c. vvere not vulgarly called Puritans Because in those firster times of Protestancy the name of Puritan vvas scarce heard of But novv this denomination is peculiarly applied to such Protestants vvho belieuing certaine most damnable doctrines expressed in this Treatise first taught by the former eminent Protestants do differ by such their beliefe froÌ„ the more graue learned Protestant vvholy denying them Well My simple and vprightly-meaning Puritan for I presume diuers of You to be such vvhose Iudgement is vvronged by giuing assent to thy more learned but vvithall more vvicked Brethren I vvill remit thee to the perusuall of this ensuing discourse vvhich vvheÌ„ thou hast maturely vveighed found and all by the confessions of the Aduersaries themselues that the most flagitious Liues of the first teachers of Puritanisme vvere in practise most conformable to their ovvne exitiall doctrines therin their vvicked conuersations thus seruing as a Comment to paraphraze their vvicked Positions Then I hope thou vvilt cast off all thy Puritanicall doctrines hitherto imbraced by thee or at least vvilt haue iust reason to censure vvith greater indifferency both of the doctrines of the first Authours thereof and then thou maist cal into thy remembrance our Sauiours vvords vpon vvhich sentence be bold securely to anchour thy Iudgement (c) Math. 7. Do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles And vvith this I cease Thine in Christ IESVS B. C. A Table of the twenty Puritanicall Doctrines alleaged in this Treatise which tend to Vice Sinne and Impiety in Fayth Life and Manners 1. THe Doctrine of the Priuate reuealing Spirit 2. The Doctrine That God is the Authour of Sinne. 3. That Good workes are not only not conducing but rather hurtfull to Saluation and therfore That Fayth only iustifieth 4. The Doctrine of Imputatiue Iustice 5. The Doctrine touching the lessening of Sinne in respect of Mans Saluation 6. The deniall of Freewill 7. The Doctrine of Reprobation 8. The Doctrine of Predestination 9. The deniall of Purgatory 10. The deniall of Auricular Confession 11. The deniall of the Necessity of Baptisme 12. The Doctrine of Diuorce of Maried Persons 13. The deniall of all Authority in Princes and Magistrates 14. The Doctrine of Parity of Ministers 15. The Doctrine of Extraordinary Vocation 16. The Doctrine touching Saluation of Heathens 17. The deniall of Miracles 18. The deniall of Holy dayes Ceremonies and Images 19. The Doctrine of the Inuisibility of the Protestant Church 20. The deniall of all Prayer by necessary Inferences drawne from diuers of the former Doctrines The names of those six Chiefe Protestants whose flagitious Liues being answerable to their wicked Doctrines are briefly discoursed of in this Treatise 1. Beza 2. Caluin 3. Ochinus who first planted Protestancy in England in K. Edward the sixt his reigne 4. Iacobus Andraeas 5. Swinglius 6. Luther PVRITANISME THE MOTHER SINNE THE DAVGHTER The I. Part. BEFORE we begin to vnfould the particular doctrines and Positions of Puritanisme all being euen great and as it were in labour with Libertinisme in manners I hould it will not be reputed a superfluous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or By-matter but rather a point much conducing to our proiect in generall if I briefly touch vpon the necessiity of Holines of doctrine in the fayth of Christ For the better vnderstanding of which poynt we are to conceaue that Gods sacred Writ describeth two waies of a Christian man the one it termeth The straite way meaning of austerity and piety which leadeth (a) Math. 7. Luke 13. to life This is (b) Math. 22. the way of God (c) Esay 26. The way of Iustice (d) Hebr. 19. in which we ought to walke pleasing God So deseruedly did the Psalmist celebrate the doctrine of God touching manners in these wordes of prayse (e) Psalm 29. Lex Domini immaculata testimonium fidele praeceptum Domini illucidum To this way the Scripture opposeth the way called The broad way This is that (f) Math. 7. lata porta spaciosa quae ducit ad perditionem the broad and spatious gate which leadeth to destruction (g) â— Pet. 3. promising liberty and (h) Iude l. 4. transferring the grace of God into wantonnes Thus we see that the fayth and doctrine of Christ by which we are to regulate and gouerne our coÌ„uersation and manners ought to be in it owne nature most incontaminate pure and holy voyding the soule of man of vnlawfull concupiscence and desires That the Catholike Fayth of the Romane Church teacheth this strayte way of vertue and piety is most euident For it teacheth her children to make restitution for wrongs committed It teacheth Confession of sinnes most vngratefull to mans nature and tyeth the Confitent to sorrow for his sinnes and to performe his enioyned Pennance It teacheth the keeping of set Fasts and of prescript tymes of Prayer It teacheth the practising of all good workes It teacheth the perfection of Euangelicall Counsells to wit voluntary Chastity Pouerty and Obedience briefly it teacheth and instructeth her children in points most opposite and contrary to all those licentious Positions of Puritanisme insisted by me in this ensuing Treatise A course of life so peculiar to the members of the Catholike Church as that some of our Aduersaries thus fully coÌ„fesse hereof (i) Iacob Andraeaâ— in Concione 4. in c. â—â— Lucae A serious and Christian discipline is censured with vs as a new Papacy and a new Monachisme And Caluin himself acknowledgeth no lesse of our Professours of former tymes reprehending them for the same in these wordes (k) Calu l. 4. instit cap. 12. sect 8. Qua in parte excusari nullo modo potest c. In which course meaning a rigid course of life and pennance the immoderate austerity of the Ancients cannot be excused which did wholy differ from the Commandement of the Lord and was also otherwise in it selfe most dangerous Thus Caluin But now if on the contrary we cast our iudgments to the behoulding of the many Theses and Speculations of Puritanisme wherof I haue made choyce only of Twenty hereafter layd open in this short Treatise all which are euen fraught and loaden with liberty of doctrine and withall if we do obserue how no meaner men then the first broachers of them as willing to be most firme and true to their owne Principles haue incorporated the said doctrines in their owne most wicked lyues both which points are the Subiects of the two different Parts of this small Worke and both proued from the Aduersaries owne expresse wordes we shall rest euen amazed thereat such a conformity and precise correspondency did their lyues beare to their doctrines We obserue that Nature which is Gods subordinate Instrument or Lieutenant as I may call it gouerning vnder his diuine Maiesty the Vniuerse of the whole world is endued among many others with this one Priuiledge to wit that if no preueniency be made through the
be Luthers termeth (b) In his defence of M. Hooker pag. 42. Harsh and iustly called in question by the Church of Rome Vpon this former doctrine these men further teach (c) Luth. serm de Moyse that the keeping of the ten Commandements doe not belong to vs Christians And the Deuines of Wittenberg as also Melancthon are also charged with this errour by (d) Hutterus in his explicat libri Concordiae printed 1608. art 5. c. 1 pag. 478. Hutterus publike Protestant Professour at WitteÌ„berg He calling the defendours of this position Anti-nomi that is Enemyes to the Law The same doctrine is to omit others taught by M. Fox thus saying (e) Act. Mon. 1335. The ten Commandements were giuen vs not to keepe them but to know our damnation and to call for mercy of God With whom agreeth herein D. Whitakers in these wordes (f) Contra Camp rai 8. Qui credunt ij non sunt sub lege sed sub gratia c. They which belieue are not vnder the Law but vnder Grace What is more to be said Christians are freed from the curse of the Law meaning from the punishment due for the breach of the Commaundements I will conclude this point with D. Willets wordes (g) Synops Pap. pag. 564. The law remayneth still impossible to be kept by vs through she weakenes of our flesh c. Thus by these mens doctrine we sinne not in breaking any of the Commaundements as in stealing committing adultery and the like for man sinneth only in breach of those precepts which are giuen him to obserue and keep To conclude this passage of good workes in generall Luthers iudgment of workes is this (h) Luth. in Assert Art 32â— All good workes God iudging them are mortall sinnes God resting propitious veniall and more pardonable Now if Luthers doctrine be here good then followeth it that who laboureth to performe a good worke is of the diuell my reason is this we read that (i) 1. Iohn 3. who committeth sinne is of the Diuell but who doth a good worke sinneth because by the former doctrine of Luther we are taught that euery good worke is sinne Thus according to Luthers doctrine he sinneth who prayeth who practiseth the workes of faith hope and Charity seeing all these in the iudgment of Luther are sinnes Agayne Gods word commandeth vs to flie sinne (k) Psal 36. Declina à malo Therefore we are commanded by God to flie the doing of any good worke because euery good worke in Luthers iudgment is sinne See how forcibly this doctrine of Luther by necessary sequels deductions withdraweth vs from the practising of vertue and exercise of Good Workes Now to come to good workes in particuler The three principall Good workes which necessarily and essentially concurre to the vowes of euery Religious order are to wit Chastity by the which a man voweth perpetuall continency from the pleasures of the flesh according to that (l) Math. â—9 Sunt Eunuchi qui seipsos castrauerunt propter regnum caelorum Pouerty by the which is voluntarily renounced the enioying in priuate of any temporall goods as riches honours c. only resting content with poore fare or diet and apparell (m) Math. 19. Si vis perfectus esse vade vende omnia quae habes da pauperibus habebis the saurum in caelo Obedience through which the will mind of one staÌ„ds in all lawfull things subiect to the will and disposall of his superiour Now marke how these three vertues are betrampled vpon by our Aduersaries with all indignity and scorne Touching Chastity D. Whitakers iudgment is That (o) Contra Camâ—rat 8. p. 15â— Virginity is not simply good but after a certaine manner But Luther proceedeth further saying (p) Tom. â— VVittenberg ad cap. 7.1 Cor. Yf we respect the nature of Matrimony and single life Matrimony is as gold and the spirituall state of single life as dung Concerning Voluntary Pouerty D. Willets censure is this (q) In his Synops pag. 245. He is an Enemy to the glory of God who changeth his rich estate wherein he may serue God for a poore Touching Obedience you may see how they stand disaffected towards it euen out of their owne not practising of it since they loath all Obedience with a most inexplicable dislike I will close this point with their doctrine of fasting to which vertue the Religious men of the Catholike Church are most deuoted M. Perkins iudgment is that (r) In his reformed Catholike pag. 220. fasting in it selfe is a thing indifferent as is eating and drinking And D. Willet accordeth thereto thus writing (s) In Synops pag. 241. Neither is God better worshipped by eating or not eating And more particulerly touching the deniall of set tymes of fasting appointed only for spiritual ends (1) D. Fulk against the Rhemish Testam in Math. 15. D. Fulke is not ashamed to obiect and insist in the authority of the old Heretike Montanus for the deniall therof And D. Whitakers blusheth not to call the Catholike Churches vse therein (2) D. VVhitak cont Duraeum l. 9. pa. 839. The doctrine of Diuells Thus far of the former points of Vowed Chastity voluntary Pouerty voluntary Obedience and fasting in the depressing whereof our Aduersaries do withall depresse our Catholike doctrine of Euangelicall Counsels which teacheth man to arriue to more high points of perfection in vertue then the vulgar and common sort of Christians are accustomed to exercise And vpon these grounds and doctrines they deny the lawfulnes of Monasteries and other Religious houses whitherunto men and women retire themselues for the better seruing of God in austerity of life abandoning the pleasures of the world so pernicious and exitiall to mans soule 4. In the next place we will touch a little vpon our Aduersaries doctrine of Imputatiue Iustice by which they teach that man hath no true and reall Iustice contracted of fayth hope and charity inherent in his soule but that his Iustice is meerely relatiue as being only an application of Christs Iustice vnto him By the which neuertheles Caluin teacheth that (t) L. 3. Instit c. 2. numb 28.42 a man is as secure of his saluation as if he did already enioy heauen And accordingly hereto our Aduersaries further teach that (u) Illyricus in varijs libris de Originali peccato Calui Insti l. 2. c. 3. Kempnit contra cens Col. the Image of God is wholly obliterated in man all his fayre impressions are so extinct as that the regenerate and Holy man is intrinsecally nothing els then meere Corruption or contagion Now these doctrines are forged by them therby to withdraw vs from seeking to be truly vertuous seeing by this their former doctrine man is not possibly capable therof but that therby we disburdening our selues of keeping the Commandements or exercising of vertuous actioÌ„s may only by fayth seeke to lay hands vpon the kingdome of
PVRITANISME THE MOTHER SINNE THE DAVGHTER OR A TREATISE wherein is demonstrated from Twenty seuerall Doctrines and Positions of Puritanisme That the Fayth and Religion of the Puritans doth forcibly induce its Professours to the perpetrating of SINNE and doth warrant the committing of the same WRITTEN By a Catholike Priest vpon occasion of certaine late most execrable Actions of some Puritans expressed in the page following HEERVNTO Is added as an Appendix A Funerall Discourse touching the late different Deathes of two most eminent Protestant Deuines to wit Doctour Price Deane of Hereford and Doctour Butts Vice-Chancellour of Cambridge By the same Authour Non est Arborbona quae facit fructus malos Luc. 6. Permissu Superiorum M.DC.XXXIII THE OCCASIONS lately occurring of writing this Treatise are these following IN the yeare 1632. there was discouered in London a Society of certaine Sodomites to the number of fourty or fifty all of them being earnest and hoat Puritans who had their common appointed Meeting-place for their abominable Impiety Of which number diuers of them and such as were of good temporall estates and meanes were apprehended and the rest instantly fled In this yeare 1633. there is one called Henoch A peuen being of age betweene thirty and fourty and borne in Clun in Shropshire a most fiery Puritan and one who pretendeth learning This man lately killed with an Axe his owne Brother being asleepe and instantly after his owne Mother because both of them being temperate Protestants did some few dayes before receaue the Communion kneeling This Henoch Apeuen being apprehended and sent to Shrows bury Goale and questioned of this his blouddy Act iustified and defended the same and produced for it certaine miscōstrued places texts of Scripture taken from the thirteenth and seauententh Chapters of Deuteronomy In this yeare also 1633. there is one Cade a Minister who was lately before for diuers yeares a stipendary Preacher at Hayton a parish Church in Lancashire This man being in Warington a Towne in the said shyre at a Vintners house called Gryses began to vse most earnest words to the said Vintner others That for his part he belieued that there was no Christ no Trinity no God besides other most blasphemous speaches not fit to be set downe The Vintner said to him Syr if you be of this Iudgment why then do you weekely preach of Christ of the Trinity of God The Minister replyed I do preach of them with the same intētion that you do draw wine that is to mantaine my self by this my trade of preaching The Vintner not brooking these his blasphemies accused him therof vpon his Oath before a Iustice of Peace his Name the Authour of this Treatise liuing far distant from that Country could not certainly learne This Iustice being a Puritan did set at liberty to the great dislike of diuers the said Minister vpon his Answere That what he spake was spoken only by way of dispute and arguing The which the Vintner most confidently denied auerring that he spake them by way of persuasion Interrogate Gentes quis audiuit talia horribilia Ierem. 18. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY To the Vnlearned but vvell-meaning Puritans TO You onely vvhose Vnderstādings throgh your Grand masters vvicked indoctrinating of you are corrupted but Wils good sincere do I dedicate this smal Worke. My Pen hath heere purposely descended so lovv not only in style but euen in Matter as to accommodate it selfe to such of you vvho are vnlearned as indeed most of you are The contēts of this vvorke is of that facility and easines as that it best may suite to such of you as be illiterate defectiue in the Elements mayn Principles of Learning For though the matter here handled be of such vveight as that it is able to conuince the iudgment of the most learned Aduersary yet touching the Methode vsed in the deliuery hereof it is facill seeing you shall not need here to spend the tyme in searching after the sense of produced places of Scripture or in reuoluing the Ecclesiasticall Histories of the Church or in pondering vveighing the places of the Ancient Fathers all vvhich do stand subiect to many difficulties But it vvill suffice if so you do but read the many Positions Tenets of Puritanisme the Fayth vvhich I presume your selues professe and the liues of the first teachers of them most ansvverable to the said Positions In all vvhich you shall fynd this from their ovvne expresse Testimonies That the very End or as it vvere the Terminus ad quem Puritanisme in Doctrine doth finally propend incline to is impurity in manners and dissolution in life And therefore the greater commiseration I haue that many of you I presume vvhose vvills and endeauours are vpright plaine are infected vvith the said impious doctrines The first inducement vvhich importuned my penne to vndergoe this labour is the late discouery in London of a company of Sodomiticall Persons vvherof some are apprehēded but diuers fled in number about fourty or more in state competent and some of very good meanes in Religion all Puritanes and in entercourse among themselues a thing vvonderfull to be reported so linked as that they made a peculiar Society or Body hauing a common designed place for their publike meetings So iust reason I haue to say a litle before (a) Ierem. 18. Interrogate Gentes quis audiuit talia horribilia Novv seeing these prodigious Monsters being so many staines to Nature for Sodomitae pessimi erāt peccatores coram Domino nimis (b) Genes 1◠are all Puritans in faith hould themselues far more illuminated in the Lord then the more moderate and learned Protestants of vvhich nūber of learned Protestants most do vvholy abandone disclaime from the others Puritanicall Doctrines And further seeing that they may make shovv to vvarrant this their Sodomiticall State frō their ovvne Principles admitting them for true Therfore I haue thought good at this present to set downe all such Theoricall Positions of Puritanisme vvhich do euen iustify Sin and confidently teach its Proselytes that the greatest Sin vvhatsoeuer cannot become preiudiciall to the saluation of any of the faythfull of vvhich number all the foresaid portentuous Wretches as being Puritans euen by their ovvne Principles and Doctrines are taught to be I vvould not haue the moderate and more learned Protestant to thinke that I do insimulate him in the ranke of the Puritans in generall seeing I vvell knovv that most of those temperate and sober Protestants do disavovv and reiect diuers Puritanicall Theses insisted vpon heereafter by me No It is only the Hypocriticall Puritan vvho can vaunt and brag of his Enthusiasmes Illuminations from the Lord vvho depresseth betramples all Vertue exercise of pious Workes vvho doth blāch exalt Vice against vvhom my Pen is at this time sharpned I vvell knovv that those vvho did first stampe most of the doctrins of Puritanisme as Luther Svvinglius Caluin
(e) L. de vniuers Grat. p. â—09 Hemingius the Protestant reciteth vtterly condemneth Melancthon for such his iudgement therein Caluin sayth (f) Instit l. â— c. 18. sect 1. That God pronounceth Absaloms incestuous pollution of his fathers bed to be his owne worke And further Caluin layeth the foundation of this his doctrine in these wordes (g) Iustit l. 3 c. 23. sect 6. What thing soeuer God doth foresee the same he willeth and vpon this false ground concludeth that God causeth sinne in man because he fore-feeth it in him Beza conspireth in iudgement with the former Authors thus playnely teaching (h) In his display of Popish practises p. 202. God exciteth the wicked will of one theefe to kill another guideth his hand and weapon iustly enforcing the will of the theefe Finally to omit many others D. Willet thus iumpeth with the former saying (i) In Synops Papism pa. 563. God not only permitteth but leadeth into temptation with an actiue power and not permissiuely Now howsoeuer the fore-named Authours do seeke to auoyd in wordes the scandall necessarily attending on this their blasphemous doctrine yet they stand so iustly chargeable with teaching that God is the authour of sinne as that they are for their maintayning this their doctrine written against by diuers other most learned Protestants as by Osiander the Protestant whose wordes are these (k) Enchirid contra Caluinist c. 7. There openeth a gulfe of hell of Caluinian doctrine in which God is sayd to be the Authour of sin By Castalio thus inueighing against Caluin (l) Lib ad Calu. de praedest By this meanes not the diuell but the God of Caluin is the Father of lyes By Iacobus Andreas who thus playnly writeth (m) In epit tom Colloq Montisbelgar p. 47. Deus est author peccati secuÌ„dum Bezam finally by (n) In Ecclesiast Policy l. 5. p. 104. M. Hooker (o) In his defence of M. Hooker pag. 62. D. Couell and diuers others for breuity heer omitted so crasse and repugnant is this their doctrine to those wordes of holy writ Non Deus volens iniquitatem tu es as also to the sentence of S. Iames the Apostle (q) Cap. 1. let no man when he is tempted say he is tempted of God for God is not a tempter of Euills he temptteth no man but euery one is tempted of his owne concupiscence c. (p) Psalm 55. Now admitting this doctrine of God being the Authour of our sinne to be true how willingly is man drawne to Sinne by giuing assent therto Seeing by this doctrine he may disburden himselfe of all fault therein and transferre it vpon God as being the highest and most forcible cause or agent thereof so strong a sanctuary he hath for his Sinne. And which is more he may pretend that if it be the part of a dutifull Subiect officiously to performe what his Prince commandeth much more then doth that man deserue reward rather then punishment who with all sedulity and readines of mind and will stands prepared as an inferiour and seruiceable Instrument to put that in execution which God who is the supreme Lord of all commandeth willeth and euen forceth him to act or doe And yet more this doctrine euen potentially commandeth vs to sinne seeing the Scripture exhorteth vs in infinite places to doe good consequently to sinne for sinne if God be the Authour thereof is good for we reade (r) Genes 1. Cuncta quae fecerat Deus erant valde bona Lastly by this doctrine we ought not to repeate that passager in our Lords Prayer Forgiue vs our trespasses c. by reason we doe not offend in committing them since not we but God worketh them yea we should rather be blamed and rebuked for reciting of the sayd sentence because it would imply that we had some penitency and repentance of them but it is a thing displeasing to God for man to haue a dislike of that which God worketh in him or to be refractory or stubborne to his will and disposall since the same Lords Prayer teacheth vs that we ought in all things to say Fiat voluntas tua Seest thou not good Reader not only how potently this former blasphemous doctrine moueth man to commit any sinne whatsoeuer as laying the fault thereof vpon God but also how it freeth him from all future griefe or repentance therof as presuming himselfe to be but a naked Instrument necessarily concurring to the performaÌ„ce of Gods will and pleasure in him And thus farre of the working efficacy of this most impious doctrine of God being the Authour of sinne 3. In this next place we will descend to the doctrine touching Good workes first broached by Luther and others and now entertayned by the Puritans of these dayes where we shall find that in their depressing of them they are most luxuriant and plentiful and consequently that they beare a fauourable eye to vice and sensuality And first I will display their doctrines of good workes in generall that performed I will descend to good workes in particuler Now for the greater vnderualewing of them Luther thus endodoctrinateth his followers (r) In his sermons englished 1578. pag. 47. Workes take their goodnes of the Authour and (s) Ibid. pa. 276. no worke is disallowed vnles the authour thereof be disallowed Luther further thus teacheth (t) Luther vpon the Galath englished fol. 68. It is impiety to affirme that fayth except it be adorned with charity iustifyeth not Swinglius expressely sayth therby to deterre men from practising of good workes that quaecunque promissa operibus nostris facta sunt Hyperbolae sunt All promises made in the Scripture to our workes As if thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements c. are but amplifications of speach aboue the truth M. Fox recordeth Tindall the Protestant to say (u) Act. Mon. pag. 1336. That there is no one worke better then another as touching pleasing of God to make water to washe dishes to be a Sower or an Apostle all is one to please God These men yet proceed further for Illyricus the famous Lutherane thus writeth (x) Ilâ—yrie in praefat ad Rom. To affirme that good workes be in any respect necessary to saluation he meaning only but by way of accompanying fayth is a Papisticall errour he futher terming it The doctrine of the new Papists And Conradus Slussemburg the great ProtestaÌ„t writeth that (y) In Catalog Haeret l. â—3 in epist dedicatoriâ p. 22. Good workes are not necessary necessitate praesentiae by way of presence to mans iustification Yea Luther proceedeth yet further teaching marke good Reader and be amazed that (z) Luth. tom 1. propos 3. Fides nisi sit sine c. Fayth except it be without euen the least good workes doth not iustify nay it is not fayth Which saying (a) In his defence of M. Hooker printed 1603. pa. 42. D. Couell acknowledging it to
dissemble his Religion through the temporall Motiues of Wyfe Children Riches honour and the lyke And why should not I be thus perwaded seeing it is most certayne that all Authorities both diuine and humane if they be truly weighed make wholy for the Catholike Religion and against the Protestants The Bishop seeing him in feruour of speach began to take leaue with him The Doctour in most humble words did prostrate his loyalty seruice to his Maiesty with all gratefull acknowledgment of this so high a fauour And thus good friend you haue the Relation of this Protestant Catholike Doctors happy departure out of this vale of misery In discoursing whereof if I erre in any Circumstance for I will not iustify the certainty of each of them though of the mayne point of his dying Catholike no man doubteth I am to be pardoned seeing I deliuer it as neere as I can in that manner in which I did heare it But now my friend to reflect vpon the death of this learned Doctour Whether he was euer in his hart or but onely for some short tyme before his death Catholikely affected I know not neither do I know what were the Motiues first inducing him to make this Catholike end Neuertheles I did heare it frō the mouth of one of his inward acquaintance who at one tyme being in the Doctours company did heare Doctour Price much commend a Book lately written by a Priest of the Society of IESVS styled The conuerted Iew and did say that the Doctour himselfe had read it and finally giuing his iudgement of it in these wordes If the Protestants authorities alledged in that Booke be truly and faithfully alledged as he had no reason to thinke the contrary and the rather considering sayth he the Booke is with great confidence dedicated to both our Vniuersities who would instantly discouer and diuulge any impostures if such were vsed that of necessity it must then follow that eyther the Papists Theoremes and Tenets for that was the Doctours phrase are most true or that all the chiefe and most eminent Protestants without exception of any euen from Luthers dayes downe to vs were most simple indiscreete and wholy vnlearned but this said he I haue no reason to think for their voluntary Confessions and acknowledgmēts some in on point some in another are cleere in behalfe of the Papists Religion to which acknowledgments supposing the matter of them to be false they had no reason so vnaduisedly to yield Now whether his perusing of that Booke might alter his iudgment or it was altered afore I know not But whatsoeuer the Motiues of his dying Catholike were among other of his inducements thereto this following perhaps though I in no sort do absolutely affirme it might be one His owne Reading could not but tell him that as on the one syde the Protestants among themselues maintayne such irreconciliable disagreements in matters of fayth that therefore they account one another for Heretikes ech one depriuing another of all hope of Saluation so on the other part many of the most iudicious and learned Protestants do freely teach that Papists as they are called dying Papists may be saued But it is not to be found that the Papists do so teach of Protestants dying Protestants This then being thus the Doctour might well thus reason with himselfe though as afore I euer graunt I do not knowe articulately any one of his particular motiues The Protestants do deny to one another all hope of Saluation dying without recalling their presumed Protestanticall Errours The Catholikes in like sort will not grant that Protestants dying Protestants can be saued But both the Protestants and the Papists teach that Papists dying in state of Papistry may be saued Therefore it is a more secure course for me now lying vpon my death-bed to dye in that Religion which by the acknowledgment of all sydes promiseth hope of Saluation then to dye in that fayth to which but only some few Professours thereof affoard a sauing expectation That the Protestants do nourish among themselues such disagreements in fayth as that they consequently deny their Protestant Aduersaries dying in that state can be saued I will here briefly proue from their owne reciprocall and mutuall recriminations and from the very Titles of their Bookes written in great acerbity of style against other Protestants their discording Brethren Now in the discouery hereof I am content my pen shall for the time pertinently digresse withall transgresse the bounds of an ordinary Letter chiefly deare friend to the end that my words might gayne some ground vpon your iudgement for I grieue to obserue with what a strong bent of dislike you are violently carried against our Catholike fayth and glad I should be to see that as you are learned so you would employ your learning as a Hand-mayde to your soules saluation Well then to come vnto the point and to omit for breuity most of what might be alleaged to this purpose and but to gather here and there some few Testimonies out of such great store aboundance Do we not fynd Luther thus to conuitiate the Sacramentaries Luther thes 21. contra Louaniens We seriously iudge the Swinglians and Sacramentaries to be Heretikes and Aliens from the Church of God But Oecolampadius the Swinglian retaliates Luthers kindnes in these wordes Dialog contra Melancth The Lutheranes only bring forth a colour and shadow of the word of God as Heretikes commonly are accustomed to do They bring not the word of God and yet they will seeme to build vpon the word of God It is certayne that the Lutheranes cannot agree among themselues And according hereto we fynd In catal haeret nostri temporis Conradus Schlussenburge a Lutherane to place sixe sorts of his owne Lutheranes in the Catalogue of Heretiks The Caluinists do thus charge one another Castalio a learned Sacramentary thus writeth of Caluin for his teaching God to be the Authour of Sinne In his medit vpon 112. Psalm By this meanes not the Diuell but the God of Caluin is the Father of lyes But that God which the holy Scripture teacheth is contrary to this God of Caluin And then after The true God came to destroy the works of the Caluinian God And these two Gods as they are by nature contrary one to another so they beget and bring forth Children of contrary disposition to wit that God of Caluin children without mercy proud c. Now touching our English Protestants forbearing to shew their disagreements about the Communion Booke and the Translation of the Scripture we find the Puritanes thus to anathematize the Bishops All this is related as spoken by the Puritanes in the Booke of Constit and Canons Eccles printed anno 1604. The worship in the Church of England is corrupt superstitious vnlawful the Articles of the Bishops Religion are erroneous their rytes Antichristian c. And more The gouernment of the Church of England vnder his Maiesty by Archbishops Bishops and Deanes is
impugneth Predestination in the Protestants sense I thus produce my argument grounded vpon the Scripture A Iustifying fayth euen by our Aduersaries PositioÌ„s must euer be accompanied with Charity and according hereto we fynd D. Fulke thus literally to write D. Fulke against the Rhemish Testament in 1. Cor. c. 13. A iustifying fayth cannot be without Charity but Charity may be lost therefore a Iustifying fayth may be lost and consequently vpon the losse of a Iustifying fayth a man resteth doubtfull of his Saluation That Charity may be lost in the faythfull which is the hinge wherevpoÌ„ the force of this ArgumeÌ„t turnes is proued from the example of the Prophet Dauid who lost his Charity in committing Murther 2. Reg. 11. and Adultery since a premeditated murther is incompatible with Charity it being a meere Priuation thereof for how can a man be in Charity with him from whom he intends wrongfully to take his life Now then the ineuitable resultancy out of the former Premises by way of recapitulation is this Yf Dauid did want Charity then did he want fayth if he wanted fayth then was he vncertayne of his Election and Predestination for Rom. 1. Galat. 3. by fayth the iust man liueth Yf Dauid who was once the seruant of God was vncertayne of his Predestination and by committing of sinne became for the tyme the seruant of the Diuel for 1. Ioan. 3 he that committeth sinne is of the Diuell then with much more reason may any ProtestaÌ„t whose fayth leanes vpon the weake Crutch of his owne Priuate spirit and Conceite rest doubtfull of his Election and Predestination Now in further proofe of this Verity we thus read in Holy Writ That Rom. 11. the boughes may be cut off c. And that Ibid. the goodnes of God belongeth to vs with condition if we abide in his goodnes otherwise we shall be cut off in which words is expressely taught that the goodnes of God is giuen but conditionally And which is more playne we further read Ezech. 18. Yf the iust man do turne away from his righteousnes c. in his sin he shall dye And therefore the lesse we haue to wonder that the Apostle Paul who was once rapt into the third Heauen Neuertheles thus fearfully speaketh of his owne state Philip. 3 If by any meanes I may come to the Resurrection from the dead c. 1. Cor. 9. least perhaps when I haue preached to others I my selfe become a Reprobate Which Apostle further in expresse wordes thus writeth of others Heb. 6. Some who were once illuminated haue tasted of the heauenly gift and were partakers of the Holy Ghost c. are fallen And hence it is that such who by reason of their present Iustice and Grace are sayd to be Exod. 33 Written in Gods booke are notwithstanding vpon their losse of their said iustice grace affirmed Exod. vbi supra to be razed or blotted out So expresse and vnanswerable we see is Gods holy Word for the impugning of this vapourous imaginary phantasy of the Protestants Certainty of their Saluation and Predestination The ancieÌ„t Fathers vnanimously subiect their iudgements to my alledged sense of the former Texts For thus S. Austin writeth De Ciuit Dei lib. 11. cap. 12. Licèt de suae certae perseueraÌ„tiae praemio certi sunt de ipsa tamen perseuerantia sua reperiuntur incerti Although men be certaine of the reward of their perseuerance yet of their perseuerance they are found vncertayne And S. Gregory is so full in this point that Caluin reprehendeth him him therefore in these words In his Instit. c. 8. de praedestinat prouident Dei Pessimè ergo perniciose c. Gregory most badly and perniciously makes vs vncertaine of our Election by making vs vocationis nostrae conscios doubtfully-knowing of our vocation I might vrge Testimonies to this purpose out of â—n cap. 3 â—onae Ierome Hom. 11. in epist ad Philipp Chrysostome and others but I labour to be briefe To conclude this point Diuers learned Protestants vpon their more mature serious consideration of this point haue vtterly reiected as a meer phantasy this presumed Certainty of Saluation To instance in few for a tast of the rest The Protestants of Saxony in their publike Confession of fayth thus say In the Harmony of Confessions in English p. 80. 233. It is manifest that some who are regenerate c. are againe reiected of God and made subiect to eternall punishment And the Confession of In the Harmony of Confessions in English p. 244. Auspurg censureth the contrary doctrine for Anabaptisme Finally Hemingius and Snecanus two learned Caluinists are so full in denying their other Brethrens doctrine heerin that D. Willet a great Patrone of this Protestanticall Predestination thus censureth them In his Synopsis p. 811. These Patrones of Vniuersall Grace and conditionall Election do consequently hould that men may lose their Election and fayth And thus much for a tast of this subiect of the pretended Necessity of Protestants Predestination so much applauded by our Anti-Arminians Now to close vp my discourse so farre forth as concernes the miserable End of this former poore man in whome we are in this place not to respect so much the person as the dignity of the person so in the fal of any thing the weight of the thing fallen is lesse to be considered then the place from whence it did fall I will therefore in these few lines following parallel and counterballance the deaths circumstances of the two former Doctours And to begin The first of these was Deane of an Episcopall seate The second the Vice-Chancelour of Cambridge and therein placed as the Eye ouer the one of the two Eyes of England That man did voluntarily expose vpon his recouery his temporal state to losse for the spirituall good of his soule This man for hope of vniustly gayning a little temporall drosse made shipwracke of his soule The Deane leauing the world did withall leaue behind him a most worthy and honourable remembrance of his Christian Profession of the ancient true fayth The Vice Chancelour by leauing the world did withall leaue behind him an vnsauoury stench of euerlasting reproch and contumely to himselfe I will not say to all Protestancy To conclude D. Price like a worthy and Christian Confessour of the true Catholike and Roman Religion by meanes of a naturall death we hope now enioyes the felicity of Saints Doctour Butts maintayning as is reported the Hereticall Doctrine of Reprobation and Predestination in the end dyed a Reprobate and by the helpe of a rope wherewith he hanged himselfe doth remayne in insufferable torments with the Diuels But now my worthy and deare friend after I haue finished this my Funerall Discourse touching the foresaid two Doctors giue my pen leaue in steed of a farewel to turne it selfe vnto your selfe You cannot but remember that you and I as being opposite in Religion haue had seuerall times during your former stay
drawne out by vs in proofe of our Catholike Religion Our Aduersaries most scornefully traduce all such Miracles For Osiand Cent. 10. 11. 12. Osiander and the Cent. 4. Col. 144â— Cent. 5. Col. 1486. Centurists obserue heer the humility of this Priuate Spirit terme all such Miracles Antichristian wonders and flying signes But D. Whitakers more strangely answereth to all such Miracles for thus he writeth D. Whitak l. de Eccles p. 349. God doth giue power of working true Miracles to false Teachers not to confirme their false opinions but to tempt those to whome they are sent Thus he Galat. c. 3. O insensati Galatae quis vos fascinauit Thus my Deare Friend you see how your Protestants in matter of Fayth and Religion endeauour to waue all proofes and to breake with all Authority both Diuine and Humane and seeke to reduce all finally to the triall and touch-stone of the Priuate Spirit which Spirit is with them the Oedipus which must resolue all Enigmaticall doubts And thus the Protestants being but parties will eyther finally iudge all QuestioÌ„s of faith or els they will suffer no iudgement to passe on the at all Is there any candour ingenuity or vpright meaning in this their proceedings Or is it hard to defend any Religion how false wicked soeuer if so the maintayners of it could iustly reiect all sorts of Arguments and Authorities produced for the impugning of the sayd false Religion aduancing their owne priuate iudgements aboue all proofs whatsoeuer But seeing our Aduersaries will admit no Authorities but their owne I will therefore in this next place and in proofe of my secoÌ„d Reason which shal be to euict that The Protestant Church is not the true Church of God tye my selfe only to the Testimonyes and authorities of the learned Protestants themselues forbearing purposely all other kinds of proofes whatsoeuer so ready my good friend I am for the tyme to humour our Aduersaries in their owne Methode and this chiefly for your more full satisfaction My Media or Premises for the proofe of this foresaid Position which potentially inuolues all other Controuersies within it selfe shall rest in two points both clearly and abundantly taught by the most learned Protestants that euer with their pens endeauoured to honor their Religion My first Medium shal be that the Protestants teach that the true Church of Christ must at all tymes without the least interruption be visible and enioy her Pastours and administration of the word and Sacraments For proofe of this vndenyable verity I produce these following Testimonies from the Protestants own penns And first D. Field thus writeth Li. of the church â— 10. p. 190. The persons of whome the Church consisteth are visible their Profession known euen to the Prophane And againe thus he sayth Vbi supra pag. 21. Bellarmine in vayne laboureth to proue that there is and alwayes hath beene a visible Church and that not consisting of some few scattered Christians without Order of Ministery or vse of Sacraments for all this we doe most willingly yield vnto M. Hooker thus writeth Ecclesiast Policy p. 126. God hath had and euer shall haue some visible Church vpon earth Hunnius the great Protestant thus acknowledgeth In his Treatise of Free-will p. 91. God in all tymes hath placed his Church in a high place and hath exalted it in the sight of all Nations Iacobus Andreas In his booke against Hosius pa. â—10 we are not ignorant that the Church must be a visible Company of teachers and hearers Melancthon is most strong in this point for thus he discourseth Loc. com edit 2561. c. de Eccles whensoeuer we thinke of the Church let vs behold the company of such men as are gathered together which is the visible Church neither let vs dreame that the elect of God are to be found any other place theÌ„ in this visible Society neyther let vs imagine any other visible Church And againe the said Melancthon Melancth in Concil Theolog. part 2. It is necessary to confesse that the Church is visible c. Whither tendeth then haec portentosa oratio this monstruous speach which denyeth the Church to be visible Peter Martyr In his Epist annexed to his common places printed in English pag. â—53 We doe not appoint an inuisible Church but do define the Church to be a Congregation which the faythfull may know that they may adioyne themselues thereto D. Humfrey thus teacheth In Ieisuitism part 2. c. 1. Non clancularij secessus CoÌ„uocationes sunt Christianae c. The Societies of Christians are not secret meetings And he thus endeth Oportet Ecclesiam esse conspicuam Conclusio est clarissima The same D. Humfrey also giueth a reason why the Church must euer be visible thus writing D. Humf. in Iesuitism part 2. tract â— rat 3. Dum Ministri docent alij discunt c. Whiles the Ministers do teach others do learne whiles these Men do Minister the Sacraments those do communicate of them whiles all do call vpon God and professe their fayth He that doth not see these things is more blynd then a Moale Instit c. 1. parag 10. Caluin In his defence of the censure pag. 81. D. Whitgifâ— Contra Camp rat 8. D. Whitakers Art 7. The Confession of Augusta almost with all other ProtestaÌ„ts do teach that the Preaching of the word c. administration of the SacrameÌ„ts are essentiall Notes of the Church that the preaching of the word doth constitute a Church as Contra Duraeum l. 3. pag. 249. D. Whitakers words are the want of it doth subuert it But how can eyther the Word be preached or the Sacraments ministred but to such men as are visible according to the former iudgement of D. Humfrey And thus farre in proofe of my first ground or PositioÌ„ to wit that the True Church of Christ must euer be visible Now I come to the second Proposition or grouÌ„d which is That the Protestant Church euen by the doctrine acknowledgment of the most remarkable Protestants hath beene wholly latent and inuisible for more then a thousand yeares togeather To proue this first I produce M. Perkins His wordes are these In his exposition of the creed pa. 400. we say that before the dayes of Luther for the space of many hundred yeares an vniuersall Apostasy ouerspred the whole face of the earth and that our Church was not then visible to the World Caelius Secundus Curio a Protestant of extraordinary Note acknowledgeth no lesse thus writing De amplitud regnî Dei pag. 12. Factum est vt per multos iam annos Ecclesia latuerit c. It is fallen out that the Church for many yeares hath beene latent and that the Cittizens of this Kingdome could scarcely ac ne vix quidem and indeed not at all be knowne of others D. Fulke setteth downe in his iudgment the tyme of the Inuisibility of the Protestant Church he thus saying In his answer to a Counterfeit catholike p. 16. The Church in