c. vvere not vulgarly called Puritans Because in those firster times of Protestancy the name of Puritan vvas scarce heard of But novv this denomination is peculiarly applied to such Protestants vvho belieuing certaine most damnable doctrines expressed in this Treatise first taught by the former eminent Protestants do differ by such their beliefe froÌ„ the more graue learned Protestant vvholy denying them Well My simple and vprightly-meaning Puritan for I presume diuers of You to be such vvhose Iudgement is vvronged by giuing assent to thy more learned but vvithall more vvicked Brethren I vvill remit thee to the perusuall of this ensuing discourse vvhich vvheÌ„ thou hast maturely vveighed found and all by the confessions of the Aduersaries themselues that the most flagitious Liues of the first teachers of Puritanisme vvere in practise most conformable to their ovvne exitiall doctrines therin their vvicked conuersations thus seruing as a Comment to paraphraze their vvicked Positions Then I hope thou vvilt cast off all thy Puritanicall doctrines hitherto imbraced by thee or at least vvilt haue iust reason to censure vvith greater indifferency both of the doctrines of the first Authours thereof and then thou maist cal into thy remembrance our Sauiours vvords vpon vvhich sentence be bold securely to anchour thy Iudgement (c) Math. 7. Do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles And vvith this I cease Thine in Christ IESVS B. C. A Table of the twenty Puritanicall Doctrines alleaged in this Treatise which tend to Vice Sinne and Impiety in Fayth Life and Manners 1. THe Doctrine of the Priuate reuealing Spirit 2. The Doctrine That God is the Authour of Sinne. 3. That Good workes are not only not conducing but rather hurtfull to Saluation and therfore That Fayth only iustifieth 4. The Doctrine of Imputatiue Iustice 5. The Doctrine touching the lessening of Sinne in respect of Mans Saluation 6. The deniall of Freewill 7. The Doctrine of Reprobation 8. The Doctrine of Predestination 9. The deniall of Purgatory 10. The deniall of Auricular Confession 11. The deniall of the Necessity of Baptisme 12. The Doctrine of Diuorce of Maried Persons 13. The deniall of all Authority in Princes and Magistrates 14. The Doctrine of Parity of Ministers 15. The Doctrine of Extraordinary Vocation 16. The Doctrine touching Saluation of Heathens 17. The deniall of Miracles 18. The deniall of Holy dayes Ceremonies and Images 19. The Doctrine of the Inuisibility of the Protestant Church 20. The deniall of all Prayer by necessary Inferences drawne from diuers of the former Doctrines The names of those six Chiefe Protestants whose flagitious Liues being answerable to their wicked Doctrines are briefly discoursed of in this Treatise 1. Beza 2. Caluin 3. Ochinus who first planted Protestancy in England in K. Edward the sixt his reigne 4. Iacobus Andraeas 5. Swinglius 6. Luther PVRITANISME THE MOTHER SINNE THE DAVGHTER The I. Part. BEFORE we begin to vnfould the particular doctrines and Positions of Puritanisme all being euen great and as it were in labour with Libertinisme in manners I hould it will not be reputed a superfluous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or By-matter but rather a point much conducing to our proiect in generall if I briefly touch vpon the necessiity of Holines of doctrine in the fayth of Christ For the better vnderstanding of which poynt we are to conceaue that Gods sacred Writ describeth two waies of a Christian man the one it termeth The straite way meaning of austerity and piety which leadeth (a) Math. 7. Luke 13. to life This is (b) Math. 22. the way of God (c) Esay 26. The way of Iustice (d) Hebr. 19. in which we ought to walke pleasing God So deseruedly did the Psalmist celebrate the doctrine of God touching manners in these wordes of prayse (e) Psalm 29. Lex Domini immaculata testimonium fidele praeceptum Domini illucidum To this way the Scripture opposeth the way called The broad way This is that (f) Math. 7. lata porta spaciosa quae ducit ad perditionem the broad and spatious gate which leadeth to destruction (g) â— Pet. 3. promising liberty and (h) Iude l. 4. transferring the grace of God into wantonnes Thus we see that the fayth and doctrine of Christ by which we are to regulate and gouerne our coÌ„uersation and manners ought to be in it owne nature most incontaminate pure and holy voyding the soule of man of vnlawfull concupiscence and desires That the Catholike Fayth of the Romane Church teacheth this strayte way of vertue and piety is most euident For it teacheth her children to make restitution for wrongs committed It teacheth Confession of sinnes most vngratefull to mans nature and tyeth the Confitent to sorrow for his sinnes and to performe his enioyned Pennance It teacheth the keeping of set Fasts and of prescript tymes of Prayer It teacheth the practising of all good workes It teacheth the perfection of Euangelicall Counsells to wit voluntary Chastity Pouerty and Obedience briefly it teacheth and instructeth her children in points most opposite and contrary to all those licentious Positions of Puritanisme insisted by me in this ensuing Treatise A course of life so peculiar to the members of the Catholike Church as that some of our Aduersaries thus fully coÌ„fesse hereof (i) Iacob Andraeaâ— in Concione 4. in c. â—â— Lucae A serious and Christian discipline is censured with vs as a new Papacy and a new Monachisme And Caluin himself acknowledgeth no lesse of our Professours of former tymes reprehending them for the same in these wordes (k) Calu l. 4. instit cap. 12. sect 8. Qua in parte excusari nullo modo potest c. In which course meaning a rigid course of life and pennance the immoderate austerity of the Ancients cannot be excused which did wholy differ from the Commandement of the Lord and was also otherwise in it selfe most dangerous Thus Caluin But now if on the contrary we cast our iudgments to the behoulding of the many Theses and Speculations of Puritanisme wherof I haue made choyce only of Twenty hereafter layd open in this short Treatise all which are euen fraught and loaden with liberty of doctrine and withall if we do obserue how no meaner men then the first broachers of them as willing to be most firme and true to their owne Principles haue incorporated the said doctrines in their owne most wicked lyues both which points are the Subiects of the two different Parts of this small Worke and both proued from the Aduersaries owne expresse wordes we shall rest euen amazed thereat such a conformity and precise correspondency did their lyues beare to their doctrines We obserue that Nature which is Gods subordinate Instrument or Lieutenant as I may call it gouerning vnder his diuine Maiesty the Vniuerse of the whole world is endued among many others with this one Priuiledge to wit that if no preueniency be made through the
of others much deterreth and withdraweth vs from sinning considering that shame is a great hinderance of sinnes and how vngratefull and vnpleasing it is to mans nature to reueale euery secret sinne euen in expresse and particuler wordes or els not to haue theÌ„ remitted to him to another man But we must rest contented with the Institution of Christ (b) Ioaâ— 20. Whose sinnes you shall forgiue they are forgiuen and whose you shall retayne they are retayned But how shall it be knowne what sinnes are to be forgiuen and what sinnes to be retayned except it be first knowne what the particular sinnes are 11. Our Aduersaries deniall of the necessity of Baptisme causeth no doubt that many Children borne of Puritaine Parents are not baptized at all but remaine during all their life in that Heathenish estate subiect to eternall damnation That the necessity of this Sacrament is not required is taught by Luther who thus teacheth (c) Lib. de captiu Babylon Yf thou hast receaued Baptisme it is well if thou wantest it no losse Belieue and thou art saued before thou be baptized That Baptisme of Children borne of the faythfull is not necessary is further taught as appeareth from the (d) Pag. 105. Suruey of the booke of Common Prayer by (e) In his meditation vpon the 122. Psalme pag 92. M. Willet and most resolutely by Caluin and Beza in many places ouerlong to recite But we fynd Gods Holy Word to teach the contrary (f) Ioan. 3. Vnles a man be borne agayne of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God 12. Touching the licentious doctrine of diuorce in case of any impotency or otherwise Luther thus teacheth (g) Serm. de Matrimonio If the wyfe will not or cannot to wit performe the act due to Mariage let the mayde come Of which sentence D. Whitak was so ashamed as that he thus writeth (h) Contra Camp rat 8. Luthers iudgment in this kind of diuorce I do not defend Yet Luther further teacheth thus (i) Luth. in Proposit de Bigâ—mâ—a edit 1528. propos 62. 65. 66. Poligamy or hauing many wyues at once is no more abrogated then is the rest of Moyses Law and it is free as being neither commanded nor forbidden Bucer is as indulgent and full herein as Luther for Bucer teacheth diuorce and marying agayne with another in case that (k) Bucer in Script Anglic de regno Christi l. 2. c. 26. c 37. c. c. 42. one depart from the other in case of Homicide or theft or but in repayring to the Company or banquets of immodest persons or in case of incurable infirmity by Childbirth or of the mans falling into Lunacy or otherwise And further it is taught expresly by (l) Beza lib. de repudijs diuortijs p. 1â—3 Beza (m) In Synops of the yeare 1600. pag. 685. M. Willet (n) In partition Theolog. pag. 739. Amandus Polanus and others that in case but of the husbands departure he might becaused by his wyfe to be proclaimed if he did not returne within the time appointed that thereupon the Minister might giue the wyfe licence to marry agayne I assure my selfe there are many hundred wiues in England who would be glad of their husbands long absence and not returne and of the execution of this doctrine therby to satisfy the flesh by marying agayne So dangerous is this Position of diuorce if full practise thereof were made as in part it is to the state of wedlocke to the inuiolable bond of chastity which the one party in mariage oweth to the other But let vs remember that we read (o) Math. 19. Which God hath ioyned togeather let no man separate 13. Touching the authority of Princes and all Magistrates our Aduersaries do strangely dictate And first Luther thus teacheth (p) Luth de secular potest in tom 9 German Among Christians none can or ought to be a Magistrate (q) Luth. vbi suprà ech one is to other equally subiect And yet more (r) In seâ—mons Englished printed 1579. p. 97. As Christ cannot suffer himselfe to be tyed by lawes c. so ought not the conscience of a Christian to suffer them With Luther agreeth Swinglius in thus betrampling all soueraignty (s) Tom. 1. in explana Art 42. When Princes do euill and contrary to the rule of Christ they may be deposed Caluin is no lesse sparing in censuring Princes for thus he writeth (t) â—n Daniel c. 6. Earthly Princes depriue themselues of authority when they erect themselues against God c. and we are rather to spit vpon their faces then to obey them I will close this Scene with Beza who did write a booke entituled de iure Magistratuum in subditos A booke so destroying all obedience to the Prince and Magistrate that D. Sutcliffe thus censureth thereof (u) In his answere to a certaine Libel supplicatory p 75. Beza in his booke of the power of Magistrates doth arme the Subiects against their Prince in these cases c. And further saith thereof (x) Vbi sup p. 98. It is a booke which ouerthroweth in effect all authority of Christian Magistrates But here I would demaund of these men how do they answere those diuine Testimonies (y) Rom. c. 13. Who resisteth the Power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist purchase to theÌ„selues daÌ„nation And agayne (z) Rom. vbi supr We ought to be subiect euen of necessity for conscience sake But now let vs contemplate a little vpon the dangerous effects ordinarily ensuing of this doctrine of deniall of the authority of Princes and Magistrates And first if Luthers doctrine be true that ech one is equall to another and that there ought to be no Magistrates This being I say once granted what an insufferable confusion and Anarchy would there be in the society of Christians seeing from hence it would follow that there should be no lawes to keepe men in duty no Magistrates to punish the delinquents no rewards for well-deseruing men no chastisement for malefactors Would there not be in such a State daily perpetrated all homicide theft rapine incest Adultery fornication and all other most flagitious crimes whatsoeuer and all this with all impunity and without the least feare of any castigation Were not this a Common wealth fitting to be instituted rather by mans Ghostly Enemy as being the high way to lead soules to Hell then by Christ who suffred death for our sinnes Agayne admit that the subiects might rise at their pleasure in armes against their King as the former sentences of Swinglius Caluin Beza do warrant what tumults what intestine seditions and simulties what insurrections would there be in euery Monarchy and absolute State finally what vtter euisceration and disbowelling as it were would be made in euery such nation euen by it owne borne subiects And were it not far better for such Princes
dishes is as good as to be an Apostle 8. That these workes which we call good workes are not our workes seeing we want freewill to performe them but that God only vseth vs as dead Instruments or as the writer vseth the pen as an insensible Instrument wherby he writes in all such operations-To conclude 9. That all the Rewards in Holy Scripture proposed for the exercise of good workes are not truly and sincerely intended by God to be giuen to the practizers of the said good workes but are only amplifications of words aboue the reall and true measure of Gods meaning Thus we see how our Aduersaries doctrines by disualewing the dignity of good workes are no lesse potent in the belieuers thereof to induce them to forbeare the practise of vertue sanctity piety thē they are forcible through their lesning of the atrocity of Sinne to encourage men to the perpetration of all abominable and most detestable Sinnes crimes that can be imagined Now who shall deeply consider the different Natures of these two different doctrines of our Aduersaries I meane of blandishing Vice and dishonouring of Vertue will the lesse maruaile how Luther and other first broachers of their Religion could in so small a tyme inuade with these their most pestilent Heresyes so many Countries in Europe The reason hereof is in that their doctrines in respect of their multiplicity may well be compared to a Magazine or great Warehouse furnished with all diuersity of merchandise and wares sorting to ech mans state or condition of life to buy as of Silkes Cloath Wines Oyles c. So Luthers doctrine is so various so choyce and so select as that it was made fit and apt to meet with euery mans different humour appetite For example 1. Is he a Prince King or State that would aduance by any vniust meanes the greatnes of his Signiories Then is he by our Aduersaries taught that he may take into his hands all Bishoprickes Ecclesiasticall liuings and lands of Monasteries and other Religious houses as our (*) Gen. 10. Nemrod of this age I meane King Henry the eight and some other Protestant Princes following haue done For this King Henry made accordingly an vtter depredation and spoile of Monasteries impropriating their liuings to himselfe and his Parasytes 2. Is he a dissolute religious man and weary of performing the rigid austerity of his vndertaken life Then may he by these mēs doctrine breake out of his Cloyster and cast of his habit and inworld himselfe agayne in all temporalities 3. Is he a loose Priest and will not lead a chast and continent life He is heer catechized that he may lawfully mary 4. Is he marryed and yet eyther the Husband or the wyfe as being weary one of the other would seeke to be diuorced Then may he or she lawfully pretend diuers impediments as of impotency incontinency absence and others aboue mentioned for diuorce and presently mary agayne 5. Is he of the Laity of that height of pride and elation of mynd as that he cānot or will not brooke to liue in subiection or to acknowledge any soueraingty He is aboue indoctrinated that now among Christians there ought to be no Magistrates or Princes at all 6. Is he of the Protestant Clergy and yet scornes to be vnder his Diocesan or any other He is thereof disinthralled by the doctrine of the Parity of Ministers 7. Is he a Man Theathralis that affects to haue many followers for stamping preaching of strange and new doctrines and this without any controule He may then alledge the priuiledge of the reuealing Spirit and Extraordinary Vocation 8. Is he of a couetous and muddy disposition not caring by what iniust and base wayes he may increase his stocke and siluer Then he may be warranted to practise Vsury and so to breed vpon siluer 9. Is he of a fearefull conscience and resteth doubtfull of some temporall punishment to hang ouer his head for his former finnes though forgiuen him He may be freed from all such feare by the denyall of the doctrine of Purgatory and by belieuing that no tēporall punishment is reserued for man after the Sinne is once forgiuen 10. Is he willing to wallow in al turpitude of wickednes and enormous life whyles he breatheth in this world and this without all feare and change of colours He may by the doctrine of his iustifying fayth certainty of Predestination assure himselfe as is aboue sayd that he cannot be damned except Christ be damned with him 11. Finally is he so plunged in sinne by a continuall custome as that by reason of the infinitenes of his sinnes he may doubt himselfe to be of the number of the Reprobate Let him for feare he should forsake sinning remember that he is taught that a change from a vitious to a vertuous life cannot hinder Reprobation So crafty we see was the serpent for from him all the former Theoremes originally streamed so to poyson Luther and the first Gospellers with such choyce and variety of Heresyes as might seuerally suite to seuerall mens estates conditions dispositions And thus accordingly we may heere obserue that the foresaid doctrines of Luther and his Compartners speake to euery man in that Dialect or language in which he would haue them O had Sardanapalus the King who became a prey to all sensuality or Epicurus the Philosopher who theorically placed mans chiefest felicity good in voluptuousnes and pleasure liued in this our age how much by imbracing of many of these former Principles might they haue better warrāted their proceedings So true is that censure of Osiander the Protestant saying * This is reported by Sleydan englished l. 22. Anno 1550. fol. 3. 58. Luther and Melancthon haue compiled a Diuinity which sauoureth more of the flesh then of the spirit Now if by way of recrimination following this methode it be obiected by any as by diuers Puritanes it already hath beene obiected that the Papists teach that the Pope can aforehand giue pardon for the most atrocious Sinne as for murthering heerafter of Princes or by his Indulgences can pardon any Sinne before it be committed Which doctrines say they much open the way for the perpetration of many most great Sins seeing the workers of them are by thes doctrines assured that such their sinnes are forgiuen them before they be committed To this I answere that heer is wonderfull mistaking proceeding eyther from ignorance or malice for not any Catholike doth so teach or belieue Therfore to take away this foolish absurd stumbling blocke let the Puritan and all others know that the Catholike Religion teacheth that the Pope can no more giue liberty to a man hereafter for to sinne or can aforehand forgiue a sinne hereafter to be committed then he can create a new world For the Catholike doctrine is that the Obiect of the Sacrament of Penance is a Sinne already committed the guilt of which Sinne I meane the eternall punishment of
rather to hide themselues in solitude and obscurity and to liue vnder the hatches of a priuate state then to be placed vpon this glorious yet most dangerous Theater or Stage of supreme soueraignty and domination 14. To this former may be adioyned their doctrine of Parity of Ministers in the Church by the which they teach that there ought not to be any Bishops but that euery Minister should haue equall authority and Iurisdiction All the Puritanes are so precipitate and headlong in this doctrine as that it would be needles to set downe their many sentences thereof Therefore I will content my selfe with the wordes of our English Puritanes who thus write (a) This is to be seene in the booke entituled Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiasticall printed 1604. The gouernment of the Church of England by Archbishops Bishops and Deanes is Antichristian and repugnant to the word of God Now if all Ministers should haue one and the same authority and that there should be no subordination amongst them what a distraction and confusion would follow to be in the Church And how ready would euery illiterate Minister be to veÌ„t out new doctrines and Heresies without all controule such Heresies as would not only infect the vnderstanding with falshood and errour but also the will with Sinne and wicked conuersation Againe who then would there be to chastise the Ministers theÌ„selues for their great dissolution of life touching drinking fornication adultery too much vsed by many of theÌ„ at this day in England to the great disedifiing of many more sober and temperate ProtestaÌ„ts 15. To the former I may range their doctrine of extraordinary calling by the which they teach that there is extraordinary of calling Ministers immediatly froÌ„ God himselfe without the concurrency therto of maÌ„ or imposition of any Bishops hand And accordingly we find Caluin thus to writ of himselfe and other first Preachers of the Protestant Religion (b) The Protestant Lascitius reciteth this saying of Caluin l. de Russor Muscouit c. c. 23. Quia Papae Tyrannide c. Because through the tyranny of the Pope true Succession and Ordination was broken of therefore we stood in need of a new Course heerin and this function or calling was altogether extraordinary To which accord the wordes of M. Perkins saying (c) In his workes printed 1605. fol. 916. The calling of Wickliffe Hus Luther Oecolampadius Peter Martyr c. were extraordinary As also those of D. Fulkâ— (d) Against Stapleton Martiall c. pag. 2. The ProtestaÌ„ts who first preached in these dayes had extraordinary Calling But how repugnant is this their calling to the calling of the ministery mentioned in holy Scripture (e) Hebr. 5. No man taketh the honour vz. of Priesthood to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was And agayne (f) Rom. 10. How shall they preach except they be sent But now heer I vrge that as Caluin and the rest by challenging to themselues an extraordinary Calling broached the former new doctrines touching liberty and licentiousnes of life neuer before heard of so why may not others in like maÌ„ner heerafter as of late the Libertins the family of loue and other sectaries haue done aryse and assuming to themselues the like priuiledge of Extraordinary Calling from God alone dogmatize other new doctrines as pernicious to manners vertue and good life as these former wicked doctrines are 16. In this place I wil touch the string of the most wicked doctrine of Swinglius other his fellow-Ministers who teach plainly That Heathens not belieuing in Christ and so euer continuing may yet be saued For first Swinglius doth thus gentilize (g) Swingl in l. epist. Oecolamp Swingl l. 1. pag. 39. Ethnicus si piam mentem domi foueat Christianus est etsi Christum ignoret A Heathen leading a good life is a Christian though he know not Christ. And Swinglius further particularly writeth that (h) Swingl tom 2 fol. 118. Hercules Theseus Socrates c. are now in the same Heauen with Adam Abel Enoch Finally Swinglius proceedeth also further teaching thus (i) L. epist Oecolamp Swingl l. 2. p. 513. Gentilium liberos nulla lex damnat No law damneth the Children of Gentils This Opinion of Swinglius is also defended and himselfe for teaching the same highly extolled by (k) Vid. Swingl tom 2. fol. 550. Bullinger as also by (l) â—n vita Bullingeri Symlerus the Protestant and others This doctrine is so resolutely maintained by Swinglius and others that Echarius a learned Protestant thus by way of complayning therof writeth (m) Echarius in his fasciculus Controuersiarum printed Lipsiae anno 1609. cap. 19. Quòd Socrates Aristides Numa Camillus Hercules c. Swinglius writeth to the King of France that Socrates Aristides Numa Camillus Hercules the Scipions the Catoes and other Gentills are partakers of eternall life And Swinglius is defended for teaching this doctrine by the Tygurine Diuines Bullinger Gualterus Hardenburgius c. Thus farre the foresayd Echarius O what Scholia or Paraphrase can Swinglius and his compartners cast vpon those choaking wordes of diuine Scriture (n) Acts. 4. There is not any other name vnder heauen giuen to men then that of IESVS wherein we must be saued And (o) Iohn 4. Christ is the Sauiour of the world (p) 1. Ioan. â— The reconciliation for our sinnes and not onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world But now what indignity to the Redeemer of the world and to all ChristiaÌ„ Religîon doth this former most blasphemous doctrine of Swinglius and his fellowes exhale and breath forth Are they Christians who teach thus Were the many Prayers watchinges whipping his most sacred body crowning his reuerend head with thornes buffeting of him by the Iewes and finally his most painfull and pretious death and passion of all which paines euery litle touch in regard of the impretiable and infinite worth of the person so tormented was able to redeeme thousands of worlds so needles and superfluous as that Prophane Heathens who only belieue in generall if so much that there is a God or a Diuine Prouidence though wholly disclayming in the beliefe of Christ and treading all Christian fayth and Religion vnder their feete can neuertheles be saued (q) Hier. c. 2. O you Heauens be astonished at this be afrayd and vtterly confounded 17. Here may occurre the Aduersaries doctrine touching their deniall of all Miracles since the Apostles tymes A doctrine which secretly leadeth the way to Atheisme For the greatest reason that the Atheists alledge in defence of their blasphemous Atheisme is that they hould Nature that is the connexions of Physicall causes with the effects to be the supreme cause of all thinges and therefore these incredulous persons desire nothing more in tryall of this their misbeliefe then to see any thing performed aboue the ordinary and vsuall course of nature which they absolutely deny