f Bulla Pii 4 super formae profess fidei The publike profession of the Orthodoxall faith to be vniformely professed and obserued and likewise he may adde ten commandements of the Church to the ten commandements of Almighty God which I haue seene in an English Roman Catechisme which must be kept with all Religious obedience of all the Popes Disciples and dispence against the commandements of God by allowing incestuous marriages and the religious vowes of children made without the consent yea against the will of their parents and the deposing and murthering of Princes for the aduancement of the Catholike Religion These be strange conclusions to be drawne from Christs prayer for Peter that his faith should not faile which place a Aug. de corrept gra 12. S. Aug. will haue to be meant onely of Peters own particular sauing faith whereby he should after his fall resist the temptations of Sathan and stand fast vnto aeternall life and comfort and strengthen his brethren falling as he did with the same comforts wherewith himselfe was comforted of God which exposition seemes most consonant to the scope of the text But admit it to be meant of that doctrine of faith which S. Peter should teach the Christian Church shall they therfore deriue the effect of Christs prayer from Peter to the Popes of Rome from an holy Apostle diuinely inspired and directed by Gods vnerring spirit into all truth b Ioh. 16.13 according to Christs promise made to his Apostles to a ranke and succession of men among whom their owne Histories do testifie that there haue been found Atheists Infidells Idolaters Heretikes Schismatikes incarnate diuells and hatefull monsters of mankind vndoubtedly so good praemises will ill beare so bad conclusions Jnst I need not goe farre for instances their owne histories afford such plenty c Baron Annal. Anno. 3033. 1. Marcellin turned Pagan and sacrificed to heathenish Idols for which hee was condemned in the counsaile of Sinuessa 2. d Idem An. 357. Liberius was an Arrian and subscribed to the vniust condemnation of Athanasius 3. Honorius was a Monothelite holding that Christ had but one will consequently but one nature for which he was condemned in e Synod 6. act 4.12 13. 7. act vlt. 8. act 7. three seuerall counsailes 4. f Theod Niem de schism li. 3. c. 44. The counsailes of Pisa and Constance condemned Greg. 12. and Benedict 13. for notorious Schismatikes obstinate Haeretikes scandalizers of the whhle Church and vnworthy the Papacy 5. g Conc. Constan 5.73 Bin. Com. Conc. P. 1584. And the same Counsaile of Constance condemned Iohn the twenty three for an Atheist because he held as his iudgement that there was no immortality of the soule nor resurrection of the body nor life euerlasting 6. h Conc. Basill sect 34. The counsaile of Basill deposed Eugenius the fourth declaring him to be a Simonist a periured wretch an incorrigible schismatike and an obstinate haeretike And a Watson quodâ—bet Bellarmine being demanded after the death of Sixtus 5. what hee thought became of him answered Quantum capio quantum sapio quantum intelligo descendit ad infernum As farre as I can thinke conceiue or vnderstand he is gone directly vnto hell It is strange therefore that those that haue no faith themselues should be such infallible rules to guide the faith of others and to lead others to heauen while themselues goe to hell seeing no norme or squire can make other things squared thereby straight lf it selfe be crooked nor any man iudicially determine otherwise than himselfe iudgeth vnlesse there be such a vertue annexed to the Papall chaire that be the Pope what he will when hee sits downe therein he shall be like b Num. 23.11 Balaam to blesse where he meanes to curse or like c Ioh. 11.50.51 Caiaphas to prophecye and speake truth not vnderstanding what he saith d Dr. Field of the Church li. 3. in Append. Moreouer it is the iudgement of many of their owne diuines namely Bozius Gerson Occam Almaine Alphonsus a Castro and the Sorbonists that the Pope may not onely be an Haeretike himselfe but write teach preach and define Haeresie and that è Cathedra .i. by his Papall authority And diuers instances are giuen by our e Dr. VVhite of the Church sect 36. learned Diuines wherein they haue actually erred not onely in Church Canons dispensations and Papall decrees but euen in matters of faith defined by them both in Prouinciall and generall Counsailes And one of their owne Canonists saith f Apud Grat. D. 4. Si Papa That if the Pope be found so negligent of his owne and his brethrens saluation that he draw innumerable soules by troopes with himselfe to be damned in hell no man may say vnto him why doest thou so What a lamentable thing is this that poore seduced soules should thus forsake the rocke of truth to build their faith on such sandy foundations namely the Churches Traditions as they are deliuered by the Pope and the Churches authoritie which is in effect nothing els but the Popes infallibility who is the Church g Greg. de Valentia T. 3. disp 1. P. 24. virtually because all the power of the Church rests wholy in him and yet he a man that may be and often hath beene an obstinate Haeretike Schismatike Atheist c. and teach preach and define error and lead thousands with himselfe headlong vnto hell But let vs renounce such sandy foundations and build our faith on the rocke of truth contained in the Scripture for the sacred Scripture is that a Zanc. de scrip Paradise of God in the midst whereof are first the tree of knowledge bearing no forbidden fruit for b Deut. 29.29 reuealed things are for vs and our children Secondly c Apoc. 2.7 The tree of life Christ Iesus the kernell and pith of the scriptures and no d Gen. 3. vlt. Cherubin set with a flaming sword to keepe vs from it but the way left wide open and all inuited to come vnto it e Mat. 11.28 Come vnto me c. Thirdly f Psal 23.2 Riuers of liuing waters to refresh and comfort our soules in temptation affliction and persecution Fourthly A coelestiall aire sweetly breathing in the midst thereof videlicet g 2. Tim. 3.16 afflatus Spiritus Sancti the inspiration of the holy Ghost inspiring both the penmen of it and all that with faith humility and reuerence reade or heare it Fiftly God walking in the midst of this Eden whose voice doth teach reprooue correct instruct and comfort euery sonne of Adam that doth heare and doe it making him h V. 15. wise vnto saluation through the faith that is in Christ Jesus 2. A second sort of those that build on the sand are Prophane sinners who build on the sand of their owne securitie and praesumption of Gods mercy i Rom. 6.11 continuing in
sinne that grace may abound as if God were wholy composed of mercy This persuasion giues encouragement to the Prophane swearer to flye in the face of God and threaten heauen with his blasphemies as if he would 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fight with God and dare him to put on his habergion of iustice and gird himselfe with his sword of vengeance saying in his heart k Mal. 2.17 Where is the God of iudgement And to the swinish drunkard and lasciuious adulterer to ouerburthen the earth with their impieties l Eph. 4.19 turning the grace of God into wantonnesse and committing all vncleannesse euen with greedines and yet say in their hearts m Psal 10 11. Tush God hath forgotten he hideth his face and will neuer see it As if that God that made both day and night and to whom n Psal 239.12 the night is as cleare as the day did not as well behold the one walking secretly in the twilight o Pro. 7.9 as the other impudently staggering in the streetes at no one day But those shall one day know that the a Psal 116.5 Lord is righteous as well as gratious and hath not onely his throane of grace but his seat for iudgement b Apoc. 4.3 As there is a rainebow about his throane in sight like vnto an Emerald representing his mercy and couenant of grace which is euer greene and fresh and most comfortable to his children and whence he continually streames downe showers of spirituall and temporall blessings vpon them so out of this throane proceed c v. 5. lightnings and thunderings and voyces to signifie his iudgements denounced against and reserued for the wicked d Cypr. de Laps Deus enim quantum patris pietate indulgens semper bonus est ita iudicis maiestate metuendus c. For God as he hath the tender indulgence of a father so hath he the dreadfull maiestie of a iudge he hath prepared both heauen and hell as well places of aeternall sorrow and torment as ioy and solace and as well the pit of infernall darkenesse as the light that no mortall man can attaine unto Let the Prophane sinner therefore know for a surety that if he e Leu. 26.21 24. walke contrary to God by iniquity and obstinacy God will walke contrary to him in wrath and fury If he prouoke God dayly by cursing and swearing God will send out a f Zach 5.1.2 c flying roule of curses against him that shall flye into the midst of his house and consume it with the timber and stones thereof If he drinke without thirst and wastfully swallow downe flagons of wine here hee shall thirst without drinke and not haue a g Luc. 16.24 droppe of cold water to coole his tongue hereafter And if he burne with the fire of vnlawfull lust here he shall without serious and seasonable repentance burne hereafter in the h Apoc. 21.8 lake that burnes with fire and brimstone for euer for the Lord doth as well treasure vp wrath fâ—r the i Rom. 9 22 23 vessells of wrath as mercy for the vessells of mercy k Ireen li 3. c 43. Saluat saluandos iudicat iudicio dignos c. He saues those that are to be saued and condemnes those that are worthy to be damned making the one a receptacle of his mercy and an organe of saluation and the other a receptacle of iudgement and organe of damnation 3. A third sort are couetous Mammonists who build their nests in this world beeing herein more foolish than the swallowe a Solinus that will not build her nest in a ruinous house for the world is a great house whose whole fabricke shall fall to ruine b 2 Pet. 3.10 The heauens shall vanish as a scrowle the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with all therein shall be burnt vp These are rightly saide to build on the sand for the world and worldly things are like the sand in two respects 1. Quia flaida because all things therein flowe and floate like a quickesand c 1 Ioh. 2.17 for the world passeth away and the lusts thereof Whence it is compared to a d Apoc. 4.6 Sea of glasse To a sea because it ebbes aâ—d flowes and is tempestuous and to a glassie sea because all things therein are brittle and slippery sliding fading vanishing in a moment 2. Quia sterilia As sand is barraine so worldly things especially if couetously affected vniustly gotten and basely possessed are fruitlesse and vnprofitable e Pro 10.2 3. Treasures of wickednesse profit nothing for the Lord casteth away the substance of the wicked Therefore though the world account her darlings Oracles of wisedome yet in Gods Dictionary they be tearmed fooles f Luâ— 12.20 Thou foole this night will they take away thy soule c. The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying improuident for though worldlings be so wise g Mat. 16.26 to win the world yet they are so improuident to loose their owne soules And marke I pray you how many points of extreame folly they commit 1. They doe with great care and paines gather that which they cannot long enioy but it shall bee taken from them or they from it in a moment 2. They lay vp their treasure where all their Praedecessors haue lost it 3. They make their seruant their master that is serue Mammon which should serue them 4. h 1 Tim. 6.9 10 They pierce themselues thorow with many sorrowes 5. They preferre which is the greatest folly gold before God gaine before godlinesse money before mercy the world before their owne soules and that when they are neerest their graue and so drowne themselues irrecouerably inperdition and destruction Applicat 1 1. O that euery oppressing Ahab would think of this that is a 1 Reg. 21.4 sicke for Naboths vineyard and neuer weary b Esa 5.8 ioyning house to house and land to land till there be no roome for the poore in the earth for certainely hee that builds his house as the c Iob 27.18 moth that is by spoiling and consuming others d Esa 53.1 when he shall cease to spoile shall himselfe be spoiled and consumed This is the cause of the decâ—y of so many great families both in city and countrey because they haue built their houses not onely vainly on the sand but cruelly in an Acheldama a field of bloud for e Syrac 34.21 the bread of the needy is the life of the poore he that robs him thereof is a murtherer If houses therefore be thus built though neuer so high the f Hab. 2.11 12. stone out of the wall shall cry and the beame of the timber shall answer it woe to him that buildeth his house with bloud and erecteth a city by iniquity 2. O that euery Symoniacal Patron and greedy Impropriator would thinke of this that robs God to inrich himselfe g Mal. 3 â—
architects labour with all their arr and industry to repaire the ruines of Babell but g Psal 127.1 except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it and the Lord hath decreed and denounced the fall thereof by that h Apoc. 14.12 euerlasting Gospell which the Angell brought into the world therefore downe it must and the fall thereof shall be great and shall crush all that wittingly willingly and wilfully fall with it and vnder it as the i Oct. 26 1623. late fall of an house did some adhaerents vnto Babilon and presse them downe if they speedily repent not to the bottome of hell And such also will be the fall of all worldlings Iust secunda other foolish builders on the sand if they speedily conuert not and become wise builders to builde on the rocke Christ and his Sacred truth both by beleeuing and practising As here their fall was great when they wittingly and willingly consented vnto sinne and greater when they acted it and greatest of all when they persisted in it so hereafter their fall shall be exceeding great Not like k Gen. 3 23. Adams onely from a paradise of pleasure to a wildernesse of woâ— for so they fall here when they fall from truth to errour and from righteousnes to sinne and wickednes but like Lucifers who fell like l Luc. 10.11 lightning that is swiftly and suddainely from the height of heauen to the depth of hell and from being an Angell of light and a pure starre of coelestiall brightnesse to be an angell of aeternall night and the blacke Prince of infernall darknes Applicat To the end therefore that wee may escape this fearefull fall and irrecouerable Mine of haeretiks prophane wretches worldlings and hypocrites let vs build on the firme rocke of Christ and his heauenly truth both by hearing and practising Wee of this land are bound to God for innumerable blessings namely a Religious King a hopefull Prince a fruitfull land like Canaan flowing with milke and hony or Eden the garden of the Lord also goodly and populous cities and townes and flourishing Vniuersities and Innes of Court which like Theopbrastus Persian tree doe at the same time bud blossome and bring forth fruit So that we may say of England as one did of Rhodes Semper in Sole sita est for we haue had a long sunne-shine of prosperitie peace and plenty and withall the sunne-shine of the Gospell which as Luther said is Genus generalissimum omnium bonorum the well head of our happinesse for hereby we may build on the rocke while other our neighbour nations build on the sand Seeing therefore God hath trusted vs with such a treasure let vs be thankefull for it and shew our thankfullnes first in imbracing this Gospell of peace peaceably as the subiects of the Prince of peace Let vs not stand striuing as too many haue vainely done already too long about the swadling cloutes of holy Religion namely Clericall habites and other comely Ceremonies least while we striue about these ouermuch wee endanger the body or substance of true Religion let vs not any longer râ—nd in sunder the a Cypr. de vnit Eccles seamelesse coat of Christ the vnitie of the Church by our needlesse conâ—en iâ—nâ— about thâ—se â—hâ—â—gs â—or if â—ee b Gal. 5.15 bite and deuoure one another let vs take heed least we bee consumed one of another and while we â—iâ—tuâ—be thâ— Churches peace we depriue her of her prospâ—râ—â—ie anâ— make an open waâ— as this breaâ—h hath already done too much for those proud and cruell Babylonians to ruine our Ierusalâ—m who say of it in their hearts c Psal 127.7 Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground But being â—ll Ministers or members of one Church which is d Cypr. ibid. Vna ColuÌ„ba one e Cant. 5.2 doâ—e of Christ let vs haue all the douelike spirit of humiâ—itie charit peace vnitie for the doues of one house liue together loue together fly together flocke together kisse each other and in all respects performe the lâ—wes of loue peace and vnanimity So let vs liue and loue together and with the first belâ—euers of the Primitiue Church be all of a Act. 4.32 one heart and one soule Let all ministers preach and people pray for the peace of our Ierusalem b Psal 122.6 7. for if peace be within her walls plenteousnesse will be within her palaces 2. Let vs that are built on this rocke of truth bring forth the fruits of holines and true righteousnes So S. Ier. said of the Christians of his dayes c Hieron Proâ—m Comment in Ezech. Scripturarum cupimus verba in opera vertere non dicere sancta sed facere we desire to turne the words of the Scripture into workes and not to speake of but to doe the workes of holinesse As the naturall life lies hid in the heart the fountaine of the vitall spirits and yet Physitions iudge of it by the pulse in the arme so the spirituall life of a Christian to wit his regeneration lies hid in the heart and soule and yet men iudge of it by the motion of the arme the exercise of good workes for d Mat 7.10 the tree is knowne by his fruites We cannot iudge of the life of grace and power of true Religion in the soules of men 1. By the eyes for many lift vp their eyes to heauen by seeming shewes of sanctitie when their hearts lye grouelâ—ng on the earth yea mudling in the earth by base worldlinesse and grossâ— carnalitie 2. Nor by the eares foâ— there be many e Iam. 1.22 hearers of the word but not doers of the same deceiuing their owne soules 3. Nor by the tonguâ— foâ— many f Mat. 15.8 7.21 draw neere to God with their mouths and honour him with their lips when their hearts are far from him and cry with a zealous ingemination Lord Lord and yet doe not the will of their heauenly Father But by the arme or hand that is by doing cheerefully sincerely and constantly the things that God commandeth g Cant. 5.1 6.2 Christ the bridegroome comes into his garden not to refresh himselfe vnder the shadow of the trees or to behold the greene leaâ—es or to crop the buds and blossomes but to gather the fruits that his friends may eate abundantly for then Châ—ist feedes when his friends feed the head is nourisheâ— in his members h Mat. 25.40 In as much as yee haue done it vnto me of these little ones ye haue done it vnto me Let therefore the word of God i Col. 3.16 dwell in you as it dwels among you plenteously that ye may bee k 1 Tim. 6.18 rich in good workes ready to distribute willing to communicate to the poore and needy l Esa 58 7 8. dealing your bread to the hungry drinke to the thirsty bringing the poore that are cast out into your houses couering the naked with a garment not hiding your selues from your owne flesh then shall your light breake forth as the morning and your health spring foorth speedily your righteousnes shall goe before you and the glory of the Lord shall be your reward And then shall God a Apoc. 20.1 chaine vp Sathan in the bottomlesse pit and restraine the force and malice of wicked men that they cannot hurt vs b Aug in Exod. Malorum potestas deficit in muscis The power of the Magitians failes in the flies for Sathan cannot doe the least thing without Gods permission If therefore we c Eccles 12. vlt. feare the Lord and keepe his commandements heare his word and doe it euen those stormes flouds and winds which Sathan stirres vp to cast downe our spiriruall building shall blow our happines and land the ships of our soules and bodies at last in the hauen of heauen Now let euery heart stretch forth an hand apply what hath beene spoken to himselfe and pray earnestly for the assistance of Gods Spirit that he may so doe for we may preach and you heare and both loose our labour except there be a drawing of the father a touch of the Sonne and an inspiration of the Holy-Ghost but if these concurre then God himselfe makes the Sermon and builds vp thereby the spirituall Edifices of our Soules makes them stand fast for euer and so the fruit of a few houres hearing shall be eternity of dayes A Prayer Grant vs grace therefore O Lord to bee doers of thy word not hearers only deceiuing our own souls vouchsafe so to assist vs with thy holy Spirit in this our building that we may not build the spirituall Edifices of our soules either on humane traditions with superstitious Papists or vpon our vaine presumption of thy mercy with prophane secure sinners or vpon the perishing vanities of this world with foolish Mammonists or vpon our outward profession of faigned holinesse with masked Hypocrites but vpon the rocky faundation of thy Christ and his sacred truth both by hearing and practizing that no raine of worldly prosperity nor stormes of aduersity windes of haereticall perswasions or violent flouds of persecutions ouerthrow this our spirituall building but that it may stand fast like mount Sion till this house of our earthly tabernacle being dissolued wee haue a building giuen vs of thee an house not made with hands but eternall in the Heauens FINIS