Star falling by degrees so far as to adore St. Ignorance so much that the works of Bellarmine their great Champion and of Gregory de Valentia were not allowed to be sold in Italy because the Arguments which the Protestant Authors use in their own defence are rehearsed in them The longest look the Romanists can take is at this blazing Star that Lieutenant General to the Dragon who sent forth whole bands of Locusts to wit Monks Fryars Priests and Jesuits both numerous and voracious Rev. 9.3 9. Even their own Bellarmine speaks something that hath a tendency to the gradual falling of this Star Wormwood saying Ab eo tempore quo per vos papa Antichristus esse capit non modo non erevit ejus imperium sed semper magis ac magis decrevit Bellarm. do Pap. Rom. lib. 3. cap. 1. Since saith he you Protestants began to call the Pope Antichrist he did not only not increase but a great part of his Command and Commodity hath decreased and is lost Whence I note by the way 't is not cautelously done by any of our Divines in my judgment so much as to doubt at this day who is the Antichelst Seeing we have here their own great Champion quasi Reum penè si non planè confitentem as if guilty almost if not altogether confessing the thing and the rather because he doth so ingeniously acknowledg that the very calling the Pope Antichrist hath been an Ordinance in Gods hand to bring down the Kingdom of the Beast and to make this bitter Star fall gradually And how probable it is that the Key of the bottomless Pit was given to this falling Star falling from the heavenly doctrine of the Christian Church at Rome in the Apostles time and after down into the Carnal and Earthly Religion of the now Romish Antichristian Church with which Key he lets into the bottom less Pit Souls innumerable insomuch that in the days of Hildebrand that Pope which was called The Brand of Hell alluding to his Name some Letters were set forth as sent from Hell wherein the Devil and his Angels give the Popish Clergy many thanks for sending them in so many Souls as they never had in any Age before Now if Popery began at this Star then it cannot be accounted an ancient thing 10. I know the Romanists use to beguile people by telling them that men of their Religion built all the Churches Colledges Hospitals c. in all the world To which I answer 't was not men of the Popish but of the Christian Religion that did most of those things Constantine built a Church on Mount Calvary and Justinian built another at Constantinople and our Ethelbert built Paul's here at London These were all done before the fall of the Star Wormwood or before Popery was heard of in the World and before the man of Sin that mistery of Iniquity was revealed 'T is true indeed Dolman alias Parsons doth labour in the very fire to defend the Antiquity of the Romish Religion here making all the three Conversions of England to be from Rome and to the Romish Faith but the absurdity hereof appears out of their own Baronius Who 1. confesses that Joseph of Arimathea came into England nine years before Peter went to Rome from whence it necessarily follows that our Church must be ancienter than that at Rome by nine years 2. The Christians here kept their Easter after the Eastern manner upon the fourteenth day which they would not have done had they received the faith from the Western Church from Rome 3. Pope Victor in the second Century would have altered this custom had this Land been then under his Jurisdiction 4. The Mother of Constantine Helene one of this Island did not hold any such points of Popery as the Romish Church now holdeth 11. To these add 5. Pelagius one of this Island also differed not from Augustine in the Third Century only in Freewill and Original Sin no other Popish points were known to them or discussed between them 6. Pope Elentherius did acknowledge our King Lucius to be Gods Vicar in his own Land which was far from those Ambitious Popes his Successors who make themselves Gods Vicars in all Lands As to that pretended Conversion by Austin that Arrogant Monk which Dolman would defend 't is answered that factious fellow found much opposition here about his imposing upon our Ancestors those Romish Rites of Easter day Church-musick Letany single life of Priests processions c. though at that time we read not a word of Pardons Indulgencies Transubstantiation the Sacrament in one kind c. all of them upstart things Hereupon Austin the Monk thus opposed doth conspire with King Ethelfred to cut off 1200 of his Opposers to wit the holy Monks of Bangor who were altogether unlike the Monks in after Ages for they lived by the sweat of their brows and by the labour of their hands and gave themselves to Fasting and Prayer not only lest the Christian Britains should be overrun by the heathen Saxons but also lest they should be corrupted by the Romish Superstitions which this insolent Austin whom they discerned and disowned as no man of God by his pride and ambition would have from Gregory in the sixth Century intruded upon them hence Gregorii Vicarius was justly stiled Gregis Sicarius and his Reformation so called was rather a Deformation yea his Conversion as Dolman terms it was rather a Perversion and which is worse as much as in him lay a plain Eversion in the slaughter of those holy men so that instead of a Prophet's Reward he better deserved the Punishment of a Murderer Beda lib. 2. cap. 2. Isaac Chronol pag. 406. Fuller's Chur. Hist 2. b. 10. Anno Dom. 605. 12. I might add many other Witnesses which all do witness that the Christian Religion which is the same that we Protestants do protest to profess and practice was long before the Romish Religion as now it is found any footing amongst us and that many in this Island suffered Martyrdom for it in the time of Diocletian the Emperor long before this Austin Beda hist lib. 3. Bishop Vsher De Primord Eccles Britan p. 102 and De Ecclesiae statu Successu at large and Aicentinus in his Annals lib. 3. to say nothing of Pareus Osorius or of the Magdeburg Centurists whom Dolman scornfully calls a Quadrilio or round Table because writ by four men Illyricus Vigandus Judex and Faber because prejudiced against them Their own Gregory of Monmouth confutes that fond opinion of Pope Gregory's sending this Austin to plant the Christian Faith in this Island seeing it had been planted here above four hundred years before Austin's time saying In patria Britonum adhuc vigebat Christianitas qua ab Apostolorum tempore nunquam inter cos defecerat it had never failed amongst them since the Apostles times And that Austin found many great places all furnished with good religious men Greg. Monmouth de Britan. Gestis
opposes Religion on the left hand I come now to the second Thief upon its Right Hand to wit Superstition which spoils Religion of its Native Beauty and puts it into such a painted gaudy dress as makes it a ridiculous Puppet and more meretricious than Matron-like 19. Plutarch makes this right-hand Thief the worst of the two saying that Atheism is better than Superstition for the Superstitious do Worship sordid base and cruel Gods Insomuch that it were far better there were no Gods at all than such as they worship 't is lest impiety to say there is no God than to give divine honour to bloody Devils and senceless Stocks or stones 20. And so he concludes that Superstition is the cause of Atheism because men looking upon the ridiculous Gestures practised in their Temples that are superstitious Worshippers they conclude it were better to have no Gods than to give Gods facred honour to such abominable Deities I had rather saith he men should say there is no Plutarch than that they should say that Plutarch is what he is not Plutarch de superstit Whether Plutarch be mistaken in this assertion altogether I shall not here determine Such Problems as utrùm prastat non esse quà m malè esse belongs to the Schools to decide and whether Superstition which is a Nimiety (l) Paul the second Pope ob nimiam Religionsm factus est Cardinalis Pasciculus Temporis and excess in Religion be worse than Atheism which is a defect therein is not much (k) Plutarch de superst in Moral to our purpose 't is enough to discover them both as Thieves to Religion 22. However there is not much difference 'twixt nequam and nequaquam the Proverb is as good never a whit as never the better betwixt making Sin a duty and making a duty sin Superstition makes sin a duty (m) Supperstition will by all means hew the Stones of Gods Altar as if whole Stones were not fine enough for God though he command it so Exod. 20.25 and Deut. 27.6 Superstition despises those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 septuag which the Hebrew calls perfect Stones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abanim Shelemoth in worshipping the true God after a false manner Act. 26.9 11. I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus and Atheism makes a duty sin in not worshiping God at all as if it were a sin to do it 23. Thus Religion with the Lord and Founder of it suffers hard things betwixt two Thieves and 't is not very easie to determine which of those two is more injurious to Religion and the Author of it whether that which makes the Principles of it to be question'd or that which makes the practice of it to be despised as the superstitious worship of the Romish Church makes the Jews at this day to contemn the Christian Religion 24. This is a most certain truth and taken pro confesso of all that Superstition is a Reproach to Religion and without a Vail is a very deformed thing though the Church of Rome would not willingly own any such deformity in her but like the Adulterous woman Prov. 30.20 Eats and wipes her mouth and saith I have done no wickedness yet will be found guilty 25. Superstition Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Vice opposite to Religion according to excess Thus Aquinas in his Sec. Secundae quaest 92. Art 10. or thus Superstition is when worship which is only due to God is not exhibited to him in that manner as it ought or when it is exhibited to him to whom it ought not Thus Mich. de Obellis Or 't is a superfluous and vain devotion which God alloweth not 1. Neither by his Command 2. Nor by any Apostolical Rule for indifferent things 't is called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a false Religion 26. Polanus defines it thus 'T is a Vice inhering in the Mind arising through Satan's craft by which men departing from the word of God contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles take up erroneous Opinions of God and false ways of worshipping him Polanus Syntag. Theol. lib. 9. cap. 3. pag. 579. and Szegedin thus Est opinio quae nec habet mandatum Dei nec physicam rationem vel est nimia et superabundans pietas sen Religio Virgil brands this Vice thus Vana superstitio veterumque ignara Deorum 27. Superstition is caused 1. from the pravity of our Nature which is over-desirous of forbidden evils whereby man is become inversus decalogus a diametrical opposite to God's holy will 2. from the wisdom of the Flesh which loves to be wise above that which is written 3. Servile fear for the Superstitious do fear where no fear is Psal 53.5 4. The insinuations of Satan and 5. the false Romish Church as the Devil begets them so the Mother of Harlots brings them forth 28. Sometimes it is falsely applied to true Religion (n) Beza in Act. 25.19 as Act. 25.19 but truly 't is that Worship which God commanded not nor came into his mind Jer. 7.31 A worshipping after our own hearts Numb 15.39 or a doing that which is right in our own eyes Deut. 12.8 Judg. 17.16 Or 't is a worshipping of that which God commanded not Deut. 17.3 and 29.26 'T is an observing of times Deut. 18.10 14. Gal. 4.10 Levit. 19.26 or of Mans traditions Math. 15.3 9. Marks 7.4 7. or 't is Will-worship that hath more of mans Will than of God in it Col. 2.18 21 23. 29. The Gentiles were guilty of Superstition Act. 17.22 (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Fearers of evil Spirits Act. 17.22 The Apostle saith they were too superstitious So were the Israelites in not eating of the sinew of common meat because the sinew of Jacob's Thigh shrank Gen. 32.32 So were the Philistims in not daring to tread upon the Threshold of Dagon's house because Dagon brake his Neck upon it (p) 1 Sam. 5.4 5. So was Naaman in carrying two Mules load of Earth out of Canaan into his own Country to make an Altar of (q) 2 Kin. 5.17 And lastly so were the Scribes Pharisees and Jews not only in straining at the Gnat of entring into the Judgment Hall when they swallowed the Camel of murdering Christ Joh. 18.28 but also in all their Traditions 30. As there is a Pagan Superstition which I shall not speak to here as being beside my present purpose so there is a Papagan Superstition whereby Papists think it a greater Crime to eat flesh on Fryday than to commit Adultery this is a being Righteous or Religious overmuch Eccles 7.17 31. This Papagan Superstition consists either in the worship of the Creator or of the Creature 1. In the worship of the Creator a superstitious man doth frame to himself a worship of God out of his own Will and not out of Gods will which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2.23 and 't
Laws must be observed though they were inconsistent with Gods Law 59. The Chaldee Paraphrast and the Syriack Version renders those two Scriptures Isa 29.13 Matth. 15.9 Reverentia quam mihi exhibent est ex praecepto et documento humano plainly unputing the reason of Gods rejecting their worship to be the want of a divine command What the Scribes and Pharisees did in the Jewish Church that the Priests and Jesuits do in the Romish Church imposing upon people not only additions to but also inconsistencies with the Commands of God therefore God rejects their worship as that of the Jews 60. Finally Superstition is an undue or ungrounded worship of God not grounded upon Gods word but upon mans wisdom not only for the manner but also for the matter or 't is a putting more into the means than God puts into them as the Jews put more into the Sabbath than God put into it and many more superstitious observances as I could transcribe out of Buxtorf's Jewish Synagogue whereby they do violate the Institutions of God with their Inventions and Amos. Co. 5. v. 26 27. shows they carried a Tabernacle for Venus and Saturn as well as for the true God 61. Having now made this large discovery of this right-hand Enemy of the true Religion it remains that I make known where this Thief hath his principal Residence that would steal away from us our Religion which is a daughter to the King of Heaven and the beauty of all the Kingdoms of the Earth and would put such a cheat upon us as Michael did upon Saul 1 Sam. 19.12 13. in dismissing David and laying an Image that was bed-rid in his stead (x) Supposed to be the Teraphim that was made in the shape of a man Hebr. Teraphim signifies Images 62. I shall now largely prove that as Atheism had its chief Residence in Rome-Pagan so Superstition hath its principal seat in rome-anti-Rome-Anti-Christian This is the design of our present Treatise for the preservation of our blessed Religion received from our godly Ancestors to the salvation of our poor posterity and for the prevention of that Romish cheat in dismissing our David of the Reformed Religion and laying the Image of their own Religion in the room of it 63. That I may the better manifest how the Romish Religion is but an Image of Straw whereas the reformed Religion hath the real David and Christ in it I shall use this method discoursing 1. Generally and then 2. Particularly of it and all to shew the rottennest of the Romish Faith that threatens us so much at this day and to secure our own as our best treasure CHAP. I. In General The seven bad Properties of Popery viz. 1. Superstitious 2. Idolatrous 3. Damnable 4. Bloody 5. Novel 6. Inconsistent with publick peace 7. Irreconciliable to the Protestant Christian Religion Those seven bad Properties are as the seven Unclean Spirits which possessed the empty house Matth. 12.43 45 64. IN my disswasive from Popery I shall I. show in general the seven wretched Properties of the Romish Faith for which it may not be embraced but rather to be abhorred 1. Of the first The Romish Religion is a superstitious Religion 't is made up of a worship altogether supra statutum as sundry intimations hereof afore mentioned do abundantly illustrate 't is so notoriously clogg'd with Ceremonies of Humane invention while the Magnalia legis lay neglected that while they write up service God writes up sin saying who requir'd those things at your hands Isa 1.12 65. Superstition sprung up betimes in the Church of Rome Satan sowed Tares so he is called superseminator very early Many superstitious Doctrines from this superseminator did the Bishops of Reme bring into the Church in the first six hundred years after Christ which signifies that Antichrist was then growing up there until the time of his full maturity for his Revelation in that place 66. Alexander the First Bishop of Rome brought in the mingling of water with the Sacramental Wine and of Salt with water for benediction agreeable to the Pagans about 112th year after Christ After him about 20 years comes Telesphorus and ordained a Lent-Fast for seven weeks about the year 130 after Christ and about the year of Christ 144. Pius the first appoints the celebration of Easter upon the Lords day 67. About the year of Christ 159. the shaving of the Priests Crowns was brought into the Church by Anicetus the Bishop of Rome to whom Polycarp came about composing the differences concerning the Celebration of Easter because it was pretended that the celebrating of it on Sunday (y) The dissenters were called Quartadecimani as they called it one Hermes received by Revelation from an Angel in a Shepherds habit This having of Crowns was a superstitious Custom derived from the practice of the Aegyptian Priests of Isis 68. This superstitious Shaving was condemned by divers of the Fathers as Clemens of Alex. Paedagog lib. 3. cap. 11. Optatus Contra Parmenionem lib. 2. and Jerome on Ezek. 44. Yea and the fourth Council of Toledo cap. 40. About the year of Christ 221. were also introduced into the Church the Fasts of four times by Calixtus the first and about six years after silver Cups were brought into the Celebration of the Supper by Pope Vrbane 69. About the year 240. It was ordained by Pope Fabian that new Chrism should be made every year and that the old should be burnt at the Eucharist then about the year 277. Pope Foelix appoints Divine Service to be Celebrated upon the Sepulchres of Martyrs About five years after Pope Eutychianus brings in the Benediction of the fruits of the Earth upon the Altar as if with the Manichees they had held them unclean until they were thus purified 70. This Pope Eutychianus the Tuscan is said to bring in that custom that no Martyr should be buried but in the Vestment called Palmatica and a Purple Hood Thus Superstition began to grow unto some strength in the Church of Rome betimes and that not only in matters of Ceremony but also of Doctrine for then began Temples to be built to the honour of the Virgin Mary of the Apostles and Martyrs to the great dishonour of God in following Ages 71. Augustine witnesseth that as all divine Worship is to be given to God so all Temples that are for the exercise of that worship are to be erected to him Angust contra Maxim Arrian lib. 1. tit 11. Yet Sylvester the first perswaded Constantine to erect that Church in Rome dedicated to the honour of St. Peter himself digging the Foundation and carrying away twelve Baskets full of Earth in honour of the twelve Apostles upon his Imperial Shoulders and at his instance many other Churches were built to many other Saints And Ciricius about this time brought in that doctrine of Daemons forbidding the Priests to marry and commanding those that were married to repudiate their Wives urging it from that place
their uncharitableness to us and to all other Christians be the better sign 194. And whether it be safer to joyn with the charitable or uncharitable yea with them that are so notoriously uncharitable as to condemn the far greatest part of the Church of Christ merely because they are not Papists Thus we see how their Principles and Practises be not Relatives but interfere with their professions for while they cry up the Grace of Charity as the most splendid grace of their Religion yet in the mean time they are the most uncharitable people in the world 195. Indeed the Romanists argue point blank to this drawing this general conclusion from the charitable opinion of some well disposed Protestants (n) Answer to Mr. Fisher's Relation of a third Conference at the end of Dr. White 's Reply to Fisher pag. 68. We see the Protestants at least some confess there may be salvation in our Church we absolutely deny there may be salvation in theirs therefore 't is safer to come to ours than to stay in theirs to be where almost all grant Salvation than where the greatest part of the World deny it 196. 'T is great pity that our Charity towards them which is a grace they cry up so much for the lustre and glory of their own Church and which is a grace that hopeth all things believeth all things c. 1 Cor. 13.6 7. should be so wrested to the hardning of their hearts in their evil way 't is pity our charitable opinion of them should give any Papist occasion to live and dye in the bosom of that damnable Religion whereas we should rather warn them in the Name of God to come out of Babylon left they be partakers of her Plagues (o) Rev. 18.4 197. But when we say a Papist may be saved (p) Baxter's Key for Catholicks p. 262. Mr. Baxter shews in loco supradicto that it is with all those limitations As 1. We say that a Papist may be saved as a Christian but not as a Papist as a man that hath the Plague may live but not by the Plague 2. We say that Popery is a great enemy and hindrance to mens salvation and therefore those among them that are saved must be saved from Popery and not by it 198. And 3. We say that therefore Salvation is a rarer thing among the Papists than among the reformed Protestants Where it is most difficult there it must be most rare many more of the Protestants are like to be saved than of the Papists And 4. we say where Popery prevails against Christianity and so much mastereth the Heart and Life that the Christian Doctrine is not practically received such cannot be saved without Conversion 199. Thus with those and the like limitations the charitable opinion concerning them on our part which they improve so to their advantage must be restrained which doth not amount to such a judgment of safety in their way as they pretend Our learned (q) Whitaker ad Camp Rat. 10. Whitaker sends this Summons to their great Champion Survey Heaven and all the Heavenly host look well into all the Parts and Coasts of it while you list and you shall not find there upon my word one Jesuit or one Papist 200. For saith he none shall stand upon Mount Sion with the Lamb that have receiv'd the mark of the Beast or belong to Antichrist Thus this great Scholar even in Bellarmine's own Judgment who kept his Picture by him and wrote under it Quanquà m Hareticum doctum tamen habeo adversarium had not an over-charitable opinion of Jesuits which have the mark of the Beast and are their Ring-leaders into Error and of Papists to wit such as hold the doctrine of the Modern Church of Rome and Council of Trent 201. And our famous (r) Hooker in his Discourse of Justification Hooker also saith when we say that a Papist may be saved we do not propose to you a Pope with the Neck of an Emperor under his feet or a Cardinal riding his Horse up to the Bridle in the blood of Saints but a Pope or Cardinal penitent disrobed and not only stripped of his usurped power but also reclaimed from his Error Let them and their Proselytes abjure all their pervertings of the truth and be converted let them fall down prostrate at Christs feet and he will not kick them 202. Although many Protestants have this charitable opinion toward such Papists as fall under the foresaid Qualifications yea and also towards all such as by an invincible and compelled Ignorance resign up their own understandings to their Priests and Jesuits and look through such Spectacles as those temper for them not daring to contradict the dictates of their Teachers but are led on hood-winked in an implicit Faith and blind Obedience 203. Such Papists I say so long as they hold fast the true faith of Christ without opposing any fundamental point of the Christian Religion and furthermore do according to the light and Grace given them with purpose of heart cleave unto the Lord and rely wholly and solely on the merits and mediation of Christ both for safety here and Salvation hereafter such as those may find mercy because they adhere to the Romish Church in other things ignorantly 1 Tim. 1.14 204. This is the most candid Construction that our Charity can afford them and yet here be two things very observable 1. That such as those though they live Papists yet they dye Protestants to wit in the principal foundation of our Faith Justification and Salvation by Christ This Bellarmine himself their great (ſ) Bellarm. de Justif lib. 5. cap. 7. Tutissimum est t is safest to rely wholly on the mexits of Christ though he had taught in his health that partly our own merit and partly the merit of Christ gives right to heaven Champion was driven to for succour when the terrors of death were upon him 2. In our Charity there is no certainty for them only a possibility barely stated They may be saved 205. Yet we have no such Charity for such Papists as live in States and Kingdoms where the word of God is power fully preached and the Sacraments of Christ be purely administred where also much care is taken for their better information and means used for reclaiming them from their Error and instructing them in the knowledge of Christ and his ways Such Papists I say being willingly ignorant and wilfully shatting their eyes against the light their state is more desperate and damnable 206. Those Papists are guilty before the Lord of an affected Ignorance and of a wilful despising of the knowledge of the Lord when they might attain to it 'T is not a bare want of the means of Grace but the contempt of them that damus saith Ambrose Those say in effect unto God (t) Job 11.14 15. depart from us as if God were below them and with the Swinish Gergasites desire him to depart out of their
Letter of it by their setting up another Head besides Christ whom they rob of all his Offices Regal Sacerdotal and Prophetical by establishing Free-will Merit Sins in their own nature Venial and by adding to and diminishing from the Word of God in many points as in their seven Sacraments and other parts of Popery yea generally the whole System and Body of it as such being fully contradictory to the Scripture of Truth as my Second Part doth plainly demonstrate 2. It s Inconsistency with Righteousness to Man by its accounting all of any other Religions Hereticks and that Faith is not to be kept with such as they account so also that force and violence such as is used in their bloody Inquisitions yea and death it self may be inflicted upon those they call Hereticks and that merely quà tales for their being such though otherwise they do nothing either in word or deed either to disturb the Peace or justly provoke the powers of those Popish Countries wherein they live see Dr. Heylin's large Geography fol. 90. and 231. Popery lays such barbarous Obligations upon every Papist that he holds himself bound to kill any Son of Adam whom he pleaseth to term an Heretick contrary to the Laws of God of Nature and of Nations How can this be consistent with Righteousness to Man 2. 3. It s Inconsistency with publick peace and common safety in States and Kingdoms to say no more of the two former Inconsistencies is the main matter I would here demonstrate and that by discovering how the very Principles intrinsecally essential to Popery are all of such dangerous Influence and Consequence which their Religion binds them unto by reason whereof no Protestant State or Kingdom wherein Popish Priests and people live can be secure from disturbance by them or yet ought to trust to the Loyalty of such as by the very Religion they profess may lawfully be disloyal when they please yea and not only may be but must be disloyal being bound to be so when they are able and have advantage Upon this very consideration undoubtedly it was that our own learned Dr. Davenant in his seventeenth Question determineth that Jesuitiz'd Papists cannot possibly be good Subjects saying Non esse extra controversiam est c. That they are not so 't is beyond all Controversie for their many hainous Conspiracies against Kings and Kingdoms do make a clear demonstration But saith he all the question is seeing 't is plain they are not whether they can be good Subjects in as much as their very Principles which the Jesuites have imposed and which all Jesuitiz'd Papists have received do necessarily hinder them from being so Whoever therefore he be that owns the Jesuits Principles and not only approve them but also improve them by drawing those Principles into practice whether he be of the Clergy or Laity saith he such a one can by no means so much as have the very name of a good Subject Let us now take a view particularly of their Principles which are Inconsistent with Peace Their 1. Principle is Their owning of and acting by a Foreign Power and disowning Subjection to the power of their Native Princes This dogmatical Principle alone makes all Romanists especially their Priests and Jesuits to be so far uncapable of being numbred amongst good Subjects as that they cannot be so much as reckoned as Subjects at all in as much as they hold themselves exempted from all secular Powers and to be Subjects to none but to their holy Father the Pope quite contrary to the Doctrine of the Holy Apostle Rom. 13.1 Let every Soul whether Clergy or Laity be subject to the higher Powers Surely Paul to the Romans could not mean the higher powers of the Roman Pope see ver 3 4. c. 3. Their great Champion Bellarmine pleads this Exemption for his Romish Clergy saying They are not obliged to Civil Laws by any Coactive but only by a directive Obligation Bellarm de Cler. lib. 1. Against this Dr. Davenant acutely answereth But What if they will not be directed but trample the Civil Laws under their Feet Bellarmine replies They cannot notwithstanding be punish'd by the Civil Magistrate Our Dr. Davenant goes further saying But what if they commit that grand wickedness of High Treason To this Eudaemon the Jesuit rejoyns saying That Clergymen cannot properly commit Treason and their Zimanca expresly teacheth that a Clergy-mans Rebellion is not properly High Treason for he is not subject to the King By this they cut the very sinews of all Political Laws while they plead this exemption from the Yoke of all secular Power and hereby 't is manifest they are so far from being good Subjects that they do profess themselves no Subjects at all by this Exemption This is quite contrary to the Doctrine of Paul of Peter and of Christ 1. Of holy Paul Rom. 13.12 4. Vbi Lex aut Evangelium non distinguit ibi non est distinguendum The Apostle saith Let every Soul be subject without any distinction why do they make distinctions where God makes none as if the Generation of a Clerick were the Corruption of a Subject in this Exemption what is this but to make the Church to destroy the State If the Magistrate be a Minister ordained of God to punish Evil Doers as this Apostle affirmeth then Popish Clericks that are Evil Doers can in no wise be exempted from his Cognizance unless they do not acknowledge God the Ordainer of that Power to be a Superior Power to theirs 2. Of Holy Peter their own pretended Head 1 Pet. 2.13 14. Submit your selves to Kings and Governours Chrysostom shews that this Command is to all Clergymen yea even to the very Apostles and Evangelists and were it not so it would be a loss unto Princes to have any of their Subjects become Clergy-men if thereby he should lose that subjection which was due to him before But opposite to this is that excellent Note which Zanchy that Magazine of Learning gives in his Epistle Dedicatory to his Miscelanea In the Kingdom of Christ this is wonderful that he Wills and Commands all Princes and Potentates to be subject to his Kingdom Psal 2.9 11 12. And yet he Wills and Commands likewise that his Kingdom be subject to the Kingdoms of the World Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13 14 17. 4. As this Principle of exemption is contrary to the Doctrine 1. Of Holy Paul and 2. Of Holy Peter so 3. Of the Holy Holy Holy Christ who Preached up that Doctrine of Rendring to Caesar the things that were Caesar's Matth. 22.21 'T is observable that not only the Mother of our Lord though big bellied and so might have pleaded Exemption goes up to the Chief City to be taxed by Caesar Luke 2.1 3 4. but also our Lord himself who might above all have pleaded his own freedom paid his Tribute to Caesar that so Caesar should not think the Gospel to be a contradiction to his Government Matth. 17.27 Yea
Church had 1. Error in her Faith 2. Idolatry in her Worship And 3. Tyranny in her Government and as excellently also that Truth must not be sacrificed for Peace yet should hold the Pope to be Principium Vnitatis to the Catholick Church and that the Romish determinations might stand excepting those of the last four hundred years p. 7 8. And there be many others as Reverend Mr. Baxter shows that be Protestant Reconcilers who do condescend thus far But saith he the Grotian Papists go farther making king the Church of Rome the Mistress of all other Churches and the Pope to be the Universal Head as Thorndike Pierce and others that defend Grotius who spake things Meliterio Consona that the Romish Faith was Vera Sincera true and sound see Mr. Baxter's Preface to five Disputatious p. 31. and Saravins's Character of Grotius But if we well consider the four abominable things in that Church as Dr. Boys in his Postils fol. p. 787. calls them to wit 1. Her unlimited Jurisdiction derogatory to all Princes 2. Her insolent Titles prejudicial to all Pastors 3. Her corrupt Doctrine injurious to all Christians And 4. Her filthy Life detestable to all men It will confirm us that Bishop Hall was in the right when considering her Principles and Practices he wrote his No peace with Rome 3. Notwithstanding all the endeavours of former and latter Reconcilers yet there is such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or great Gulf fixed as that in Luke 16.25 by the unmovable and immutable decree of God betwixt Papists and Protestants as there is 'twixt Light and Darkness 'twixt Truth and Falshood so that no Bridge of Reconciliation can be made over it Not unlike to that vast hollowness of the Valleys betwixt those exceeding high Mountains that Cambden speaks of in Merionethshire in Wales whose hanging tops come so close together that Shepherds can audibly talk together from the tops of them and yet will it be a days Journy before they can meet personally to embrace one another Thus upon sound and solid search such will be found that grand distance and remoteness 'twixt the Popish and Protestant Religion how nere soever they seem to be represented by the false glasses of our Reconcilers and tending to an Accommodation that they can never be rightly Reconciled no more than Aaron's Rod and the Magicians Rods until the former of the Rods have swallowed up the latter Exod. 7.12 The real Rod did swallow up the seeming ones and the true Christian Religion will swallow up the Romish that only seems to be Christian but is indeed Antichristian a mere delusion and Phantasm as Christ swallowed up sin and death in victory 1 Cor. 15.55 And though De Clara Grotius Cassander and others do seem to make fair proffers yet these be more of the nature of Baits than Gifts especially seeing they have no Commission from the Church of Rome to treat and therefore should their Offers be accepted as some would gladly do yet the Romish Church would not look upon her self as bound to pay their promises Mr. Fuller further saith though we should go ninety nine steps to meet them yet the Romish Church will not vouchsafe the odd one step to meet us Full. holy State p. 57. Besides this I add though the Church of Rome would reconcile yet sure I am the Court of Rome will never do it 4. 'T is therefore no better than a labour in vain to undertake any Reconciliation with Rome who will have either all or nothing If not the Church of Rome yet the Court of Rome abhors all Accommodations Hence some of great Reading and Judgment doubt not to say that our late Civil uncivil Wars were promoted by the Popes Influence merely for breaking the Project of Reconcilement that then was on foot for had that design been successful the Pope who will have all and will be absolute the way of Peace he knows not and hates would have been safe no where And therefore 't is not improbably said further that King Charles the First was wickedly murther'd by the Popes Instigation lest he and the French King together with Christiana Queen of Sueden should have constrained the Pope by means of such an Accommodation endeavoured to have lour'd his Top-Sail In fine 't is as unpracticable to Reconcile them as it is to Reconcile God and Baal Quà m malè inequales veniunt ad Aratra Juvenci Ovid. Epist How can any Concord be 'twixt Christ and Belial an Ox and an Ass might not be coupled together under the Law Levit. 19.19 upon which Scripture the Doctors of Doway give this notorious Note Here say they all participation with Hereticks is prohibited and they have no better mind to an Accommodation than to a Participation with us 5. If we then seriously consider 1. The vast Opposition of the Popish Religion to the true Christian Protestant Religion almost in all the fundamental points of Christianity as Reverend Beza shows at large in the End of his Confessio fidei Christianae from p. 263. to 357. Almost an hundred Pages doth that learned Man write to shew how the Romanists deny all truth concerning God in his Attributes Christ in his Offices Mans Fall Law Gospel Faith Works Sacraments Ministry c. none of all which he shews they do know aright 2. Considering the Architects or Arch-Master builders of this Babel are Jesuits who make Princes find them Materials perswading them that their work is designed for the House of their Kingdom and for the Honour of their Majesty Many hewers of Wood and drawers of Water they have and such as tread Mortar also and rather than their Mortar should be over dry they will have the blood of Hereticks to mingle it This cursed Faction of the Jesuits is a most agile sharp Sword whose Blade is sheathed at pleasure in the Bowels of every Common-wealth but the handle of it reacheth to Rome They are uncessantly sollicitous every where as if ubiquitarians to subdue all to the Pope and the Pope to themselves 'T is a thousand pityes that such a sweet Name as Jefu is who went about doing good Act. 10.38 should be put upon this Viperous brood who go about doing evil those Sons of Belial shall be all of them as Thorns thrust away because they cannot be taken with hands saith holy David 2 Sam. 23.6 7. How then can our Reconcilers handle those untractable Thorns that have been pricking Bryars and grieving Thorns in the sides of all Nations where they come they are fitter for burning than for building withal as they are doomed Revel 19.20 Heb. 6.8 Josh 4.13 And suppose they could handle them still Having is not Holding what hold can they have of those Monkeys that slips on a Collar for their Masters pleasure and slips it off again for their own 3. Considering their Master the Popes Insolency that can never condescend that so much as one stone should be stirred out of his Babel Tower lest his yielding
Gods decree Revel 18.2 and that with a double Fall then 't is both unreasonable and unseasonable for any Reconcilers to lend their Shoulders for supporting that which God will have to fall who hath resisted his Will Rom 9.19 Rome shall fall certò citò penitùs certainly speedily utterly Their own Jesuits Ribera and Corn. a Lapide confess it Yea Cotton the Jesuit acknowledges 't is now falling for he saith the Popes Authority is incomparably less than it was and that how their Catholick Church is but a diminutive and Bellarmine saith also that ever since the Pope hath been called Antichrist the Church of Rome hath been losing ground as before Yea 't is evident what a cold Sweat lyes upon the Limbs of the Beast from the growing greatness of the Protestant Religion Roma diu titubans variis erroribus acta Corruit et Mundi desinit esse Caput And had those Reconcilers the Shoulders of Sampson they cannot shore up this falling Temple of Dagon 12. To those Scripture Arguments I might add many more had I room for it As the tenth Argument Those Reconciling Modelators would set up a Linsey Woolsey Religion and would sow Gods Field with Miscelane or mingled Seeds Levit. 19.19 and would teach to swear by God and Malcham Zeph. 1.5 The eleventh Argument That which ought to be rejected and Renounced ought not to be Reconciled to but Popery ought to be so because of its Heresie Tit. 3.10 2 ep John v. 10. Leprosie in the Head made the Leper utterly Vnclean and to be thrust out of the Camp Levit. 13.43 44 45. Yet those Reconcilers would not have such Lepers to live alone they dare adventure among them or meet them the half way The twelfth Argument if such as have only a Form of Godliness but deny the power of it must according to Gods Command be turned from 2 Tim. 3.5 then they ought not to be turned to by way of Reconciliation but the Romish Church hath only a Form c. The thirteenth Argument If Hâ—â—red be the Affection that is due to the Romish Church then 't is not Reconciling Love but the Antecedent is true Revel 17.16 They shall hate the Whore The fourteenth Argument If we must beware the Leaven see Dr. Humphrey of this Leaven his Conclusion ut supra of the Pharisees Luke 12.1 then we may not embrace it c. To all these Scripture Arguments some Reasons may be adjoyned As 1. If she be Incurable no Reconcilers can mend her and she is so as Infallible so she calls her self and says she cannot err Peter should not have said I perceive now c. Act 10.34 Should she yield up one pin of her Opinion to the Reconcilers she loses her Pillar of Infallibility 2. She is Irreconciliable to her self such discord 'twixt Thomists and Scotists c. so that their own Binnius who was employed to take it up saith the foundation of their Faith was shaken thereby then less Reconciliable to those Reconcilers 3. Religion is a brittle thing 't will break saith Dr. Preston not bend it cannot be Accommodated to those Reconcilers Dr. Prest Pillar and Ground p. 16.4 All Protestants protest against it so not to Reconcile to it 5. Who dare take this Beast this horned Beast into his Bosom 6. So long as the Pope hath Paul's Sword as well as Peter's Keys he scorns it 7. He will not write in black but in Blood as Draco did concluding all his Arguments in Barbara and Ferio or Blood-letting THE CONCLUSION THus I have drawn a summary Representation of the seven cursed Characters of the Romish Religion that as by the Print of Hercules Foot was guessed the Stature of his whole Body so by this scantling Landskip or Compendium all sober Minds may judge whether this be a Religion safely to be embraced by any true Englishman that truly desires to be holy here and to be happy hereafter seeing it is a Religion which is 1. Superstitious and who will can or dare forsake the Substance for a mere Shadow He that makes a Bridge of the shadow of a Tree shall be sure to fall down into the Deep 2. 'T is Idolatrous and who may can or dare own its Dunghil Deities which provoke the Great and Terrible God to the highest Jealonsie against Man as the second Commandment which the Romish Catechism leaves out as none of the Ten plainly declareth 3. 'T is a Bloody Religion The Romanists would eat up Gods people as Bread Psal 14.3 and they would tear in pieces as if there were none to deliver Psal 50.22 But blessed be the Lord God of Mercy when those wicked ones our Enemies came upon us to eat up our Flesh they stumbled and fell Psal 27.2 Had those bloody Romanists any power over our Bodies they would send away our Souls in Chariots of Fire Their own Bannes speaks plainly saying English Papists are excused for not Rebelling only because they have not sufficient strength God Almighty grant they may ever want it Cursed is their wrath for it is Cruel c. Gen. 49.7 Every true lover of the Land of his Nativity should hate this Religion as Rebellion it self the very Collect for Gunpowder Treason day calls that Religion no better than Rebellion Yea 't is a Religion that is not only cruel to others that oppose it but also to themselves that profess it putting them upon Whippings Scourgings and self-Macerations like to those Priests of Baal who cut and slashed their own Flesh 1 Kin. 18.28 How may can or dare any good man love this Religion 4. 'T is Desperate and Damnable its whole Doctrine is a Doctrine of Desperation and can never afford any solid comfort to any Sin-sick Soul because it sends them to Hepher and Arpad Rivers of Damascus or Babylon to wit unto their Pennances and Pilgrimages it sends Souls from Christ to Works from Scripture which they do scornfully call Ink and Paper-Divinity unto Tradition c. Thus Popery which is but a foppery altogether walks like the unclean Spirit wherewith she is possessed Matth. 12.44 in dry places and is not only cruel to the Body as before but 't is no less to the Soul by its leaving it always in doubt and despair Oh! who may can or dare love this Desperate Religion which is Damnable as well as desperate Though some may be saved in the Popish Church yet none can be so by the Popish Faith Purus-putus Papist a non potest salvari saith Dr. Willet And 't is universally affirmed that a learned English Apostate Papist cannot be saved 5. 'T is a Novel Mushroom Religion that springeth out of the Earth Bevel 13.11 like a Mushroom or Toadstool called by the Poets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Earth born gradually and by little and little from Phoca's time ascending out of the Earth from small beginnings not descending down from Heaven ab initio It was not so from the beginning Matth. 19.8 Porphury indeed calleth Toadstools Deorum
Bonhom price 1 s. 6 d. A description of the Islands of Jamaica with the other Iles and Territories in America to which the English are Related viz. Barbadoes St. Christophers Nievis or Mevis Anlego St. Vincent Dominica Montserat Anguilla Barbada Bermudes Carolina Virginia Maryland New England New York New Found Land Published by Richard Blome cogether with the Present State of Algiers Illustrated with several Maps of the Islands price 2 s. 6 d. A Practical Exposition of the Ten Commandments with a Resolution of several momentous Questions and Cases of Conscience by the Learned Laborious and Faithful Servant of Jesus Christ James Durham late Minister of the Gospel in Glasgow Believers Mortification of Sin by the Spirit or Gospel Holiness advanced by the Power of the Holy Ghost on the hearts of the Faithful Whereunto is Added the Authors three last Sermons on Gen. 3.15 By the Learned and Pious Mr. Alexander Carmichael formerly of Scotland and late Preacher of the Gospel in London price 1 s. 6 d. The Christian Mans Calling or a Treatise of making Religion ones Business wherein the Christian is directed to perform in all Religious Duties Natural Actions Particular Vacations Family Directions and in his own Recreations in all Relations in all Conditions in his dealings with all men in the choice of his Company both of Evil and Good in solitude on a Week Day from Morning till Night in Visiting the Sick and on a dying Bed by George Swinnock The Real Christian or a Treatise of Effectual Calling wherein the Work of God in drawing the Soul to Christ being opened according to the Holy Scriptures some things required by our late Divines as necessary to a right preparation for Christ and a true closing with Christ which have caused and do still cause much trouble to some serious Christians and are with due respects to those worthy men brought to the Ballance of the Sanctuary there weighed and accordingly judged To which is added a few words concerning Socinianism by Giles Fizimic sometimes Minister at Shalford in Essex Mount Pisgah or a Prospect of Heaven being an Exposition of the Fourth Chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessaloniants by Tho. Case sometimes Student in Christ Church Oxon and Minister of the Gospel price 4 s. A Grave for Controversies between a Romanist and a Protestant lately presented to the French King price 6 d. A Collection of Sermons Preached at the Morning Lecture in Southwark and elsewhere by N. Blaky Mr. Janeways last Legacy to his Friends containing twenty seven famous Instances of Gods Providences in and about Sea dangers and deliverances with the Names of several that were Eye Witnesses to many of them whereunto is added a Sermon on the same Subject Memorials of Gods Judgments Spiritual and Temporal or Sermons to call to Remembrance by Nicholas Teckyes Minister of the Gospel price 1 s. 6 d. The Morning Seeker shewing the benefit of being good betimes with directions to make safe work about early Religion by John Ryther price 1 s. 6 d. The Interest of Reason in Religion together with the import and use of Scripture Metaphors and the nature of the Union between Christ and Believers with Reflections on several late Writings and especially Mr. Sherlock's Discourse concerning the Knowledge of Christ modestly enquired into and stated A Guide to the true Religion or a Discourse directing to make a wise choice of that Religion men venture their Salvation upon by John Clapham price 1 s. The Weavers Pocket Book or Weaving spiritualiz'd in a Discourse wherein men employed in that Occupation are instructed how to raise heavenly Meditations from the several parts of their work To which is added some few Moral and Spiritual Observations Relating both to that and some other Trade by J. Collins D. D. price 1 s. The Character of a weaned Christian or the Evangelists Call Art of Self-denyal being an Essay alluding to the Severities and Advantages of Infant weaning both Pleasant and Profitable By S. S. Minister of the Gospel in London price 1 s. A true Relation of the sad Estate of the Reformed Churches in France and several Passages of the great Persecution they lye under Collected out of the several Addresses and Speeches in Print made unto the French King as also in some parts of Germany and Hungary by Sir W. W. price 6 d. FINIS