subversion and ruine of their soules pag. 19. In the Protestant Church there is neither idâ—latrie committed nor hurt done pag. 22. Why should we not communicate with Protestants where there can be no danger of sinne and in pag. 23. Protestants are not to be called properly formall heretiques pag. 41. In going to the Protestant Church there is no morall malignitie at all in so much that scarce the weakest man can invent how to sinne by any thing that is there done it being of its owne nature so indifferent and to a good intention good that à parte rei there is no appearance of evill therein pag. 48. I never yet could finde any idolatrie committed at Protestant Churches as often as I have frequented the same pag. 52. Protestants are not properly and in rigour formall heretiques If Protestants are not formall heretiques it followeth necessarily that they are no heretiques at all for forma dat nomen et esse If it be a false suggestion that Protestants are blasphemous heretiques hating God and his Church then the truth is they are neither blasphemous heretiques nor haters of God nor his Church but lovers of both If there be no idolatrie committed in Protestant Churches then God is there purely worshipped in spirit and truth If there bee no hurt done in Protestant Churches no danger of sinne nor so much as any appearance of evill then are all Papists iustly to be punished who refuse to come to our Church and they are guilty of grievous sinne in disobeying the commands of King and State and have no pretence at all for their recusancie Thus as Virgil when he read the obsolete writings of Ennius said he sought for aurum instercore so maist thou finde here gold in a dunghill I have washed away the filth by Animadversions inserted in convenient places make thou use of the gold to enrich thy knowledge and confirme thy assurance of the doctrine of the Gospel purely taught and sincerely professed in the Church of England Octob. 1. 1642. A TABLE OF THE SPECIALL CONTENTS LOcks that are scrued with letters are most troublesome to unlocke if we know not the particular letters by the setting whereof together the wards flye open such is the ensuing discourse consisting of very many heads doubling or trebling the Alphabet as appeare by the marginall notes yet without any summaary contents premised or directorie Titles serving in stead of signall letters to open the severall parts and Sections thereof It was thought therefore requisite to supply that defect in the Romish Authour by this table wherein the Reader may readily and easily finde those remarkable points which either are professedly handled or occasionally touched therein First in the Preface pag. 3. Secondly in the Treatise pag. 16. Sect. 1. pag. 26. Sect. 2. pag. 57. Sect. 3. pag. 82. Thirdly in the Appendix pag. 143. First in the Preface The originall of Recusancie in England pag. 6. The Rescripts of seven Popes in the case all erroneous pag 7. The determination of generall Councels of great authoritie yet not infallible pag. 12. Secondly in the Treatise The state of the question touching going to Church with men of a different religion explicated pag. 16. Naamans fact bowing in the temple of Rimmonâ—iscussed â—iscussed pag. 17. The words of the Prophet 2 Kings 5.19 goe in peace diversly expounded pag. 18. None may dissemble his Religion no not in feare of death pag. 21. The resâ—lution â—f the Sorbon Doctors in the case of Recusancie pag. 24. SECT 1. The definition of scandall pag. 26. Severall divisions of Scandall pag. 27. The distinction of veniall and mortall sinne refuted pag. 28. Evangelicall Councels as they call them are not distinct from precepts pag. 29. Povertie in it selfe is not scandalous pag. 31 Whether our Liturgie be any part of the Missall pag. 33. Prayers ought to be made in a knowne tongue pag. 34. What is meant by appearance of evill 1 Thess. 5.22 pag. 35. In what case the eating meates offered unto Idols is forbidden by the Apostle 1 Cor. 8. pag. 39. The definition of an heretique pag. 51. That the faith of Protestants is no way defective pag. 53. The Romish Clergie is grosly ignorant pag. 54 The Protestants manner of preaching in many respects to be preferred before the Romish pag. 55. SECT 2. Recusancie is no distinctive signe betweene a Papist and a Protestant pag. 57. The Protestants Sacrament is not a bare signe nor the holy Eucharist common bread pag. 60. The body and blood of Christ is truly given in the Sacrament pag. 61. The popish carnall manner of eating Christs flesh with the mouth is repugnant to faith reason and common sense pag. 62. The Apostle by the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.20 meaneth not the Agapae or Love-feasts pag. 64. A foule practise and high misdemeanour of Davenport alias à Sancta Clara in procuring a surreptitious Bull against Day the Franciscan pag. 75. SECT 3. That Papists attribute religious worship to images themselves pag. 85. That a man being questioned of his faith though before an incompetent Iudge is bound to answer the truth pag. 98. That we may not dissemble with dissemblers nor play the Fox with Foxes pag. 99. That Papists trust in their owne merits though some at their death have renounced them pag. 104. The Oath of Allegiance divided into eight branches and every branch justified by Papists themselves pag. 109. The Oath of Supremacie divided into foure branches pag. 114. In what sense Protestants teach the King to be Head of the Church pag. 115. Who are meant by forreiners in the Statute pag. 120. That no Papist can take the Oath of Supremacie but that he must renounce a fundamentall point of his Religion pag. 138. Thirdly in the Appendix 1. A forme of Recantation injoyned the Lollards in the 19. yeere of King Richard the second taken out of the Records in the Tower pag. 143. The Resolutions of the Fathers in the Councell of Trent pag. 145. The Oathes of Supremacie Enacted 35. Hen. 8. 1 Elizabeth pag. 148.150 A proviso for Expounding the Oath 5. Elizabeth pag. 151. The Admonition annexed to the Injunctions Elizabeth 1. pag. 152. The Conclusion of the Authour of the Animadversions to the Reader pag. 154. Errata sic corrige P. 7. in marg state r. flat p. 8. lin 11. p. 7. r. 12. p. 15. l. 9. Ignorattia r. ignorantia p. 22. l. 22. the r. they p. 28. l. 15. dele the p. 42. l. 17. rejoice r. rejoyne p. 54 l. 35. proposition r. praeposition p. 64. l. 14. Apollorum r. Apostolorum p. 76. l. 6. adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 85. l. 12. sede r. sedè p. 97. marg l. 6. doth r. doe p. 99. l. 11. marg adeo r. adde l. 12. r. wizards p. 140. marg l. 6. d the appendix A SAFEGARD FROM SHIPWRACKE TO A PRVDENT CATHOLIKE Wherein is PROOVED THAT A Catholique may goe to the Protestant Church And Take both the Oathes of Allegiance
of whom Poggius writeth that after he had said Masse bidding the Feast of Epiphanie he spake to the honest rusticks on this wise My good neighbours to morrow you are to keepe good cheere and celebrate a high feast the feast of Saint Epiphanie a most holy wight but whether Epiphanie were male or female a he Saint or a she Saint I finde it not in my books What was he that Christened a childe with this forme of words Ego baptizo te in nomine Patria Filia Spiritua Sancta What was he who reading in the Gospel of Saint Iohn invenimus Messiam lept out of his skin for joy saying Now to the confusion of all Hugonots I have found the Masse in the new Testament What was he who reading in the Epistle Melchisedec Rex Salem panem vinum protulit translated it thus King Melchisedec brought forth salt bread and wine What was he who in a dispute about putting hereticks to death most Clarke like prooved his conclusion that hereticks ought to suffer death because the Apostle saith Hereticum post unam aut alteram admoniâ—ionem devita 1 Titus 3.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is shun or avoyd but this silly animal mistooke the verâ—e devita for a proposition and a nowne as if the Apostle had said de vitá out of life with him Neither doth Pope Siricius better argue against Pâ—iests marriage Men in holy Orders must not contract Matrimonie because the Apostle saith They that are in the flesh cannot please God neither Innocentius against Lay-mens reading Scripture The beast that touched the Mount was to be thrust thorow with a dart Ergo. The people must not meddle with the Scripture As for their manner of preaching who so much scorne and deride ours let all travellers speake whether it be not thus A Parish Priest or some Monk or Frier gets up into a spacious Pulpit and there runs himselfe out of breath from one side to the other before his houre glasse be halfe run of whom a man might well demand as some one did in Tully of a declaimer Quot millia passâ—um declamasti When this shaveling betweene whose head and heaven there is not a haire first appeares to the people he crosses himselfe as their manner is when they are affraid of evill spirits then reads the Gospel of the day in Latine whereof the people understand not a word and after he hath spent some time in translating it and scored out his way he conveighes a prayer into a parenthesis concluding it with an Ave Maria. After this resuming the words of his Text in the handling of them he robs and deplumes the late written posâ—ils upon that â—ospell and like the Crow in the Poet Cloathes his Discourse with the choicest of their feathers in the end sticks two or three gaudy feathers out of the Peacockâ— taile I meane the golden Legend telling them how St. Dominâ—ck spying the Devill sitting in the Church like a Sparrow called him to him pluckt off all his feathers and put him to a great reproach or how St. Dunstane tooke the Devill by the nose with a paire of tongs fire hot Or how St. Bernardâ—lest â—lest good Ale and giving the same to certaine lewd persons caused divine grace to enter into them And here if the Author and his Consorts please to be merry at Sermons spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici But if any more ingenuous Papists like Lodovicus Vives condemne the Author of your golden Legend for a man of a brazen face and leaden heart and bring better stuffe yet even these come farre short of the Preachers of the Reformed Churches in many remarkable particulars First all the Popish Preachers take their text out of the Gospel or â—pistle of the Day but the Protestants confine themselves not to those parcels of Scripture but make choice as God shall direct them for the most profit of their flocke of any part of the Canonicall Scripture to expound it Againe the Protestant Preachers in their translation follow the originals the Greeke and Hebrew the Papists as they are bound under paine of a curse follow the corrupt vulgar Latine which they may not upon any pretence reject The Protestants deliver no Doctrine of faith for which they bring not Gods word The Papists ground many of their Doctrines upon unwritten Traditions or Decrees of Popes or Councels The Protestants build upon the true foundation gold silver and precious stones that is heavenly solid and precious Doctrine conformable to holy Scriptures The Papists hay and stubble as namely the putting Thrones and Dominations with Archangels Angels Cherubins and Seraphins in ranke and file a Geographicalâ— description of foure Regions under the earth Hell Purgatory Limbus Patrum and Limbus Infantum an imaginary treasury of super-abundant satisfactions to be dispenced by the Pope hallowing of Water Salt Creame c. Christening Bels Singing Dirges and Trentals Pilgrimages Whippings Masses without Communicants dry Communions censing Pictures Invocation of Saints worshipping of Images with Reliques and such like trash f De te fabula narratur unlesse you can substantially refute Vigniers his Theater of Popes or Plessis his Historia Papatus or Abbot Down and Powell and infinite others accurate and elaborate Treatises De Antichristo you must aske blessing of the whore of Babylon as your mother g Will you call it the same wine which was powred out into two cups whereof one hath store of rats-bane in it See pag. 16. letter â— and pag. 33. letter u h There was never such a prophane gamster heard of as this Masse-Priest who playeth not only with the word of God and prayers but with Sacraments here and most solemne oathes hereafter what horrible prophannesse what detestable hypocrisie is it I will not say for a Lay Papist but a Romish Priest not only to be at our Service but to stay at the Communion to heare the Ministers exhortation out of the Apostle to all persons that come to the holy Table Diligently to try and examine themselves before they presume to eate of that bread and drinke of that cup for as the benefit is great if with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive that holy Sacrament for then we spiritually eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood then we dwell in Christ and Christ in us we be one with Christ and Christ with us so is the danger great if we receive the same unworthily for then we be guiltie of the body and blood of Christ our Saviour we eat and drinke our own damnation not considering the Lords body we kindle Gods wrath against us when we provoke him to plague us with divers diseases and sundry kinds of death Nay more if he joyne with the whole congregation in the rehearsall of the words of the institution and the consecratory prayer will he present himselfe on his knees for he excepts no Ceremonies and receive the consecrated elements delivered to him with these
she meant that she might dispose of Church matters as her Father had and have power to forme what Church she pleased and so that should suffice her Highnesse It is to be noted thirdly that the aforesaid oath when it was made was unlawfull to be taken by any Catholique as the oath before made in the dayes of King Henry the 8th Although when it was made it was not altogether so unlawfull as that of King Henry because in his dayes there was no other Church extant or like to be extant in England but the Catholique Church of which contrary to the Law of God and his own conscience he made himself head as appears by a booke set forth by the said King himself in the later end of his raigne and many yeers after he had framed his Oath of Supremacie intituled A necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian man set forth by the Kings Majestie of England c. In which he sets forth the Christian faith then to be professed in England Which was as absolutely Catholique and the self-same in every point as now it is in Rome And if any man should have sworne him the supreame head as he intended of that Church he would have sworne false as making the Church a Monster in having two heads or depriving the Pope of his authoritie granted him by God which had been to have denyed an Article of faith but when the said Oath was repealed in Queene Maries dayes And another Oath of Supremacie made in the aforesaid first yeere of Queene Elizabeth It was as I have said to inable her not so much to be head of the Church then extant and to be utterly abolished as to be Governour of a new Church distinct from the Catholique Church then out of hand to be propagated and established of which to sweare Her Head before it was or to sweare Her Head of the Church then extant which she conceived superstitious of which indeed she was not head was in a true and proper sence unlawfull And so continued unlawfull untill after the abrogation of Masse and perfect establishment of the new Protestant Church within this Realme and other His Majesties Dominions Which being established as now it is the said Oath of Supremacie ceased from being unlawfull because then there was an apparant face of a Church distinct from the members of the Catholique Church which then began scarce to appeare in respect of the greater multitude of which only she was supreame governour and chief head and no other person whatsoever had or ought to have any jurisdiction or preheminence in the same and all that were or are not of the same faith and Church were and are in a true and proper sense forreiners to the same It is to be noted fourthly that a man may be said to be a Forreiner in a twofold sence First in respect of a temporall Dominion Secondly in respect of faith whence ariseth a spirituall jurisdiction In the first sence all that are not Natives of His Majesties Dominions although some Lawyers say all that doe no homage to His Majestie are forreiners In the second sence all that are of the Protestant faith with the King are Domesticks of the same faith and within His Dominions only subject to His spirituall jurisdiction by the Laws of the Realme And all that are not of the Protestant faith are forreiners to the same conformable to St. Paul who accounted all those of whatsoever Nation or under whatsoever temporall Dominion or Iurisdiction in the world who were of the same faith with himselfe which he taught were Domesticks of that faith And those of whatsoever Nation or temporall Dominion that were not of the same faith he accounted forreiners Whence he saith Gal. 6.10 Let us doe good to all but especially to the domesticks or those of the house of faith And 1 Thess. 4. vers 12. Rogamus ut honeste ambuletis ad eos qui foris sunt nullius aliquid desideretis We desire you brethren that you walke honestly towards them that are without that is forreiners to our faith and need nothing of any mans It is to be noted fifthly and chiefly what conditions are required in every lawful oath which according to the Prophet Ieremy are three viz Truth Iudgement and Iustice for he saith in his fourth Chapter Thou shalt sweare our Lord liveth in truth and in judgement and in justice upon which place the holy Doctor S. Hierome noteth that the foresaid conditions are requisite to every oath of whom all Divines have leâ—rned the same requiring in every lawfull oath every of the said three conditions The reason hereof is because an oath being an invocation of God as witnesse that what we speake is true it is requisite that we should use judgement or discretion to see that we doe nothing rashly or without due reverence devotion and faith towards so great a Majestie but we must especially regard that we make not him who is the chiefe and Soveraigne veritie and inflexible justice either ignorant oâ— what we say or Patron of a lye as witnesse of that which either is false in assertion or unjust in promise Hence an oath wanting Iudgement or discretion and wisdome is a rash and foolish oath that which wanteth Iustice is called an unjust oath And finally where there is not truth it is adjudged a false or lying oath and is more properly then all the rest called Perjurie These notes premised I shall now prove the said Oath of Supremacie to be lawfull for any Catholique to take Every Oath that is accompanyed with the three said conditions or companions viz. veritie justice and judgement in the opinion of all Divines Canon and Civil Lawyers is a lawfull Oath but such is the Oath of Supremacie above recited in every part and particle of the same Ergo. The Minor is proved discoursing of every branch in particular and first of the first branch wherein I sweare that the King is only Supreame Governour of this Realme as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes touching the Church of the said Realm as Temporall touching the State or of any other his Dominions Which I doe sweare discreetly as a thing true and just For there is no other Supreme Governour of temporall things to be assigned but the King as all will confesse nor of Ecclesiasticall things or the Church of England as by a sufficient Enumeration may be proved For the Parliamâ—nt is not supreame governour of the Churches within this Realme when as according to the naturall light of reason the King is governour of that and therefore not supreame The Primate cannot be assigned supreame governour when as he hath all his authoritie of government from the King and so he hath a Superior A Lay-eldership cannot be supreame governour for although it be unknowne what it is or from whence it receiveth its authoritie yet I thinke no Lay-eldership so barbarous as not to
light cannot infuse either wisdome into a foole or prudence into a simple man and nothing harder for the best Divine then to yeeld the continuance of a serene conscience to a scrupulous person doe only desire and intreat thâ—t what he himselfe either cannot or will not receive satisfaction in he would not judge amisse in others and so be scandalized which will prove to himselfe rather the scandall of Pharisees then weake ones according to the exhortation of the Apostle Qui non manducat manducantem non Spernat he that eateth not let him not despise him that eateth As for mine own part what I preach with Gods grace I will practise And if any man can give a better reason for the contrary to what I doe then I can give for what I say I doe hereby promise to subscribe otherwise let every one looke and dive into his owne actions and not into other mens for he shall render an account onely for his owne and not for theirs And because All in these times perchance are not bound under sinne to imbrace these opinions the question not being which is absolutely the safest or perfectest way and all dispositions of each soule not being alike but only whether the said opinions are forbidden or not forbidden by the Law of God or the Church so that absolutely in case of necessitie they may not bee done and what may best in prudence bee done yet safe enough with a good conscience and without sinne the condition of times and persons considered those that shall not imbrace the same but suffer for their conscience sake I shall beseech Almightie God to lay no more upon them then they are able to beare that they doe nothing against their conscience for that were to carry a continuall hell about them which of all earthly miseries were the greatest from which God of his infinite mercy preserve us all Amen FINIS Appendix HEre followeth the forme of recantation enjoyned the Lollards Anno Regis Richardi Secundi decimo nono Together with the resolution of the Fathers in the Councel of Trent 1564. and the Oathes of Supremacie enacted 35. Henry 8. and 1. Elizabeth as also a proviso for expounding the Oath the fift of Elizabeth and the Admonition annexed to the Injunctions Elizabeth 1. whereof there is often mention made in the Animadversions Ex Rotulo clausarum de Anno decimo nono Richardi Secundi m. 18. dorso MEmorand quod primo diâ— Septembris Anno Regni Regis Richardi secundi post conquestuÌ„ decimo nono Willielmus Dinet Nich-Taylour Nich-Poucher et Willielmus Steynour de Nottingham in Cancellar ipsius Regis personaliter constituti Sacramenta divisim praestiterunt sub eo qui sequitur tenore I William Dynet byfor yhow worschipefull fader and Lorde Archbishop of Yhoâ—ke and yhour Clergie with my free will and full avysede swere to God and to all his Seynts upon this holy Gospels yat fro this day forthwarde I shall worship ymages with preying and offering unto hem in the worschep of the Seintes that they be made after And also I shall nevermore despyse pygremage ne states of holy Chyrche in noe degree And also I shall be buxum to the lawes of holy Chyrche and to yhow as myne Archbishop and to mine other ordinaries and Curates and keepe tho lawes up my power and meyntein hem And alsoe I shall never more meyntein ne techen ne defenden Errours conclusions ne techinges of the Lollardes ne swych conclusions and techynges that men clepyth Lollards doctrine ne I shall her bokes ne swych bokes ne hem or any suspect or diffamede of Lollardery receive or company withall wittingly or defend in tho maâ—ters and if I know any swych I shall with all the haste that I may doe yhow or els your ner officers to wytten and of her bokes And also I shaâ—l excite and stirre all tho to good doctrine that I have hyndred with myne Doctrine up my power And also I shall stond to yhour declaration which es heresy or errour and do thereafter And also what penance yhe woll for that I have done for meyteyning of this fals doctryn injuyne me and I shall fulfill And I submit me thereto up my power And also I shall make no other glosse of this myne oath bot as the words stonde And if it be soe that I com agayn or do agayn this oth or any party thereof I yhelde me here cowpable as an heretyk and to be punyshed by the law of an heretyke and to forfet all my godes to the Kings will withouten any other processe of law and thereto I require the Notarie to make of all this the which is my will an Instrument agayns me Et ex habundanti idem Willielmus Dynâ—t eodem die voluit et recognovit quod omnia bona et catalla sua mobilia nobis sint forisfacta in casu quo ipse juramentum praedictum seu aliqua in eodem juramento contenta de cetero contravenerit ullo modo Declaratio Patrum concilli Tridentini circa frequentationem Ecclesiarum Eo tempore quo hereticiritus exercentur aut praedicatur haeresis Pax Christi quae exuperat omnem sensum custodiat corda vestra intelligentias vestras Amen Viri Dignitate conspicui religione multis nominibus illustres aequam honestam postulationem vestram ad nos detulerunt N. C. quam à vobis ad se praelatam asserebant cujus hoc est exemplum REligione in Anglia mutatâ poenâ propositâ si quis Diebus Dominicis festis à templis abstineat interim Dum Psalmi ex utroque testamento lectiones lingua vulgari recitantur laici multi catholici nobiles Deum timentes partim in carcere agentes partim mox eò conjiciendi amicorum consanguineorum precibus ac monitionibus imminentium periculorum metu invitantur ut saltem ea tenus de sententia denuo se permittant ut in templis protestantium tantisper interesse velint Diebus Dominicis aliis festis Dum Psalmi ex more linguâ vulgari decant arisoliti lectiones ex Bibliis linguâ item vulgari depromptae nec non conciones quae ad eorum dogmata approbanda apud pop frequentiùs habentur commemoratae sunt Iam qui huc usque nullo modo deduci potuerint ut publicis predictis precibus concionibus interessent magnopere 〈◊〉 postulant quid his faciendum censeant viri pii 〈◊〉 Nam si nullo animae periculo aut nulla Dei offensione â—ubliâ—o regni sui Decreto parere obedire liceat libenâ—â—r â—d fecerint Contra vero si quid in hac re periculum sit saâ—utis aeternae aut lâ—sae Divinae Majestatis quae vis perpeti deâ—reverunt potiùs qùam quicquam agere aut committere unde Deum offâ—nsum iri aut irritatum intelligant Haec questâ—â— cum multas pias religiosas conscientias exerceat coâ—tuâ—bet râ—gaâ—di estis omnes
their originall Fountaine sith the most of them if not all might be gathered out of more ancient Liturgies For which See Biblioth Patru to 1. And if it be so then it may be said That the mud of Popery fell into them but they sprang not from Popery but from purer fountains * It hath been I confesse a long custome in the Latine Church ever since Pope Vitalian to celebrate the Church Service in the Latine tongue but it was never the custome of the Catholique or Vniversall so to doe The Greeke and Syrian and African and other Churches had from the beginning and have at this day their Service in their own languages Neither is the reason the Priest alleadgeth here of any force namely That w as the Catholike Religion is universall so it should be exercised in an universall language which he will have to be the Latine For first there is no necessitie that the Catholike Religion which is universall should be exercised in an universall language but rather in all languages Secondly since the division of tongues at the tower of Babell there was no language universall in all the world the Greeke was for a time the furthest spread and after the Romane but neither of them nor any other was spoken or understood by all Christians and at this day if we may beleeve travellers no language is so generally knowne and spoken as the Slavonian Thirdly the unity of language maketh nothing to the unitie of Religion or the Church neither doth the Apostle require that the Divine Service be performed in any one tongue but that it be done in a knowne tongue to the edification of the Church 1 Cor. 14.4.12.14.16 And to that end among others was the gift of tongues given x See page 28. Letterr. y See the lettero. pag. 17. z See the letter R pag. 28. a This definition of an heretique is both defective redundant defective for every obstinate deniall of an article of faith makes not an heretique unlesse his conscience be clearely convinced of his errour out of the word of God it is redundant also for a man may be an heretique by denying any article of faith though that article be not proposed to him by the Catholike Church to be beleeved though but his pastour or any other religious Christian out of Gods word clearely propound it to him and prove it or it be read by himselfe in the Scripture if he obstinately persist in the denyall thereof after his conscience is convinced he becomes an heretique b The Protestants of England know other Churches besides their own and some have learnedly discoursed of all the Churches in the Christian world as Purchas Brierwood Mocket Mr. Paget and others 〈◊〉 true it is they acknowledge no infallibilitie in the Roman or any particular Church nor receive any Church for true and Orthodoxe which consenteth not with them in all points of faith either expresly set downe or by cleare and necessarie consequence deduced from holy Scriptures c The Protestants hold nothing contrary to the Catholique Church though they hold many things contrary to the present Romane Church which is neither the Catholike Church nor a sound member thereof as is proved invincibly by Iohn Reynolds praefat thesium Sect. 12. Thes. ss 27. Apol. 5.23 And Bilsons answer to Cardinall Allen part 4. And Abbot against Bishop in a Treatise intituled The true ancient Romane Catholike to which none answer hath yet beene given nor sufficient can be d With what face can he say that the Protestants are incredulous and beleeve not the truth Who entirely beleeve the whole doctrine of the Scriptures together with the three Creeds that which beares the name of the Apostles the Nicene and that of Athanasius together with the foure first generall Councels in which time the Church most flourished as also the joynt Doctrine and unanimous consent of all the Fathers both of the Greeke and Latine Church for five hundred yeeres after Christ our Lord came into the flesh Let this traducer of the reformed Churches answer punctually whether he beleeveth that the learned Doctors Confessours and Martyrs who lived and died within the first 500. yeeres held the entire Catholique faith necessary to salvation or no If they held it not how were they saved upon what good ground or warrant are so many of them canonized for Saints even by the Roman Church but on the other side if they beleeved all things necessary to salvation how can we be esteemed incredulous or defective in our faith who beleeveth all that can be proved to have beene joyntly beleeved and unanimously professed by them e Is this the holy Romane Religion to make a May-game of Religion and to goe to Sermons as to a play to make themselves merry and dispell a Melancholly dumpe Besides their owne third commandement enjoynes them to keepe Holy-dayes and their owne Casuists allow the Lords day to be a day that is holy And is this a piece of holynesse to goe on such dayes to a play yet neither doe I beleeve that he can readily name the man much lesse many men that spake fustian with gravity in our Pulpits but I am sure he who patched up this Safeguard out of rags of Religion and falshood speaks Linsewoolsey through his whole Discourse and contrary to the law ploweth with an Oxe and an Asse The later of which here brayeth irrationally and unjustly against the generalitie of Protestant Preachers and Sermons Forsooth we are silly weake and ignorant men but they are all profound Gamaliels nay Angelicall and Seraphicall Doctors Whereunto I answer as Saint Paul did to the calumnies of the false Apostles 2 Cor. 10.12 We dare not make our selves of the number to compare our selves with them that commend themselves but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves amongst themselves understand not The Catholiques he saith are Hounds â—lood Hounds I grant and our Ministers timorous Hares they dare not encounter the weakest Romane Catholique they neither understand the controversies of Religion nor dare meddle with any in their Sermons If this were true which all our hearers know to be most false yet me thinks Iuvâ—nal speaks very good reason Loripedem rectus derideat Aethiopem albus And what great Clarks I pray were those of whom Boniface Bishop of 〈◊〉 â—pâ—ke in his time heretofore we had woodden Chalices and golden Priests â—ut now we have golden Chalices and woodden Priests what great Gamaliels were they of whom Bonaventure complaines Quidam sacerdotum â—lavem habent he speaketh of the Key of knowledge quidam claviculam quidam nullam what was he upon whom Sir Thomas Moore thus playes in his â—pigrâ—m tu bene cavisti ne te ulla occidere possit litera nam nulla est lâ—tera nota tibi Be not frighted at the words of the Apostle the letter killeth thou hast taken good order that it shall not kill thee for thou knowest not a lettâ—â— What was he
words The body of our Lord Iesus Christ which was given for thee preserve thy body and soule unto eternall life and yet all this while never thinke of receiving the Sacrament but only of eating a piece of bread and drinking a draught of wine which shall be better done with the remembrance of Christ then without it He will say that our Sacrament is nothing but common bread and wine and that nought else is to be received aâ— our Communion Table The Lord rebuke thee thou false tongue What because we beleeve not that the bread and wine is transubstantiated into Christs body and blood must it therefore be nothing but common bread and bare wine By the same reason he might say that because the water in Baptisme is not transubstantiated into Christs blood that therefore it is nothing but faire water and he may in a jesting manner wash a childe in remembrance of Christs washing us with his blood It is true we teach with Theodoret Dial. 2. That the sacred symbols after consecration depart not out of their own nature but still remaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their former substance shape and figure but withall we teach that they remaine not the same in use signification and supernaturall efficacie by vertue of Christs promise to all that worthily partake of the same Neither could this prophane scoffer be ignorant hereof for he saith He hath often been at our Service where we professe that all who with a lively faith receive the holy Sacrament spiritually eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood He also maketh mention in this Pamphlet of the 39. Articles which he will have to be the definition of a Protestant and in those Articles he could not but reade Art 28. Christs body is given received and eaten in the Supper but only after a heavenly and spirituall manner And in the Apologie of the Church of England part 2. cap. 14. The Supper of the Lord is not only a signe of the love that Christians ought to beare amongst themselves one to the other but rather it is a Sacrament of our Redemption by Christs death in so much that to such as rightly worthily and with faith receive the same the bread which we breake is the partaking of the body of Christ and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ. With which confession of ours fully accordeth the Helvetian the French the Belgicke the Augustane and the Swevick as he that hath an eare may heare in the Harmony of Confessions Printed 1581. cap. 21. De sacrâ coenâ Domini What should I need for further proofe hereof either to alleadge the testimonie of Calvin Epist. 31. Non modo figuratur in coenae communio quam habemus cum Christo sed etiam exhibetur neque verba illic nobis dantur à Domino sed veritas ac res constat cum verbis Haec porro communio non imaginaria est sed qua in unum corpus unamque substantiam cum capite nostro coalescimus There is not only figured in the Supper that communion which we have with Christ but it is also exhibited neither doth our Lord deceive us but the truth of the thing is correspondent to his words neither is the communion we speake of an imaginarie but such a reall one whereby we grow into one body and one substance with Chrâ—st our head or the testimonie of Bucer Epist. ad Italos addit hoc est corpus meum hic sanguis meus id credamus nec dubitemus haec dari nobis his ipsis symbolis dari in cibum potum vitae aeternae ut magis magisque vivamus in Christo habeamus illum manentem in nobis He addeth this is my body this is my blood let us beleeve it and no way doubt but that these things are given unto us by or with these very symbols and that they are given unto us for the food and drinke of eternall life that we may more and more live in Christ and have him living in us It never came into the thought of any professour of the Gospel to celebrate the Supper of the Lord without the Lord as Bucer speaketh in this Epistle or exclude him from his owne Table We teach he is there truly present and is truly received by all worthy communicants but spiritually by faith not carnally with the mouth according to the grosse Capernaitical conceipt of Romanists For first our Saviour in the sixth of Iohn where he commandeth all to eate his flesh and drinke his blood vers 53. affirming that his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drinke indeed perceiving that some were offended thereat saying vers 60. this is a hard saying who can beare it thus he declareth his own meaning vers 63. The words which I speake unto you they are spirit and they are life that is spiritually to be understood not carnally and grossely Secondly the Orthodox Fathers disclaime this carnall eating with the mouth St. Cyril in his Anathems denyeth the Sacrament to be hominis comestionem An Anthropophagie or man eating St. Chrysostome saith it is mensa aquilarum not graculorum and St. Austine that it is cibus mentis not ventris or dentis the food of the soule not of the tooth or belly Tract 20. in Iohan. Vt quid paras dentes ventrem crede manducasti Why dost thou prepare thy teeth and thy belly beleeve and thou hast eaten and St. Cyprian de coena Dom. haec quoties agimus non dentes ad manducondum acuimus sed fide sincera panem sanctum frangimus As oft as we doe these things we doe not whâ—t our teeth to eate but with sincere faith we breake that holy bread Thirdly Christ never instituted any Sacramentall action but it was profitable to the soule but the eating of Christs flesh with the mouth and swallowing it down in the stomack doth no way at all profit the soule Fourthly Christ never wrought any miracle outwardly upon the creature but the truth therof appeared even to sense when he turned the water into wine Ioh. 2. The change was discovered by the taste vers 9 10. When the Ruler of the feast had tasted it he said to the Bridegroome thou hast kept the good wine till now In like manner when Christ multiplyed the five Barley loaves and the two fishes both the taste and the stomacke and the eyes of all that were present gave testimonie to the truth of this miracle For they did all eate and were satisfied and saw twelve baskâ—ts remaining full of the fragments or broken meat which remained to them that had eaten Neither can it be shewed that ever Christ the Author of truth deluded the sense If therefore the bread had been truly and really turned into the substance of flesh either the sight or the taste or the touch would have discerned this change which yet as themselves confesse discover nothing but the whitenesse the roundnesse the
and integritie cannot be denied to be competent Iudges The Apostles rule is without exception There is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God Rom. 13.1 And by higher powers to whom we must be subject he understandeth not onely Kings but all those that are in authoritie under them 1 Tim. 2.2 First the King as supreame and after governours as them that are sent by him 1 Pet. 2.13 14. Secondly I demand of them whether that command of Saint Peter 1 Pet. 3.15 may be limited by their distinction of a Iudge competent and incompetent surely though in other causes a man is not bound to appeare or answer coram iudice non competente yet in matter of faith when we are required to give an account oâ— it there is no excepting against our Iudge For we must be ready alwaies to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us with meekenesse and feare Thirdly I demand of them whether they account Pilate a competent Iudge in Christs cause or Nero in Peters and Pauls cause or any of the Roman Deputies and Proconsuls before whom the glorious army of Martyrs who signed the Christian Faith with their bloud were brought were competent Iudges they were no Roman Catholiques nor Christians yet Christ Iesus before Pontius Pilate 1 Tim. 6 13. and Peter and Paul before Nero and the rest of Christs noble souldiers before heathen Iudges witnessed a good profession Fourthly I demand when that confession of faith which the Apostle implyeth to be necessary to salvation is to be made Rom. 10.10 With the mouth confession is made to salvation is it not when we are brought before Kings and Rulers for Christs name sake Luke 21.12 For a testimony against them If we are bound to confesse our faith onely to those of our owne religion because they are onely supposed to be competent judges no man ever need to suffer for his religion and all the noble Confessors and Martyrs of former ages by this Iesuiticall doctrine deserved rathers fooles caps then Martyrs crownes for they did not shed their blouds for Christs cause but they spilt it causelesly For they needed not to confesse what they were before incompetent Iudges Here I will make bold to use the words of David concerning Abner 2 Sam. 3.33 Did Abner die a foole Did all those worthies whose soules cryed under the Altar Apoc. 6.10 How long Lord holy and true dost thou not iudge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth and to whom white robes were given vers 11. Die as fooles it seemed they died so in the judgement of this Priests prudent Catholique who though by this slight he now avoid all confession of his faith that he is not examined before a competent Iudge yet he shall one day when he shall come before the Iudge of all the earth condemne his own folly and justifie and magnifie also Christs noble Confessors and Martyrs taking up the lamentation of the reprobate set down in the booke of Wisedome We fooles accounted their life madnesse and their end to be without honour but now how are they numbred among the children of God and their lot is among the Saints therefore have we erred from the way of truth and the Sunne of righteousnesse hath not shined upon us Wisdome 5.6 y I have read logicam si vis discere lege Titlemannum ille SophistaruÌ„ crimiâ—a pandere vult but I never read theologiam si vis discere lege Titlemannum he is in a very ill case who rules his conscience by this casuist whose divinitie is no better here then his Latine I confesse in Machiavels schoole it is a lesson read to those of the upper forme leoninae assuere vulpinam to piece out the Lions skinne with a Foxes but in Christs schoole Zuickius teacheth us another lesson non decet in hac causa cum vulpibus vulpinari et cum astutissimis huius mundi sapientibus astutia certare certandum est nobis solâ perseverantiâ pietate simplicitate adeo et patientiâ crucis we ought not to play the fox with foxes nor contend with the subtile vizards of this world in craft and subtiltie but we must fight against them with sole perseverance and piety and simplicitie and bearing of the Crosse. In the whole Scripture we never reade of fox or fox craft commended The Spouse in the Canticles commanded to take the foxes the little foxes that spoile the grapes Cant. 2.15 And it is Davids curse upon Gods enemies let them be a portion for foxes and our Saviour to brand Herod with perpetuall infamie calleth him a fox Luk. 13.32 saying Goe ye and tell â—hat fox neither can it be proved to bee more lawfull for us to play the fox with foxes then play the wolfe with wolves or play the Sophister with Sophisters or play the hypocrite with hypocrites or play the Devill with Devils Though craftie companions may deserve to be served with their owne sawce yet it is not fit for us to dresse it for them The very Poet could say ac tu indignus qui faceres That may be very just and fit for one to suffer which is not yet fit for another to inflict or put upon him However this Priest is not his crafts master For it is against fox craft to professe it he will hardly or never deceive a mâ—n who brags before hand he will doe it and though it may be this Priest and his complices are annosae vulpâ—s old foxes and the proverbe is annosa vulpis haud capitur laqueo an old fox is seldome or never caugâ—t in a snare yet if those who are commanded to catch these foxes should be pleased to make snares with this fox his owne cords here stretched out by him namely to put them to an expresse abiuration of the maine and fundamentall points of their Trent faith or set them such a forme of recantation of their tenents and with such conditions as they enjoyned the Lollards in the dayes of King Richard the second See the Appendix to the Animadversions infra it may verily be hoped through Gods blessing upon the wisedome and care of zealous Magistrates that this Kingdome of England may in time be as free of these foxes as it is now of wolves with which in former ages it much abounded z There was no feare of the Iews perverting the primitive Christians especially in the Apostles dayes in which we reade in the Acts how mightily the Apostles and their converts confounded the Iewes Christ making good his promise to them that he would give them a mouth and wisdome which their enemies should not be able to resist Luk. 21.15 but the true reason why they made such a Canon if yet they made such Canons which is very much doubted was to prevent the scandall which the Church might receive by the Christians frequenting the Iews Synagogues in which the now abrogated rites of Moses
were to the injury of the Gospell retained and Christ himselfe blasphemed which no Christian eare ought to endure a See page 22. letter Q b If Papists trusted not in their owne merits it would goe better with them then I feare it will with many who the more they arrogate to themselves the more they derogate from our Saviour and the further they go from salvation I confesse many of them upon their death-beds have renounced their own merits and wholly stucke to our Saviours yet certaine it is that the generall doctrine of the Church of Rome is for trust in their own merits For they teach that faith alone doth not justifie us before God that good works are not only satisfactory for sin but also meritorious of eternall life and supererogatory also for others Consil. Trid. in sess 16. Bellar. l. 5. de iustif c. 16. and they who beleeve that they can so farre stead them do commonly confide in them Let them returne to the more ancient and true tenent with Bernard saying Meritum meum est miseratio Domini Gods mercy is my merit and if their be any worke of our own meritorious it is the renouncing our owne merits and flying meerely to Christ sufficit ad meritum scire quod non sufficiant merita Let them confesse with holy Iob Iob. 9.3 that they cannot answer one of a thousand and professe with Esay Esa. 64.6 All our righteousnesse is as filthy clowts and pray with David Psal. 143.2 Lord enter not into iudgement with thy servants for in thy sight shall no man living be iustified and close up their last Will and breath also as Bellar. is said to have done For Papists often dye in another faith then they lived with that holy ejaculation Lord vouchsafe to receive me into the number of thy Saints non meriti estimator sed veniae largitor not weighing my merits but pardoning my offences and we will not only cleare them of Pharisaicall pride and trusting in themselves but also conceive a better hope of their salvation c See a spunge to wipe out this false aspersioÌ„ upon that worthy servant of Christ and great Instrument of Gods glory pag. 59. letter H. d See the Advertisement to the Reader f The head of controversies betweene the Romish and Reformed Churches is the controversie about the Head of the Church which the Papists will have the Pope to be but reformed Churches Christ alone I say head of the Vniversall or Catholique Church but of particular Churches sovereigne Princes within their severall Realmes may be termed Heads that is chiefe Governours which this Priest here acknowledgeth For the acknowledgement of this supreame authoritie and power of the King in his dominions of England and Ireland the Oath of Supremacie was appointed by Act of Parliament in the 35. of Henry the eighth to be taken by all his Majesties subjects this Act was continued in the reigne of Edward the sixth but repealed in the first and second of Philip and Mary and revived the first of Queene Elizabeth now the question here is whether the Oath of Supremacie thus confirmed by divers Acts of Parliament exclude not that Spirituall jurisdiction which all Papists beleeve to be in the Pope Iure divino or which comes all to one whether a Papist ut siâ— that is remaining a Papist and holding his Popish religion may salvâ— conscientiâ take this Oath of Supremacie this Priest affirmeth he may but we shall demonstrate the contrary hereafter by impregnable arguments drawne from the intention of the Law-makers the letter of the Acts of Parliament and the Queenes Injunctions the judgement of the Church of Rome and the confession of the adversarie himselfe g Not the same authoritie which the Pope had in all things but so farre as it is expounded and limited in the Queenes Injunctions in the first yeere of her reigne the Queene as her brother and father before onely resumed that power which the Pope had unjusty taken from the Crowne and usurped it himselfe a power which is and was of ancient time due to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme that is under God to have the Sovereigntie and rule over all manner of persons borne within these Realmes and Dominions and Countries of what estate either Ecclesiasticall or temporal soever they be See admonition to the Injunctions in the Appendix h Calvine conceived that King Henry the eighth by the Title of Head of the Church challenged a farre greater power then what the Act of Parliament acknowledged in him or he ever exercised but after the Title of Head of the Church was publikely declared and expounded by Q. Elizabeth boâ—h he and all the Reformed Churches rested satisfied in the lawfulnesse of that Title which imported not Supreame teacher or directer unto Trtuh but Supreame commander for the Truth in all causes and over all Persons i The intention of Henry the eighth and Queene Elizabeth was the selfe same as is expressed in the Act of Parliament 35. Henry the eighth and the Admonition annexed to the Injunctions of the 1 Elizabeth namely the extirpation and extinguishment of the usurped and pretended authoritie power and iurisdiction of the See and Bishop of Rome and the recovery of their owne right by adorning the Crowne with a flowre before wrongfully taken from it and here I cannot sufficiently admire the impudence of this Priest who so confidently affirmes that the intention of Queene Elizabeth was divers from her father in prescribing and requiring this Oath whereas she her selfe in the above named Admonition declareth to all her loving subjects That nothing was is or shall be meant or inâ—ended by the same Oath to have any other dutie allegiance or bond required by the same then was acknowledged to be due to the most noblâ— King of famous memory K. H. 8. her Maiesties father or K. Ed. 6. her Maiesties broâ—â—er k The liberty he speakes of was given by the approbation of the chief Vniversities beyond the Sea of the Romish Religion l Not to forme another Church but to reforme that Church which was before and restore Religion to her puritie by the example of Ezekiah Iosiah and other religious Kings m No power at all excepted but the former power explained onely how farre it extended viz Not to the authoritie and power of Ministrie of divine Office in the Church which none of the Kings or Queenes of this Realme possessours of the Crowne ever challenged Nor I in this place by what authoritie your Bishops anoynt your thumbes and ordaine your Priests to offer the unbloody sacrifice of the Masâ—e for the living the dead There is nec vola nec vestigium of any such calling in the Scripture or purer Antiquitie as for our Ministry it is â—o clearely justified together with the succession thereof out of your own best records and tenents by Francis Mason de succes Episc. Ministerio Angl. that ever since the printing therof all your Romish cavillers