same Church so Apostolicall so Christian that me thought I saw the very Primitiue faith and practise of the Apostles and the verie rites of their Church to be in it obserued And in these obseruations I began more inwardly to be moued because as my knowledge and inclination to allow of the Church of England and to abhorre the Romane heresies and abuses increased so also my soule increased in the loue of God detestation of sinne and auoiding the occasions of sinne the loathing of this life and an earnest desiring to be with Christ whom since my renouncing of Papistrie with the Father and holy Ghost as my soule euidently testifieth vnto me I do most sincerely loue and esteeme aboue all things in this world and so fully with my whole soule heart that me thought I could comfortably and confidently say vnto it with the words of the holy Prophet k Psal 114. conuertere c. my soule be couerted into thy rest for the Lord hath done well to thee And I could not me thought hinder the working of God within me nor refuse that testimony of S. Paul the holy l Ad Rom. 8. Ghost giueth testimonie vnto our soules that we are the children of God yet so if we suffer with Christ that we may also raigne with Christ The ninth Motiue I Should heere adde somewhat largely of their pernicious The ninth Motiue doctrine of equiâ—ocation which hath beene another no small Motiue with me for my conuersion which doctrine the Ignatians haue specialy set a foote at least in practise within this kingdome they forsooth who will not permit that the Scriptures of God should be promiscuously read by the vulgar people haue in their vulgar language in Pamphlets rather libels being without name dispersed throughout this kingdome the pestiferous doctrine of equiuocation with their strange and paradoxicall half propositions Amphibologies propositions forsooth out of their r Treatise of equiuocation written or published by Henry Garnet Ignatian Logicke halfe written halfe spoken halfe concealed and why bring they not in also as well propositions of a triple difference whereof one part may be spoken a second written a third concealed and not vttered and why not propositions of a quadruple difference as part written part spoken part by signes and part by concealment and so make mentall verball written and dum or silent propositioÌ„ all in one to set vp their vaine doctrine of equiuocation Some ingenious Pontificians of my acquaintance there are who do what you can yet you cannot driue this doctrine of equiuocation into their heads but such as haue beene brought vp vnder the Ignatians and are deuoted vnto them they haue their lesson at their fingers ends Not long since there was Å¿ Iohn Koome one of these Ignatian Priests who being examined by the Archibishop of Canterburie not long before his death did not onely denie himselfe to be a Priest but also by religious oath did forsweare the same being challenged for it he excused the same by the art of equiuocation stoutly auouching that he had beene so taught by his master a reader of the societie of Ignatius and indeed it is the doctrine almost of them all that any proposition whatsoeuer is or may be allowed by the art of equiuocation the same also may be confirmed and auerred true by religious oath and yet this equiuocating swearer so ready to forsweare and deny his Priesthood was a most bitter enemie against all such as would take or allow the taking of the oath of Alleageance in any sense whatsoever I could produce many such examples of equiuocating Ignatians one I will not omit of a friend of the Ignatians who wouldfaine haue beene an Ignatian before this but that Master Strange the Ignatian lately banished * R. C. the common collector for Recusants by the art of equiuocatioÌ„ protested to certaine Priests in the Clinke cóplaining of their wants the very day before the 1000 and certain 100 of pounds were taken from him that he knew not in the world where to fetch 20 shall this man had not sorgotten his Accidence rule huic habeo non tibi I dare auouch there is no day passeth in which he doth not religiously vse this art Some three daies since the 9. of Ianuary he hath sent in writing an equiuocating super sedeas that because he was thé sicke with an il stomack for the oath of allegeance he would provide for the Clinke prisoners no longer out of the towre told him that his imperfections should not be laid vpon their order being of such rare pharisaicall perfection forsooth This man is gracious with diuers worthie persons of the feminine sexe into whole fauours he hath wound himselfe so greatly that he can obtaine one of their fauours to weare next his skinne and ouer his whole bodie a whole weeke togither yea in the time of his holy imprisonment to comfort his imprisoned corps Freshly vpon the discouerie of the damnable powder-treason it was his chance to be taken to be brought before the honorable Lord Maior of London by whom being examined vpon suspition of his person and religion and asked whom he thought to be head of the Church of England without any difficulty he answereth thus the King which his answere might well haue deceiued that honorable person if he had not more narrowly obserued some other of his answers in which he found him faultering and thereupon committed him to the Counter where he staid not long he being afterward questioned withall by some zealous Romane Catholicks how he could without deniall of his faith concerning their article of the Popes supremacie acknowledge the King to be supreme head of the Church what replieth he peremptorily I meant not the King of England but the King of heauen the truest word he euer spoke for the King of heauen is indeed the onely supreme head of the Church of England and he added that he thought in respect of the dangers of the times that he might iustly vse such equiuocation Pardon me courteous Pontifician Readers that I thus particularize this man there is more in store I doe it onely that our English Ladies and some worthie persons of the deuout sexe may know what manner of men those are to whom they commit their secrets And if he hereafter deale with some of them as he hath alreadie dealt with a verie worthie Ladie too worthy for him or any other Pontifician Priest they will haue no great cause of Comfort in him or his like I could discipher the spirits of some other equiuocating and dicing westerne Priests to conceale the rest God turne their hearts to consider the states in which they stand and vouchsafe O mercifull Iesus in t 1. Pet. 2. whose mouth was found no guile nor deceit rather to confound them then suffer them to defend their equiuocating practise by your most sacred doctrine and immaculate examples of your purest conuersation The tenth Motive TO proceed
to be saued not as with a wretchlesse presumption beleeuing r Iacob 2. this out of a dead faith but withall that by his holy assistance I was necessarily to liue and perseuere in his holy loue and feare and in the Å¿ Math. 7 obseruation of all his most holy commandements so farre as humane infirmity or ignorance would permit mee Thus beeing touched pardon mee Christian Reader for this disclosing the secrets of my soule I did often prostrate my soule and my heart beseeching that t Ad Titum 3. humanitie and benignitie of Iesus my onely Aduocate that hee would not for my u Psal 78. former sinnes and ignorances of my youth abandon me but that he would Psal 24. vouchsafe to x Psal 5 confirme mee with his principall spirit and to remooue from my soule all shadowes and deceits of Satan and to bring mee to his iotes for in him onlie with him onely and for him onely I desired to liue or die yea so resolued therein that whatsoeuer should betide mee either in this life or the next yet I esteemed it all happinesse that his name should be glorified in me either by iustice or mercy As my Soule was thus communing with herselfe and my Sauiour iointlie did present themselues to my memory many my former thoughts against the Romane humaine traditions and doctrines especially the pernicious Breefes of Paul the fift against the Oath of allegiance yea and euen thâ—n by happie occasion chanced into my hands a Remes â— estament where happily I light vpon y Annotat. in 22 Luc vpon those words Simon Simon and Annâ—tat vpon the first of the Acts and vpon the 1. 10 the Corinth 14. some of their corruptions and abuses yea and one pernicious errour or rather heresie the which as I had often obserued before but had passed it ouer in respect of my blind obedience to their doctrines so then I reconsidered more seriouslie and withall proposed it to some in this place who are worthily esteemed learned but they gaue mee little satisfaction because as the corruptions were wilfull and inexcusable so the errour was pernicious and indefensible But aboue all other two considerations then did offer themselues to my serious and pensiue vnderstanding first how not onlie the Bishop of Roâ—e himselfe but also all his Canonists some verie few onely excepted all those of the societie of Ignatius and all other the greatest firmaments of the present Roman religion doe obstinately maintaine that the Popes iudgement alone teaching the whole â—hurch was to bee beleeued beleeued I say as the infalible Oracle of God which to my vnderstanding and faith was so cleare an heresie and blasphemy against God contrarie to all Scriptures all ancient Councels Fathers yea all Ancients some few Popes only excepted whose testimonies are either counterfeited or else giuing testimony for themselues their testimonies are not true and worth-receiuing that I fully resolued not to giue an obedient and obsequious eare to the present Romane Church therein because shee did so perniciously erre in the verie rule of faith it selfe For if the square and rule bee crooked or vneuen how can any thing that is to bee leuelled therewith bee right and streight the blinde leading the blind both fall into the ditch z Luc. 6. saith Christ Secondlie I obserued by what preposterous meanes contrary to all Antiquity and Christs most expresse institution in a Mat. 22. Mar. 12. S. Matthew the Popes doe now challeng and assume power to depose Princes dispose of Kingdoms dissolue fidelity though with oath confirmed not onlie in case of heresie in the Prince by him so termed although this his mysticall power was at first onely pretended by the learnedst Ignatians against notorious Heretikes and manifest Apostates but in case also of any enormous delict or insufficiencie in any Princes whatsoeuer yea and to speake plaine English in what case soeuer it shall please his holinesse iudicially to proceed For who of the Pontificians dare b See pag. 43. following retract his sentence who euer resisted him and had peace or was not thundred against with excommunication deposition or depriuation which when I seriouslie pondered as in the sight of God I could not but thinke that it was soueraigntie not religion increase of possession not saluation of soules which the later Popes aimed at as also I shall most clearely deliuer in my motiues following Further I obserued that for the fortifying of this mysticall power of the Image of the Romane Empire they endeauoured to make heereof a newe article of Faith for indirect furthering whereof most impudently without all forehead c Vpon the feast of the inuention of the Crosse P. W. in a publike assembly at a publike panegericall oration made for the Martyrs honour at Loâ—aine prayed thus vnto him S. Henrice intercede pro noâ—is Holy Henry pray for vs I doe not heare that hee made R. Houldcorne a Saint which may wel be admired diuers of the Ignatians doe labour tooth and naiâ—e to make the late Arch-traitour Garnet a martyr a fit martyr indeede with his Consorts for this their new article of faith and by a pseudoprodigious and mendacious straw the imaginary face of which was first obserued and found by a notorious dicing and carding priest c to make the Authour of all goodnesse as a witnesse of the innocencie and integrity of that man who with other his Complices was not onely acquainted but also as the publike records of this Realme published accordingly to his triall made in the face of the whole Kingdome doe witnesse was a Concealer an Abettour and principall Furtherer of the same I must needs confesse Christian Reader that these two considerations did produce in my soule a kind of horrour and dread to bee partaker of that Church which was to bee supported by so weake and fallible a rule of faith as the Popes variable iudgement is and to bee ampliated and enlarged by such meanes as none but the verie smoakie d Apocal. 9. Locusts arising from out of the bottomlesse pit would offer to attempt Thus my soule wauering and being tossed I with all humility knocked often at the gates of his mercie who e Math. 7. promiseth to open to all such as confidentlie knocke thereat I entred into a more serious search of these matters I read with great diligence I conferred also with such as are reputed learned and Chiesetaines in this place so long as I saw * One of these M. G. B. Archp. being very lately dead is falsely by some reported to haue changed his opinion for the Oath of Allegiance them willing to giue me any satisfaction but when I clearelie obserued that their answers to the sacred Scriptures and ancient Authorities produced by mee were meere tergiuersations and that they resolutely rested vpon the authority of the present Roman Church and her practise disesteeming whatsoeuer was clearely brought against her against whose
errour and no Apostolicall tradition because not clearely knowne nor receiued in Saint Austens time who most expresly in the learnedst and perhaps the last booke he euer wrote except his Retractations affirmeth that y August lib. de ciuit dei 21 cap. 26. see also the 16. chapter perhaps it is true note the word perhaps that there is a purging fire after death by which it is most manifest according to other places of him that the Church in his time did not make Purgatorie sire a tradition Apostolicall or article of faith but of late the Pseudosinode and Schismaticall Councell vnder Eugenius the fourth gathered against that of Basil which had deposed Eugenius before and substituted Felix contrarie to the ancient faith of the Latine and Grecke Church determined Purgatotie pains for a point of faith But of these imaginarie and fatuous flames else where perhaps more largely The word of God as it is expounded of the ancient Fathers doth dispell condemne explode them for if there z Epist ad Rom. 8. 2. ad Corinth 5. ad Thes 1. cap. 4. Apoc. cap. 14. be no damnation to those who die in Christ Iesus beleeuing in him with faith working by charitier and if all those who die in him euen from that moment of death rest from their labors and that no sooner the earthly habitation is left off but an heauenly habitation is put on and those who beleeuing Christ loue Christ desiring to be dissolued and to be with him are with him and if generally the Apostle exhorteth and commaundeth that Christians should not be so much as contristated for those who die in Christ in Iesus and by Iesus by whom and in whom they sleepe with many such like sayings who that is not eyther seduced by his education in poperie or else for his ouercredulitie to their Priests misled will beleeue the imaginarie flames of Purgatorie And heere I constantly affirme and the contrarie cannot be shewed to wit that all those Fathers who alowed praier for the dead were more or lesse to be touched with some one of these errours either that the states of the faithfull departed could not be certaine vntill the day of iudgement and that they were to be kept in certaine receptacles till that time and that none of the departed were to see Gods face vntill the day of iudgement a Austen writeth doubt fully here of in his Enchirid cap. 109. where he affirmeth that sacrifice is offered for the dead either that they may haue full remission or else that their damnation may be more tolerable He teacheth the like lib. 1. de orig enime cap 9. 10. lib. de cura pro mortuiâ— cap. 1. Azor. lib. institut 10. cap. 22. affirmeth that it was the doctrine of certaine ancient that their Masse did profit and ease the soules damned in hell or else that the verie soules of the damned in hell might be holden by prayers as Iohn b Damascen erat de mortuis ciacon Aquinas alis Damascene approuingly relating the historie of Trajanes soule doliuered by Saint Gregorie seemeth to hold and all those who account the historie of Falconillas deliuerie by the prayers of Tecla to be authenticall seeme to affirme And as for the historie of Traians deliuerie by Saint Gregories prayers although it be impugned by some later authors yet the historie is to be seene painted in Saint Gregories Monasterie at Rome the which also the great Ignatian Salmeron acknowledgeth by which it is most manifest that the opinion teaching that damned soules in Hell might be holpen or eased by the prayers of some liuing seemed not so extrauagant and improbable in the Romane Church when time was by all which and much * Ciprian seemeth to shew how the commemoratâ—ue sacrifice was offered for martyrs in coÌ„memoration of them Cyprian epist 62. lib. 3. lib. 4. epist 5. in like sort Ciril speaketh in Cateches more that might be said to the same purpose the courteous Reader may obserue how one errour breedeth another to wit vncertaintie of estate of the soules departed vntill the day of iudgement prayers for them prayers for them Purgatorie fire Purgatorie fire requiem Masses and Purgatorie sacrifices for them and their fabulous Indulgences with such like errours There be many other things which I might iustly taxe in the Canon of their Masse as repugnant to all antiquitie and consequently not Apostolicall the dreadfull eleuation of the Sacrament not onely to be reuerenced as a Sacrament of God but to be adored and inuocated as the diuine Maiestie it selfe their carrying vp and downe the said Sacrament in their processions But as execrable rather then as inexcusable I doe abhominate that Papall custome and Nouell fashion of theirs by which they set the Sacrament vpon a white palfrey to be caried before their holinesses whithersoeuer they shall make their progresse to shew perhaps that they will be like the virginall Saints in heauen b Apoc. 14. who follow the Lambe wheresoe uer he goeth O mercifull Sauiour of mankind c Psal 118. tempus faciendi dissipauerunt legem tuam It is high time to doe they haue dissipated thy law in steede of thy diuine Maiestie they haue set vp a God dwelling in their tabernacles in their towers and call the same their God the God of fortitude the God of strength and insteed of that thy onely sacrifice of the Crosse daily honoured inuocated commemorated by thy faithfull Seruants the Chimericall and imaginarie reall carnall sacrifice of your selfe in bread and wine vpon their idolatrous Altars Open their eyes thou who art the onely Sacrifice oblation redemption and deliuerance of all mankinde by that oblation which thou diddest once make for vs all vpon the Crosse looke downe and consider how they abuse thy holy rite and institution which thy Maiestie appointed and all thy ancient Church receiued according as thy d Math. 28. Mark 14. Luke 22. 6. Paul 1 ad corinth 11. Euangelists and Apostle deliuered vnto them that all thy faithfull should receiue the Sacrament whole and intire in both kinds yet now c Conc. Trident. sess 21. comes the Tridentine Fathers and they do not only decree one kind to be enough but they also accurse and execrate they curse and thou wilt blesse all those who shall obserue and teach as necessarie thy institution and shall practise according as all the Prime and ancient Churches did and this their treacherie they will excuse by protesting take a Helen without an excuse so the TrideÌ„tine is named by Espencaus in his Commentarie vpon Titus that the ancient Church neuer vsed the Sacrament vnder both kinds out of opinion of necessity as though your holy institution your commandement deliuered and inculcated by the Apostles and Euangelists did not bind vnder necessitie But they will thus at their pleasures only like the f 2. Thess 2. Outlaw or lawlesse man by whom they were authorised for this described by your
the p Isai 51. ad Corinth 1. cap. 10. Rock vnde exctsiestis from which you are cut and here after build onely vpon the q Ad Corin. 3. rock foundation Iesus Christ commending you all to his mercies and protection I take my leaue of you all this present Sunday being the 26. of Ianuary Anno Salutis 1612. Yours in Iesus Christ RICHARD SHELDON Priest TO THE CHRISTIAN AND CHARITABLE READER THE God of mercies in his most gracious prouidence concerning such as hee hath segregated to himselfe from all eternities doth often contrarie to their intended purposes and designes dispose and designe of them then working their conuersions to him when they least dreame thereof yea when they are purposely and obstinatelie striuing against it So hee dealt with Saul who brought vp at the a Acts 22 26. feet of Gamaliell profited so much in Iudaisme that by profession hee became a Pharisey and so zealous b Galat. 1. an Emulatour of his forefathers traditiens that at the mercifull appearance of the Saviour of mankind Iesus Christ hee was so repleat with Ignorant zeale and so c Acts 9. breathing out of threatnings against Christ that hee obteined letters of commission from the d Acts 12. Chiefe Priest in Hierusalem to goe into Samaria and to bring vp bound all those who should professe his name But prosecuting this designe because hee did it in c 1. Ad Timoth. 11. ignorance hee obtained mercie and therefore by the most gracious voice and shining light of him whom hee persecuted hee was most happilie prostrated to the ground in his way to Damascus and beeing led to Samaria the Place where hee intended most to oppose against Christ hee was there not onely conuerted by the ministerie of Ananias but hee was further so conforted and strengthned by the Spirit of God that of an instrument of wrath hee became a most Holy vessell of Election f Ibidem confounding the Iewes in their Synagogues the Iewes I say in their Synagogues who were erst the elect People of God g Ad Rom. 9. whose were the Promises and the Lawgiuing who iustlie gloried in that they were the h Ioh. 8. Children of Abraham to whom the i 2 Râ—g 3 Ierem. 33. Eternall Couenant with him and his posterity was made by God of whose temple God had promised to make k Psal 13â— his dwelling place for ener But these Jewes first so peculiarlie elected by God yea and euen then in some sort his true Church though afterwards wholly reiected and abandoned this most excellent witnesse of Christ did k Act 9. confound euery where throughout their Synagogues teaching that Iesus the Iust one whom they had denied and betraied was the Messias m Genes 22. promised to Abraham and his seede for euer Myselfe who a farre of can onely admire the vertues of this admirable witnesse doe most humblie intreat of God that I may in the lest modell imitate his zeale in the professing and testifying of Christs truth Hauing beene brought vp in Papisme and much profited therein I became so zealous an Imitatour and defender of all Romysh humane traditions and doctrines that I would most willinglie haue spent my bloud for the profession of the same earnestlie labouring by preaching exhorting writing early and late to draw all to a zealous profession of all doctrines of that Church for so much as meerlie concerned matter of Religion as diuers both may can and will witnesse which course I also prosecuted most zealouslie beeing grounded as I then thought vpon an inuincible Rocke to wit the Authority of the present Romane Church And although I call the heauens to witnesse euer since I entred into the studie of Diuinitie and serious perusing and discussing of diuers controuersies as to wit of the worshipping and adoration of Images of Indulgences of Purgatory of Merits and inuocations of Saints as necessarie to saluation of the Popes transcendent Supremacy of the imagined transubstantiation of the Canon of the Masse of the Publike seruicâ— in vnknown tongues and most speciallie of the maine principall and fundamentall controuersie of Iustification I oftentimes remained much vnsatisfied in my vnderstanding notwithstanding all I could read in Bellarmine Stapleton Sanders Vasques c. against all such doubts as eiâ—her out of Scriptures ancient Fathers or Councels were produced against the doctrines of these controuersies as they are now most stiflie maintained by the Romane Church yet in respect of the misconceiued dignitie and inerrabilitie of that See and her Bishops supposing that shee would decree nothing nor had decreed nothing as matter of faith but by generall consent of the whole Church I did so captiuate my vnderstanding in obedience to her and so firmelie receiue all that shee taught as faith that I would haue accounted my selfe most happie to haue suffered death for any point of her doctrine deliuered as a point of faith by her Thus walking in the way from Hierusalem into Samaria it pleased him who as I most confidently trust hath assumed mee to his mercies to knocke at my conscience and to prostrate my soule to a humiliation in her selfe to open my eies and eares to the hearkning of his voice bidding mee beware of the way in which I walked and looke whiâ—herunto the corruptions of that Church which I followed did lead mee the which hee vouchsafed so sweetlie to worke with his gracious illustrating and freeing of my vnderstanding that I could not much doubt at first but that it was n Psal 117. dextra Domini the right hand of the Lord which did touch my vnderstanding and as hee thus wrought in my vnderstanding so hee did also internally and immanentlie as me thought moue my will to a most sweet sincere and burning o 1. Iohn 4. Prou. 8. Iohn 14. loue of his Maiestie to a most resolute detestation of all my former sinnes greater or smaller euen to lament them p Isai 38. in amaritudine animae in bitternesse of soule purely for his loue onely moouing mee also to a longing desire to bee out of this wretched world and to bee q Ad Philip. 1. dissolued and to bee with him and withall so long as I should breath to beare a resolute resignation to auoid all occasions of sinnes whatsoeuer which also since my illustration hath so accompanied mee that looke as when I resolue to follow the truth offered so I increase in detestation of sinne looke as I haue temptations and suggestions moouing mee to wauer from the same either in respect of credite loue of my old acquaintance and of the world or of former meanes and maintenance so also I had inclinations to yeeld to other sinnes and a weakenesse also to withstand temptations as before It pleased also his infinite goodnesse at these times iointly to inspire and suggest vnto my soule that in his mercies and by his death and passion only I was redeemed and