than he keeps under the Papists and as they would perswade the world all Christians too when there is evident knowledge of the fact Subjects may Lawfully exempt themselves from the power of their prince before any declaratory sentence of a Judge so they have but strength to do it hence it followes that the Papists of England and Saxony are to be excused saith he that do not free themselves from the power of their Superiors nor make War against them because commonly they are not strong enough It is indeed generally and charitably believed that the Pope raiseth his power over Kings and Princes onely for their and the Churches spiritual good Ah narrow souled We look about you and It hath saith one been one of the most detestable crimes and highest Impeachment in the world against the Pope of Rome that under a Saint like religious pretense of advancing the Church cause the Kingdom of Christ they have for some hundred of years Usurped to themselves as sole Monarchs of the world in the right of Christ whose vicars they pretend themselves to be both by Doctrinal position and treasonable practices an absolute Soveraign Tyranical power over all Christian Emperours Kings Princes of the World who must derive and hold their Crowns from them alone upon their good Behaviours at their pleasure not only to excommunicate censure judge depose murder destroy their Sacred Persons but likewise to dispose of their Crowns Scepters Kingdomes and translate them to whom they please Thus O Kings are you served in ordine ad spiritualia by the Papists while We poor Protestants think That we cannot do any evil against you that the greatest good many come to us or the Church thereby If men came to us to discover any design against your Sacred Majesty whom God preserve and asked our advice about it we must neds have abhored it as treason and have charged them not to touch Gods annointed and have urged them with this can a man touch the Lords annointed and be guiltlesse If they come to Garâ—…et in England about a powder plot or to Guignard in France about a murther Tirannus jure Interini potest say the one its good and commendable and Heroick saith the other and both dismisse them with their blessing prayer and absolution When those licentious men among us acted as we are verily perswaded by Jesuitical Insinuations and Popish principles assaulted and murthered hislate Majesty of blessed memory We were all amazed Our Nobility offered to dye for him our Clergy writ prayed and preached against it our whole Nation abhorred it some dyed at the very hearing others were distracted and the whole face of England Scotland and Ireland gathered blacknesse When Clement murthered Hen. the 3d. of France Voiez commends him the Preacher at Colen connes a whole Sermon to extol him and the Pope Sextas Quintus makes a solemn Panegyrick upon him on September 11. 1589. in the Consistory in order to his Canonizations Comparing him to Ehud and Eleazar And concluding with this memorable saying I pray God finish what he hath begun When Ravillac stabbed Hen. the 4th of France he hath no lesse then two Apologies made for him the one by Veruna the other by Guignard who writes as if he would have done as much himself yea he saith that Clements murther was most Heroical and most praise-worthy adding moreover these words if we in the year 1572. on St. Bartholmews day in the general Massacre of the French Protestants had cut off the Basilicon vein H. King of Navarre we had not fallen out of a Feavour into that plague we now find sed quioquid delirant reges plectuntur Achivi sanguini parcendo that K. Henry should be but over mildly dealt with if he were thrust from the Crown of France into a Monastery and there had his Crown shaven that if hecould not be deposed without a War a War must be raised against him but if a War could not be levyed against him the Cause being dead Let him be privily murdered as he was and taken out of the way and when this Guignard was justly executed by the Parliament of Richeome makes an Apology for him and the whole Society expostulates against the Arrest of Parliament We say to this day of the powder Traytors Cursed be their wrath for it was cruel and their anger for it was sierce our Souls come not yet into their secrets Bellarmine he hath written an Apology for Garnet Gretzer hath seconded him Eudaemon he goeth along with him the whole Church hath Canonized the Traytors Hallowed the Treason and consecrated the Villany We your Protestant Subjects stood firmly to your Predecessor Hen. 8. Obeyed heartily that Godly Prince Fd. the 6. suffered patiently under Q. Mary assisted our Gracious Q. Fliz. with our prayers lives and fortunes opened the way cheerfully and unanimously to your famous Grandfather King James to his haereditary Dominions and Territories and the sounder part of us had the honour of being involved in the fate and ruine of your Father of blessed Memory that Royal Champion and most resolved Martyr for the Protestant cause The Papists in the mean time oppose resist abuse affront revile and excommunicated H. 8. rebelled with Ket and other Northern men against Ed. the 6. they incite Q. Mary to destroy and banish her Subjects in whom consisted her strength and honour They excommunicate Q. Elizabeth encourage Cullen and others to murther her assuring them it was not only lawful by the Laws but that they should merit Heaven and Gods favour by it Further adding with Jacques Francis That the Realm of England then was and would be so well setled that unless Mrs. Elizabeth so he called Q. Elizabeth were suddenly taken away all the Devils in Hell would not be able to prevail to shake or overturn it there was a Bull that came along with the Spanish Fleet in 88. When in it was expired That the Pope by the power given from God by Lawful Succession from Catholick Church for the defection of H. the 8th who forcibly separated himself and his people from the Communion of Christians which was promoted by Edward the sixth and Elizabeth who being pertinacious and impertinent in the same Rebellion and Usurpation Therefore the Pope incited by the continual perswasions of many and by the suppliant prayers of the English men themselves N. B. Hath dealt with divers Princes and especially the most potent King of Spane to depose that woman and punish her pernicious Adhaerents in that Kingdom c. he adds moreover that Pope Sextus before him prescribed the Queen and took from her all her Dignities Titles and Rights to the Kingdomes of England and Ireland absolving her Subjects from the Oath of Fidelity and Obedience he chargeth all men upon pain of the wrath of God that they afford her no favour help or aid but use all their strength to bring her to punishment and that all the
PHILANAX PROTESTANT ' OR PAPISTS Discovered to the KING As guilty of those Traiterous Positions and Practises which they first Insinuated into the worst Protestants and now Charge upon all To which is added PHILOLAUS Or Popery discovered to all Christian PEOPLE in a serious diswasive from it For further justification of our Gracious King and his honourable Parliaments proceedings for the maintenance of the Act of Uniformity LONDON Printed in the Year 1663. and are to be sold at the Royal Exchange Westminster-Hall and most Book-sellers Shops PHILANAX OR The PAPISTS discovered unto the King SECT I. NOw the Popish Party being disappointed in their great design for Indulgence 1. B the care of our gracious Soveraign Who will neither be provoked by the affronts of some that call themselves Protestants nor enticed by the favours and civilities of those that call themselves Catholicks to do any thing in prejudice of the Faith Once delivered to the Saints 2. By the vigilancy of Orthodox and good Bishops and Ministers who stand fast in the faith and are set for The defence of the Gospel 3. By the honourable Interposition of those most Noble Lords who search the Scriptures the first Counsels and fathers Whether these things are so 4. By the resolution of the most Honourable the Commons of England in Parliament assembled to stand by the grand establishment of the Kingdome 5. By the Ingenuity of our two most excellent Queens who wil not unseasonably interpose to gratify a few mens opinions against the conscience of a whole Kingdome Now the Popish Party I say thus happily disappointed of their designe against the Church of England and the Protestant Religion grow desperate and shake off all modesty Ingenuity and fear Now they dare Publish to the world a Caveat to all Kings Princes and Prelates against the Protestants Under pretence of some mens miscarriages Involving all now they dare charge us with those Principles against Government which they themselves teach with those treasons which they act with those Rebelions which they promote which our Learned and sober writers disown our Confessions and Articles of Religion oppose and our Religion discountenanceth no Religion in the world stating government and obedience on better principles enforcing them upon higher motives Or securing them by better Lawes than ours We your most Loyal Subjects who look upon you as The light of our eyes as the breath of our nostrils as the crown of our head Who make prayers and supplications for you and all that are in authority under you who obey you for Conscience sake cannot resist you knowing that whosoever resisteth resistethto hisown damnation who must needsbesubject to you as supream and to those that are in Church State sent by you who fear God and honour you our King and meddle not with them that are given to change for we know their calamity shall arise suddenly and who knoweth the ruin of them both Who dare think no evil of you not in our hearts much less murmure and speak evil against you Who though your Spirit should be stirred against us yet will not stir out of our place who dare not call you to any account of your matters nor say unto you what do you who with the antient Christians worship God above all and obey honour and reverence you as next unto God on earth We to vindicate our selves to inform the world aright to shew the true grounds of our late misery and the present opposition to Government and to confirm your Majesty in your very good affection for the Protestant religion and in your just care against the growth of Popery a care that aequally tends to your honour and security and our comfort We humbly desire the world may know that it is not any private respect or opinion it s not any kindnesse you have for heresy or schism It s not any cruelty or persecution that you provide just laws against Popery a new or execute those that are already provided but it s a royal care you owe your own Government and safety both which are indangered by those unworthy principles first asserted by the Pontificians and than taken up from them by the loose giddy turbulent and discontented sort of Protestants that have nothing indeed of Protestants but the name for you know 1. They teach that the Magistrate hath nothing to do in matter of Religion hath no power to restrain or punish any man in any matter that hath but the colour and preteâ—…ce of Religion Contzen polit c 16. Bellarm 5. de pont A 2 de Primatiâ—… In vain do you Govern if these men and these positions be endured one mans Religion is to revile authority the others Religion is to rebel anothers Religion is to raise scandal upon all publick establishments anothers religion is to refuse all manner of oaths whether of Allegiance or Supremacy c. anothers Religion is to deny all ordinances ministry Church duties c. anothers Religion is to disturb all congregations and meetings but you must sit still and let these men play all these prancks under the notion of Religion you must endure all these extravagances Least you should persecute or oppresse tender consciences your Subjects may be perverted your people may be debauched and your Kingdomes seduced from their Allegiance and Loyalty by men of desperate principles and you all the while not stir for the Magistrate hath nothing to do in matter of Religion we your poor Protestant Subjects thought that you as Nebuchadnezzar and Darius among the Persians as the Governours among the Grecians whose first care was Religion as the Roman Kings Senates and Emperours whose great prudence it was not to admit of a strange Religion as the Primitive Governours who as appears by their Laws Orders Institutes and nemo Canons Laid out their highest endeavours for the settlement of the true Religion and as your Ancestors of blessed memory who are famous for nothing more then for being defenders of the Faith had power to defend true Religion so that under you by the influence of that Religion we might lead peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness and honesty but alas temporal Princes saith Suarez must meddle with temporal matters they must let men be of what principles they please though never so dangerous they must look on their Subjects divided with different religions which lead to different conversation and to confusion and every evil work for why should they saith Costerus the Jesuit meddle with the affaires of the Church of God 2. We your Loyal Protestant Subjects were really perswaded that there was none above you to whom you should give account of your selves but God and that there were no Christians that durst say that any men or estates of men were above you in your Dominion ha poor we alas it seemes there are some 50. learned writters of that one society of Jesuits who in several printed books which you may
see in speculum Jesuit p. 187. 188. who have dogmatically asserted that the Pope hath absolute power over Princes to change Government as God to pull down some Kings and set up others as Bensarchius profanely speaks not onely to excommunicate but judicialy to suspend to mult with tempor all penalties depose dethrone put to death and destroy any Christian Emperours Kings Princes Potentates by open sentence war force conspiracies private assassinations and to give away their Crowns and Dominions to whosoever will invade them by treason or rebellion at the Popes command who may translate Kingdomes to whom he pleaseth all Kings deriving their Crowns from him alone upon their good behaviour at his pleasure We are of opinion that the Government of the Church is enough if not too much for the Pope and innocently perswade our selves he need not be so busie in other mens matters but we know nothing we are taught by the Papists that non solum potest Papa c. sed debet c. That the Pope not onely can but ought to shew himself above Princes why say we why say the Jesuits of Paris against Arnoldus to keep them that is Kings within their duty that in case of heresie schisme disobedience to Rebellion against the Pope and see of Rome Male administration refusal to defend the Pope Insufficiency to govern negligence vitiousness of life Incorrigibleness Tyranny or as Sanctarellus taught our late disturbers learned the necessity of Publick good or the safety of the Church and State or the cause of God guess now who set up the high Court of justice Now that your bloud may not rise against this here is nothing unequal or unfit For saith the said Sanctarellus multum aequum reip expediens ut sit aliquis supremus Mâ—…narcha qui Regum ejus modi excessus noscit corrigere de ipsis justitiam ministrare i. e. in English demand justice justice against delinquency set up a high Court of Justice 3. We and the more harmless part of the world thought that no man could lay his hand upon you the Lords Anointed and be guiltless and would teach men that you are secured by the laws of God men against all the assaults of the sons of violence But we are a soft headed and short sighted people Emanual Sa that dangerous Papist assures us that lat a sentententia quisque potest fieri executor any man may rid us of a Tyrant but sure none of those that have sworn obedience to him may lay violent hands on the King etiam qui juraverit c. yea he who hath sworn obedience if the Prince will not be ruled sure every man can not do it potest autem e populo any man may do it anyman that is careless of his own life may be master of his Soveraigns yes but say some smooth tongued apologist this was rashly spoken do not deceive your selves 40. Annos In cubui saith the solemn D. I studied it 40. years a well studied point I assure you but his friends do not own him no ile warranâ—… you why this book of his is the ordinary manual of the fraternity It s the Bible that belongs to the society of Jesus I hope you will say no man talkes at this rate but this melancholly father Ans. If there be but one traytor among the Jesuites they are much wronged alas he was but a dull melancholy man indeed to Mariana who tells us that we need not stay for the Popes order if a company of learned and a few discontented men do but agree upon it Jure interimi potest he may lawfully be killed but the Learned are many of them honest most of them ingenuous and all depending upon the the Prince nay then we need no more ado saith Ozorius but any man may consider the Law and the matter of fact and if the case be evident he may proceed to execution presently here is as Hugh Peters said a short way to work and that all mortals may not loose themselves in insignificant general Mariana tells you how it may be done particularly by poisoning a chair as the Conclave at London resolved to dispatch K. Charles the first It was Jesuites that saught that excellent Princes bloud 2. by poysoning saddles as Lopez should have served Q. Elizabeth and this he saith is an excellent way for it is the Moors way in Spain 3. By poysoning Boots so as gouty Henry of Fraâ—… was cured of all diseases And this is a good way too quel est Artifice Roi moris 4. By poysoning gloves and by this slight of hand they complemented Joan Albretta Q. of Navarre to death onely for favouring and protecting the Protestants in France against their violence 5. By stabbing as they let out Hen. 3. and H. 4. of France great souls into an other world and by Pistoling as they served William Prince of Orange Anno 1584. which great man they sent within three dayes into another world 7. By a stone poyson wherewith men may be seven years a dying going to another world by piece-meals and dying dayly as Stephen Botskay of Transylvania By Powder the Fryers invention as they designed to blow up this whole Kingdom assembled in Parliament Villany was innocent afore and the world simple now it was compleat and raised to the utmost that Hell could attain to What say the good honest Priests do they disown Mâ—…iana and disclaime his doctrine It were well for the Christian world if you did Indeed the whole Vniversity of Paris Anno 1625. and 26. censured Zuares Bellarmine and Mariana for these passages as not only most pernicious detestable damnable erronious and perturbing the publick peace but likewise as subversive of Kingdoms States Republicks seducing subjects from their obedience and subjection and stirring them up to wars factions seditions and the Murders of Kings But what say the whole society in their apology 1610. They are all enemies to the name of Jesus that condemn Mariana c for any of these Doctrines O how Gretzer is taken with Marianas book how pious how useful how elegant It s the least recompence he can have for this work to give Mariana a name in the Amphithatre of honour De Onan the Provincial of Toledo would have lived and died reading that book Iterum tertio Facturus c. again and again would he have read Marianaes excellent book if he had been at leasure Yow will say are such things as these licensed Licensed yes by any means Hoyveda the visitor general of the Jesuites sayes he could do no less then licence that pretty thing ut approbatum a viris doctis gravibus ex eodem ordine as approved by learned and grave men of the same order you may guess what they are by this Arnold indeed arrests them at Paris for these tenents but they cry Veritas defensa contra actionem
English joyn with the Spaniard as soon as he is Landed offering rewards and pardon of sins to them that will Lay hands on the Queen and so shewing on what Conditions he gave the Kingdome to the King of Spain Read the rest there for though dangerous it is worth the reading When We received King James your Grandfather and him your self and we hope your posterity to whom we do and may acknowledge that by you we enjoy great quietnesse and we hope many worthy deeds may be done to this Nation by Your providence which we shall accept alwayes in all places with all ehankfulnesse When I say we received that excellent King with all cheerfulnesse there was a Bull from Pope Clement the 8th directed to H. Garnet Superiour of the Jesuites in England Whereby he Commanded all the Archpriests Priests Popish Clergy Peers Nobles and Catholiques of England that after the death of Queen Elizabeth by the course of nature or otherwise whosoever shall lay Claim or Title to the Crown of England though never so directly or nearly interested by descent should not be admitted unto the Throne unlesse he would first tolerate the Popish Religion and by his best endeavours promote the Catholique Cause unto which by his solemn and sacred Oath he should Religiously subscribe after the death of that miserable Woman so he styleth Q. Elizabeth By virtue of which Bull the Jesuites after her decease disswaded the Romish Subjects from yielding in any wise obedience to King James as their Soveraign Insomuch that the Catholiques durst not be good Subjects until Parsons and Champions procured them an Indulgence to that purpose from the Pope And what do you think would Cobham Gray c. have done They say they would have surprized K. James his person before he was crowned and his Son H. and Imprison them in the Tower of London In Dover-Castle till they enforced them by durance to grant a free toleration of their Catholick Religion to remove some evil Counsellors from about them Evil Counsellors do you hear Or else they would put some further project against them in execution to their destruction But say the good Papists here really we abhorre all these Treasons A. Do you in earnest it is well but I will tell you a story when the Parliament of Paris asked the Jesuites their judgement of Sanctarellus his Book v. 12. seeing their general had approved the Book and judged the things there written to be certain whether they are of the same mind they answered that living at Rome he could not but approve what was there approved of But say the Parliament what think you say the Jesuites the clean contrary say the Examiners But what would you do if you were at Rome say the Jesuites That which they do that are at Rome at which said some of the Parliament what have they one Conscience at Rome and another at Paris God blesse us from such Confessors as these I leave it with you to apply it Not to be endlesse hear what one John Brown a Priest aged 72 years saith of them Prynnes Introduction p. 202 203 204 205 206 212. The principal Instruments the Popes imployed of late years in these their unchristian Treasonable Designes have been pragmatical furious active Jâ—…ites whose Society was first erected by Ignatius Loyola a Spaniard by Birth but A c SOULDIER by profession and confirmed by Pope Paul the 3. Anno 1540. which Order consisting onely of ten persons at first and confined only to sixty by this Pope hath so monstrously increased by the Popes and Spaniards favours and assistance whose chief Janizaries Factors Intelligencers they are that in the year 1626. d they caused the picture of Ignatius their Founder to be cut in Brasse with a goodly Olive Tree growing like Jesses root out of his side spreading its branches into all Kingdomes and Provinces of the World where the Jesuites have any Colledges and Seminaries with the name of the Province at the foot of the branch which hath as many leaves as they have Colledges and Residencies in that Province in which leaves are the names of the Towns and Villages where these Colledges are situated Round about the Tree are the Pictures of all the illustrious Persons of their Order and in Ignatius his right hand there is a paper wherein these words are engraven Ego sicut Oliva fructifera in domo Dei taken out of Ps. 52. 8. which pourtraictures they then printed and published to the world wherein they set forth the number of their Colledges and Seminaries to be no lesse then 777. increased to 155 more by the year 1640. in all 932. as they published in like Pictures and Pageants printed at Antwerp 1640. Besides sundry New Colledges and Seminaries erected since In these Colledges and Seminaries of theirs they had then as they print 15591 Fellows of their Society of Jesus besides the Novices Scholars and Lay-brethren of their Order amounting to near ten times that number So infinitely did this evil weed grow and spread it self within one hundred years after its first planting And which is most observable of these Colledges and Seminaries they reckoned then no lesse then 15 secret ones IN PROVINCIA ANGLICANA in the Province of ENGLAND where were 267 SOCII or Fellows of that Society besides 4 COLLEDGES OF JESUITES ELSEWHERE In IRELAND and elsewhere 8 Colledges of IRISH JESUITES and in SCOTLAND and otherwhere 2 Residencies of SCOTTISH JESUITES What the chief imployments of Ignatius and his numerous swarms of Disciples are in the World his own Society at the time of his Canonization for a Romish Saint sufficiently discovered in their painted Pageants then shewed to the people e wherein they pourtraied this new Saint holding the whole world in his hand and fire streaming out forth of his heart rather to set the whole world on sire by Combustions Wars Treasons Powder-plots Schismes new State and old Church-Heresies then to enlighten it with this Motto VENI IGNEM MITTERE I came to send sire into the World which the University of Cracow in Poland objected amongst other Articles against them Anno 1662. and Alphonsus de Uargas more largely insisteth on in his Relatio de Stratagematis Sophismatis Politicis Jesuitarum c. An. 1641. c. 7 8. 24. Their number being so infinite and the f Pope and Spaniard too having long since by Campanella's advice erected many Colledges n Rome Italy Spain the Netherlands and elsewhere for English Scottish Irish Jesuites as well as for such secular Priests Friers Nuns of purpose to promote their designs against Protestant Princes Realms Churches Parliaments of England Scotland Ireland and to reduce them under their long prosecuted UNIVERSAL MONARCHY over them by Fraud Policy Treason intestine Divisions and Wars being unable to effect it by their own power no doubt of late years many hundreds if not thousands of this Society have crept into England Scotland and Ireland lurking under
several disguises yea an whole Colledge of them sate weekly in counsel in or near Westminster some few years since under Conne the Popes Nuntio on purpose to embroyle England and Scotland in bloody civil wars thereby to endanger shake subvert these Realms and destroy the late King as you may read at large in my Romes Master-piece published by the Commons special Order An. 1643. who occasioned excited fomented the first and second intended but happily prevented wars between England and Scotland and after that the unhappy Differences Wars between the King Parliament and our three Protestant Kingdoms to bring them to utter desolation and extirpate our reformed Religion We conclude this Importunity with the Prayer on the 5 th of November for your Majesty O Lord who didst this day discover the snares of death that were laid for us and didst wonderfully deliver us from the same Be thou still our mighty Protector and scatter our enemies that delight in bloud infatuate and defeat their counsels abate their pride asswage their malice and confound their devices Strengthen the hand of our gracious King Charles and all that are put in authority under him with Judgement and Justice to cut off all such workers of iniquity as turn religion into rebellion and faith into saction that they may never prevail against us or triumpth in the ruin of thy Church among us But that our gracious Soveraigns Realms being preserved in thy true Religion and by thy merciful goodnesse protected in the same we may all duly serve thee and give thanks in thy holy congregation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen PHILOLAUS OR Popery discovered to the People In a serious Disswasion from it Dear Country-men and beloved in the Lord Jesus YOu are so conscious of your Duty to Kings so obliged to their Government so faithful to their Person so regardful of the peace and happiness you enjoy under them every one under his own Vine and under his own Fig-tree and so sensible of the Misery of rebellion disturbance and confusion that we need not use any other argument to disswade you from Popery than this That it is a Religion written in many of your dread Soveraigns sacred blood a Religion whose prime Article as some of them say is Treason a Religion managed by conspirators and advanced by those who are born for the overthrow of States and Kingdoms who turn the World upside down We know your souls abhor these courses and detest these villanies but this is not all this way threatneth not onely your Kings but your selves endangereth not onely Their lives but your souls It 's not onely a great inconvenience that hindereth your peace and settlement in this World but a mischief that may hinder your Salvation in the next We hope indeed that you have received the truth of your own Religion in much assurance that you are rooted and grounded in the Faith Since you have scarched the Scriptures which the Papists kept from you and finde that these things are so Since you have felt the power and comfort of the Truth in your souls Since you finde it owned by Gods wonderful dispensations in the World whereby it 's great and doth prevail and seated in your hearts by his Spirit Since you see it eminent in the lives of many good men and confirmed by the death of as many excellent Confessors and Martyrs who vouch it with their last breath and seal it with their dearest blood Since you know it 's owned by the Church of Rome its self which hath nothing which we may call a Religion but ours viz. The Scriptures the Lords Prayer the Creed and the Ten Commandments c. to which they have added their own idolatrous superstitious idle and vain inventions which is all the Religion they have differing from us We are perswaded that you will not easily be moved from the the hope of the Gospel Yet that we may according to our duties assist our gracious Soveraign and endeavour to establish your hearts while he is establishing your Religion that while he with the advice of his great Council by a serious Law restrains you from Popery for fear we by serious motives may refrain from it for conscience sake The scandals given you are many the seducers are numerous their insinuations are plausible their temptations are taking you many of you are weak and we the Lord forgive us have been too careless and almost asleep while the Enemies sow Tares among us therefore we must leave with you a few plain words that you may have always before you Yea that they may be in your heart that you may teach them diligently to your children that you may talk of them when you sit in your house when you walk by the way when you lie down and when you rise up Many may write to you with more profoundness none write to you with more sincere servencie and earnest desire to save you and we are very sensible that while exact learned writings are taken up onely by learned men it is necessary that there be some plain discourses written whereby the truth may with evidence be conveyed to you 1. We taught you who are our joy and crown who we hope will be our rejoycing in the day of our Lord Jesus we taught you a Religion pure and undefiled before God which consists in solid virtue serious holiness an exact conversation led soberly righteously peaceably and Godly in this present World a Religion perfect right pure sure faithful holy just spiritual lively operative heavenly that enlighneth the minde sanctifieth the heart reforms the life frames a man after Gods own image in righteousness and true holiness We taught and do teach you a truth which is after Godliness a Mystery of Godliness a Religion that may make you wise to Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus which may be profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that you may be perfect and throughly furnished unto all good works in whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virture if there be any praise Alas The Papists having nothing besides the Scripture which we have as well as they which yet you shall not read but vain shadows of holiness a gross form of godliness which they cozen the Vulgar with consisting in Latine-service Images Tapers Rich Vestures Crosses Sentings Holy-water Offerings Prostrations Processions Pilgrimages and other bodily exercises that profit nothing whereas that true godliness which you profess is profitable for this life and for that which is to come They can teach you nothing but their own vain and useless inventions whereby they make void the Commandments of God nothing that may settle the heart establish the conscience satisfie the soul weaken sin strengthen grace promote your comfort or secure your eternity 2.