar tongue he citeth the names of many Authors without euer setting downe their Sentences thinking it sufcient to referre the Reader 〈◊〉 his Suruey where he hath layd out their wordes at large T. B. I answere first that our Jesuite is so troubled with my Bookes as he seemeth to haue lost his wittes For in his Preface of this present Pamphlet hee obiecteth against me as a fault that I iterate some thinges in one Booke which I haue published in an other Neuerthelesse heere he chargeth me of insufficiencie for that I referre the Reader to my Suruey where I haue handled the controuersie at large What a fellow is this Jesuisicall Fryer If I iterate that which afore I vttered in an other Booke hee is like a madde man and cryeth out that I trouble him with often repetitions If I referre him to that which I haue written else where he accuseth me as in this place that it is not sufficient so to deale Secondly that himselfe in the .14 Chapter of this Pamphlet yeeldeth no other Answere touching Pope Mâ—rtins Dispensation saue onely that he referreth me to an vnknowen and as yet inuisible Booke which he calleth The dolefull Knell B. C. This prooueth not that the Publique Seruice of the Church was in any other Language then in the sacreâ— Tongues of the Greeke Latine c. For the Grecians might vnderstand the Priest though their Seruice were in Greeke because that Tongue was to them the vulgar and common T. B. I answere first that our Iesuite confesseth plainely that his purpose is not to examine my whole Tryall and I beleeue him in this point albeit this Chapter consisteth onely of sixteene lines But those few lines containe such sound and pithy Doctrine as all the Jesuitees in Christendome are not able truely to answere the same Secondly that I am heere content to iterate part of that which I haue else where set downe at large and yet I can hardly thinke that the same will be to our Fryers contentation Howbeit volens nolens he must put it vp seeing he hath prouoked me thereunto Theodoretus a great Learned man and a very famous Historiographer who liued almost one thousand and two hundred yeares agoe affirmeth constantly that in his time the Scriptures were translated into all maner of Languages and that they were not onely vnderstood of Doctors and Maisters of the Church but euen of the Lay people and common Artificers also These are his expresse wordes Hebraici verò Libri non modo in Graecum idioma conuersi sunt sed in Romanam quoque linguam Aegyptiam Persicam Indicam Armenicamque et Scythicam atque adeo Sanromaticam semelque vt dicam in linguas omnes quibus ad hanc diem nationes vtuntur Sequitur Fossoresque adeo ac bubuleos inuenias plantarumque consitores de diuina Trinitate rerumque omnium creatione discertantes The Hebrew Bookes are turned not onely into the Greeke tongue but also into the Romane language into the Egyptian Persian Indian Armenian and Scythian as also into the Sanromaticall tongue and to speake all in a word into all tongues which this day are in vse amongst Nations We may find Ditchers Deluers Neatheards and Gardiners disputing euen of the blessed Trinitie and of the Creation of all thinges Thus discourseth this auncient Father and great learned Writer shewing most clearely vnto his Readers that in the auncient Church and old time euery Nation had the holy Scriptures in their Vulgar language and that in those dayes all Christians did read the holy Scriptures so seriously that both men and women of all trades and conditions were able to dispute of the holy Trinitie and of the Creation of the world Which two poyntes for all that are the most difficult obscure hard and intricate Articles in the whole course of Theologie S. Ambrose hath these expresse wordes In oratione totius plebis tanquam vndis refluentibus stridet tum responsorijs Psalmorum cantu virorum mulierum Virginum parvulorum censonus vndarum sragor resultat When all the people pray togeather there is a noyse as if the Waues of the Sea did beate one against an other then with the answering of Psalmes with the singing togeather of men women maydes and