things that concerne saluation they beeing made ours by Gods free gift among which is Christ his righteousnes By it therfore as beeing a thing of our owne wee may be iustified before God and accepted to life euerlasting II. Obiect If a sinner be iustified by Christ his righteousnes then euery beleeuer shall be as righteous as Christ and that can not be Ans. The proposition is false for Christ his righteousnes is not applied to vs according as it is in Christ neither according to the same measure nor the same manner For his obedience in fulfilling the law is aboue Adams righteousnes yea aboue the righteousnes of all Angels For they were all but creatures and their obedience the obedience of creatures but Christ his obedience is the obedience or righteousnes of God so tearmed Rom. 1. 17 18. 2. Cor. 5. 21. not onely because God accepted of it but because it was in that person which is very God When Christ obeied God obeied and when he suffered God suffered not because the godhead suffered or performed any obedience but because the person which according to one nature is God performed obedience and suffered And by this meanes his righteousnes is of infinite value price merit and efficacie Hence also it commeth to passe that this obedience of Christ serueth not onely for the iustifying of some one person as Adams did but of all and euery one of the elect yea it is sufficient to iustifie many thousand worldes Now to come to the point this righteousnes that is in Christ in this largenes and measure is pertaining to vs in a more narow skantling because it is onely receiued by faith so farforth as it serueth to iustifie any particular beleeuer But they vrge the reason further saying If Christ his righteousnes be the righteousnes of euery beleeuer then euery man should be a Sauiour which is absurd Ans. I answer as before and yet more plainly thus Christ his righteousnes is imputed to the person of this or that man not as it is the price of redemption for all mankind but as it is the price of redemption for one particular man as for example Christ his righteousnes is imputed to Peter not as it is the price of redemption for all but as it is the price of redemption for Peter And therefore Christ his righteousnes is not applied to any one sinner in that largenesse and measure in which it is in the person of Christ but onely so farforth as it serueth to satisfie the law for the said sinner to make his person accepted of God as righteous and no further III. Obiect If we be made righteous by Christ his righteousnes truly then Christ is a sinner truly by our sinnes but Christ is not indeed a sinner by our sinnes Ans. We may with reuerence to his maiestie in good manner say that Christ was a sinner and that truly not by any infusion of sinne into his most holy person but because our sinnes were laid on him thus saith the holy Ghost he which knew no sinne was made sinne for vs and he was counted with sinners Isa 53. 13. yet so as euen then in himselfe he was without blot yea more holy then all men and angels On this manner said Chrysostome 2. Cor. 3. God permitted Christ to be condemned as a sinner Againe He made the iust one to be A SINNER that he might make sinners iust IV. Obiect If a man be made righteous by imputation then God iudgeth sinners to be righteous but God iudgeth no sinner to be righteous for it is abhomination to the Lord. Ans. When God iustifieth a sinner by Christ his righteousnes at the same time he ceaseth in regard of guiltines to be a sinner to whom god imputeth righteousnes them he sanctifieth at the very same instant by his holy Spirit giuing also vnto originall corruption his deadly wound V. Obiect That which Adam neuer lost was neuer giuen by Christ but he neuer lost imputed righteousnes therefore it was neuer giuen vnto him Ans. The proposition is not true for sauing faith that was neuer lost by Adam is giuen to vs in Christ and Adam neuer had this priuiledge that after the first grace should follow the second and thereupon beeing left to himselfe he fell from God and yet this mercie is vouchsafed to all beleeuers that after their first conuersion God will still confirme thē with new grace and by this meanes they perseuere vnto the ende And whereas they say that Adam had not imputed righteousnes I answer that he had the same for substance though not for the manner of applying by imputation VI. Obiect Iustification is eternall but the imputation of Christ his righteousnesse is not eternall for it ceaseth in the end of this life therefore it is not that which iustifieth a sinner Ansvv. The imputation of Christs righteousnes is euerlasting for he that is esteemed righteous in this life by Christ his righteousnes is accepted as righteous for euer and the remission of sinnes graunted in this life is for euer continued And though sanctification be perfect in the worlde to come yet shal it not iustifie for we must conceiue it no otherwise after this life but as a fruit springing from the imputed righteousnes of Christ without which it could not be And a good child will not cast away the first garment because his father giues him a second And what if inward righteousnes be perfect in the ende of this life shall we therefore make it the matter of our iustification God forbid For the righteousnes whereby sinners are iustified must be had in the time of this life before the pangs of death II. Difference about the manner of iustification All both Papists and Protestants agree that a sinner is iustified by faith This agreement is onely in word and the difference betweene vs is great indeede And it may be reduced to these three heads First the Papist saying that a man is iustified by faith vnderstandeth a generall or a Catholike faith whereby a man beleeueth the arcicles of religion to be true But we hold that the faith which iustifieth is a particular faith whereby we apply to our selues the promises of righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ. And that our opinion is the truth I haue proued before but I will adde a reason or twaine I. Reason The faith whereby we liue is that faith whereby we are iustified but the faith whereby we liue spiritually is a particular faith whereby we apply Christ vnto our selues as Paul saith Gal. 2. 20 I liue that is spiritually by the faith of the sonne of God which faith he sheweth to be a particular faith in Christ in the very words following who hath LOVED ME and giuen himselfe FOR ME particularly and in this manner of beleeuing Paul was and is an example to all that are to be saued 1. Tim. 1. 16. and Phil. 3. 15. II. Reason That which we are to aske of God
in effect is the doctrine of master Caluin that when we begin by faith to knowe somewhat and haue a desire to learne more this may be tearmed an vnexpressed faith Secondly this point of doctrine serues to rectifie and in part to expound suudrie catechismes in that they seeme to propound faith vnto men at so high a reach as fewe can attaine vnto it defining it to be a certen and full perswasion of Gods loue and fauour in Christ whereas though euery faith be for his nature a certen perswasiō yet onely the strong faith is the full perswasion Therefore faith is not only in general tearms to be defined but also the degrees and measures thereof are to be expounded that weak ones to their comfort may be truely informed of their estate And though we teach there is a kinde of implicite faith which is the beginning of true and liuely faith yet none must herevpon take an occasion to content themselues therwith but labour to increase and go on from faith to faith and so indeed will euery one do that hath any beginnings of true faith be they neuer so little And he which thinks he hath a desire to beleeue and contents himselfe therewith hath indeede no true desire to beleeue The difference The pillars of the Romish Church laies downe this ground that faith in his owne nature is not a knowledge of things to be beleeued but a reuerent assent vnto them whether they be knowne or vnknowne Herevpon they build that if a man knowe some necessarie points of religion as the doctrine of the godhead of the trinity of Christs incarnation and of our redemption c. it is needelesse to knowe the rest by a particular or distinct knowledge and it suffiseth to giue his consent to the church and to beleeue as the pastors beleeue Beholde a ruinous building vpon a rotten foundation for faith containes a knowledge of things to be beleeued and knowledge is of the nature of faith and nothing is beleeued that is not knowne Isai 53. 11. The knowledge of my righteous seruant shall iustifie many Ioh. 17. 2. This is eternall life to knowe the eternall God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. In these places by knowledge is meant faith grounded vpon knowledge whereby we knowe and are assured that Christ and his benefits belong vnto vs. Secondly this kinde of assent is the mother of ignorance For when mē shall be taught that for sundrie points of religion they may beleeue as the Church beleeues that the studie of the Scriptures is not to be required of them yea that to their good they may be barred the reading of them so be it they know some principall things contained in the articles of saith that common beleeuers are not bound expressely to beleeue all the articles of the Apostles Creed that it suffiseth them to beleeue the articles by an implicite faith by beleeuing as the Church beleeueth fewe or none will haue care to profit in knowledge And yet Gods commaundement is that we should grow in knowledge and that his word should dwell plenteously in vs Col. 3. 16. Again the Papists say that the deuotion of the ignorant is often seruice better accepted then that which is done vpon knowledge Such say they as pray in latine pray with as great consolation of spirit with as little tediousnes vvith as great deuotion and affection and oftentimes more then the other and alwaies more then any scismaticke or hereticke in his owne language To conclude they teach that some articles of faith are beleeued generally of the whole Church onely by a simple or implicite saith which afterward by the Authoritie of a generall Counsell are propounded to be beleeued of the Church by expresse faith Rofsensis against Luther giues an example of this when he confesseth that Purgatorie was little knowne at the first but was made known partly by Scripture and partly by reuelation in processe of time This implicite saith touching articles of religion we reiect holding that all things concerning faith and manners necessarie to saluation are plainely expressed in Scripture and accordingly to be beleeued The seuenteenth point Of Purgatorie Our consent We holde a Christian Purgatorie according as the word of God hath set downe the same vnto vs. And first of all by this Purgatorie we vnderstand the afflictions of Gods children here on earth Ier. 3. The people afflicted say thou hast sent a fire into our bones Psal. 65. 12. We haue gone through water and fire Malach. 3. 3. The children of Levi must be purified in a purging fire of affliction 1. Pet. 1. 7. Afflictions are called the fierie triall wherby men are clensed from their corruptions as gold from the drosse by the fire Secondly the bloode of Christ is a purgatorie of our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1. 7. Christs bloode PVRGETH vs frō all our sinnes Hebr. 9. 14. It PVRGETH our consciences from deade workes And Christ baptiseth with the holy Ghost and with fire because our inward washing is by the blood of Christ and the holy Ghost is as fire to consume and abolish the inward corruption of nature To this effect saith Origen Without doubt vve shall feele the vnquenchable fire vnles wee shall novv intreat the Lord to sende downe from heauen a purgatorie fire vnto vs vvhereby vvorldly desires may be vtterly consumed in our mindes August Suppose the mercy of God is thy purgatorie The difference or dissent We differ from the Papists touching purgatorie in two things And first of all for the place They holde it to be a part of hell into which an entrance is made onely after this life we for our parts denie it as hauing no warrant in the worde of God which mentioneth onely two places for men after this life heauen and hell with the two-folde condition thereof ioy and torment Luk. 16. 25 26. Ioh. 3. 36. Apoc. 22. 14 15. and 21. 7 8. Matth. 8. 11. Nay we finde the contrarie Rev. 14. 13. they that die in the Lord are said to rest from their labours which cannot be true if any of them goe to purgatorie And to cut off all cauills it is further said their works that is the reward of their works follow them euen at the heeles as an Acoluth or seruant doth his master Augustin saith wel After this life there remaines no compunction or SATISFACTION And Here is all remission of sinne here be temptations that mooue vs to sinne lastly here is the euill from which we desire to be deliuered but there is NONE OF AL THESE And We are not here without sinne but vve shall GOE HENCE VVITHOVT SINNE Cyril saith They which are once dead can adde nothing to the things which they haue done but shall REMAINE AS THEY VVERE LFFT and vvaite for the time of the last iudgement Chrysostome After the ende of this life there be NO OCCASIONS of merits Secondly we differ from them
be gathered and beleeued not vpon bare tradition but from the very bookes themselues on this manner Let a man that is indued with the spirit of discerning read the seuerall bookes withall let him consider the professed author thereof which is God himselfe and the matter therein contained which is a most diuine and absolute truth full of pietie the manner and forme of speach which is full of maiestie in the simplicitie of words The ende wherat they wholly aime which is the honour and glorie of God alone c. and he shall be resolued that Scripture is Scripture euen by the Scripture it selfe Yea and by this meanes he may discerne any part of Scripture from the writings of men whatsoeuer Thus then scripture proves it selfe to be scripture and yet we dispise not the vniversall consent or tradition of the Church in this case which though it doe not perswade the conscience yet is it a notable inducement to mooue vs to reverence and regard the writings of the Prophets Apostles It will be said where is it written that scripture is scripture I answer not in any one particular place or book of scripture but in euery line and page of the whole bible to him that can read with the spirit of discerning can discerne the voice of the true pastour as the sheep of Christ can doe Obiect III Some bookes of the canon of the scripture are lost as the booke of the warres of God Num. 21. 14. The booke of the iust Iosua 10 13. the bookes of Cronicles of the kings of Israel and Iuda 1. King 14. 19. the books of certain prophets Nathan Gad Iddo Ahiah and Semiah and therefore the matter of these bookes must come to vs by tradition Ans. Though it be graunted that some bookes of Canonicall scripture be lost yet the scripture still remaines sufficient because the matter of those bookes so farforth as it was necessarie to saluation is contained in these bookes of scripture that are now extant Again I take it to be a truth though some thinke otherwise that no part of the Canon is lost for Paul saith what soeuer things were written aforetime vvere written for our learning that vve through patience and comfort of the Scriptures c. Rom. 15. 4. Where he takes it for graunted that the whole canon of holy Scripture was then extant For if he had thought that some books of scripture had beene lost he would haue said whatsoeuer was written and is now extant was written for our learning and comfort For bookes that are lost serue neither for learning nor comfort Againe to hold that any bookes of scripture should be lost calls into question Gods prouidence and the fidelity of the Church who hath the bookes of God in keeping and is therefore called the pillar and ground of truth And touching the bookes before mentioned I answere thus The booke of the warres of God Num. 21. 14. might be some short bill or narration of things done among the Israelites which in the daies of Moses went from hand to hand For sometime a booke in scripture signifieth a roule or Catalogue as the first chapter of Mathew which containeth the genealogie of our Sauiour Christ is called the booke of the generation of Iesus Christ. Againe the booke of the iust and the bookes of Chronicles which are said to be lost were but as the Chronicles of England are with vs euen politike recordes of the acts and euentes of things in the kingdome of Iuda and Israel out of which the Prophets gathered things necessarie to be knowne and placed them in holy scripture As for the bookes of Iddo Ahiah Semiah Gad and Nathan they are contained in the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles and in the bookes of Samuel which were not written by him alone but by sundry prophets 1. Chr. 29. 29. as also was the booke of Iudges As for the books of Salomon which are lost they did not concerne religion and matters of saluation but were concerning matters of philosophy and such like things Obiect IV. Moses in Mount Sina beside the written lawe receiued from God a more secret doctrine which he neuer writ but deliuered by tradition or worde of mouth to the Prophets after him and this the Iewes haue now set down in their Cabala Ans. This indeede is the opinion of some of the Iewes whome in effect and substance sundrie Papists follow but we take it for no better then a Iewish dotage For if Moses had known any secret doctrine beside the written law he would neuer haue giuen this commandement of the said lawe thou shalt not adde any thing thereto Obiect V. Heb. 5. 12. Gods worde is of two sortes milke and strong me at By milke we must vnderstand the word of God written wherein God speakes plainely to the capacitie of the rudest but strong meate is vnwritten traditions a doctrine not to be delivered vnto all but to those that growe to perfection Ansvv. We must knowe that one and the same word of God is milke and strong meate in regard of the manner of handling and propounding of it For beeing deliuered generally and plainely to the capacity of the simplest it is milke but beeing handled particularly and largely and so fitted for men of more vnderstanding it is strong meate As for example the doctrine of the creation of mans fall and redemption by Christ when it is taught ouerly and plainely it is milke but when the depth of the same is throughly opened it is strong meate And therefore it is a conceit of mans braine to imagine that some vnwritten word is meant by strong meat Obiect VI. Sundrie places of Scripture be doubtfull and euery religion hath his seuerall exposition of them as the Papists haue theirs and the Protestants theirs Now then seeing there can be but one truth when question is of the interpretation of scripture recourse must be had to the tradition of the Church that the true sense may be determined and the question ended Ans. It is not so but in doubtfull places Scripture it selfe is sufficient to declare his owne meaning first by the analogie of faith which is the summe of religiō gathered out of the clearest places of scripture secondly by the circumstances of the place and the nature and signification of the wordes thirdly by conference of place with place By these and like helpes contained in scripture we may iudge which is the truest meaning of any place Scripture it selfe is the text and the best glosse And the scripture is falsly tearmed the matter of strife it being not so of it selfe but by the abuse of man And thus much for our dissent concerning traditions wherein we must not be wauering but steadfast because notwithstāding our renouncing of popery yet popish inclinations and dispositions be rise among vs. Our common people maruelously affect humane traditions yea mans nature is inclined more to be pleased with them then with the word of God The feast
God and of Saints in heauen glorified being absent from vs. Ans. To kneele to the chaire of estate is no more but a ciuill testimony or signe of ciuill reuerēce by which all good subiects when occasion is offered shewe their loyaltie and subiection to their lawfull princes And this kneeling being on this manner and to no other end hath sufficient warrant in the word of God But kneeling to the image of any Saint departed is religious and consequently more then ciuill worship as the Papists themselues confesse The argument then prooueth nothing vnlesse they will keepe themselues to one and the same kind of worship III. Differ The Papists also teach that God may be lawfully worshipped in images in which he hath appeared vnto mem as the Father in the image of an old man the Sonne in the image of a man crucified and the Holy Ghost in the likenes of a doue c. But we hold it vnlawfull to worship God in by or at any image for this is the thing which as I haue prooued before the second commandement forbiddeth And the fact of the Israelites Exod. 32. in worshipping the golden calfe is condemned as flat idolatrie albeit they worshipped not the calfe but God in the calfe for v. 5. Aaron saith To morrovve shall be the solemnitie of Iehovah whereby he doth giue vs to vnderstand that the calfe was but a signe of Iehouah whome they worshipped Obiect It seemes the Israelites worshipped the calfe For Aaron faith vers 4. These be thy Gods O Israel that brought thee out of Egypt Ansvv. Aarons meaning is nothing els but that the golden calfe was a signe of the presence of the true God And the name of the thing signified is giuen to the signe as vpon a stage he is called a King that representes the King And Augustine saith that images are wont to be called by the names of things whereofthey are images as the counterfeit of Samuel is called Samuel And we must not esteeme them all as madde men to thinke that a calfe made of their earings beeing but one or two daies olde should be the God that brought them out of Egypt with a mightie hand many daies before And these are the points of difference touching Images wherein we must stand at varience for euer with the Church of Rome For they erre in the foundation of religion making indeede an idol of the true God and worshipping an other Christ then we doe vnder new tearmes maintaining the Idolatry of the heathen And therefore haue we departed from them and so must we still doe because they are Idolaters as I haue prooued The X. point Of reall presence Our consent I. We holde and beleeue a presence of Christs bodie and bloode in the Sacrament of the Lords supper and that no fained but a true and reall presence which must be considered two waies first in respect of the signes secondly in respect of the communicants For the first we hold and teach that Christs bodie and bloode are truly present with the bread and wine being signes in the sacrament but how not in respect of place of coexistence but by sacramentall relation on this manner When a word is vttered the sound comes to the eare and at the same instant the thing signified comes to the minde and thus by relation the word and the thing spoken of are both present together Euen so at the Lords table bread and wine must not be considered barely as substances and creatures but as outward signes in relation to the bodie and blood of Christ and this relation arising from the very institution of the Sacrament standes in this that when the elements of bread wine are present to the hand and to the mouth of the receiuer at the very same time the bodie and bloode of Christ are presented to the minde thus and no otherwise is Christ truly present with the signes The second presence is in respect of the communicants to whose beleeuing hearts he is also really present It will be said what kinde of presence is this Ans. Such as the communion in the sacrament is such is the presence and by the communion must we iudge of the presence Nowe the communion is on this manner God the father according to the tenour of the Euangelicall couenant giues Christ in this sacrament as really and truly as any thing can be giuen to man not by part and peecemeale as we say but whole Christ God and man on this sort In Christ there be two natures the godhead and manhood The godhead is not giuen in regard of substance or essence but onely in regard of efficacie merits and operation conueied thence to the manhood And further in this sacrament Christs whole manhood is giuen both bodie and soule in this order First of all is giuen the verie manhoode in respect of substance and that really secondly the merits benefites thereof as namely the satisfaction performed by and in the manhoode to the iustice of God And thus the intire manhood with the benefits thereof are giuen wholly and ioyntly together For the two distinct signes of bread and wine signifie not two distinct giuings of the bodie apart and the blood apart but the full and perfect nourishment of our soules Againe the benefites of Christs manhoode are diuersly giuen some by imputation which is an action of God accepting that which is done by Christ as done by vs and thus it hath pleased God to giue the passion of Christ his obedience Some againe are giuen by a kind of propagation which I cannot fitly expresse in tearms but I resemble it thus As one candle is lighted by an other one torch or candle-light is conuaied to twentie candles euen so the inherent righteousnes of euery beleeuer is deriued from the storehouse of righteousnes which is in the manhood of Christ for the righteousnes of all the members is but the fruit thereof euen as the naturall corruption in all mankinde is but a fruit of that originall sinne which was in Adam Thus we see how God for his part giues Christ and that really To proceede when God giues Christ he giues withall at the same time the spirit of Christ which spirit creates in the heart of the receiuer the instrument of true faith by which the heart doth really receiue Christ giuen of God by resting vpon the promise which God hath made that he will giue Christ and his righteousnesse to euery true beleeuer Now then when God giues Christ with his benefits and man for his part by faith receiues the same as they are giuen there riseth that vnion which is betweene euery good receiuer and Christ himselfe Which vnion is not forged but a reall true and neare coniunction nearer then which none is or can be because it is made by a solemne giuing and receiuing that passeth betweene God and man as also by the bond of one and the same spirit To come then to the point considering
coniurations by holy water by the ringing of bels by lighting tapers by reliques and such like For these things haue not their supposed force either by creation or by any institution of God in his holy worde and therefore if any thing be done by them it is from the secret operation of the deuill himselfe The fift sinne is that in their doctrine they maintaine periurie because they teach with one consent that a Papist examined may answer doubtfully against the direct intention of the examiner framing an other meaning vnto himself in the ambiguitie of his words As for example when a man is asked whether he saide or heard Masse in such a place though he did they affirme he may say No and sweare vnto it because he was not there to reueale it to the examiner whereas in the very lawe of nature he that takes an oath should sweare according to the intention of him that hath power to minister an oath that in truth iustice iudgement Let them cleare their doctrine from all defence of periurie if they can The sixt sinne is that they reuerse many of Gods commaÌ„dements making that no sinne which Gods word makes a sinne Thus they teach that if any man steale some litle thing that is thought not to cause any notable hurt it is no mortall sinne that the officious lie and the lie made in sport are veniall sinnes that to pray for our enemies in particular is no precept but a counsell and that none is bound to salute his enemie in the way of friendship flat against the rule of Christ Matth. 5. 47. where the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth all manner of dutie and curtesie that rash iudgement though consent come thereto is regularly but a veniall sinne that it is lawfull other whiles to faine holines that the painting of the face is ordinarily but a veniall sinne that it is not lavvfull to forbid begging whereas the Lord forbad there should be any begger in Israel Againe they teach that men in their choller when they are chiding and sweare vvounds and blood are not indeede blasphemers Lastly their writers vse manifest lying to iustifie their doctrine They plead falsly that all antiquitie is on their side whereas it is as much against them as for them and as much for vs as them Againe their manner hath bin and is still to prooue their opinions by forged and counterfait writings of men some whereof I will name 1 Saint Iames Liturgie 2 The Canons of the Apostles 3 The bookes of Dionysius Ariopagita and namely De Hier archia Ecclesiastica 4 The Decret all Epistles of the Popes 5 Pope Clements workes 6 Some of the Epistles of Ignatius 7 Origens booke of repentance His homelies in diversos sanctos Commentaries on Iob and booke of Lamentation 8 Chrysostomes Liturgie 9 Basils liturgie and his Ascetica 10 Augustines booke de 8. quest Dulâ—itij A booke of true and false repentance Ser de festo commemorationis animarum booke de dogm Ecclesiast Sermon ad fratres in Heremo Sermon of Peters chaire Booke of visiting the sicke c. 11 Iustin Martyrs Questions and Answ. 12 Athanasius epistle to Pope Foelix 13 Bernards sermons of the Lords Supper 14 Hieromes epistle ad Demetriadem sauouring of Pelagius 15 Tertullian de Monogamia 16 Cyprian de Chrismate de ablutione peâ—um 17 In the Councel of Sardica the 3 4 and 5 canons are forged 18 In the Councel of Nice all saue 20. are forged 19 Certaine Romane Councels vnder Sylvester are forged For he vvas at this time dead and therefore could not confirme them Sozom. lib. 2. 20 To the sixt canon of the Councel of Nice are patched these words That the Romane Church hath alwaies had the supremacie 21 Lastly I will not omit that Pope Sozimus Bonifacius ana Coelestinus falsified the canons of the councell of Nice to prooue appeales from all places to Rome so as the Bishops of Africke were forced to send for the true copies of the saide Councell from Constantinople and the Churches of Greece I might here rehearse many other sinnes which with the former call for vengeance vpon the Romane Church but it shall suffice to haue named a few of the principall Now in this reason our Sauiour Christ prescribes another maine dutie to his owne people and that is to be carefull to eschewe all the sinnes of the Church of Rome that they may withall escape her deserued plagues and punishments And from this prescribed dutie I obserue two things The first is that euery good seruant of God must carefully auoide contracts of marriage with professed Papists that is with such as hold the Pope for their head and beleeue the doctrine of the Councel of Trent For in such matches men hardly keepe faith and good conscience and hardly auoide coÌ„munication with the sinnes of the Romane Church A further ground of this doctrine I thus propound In Gods worde there is mentioned a double league betweene man and man countrie and countrie The first is the league of concord when one kingdome bindes it selfe to liue in peace with an other for the maintenance of traficke without disturbance and this kinde of league may stand betweene Gods church and the enemies thereof The second is the league of amity which is when men people or countries binde themselues to defend each other in all causes and to make the warres of the one the warres of the other and this league may not be made with those that be enemies of God Iehosaphat otherwise a good king made this kinde of league with Ahab and is therfore reprooued by the prophet saying wouldest thou helpe the wicked and loue them that hate the Lord 2. Chron. 19. 2. Now the mariages of protestants with Papists are priuate leagues of amitie betweene person and person and therefore not to be allowed Againe Malac. cap. 2. vers 11. the Lord saith Iudah hath defiled the holines of the Lord which he loued and hath married the daughters of a straunge god where is flatly condemned marriages made with the people of a false god nowe the Papists by the consequents of their doctrine and religion turne the true Iehova into an idol of their owne braine as I haue shewed and the true Christ reuealed in the written word into a fained Christ made of breade Yet if such a marriage be once made and finished it may not be dissolued For such parties sinne not simply in that they marrie but because they marrie not in the Lord beeing of diuers religions The fault is not in the substance of marriage but in the manner of making it and for this cause the Apostle commaunds the beleeuing partie not to forsake or refuse the vnbeleeuing partie beeing a very infidel which no papist is if he or she will abide 1. Cor. 7. 13. The second thing is that euery seruant of God must take heede how he trauells into such countries where popish religion is stablished